September 15th, 2016 Edition

Painter of people

Chris Green is beautifying North City, one abandoned building at a time

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

that sentiment.

Green, 56, who grew up in the Ville and graduated from Sumner High School, has for years painted large portraits of successful black people from the St. Louis region and positioned them publicly in black neighborhoods.

“I had the idea of putting dignitaries on derelict buildings as a positive image, to show that people from tough neighborhoods can become respectable

Tagging Flags of Valor

Diversifying Washington University

A conversation with Holden Thorp, provost and executive vice chancellor

your efforts, since you came aboard, to attract and retain African Americans as faculty, students and in administration?

Holden Thorp: Before I got here, there was a big push from the chancellor and the Board of Trustees, and one of the big things that happened was Adrienne Davis came on as vice provost. She has really focused on faculty diversity. Thanks to her efforts, we have doubled the number of black faculty, and now we are focused on retaining them, which will be difficult, because they are attractive to lots of other schools. But we feel good about holding onto the people

we’ve got, and that this whole thing will reinforce itself. In the administration, we have made some great appointments of people who were the best candidates in our searches, but who also are African-American: Lori White, Ronne Turner, Tony Tillman, Bill Tate. These are all terrific people we’re thrilled to have, who also happen to bring diversity to the administration. With students, we have doubled the percentage of African-American undergraduates from 6 to 12 percent over the

Suspect identified as black male with dark complexion, average height, slender build

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

Just after noon on Wednesday, September 7, someone identified from surveillance video as “a black male with a dark complexion, average height and slender build, and an unusual gait” left an improvised explosive at Moline Elementary School in the Riverview Gardens School District. A small explosion occurred outside the building, according to the St. Louis Regional Bomb & Arson Unit. It caused minimal damage to the building in the form of broken glass. The school, which was occupied by students and faculty at the time, was immediately evacuated. No one was injured. Officers located a second suspicious package in the same area and rendered it harmless. A comprehensive sweep of the interior of the school, as well as the surrounding grounds, revealed them

By

Rivas

Local artist Chris Green poses in front of his portraits of Carol Daniel and Jackie JoynerKersee.

Photo by Wiley Price

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Aurdeen Clarkson is an infant room teacher at the Flance Early Learning Center

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

Shanita Auxila from Monsanto Company worked with Zaria Voss and Magan Skinker, students at Parkway South High School, to hang identification tags on the 7,021 Flags of Valor planted on Art Hill in Forest Park on Sunday, September 11. Each flag had the photograph of someone killed during the so-called War on Terror.

50 Cent puts dysfunctional family struggle in the spotlight

50 Cent took to Instagram Monday with the posting of a countdown clock that shows how much time he has left before shelling out his final child support payment to ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins for their son, Marquise Jackson. According to the clock, his financial obligation to Marquise will end on October 13, 2017 – the day he turns 21. “Man real life is gonna start Sooners then you think. Sad part is I wish you well, good,” the rapper wrote in the caption. “Don’t worry, I’ll make u proud! Just don’t forget to tell me happy birthday that day cause [sic] u missed a few,” Marquise clapped back.

Mayte to pen book about being Mrs. Prince

Prince’s first wife, Mayte Garcia, is

working on an “intimate memoir” about her marriage to the late music icon.

Hachette Books told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Garcia’s “The Most Beautiful” is scheduled for release in April 2017. The title is taken from Prince’s 1994 classic ballad “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” which Garcia inspired. Prince, who died in April, married the actress, singer and dancer on Valentine’s Day 1996 and were soon expecting a child. But the baby died just a week after his birth, and Garcia lost another child after suffering a miscarriage.

The losses proved to put too much strain on the relationship: Prince and Garcia had their marriage annulled in 1999 and were divorced in 2000.

In a statement, Garcia says, “For many years, people have encouraged me to share my story,” and described her relationship with the late music legend as “a rare, almost otherworldly connection.” She says memoir will feature both “the highs and lows –always coming from a loving place, as this man is still a part of my family and always will be.”

Lil Wayne doesn’t know what racism feels like

Lil Wayne appeared as a guest on FS1’s new debate series “Undisputed” (which features

his track “No Mercy” as its theme song) and got into the show’s ongoing discussion about race.

Since the series premiere last Tuesday, Colin Kaepernick’s decision not to stand during the national anthem until America addresses its race problem has been discussed in some form between hosts Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless.

The New Orleans bred rapper was asked by Bayless about race relations and his day-to-day experiences as a black man in America.

“God knows I have been nothing but blessed, my whole path, these 33 years have been nothing but a blessing,” he said. “I have never – and never is a strong word – never dealt with racism. I’m glad I didn’t have to.

“Not only did I thought [sic] it was over, I still believe it’s over, but obviously it isn’t.”

The segment began with Lil Wayne being asked to weigh in on Kaepernick’s protest. He declined, saying he didn’t know enough about it.

“I respect the man and his decision, that’s all I can do,” he said. “I’m not into it enough to even give it an opinion. So when he did it, somebody had to tell me why he was doing it. That’s how much I didn’t know what was going on. And I kinda still don’t.”

Fans respond to reports of Nelly’s alleged tax woes

On Sunday, TMZ reported that St. Louis’ own Nelly is facing a hefty $2.4 million tax lien from the IRS. Fans from around the world got wind of the report and created a streaming campaign in the hopes of generating enough funds to foot the bill. The lien, filed in August, stems from unpaid taxes in 2013, TMZ reported. Nelly is said to owe $2,412,283 in federal taxes – and reportedly $149,511 to the state of Missouri. TMZ claims that if Nelly

Biden visits and praises LaunchCode

Non-profit trains people to code and helps place them in tech jobs

By Jason Rosenbaum

Of St. Louis Public Radio

Vice President Joe Biden says he’s well aware that the last eight years haven’t been easy for the nation’s workforce.

In remarks on Friday at a roundtable discussion at LaunchCode in St. Louis, Biden said the economic downturn in the late 2000s “clobbered” the middle class. And that had tangible consequences for struggling cities.

“As Detroit was crumbling, basically the intellectual infrastructure of the city left,” Biden said. “I mean, it just got hollowed out.”

But Biden said there are reasons for optimism. He said an improving economy and advancing technology provided opportunities to get people jobs in the technology industry. And he said groups like LaunchCode are

helping meet an urgent need.

“What you guys are doing here is translating the need into reality,” Biden said. “It’s like knowing how to know. Well, look around the table here. Look at the companies that are represented here. This is not the little league. These are serious outfits.”

The vice president generally steered clear of any political topics during his remarks at LaunchCode, which helps bolster the careers of computer programmers. The nonprofit organization has helped train and match hundreds of people in St. Louis with big companies like MasterCard and Boeing.

Biden said the effort coincided with the Obama administration’s focus on getting more women and minorities acclimated to coding and computer programming.

“Now I will announce an additional

Black lives and black entrepreneurship

Two years after Michael Brown Jr.’s demise, which awoke a generation, the black and white largely middle class millennials who arose to leadership have yet to face and focus on the foremost underlying factor that devalues black lives – poverty.

The ultimate solution to America’s racial discord – eradicating impoverishment – was the final agenda of Martin Luther King Jr., who came to recognize that the social equality brought about by ending segregation rang hollow without economic equality.

I thought about this as I learned of the recent passing of Tom Person. Tom, the owner and founder of Person’s Heating & Cooling, symbolized this solution. He was a burly man, whose physical appearance left no doubt that he had literally built his heating and air conditioner repair business, and his soft-spokenness belied a keen intellect that was the foundation of his entrepreneurship.

Tom was in many respects representative of the black men entrepreneurs I encountered and worked with when I returned to

$40 million in scholarship funds for women and minorities who are underrepresented in the tech sector to attend coding boot camps and to have a shot at these good paying jobs,”

Biden said. “And the goal is to get $100 million in the private sector. And I think we’ll be able to do that in the next little bit. And it matters because these investments matter.”

Joining Biden in the roundtable discussion was Jim McKelvey, who helped cofound the nonprofit LaunchCode in 2013. The cofounder

St. Louis from law school at the beginning of the 1980s. Black entrepreneurship was seen then as the solution, the key to the economic enfranchisement and uplift of the black community. Tom and a cadre of other black men constituted a new wave of black leaders, who envisioned black progress being led by black businesspersons, rather than preachers and politicians. They had become emboldened by national and local laws newly put in place that set aside government contracts and resources for blacks and minorities, and they had the savvy to see the connection between political and activist action and

of Square said that his group doesn’t “ask the companies to do us any favors,” but rather they say, “You have a need for talent and we have a source for talent.”

“And on the other side we say to people who want these jobs they’re open to you,” McKelvey said. “And that anyone, and I truly mean anyone, can get one of these jobs if you work hard enough. And we never lowered the standards for that work, so we keep it all about talent.”

Felipe Naranjo was one of

economic advancement. They realized the independence entrepreneurship afforded, and how their business proceeds could fuel the black political apparatus. They worked closely with black elected officials, demanding that blacks get a fair slice of the economic pie.

Tom was a core member of the St. Louis Minority Contractors Association, a raucous and rebellious organization composed of hardcore men who made up for a lack of formal education with an acute knowledge of their particular trade. In the late ‘80s, they both protested and successfully sued the City of St. Louis to achieve a minority inclusion law that still stands.

The black contractors, though, were not alone among the black businesses pushing the envelope for change, seeking an economic revolution.

Three black men – an owner of a beauty supply business, an owner of

the people who linked up with LaunchCode – which eventually led to a job at Express Scripts.

“I had a lot of time to spend on YouTube and I stumbled upon a video in which Bill Gates, Chris Bosh and Mark Zuckerberg were telling me, ‘You need to learn how to code. It’s great. We love it,’” Naranjo said. “I thought if two of the smartest men in the world and a NBA champion with a Georgia Tech degree could do it, why not me?”

“I was very skeptical about my skills. I wasn’t sure I was ready,” he added. “So I waited a long time to apply. And I always regretted it. Because as soon as I applied, they were incredibly welcoming and they had a lot of guidance to give me. They were able to measure my skills and take that measurement and compare that to where I needed to be.”

Biden said groups like LaunchCode help the U.S. fill a need for hundreds of thousands of IT professionals. He added that the federal government can play a role in closing job gaps.

“There’s an awful lot of people out there that have capacities they don’t know they have,” Biden said. “And you know, neither Barack nor I think government is the answer. But government can be a catalyst.” Follow Jason on Twitter @ jrosenbaum.

Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

a railroad car repair business, and an owner of a newspaper – united to form perhaps the most formidable black organization of that era, the Black Leadership Roundtable. They forced the powers that be to include blacks in the construction of the domed stadium, and they defeated a racist group’s attempt to control the school board. They were not just businessmen, they were modernday freedom fighters, who were as determined to serve their people as make a profit.

There’s an old saying that “they don’t make ‘em like they used to.” And that’s what I think about when I juxtapose the millennial movement leaders of today with the generation of black leaders exemplified by Tom Person.

Eric E. Vickers is an attorney and activist in St. Louis.

Columnist Eric E. Vickers

Photo by Carolina Hidalgo / St. Louis Public Radio

Vice President Joe Biden spoke at LaunchCode alongside Jim McKelvey, founder of Square and co-founder of LaunchCode.

Editorial /CommEntary

Obama has made America better

An African-American activist in 2016 might argue that it’s not possible to “make America great again,” in that the United States has never been, truly, great, because its promise of freedom and equality has never been fulfilled for all of its citizens. But the facts make it clear that President Barack Obama – though not fulfilling our founding ideals fully in his less than eight years in office – has improved this nation and is making it better.

The facts in question are revealed in the Census Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Data released on Tuesday, September 13. The data show that in 2015, household income in the U.S. grew at the fastest rate on record (by 5.2 percent), the poverty rate fell faster than at any point since 1968 (with 3.5 million fewer Americans now living in poverty compared to the previous year), and the uninsured rate continued to fall.

While income inequality remains unacceptably high, as the White House concedes, all racial and ethnic groups saw gains in real median household income and reductions in their poverty rates in 2015, and the nation’s two largest racial minority groups saw the most significant improvement in economic well-being. Hispanic Americans saw the largest gains in median income (up 6.1 percent), while blacks and Hispanics saw the largest reductions in poverty (down 2.1 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively).

Further, Obama’s signature legislative accomplishment – the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – continues to yield benefits, despite its relentless demonization by the Republican Party. Every state has seen declines in uninsured rates since 2013, as the major coverage provisions of the ACA have taken effect – and this includes backwards states like Missouri that have refused to expand Medicaid. The uninsured rate remains significantly higher in states that have not expanded Medicaid (12.3 percent), compared to states that did (7.2 percent).

It goes without saying that these facts give the lie to the Republican presidential nominee’s repeated claims that Obama is destroying this country and it will take a Republican president to “make America great again.” Quite to the contrary. Obama inherited an economy that imploded on the watch of a two-term Republican president and – despite relentless obstruction from Republicans in Congress, who took power after the midterm elections, when Democrats ran cravenly from Obama and the ACA – he brought the economy back from the brink of ruin. While we agree with progressive Democrats (including the bulk of Bernie Sanders voters) who believe that Obama’s Justice Department flinched from prosecuting the powerful financial fraudsters who drove the economy to near disaster, his steady leadership is largely responsible for the nation’s

rebound, which increasingly has come to include the middle class.

There is an obvious message here for the millions of Americans (including many millennial Sanders voters) who are inclined to reject both major party candidates and throw their vote away on a fringe party candidate – or, worse, stay home in disgust on November 8. Who is president matters. Whether the president is a Democrat or a Republican matters. Let’s face it: The president elected on November 8 is going to be either a Democrat or a Republican, regardless of how frustrated one may be in both major parties and their current candidates.

If you want household income in the U.S. to continue to grow, including for AfricanAmerican households; the poverty rate to continue to fall, including for black people; and the uninsured rate to continue to drop, including for African Americans, then you want Obama to be succeeded by another Democrat. The alternative – and, however one may wish otherwise, there is only one alternative – is difficult to predict, because Donald Trump is wildly unpredictable, with no policy experience and a track record of scattered, inconsistent campaign declarations. But it is a very safe bet that Trump’s stewardship of the economy would be away from middle-class prosperity and health coverage, and toward greater income inequality – and that’s not even taking into consideration what costly problems a Trump-style foreign policy could provoke.

Whether America has ever been truly great is debatable from an African-American perspective, but it’s undeniable that Obama’s presidency has made this country better – and that, given our choices, Hillary Clinton is the candidate most likely to build upon his administration’s gains.

Shut down the Workhouse Commentary

By Tishaura O. Jones Guest columnist

St. Louis City’s Medium Security Institution, infamously known as “the Workhouse,” has operated on Hall Street since 1966. It is no secret that there are problems with this institution.

In recent years, stories from the Workhouse – like guards forcing inmates to fight, black mold, freezing temperatures, broken security systems and other wretched conditions – have appeared in our newspapers. Unlike operations in state and federal correctional facilities, there are no laws governing mandated reporting of conditions at the Workhouse, which is run by the City of St. Louis Division of Corrections.

However, using interviews with current and former corrections officers and inmates, and data from records, the American Civil Liberties Union and other advocates have laid out a damning list of abuses, including sexual harassment, medical neglect, extended or mistaken incarceration, and negligence resulting in death.

Running the Workhouse costs taxpayers about $16 million a year – and that’s to keep people in the Workhouse. I propose we close the Workhouse and use the same money to keep people out.

The city currently spends $254 million a year repeatedly arresting the same people, trying them, and incarcerating them. If we can reduce the number of people cycling through the system, we will save a lot of that money.

I believe that dangerous people should be in jail. But I

do not believe that we should be spending money to brutalize young, sick or innocent people and make them a permanent part of our problem. At any given time, onefourth to one-third of the inmates at the Workhouse are people who are mentally ill, have substance abuse issues, or both. The city doesn’t operate its own programs for the mentally ill or developmentally disabled.

There are organizations that do, though, and they do it well. The city needs to work in tandem with these organizations to fund and operate programs to create opportunities for residents. And, where this is happening already, more people need to know about it so that they can support the programs and participate in them if needed.

The Justice Policy Center has found that putting drug offenders in treatment programs instead of incarcerating them is a much better return on investment. I’d spend the Workhouse money there.

Mayor Francis G. Slay’s initiative, the Prison to Prosperity Program – which matches mentors, formal education, skills training and jobs to young inmates nearing release – has kept almost all of its 100 or so participants out of further trouble. However, it has not been funded beyond its pilot program. I’d spend the Workhouse money there.

Letters to the editor

Laudable effort

When it comes to social justice issues, doing something is most often better than doing nothing. The police-community forum organized by the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE) and the U.S. Probation Office, Eastern District of Missouri is a case on point.

The forum attendees consisted of convicted felons and cops who faced off in a room on the 22nd floor of the Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in downtown St. Louis.

By Michael Butler Guest columnist

I have never forgotten my first run for office; it made me the leader I am today. During a long heat wave in the month of June, my team and I knocked on over 5,000 doors in an effort to get the word out about my candidacy. We asked each potential voter what they wanted their next state representative to do for them. One of the most common responses was: “Just do the right thing.” Supporting Bruce Franks on Friday, September 16 during a revote election is the right thing to do. He is the right kind of change we need in Jefferson City and St. Louis politics. Choosing the transformational leadership of Franks over the old-school politics is the right thing to do. Standing up for the people of St. Louis and not the politicians of St. Louis is the right thing to do.

Let’s be clear: endorsing an upstart candidate from the South Side over a well-known North City political family, to many local politicos, is a bad political move for me; but it is still the right thing to do. Bruce Franks has good programs, which he has already seen success with in our communities, that he will get expanded and implemented. Positive change is already happening under Franks, and it needs to continue.

His non-profit organization, 28 to Life, is what community people and community leaders

have been hoping for: a wellrun, relevant, popular and highly successful program for black youth and by black youth. Where Bruce started with just giving the same youth that protested with him in Ferguson an organized voice, he ended with giving them resources to improve their lives. Now, 28 to Life runs one of the nation’s most successful recidivism programs, where 97 percent of its participants do not repeat offend. How does he do it? Mostly by connecting felons and youth to social services and good mentors, which in many cases is himself. Bruce is leadership in action, not leadership in a position. We as leaders of this community should never put our careers and personal aspirations ahead of the people of this region. Our families, neighbors, co-workers and friends depend on us daily to just “do the right thing.” What matters, more than what can be proven in court, is the general community consensus that what Bruce Franks has said about his opponent is all true. For decades, we have heard stories of Hubbard campaign workers using voter intimidation and filling out absentee ballots. We as leaders stood by and thought

“not my area, not my problem, I don’t know anything about that.”

After all we have learned about what is going on in the 5th Ward and 78th State House District of St. Louis, we cannot stand idly by now. Good leadership is joining in the fight against public corruption and supporting each citizen who has testified that their vote was defrauded.

Imagine the type of leader this kind of election will make Bruce Franks: a strong advocate with few political endorsements working to improve our city for its youth who defeated a political machine. I think about the long heat wave we had this summer and all the doors Bruce knocked on in an effort to get the word out about his candidacy. I see the people he has empowered through his fight, the wave of motivated black youth, white changemakers, and good people of all colors who want better for St. Louis, all of whom see themselves in him.

In 2012, St. Louis told me to “just do the right thing.” Now, I’m telling you. Join me in supporting Bruce Franks for state representative.

The special election in the 78th State House District will be held on Friday, September 16. Polls will be open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m Michael Butler (D-St. Louis) represents District 79 in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Reasonable people would not expect the participants of such a forum to be exiting the room amid a chorus of “Kumbaya, My Lord.” And judging by comments related in the EYE, the felons weren’t buying what the NOBLE cops and the probation folks were peddling. But the effort was laudable.

Realistically, the problems associated with social justice issues, police-community relations in particular, will not be solved in classrooms. The many issues involved are better addressed during the thousands of police/citizen encounters daily. Police management refuses to acknowledge the fact, but these encounters are sales opportunities for cops. Good cops are good sales people.

Cops usually sell a course of action – an intangible, and to do so they must first “sell themselves.” Selling oneself is a matter of personal development and sales acumen, but police management is visionless with regard to these skills. Fact: Cops would be well-served by personal development and sales training courses throughout their careers. Citizens would be the ultimate beneficiaries of that training.

Michael K. Broughton Green Park

Students need access to the arts

As students begin their school years, it is important for us to remember the impact of education in our homes, schools

The chief judge in the city’s municipal court system, Gordon D. Schweitzer Jr., has introduced a variety of programs designed to keep people out of jail. Some of them – like allowing people to pay in amounts they can afford, little by little, instead of demanding the entire amount up front – don’t cost much money. But adding and training staff to do more could transform municipal court into a portal to city services instead of the front door to the Workhouse. I’d spend the Workhouse money there. St. Louis has a new circuit attorney, Kimberly Gardner, who ran and won on a platform of increasing public accountability, addressing over-incarceration of low level non-violent offenders, and strengthening relationships with the criminal justice system. Gardner believes there is a problem, and I believe she can help fix it. In her new office, she will have the authority to gather information to identify why people are in the Workhouse and what is preventing those individuals from moving efficiently through the criminal justice system.

I formally demand that current problems in the Workhouse be thoroughly investigated and expeditiously addressed by the Circuit Attorney’s Office and the entire criminal justice system. With the support of all of us, the residents of St. Louis and their elected officials, we can do this. And after we do, I demand that the Workhouse be closed.

Tishaura O. Jones is treasurer for the City of St. Louis.

for

and communities. For decades, research has shown that when students participate in the arts as a part of their education, they go on succeed in school, work and life.

Designated by Congress in 2010, the week beginning with the second Sunday in September is National Arts in Education Week: a national celebration of the transformative power of the arts in education. Recently, in Washington, D.C., the new Every Student Succeeds Act was signed into law, replacing no Child Left Behind. This new bill fully supports the arts as part of every students’ “wellrounded” education. It provides the flexibility for students to learn creatively and for local districts and states to create schools that embrace the arts. What we know is simple: students attend school more often when they have access to the arts, parents and families

engage with the schools when schools embrace the arts, dropout rates decrease, grades increase – and the halls are filled with artwork, songs, drama and dancing. However, so often we see that access is not there in communities across our state and the country. Study after study that indicates the opportunity gap in arts education, specifically along racial and socio-economic lines. We must stand together to fight for equity in access and delivery of arts education. How can our district help provide equitable opportunities for all of our young people? How can we use the new law to create arts-rich schools? How can we support parents, families and the community in provide more opportunities for engagement?

Mary Ann Boehme

St. Louis

Columnist

Eugene Robinson

Photo by Pete Souza

President Obama in the Oval Office.

Black chess masters join Webster program

Two of the top-ranked African-American chess masters in the United States have selected Webster University and will join the winning SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) program. Childhood friends, they are the youngest African-American chess players in the country to become masters, and they accomplished this feat before age 13.

Joshua Colas, from White Plains, New York, is ranked No. 4 among 17-year-olds in the U.S; and Justus Williams, from Bronx, New York, is No. 9 among 18-year-olds in the U.S. Colas and Williams will be joining three other freshman players: Aaron Grabinsky from Oregon, ranked No. 10 among 18-year-olds in the U.S.; Kaleb Gosdin from Tennessee, ranked No. 48 among 18-year-olds in the U.S.; and Kenneth Fernandez from New York, ranked No. 83 among 18-year-olds in the U.S. Priyadharshan Kannappan is a new graduate student on the team.

Webster University’s SPICE program has a total of 23 students. Four are African-American; other countries represented on the team are Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, India, Azerbaijan, The Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Colombia, Israel, Czech Republic, Mexico and Uzbekistan.

Reimagining Public Safety in Ferguson

The Ferguson Collaborative will host a Town hall on Reimagining Public Safety on Sunday, September 18 at : Koch Elementary School, 1910 Exuma Dr. The meeting is 3:30-5:30, with a cookout, raffles, and information booths starting at 2 p.m.

The meeting will focus on reframing public safety away from police and courts to all the other investments that can be made to prevent crime – adequate lighting, fixing dilapidated buildings, mental health, education –and alternatives to calling the police.

“As neighbors we have to first of all learn how to communicate better with each other, keep each other informed about what’s going on in our neighborhoods and our city,” said Ferguson Collaborative spokesperson Mildred Clines. “We want to build a community communications network for public safety instead of just relying on the police.”

Shark-free savings

By Charlene Crowell Guest columnist

New research finds that 90 million consumers are saving $2.2 billion each year. These savings didn’t come from pay raises or bonuses, or new jobs. Instead, these financial gains came when a pernicious form predatory lending became illegal.

Let’s call these locales “shark-free” states, where interest rates on small-dollar payday loans are legally limited to no more than 36 percent. Instead of living on financial tightropes from one payday to the next, these consumers are paying off bills and even saving some money on a regular basis.

Robin Howarth and Delvin Davis, senior researchers with the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), wrote the policy brief “Shark-Free Waters: States are Better Off without Payday Lending.” They found that consumers in payday-free states have found multiple ways to manage temporary cash shortfalls at a fraction of the cost of payday loans. Their conclusions were informed by a series of academic studies, surveys and focus group results.

Contrary to the claims of industry supporters, consumers are satisfied with the respective state bans. In North Carolina, 9 out of 10 low and moderate-income consumers expressed that payday lending was not in their best interest. “They’re there basically to rob people that need money,” noted one North Carolina consumer. Consumers of color are especially hard-hit by payday lending’s debt trap. Earlier studies have shown that in states allowing payday lending, such as Florida and California, black and Latino neighborhoods have twice the concentration of payday stores than their white counterparts.

Other states now benefitting from consumer-friendly payday loan reforms are Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont and West Virginia. Among these states, 12 also limit interest rates for car-title loans, thereby further boosting consumer savings even further each year.

n Let’s call these locales “sharkfree” states, where interest rates on small-dollar payday loans are legally limited to no more than 36 percent.

For example, in New York, the most populous state of the 14 with rate caps, consumers save a total of $789,995, 328 in combined fees for payday and car title loans. Lower but substantial savings were also found in Pennsylvania ($489,497,834), North Carolina ($457,729,960) and New Jersey ($346,587,204).

By contrast, where payday loans remain legal, borrowers pay fees of over $4.1 billion annually, with the average customer taking out 10 loans a year.

“Over the years, CRL’s payday research has focused on the ills of these predatory loans,” said Davis. “This policy brief points out the benefits consumers gained by limiting interest rates – whether by voter referendum or state legislation. Money stayed in their pockets, instead of paying high-cost fees.”

Charlene Crowell is the communications deputy director with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene. crowell@responsiblelending.org.

Charlene Crowell

THORP

Continued from A1

last four years. This year, of the first-year students who just arrived, we have 12 percent African-American students and 9 percent Latino students. We’re happy with that. Now we have to make sure we make this a place where they can thrive.

The St. Louis American: What would you credit for these upticks in AfricanAmerican representation?

Holden Thorp: It all comes down from the chancellor and the board, who asked us to work on this. We realized it’s in the strategic interest of the university, in terms of serving the population of St. Louis, but also serving the population of the future of the country. So we were directed to do that by them, and the rest has just been doing a great job with execution. One thing that makes a difference is if folks are underrepresented because they have been excluded in the past, they may feel less certain about becoming a candidate or whether the process is going

GREEN

Continued from A1 citizens,” Green said.

When James Clark, vice president of community outreach for Better Family Life (BFL), became aware of Green’s work, he saw that it fit the non-profit’s mission of community uplift and could contribute to its Page Avenue Beautification Project. BFL paid Green a modest commission to paint portraits on sheets of plywood and funded his materials. Now, as you move west on Page from Kingshighway

to be fair to them. One way to overcome that is to put extra effort in recruiting candidates who may not have always felt our process was fair to them.

The St. Louis American: What are your strategies for retaining black students and faculty?

Holden Thorp: For students, we established a Center for Diversity and Inclusion a couple years ago. That was a visible and important step. We also have recently appointed Tony Tillman as assistant provost. He is leading a program called the Deneb Stars. The Deneb is the furthest star that you can see with the naked eye. These are students we have identified as low-income. Many are the first generation in their families to go to college. It’s very important to state that just because a student is lowincome does not mean they are from an underrepresented group, such as AfricanAmerican or Latino students, but a number of our black students are Pell Grant-eligible. We do our best to support the Association of Black Students; its president is always involved in our Undergraduate Experience Committee.

Boulevard, dozens of portraits painted by Green in acrylic stare out from the doorways and windows of abandoned homes. Eventually his portraits of local African Americans will extend all the way to the city line at North Skinker Parkway. Green is painting worldfamous people (Miles Davis, Tina Turner, Jackie JoynerKersee), well-known politicians (Bill Clay, Freeman Bosley Jr., Virvus Jones), stalwart community leaders (James Buford, Henry Givens Jr., Ida Goodwin-Woolfolk) and media figures (Carol Daniel, Bonita Cornute, St. Louis American publisher Donald M. Suggs). But you don’t have to

And, most importantly, we don’t admit anybody unless we’re absolutely certain they have what it takes be successful here. If you look at our changes in demographics, this happened while the test scores of our students remained the same. We were able to build a class that is more diverse, but also academically qualified in exactly the same way as it has always been.

On the faculty side, that’s harder. Once people are successful academics, we have free agency in our business. Just like with recruiting, you have to make extra effort to make people understand that this is a place where they are valued. We talk about this a lot, and it’s something we are focused on. Hopefully changes in the level of representation in the administration flows down and people see that as an example of where our values are.

The St. Louis American: Ferguson happens in the context of this effort. How does it change this effort for you?

Holden Thorp: We didn’t really see a big change in our ability to make any changes when that happened. If anything, folks feel this is as

be a star to be in his show.

Community organizer Ollie Stewart, director of the Southside Wellness Center, activist Jamala Rogers and business executive Richard J. Mark, president of Ameren Illinois, appear alongside celebrities like Nelly, the Spinks brothers and Redd Foxx. They are all, to him, faces of hope.

“I paint positive images on abandoned buildings, so people see something other than negative graffiti and gang signs,” Green said. “I want to give hope to people who come from neighborhoods like this.” Green is certainly not speaking down to residents of

a place where these issues are at the forefront, and a lot of the people we are recruiting

the North City neighborhood that lines Page. He himself lives on the street, right across from one of the buildings with his portraits, a couple of doors down from an abandoned church stripped of its copper, with gang signs painted on its windows.

He does not paint out on the street, but rather at home, and then moves the painted plywood to its destination. Since he lives in the neighborhood, it is easy for him to go around and touch up his work. On Monday, September 12, he was seen touching up the name of Pearlie Evans, longtime district director for Congressman Bill

are interested in these issues. So, if anything, it makes St. Louis an interesting place to be academically and to study these issues that are creating challenges for our county.

Clay Sr. He particularly wants youth to be able to see the names of the dignitaries, in hopes that they will search for more information about them.

This is not his livelihood.

He has a job, working in a storeroom for the city’s Division of Recreation. He admires his boss, Evelyn Rice-Peebles, enough to have painted her. He respects himself and loves his daughter, Julia, so much that he proudly included their group portrait on a derelict building across from the meticulously maintained house where he lives with his mother.

His love for his entire community pours out of him with a purity more often found at church. “I stay up with current events in the community,” he said. “I stay active. I go to forums.” He is, in every sense, an engaged citizen of St. Louis. While he has not received much recognition for his work recognizing individuals in the community he loves so much, he has the best possible evidence that his paintings are appreciated by the people he is trying to reach.

“I have never seen any graffiti on any of my paintings,” Green said. “And my paintings have been out in some tough neighborhoods.”

Holden Thorp is provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at Washington University.

Photo: Washington University

SCARE

Continued from A1

to be safe. At the time of the incident, the suspect was wearing dark clothing and a light colored “bucket hat.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

The FBI and the St. Louis Regional Bomb & Arson Unit are conducting a joint investigation into the incident. Anyone who might have information regarding the suspect or incident is encouraged to contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-3718477.

The explosive that was detonated was first discovered by a school staff member just after lunchtime on September 7. Within an hour, the entire school, located at 9865 Winkler Dr., had been

CLARKSON

Continued from A1 zone, no matter what happens anywhere else.”

On Saturday, October 1, Clarkson will receive the 2016 PNC Bank Early Childhood Award at the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala.

Flance Center Director Mark Cross said Clarkson she brings a number of special skills and attributes to the center.

“She has a wonderful relationship with families and the parents in the classroom, which is a result of her caring, kind, compassionate approach with the kids,” Cross said. “She communicates well with the parents, and she’s always looking for ways to communicate even better.”

Located at 1908 O’Fallon St. just north of downtown, the Flance Center is committed

n Anyone who might have information regarding the suspect or incident is encouraged to contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-8477.

evacuated, and investigators from multiple law enforcement agencies were on the scene. Melanie Powell-Robinson, communications director for the district, said it was “amazing” how quickly the school’s principal and staff implemented their safety protocols. Each school has multiple plans to respond to such incidents, which ensures that their response and escape routes aren’t predictable. This time, the students were taken to Westview Elementary. Once they safely arrived, the district sent out an automated call letting parents know about the

to serving “a racially, culturally, developmentally and socio-economically diverse population of children” while providing “supportive services to families,” according to its mission statement.

This mission was a good fit for Clarkson, who has been with the center since its inception three years ago. As a child, Clarkson grew up in the former Cochran Gardens public housing complex, just a mile east of where Flance is located.

“The fact that neighborhood has continued to regrow, it’s fantastic,” Clarkson said. “I love working with the families. We have all walks of people and all kinds of families in this building.”

She pays special attention to her first-time parents, who are constantly asking her questions and advice. “For me to research and make sure they get the right answers for their child’s development, it’s very important,” she said. Some of her babies come

incident and that they could retrieve their children if able.

District leaders decided to cancel school on Thursday for all of the district’s 12 schools. The district has 5,200 students, who are predominately African-American.

“We don’t know if they were targeting our district, the school, African-American students or the North County community in general,” said Powell-Robinson.

“Is this a message? Is this a prank? Right now there were so many more unanswered questions than were answered. It’s very daunting, and it’s a scary situation, especially for parents at Moline Elementary School.”

Anyone who might have information regarding the suspect or incident is encouraged to contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-3718477. Video of the suspect is available at https://www. youtube.com/ watch?v=fTEdGNvsR5o& feature=youtu.be.

in as early as eight weeks old and they leave her room at 18 months. When they transition to that next chapter in their lives, she feels like she’s handing over her own children to the next teacher, she said.

“This is what we are here for,” she said, “to help those children grow and be better citizens. It starts at infancy.”

Missouri (and only the fourth worldwide) to be certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Schools Rating System. The playground features an open green space with garden boxes for herbs and vegetables, and the teachers are encouraged to use the space for greenoriented curriculum.

n “This is their safe zone, no matter what happens anywhere else.”

The Flance Center, managed by Flance Management, is a project of Urban Strategies and St. Louis-based urban redeveloper McCormack Baron Salazar. The mixedincome model is integral to the ambition to create “systemic change.” Aside from this aspect, Flance’s building in itself is also quite unique, Clarkson said.

– Aurdeen Clarkson, an infant room teacher at the Flance Early Learning Center

It’s the first preschool in

“Last week, the older children were able to make stew from the vegetables they grew,” Clarkson said. “Some of the children didn’t know where vegetables came from. They don’t have the opportunity to go outside and feel safe.”

Cross said that Clarkson has become a natural role model for the other teachers.

“She hasn’t become who she is by herself,” he said.

“There’s a foundation beneath

her of family and other early childhood instructors, and she’s aware of that. I often encourage her that this is your chance to help others as they are growing in their professional life as early childhood educators — just as someone helped you.”

Clarkson came to early childhood education in her thirties, after she raised her children and began raising her five grandchildren. Her grandchildren were enrolled in the Wellston School District when it became unaccredited, so Clarkson decided to volunteer relentlessly at the schools. One of the school leaders noticed that she had a real passion for education, so he encouraged her to visit Gwendelyn Pennington, a professor and coordinator of early care and education at St. Louis Community College.

“She told me, ‘Why don’t you take one class?” Clarkson said. “I took one class, and I’ve been hooked ever since. They have been my mentors at

treating the whole child as an individual.”

While still working and raising her grandchildren, she was able to obtain her associate’s degree. Though she started her pursuing a bachelor’s degree in special education, life’s opportunities sidetracked her.

“I was sent here for a reason, and that reason is to serve the community, the parents, and the children,” she said – “to nurture and give the love that I have.”

The 2016 Salute to Excellence in Education Gala will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 1, 2016 at the America’s Center Ballroom, following a reception at 5 p.m. Tickets are on sale now. Individual tickets are $85 each/$850 table, and VIP/ Corporate tickets are $1,500 table. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www. stlamerican.com and click on Salute to Excellence, or call 314-533-8000.

The bomb suspect was identified from surveillance video as “a black male with a dark complexion, average height and slender build, and an unusual gait” wearing dark clothing and a light colored “bucket hat.”

Special election in House District 78 to proceed on Sept. 16

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay called for U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to “immediately intervene in court and election proceedings” in Missouri House District 78 in a letter dated Friday, September 9, but no immediate relief came from the nation’s capital. Instead, the Missouri Court of Appeals proceeded, undisturbed, to rule on an appeal to a lower court’s order for a special election in the district, after challenger Bruce Franks Jr. objected to incumbent Penny Hubbard’s use of absentee ballots in the August 2 Democratic primary. On Tuesday, September 13, the appellate court upheld the lower court’s ruling.

Monday through Friday, absentee voting for the special election will be extended to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13 and Wednesday, September 14.

Polls will be open on election day –Friday, September 16 – from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Any city resident who has any questions about their voter registration status should contact the election board at 314-622-4336.

That means, unless the Missouri Supreme Court is asked to intervene and does so – or Clay’s Hail Mary to Lynch pays off soon – voters in House District 78 will head to the polls on Friday, September 16 to pick their Democratic nominee for state representative. Given that the Republican nominee, Erik Shelquist, received nearly 2,000 votes fewer than Franks or Hubbard on August 2, the winner of the special election on September 16 will be the next state representative.

The appeals court agreed with Circuit Judge Rex Burlison that the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners improperly accepted at least 142 absentee ballots on August 2, thus improperly providing Hubbard with the margin of victory. Franks beat the incumbent at the polls on election day, but a massive absentee advantage gave Hubbard a 90-vote victory.

“Because the statutes regarding the protocol for absentee voting are not ambiguous and are mandatory under the court’s precedent, we affirm the decision of the trial court,” wrote Judge Roy L. Richter in an appeals opinion joined by judges Phillip M. Hess and Colleen Dolan Absentee voting – the ace in the hole for several candidates named Hubbard during many election cycles, and for other 5th Ward power players before them – is already underway and continues through Thursday, September 15. In addition to the election board’s regular absentee voting hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The lower court placed the blame squarely on election officials, rather than the Hubbard campaign or the people who voted for her via absentee ballot. But that was enough to throw out the election. “Casting an absentee ballot is not a right but a privilege,” the appeals court ruled. “A failure to follow the specific requirements of absentee voting laws is enough to find legal fraud” and disqualify the election results.

As St. Louis Public Radio noted, the appellate opinion echoed the points Dave Roland, Franks’ attorney, emphasized on Monday in urging the judges to uphold a century of court precedent.

“In several of these cases, the court specifically addressed the question of, ‘What if it wasn’t the voter who made the mistake? What if the mistake was made by the election authority?’”

Roland told the judges. “And in each of those instances, the court has said it does not matter. If the election authority makes the mistake, the law has still been violated. And each of these cases, it says compliance with the absentee voting statutes is mandatory.”

The appeals court also rejected the argument made by Hubbard’s attorney Jane Dueker (and by Clay in his letter to Lynch) that a new election would disenfranchise voters. “Ordering a special election to replace the results of the original, improperly conducted election does not prevent qualified voters from casting a vote,” Richter wrote in the opinion.

“This is one of the rare cases in which the party that lost the trial actually made their position worse by appealing,” Roland said in a written statement reacting to the appellate ruling. “The Court of Appeals emphatically rejected every

Photo by Wiley Price

Bruce Franks Jr. and state Rep. Michael Butler spoke with Rev. Charles Brown, Clergy Coalition president, about the special election in House District 78 at Mount Airy Missionary Baptist Church on Saturday, September 10. Franks faces incumbent Penny Hubbard for the Democratic nomination in a special election on Friday, September 16.

argument Hubbard’s attorney put forward and reaffirmed that, because the absentee ballot process is a special privilege that is also prone to abuse, it is critical that voters and election officials strictly adhere to the statutes governing the use of those ballots.”

Franks swung back at Clay on Sunday, September 11 in his own letter to Lynch, which came with attachments detailing some of the irregular – and, possibly, criminal –manipulations of the absentee voting process by the Hubbard campaign.

“Rep. Clay is attempting to manipulate the federal government to politically attack his own constituent, me,” Franks wrote to the attorney general. Franks wrote that Clay “has ignored countless pleas for help in the 5th Ward and 78th District for years” because he “is more interested in protecting his political friends in the Hubbard family than the people of his own district.”

Franks then spoke up for his bona fides in encouraging, rather than discouraging, voter participation.

“In the past year, I have registered

over 2,500 new voters in the St. Louis area, increased voter turnout by over 900 voters in the 78th District, and energized many voters of all colors, ages, and creeds to get involved in the political process,” Franks wrote to Lynch. It was not only the U.S. attorney general whom Clay tried to leverage for Hubbard against Franks. Clay’s former chief of staff Darryl Piggee distributed a press release early on Saturday, September 10, declaring a press conference later that day by the St. Louis Clergy Coalition denouncing Franks and the special election.

However, neither the St. Louis Clergy Coalition nor Clay attended the press event. Rev. Charles Brown, Clergy Coalition president, was the only member in attendance.

Franks showed up with state Rep. Michael Butler (D-79), who has endorsed him.

“We arrived to respectfully converse with clergy leaders on our perspective of the voter disenfranchisement and intimidation going on in the 78th District,” Butler

told The American. He said Brown was “very open” to dialogue with them. “He instructed us to present to him the complaints of citizens about any voter irregularities,” Butler said. “We plan to present him with many written affidavits that we have already collected.” Piggee, Clay’s former chief of staff, is now an attorney with Stone, Leyton & Gershman, the Clayton firm that represents NorthSide Regeneration, the massive North St. Louis redevelopment project led by Paul McKee Jr. The Carr Square Tenant Corp., which is controlled by Rodney Hubbard Sr. (Penny’s husband), owns a 2.5 percent stake of NorthSide Regeneration. Rodney and Penny Hubbard’s daughter, Tameka Hubbard, is the 5th Ward alderwoman who has sponsored the enabling legislation for the NorthSide project at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. Tameka Hubbard – with or without a powerful absentee voter program – will stand for reelection in the March primary.

The other Darren Wilson pleads

Darren Randal Wilson –sometimes known as “the other Darren Wilson,” since he is the former black St. Louis cop, not the white Ferguson cop named Darren Wilson who killed Michael Brown Jr. – will never again be a police officer.

On Tuesday, September 13, he pled guilty to nine counts of wire fraud involving his misappropriation of over $80,000 from the Ethical Society of Police, an association of black St. Louis police officers, when he was its president.

Wilson admitted to using members’ dues to fund his business promoting comedy shows featuring nationally known comedians at local night clubs. Isn’t that funny?

He agreed to a judgment against him of $80,934, to surrender his law enforcement certification and to no longer work or seek employment as a law enforcement officer. Sentencing has been set for December 12. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000.

Churches train as wellness champs

Behavioral Health Network partners with state, SSM in outreach effort

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

Research reports nine out of 10 African Americans view their church as having a positive impact on their lives and that African-Americans prefer to rely on their church for support with mental health problems as opposed to seeking professional help.

n BHN is providing tools to church leaders who previously were not aware of the referral process or mental health resources in the community.

“We know that some of these things are a carryover from childhood and are deep-rooted issues,” said Rev. Carl Smith, pastor at New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church in Woodson Terrace, Mo.

“And spiritually, you can make a person feel good by saying some words and they will be only maybe for a minute – but once they leave the church, they are still dealing with that same issue.”

Sometimes the professional support needed is beyond what the pastor or church can offer. That is where the Bridges to Care and Recovery training of the Behavioral Health Network of St. Louis (BHN) makes that connection – providing mental health education and resources to the community through faith-based organizations. BHN is providing tools to church leaders who pre-

viously were not aware of the referral process or mental health resources in the community.

New Beginning has three church members trained as volunteer Wellness Champions.

“It has helped us tremendously, because we have members in the church that – some, you can kind of tell what’s going on with them –others, we have not,” he said, “but since we have shared with them about the program and what it’s about, they have talked with some of the champions and have benefitted by the program.” Members have been referred to outside resources.

“If I don’t have the answers, there are

resources out there that we can refer them to,” Rev. Smith explained, “and especially with counseling, if it is past what I can do spiritually, and they would need maybe a psychologist or a psychiatrist … BHN would actually pay for them to go and be counseled by a professional.”

Persons referred to BHN for counseling receive it at no cost through its partners, Provident Counseling and Catholic Family Services.

“We have funding to offer up to five free sessions of counseling for people in need who

Link between prison and HIV among blacks

By Phill Wilson For The St. Louis American

The British medical journal The Lancet released a special issue on HIV, viral hepatitis and TB among prisoners, including a major study proving that mass incarceration not only disproportionately imprisons Black and Latino men and women, it is the driving force behind the HIV epidemic among African American women.

This is a very significant study. But we’ve now invested millions of dollars and wasted many years to prove the connection between the mass incarceration of Black men and HIV - something that any Black person in America already knew because we have the lived experience of that. What person paying attention doesn’t already know that when you disrupt families, bad things happen to those families? They become poorer, they become more at risk for violence, and they become more at risk for health issues, including HIV, as we now understand scientifically.

n What person paying attention doesn’t already know that when you disrupt families, bad things happen to those families?

We already know that you supply people with antiretroviral treatment, their viral load goes down and when you remove their access to treatment, their viral load goes back up. Yet, all across the United States, we take prisoners whom we identify as HIVpositive and put them on treatment, typically neglecting to educate them about the importance of treatment. Then eventually, we release them from prison without connecting them to health care services or any other structure that helps assure that they will adhere to their treatment. This problem is made worse by the fact that they return to an environment where they’re stigmatized because they’re Black, stigmatized because they’re ex-prisoners and stigmatized because they’re HIV-positive. We then expect that they will disclose their HIVpositive status to whomever their partner is when they leave the penitentiary. But what sane person who’s worried about whether they are going to have a roof over their head is going to disclose that they have HIV?

We often think that people who don’t disclose their serostatus is somehow being mentally ill or irrational. But quite frankly, given the social circumstances in which far too many people live, it would be irrational

Phill Wilson

As a mental health-friendly church, Rev. John Smith of Scruggs Memorial Christian Methodist Church in St. Louis has a quiet space set aside for those who need it. The pastor and designated church volunteers received Behavioral Health Network training on reducing mental health stigma and referring persons to mental health services.

Photo by Wiley Price

The Behavioral Health Network of Greater St. Louis is training its third cluster of St. Louis area pastors and wellness champions on reducing stigma and recognizing signs of depression and other mental health disorders to help get congregants to counseling or other resources.

Photo by Wiley Price

SLU Health Resource Center offers Free Asthma, Allergy Clinic

Do you wake up in the middle of the night coughing or short of breath? Do use your albuterol inhaler more than three or four times a week? Have you recently gone to the ER because of your asthma? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your asthma is likely not under control.

The Saint Louis University Health Resource Center’s Allergy and Asthma Clinic operates free of charge to patients who are looking to manage their asthma and allergies. All visitors to clinic will see Dr. Raymond Slavin, professor emeritus of Allergy and Immunology at Saint Louis University. Slavin has been practicing medicine for over 50years and has won multiple community awards for his efforts in helping those who battle with allergies and asthma.

n “One of the hardest things to understand is that you have to continue to take a controller inhaler even when you feel fine.”

– Dr. Raymond Slavin, Saint Louis University Health Resource Center’s Allergy and Asthma

Slavin said he enjoys continuing to practice medicine at the clinic, especially knowing he is treating a group of people that may find it hard to obtain care.

“We’re dealing with reversible diseases that almost uniformly benefit from care and environmental control. The great majority of allergic patients can feel better,” he said. There are steps that asthma and allergy sufferers can take to help control their symptoms.

“The most important approach is environmental control, or reducing the exposure of the individual to the substances that trigger their asthma.” said Slavin. “If you have an allergy to seasonal inhalants like grasses, weeds, trees and mold, the windows should be kept closed both at home and in the car.” In addition to environmental control, medications are an important part of managing asthma.

“Patients need to take medications on a regular basis,” said Slavin. “One of the hardest things to understand is that you have to continue to take a controller inhaler even when you feel fine.” Many patients tend to rely on their albuterol inhaler, which is designed to be a rescue for emergencies and is not for everyday use.

Persons interested in an appointment should reach out to the HRC’s Allergy and Asthma Clinic at 314-266-7661. It is located on the second floor of the old Victor Roberts Building, Suite 213, 1408 N. Kingshighway. The clinic is held every other Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. by appointments only.

The clinic provides breathing tests, allergy skin tests, medications and counseling on long-term health maintenance for adults as well as children 5 years and older, all free of charge.

Upcoming clinic dates are Sept. 21 and Oct. 5. Call 314-2667661 to schedule an appointment.

HealtH Briefs

HEALTH

Continued from A10

for them to disclose your status. If we in fact address the social circumstances in which people live, then we will begin to end the AIDS

FAITH

Continued from A10

attend churches or live in the communities of churches participating in our clusters,” Wendy Orson, CEO of Behavioral Health Network of Greater St. Louis, said. “The program is funded through generous contributions from SSM Health and Missouri Department of Mental Health. These services will be offered until the funds are depleted. All other payment sources are utilized first.”

Orson said by utilizing Mental Health First Aid, an evidence-based, community-focused approach Bridges trains Wellness Champions to identify consumers in need of mental health services and to

epidemic by driving down both HIV prevalence and HIV incidence in our communities.

We have been saying for a very, very, very long time now, that HIV/AIDS in America is a Black disease. The Black community should care a lot about what’s happening with HIV right now, and with these

deep implications around criminalization we must care now more than ever. Indeed, whether we’re Black and from sub-Saharan Africa or whether we’re Black in the context of the southern part of the U.S., when we talk about HIV/AIDS, we are talking about Black people. And if

n “… God has not allowed us to develop these disciplines for naught and we need to use them to bless people.”

– Rev. John Henry Smith, Jr., pastor, Scruggs Memorial CME Church

provide information regarding treatment options in a supportive, non-threatening, culturally competent manner. The champions receive 19 hours of training.

“They are the ones who will provide resource information to their members who are in need, and of referrals for behavioral health counseling,” Orson added.

At Scruggs Memorial Christian Methodist Church in St. Louis, the training was an

eye-opener for its pastor, Rev. John Henry Smith, Jr. who participated in BHN’s first cluster.

“It just appeared that we were not reaching our congregation,” Rev. Smith Jr. said. Scruggs CME created a space within the church where people would know it is a “mental health friendly” congregation. People can go there – even if they are acting out. Rather than call the police, the pastor said champions talk

we say that Black lives matter around issues of police killings and mass incarceration, we must also say Black lives matter enough to save ourselves and our community from HIV/AIDS.

Phill Wilson is president and CEO of Black AIDS Institute

to and reason with them in a respectful manner.

“I began to look at very seriously at, how we, even as pastors, preach about depression, preach about demons and situations that people are dealing with, and sometimes we just believe we can lay hands on them or pray for them and that’s going to go away,” Rev. John Rev. Smith Jr. said. “And, having an understanding that God has not allowed us to develop these disciplines for naught and we need to use them to bless people.”

Churches that are interested in participating in Behavioral Health Networks Bridges to Care and Recovery program should contact Rose Jackson-Beavers at 314-3205356.

Focus should be on healthy lifestyle, not weight, for adolescents

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued new evidence-based guidance for healthcare providers on how to help teenagers avoid obesity and eating disorders (EDs). The report focuses on parental involvement in promoting healthy eating and exercise, rather than unhealthy weight control efforts.

“Family involvement in the treatment of both adolescent obesity and EDs has been determined to be more effective than an adolescent-only focus. An integrated approach to the prevention of obesity and EDs focuses less on weight and more on healthy family-based lifestyle modification that can

be sustained,” write co–lead author Neville Golden, MD, from Stanford University in California, and colleagues.

During the last three decades, teenage obesity has quadrupled. About 35 percent of teenagers may currently be overweight or obese, with Hispanic, American Indian, and AfricanAmerican youth disproportionately affected, according to the authors. Although recent data suggest these rates may be stabilizing, they remain concerning, as obesity is associated with increased risk for

n During the last three decades, teenage obesity has quadrupled. About 35 percent of teenagers may currently be overweight or obese.

later health problems, including diabetes and heart disease. At the same time, eating disorders represent the third most common chronic problem in teenagers, after obesity and asthma.

The AAP report addresses recent concerns about a link between weight control efforts and disordered eating in teenagers and stresses that properly conducted obesity prevention does not promote eating disorders in teenagers. While dieting is risk factor

for both obesity and eating disorders, the report states family meals are linked to improved diet quality, family meals provide an opportunity for parents to model healthy eating behavior. It said skipping weight talk and focusing on healthy eating rather than weight may improve unhealthy eating behaviors. Additionally, a healthy body image is linked to fewer weight control behaviors.

A sustainable approach to preventing obesity and eating disorders may include focusing less on weight and more on healthy lifestyle modification within the family, according to the report.

The Saint Louis University Health Resource Center’s Allergy and Asthma Clinic operates free of charge to patients who are looking to manage their asthma and allergies.

Youth portray Mike Brown with Skittles

Race, rage and reading: four important new books

By Mike Jones Columnist

There are a lot of theories about what’s most important for success in politics, but I’m clear on what is essential. Because strength will always prevail over weakness and you can’t fix stupid, the most important asset anyone can possess is an informed and disciplined mind.

With that frame of reference, I’d like to recommend four important books published in the last year that provide insight and historical context to what often appears to be an incomprehen-

sible American political landscape.

“Brown Is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority” by Steve Phillips. Much has been written about America becoming a majority minority country over the next 20 years, but Steve Phillips’ persuasive analysis concludes that politically we’re there already. His breakdown of the demographics that made up Barak Obama’s election

n There is already a governing coalition of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and progressive whites.

victories in 2008 and 2012 document there is already a governing coalition of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and progressive whites. He also explains why the Democratic Party establishment is so resistant to embracing this emerging reality.

“Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul” by Eddie Glaude Jr. Glaude calls for a reimagining of black politics and a remaking of American democracy. He smashes the illusion that racial inequality is some unintended byproduct of America’s great experiment in democracy, arguing that it’s the direct consequence an intentionality present since the country’s founding. It’s why for the last eight years black

Americans have lived with the contradiction of a black man in the White House and nearly a million black men and women in the big house. White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by professor Carol Anderson Anderson argues that not enough attention is paid to the real source of racial conflict in America: white rage. She makes the compelling case that the root of white resentment of the presence of black people is really white hostility to black progress. Put simply: The harder we work at getting ahead, the angrier significant portions of white America become.

“The Fire This Time: A New Generation Talks about Race” by Jesmyn Ward. James Baldwin’s classic work “The Fire Next Time “ is the inspiration for this anthology of 17 African-American writers of this generation addressing the meaning of the black experience in today’s America. “The Fire This Time” gives voice to an extraordinary mosaic of some of the best thinking and writing on the black condition we’ve seen in a long time. Ward and her fellow contributors have produced a book worthy of their muse. Taken together, these four books create a coherent theoretical framework for an informed black perspective of contemporary America. If you read any or all of these, you will better understand where we are, why and how we got here, and what we might do about it.

Mike Jones, who has held senior policy positions in St. Louis city and county government, serves on the St. Louis American editorial board and the State Board of Education.

Members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis made a portrait of Michael Brown Jr. using Skittles and presented it to his father, Michael Brown Sr., recently. The youth previously made a similar portrait of Trayvon Martin, who was killed by George Zimmerman while carrying Skittles and iced tea. Grace Conner, art teacher at the Herbert Hoover Club, took the lead on the project.

Guest Columnist Mike Jones

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

Planting the Seeds for Success!

Nutrition Challenge:

When is the last time you tried a new food? Break into small groups and come up with a list of five fruits or vegetables that you have never tasted. Compare your list with those of the other groups. Now as a class, pick three of these that you would like to try.

PRESENT:

Healthy Kids Kids

Research to see which have some of the best nutritional content.

Write a letter to a few local grocery stores to see if one of them would be willing to donate the new, “adventure” foods for your class to try. (Or perhaps your class

Exercise Challenge: Walk! Walking is one of the best forms of exercise and most of us can do it. While always keeping safety in mind, seek out opportunities to walk each day. Your goal should be to walk for at least 30 minutes, 5 days per week.

As the weather starts to turn colder, flu season can hit area schools. To avoid passing/or getting someone else’s germs, remember to:

> Sneeze into a tissue and immediately throw it away.

> If caught without a tissue, sneeze into your elbow (while turning away from your friends). Do not sneeze into your hands!

> Wash your hands frequently throughout the day and avoid touching your face: eyes, nose, and mouth.

Learning Standards: HPE 3, NH 1, NH 7

could create another way to purchase these new foods.) If a store does donate to your class, be sure to take a picture of your class tasting the new food and send it to the store’s manager along with a thank-you letter.

Adding variety to your diet helps you eat healthier. Give it a try!

Learning

Banana Pops

Ingredients: Small Ripe Banana, peeled, 2 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter Toppings: Coconut, Chopped Peanuts, Raisins, etc.

Directions: Insert a Popsicle stick into the banana. Spread peanut butter over the top 4-6 inches of the banana and dip into your favorite healthy topping.

Healthcare Careers

Rick L. Stevens, President of Christian Hospital

Where do you work? I work for Christian Hospital/ BJC Healthcare. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Rockford West High School in Rockford, IL. I then earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tennessee State University and a Master of Public Health degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

What does a hospital president do? I interact with doctors, nurses and patients every day. As president of Christian Hospital, I make decisions to help make our community healthier.

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career to make a difference in the health care system. I have the privilege of being able to do that in my role as president. My goals for Christian Hospital are being a great community partner and leader in quality and innovative programs that positively impact our community’s health.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? My favorite part of my job is making changes that help others and also establishing partnerships in the community that build trust.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

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

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Hamilton Elementary School 5th grade teacher, Chevelle Stewart, helps students

Shawn Long and JaLynn Lancaster with a symmetry and proportion lesson found in the newspaper as a STEM lesson.

SCIENCE CORNER

Science of Taste

Do you prefer foods that are sweet or salty? Do you like foods that are sour and bitter? Have you ever wondered how you can experience taste? You have approximately 10,000 taste buds that help you taste the foods you eat. Taste buds are found on your tongue, on the roof of your mouth, and even in your throat. If you stick out your tongue and look in the mirror, you will see many small bumps on your tongue. Those bumps are called papillae, and they contain taste buds. Taste buds contain tiny, microscopic hairs called microvilli. Microvilli send messages to your brain about what you are eating. Did you know that your saliva affects your sense of taste, as well? Saliva helps to break down your food more quickly so it can reach the taste buds. Have you ever

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Did you know that your nose is partly responsible for what you taste? In this experiment, you will observe how your nose affects your sense of taste.

Materials Needed:

• Blindfold • Different Flavors of Yogurt and Pudding • Spoon

• Notebook • Pencil

• Cup of Water Procedure:

q Ask a volunteer to put on a blindfold and pinch their nose closed.

w Give your volunteer a spoonful of food and ask them to identify the flavor. Record their answer in your notebook. Give them a cup of water to sip in between food samples.

z The students in room 216 were given a taste test. They tried gala apples, honey crisp apples, and jonathan apples. There were 28 students. 12 preferred gala apples and 9 preferred honey crisp. How many preferred jonathan? ______ What percent of students preferred honey crisp? ______

SCIENCE STARS

African-American Chemist & Educator Lloyd Ferguson

Lloyd Ferguson was born in 1918 in Oakland, California. His love of chemistry began at a very young age. His father built a shed so he could conduct chemistry experiments away from the house. Ferguson excelled in school and was able to skip two grades! He graduated from Oakland Tech High School in 1934, at the age of 16.

noticed that when you smell a food that you enjoy — that you might start to drool? The saliva is sending messages of hunger to your brain in preparation of tasting the food. Your nose also helps to interpret taste. In the experiment “Tasting With Your Nose,” you will see how the sense of smell is linked to the sense of taste.

Want to Know More? Check out wonderopolis.org and browse through their articles about taste buds.

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details. I can make text-to-text and text-to-world connections.

Tasting With Your Nose

e Give your volunteer a spoonful of a different flavor and ask them to identify the flavor. Record their answer in your notebook.

r Repeat steps 2 and 3 until your volunteer has tried 4 different foods.

t Ask your volunteer to stop pinching their nose closed. Repeat steps 2-4 and record their responses.

Analyze: Was your volunteer able to guess the flavor of food more accurately when they could use their sense of smell? Think about a time when you had a cold and your nose was congested. Did it affect the way foods tasted?

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete a procedure. I can draw conclusions and analyze results. I can make text-to-self connections.

Taste Test!

Write the number of students that preferred gala as a fraction. ______ x Janet’s grandpa read a newspaper article about the health benefits of eating pumpkin seeds. He read that they have antioxidants that can help fight cancer, and that the seeds help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol levels. His grandpa decided to roast some seeds with olive oil and garlic for a savory taste, as well as a batch with nutmeg and a pinch of sugar. When he served the

pumpkin seeds, 5 of his 8 family members preferred the savory recipe, and 3 of his 8 family members preferred the sweet recipe. What percent of his family preferred the savory recipe? ______ What percent of his family preferred the sweet recipe? ______

Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve problems. I can make-text-to world connections.

After graduation, he began working as a porter with the Southern Pacific Railway Company to save money for college. Two years later, he did just that. He attended the University of California, in Berkeley, and earned a bachelor’s degree (with honors) in chemistry. He was the first member of his family to attend college. Ferguson continued studying at the University of California and in 1943, he became the first African American to earn a PhD in Chemistry. While working on his PhD, Ferguson worked with Dr. Melvin Calvin on a national defense project to develop a material that would release oxygen in a submarine.

Ferguson went to work for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College in Greensboro, North Carolina, after he earned his doctorate degree. Ferguson then accepted a job offer at Howard University in Washington, D.C., as a chemistry professor. He worked his way up to head of the chemistry department. He created the first doctoral program in chemistry that was offered at a historically black university. Ferguson wanted African Americans to pursue careers in the STEM fields. He created programs such as the Support of the Educationally and Economically Disadvantaged and the Minority Biomedical Research Program. In 1965, Ferguson joined the faculty of California State University. While teaching, Ferguson continued to research. One of his topics included the science of taste sensations.

Ferguson has received many awards and honors, including the California State University Outstanding Professor Award, and the Distinguished American Medallion from the American Foundation for Negro Affairs. He was elected to the American Chemical Society (ACS) and was the first African American to receive the ACS award in chemical education. In 1972, he became the cofounder of the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. He has published numerous journal articles and seven textbooks. California State University has a scholarship named in his honor. His influence continues to enrich the lives of many students today.

Learning Standards: about an African American who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

MAP CORNER

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

Activities —

Common

Resources: Look at the advertisements in the newspaper. Try to find 3 items for sale that are produced from the same resource. For example: paper towels, a wooden chair, maple syrup, paper, and toothpicks are all produced from trees. List the 3 items for sale and their resource.

Cost vs. Benefit: Cost is defined as what you give up when you make a decision to do something, benefit is the positive rewards/consequences of this decision. Look through the newspaper for an advertised item that you want. List the costs and benefits associated with that item. What would you have to give up in return?

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can evaluate resources, costs, and benefits. I can analyze and draw conclusions. I can make text-to world connections.

Hamilton Elementary School is in the Saint Louis Public Schools District. Photo by Wiley Price/St. Louis American

Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s NIE program and would like to nominate your class for a Classroom Spotlight, please email: nie@stlamerican.com.

Yogurt

Omegas golf for scholarships

Surgeon to speak at scholarship fundraiser

Dr. Cason helping raise money to support black students at SLU

American staff

Dr. Frederick D. Cason will be the guest speaker for the Ernest Calloway Prayer Breakfast to be held 10 a.m. Saturday, September 24 in the Busch Student Center on the campus of Saint Louis University. Cason is director of Surgical Education and Surgery Residency Program director for the HCA/Oak Hill Hospital Division of Graduate Medical Education in Brooksville, Florida, and adjunct professor of Surgery at Morehouse School of Medicine. He earned his M.D. at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 1978.

Dr. Frederick D. Cason

Among many other past positions, he served as surgeonin-chief of the Louis Stokes Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center in Cleveland, one of the busiest federal health care facilities in the United States. Cason served for over a decade as a surgeon in the United States Navy and worked earlier in his career in both solo and group general surgery private practice. His primary clinical interest is in foregut surgery, gastrointestinal surgical oncology, and endocrine surgery. This year’s breakfast will be held in conjunction with Saint Louis University’s Homecoming and is a fundraiser to support two scholarships, Pioneers of Inclusion and the Celerstine Johnson Book Fund, that assist African-American students at Saint Louis University. For ticket information, contact LaVerne Robinson at 314-977-2206.

By Rachel Lippmann

Of St. Louis Public Radio

The City of Ferguson has made halting progress toward complying with a federal consent decree it signed in April.

Attorneys for the city, the Department of Justice and members of the independent monitoring team assigned to the case were in front of U.S. Judge Catherine Perry on August 14 to give her an update. It was the first public review of the document since Perry accepted it five months ago.

Of the 40 objectives whose

deadlines have passed, seven have not been implemented, according to a spreadsheet provided to the court. Another 20 are listed as “in progress.”

“We are not where we had hoped to be,” Justice Department attorney Christy Lopez said. “Certainly, some deadlines have passed.”

Some of those requirements are “foundational,” Lopez said, meaning that until they are in place, it will be difficult to comply with other portions of the consent decree.

They include: • Selecting a compliance coordinator for the city.

Currently, city manager De’Carlon Seawood is handling that job.

• Developing a mechanism to have policies reviewed by the DOJ and the independent monitor to ensure they comply with the consent decree. For example, the ordinance setting up a civilian review board had to be re-written.

• Developing a mechanism to verify what the city has accomplished.

But, Lopez said, the city, the federal government and the independent monitor have developed a solid working relationship, and the city should

be applauded for the hard work it’s doing. Perry wished the parties luck.

“I appreciate the hard work, but keeping working,” she said. “I’m pleased at the results. I think this will ultimately be successful.”

Clark Ervin, who leads the independent monitor team, also met with residents and community leaders on August 14. He told the court he plans to hold similar sessions at least every six weeks.

Follow Rachel Lippmann on Twitter: @rlippmann.

Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

Dellwood offers community service to work off trafic ines

Those who wish to work off ines owed to the City of Dellwood for minor trafic offenses have until 4:30 p.m. Monday, September 19 to sign up for Community Service Day. The offer is extended by Mayor Reggie Jones for minor trafic violations issued between April 12, 2012 and August 9, 2014. Community Service Day will be held on Saturday, September 24 at the Dellwood Recreation

Center. Check-in time is from 11:30 a.m. to noon, and work will begin at noon. Individuals must have a valid ID and dress ready to work.

“The City of Dellwood wants to work with individuals who have demonstrated an inability to pay ines for minor trafic offenses,” Jones said. For information on ines and warrants issued by the City of Dellwood Municipal Court, call 314-521-4339.

The men of Upsilon Omega Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. held their 1st Annual YQ Invitational Golf Tournament at Eagle Springs Golf Course in Florissant. Over 60 players participated in this year’s events. Proceeds from the event will help continuing funding mentorship programs and college scholarship awards

Starbucks thrives in Ferguson

Triplett served Angie Bryant on April 30, the day Starbucks opened its Ferguson location at

ranks it as one of the top performers among new stores, based upon a variety of factors, including sales compared to forecasts, customer traffic and employee retention.

‘One of the best-performing stores we’ve opened this year,’ says CEO Howard Schultz

By Chris Isidore Of CNN

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) – Two years ago Ferguson, Missouri, became a symbol of racial unrest when riots followed the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown Jr., an unarmed black teenager. Now a new Starbucks there is a symbol of rebirth and business success.

At CNNMoney’s American Opportunity conference in New York on September 7, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz recalled driving through Ferguson after hosting a forum on racial inequality in nearby St. Louis soon after the protests.

“I was just emotionally moved by what I saw, and I said to our people, ‘We need to open up a

Business Brief

LaunchCode to offer free coding classes

LaunchCode will offer a free 20-week computer programming course, LC 101 St. Louis, designed to put people on a path towards a career in technology. The class will be offered in two locations – at the University of Missouri St. Louis and St. Louis Community College – Meramec – this fall to increase accessibility for more St. Louisians. “It’s free, open to the public and designed to give participants the in-demand skills needed to launch a career in tech,” said Mark Bauer, VP of Operations at LaunchCode, a nonprofit that connects aspiring technologists with apprenticeships and jobs in tech.

Students must be 18 years old or older with the aptitude and drive to gain coding skills. No previous coding experience required. Interested individuals will need to complete an online application and aptitude test, as well as a beginning coding assignment. Foundational concepts are taught in Python, followed by specialized skill tracks in Java or Javascript. At both locations, classes will be held 6-9 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays for 20 weeks, starting on October 24. Registration is now open at www.launchcode.org/lc101.

n The opening of the Ferguson and Jamaica, Queens stores are part of a Starbucks plan to open up 15 stores in racially diverse, low and middle income neighborhoods by 2018.

store in Ferguson,’” he said. “And people said, ‘Ferguson, it’s just not going to succeed.’”

But Starbucks went ahead with his plan, breaking ground on the store in November 2015, and opening it in April. And it has exceeded even Schultz’s expectations.

“The Ferguson store is one of the best-

performing stores we’ve opened this year. It’s just unbelievable,” he said.

And he says it’s not the only inner-city Starbucks defying expectations. The company has opened a store in the New York City neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens, which he said people also predicted could not support a highend coffee shop. That store has also done well, he said.

“These are just great locations with customers who are there to buy Starbucks coffee,” he said. “We need to open up more Fergusons. We’re a for-profit company. We want to build shareholder value. Ferguson is a great example of that.”

Citing its internal financial reporting

See STARBUCKS, B6

‘Greening’ and urban economic development

‘Saving the Planet One Garden at a Time’ event Sept. 20 at Ethical Society

By Sylvester Brown Jr. For The

St. Louis American

I’m looking forward to the upcoming event, “Greening Your Community: Saving the Planet One Garden at a Time” on Tuesday, September 20. It is my sincere desire that policy-makers join people interested in or working to “green” neighborhoods in our region.

For decades, influential political and civic leaders have relied on a “top-down” method of community development. They invest public money with powerful entities, hoping that the trickle down effects will help poor people in poor communities. Robust investment in urban agriculture, I believe, can lead to a bottom-up alternative approach to food production, community revitalization and economic self-sufficiency.

As Tracey Howe-Koch, coordinator

of Missouri Interfaith Power and Light, said, it’s imperative that we explore ways individuals, organizations and houses of worship can use urban agriculture to enact social justice, especially in disadvantaged areas. “In these neighborhoods, where junk food is more readily available than fresh vegetables and diet-related medical issues are common, urban gardens are a lifeline to better environmental, health and economic outcomes,” she said.

Brown Jr.

As director of the Sweet Potato Project, I plan to address the third component of Koch’s agricultural trilogy, economic outcomes. For the past five years, we’ve been on the challenging mission to educate youth and empower adults through growing produce on vacant lots and creating marketable, food-based products. This area, I maintain, has the most potential to

See BROWN, B2

Brittany Murry joined the Family Medicine department at Primetime Belleville, an agency of the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation. A board-certified family nurse practitioner (FNP), she provides preventative care services for patients of all ages and offers treatment for acute health conditions. Previously she served as an FNP in the H.E.A.R.T. Unit of St. Anthony’s Medical Center and as an RN at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center of St. Louis.

Fred Irby III is being inducted into the SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame as a remarkable graduate of Southern Illinois University. He has been a professor of music at Howard University since 1974. He is the coordinator of instrumental music, trumpet instructor, and founder and director of the Howard University Jazz Ensemble. He also was inducted into the Grambling State University Alumni Hall of Fame.

Marissa Murphy was promoted by Tesla Motors to the position of recruiting coordinator. Tesla Motors manufactures, and markets highperformance electric vehicles and powertrain components. A St. Louis native and the daughter of Brian and Nina Murphy, she is a graduate of Rockhurst University. She relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area to assume her new job responsibilities.

Alan Byrd was recognized as an outstanding graduate by the Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association and its St. Louis Chapter. He is dean of enrollment services at the University of Missouri St. Louis, chair of the Enrollment Management Committee and co-chair of St. Louis Graduates, a collaborative network of college access providers, educators, business leaders and philanthropists.

J. Danielle Carr received a Merit Award from the National Bar Association. She is director of Diversity and Inclusion at Polsinelli, P.C. The National Bar Association is the nation’s oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges. It represents the interests of approximately 65,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students.

Tebyron “T.B.” Graham has launched his new company, Zero2Sixty Energy Drink LLC, with an energy drink scheduled to hit shelves soon. He is no stranger to business, having run a successful barber shop in St. Louis, TB’s, for 16 years. He was born and raised in St. Louis and is an alumnus of Beaumont High School.

Brittany Murry

Marissa Murphy

Alan Byrd

J. Danielle Carr

Fred Irby III

Tebyron “T.B.” Graham

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Kourtney

10768 W. Florissant Ave. Starbucks

Sylvester

Preparing to become a caregiver

By Nathaniel Sillin

Becoming a caregiver for an aging relative is a profound expression of love. You may find that you will begin to take on many of the responsibilities they might have had while raising you. Like raising a family, being a caretaker can be physically, emotionally and financially challenging but it is also extremely rewarding. It’s a responsibility that millions of people take on each year out of love for their families.

Whether you are preparing to care for a parent or another relative, understanding and preparing for the financial implications can help you provide the best care possible.

Start the discussion with your family

Whether you think you’ll provide direct care, decide to hire a caregiver, or both, you can work with your family members, including the relative in question, to create a plan.

Starting the conversation early can help you all reach conclusions without pressure to make a quick decision. You may want to cover the types of care that are available and learn which your parent prefers. For example, does he or she want to stay at home for as long as possible or prefer to live in an assisted-living home or elderly community?

You should discuss who’ll be responsible for managing

personal, financial and medical affairs if your parent can’t handle those responsibilities anymore. Beyond making a verbal agreement, a parent can give someone legal authority by signing durable power of attorney agreements, which keep the delegation of decision-making authority intact even if your parent becomes incapacitated. There are two durable powers of attorneys, one for medicalrelated decisions, and a second for legal, personal and financial decisions.

Your parents might also want to execute a living will, also known as an advance directive. It has instructions for the medical treatments they want, or don’t want, if they are unable to communicate.

Determine what resources are available to your parent

Your financial situation may depend in part on your parent’s finances and the assistance that’s available to him or her from outside sources. Creating a list of these resources ahead of time can help you all plan for the future.

• Your parent’s finances. Together with your parent, and possibly with the assistance of a financial planner, you can create a list of your parent’s current financial assets and future income.

• Government and non-

profit programs. Medicare and Veteran Affairs benefits may be available for those that are 65 or older. Medicaid, a joint federal and state program, often provides benefits to those with limited income, although the qualifications and benefits can vary by state. There are also non-profit organizations that provide helpful services to the elderly.

• Family assistance. Whether it’s unpaid care or financial assistance, also take into account the family’s contribution to your parent’s care. Call a family meeting with your parent, siblings and extended family to discuss how you’ll take care of each

other.

• Professional support. You could hire an outside expert as well. A quick internet search may turn up organizations that specialize in working with families and elderly family members to plan for the future.

After gathering this information, you’ll have a better understanding of where the caregiving funds will come from and how they can be used. You may also discover gaps in coverage that you may want to fill in on your own.

Look for tax savings while paying for care

As an adult child and caregiver, there may be ways to structure an arrangement to improve your parent’s, and your own, financial situation. Working with a tax professional, you may find there are ways to use the tax laws to maximize your parent’s money. For example, if your mother has gifted you money, you could then use it to pay for her medical expenses.

If you’re able to claim the expenses as a deduction, you could put your tax savings back into her “medical care” fund. You might also be able to claim medical expenses you paid on behalf of your parent, which could include supplies and at-home caretaking, as an itemized deduction.

Find the best services you can afford

There are many different types of programs available, and someone might move back and forth from one facility or service to another as their health and preferences change.

• Home care. Nonhealthcare related assistance, such as buying groceries, preparing meals, cleaning the home, helping with bathing and other day-to-day tasks.

• Home health care. At-home health-related support, including services from a physical therapist, nurse or doctor.

• Assisted living. Assisted living homes are nonhealthcare providing facilities that may provide supervision, a social environment and personal care services.

• Skilled nursing home. A care facility designed to deliver nursing or rehabilitation services. Your parent’s location can impact which option makes the most sense, and you can research and discuss the pros and cons of your parent moving. For example, some states have Medicaid waiver programs that allow Medicaid recipients to receive care in their home or community rather than in a nursing home or long-term care facility. Also, a parent that lives near or with a relative might only require part-time outside care.

Bottom line: As you prepare to take care of aging parents, work with them to understand their wishes, needs and financial situation. Together you can explore the family’s ability to provide physical and financial support and learn about the help available from government, non-profit or other programs.

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

positively impact lives, both socially and economically, in

North St. Louis and beyond. Numerous academic studies reinforce the concept that “greening” poor neighborhoods can dramatically improve lives. A recent report by the University of Washington’s

Urban/Forestry/Urban Greening research team found that “urban greening” leads to lower levels of stress and crime, particularly in poor inner-city neighborhoods. It also strengthens ties

among residents, increases informal surveillance, and creates “healthier, safer urban communities.”

A 2011 report, “The Potential for Urban Agriculture in New York City,” by Columbia University’s Urban Design Lab suggests that developing green agricultural spaces reduces food transportation costs, addresses environmental issues, diminishes disparities in access to healthy foods and provides opportunities for economic development in poor neighborhoods.

The report focused on 5,000 acres of unused land in New York City – the equivalent of six times the area of Central Park. Reportedly, St. Louis has more than 8,000 vacant lots in

the city alone. Arguably, our region has the same or better opportunity to aggressively address food insecurity, generating community revenue, enhancing small business development and providing long-term employment through the “greening” of low-income neighborhoods.

This year, the Sweet Potato Project launched its land ownership initiative aimed at putting vacant land and resources in the hands of low-income residents. This is a doable, bottomsup approach to stimulating “social interaction, cohesion, self-sufficiency” and a holistic way to engage young people and adults in underserved neighborhoods –

all ingredients outlined in the Columbia University report.

Tower Grove Farmers Market is a perfect example of a replicable, “green,” sustainable, economic solution. Launched in 2006, the local market has become an “economic driver” for the surrounding area. According the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the Farmers Market attracts about 100,000 people to South St. Louis per year, has spun off at least four “brickand-mortar businesses” and generates about $2 million in annual revenue.

I also plan to discuss the potential economic return of a North St. Louis food manufacturing and distribution plant at the September 20 “Greening” event. Canned fruits and vegetables make up about 36 percent of the estimated $17 billion food manufacturing industry. Imagine urban farmers, residents and stakeholders producing, packaging and distributing their own North St. Louis food brand like Columbus, Ohio’s Glory Foods. The psychological, social and economic impact would be immeasurable.

With the decline of goodpaying manufacturing jobs in America, civic and political leaders need to pursue alternative areas of incomegeneration for less privileged communities. Everybody eats, and the “greening” of neighborhoods is one viable option for real community stimulus. Join me at the “Greening Your Community” event so we can grow the movement for healthier, most robust urban neighborhoods.

“Greening Your Community” is sponsored by the Jewish Environmental Initiative (a committee of the Jewish Community Relations Council), Missouri Interfaith Power and Light and the Missouri Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the former publisher of Take Five Magazine, former St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist and current director of the Sweet Potato Project. He will speak at the “Greening Your Community: Saving the Planet One Garden at a Time” 7-9 p.m. Tuesday September 20 at The Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd. The event is free but registration is required at http://bit.ly/Garden092016. For more information, contact 314-442-3894 or gwechsler@jcrcstl.org.

n “I come from a majority-black community from Oakland, California ... so the struggle, I seen it.”

– Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs

Ritenour pounds

Parkway N. vs. Kirkwood is Earl’s Game of Week

The Ritenour Huskies have put together an impressive run to begin the season. The Huskies improved their record to 4-0 after last weekend’s 41-13 victory at Webster Groves.

Ritenour has been led by senior Carl Garmon, who has been an outstanding two-way performer at running back and linebacker. Garmon scored five touchdowns in last Friday’s victory at Webster Groves. On offense, he has rushed for 493 yards and 10 touchdowns. On defense, Garmon leads the Huskies with four quarterback sacks.

Quarterback Mann McGruder has been a solid dual-threat in his first season as a starter. McGruder has rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns while passing for 285 yards and one touchdown.

Ritenour’s defense has been excellent during the first month of the season. Garmon is joined at linebacker by 6’2” 205-pound senior Rashaad Hughes, who leads the team with 33 tackles and three sacks. Junior Ayodele Adeoye is an impact player on the defensive line while senior defensive back Robyion Hughes leads the team with three interceptions.

Pick Game of the Week

The top matchup of this week features undefeated Parkway North paying a visit to Kirkwood on Friday night. It will be a most interesting game that features Kirkwood’s powerful offensive unit against an equally formidable Parkway North defensive unit. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

After dropping its first game of the season to Chaminade, Kirkwood has won three consecutive games. The Pioneers are averaging 37 points in those three victories. They are led by quarterback Reece Goddard, who threw for a school-record 403 yards in a 38-14 victory over Pattonville. Goddard has a group of talented offensive weapons in Tahj Telfair, Antonio Phillips and Joseph Jordan.

Parkway North has been dominating on defense in its first four games as the Vikings have only surrendered a total of

New city, same results for Rams

As the fan frenzy for the start of the 2016 NFL season began, I found myself largely unaffected. Following the loss of the Rams to Los Angeles, and the dirty politics involved with the move, I washed my hands of all things NFL – except fantasy football. The Thursday night opener rolled by and I barely batted an eye. Sunday came and went and the only football I’d watched were a few plays while scrolling through channels to find something interesting to watch. NFL football did not apply. Things changed Monday night. After finishing up the second season of Narcos on Netflix, I found myself at an entertainment lull. A quick glance at my fantasy football team revealed I was down by

H. Sistrunk

a few points and Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley was my last hope for victory. Since Gurley is universally considered to be one of the best running backs in football, I figured that victory was mine. However, when dealing with the Rams, the only reliable thing is disappointment. By halftime, Gurley had only accumulated two fantasy points. I could no longer contain my curiosity and turned on the game. The disgusting display I witnessed should have been censored by the FCC. Former colleague Palmer Alexander III put it best when he stated the Rams are still afflicted with Bum Disease. QB Case Keenum passed for a paltry 130 yards against a 49ers

Earl Austin Jr.

Ritenour senior running back Carl Garmon (28) breaks for the endzone during last Saturday’s

victory over Webster Groves. Garmon ran for 210 yards and scored five touchdowns.

Photo by Wiley Price

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

National anthem protests continue in NFL

Colin Kaepernick continued his dignified protest against unwarranted police violence against black men during the national anthem of Monday’s NFL game between his San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams.

He was joined again by safety Eric Reid, and both received hugs from fellow players at the song’s conclusion. Kaepernick entered the game late in the fourth quarter and was booed by the home fans, many of whom chanted “USA, USA.”

The previous day – the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks – several other players showed solidarity with Kaepernick in some fashion and two teams decided to lock arms while standing for the anthem.

Quinn and Kenny Britt also stood with their right fists raised. I guess we already know how that would have went over in St. Louis.

The Seattle Seahawks also linked arms before the home game against the Miami Dolphins, and wide receiver Doug Baldwin released this statement before the game via a video: “Progress can and will be made only if we stand together.”

Across the field, Arian Foster, Michael Thomas, Jenkins and Kenny Stills of the Dolphins stood for President Obama’s message honoring the 15th anniversary of 9/11 and then took a knee for the anthem

Last Thursday, Denver Broncos linebacker took a knee during the anthem. He was not booed by the hometown fans. They saved their in-game ire for Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton who stood at attention during the anthem.

Marcus Peters of the Kansas City Chiefs had my favorite demonstration. While his team locked arms before the season opener against the San Diego Chargers, he left his right arm free to raise his fist in the air. All that was missing was a black glove.

“If it’s about the knee that people are upset about, every Sunday people of faith take a knee to give thanks to their lord and savior, whatever faith or religion that they are,” Foster said.

“It’s not about a knee, it’s not about the (symbolism), it’s about the message. They say it’s not the time to do this, but when is the time?”

n On Monday night, the L.A. Rams’ Robert Quinn and Kenny Britt also stood with their right fists raised. I guess we already know how that would have went over in St. Louis.

“I come from a majority-black community from Oakland, California ... so the struggle, I seen it,” Peters said after the Chiefs beat San Diego 33-27 in overtime. “I still have some family in the struggle. All I’m saying is we want to educate those, the youth that’s coming up.”

On Monday night, the L.A. Rams’ Robert

NCAA does something right – it takes on N.C. LGBT law

A North Carolina law that opens the door to discrimination against members of the LGBT community has led the NCAA to take punitive action. Future NCAA men’s basketball tournament games will not be awarded to sites in that state until the law is addressed, and several other events will be moved. The NCAA said it will relocate the men’s basketball first- and second-round games that were scheduled for March 17 and 19 in Greensboro. The NCAA will also relocate:

• the Division I women’s

soccer championship scheduled for December 2 and 4 in Cary, just outside the capital city of Raleigh

• the Division III men’s and women’s soccer championships set for December 2 and 3 in Greensboro

• the Division I women’s golf regional championships set for May 8-10 in Greenville

• the Division III men’s and women’s tennis championships set for May 22-27 in Cary

• the Division I women’s lacrosse championship set for May 26 and 28 in Cary

• and the Division II baseball championship from

May 27 to June 3 in Cary.

“This is an issue that’s fundamental to higher ed.,”

NCAA President Mark Emmert said Tuesday on CBS This Morning “College sports is conducted inside a university or college context. These are our students. Fairness and inclusion are at the heart of what the NCAA does and what universities do. For our university presidents, this was a proverbial no-brainer.” Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford said the ACC’s council

of presidents will discuss the future of its football championship game from Charlotte at a meeting this week.

Swofford does not expect the game to be moved at this time, but added: “On a personal note, it’s time for this bill to be repealed, as it is counter to basic human rights.”

The law requires transgender people to use restrooms at schools and government buildings corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates. It also excludes gender identity and sexual orientation from local and statewide

antidiscrimination protections. HB2 was signed into law by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory earlier this year.

“I wish the NCAA was this concerned about the women who were raped at Baylor,” North Carolina Republican Party spokeswoman Kami Mueller said Monday night. The only championship events that can be hosted in North Carolina this academic year are ones determined when a team earns the right to play on its own campus. The NBA moved its 2017 All-Star Game to New Orleans from Charlotte because of the law. Albany cancelled its game at Duke because New York has enacted a public employee travel ban to North Carolina, and the Vermont women’s basketball team cancelled a game at the University of North Carolina.

Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows. His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

Alvin A. Reid

Colin Kaepernick started the protests when he sat down during the national anthem on September 2.

16 points. The Vikings’ are anchored up front by 6’5” 285-pound junior Michael Thompson, who is one of the top prospects in the Midwest region. Thompson had three sacks in the Vikings’ victory over Pattonville. Middle linebacker Ryan Newton has been a force with his ability to run from sideline to sideline. Sophomore Jalani Williams leads the defensive backfield as a Division I prospect.

French leads Lutheran-St. Charles

Lutheran St. Charles is off to a 3-1 start behind the stellar play of junior running back Bryce French. The talented tailback rushed for 227 yards and scored five touchdowns in the Cougars’ 50-48 victory over Cardinal Ritter last weekend. Two of those touchdowns came on kickoff returns of 98 and 80 yards. For the season, French has rushed for 793 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.

Top Games of the Week

Jefferson City at SLUH, Friday, 7 p.m.

Eureka at Lafayette, Friday, 7 p.m. Fort Zumwalt North at Washington, Friday, 7 p.m.

CBC at DeSmet, Friday, 7 p.m.

Ritenour at Summit, Friday, 7 p.m. East St. Louis at Granite City, Friday, 7 p.m.

Althoff at Mt. Vernon, Friday, 7 p.m.

Timberland at Fort Zumwalt West, Friday, 7 p.m.

John Burroughs at Lutheran North, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Hazelwood Central at McCluer North, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Soldan vs. Miller Career Academy at Gateway, 1:30 p.m.

from B3 Brandon Burgett of Kirkwood won the final round of eliminations in the 9.50 Index Motorcycle class during the United Black Drag Racers Association (UBDRA) “Black Sunday” event at the Dragplex at Gateway Motorsports Park. Burgett defeated Marco Eymour of Kenosha, Wisconsin, 9.614 sec./148.72 mph to 9.479

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

ries. Overall, the team finished with just 185 total yards and zero points against a very mediocre defense. The Rams offense was offensive to watch. An ESPN graphic showed the results of the Rams’ drives: Punt, Punt, Punt, Int, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Int, Punt, Turnover on Downs, End of Game. It was so bad, that teenage fan, William Navarrete, ran onto the field during the game and racked up more rushing yards in 20 seconds than the Rams did over the course of the entire game.

For all the salty St. Louis football fans, myself included, the Rams’ disgusting showing was a nice reminder that while we lost our team, it was a pretty terrible team. Instead of throwing shade at Rams owner Stan Kroenke, we should rally together and send him flowers in appreciation for removing the toxic stench that seeped out of the Edward Jones Dome eight Sundays a year.

AI and Shaq enter the Hall

Two of the NBA’s biggest stars were officially immortalized when Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Iverson captivated the audience with his acceptance speech with the rawness

and authenticity that made The Answer a legend on the hardwood. The NBA’s godfather of swag thanked former Georgetown coach John Thompson for “saving his life” and former Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown for helping to mold him into a superstar. Just like during his career, Iverson wore his heart on his sleeve during his half-hour speech. He fought back tears as he reminisced on an illustrious career that included 24,368 points, an MVP selection, 11 NBA All-Star selections and four scoring titles. He made no apologies or excuses for the

way he played the game, lived his life or the decisions that he made. His speech mirrored his career, one of the best you’ll ever see.

O’Neal’s induction speech was also one for the ages. As you would expect from one of the biggest (literally and figuratively) goofballs of all-time, O’Neal peppered his speech with humorous punchlines. The most memorable barb came at the expense of a recently retired former teammate and future Hall of Fame inductee.

“Last, but not least, Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant: a guy that would push me and help

me win three titles in a row,”

O’Neal stated. “He’d also help me get pushed off the team and get me traded to Miami.”

O’Neal’s playful speech showed off the personality that made him one of the most-beloved superstars and allowed him to seamlessly transition into one of the world’s top sports personalities. His light-hearted personality falls in direct contrast with the physical beast that enabled him

to dominate during his NBA career en route to four NBA championships, three NBA Finals MVP awards, one NBA regular-season MVP and 15 All-Star selections. O’Neal was the butt-end of a joke by fellow inductee Yao Ming, who told the story of how O’Neal didn’t speak to him for years because he didn’t realize the Chinese-born Houston Rockets great spoke English.

The ST. L

Iverson and O’Neal are two of my all-time favorite basketball players. They each changed the game in their own way. It’s great to see them both inducted in the same Hall of Fame class. Other inductees included Sheryl Swoopes, Tom Izzo and Jerry Reinsdorf.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

ouiS AmericAn PreP AThLeTeS of The Week

Michael Thompson

Parkway North – Football

The junior defensive tackle was a dominant force in the Vikings’ 33-7 victory over Parkway North last Friday.

The 6’5” 285-pound Thompson led the Vikings’ defensive effort with 10 tackles and a team-high three quarterback sacks. For the season, Thompson has five sacks. He is one of the leaders of a strong Parkway North defense that has only given up 16 points in four games.

Thompson is rated among the top defensive prospects in the region in the Class of 2018. He holds more than a dozen scholarship offers from major Division I programs from around the country.

Parkway North (4-0) will visit Kirkwood on Friday night at 7 p.m.

Isaiah Williams

Trinity – Football

The sophomore standout quarterback enjoyed a big performance in the Titans’ 62-6 victory over Christian-O’Fallon last Friday night. Williams amassed 441 yards of total yardage and accounted for six touchdowns in the victory. He rushed for 178 yards and scored three touchdowns on runs of 40, 63 and 55 yards. He also completed eight of 11 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns on throws of 54, 81 and 19 yards. For the season, Williams has passed for 567 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 235 yards and five touchdowns in leading Trinity to a 4-0 record. Even as a sophomore, he has received scholarship offers from major college programs.

‘Black Sunday’ motorcycle champ

Basketball legends Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Sheryl Swoops celebrated their enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

National

Financial Focus

By Aaron Ezell

CEO

U.S. Bank invests in Ferguson Empowerment Center

U.S. Bank is donating $20,000 and investing $2 million in the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ new Ferguson Empowerment Center, which is under construction at the former QuikTrip at 9420 W. Florissant Ave. that burned in August 2014. The center will provide 65 construction jobs and 18 permanent jobs.

The $5.8 million center will house multiple nonprofit organizations, providing employment assistance and training, financial literacy and asset building, counseling services and entrepreneurship training. In addition to the Urban League’s Save Our Sons program, tenants include the Lutheran Church of Missouri, Better Family Life, the University of Missouri Extension, Provident Inc. and the Salvation Army.

U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation, a division of U.S. Bank, invested the $2 million in equity raised from New Markets Tax Credits provided by Heartland Regional Investment Fund.

“This funding from U.S. Bank was essential for us to reach our goal of a larger building to house more agencies that could meet a greater range of needs, not just in Ferguson but in surrounding municipalities and beyond,” said Michael P. McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

guidelines, Starbucks would not provide precise sales or profit figures for the Ferguson store. Its ranking as one of the top

performers among new stores is based upon a variety of factors, including sales compared to forecasts, customer traffic and employee retention, said Starbucks spokeswoman Linda Mills. The opening of the Ferguson and Jamaica stores are part of

a Starbucks plan to open up 15 stores in racially diverse, low and middle income neighborhoods by 2018. The company expects to open a total of 614 U.S. stores this year. The St. Louis American is a CNN-Wire affiliate.

Michael P. McMillan, president and

of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, with

Urban League President Marc Morial at the July 9, 2015 groundbreaking for the new Ferguson Empowerment Center at the site of the former QuikTrip.

Photo by Wiley Price

Ms. Lauryn Hill lights up Loufest

Hip-hop a highlight at annual music showcase in Forest Park

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

In a weekend that saw the two-day music festival Loufest giving unprecedented representation to the hip-hop genre, Ms. Lauryn Hill reminded fans why they fell in love with her when she took the stage as one of the final performers Sunday, September 11 in Forest Park.

The truth is that until she steps to the microphone, audiences can never be sure

what they will get from Hill. She’s developed a reputation for being notoriously late – and sometimes erratic – during her performances.

She has also had a tendency to rearrange the hits from her lone solo studio album, the classic

“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” (1998) until they are rendered unrecognizable and nearly impossible to enjoy.

This didn’t stop the crowd of mostly hipsters from faithfully piling towards the front of the Forest Park Stage – anxiously hoping that they

would get vintage Hill. They were in luck. Hill was only 20 minutes late. And while she once again took the liberty of dramatic rearrangements, the manner in which she did so was actually a refreshing departure from the traditional that fell in line with the energy of

Beyoncé changes the game with latest tour

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Referring to Beyoncé’s Formation Tour as simply a concert is an unfair understatement to the experience. What those thousands who nearly filled the Dome at America’s Center to capacity witnessed Saturday, September 10 was actually the ultimate mic drop that proved why she’s in a performance category all her own.

A delayed start was about the only negative note that one could attach to the show. But those who waited until 9:30 p.m. would have certainly stayed on standby until midnight if they had an advance notice of what was in store for them.

The “Beyhive” was buzzing with excitement and anticipation from the moment they took their seats – which meant show opener Vic Mensa didn’t get the attention he deserved for his opening performance.

The Chicago rapper/singer showcased both versatility as an artist and the type of natural stage presence and composure that stars are made of during his brief set.

Mensa didn’t seem the least bit overwhelmed by the size of the crowd as he performed hits that ranged from party music club banger (his current radio hit “New Bae”) to politically charged material that addressed the current gun violence epidemic, police violence against people of color, and the Flint, Michigan water crisis. Unfortunately, by the time the audience tuned in and took notice, his portion of the show was over.

Fans would have to wait another 40 minutes after Mensa’s exit before they could get in formation.

Beyoncé emerged from a video cube almost as tall as the ceiling of the Dome that folded and split in order for her to make the grandest of entrances.

She proclaimed that she would “slay” at the start of the

Using songs from “Miseducation,” her MTV Unplugged EP and the most popular selections from her former group, The Fugees, Lauryn Hill gave St. Louis audiences what was by far her most memorable performance in recent years.

‘Miss Julie, Clarissa and John’ exposes the true cost of freedom for former slaves

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

n The masterful cast and direction by Andrea Frye make the endless exchange of complexity in the conversations feel like a thrilling tennis match.

With “Miss Julie, Clarissa and John,” Mark Clayton Southers packs sex and scandal into the residual intergenerational traumas of slavery and oppression that endured after the Emancipation Proclamation. The play, an adaptation of the 1888 drama by August Strindberg, opened the Black Rep’s 40th Season last weekend and continues through September 25 at Washington University’s Edison Theatre. In the play, American slavery has been over for nearly a quarter-century, but audiences can hardly tell by the way John and Clarissa carry on to get breakfast ready for “Captain” and Miss Julie. The fervent ring of a bell

Photo by Phillip Hamer

The Black Rep’s production of “Miss Julie, Clarissa and John,” directed by Andrea Frye, continues through Sunday, September 25 at Washington University’s Edison Theatre.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Beyoncé performed at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis on Saturday, September 10 as part of her Formation World Tour.

Photo by Daniela Vesco/Parkwood Entertainment

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

concerts

Sat., Sept. 24, 8 p.m. doors, Mo Investment presents Joe and Vivian Green, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Sept. 24, Pops presents Method Man and Redman. For more information, visit www.popsrocks.com.

Sat., Oct. 1, 8 p.m., 88.7 The Sound presents the Jason Marsalis Vibe Quartet. The youngest of the New Orleans’ Marsalis jazz dynasty, percussionist Jason Marsalis returns as leader of his Vibes Quartet, backed by bassist Will Goble, pianist Austin Johnson and drummer David Potter. The Sheldon Concert Hall, Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www. thesheldon.org.

Tues., Oct. 4, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors), Café Soul welcomes Andra Day and Corrine Bailey Rae, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com.

Fri., Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m., SiriusXM presents I Love the 90’s. Featuring Vanilla Ice, Salt N’ Pepa with Spinderella, Kid N’ Play, All 4 One, Coolio, and Young MC. 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 977-5000 or visit www. thechaifetzarena.com.

local gigs

Sat., Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Farfetched presents Brave New World. Featuring hip hop, funk, soul, beat makers, woozy pop and more, this show promises to give you the best St. Louis has to offer in progressive music. With names like Super Hero Killer, Scrub and Golden Curls, you can

expect an excellent show. The Luminary, 2701 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, call (314) 398-8815 or visit www.bazaarboy.com/ bravenewworld2016.

Thur., Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m., The Music of Marvin Gaye feat. Brian Owens and the Deacons of Soul Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Sept. 25, 6 p.m., Hang 10 Productions presents Sax in the City 2. Performances by Angelo Sax Shaw, Brandon Henry, Rhoda G, and more. Emerson Theatre, Harris Stowe, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 359-8299 or (618) 530-6357.

special events

Sept. 16 – 18, Budweiser Taste of St. Louis. Features 35+ restaurants on 314 Hot Sauce Restaurant Row, the Stella Artois Chef Battle Royale, the Goose Island School of Cooking, an ArtWalk, Sachs Properties Kids’ Kitchen, and more. Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Pl Dr., 63017. For more information, call (314) 534-2100 or visit www. tastestl.com.

Fri., Sept. 16, 6 p.m., Glow in the Park 2016 - A Howling Good Time. Spend a fantastic evening enjoying cocktails, a fabulous dinner and fireworks alongside beautiful, illuminated hot air balloons. Held under the auspices of the Great Forest Park Balloon Race, this fabulous dinner during the Balloon Glow benefits the Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Fund. Central Field at Forest Park, 63110. For more information, call (314) 9511501 or visit www.hsmo.org/

Dance St. Louis presents Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. See SPECIAL EVENTS for additional details.

Featured Event

Sat., Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Farfetched presents Brave New World. The Luminary, 2701 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, call (314) 398-8815 or visit www. bazaarboy.com/bravenewworld2016.

glow.

Sat., Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Omicron Theta Omega Chapter and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Upsilon Omega Chapter present the H.B.C.U. Throwback T-Shirt Party. Proceeds will benefit the organizations’ scholarships and mandated programs. Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow Blvd., 63120. For more information, call (314) 441-2212 or (314) 385-4100.

Sept. 23 – 25, Chaifetz Arena presents Disney on Ice: Worlds of Enchantment 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 977-5000 or visit www. chaifetzarena.com.

Sept. 30 – Oct. 1, Dance St. Louis presents Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Company Based on an oral history Bill T. Jones conducted with 95-year old Dora Amelan, a French Jewish nurse, social worker and survivor of World War II, Analogy/ Dora: Tramontane chronicles her harrowing, touching and inspirational story from early family life through her encounters with the internment camps while working for a Jewish underground organization. Mimicking the interview format between Jones and Dora, the story

unfolds in multiple levels of transformation with the threads of Dora’s narrative paralleling the choreography. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4949 or visit www.touhill.org.

Sat., Oct. 1, 5 p.m., The St. Louis American Foundation presents the 29th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala. America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. For more information, call (314) 533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com.

Sun., Oct. 2, 10 a.m., The St. Louis Natural Hair & Black Cultural Expo. Come out for educational seminars, natural hair showcasing, fashion showcasing, over 40 vendors, and much more. Holiday Inn Downtown, 811 North 9th St., 63101. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Thur., Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m., Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions 2016 Join Olympic All-Around Champions Gabrielle Douglas and Nastia Liukin, along with members of the 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Teams. 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 977-5000 or visit www.thechaifetzarena.com.

benefit Partners for Pets. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (618) 799-9084 or visit www. secondcitysheldonhall.com.

Sept. 23 – Sept. 25, Aug. 13, Helium Comedy Club St. Louis welcomes Adele Givens, Helium Comedy Club, 151 St. Louis Galleria St., St. Louis, MO 63117. For more information, call (314) 727-1260 or visit http:// st-louis.heliumcomedy.com

Sat., Oct. 1, 8 p.m., Peabody Opera House presents Wanda Sykes. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 499-7600 or visit www.peabodyoperahouse.com.

Sat., Oct. 8, 7 p.m., Jazzy ENT presents Laughs in the Lou Comedy Explosion Featuring Darius Bradford, Jeremiah “JJ” Williamson, Michael Colyar, T.K. Kirkland, and Brandon “Hot Sauce” Glover. The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, call (409) 571-9454 or visit www. ajazzyevent.com.

literary

Sun., Sept. 18, 10 a.m., Been There, Done That - A Conversation with Al Roker and Deborah Roberts Been There, Done That is a funny, heartfelt, and empowering collection of life lessons, hardwon wisdom, and instructive family anecdotes from Al and Deborah’s lives, from their parents and grandparents, and from dear friends, famous and not. Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., 63146. For more information, call (314) 4423299.

Tues., Sept. 20, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Ben Westhoff, author of Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 3676731 or visit www.left-bank. com.

Thur., Sept. 29, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Christopher Hebert author of Angels of Detroit A kaleidoscopic of an iconic American City, of abandonment, hope, violence, and resilience—and the lives intersecting on Detroit’s margins.

comedy

Sept. 15 – 16, Sheldon Concert Hall presents Second City. Chicago’s legendary sketch and improv comedy theater returns “Schlafly Presents The Best of The Second City.” Proceeds will

Sat., Sept. 17, 11 a.m., The Griot Museum of Black History presents Family, Fashion, Fun Day. Storytelling, drumming, gelee and lapatyping; block print and pattern making, jewelry-making, repurpose fabric, accessories, home décor and more with artists Kenya Ajanaku, Elaine Young, Mama Lisa, and others. 2505 St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, call (314) 241-7057 or visit www.thegriotmuseum.org.

Through October 8, The Griot Museum of Black History presents Wandering Spirits: African Wax Prints. The exhibit is a vibrant visual exploration of the historical journey across Asia, through Europe, and into Africa where, ingrained in African culture and society, they reflect the stories, dreams and personalities of the people who love and identify them as their own. 2505 St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, call (314) 241-7057 or visit www.thegriotmuseum.org.

Through Oct. 30, COCA presents Outside In: Paint for Peace. Showcasing the power of the arts, the exhibition presents a selection of the murals painted on the boardedup storefronts by amateur and professional artists in the days and weeks following the 2014 protests in Ferguson. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 7256555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Sept. 15 – 18, UMSL Department of Theatre and Cinema presents Miriam

Makeba: Mama Africa the Musical. The story, life and times of Miriam Makeba are told in a dramatic fashion, outlining her activism in helping to bring down apartheid (and impact on the global civil rights movement), her fame & international success owing to her magical voice and her endurance in overcoming betrayal, failed marriages and the death of her only daughter, Bongi, while in exile. Set in Africa, the USA, and Belgium this is an inspirational, universal story that will appeal to a multi-generational audience worldwide. Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4949 or visit www. touhill.org.

Sat., Sept. 17, The Center for Social Empowerment presents “Antigone in Ferguson.” A theatre project to bring law enforcement and the African American community together through dialogue and song. This will be a reading of Sophocles’ “Antigone” followed by powerful discussions with concerned citizens, activists, and law enforcement. Actors Include: Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black), Reg E. Cathey (House of Cards), Gloria Reuben (ER), and Glenn Davis (24). Ancient Choruses performed by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Choir & local Gospel Choirs. 2 p.m. performance: Normandy High School, 6701 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63133. 5:30 & 8:30 p.m. performance: Wellspring Church, 33 S. Florissant Rd., 63135. For more information, call (314) 256-9123 or visit www.thecenterfor socialempowerment.com.

Through Sept. 25, The Black Rep presents Miss Julie, Clarissa and John. The dangerous attraction between the landowner’s daughter and his top servant takes on new shades as its taboo nature expands from crossing boundaries of social class to also encompass racial lines. The situation is heightened further by Southers’ extensive development of the third onstage character from Strindberg’s play, which in this searing version becomes central to the conflict through her identity as the mulatto daughter of a slave woman. Edison Theatre, Washington University, 6465 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For more information, call (314) 534-3810 or visit www. theblackrep.org.

Through Oct. 9, Stages St. Louis presents Sister Act. A divine comedy about a sassy, low-rent lounge singer forced to hide out from the mob in the last place anyone would ever look for her – a convent. The Robert G. Reim Theatre, 111 S Geyer Rd., 63122. For more information, call (314) 821-2407 or visit www. stagesstlouis.org.

lectures and workshops

Thur., Sept. 15, 6 p.m., Thomas Dunn Learning Center presents Know Your Rights with Law Enforcement. This program is an interactive workshop where attendees will learn best practices and their rights when engaging with law enforcement during pedestrian and vehicle stops and searches along with searches of one’s home. Presented by the American Civil Liberties Union, this workshop is both necessary and timely, and will allow attendees to leave with a better understanding of their rights. Teens strongly encouraged to attend. Please register online or call (314) 353-3050.

Sat., Sept. 17, 2 p.m., Effect of Caucasian Personality on African-American Personality: Black Mental Health in a Time Like This by Dr. Daudi Ajani ya Azibo, The lecture is dedicated to the memory of Drs. Frances Cress Welsing, Bobby Wright, and Cheikh Anta Diop. Thomas Dunn Learning Center, 3113 Gasconade Street.

Wed., Sept. 21, 4 p.m., Vision St. Louis presents Diversity in Bioscience, IT and Advanced Manufacturing. A regional symposium aimed at building a wholly inclusive, diverse innovation community. We welcome anyone seeking to learn more about opportunities in these growing industries. For more information, visit www.visionstlouis.com.

health

Sun., Sept. 18, 7:30 a.m., Free to Breathe 5K Walk

The lung cancer community is on a mission to make surviving lung cancer the expectation, not the exception. Attendees can participate in a 5K walk, along with a silent auction, live music and children’s activities including face painting and games. All proceeds from the event support Free to Breathe, a lung cancer research and advocacy organization dedicated to doubling lung cancer survival by 2022. Creve Coeur Park, 13725 Marine Ave., 63043. For more information, visit www. freetobreathe.org/stlouis.

Tues., Sept. 20, 5 p.m., Seniors Home Care presents Family Caregiver Training This free training opportunity provides tools to use when caring for a parent or loved one in multiple settings. Topics include monitoring and handling medications, home safety, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia awareness, handling care giver stress and much more. The class is taught by a Seniors Home Care registered nurse. For more information or to reserve a spot, call (314) 962-2666 or visit www.seniorshomecare. com.

Sat., Sept. 24, 7:30 a.m., The Hope Community Project 5K. Run or walk with us and help provide medical care in Haiti. Dress up in your favorite 60s or 70s outfit for a chance to win a costume contest. We’ll have refreshments, water, energy

drinks, chair massages, and more. 135 West Adams Ave., 63122. For more information, visit www. hopecommunityproject.org/ hope-5k.

Sat., Oct. 1, 6:45 p.m., Dianne Bondy will teach a class to benefit Operation Backpack – an Operation Food Search program, Joy of Yoga, 3525 Watson Rd. To preregister, visit www.314yoga.com.

Mondays, 6:30 p.m., Yoga & Chill. A beginner-friendly, all levels (75 minute) class that spends time working through fundamental yoga postures and shapes while exploring alignment, breathing,

relaxation techniques, and a good time. Modern Healer Studio, 1908 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

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

spiritual

Fri., Sept. 16, 6 p.m., Christ Pilgrim Rest M.B. Church will honor Pastor William

Johnson, Sr. for 9 years of Pastoral Leadership with a Celebratory Banquet, The Ameristar Conference Center - Second Floor 1 Ameristar Blvd. St. Charles, MO 63301. For tickets or additional information please call (314) 367-2974.

Sat., Sept. 24, 10 a.m., New Emmanuel M.B. Church Community Picnic. All are invited to attend our Annual Community picnic where our theme is “Spirit is Contagious.” We will have lots of food and fun for all ages. 6233 Chatham Ave., 63133. For more information, call (314) 382-6499 or visit www.newemmanuel.org.

Sun., Oct. 23, Festival of Praise Tour starring Fred Hammond, Karen ClarkSheard and many more. The Fox Theatre. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., October 8, (6 p.m. doors), Cedric Shannon Rives and The Brothers, The Sun Theatre. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com

film

Thur., Sept. 15, 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents America’s Blues Film Screening. This awardwinning feature-length documentary explores the tremendous impact that blues music has had on our society, culture, and the entertainment industry. There will also be live music before the film. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org.

Fri., Sept. 23, The Magnificent Seven starring Denzel Washington opens in theatres nationwide.

Fri., Sept. 30, Queen of Katwe starring Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo opens in theatres nationwide.

Been There, Done That – A Conversation with Al Roker and Deborah Roberts. For more information, see LITERARY.

its musical arrangements and vocals. But for Sunday she revamped the song to add house and reggae music flavors.

The fact that she can still tour on the strength of “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” even though the album is nearly 20 years old, speaks to the impact of the multiple Grammy Award-winning album that was both a critical and commercial triumph upon its release in 1998.

The album instantly catapulted her to the realm of music’s biggest stars, only to see her walk away from it all for reasons still only truly known to herself – perhaps due to the overwhelming demands of the industry when you’re its hottest ticket, but maybe to focus on being a mother to her six children.

In recent years, she’s stepped back onstage to mixed reviews, but Loufest would definitely get the best of Lauryn Hill. The huge band, which included a horn section and three background singers, had to be on its toes as Hill gave instructions and demands, but the end result was nothing short of magical.

She relied on music from “Miseducation,” her MTV Unplugged EP and the most popular selections from her former group, The Fugees, to give St. Louis audiences what was by far her most memorable performance in recent years.

For her “Unplugged” selections “Mystery of Iniquity” and “Peace of Mind,” Hill strummed an acoustic guitar as she sang and rapped. She put the guitar down and picked up the pace on the mid-tempo “X Factor” and, as the crowd sloshed around in the mud to the intense beat, she showcased her still intact vocals.

But the highlight of the night was the ode to the most popular selections from The Fugees and their hit album “The Score”

(1996), which set Hill up for solo success.

Her pristine delivery of “How Many Mics,” “Fu-GeeLa” “Ready or Not” and “Killing Me Softly” sent the crowd to a state of sheer bliss as they rapped and sang along, word for word.

In the only selection of Hill’s music that wasn’t an extreme departure from its original arrangement, Hill closed the show out with a stellar performance of “Doo Wop (That Thing).”

Loufest carves space for emerging hip-hop

Vince Staples and Anderson Paak are anything but household names in hip-hop,

but they showcased extreme potential as the future of the genre as part of the Loufest lineup leading up to Hill’s performance.

Both are out of the Los Angeles area, but their sounds are distinctly different. An alum of the Odd Future collective from Long Beach, Staples has the flow of an East Coast rapper over “Dirty South” beats, but with the laidback delivery of fellow Long Beach native Snoop Dogg. Paak – straight out of Oxnard in Ventura County – blends soul, R&B and a taste of rock as part of his signature sound that was made even more impactful during his Loufest appearance. Loufest even gave a taste of homegrown hip-hop by way of rising rap stars The Illphonics.

Taste of jazz, soul and blues

“You damn right I got the blues,” Buddy Guy, one of the genre’s last living legends, proclaimed to the audience as he took the stage Sunday afternoon.

It was clear early on that the hundreds who flanked the stage weren’t hardcore fans of Guy – or the blues in general – especially when Guy asked them to sing along to “Hoochie Coochie Man,” the blues standard made famous by Muddy Waters.

“I was just in Tokyo three weeks ago, and you best believe they didn’t [expletive] the song up like y’all just did,” Guy said. “So let’s try it again.”

As lovers of good music, they couldn’t help but indulge in the sounds that echoed from the stage. The crowd howled and cheered him on as the 80-year-old showed no signs of his age – but every bit of his six decades of performance experience – as he performed his own selections and paid homage to Jimi Hendrix and even Marvin Gaye.

The same was the case when soul Crooner Charles Bradley took the stage Saturday night. The first 40 years of his career as entertainer were spent as a James Brown impersonator. He became famous in his own right as the subject of the documentary “Soul of America,” which chronicled the highs and lows of his life

and the challenges of recording his debut album, “No Time for Dreaming,” in 2011 at age 62. He has since become a music festival favorite – and brought the Loufest house down with a sound that channeled his idol James Brown, as well as Otis Redding, with the energy of Jackie Wilson. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band also helped kick Loufest off on a high note with their performance early in the afternoon on Saturday. In previous years, Loufest was criticized (and, by some, ignored) for its relative lack of diversity, but this year organizers booked a festival that actually deserves this city’s name.

Illphonics Lauryn Hill

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

Vince Staples

show when she performed the song for which the tour is named. She kept her promise with a two-hour set that saw her perform nearly three dozen selections and undergo a handful of wardrobe changes (with makeup refreshes to match) with production values and set design that seemed to come courtesy of time travel into the future.

The stage extended midway into the Dome. Pyrotechnics, fireworks, video footage, aerial acrobatics, a splash pool and a moving walkway were incorporated into the show’s special effects. The only downside was that the band and background singers (including St. Louis’ own Montina Cooper) were relegated to the sidelines behind the massive set.

But bells and whistles of the jaw-dropping production aside, Beyoncé and her squad - which includes her backup vocalists that she affectionately named “The Mamas,” an all-female band and her team of dancers - could have performed around crates and tissue paper and still elicited a standing ovation. There had to be blood in the bottom of each pair of the custom-made Christian Louboutin boots Beyoncé wore over the course of the night because of the intense choreography she performed with the same precision as her crew of dancers. And there wasn’t an inkling of indication of the vocal strain that caused her to postpone a show in New Jersey earlier in the week. Beyoncé left everything on the colossal stage at the Dome and was as appreciative and honored to perform as the audience was to take in the show.

Though the biggest taste went to her latest album “Lemonade,” Beyoncé served from each of her solo albums and two selections from her Destiny’s Child days (“Bootylicious” and

“Survivor”). St. Louis certainly saw the best of Beyoncé as she covered every range of emotion -unconditional love, heartbreak, rage, raw seduction – through songs and video interludes. There was the unapologetic boss Beyoncé, also known as

provided a full-circle moment for those who have watched her grow into an artist who already stands alongside popular music icons – and has remained perched atop the industry since her 2003 “Dangerously in Love” debut solo album.

n St. Louis certainly saw the best of Beyoncé as she covered every range of emotionunconditional love, heartbreak, rage, raw seduction – through songs and video interludes.

“King Bey,” singing selections like “Bow Down,” “Flawless,”

“Don’t Hurt Yourself,” “Ring the Alarm” and “Diva.”

“Since 15 in my stilettos, I’ve been strutting in this game,” Beyoncé fervently sang during her performance of “Diva.”

A clip of a young Beyoncé Knowles as she had just celebrated her 16th birthday, roughly 20 years to the day before her visit to the Dome,

Fans got a double dose of her solo single debut “Crazy in Love,” with the house-musicinspired original incarnation and the re-imagined version made famous by the “Fifty Shades of Grey” film. She also got “Drunk in Love” and made it an interactive exchange as she demanded everyone to sing along.

She belted her heart out on “1+1” – admitting the song is

Beyoncé and her squadwhich includes her backup vocalists that she affectionately named “The Mamas,” an allfemale band and her team of dancers - could have performed around crates and tissue paper and still elicited a standing ovation.

Photo by Daniela Vesco/ Parkwood Entertainment

Leaving News

4 for the symphony

By Anthony Kiekow Guest columnist

I made the decision to leave television news the same way I get consumed by a good book. Slowly, then suddenly.

I am stepping away from reporting to serve as public relations manager for the St. Louis Symphony. It is an exciting opportunity to share stories about the brilliant musicians who call the symphony home.

Guest Columnist

her favorite to perform on the tour – and an a cappella version of “Love on Top.” The love fest continued when she extended her female empowerment anthem “Single Ladies” to St. Louis native John Silver for an opportunity to deliver an unforgettable proposal to his girlfriend, Beyoncé’s dancer Ashley Everett. “I put a ring on it,” Silver said as the couple, the entire audience and Beyoncé herself basked in the moment.

Splashing around in a wading pool, Beyoncé carried on with “Freedom,” “Survivor” and “End of Time” - which compelled several already in the aisles to follow the show as it transitioned from each portion of the stage to perform the selection’s intricate choreography in complete sync with Beyoncé and her dancers. It was a moment of Beyhive bliss that seemed to touch a soaked Beyoncé - wet from the pool, but also sweat and tears - just before she bid farewell to St. Louis with an endearing performance of “Halo.”

Kiekow

I have been blessed to tell stories about amazing people for seven years. The brave boy, who found a family after an earthquake shattered his world. The passionate father, who poured tears on his heroic son’s grave. The courageous couple, who revealed the strength of a bond forged in love. And the charismatic Cardinals fan, who taught me how to sing from her hospital bed. It was an honor to tell their stories.

My choice to stop reporting is not the end of my television career, rather the beginning of my exploration into a new style of storytelling.

Earlier this year, I wrote an article about my personal story that was published in The American. I revealed how I overcame dropping out of school at 15 and my desire to help my community.

It was an example of the honest writing that I believe can connect communities. As the next chapter of my story begins, I hope to use my pen as a tool to build bridges. My work will begin by telling stories that invite people of all backgrounds to experience the sweet sounds of the St. Louis Symphony. The symphony is a treasure that should be enjoyed by the lawyer from Ladue and the server from St. Louis.

It is one way I plan on using writing to serve my community. My final report for News 4 will air Friday, September 16, but my writing is just beginning.

get the

PLAY

tied to a string that leads to the big house means that they best hurry.

The play captures a day in the life of Clarissa and John, two former slaves who stayed on to work the Virginia plantation where they were once regarded as property, and Miss Julie – who will inherit the land when her deathly ill father finally succumbs.

Clarissa and John grew up on the plantation, and eventually came together in a long-term relationship. Miss Julie grew up alongside them, but it goes without saying that their collective experiences couldn’t have been further apart. When the audiences meets the trio, they are all well into adulthood and seemingly heading towards middle age, based on their experiences. Miss Julie has decided that on this summer solstice she will act on her nearly lifelong infatuation with John – with or without his consent.

She is anything but shy about

her intentions – even going so far as to overtly flirt with him in front of his longtime love Clarissa.

Southers covers much ground, as far as the tragic circumstances that grew out of slavery and the effects of white privilege. Let Miss Julie tell it: Black folks should count white people as their biggest blessing for “taking care of them” after all the trouble they caused for the country. Yet they are treated lower than livestock – even after slavery – and their bodies still don’t belong to themselves in any capacity.

The playwright also blends sex and suspense in a manner that manages to engage the desensitized palate of today’s audience with situations that are suited for the era reflected in the play.

With his mission to expose the ills and ironies of the day, Southers follows the model of his mentor August Wilson in a play that is thick with – at time, excessive - dialogue. The language patterns of the play sometimes resemble back and forth monologues, rather than conversations. This would have been the death of a lessertalented trio of performers, but

the masterful cast and direction by Andrea Frye make the endless exchange of complexity in the conversations feel like a thrilling tennis match.

Young actress Alicia Reve Like has once again proved herself to be a star in the making as Clarissa, the mulatto woman whom Miss Julie secretly envies for her strength and intelligence. Veteran St. Louis actors Eric J. Conners and Laurie McConnell illustrate that the caliber of local talent on the Black Rep stage could hold its own on a national level. Between the natural chemistry and authentic portrayal of the three actors, as well as the scenic by Jim Burwinkel and lighting design by Kathy Perkins, those who attend will confront the impossible experiences people of color faced in the 19th century – many of which extend to present day.

The Black Rep’s presentation of “Miss Julie, Clarissa and John” continues through Sunday, September 25 at Washington University’s Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth. For more information, visit www. theblackrep.org or call (314) 534-3810.

‘Paint for Peace’ comes to History Museum

Work on a new mural during Twilight Tuesdays

By Katherine Van Allen Columnist

When we think about history, we quite logically think about the past, but the fact is we are living through history every day. Our present is what future generations will study as the past. To ensure that those future generations have materials to research and to help tell their own stories, the Missouri Historical Society collects present-day artifacts in addition to objects from long ago. One event that we know future St. Louisans and all Americans will be researching – and trying to make sense of – is the killing of Michael Brown Jr. on August 9, 2014. The shooting of the AfricanAmerican teenager at the hands of a white police officer will be debated in articles, books, films, and exhibits for years to come. To help those authors of future histories, the Missouri Historical Society has collected a wide range of artifacts, from gas masks to protest signs to plywood panels used to cover broken windows following protests.

We are currently displaying one of those panels as part of a project spearheaded by COCA. The project is called “Outside In: Paint for Peace,” and as part of the effort COCA has asked institutions across the city to display the artist-painted plywood panels. You can find the panels at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the Sheldon Art Galleries, the Ferguson Youth Initiative, the Vaughn Cultural Center, as well as at COCA. The exhibit at COCA was guest curated by Jacquelyn Lewis-Harris and was inspired by the children’s book, “Paintings for Peace in Ferguson” by Carol Swartout Klein.

On display at the History Museum is a piece entitled “Reach Out” done by Anna Bonfili that originally covered the windows of the U.S. Post Office on South Grand Boulevard. This piece shows a black hand and white hand clasped into an arch with tree roots exposed at the base. The piece reflects the optimism that came out of this time of despair. Even as we witnessed the city tearing itself apart, many used the opportunity to dream and plan for a better –and more equitable – future.

The “Reach Out” panel will

“Reach Out” by Anna Bonfili originally covered the windows of the U.S. Post Office on South Grand Boulevard. It will be on display through October 30 in the Reflections gallery at the Missouri History Museum as part of “Outside In: Paint for Peace,” a multi-venue exhibit curated by Jacquelyn Lewis-Harris for COCA.

be on display through October 30 outside of our Reflections gallery. The exhibit of other panels at COCA will also be on display through October 30. Information and dates on the additional venues and programs can be found at www.cocastl. org.

We are also giving visitors a chance to work on a new mural alongside some of the artists who participated in the Paint for Peace St. Louis effort in 2014. The painting sessions happen inside the museum during Twilight Tuesdays. Painting takes place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on September 20, September 27 and October 4. Visit http://mohistory.org/ twilight-tuesdays for more information.

For us, the temporary display of the “Reach Out” panel is about more than the painting or even the events of August 2014. For us, it’s a chance to talk to our visitors about why we preserve history and why it’s important to wrestle with the complexities of the past rather than just looking for triumphant moments in the city’s history. That’s something we try to do in all of our exhibits and programs.

We are currently at work on what promises to be an important contribution to the discussion of race in St. Louis. Titled “#1 in Civil Rights: The African American

Freedom Struggle in St. Louis,” this exhibit will explore St. Louis’ important, but often overlooked, civil rights history and will introduce hundreds of thousands of visitors to local civil rights heroes. The exhibit opens in March of next year, but you can get a sneak peek at some of the stories it will include in the next week. Curator Gwen Moore will be giving a talk about the legislation, protests, and civil rights leaders that shaped the movement in this community dating back to 1819. That talk will take place on September 17. For more information, go to www. mohistory.org.

Discussions of Ferguson will also be a part of the “#1 in Civil Rights” exhibit. We will ask visitors to reflect on whether the incidents of that day and the protests that followed represented a moment or a movement that will continue. For now, that question can only be answered with speculation. In the future, historians will be able to answer with more certitude. And when they do, they will have a collection of artifacts and oral histories available at the Missouri Historical Society to research and to use in their own explanations of the incident, ensuring that this troubling moment in St. Louis history is not forgotten.

Continued from C1

Photo by Phillip Hamer

A scene from The Black Rep’s presentation of “Miss Julie, Clarissa and John.”

Birthdays

Happy birthday to our mother, Clytee Brown, on September 12!

Hope you have many more! Love ya! From the Brown Family

Let’s celebrate the 100th birthday of Mary “Playmama” Harden of Pruitt-Igoe and Leffingwell on September 21. Send you greetings to: 2710 S. Grand Ave., St. Louis, MO 63118.

Happy 6th birthday to my superstar nephew, Rogerick, on September

13! From: Your Uncle Tony T-Red Turner #TonyRed

Happy 81st birthday to Adell Walker on September 13! We love you and enjoy your special day! From your children, Terry, Gary, Alline, and Arline; grandchildren, Kristin, Bria, Nikki, Tra, Kimberly, Lauren, Gary, Wayne and Josh.

Adrienne Isaac celebrated her birthday on September 8. Happy Birthday, T-Bear, from your loving husband!

Reunions

Beaumont High School Class of 1966 50th Reunion, October 14-15 at the Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel, 900 Westport Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63146. Contact: Jacque’ HughesHayes (314) 914-4858 or Josh Beeks (314) 303-0791 for more information.

Beaumont High School Class

Celebrations

of 1976 will have its 40th year reunion September 2325, 2016. For more detailed information please email bhs1976@swbell.net or Facebook: Beaumont High class of 76.

Beaumont High School, Class of 1978 will celebrate its 40-year reunion in 2018. For further information, please contact: Marietta Shegog Shelby, 314-7995296, madeshe@sbcglobal. net.

Cardinal Ritter College Prep Class of 1987 is hosting an “Old School Hip Hop” party September 24, 2016 from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow Ave., St.

Louis, 63120. Tickets: $20 at door, $15 in advance. Call April Brown at 314-446-5500 for more information.

Harrison School All Class Reunion has been changed to Saturday October 22, 2016, 6:00 pm-11:00 pm at Ambruster Great Hall, 6633 Clayton Rd. For more info contact Judy Darris at 314443-6741.

Old Neighborhood Reunion celebration, the last Annual Street Festival, on September 17, from Noon—6 pm. Leffingwell, Howard, Madison, Glasgow, Garrison, Cass, Sheridan, Thomas, Dickson, Dayton, Elliott and Jefferson. Ritenour High School

Class of 1976 is having its 40th reunion on October 1, 2016. For more information please see our Facebook page, Ritenour Class of 1976 or email ekbyers58@gmail.com.

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

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

Road. Classes 1955-1959 are welcomed. For more information, please contact Lovely (Green) Deloch at 314867-1470, Marlene (Randall) Porter at 314-653-0107, Mae (Simmons) Mahone at 314653-0818 or Phyllis (Bolden) Washington at 314-531-9925.

Vashon January and June Classes of 1966 will celebrate our 50 year reunion October 7-9, 2016 at the Hollywood Casino, 777 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights, MO 63043. Contact Marilyn Stuckey, Chairperson, 314-438-8338, email: masystucup@att.net or Janice Holland, Co-Chairperson, 314-727-1695, email: jholland1695@att.net for more information.

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

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

Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

Rogerick

Mary Harden

Clytee Brown

Adell Walker

Adrienne Isaac

Louis’ own John Silver “put a ring on it” when he proposed to his

of Beyoncé’s squad and some St.

Swag Snap of the week

Two Saturdays from Salute 29! I know I typically talk about the celebratory side of our annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala as I countdown to the big day, but I need y’all to understand that we have something magical in Salute. Sometimes we take things for granted in our hometown –especially when they take place every year – but the salute is a national phenomenon. I know that I’m subjective, but let me state facts: This year alone there will be nearly $840,000 in scholarships awarded. And that is not the collective number for the past 29 years – though it would still be an impressive number if it was. If that’s not enough, you get to see the most influential citizens of our city in the same room at the same time witnessing the power of education when we take over America’s Center Saturday after next (October 1). Y’all better get into this networking opportunity that helps educate our community and allows you to get awards show fly every fall. I’m counting down the days until I see all the classic men and dazzling divas slay with their interpretation of formalwear! The tickets are going fast, so you better hit us up at (314) 533-8000 or stlamerican.com while you still can!

B-Day at The Dome. Speaking of slayage, by now I don’t have to tell y’all how Beyoncé tore the roof off when she brought The Formation Tour to the STL and served the show of a lifetime at The Dome Saturday night – but you know I am anyway! Yes, she was late as a mug. But by the time she hit the stage and said “Okay ladies now let’s get in formation” all was forgiven. Actually, slaying is an understatement for what happened! King Bey went full ax murderer on us! So much so, that after how she took all of our breath away, Beyoncé can actually be officially listed as the most prolific serial killer of all time. It just might be the best show I’ve ever seen in my life. Anybody who reads Partyline knows how many shows I attend on the regular, so for me to say that it must have been hitting on absolutely everything. The song choices, her performance, the wardrobe, her performance, the special effects, her performance….she did that…all.of.it. She even baptized us with the water from her splashing pool that was in the middle of the stage. And she changed the set list to work in “Single Ladies” so St. Louis’ own John Silver could propose to his boo – her backup dancer Ashley Everett. It was an all-around unforgettable night. I’m not going to name names – mainly because I don’t have room – but Bey needs to teach a Live Performance 101 class to all of these lip syncing, vocal track using nondancing alleged divas out right now. The show was so fantastic, that if they said she was coming back out to do the whole thing over again – guess who would have been PERCHED?…even if it meant another two hour wait for her to take the stage. Does that make it plain enough for you?

Beyhive fashion bust. As much as I got life more abundantly from the concert itself, I must admit that I was underwhelmed by the Beyhive’s concert attire. The folks usually go all out with elaborate interpretations of Mrs. Carter’s concert attire or outfits from her videos. This time the masses opted for comfort with custom home made t-shirts with Beyoncé lyrics or song titles. I must have seen a thousand “Becky With the Good Hair” t-shirts on girls (and a few boys) with tragic quick weaves, sew ins and tattered box braids. One poor thing coupled it with a skirt made of virgin Malaysian bundles. I really can’t be mad that they dressed in a manner that was conducive to maneuvering through a crowd of more than 20,000, but I don’t have to be happy about it either!

Bey effect in these streets. While I can’t say with all certainty that she put folks in the mood to party with her phenomenal show, the exit nightmare that had folks trapped downtown for hours gave the concert crowd every reason to frolic around in these streets until traffic became manageable enough to burn out. Every place I went even the Obar had a packed house because with their unofficial after party action. Her dancers even stopped through Mo Spoon and ‘nem’s set over at Hiro. It was a great nightcap.

Ms. Lauryn Hill and the Loufest win. I was still full from the Beyoncé buffet topped off with a tall glass of “Lemonade” when I headed over to Loufest for the first time since Outkast came through. The Forest Park concert grounds were a muddy mess. The mostly hipster crowd was either in rain boots or barefoot (yes, barefoot) as they were serving Woodstock realness. The crowd at Loufest was mostly general population, but the lineup was pretty doggone diverse for a change. I was primarily there to see Ms. Lauryn Hill, but got plenty of other treats along the way – including blues legend Buddy Guy. He became my spirit animal when he cussed the audience out for not knowing one of his songs, but trying to sing along anyway. I also got life from Anderson Paak, Vince Staples, Charles Bradley, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and St. Louis’ own Illphonics. But I know y’all came to hear about L Boogie, so I’ll get to it. People were more curious about what time she showed up Sunday than how the performance was, so I’ll start with that. I never thought I would live to see the day where Lauryn Hill would take the stage quicker than Beyoncé, but 2016 will go down in history as the year of stranger than fiction phenomenon. Ms. Hill was 20 minutes late- so actually two-and-a-half hours early compared to her most recent visit to STL – and four-and-a-half hours early for the time before that. Therefore, I did not need the freeze dried meals or pajamas I packed just in case. And her performance was absolutely everything to top it all off. Other than the quiet verbal abuse she inflicted on her band and the eccentric wardrobe, it was like Lauryn Hill had been restored to full glory. We got a taste of why she is still has a special place in our hearts when she did some of her classics to a new beat and our all-time favorite Fugee tracks just as we remembered.

Stacy, Ray, Ono, Corey and Tayon @ Bucketfest 2016 Saturday @ The OBar

Kay, Briana and Debbie danced to old school music Friday night @ Mood

The Marquee’s very own Rasi and “Basketball Wives LA” co-star Malaysia Pargo for Pee Wee’s Birthday celebration Friday night

Redd, Ayana and Asia @ HG Saturday night

Kevin Johnson of The St. Louis PostDispatch and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child chopped it up with members of Ms. Lauryn Hill’s band just before her set @ Loufest on Sunday in Forest Park

Courtney and Bianca were in the building for Bucketfest Saturday @ OBar

Katrina, Jannah and Jehan were among the flawless Beyoncé fans that stopped through Hiro to unwind after the concert

Monica and Kim made their way to Element Saturdays @ The Marquee

Patrice and Nikki played catch up @ Bucketfest Saturday night @ The OBar

Whitney and Amber hit up Hiro to kick it after the Beyoncé concert Saturday night

St.

girlfriend Ashley Everett with the help of her boss Beyoncé Saturday night at The Dome during The Formation Tour. After the show the couple joined several

Louis tastemakers to celebrate their engagement at Hiro.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

Mt. Zion Church celebrates 115th Church Anniversary

Anniversary theme:

“A Church Built Upon the Rock” –Matt. 16:18

By Pamela Bolden

For The St. Louis American

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church will usher in another milestone celebration of being a beacon in the East St. Louis community. The church will celebrate its 115th Church Anniversary with a series of special events that will culminate with two services on Sunday, Sept. 25. The Rev. Ranodore Foggs, pastor of New Horizon Community Church in East St. Louis, will be the featured guest speaker for 10:40 a.m. services; and the Rev. Ramone Collins, pastor of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, in Alorton, will bring the message at 4 p.m. Mt. Zion is located at 2235 Bond Ave. in East St. Louis. The event chair and co-chair are Wanda and Wenda McGilberry.

Curtis E. Levingston is the pastor. The 115th Church Anniversary services will also feature an inspirational skit and a reunion choir.

Foggs was ordained through Mt. Zion under the late pastor, the Rev. John H. Rouse, and has pastored for 25 years. His ministry led him to organize New Horizon in 2006. He holds a bachelor’s degree from SIU Carbondale and a master’s in management from Webster University.

Curtis Levingston is pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, located at 2235 Bond Ave. in East St. Louis.

Foggs has a long history in law enforcement, working for decades with the State of Illinois, as a former chief of police for the East St. Louis Police Department, and currently as director of Public Safety at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. He serves the community through the local NAACP as board chair and is chairman of the state appointed Financial Oversight Panel for East St. Louis School District 189. Collins, the afternoon guest minister, was called to the ministry at the age of 19 through the Greater Mt. Olive

Missionary Baptist Church in Lebanon. He was later honored to pastor the oldest black Baptist church in Illinois, Flat Creek Baptist Church, in East Carondelet. And in 2003, upon the retirement of his grandfather, the Rev. Albert Collins, he was called to pastor Calvary Baptist Church, in Alorton.

Pre-anniversary events include: Formal Banquet( $35 adults/$15 children), held at Mt. Zion Mission East, 5 p.m. Saturday, September 17; and

Evening Services with guest speaker Rev. Jerry L. Wilson, pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Centreville, Illinois, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 21.

For more information, contact the church at 618-2748350, mtzionesl.org, Facebook at mtzionesl, or by email at mtzion2235@att.net.

Christ Pilgrim honors Pastor Johnson

Christ Pilgrim Rest M.B. Church will honor Pastor William Johnson Sr. for nine years of pastoral leadership at a Celebratory Banquet 6 p.m. Friday, September 16 at The Ameristar Conference Center - Second Floor, 1 Ameristar Blvd. in St. Charles. For tickets or additional information please call 314-367-2974. Worship Service will be held 10 a.m. Sunday, September 18 at the church, 1341 N. Kingshighway Blvd., with an Anniversary Musical at 3:30 p.m.

Flood Christian hosts Flood Love

Flood Christian Church, 10172 Dellridge Ln., is hosting Flood Love 16 on Sunday, September 18 at 12:30 pm. Organizers said the event’s goal is “to provide the people of the community a day of Love, Fun, Food and Prayer. We want the people of the community to know even though our church was burned down during the unrest in Ferguson we are still here for them. It has been a rough couple of years but we’re still here standing stronger than ever.”

You should never expect that you can live a perfect life. Flaws, faults, mistakes and miscues are inevitable and cannot be avoided no matter how hard you try.

God lets us know through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that how we handle our imperfections is as important as acknowledging that we have them.

My spiritual imagination allows me to consider humility as an essential ingredient of any Christian’s make up. A humble person would never look down upon or turn a nose up to anyone and certainly would not think of themselves as superior to another human being. The reason must be that he or she recognizes and subscribes to that old saying, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”

Throughout the Bible there are countless references to living, or trying to live, a life devoid of ego and pride. Paul actually says humility is required for the presence of the Holy Spirit. “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control … since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Galatians 5:22-26.

Conditioning myself to live humbly out of habit can be difficult, if not impossible, for the world in which we live. Ours is a world that measures the substance of a person by the accumulation of money, things, position and

status. To acquire a humble state of mind as a matter of course to many of us is highly unlikely; but to the Christian attempting to obey the Word, it is mandatory. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12. This is serious stuff. The only way to adhere to any of it is to look deep inside one’s self and acknowledge the personal character flaws that we each have. I think this is the reason Christ said, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.” Once you see the real you, real forgiveness must follow. Who would dare be so arrogant and not humble himself in the eyes of God by not forgiving his fellow man’s transgressions? God did for you and me. The key to all of this is what happens after you fall, after you sin, after you back slide; remember that falling and failing are inevitable. Getting up, however, is not. Now I’m told, if you ask the Holy Spirit for a helping hand, you’re very likely to get one. I believe this because I’ve blown so many opportunities to demonstrate humility, but yet the blessings still come my way. Flaws and all, God loves me and every now and then I need to be reminded of that. Church is a good, if not the best, place where that can happen. The challenge is to remember you can never feel comfortable about casting that first stone, ever.

Columnist James Washington