September 25th, 2025 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Making the impossible possible

Hazelwood schools administrator Rhonda Key honored for leadership

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

After earning a biological science degree from Lincoln University, Dr. Rhonda M. Key was preparing to go to medical school.

“Then, I subbed as a science teacher, and I fell in love,” said Key, who shifted her focus to education, a career she has enjoyed for 37 years.

Key is deputy superintendent of the Hazelwood School District and has held

‘Welcome home’

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American

t. Louis Symphony

Orchestra Music Director

Stéphane Denève is so confident in the acoustics of the newly renovated Powell Symphony Hall that he issued a challenge. He invited guests Friday morning to sit in the last row of the furthest balcony tier to experience how sound carries clearly to every seat.

“Even if I whisper like this,” Denève said as he lowered his voice, “you will still be able to hear me clearly.”

For Sherry Sissac, his words carried

From storms to shootings

Teaching kids to process frightening news

By Ashley Winters St. Louis American

Eleven-year-old Courtney Spann has been paying attention to the news since he was 6. At first, it was the weather that caught his eye; later, his interests expanded to crime and public safety. By age 7 or 8, he refused to go to bed without watching the 10 p.m. news — a routine he still follows.

His mother, Jasmine Spann, would prefer to shield her son from stories about frightening news events, but she knows that’s nearly impossible. Instead, she sits

By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American

Donald Trump recently told a large audience that he hates his opponents — a startling admission for a president of the United States, who represents all citizens. The remarks came at a memorial service Sunday in Glendale, Arizona, for assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk, following words from his widow, Erika.

Trump praised Kirk’s “noble

“He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them,” Trump said. “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I

Dr. Rhonda M. Key, second from right, is deputy superintendent of the Hazelwood School District. Key will be honored as one of five Excellence in Education awardees at the Salute to Excellence in Education Gala on Nov. 1.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

A ceremony was held last week for the upgraded and augmented Powell Symphony Hall, including the addition of a new music center, named after Jack C. Taylor, who was a generous benefactor of the orchestra over many years.

Photo by Taylor Marrie / St. Louis American

Chorus.

Photo by Taylor Marrie / St. Louis American

High’s Thajae Hawthorne

Editorial

An urgent call

Black Missourians must defend their voice in Congress

The NAACP’s Missouri State Conference has taken legal action over the redistricting bill, passed by Republican supermajorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, that now awaits the governor’s signature.

The organization called the proposal “a direct attack on Black voters, Kansas City, St. Louis, and the very idea of democracy.”

For no other reason except to avoid the wrath of President Donald Trump, Republicans, with few exceptions, rushed to vote to split the Fifth Congressional District, long held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, into three districts.

Part of the new gerrymandered district includes urban Kansas City and stretches through rural Missouri to Columbia.

This legislative action effectively accomplishes two things: silencing the voices of Black voters in a Kansas City district that is home to many African Americans and kowtowing to a president whose zeal for authoritarian control is unmatched in American history.

The NAACP lawsuit contends that Gov. Mike Kehoe did not face the “extraordinary circumstances” required under the state constitution to convene the special session where Republican lawmakers approved the bill.

“The violation of Missouri’s constitution in order to call a special session is critically important to all Missourians,” said Nimrod Chapel Jr., president of the Missouri NAACP.

The ACLU also has sued over the new map on the grounds it is unconstitutional.

“No matter how the state spins it, Kansas City voters will have worse representation in Congress if this map is allowed to take effect,” said Ming Cheung of the ACLU Voting Rights Project.

The bill also includes draconian changes to the citizen petition process, which would set a challenging standard that would make it more difficult to pass ballot initiatives.

Instead of just a simple statewide majority, initiative proposals would need that and a majority within each of the state’s eight congressional districts. Analysts contend that just 5.3% of state voters could block passage of an initiative.

Restraining the citizen petition process is shortsighted and diabolical. Fortunately, Missourians will have a chance to vote on these changes before they are enacted.

The same could be true for the

redistricting bill, which is why Black Missourians must be resolute and join in this fight for fair representation.

While the legal challenges could be successful, an effort to collect 110,000 petition signatures is underway throughout the state that would allow Missourians to vote on the new map.

Richard von Glahn, who is leading the People NOT Politicians signature collection effort, told the Missouri Independent that more than 2,200 Missourians have volunteered to gather signatures.

“I’ve never seen the sort of groundswell we’re seeing now,” he said.

Imagine that groundswell if Black Missourians made it their civic duty to get involved.

We urge Black St. Louisans — and African Americans across Missouri — to make their voices heard by signing the petition.

The state GOP targeted Cleaver’s district not only to lock in a 7-1 Republican dominance of U.S. House representation in Missouri but also to silence an outspoken Black voice in Congress.

Black Missourians should help lead the charge in gathering enough signatures before the Dec. 11 deadline to place the question of yes or no on redistricting on the ballot. That election would be held in November 2026 unless the General Assembly orders a special election.

While the petition signature drive has some early positive momentum, the effort could be unstoppable with the power of Black Missouri behind it. Volunteers and financial support are needed.

People NOT Politicians will hold a signature-gathering training event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday Sept. 27, at SEIU Local 1, 2725 Clifton, St. Louis.

Another session will be held in St. Peters, Missouri, from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at the Economic Development Council of St. Charles, 5988 Mid Rivers Mall Drive.

Black voters from the St. Louis area to Kansas City and all parts in between must be energized and active in this petition drive. If the drive is successful, African Americans must then show up in unprecedented numbers throughout the state to ensure this sinister redistricting plan is rejected.

Gov. Kehoe and state legislators have presented a challenge to all Missourians, but especially African Americans. The time is now to prove that Black voters are a political force the GOP must reckon with — not only in this moment, but for years to come.

By Herb Boyd

No landmark, historic reference to slavery — not even the image of the formerly enslaved Gordon (also known as “Whipped Peter”) whose scarred back has been symbolic of the mistreatment Black Americans endured during the many years of bondage — is safe from Trump’s whitewashing or erasure.

In accordance with the Trump administration, National Park Service officials are broadly interpreting Trump’s directive to “apply to information on racism, sexism, slavery, gay rights or persecution of indigenous people.”

He can demand the removal of information about slavery at many national parks, describing them as “corrosive ideology,” but Gordon’s scars, not even the photos of him, cannot vanish once you have seen them.

This is just the latest iteration of Trump’s aim to make America in his own image. It is his own deranged interpretation of the nation’s history through his myopic view.

Professor Jonathan Zimmerman of the University of Pennsylvania has posited that the action “represents an enormous increase in federal power and control over the thing we learn, [and] brought to you by a team that says education should be state and local,” he told the Washington Post.

I support Zimmerman’s position, and all should second it.

Left to Trump’s devices, the great interpretations of slavery by W.E.B. Du Bois, John Hope Franklin, Frederick Douglass, Eric Foner, et al., should be thrown in the dustbin and never referred to. Such dismissals rob us of the best understanding of this dark moment in America’s history — an imperfection less to be ashamed of than to be thoroughly and truthfully examined.

Hiding Gordon’s scars, rewriting the books and removing the testaments to the crimes will not heal the nation of its

Gun violence threatens Democracy Commentary In America, we must accept our horrendous past

By Marc Morial

sins, felonies and misdemeanors. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us, the nation’s racial history, including the Civil War, is “a process of working towards these ideals rather than a rejection of them.”

Trump’s lies and falsifications, his determination to make us accept his erroneous coding of the American past, are harmful and move us even further from the acceptance that Dr. King suggested. If anything could be erased and never occurred, it would be the scarification on Gordon’s back, but it is indelibly there. We must all look at it and face our ugly past with the resolve not to repeat it but to transcend it.

Herb Boyd is an author and columnist for the New York Amsterdam News.

Commentary

I want to start this week’s column by validating your anxiety about the state of our country. The violence we see morning, noon and night is not normal.

To date, America has seen 357 mass shootings in 2025 alone — a rate that exceeds one per day. In the last two weeks alone, we witnessed a mass shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis that claimed the lives of two children and injured 21 others and the violent murder of an influencer.

Both shootings have spread like wildfire on social media platforms that have repeatedly failed to curb hate speech and violent rhetoric.

Some have called for organizing and bringing retribution to their perceived enemies. This content has generated millions of views and likes within days. And rather than quelling anger and anxiety and uniting our nation, political leaders have taken misinformation and divisive ideals — at times racist, xenophobic, misogynistic and homophobic — mainstream.

the door to legalized discrimination. That, combined with the defunding of gun safety programs, background checks and federal mental health programs, including shutdowns of national suicide hotlines, will no doubt lead to more gun violence and public fears.

Let’s call these attacks what they are: domestic terrorism.

Students should be able to walk their hallways without being gunned down. Parents should be able to drop off their children at school, malls and movie theaters without wondering if it is the last time they’ll see them. Parishioners should be able to attend houses of worship without the threat of a mass shooter bursting through the doors. People should be able to shop for groceries without fear for their lives.

These have resulted in threats of gun violence, bombings and hate speech that forced historically Black colleges across the country to close their doors for the safety of their students and staff.

One of the most significant risks of allowing this targeted hatred is the dismantling of our Constitution and democracy.

In the wake of the mass shooting in Minneapolis, outrage quickly shifted from the act of violence to the identity of the shooter. This has led to dangerous recommendations to limit Second Amendment rights to one group of Americans, opening

Gun violence and terror are tearing communities and families apart — torn apart by misplaced anger, unjustified blame and extremist rhetoric. And it’s happening without proper leadership and legal measures in place to ensure that these crimes stop happening.

No one should lose their life in a senseless act of violence, and our country should not lose its soul to the damage done in their wake. Solving this issue is not a game of football where one side wins and the other loses. If we don’t get this right, if we don’t invest the tools to get to the root of the mentality that causes this violence and put in the safeguards to ensure this never happens again, we all lose. Now is the time to demand that

and

Guest Columnist Herb Boyd

Photo by McPherson & Oliver

Celebration brings Mary Meachum’s fight for freedom to life

By Ashley Winters

St. Louis American

Mary Meachum was not afraid to risk everything for freedom. In the mid-1800s, the free Black woman and abolitionist helped enslaved people slip away from Missouri, guiding them across the Mississippi River to the free state of Illinois.

That legacy was brought to life during the two-part re-enactment last week at the Missouri Botanical Garden, with Part 2 scheduled for this weekend. The event, the 23rd Annual Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration, featured live historical performances that immerses visitors in the harrowing decisions faced by freedom seekers.

For Joyce Bradley, witnessing the reenactment was both sobering and inspiring.

They “brought you into the time they were in.”

The celebration commemorates an 1855 event in which Meachum attempted to lead a group of enslaved people across the Mississippi River.

Among those seeking freedom were men and women enslaved by Henry Shaw, whose former land later became the Missouri Botanical Garden, according to the Missouri History Museum.

“I thought the conversation between the slaves planning to run or stay on the plantation was very significant to the very dangers they were up against — the risks of running or continuing to have a miserable life staying on the plantation,” Bradley said. She added that the costumes made the performance especially powerful.

On Sept. 20, the garden hosted Part 1 of the celebration. It was a day of programming that included historical performances, gospel choirs, vendors and family activities. The event is more than history — it’s about connecting St. Louisans with a legacy of courage and resilience.

On the night of May 21, 1855, Meachum led a small group of enslaved people to the river’s edge, hoping to cross into Illinois. But the group was intercepted. Under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Meachum and several freedom seekers were arrested. The National Park Service notes that Meachum was charged in court for her role in the escape attempt. Meachum’s story did

not end there. She and her late husband, Rev. John Berry Meachum, had long defied Missouri’s restrictive laws. Together, they founded the First African Baptist Church, the city’s first Black congregation, and secretly taught both enslaved and free Black people to read and write at a time when Missouri had outlawed Black education in 1847, according to the Missouri History Museum archives.

The couple even established a floating school aboard a steamboat docked in the federally controlled waters of the Mississippi

River, just outside the state’s reach, according to the State Historical Society of Missouri.

Records from the Missouri History Museum show that after Rev. Meachum died in 1854, Mary Meachum carried on their mission, not only as a leader of the Underground Railroad but also as an activist who pushed for broader change in St. Louis. During the Civil War, she worked to integrate the city’s horsedrawn omnibus system and helped educate Black soldiers stationed at the city’s largest military base.

The Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Site, located three miles north of downtown along the Mississippi Greenway, stands as a tribute to that history. In 2001, it became the first Missouri site added to the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Today, the crossing connects with the 128-mile Great Rivers Greenway network, offering not just recreation but also an encounter with St. Louis’s history. The site includes a visitor center, murals created by St. Louis artists

in partnership with St. Louis Artworks and Logos School, and sweeping views of the Mississippi — reminders of both the peril and promise that defined the journey to freedom.

For attendees like Bradley, learning about Meachum deepened her appreciation for the stories often left out of mainstream history.

“I didn’t realize she was a free Black woman, a minister’s wife,” Bradley said. “I think Black history is important to us. We can look at how they overcame so much with so little. It is encouraging for young people to aspire to accomplish their goals because even if it doesn’t come easily, they have many blueprints they can go back and look at. Those stories teach pride and confidence — they give value to us.”

The annual celebration, much like Mary Meachum’s work, is designed to do just that: shine light on hidden histories, honor the resilience of those who came before, and inspire future generations.

Part 2 of the celebration will be held on Sept. 27, beginning at 10 am at the Mary Meachum Crossing on the Mississippi Greenway.

Photo courtesy of marymeachum.org

The 23rd Annual Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration featured live historical performances that immerses visitors in the harrowing decisions faced by freedom seekers.

Mary Meachum

Affordable produce on wheels is now on the East St. Louis scene as part of a new partnership between the Operation Food Search MetroMarket program and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, Nutrition Innovation Center. Operation Food Search’s new teaching kitchen is also now open through support of the Berges Family Foundation.

Operation Food Search debuts new Teaching Kitchen

St. Louis American Staff

Operation Food Search (OFS) has received a $500,000 grant from the Berges Family Foundation to support its a Healthy Food, Healthy Community renovation.

The award represented the first of two annual distributions and was designated specifically for the creation of OFS’s new teaching kitchen.

The kitchen is an eight-station, hands-on classroom where participants cook alongside a chef instructor and gain practical skills for preparing simple, healthy and affordable meals.

With the Berges Family Foundation’s support, the space enhances nutrition education from garden to table, boosting nutrition and supporting long-term food security, according to OFS.

“We are beyond grateful to the Berges Family Foundation for making this new space possible,” said Kristen Wild, OFS president and CEO. “The teaching kitchen has become a beloved space where people can learn how to prepare nutritious meals while building confidence and connection. It has elevated our ability to teach and empower families across the region.”

The OFS MetroMarket also made its first official stop in Illinois on Sept. 12, thanks to a new partnership with the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, Nutrition Innovation Center in East St. Louis.

Operation Food Search Chief Operating Officer Carlton Adams says the center will become a regular stop on Fridays for the organization’s rolling farmers markets.

Criminalizing dissent in America

By Julianne Malveaux

Activist and Code Pink (a propeace feminist organization) founder Medea Benjamin was simply walking the halls of Congress when she spotted Republican U.S. Rep. Darrel Issa of California. She asked him about Israel’s attack on Qatar, and his rude reply was “go away.”

She followed him a few feet into his office to repeat her question, and he instructed his staff to “take her phone.” They called the Capitol police, and Medea Benjamin was arrested for “impeding a congressman,” She now has a court date for October.

Medea’s arrest is not the first attempt to criminalize dissent in this era of lies and misinformation. When National Guard roam the streets of Washington, D.C., randomly stopping, arresting and deporting people, detaining Medea is business as usual in this repressive regime.

ed to arrest them for trespassing, but they weren’t. Each felony court could get a sentence of eight years, and the misdemeanor could get a year. The congresswoman is scheduled to go to trial in November.

Consider Democratic California Sen. Alex Padilla, who entered a press conference to ask a question and was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed by federal agents. They claimed they attacked him to assure the safety of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. He was held for a brief period but received no apology.

Instead, federal agents claimed Padilla did not identify himself as a U.S. senator. He says he did and, furthermore, he was in a federal building in California, the state he represents.

One of the most egregious efforts to criminalize dissent happened when U.S. Rep. Monica McIver, a democrat from New Jersey, was indicted on two felonies and one misdemeanor for “assaulting, resisting, impeding, and interfering with federal law enforcement officers.” Having seen the video and been apprised of the circumstances, nothing could be further from the truth.

McIver and other New Jersey elected officials were simply doing their jobs when they made an oversight visit to Delaney Hall. Federal officials attempt-

While a vote to censure McIver failed in September, U.S. Rep. Al Green, a Democrat representing Texas, was censured because he interrupted the president’s address to a joint session of Congress in March, shaking his cane and shouting that the president had no mandate. The May vote, 224198, had 10 Democrats voting with Republicans. When the censure resolution was read, Green and several other Democrats sang, “We Shall Overcome” so long that Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson had to call a recess. Green faces no fine or jail time for the censure, but his congressional seat was one of those eliminated in the Texas redistricting. This administration is committed to criminalizing dissent, and it has dozens of elected lackeys following the instructions of their mob boss. Absent his influence, I doubt that either Madea Benjamin or Monica McIver would have been charged. The extremist law-and-order response to dissent is a hallmark of this administration, as is evidenced by the unleashing of the National Guard in many cities, including D.C. And Congressman Green may have had a less severe punishment. Remember Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina yelling, “you lie” at President Obama. He earned a resolution of disapproval (less serious than censure) from his colleagues. The effort to criminalize dissent is an effort to silence us. But there are resisters who will not be silenced, resisters who will not be moved. Thanks to Media Benjamin, Monica McIver, Al Green and all of those who understand that silence is complicity.

Dr Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, DC based economist and author.

Photo courtesy of Operation Food Search

Julianne Malveaux

Target feels the heat

Black-led boycott hits sales and leadership

By Erin Aubry Kaplan Capital & Main

In the aftermath of the racial unrest that erupted across Los Angeles 33 years ago, many Black residents and leaders hoped to rebuild the economy by bringing back the amenities South Central had been lacking for too long. Topping the list was retail.

The elegant clothing stores that had once populated areas like the Crenshaw District through the 1960s were long gone: By 1992, it was the big chain retailers that conferred middle-class stability and that seemed to be opening everywhere except Black communities — retailers like Trader Joe’s, IKEA, Nordstrom Rack. And Target.

Target eventually did come, to the Crenshaw District and to Inglewood, among other places. But in the Trump era, being here is not enough.

Since January, after Trump’s sec-

ond-term crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Target has faced a nationwide boycott launched in Minneapolis, its home city, and propelled by Black faith groups, pastors, activists and consumers.

The boycott has doubtlessly contributed to declining sales this year and the replacement of Target’s CEO.

As Trump began officially discrediting “wokeness,” Target quickly abandoned the $2 billion commitment it made in 2022 to increase Black businesses’ products and their representation in its stores.

It was hardly the only company to renege on efforts at racial equity that materialized after the 2020 murder of George Floyd. But the scope of Target’s pledge and the fact that it carried many unique Black-owned brands, from hair care to stationery, made the company’s efforts stand out as something more than mere PR.

Don’t spend where you aren’t respected

Target is under fire from the Black community for being absent. But this time it’s not for its lack of stores, but for its failure to stand by Black customers, businesses and the principles of economic justice the company claimed to care about.

The boycott takes its cues from the segregation-era “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” campaigns, when Black people urged each other not to spend money in stores that refused to hire them. The message this time around is more subtle but still urgent: Don’t Spend Where You Aren’t Respected.

Target’s $2 billion pledge was not charity but an acknowledgement of the debt corporate America has always owed Black people.

PeoPle on the Move

Lawrence Group promotes Tyra Duren to new role

Tyra Duren has been promoted by the Lawrence Group to the new role of managing director-business services. She was serving as director of talent development Duren will lead key support functions including talent development, technology and AI, marketing/ data and analytics and administrative services. She will also work with firm leadership and cross-functional teams to strengthen communication, streamline operations and ensure ongoing alignment between staffing, financial planning and project goals.

Three Bi-State Development staffers honored as MPTA Champions

The Missouri Public Transit Association recently presented three Bi-State Development employees with a Missouri Transit Operator Champion Award.

Metro Bus Operator Charles Boone was honored for logging 30,000 miles in one year, more than any other driver.

MetroLink LRV Operator Eric Dixon was honored for professionalism and dedication under pressure.

Call-A-Ride van operator Takesha Standford was honored for perfect safety record, zero accidents and compassionate service, especially to riders with disabilities. The honorees were recognized during the 2025 Midwest Transit Conference, held in Kansas City in early September. The transit operators honored at the event were nominated by their individual transit provider employers. All operators were recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty to serve their communities and care for their riders.

With consumers cutting back, small businesses fight to

By Dr. Patrise Holden Washington Informer

Alongside thousands of formerly employed federal and corporate workers lies a second group of Americans hit hard by downsized jobs and lost wages without ever receiving a formal pink slip: small business owners.

The economic downturn is hitting the middle class and entrepreneurs hard. According to the 2025 Wage Reality Report, 73% of U.S. workers are struggling financially, unable to afford anything beyond basic living expenses. This financial strain leads to reduced discretionary spending, directly impacting small businesses that rely on middle-class consumers.

“Some of us are scaling back, opening fewer days to cut overhead, or collaborating with others to share costs,” said Maryland-based entrepreneur Dr. Chere Goode. “Other entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs, such as Dr. Chere Goode, seated center, emphasize the importance of cultivating relationships and collaboration for economic survival in the current challenging economic climate.

Tyra Duren

Photo courtesy of JDr. Chere Goods

Eric Dixon

Takesha Standford

Target has been the focus of a nationwide boycott initially sparked by activists in the chain’s home city of Minneapolis and led by Black faith groups.

Illustration by Capital & Main

Charles Boone

are going back into the workforce because they just can’t make ends meet anymore.” Nicole Flanagan, owner of Earth Born Beauty, a plant-based skincare company in Maryland, emphasized that entrepreneurs from every background have been affected.

“I’ve done about 10 festivals this year. Sales were low at every single one,” Flanagan said. “People are more hesitant about spending money and are reconsidering anything that may not be a direct necessity.”

The trickle-down effect on small businesses

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, accounting for 44% of economic activity. However, the current economic climate is challenging their survival.

Inflation, rising interest rates and decreased consumer spending are creating a perfect storm of economic instability. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that 58% of small business owners cite inflation costs as a significant challenge, with 35% con-

Target

Continued from A5

Follow the blueprint of our history

Rev. Jonathan Moseley, of the National Action Network, said the lesson Black people are learning — or relearning — is that while a marquee retailer in the community is ostensibly a good thing, it is primarily there for profit,

cerned about declining revenue.

Business experts indicate that financial stress is reaching critical levels among many entrepreneurs, affecting both personal well-being and business sustainability.

“Just not knowing how you are going to afford overhead and necessities or how to pay business expenses can be overwhelming,” Goode said. “Heightened economic stress affects everything, including sleep, energy, and health.”

A recent survey revealed that 76% of Americans feel alone in managing money-related worries, and one in five reports a decline in their mental health over the past year due to financial stress.

Resilience in reinvention

In response to economic hardship, entrepreneurs are finding innovative ways to survive, with many adapting, getting creative and leaning on their community.

Community-based organizations such as Congress Heights Community Training and Development Corporation are experiencing a marked increase in demand for professional training, support and

and to look after its own interests.

“It’s important that Black people don’t become confused,” said Moseley. “These stores don’t want you there. They give you a few crumbs.”

The real long-term solution, he said, is for Black people to build their own businesses that serve their own interests, as they did in earlier times of segregation, when they frequently had no choice.

“We have more to offer

Photo by Media Expertzy

access to capital.

Stephanie Campbell, the organization’s executive director, encourages local business owners to attend neighborhood and community events, including Washington, D.C, city council meetings, in order to learn what resources may be available.

She also stressed the value of building relationships.

“More than anything, learn to work together and partner with other business owners in your community,” Campbell indicated. “Ask yourself, how can I

than any Target,” he said. “We have to follow the blueprint of our own history.”

Black communities are also confronting the MAGA-fueled war on DEI that led Target and other corporations to retreat from those values. On Aug. 28 — the 62nd anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech — Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network led the March on Wall Street, drawing thousands of peo-

combine resources with other businesses to reduce overhead and expand my target audience?”

Entrepreneurs like Flanagan note that strategies such as building relationships have been a key component in keeping their businesses afloat.

“You have to diversify,” Flanagan said. “When I couldn’t afford to purchase products from other Black-owned businesses for a raffle, I pivoted. I interviewed Black entrepreneurs on my Instagram every Friday night instead. Those points of connection

ple from across the coun-

try to protest Trump’s antiBlack agenda. Sharpton linked the march to the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement against the wealth gap, noting that this time the focus was race.

“If we leave (Trump) unchecked on DEI … he will completely erase the freedoms our parents and our grandparents fought, bled and died for,” Sharpton told the crowd, adding that the event was also meant to

Self-employed professionals and small business owners, such as Dr. Chere Goode, are discovering innovative ways to stay in business despite declining revenue trends.

proved invaluable.”

Goode also offered practical advice for small business survival in an uncertain economy.

“Be frugal when times are good, so you have reserves when crises hit. When times are slow, use it to your advantage and learn new skills that allow you to become more marketable and offer new services,” she advised.

The Department of Small and Local Business Development in Washington has recently expanded access points for education and sup-

highlight “the power of Black Americans and their dollars.”

The enduring question raised by the Target boycott is: Can Black people expect corporate America to ever do the right thing?

Moseley said the boycott is less about reforming corporate priorities than it is about waking Black people up to their own power, economic and otherwise. The perilousness of the moment demands that they do just that.

port. Through its Small Business Assist hub at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, entrepreneurs can receive one-on-one guidance to secure grants, capital and technical assistance every Wednesday. The agency is also taking its services “into the neighborhood,” bringing in-person support across all eight wards, such as its upcoming stop at the Southwest Library on Sept. 25.

Rosemary SuggsEvans, director of the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business, urged the District’s more than 70,000 business owners to take advantage of the programs.

“Lean into your community,” said SuggsEvans, also giving gentle encouragement to residents, “shop small, shop local and help our businesses not only survive, but lead our city forward.” For business owners struggling to remain viable, Flanagan gives powerful advice: “Do it scared.”

“Every step is unknown,” she said, “but if your dream is rooted in passion, keep moving forward.”

This story first appeared in The Washington Informer.

“The campaign going forward is not to bring back DEI — it’s to bring back the commitment Target made to Black people, pre-Trump,” he said. “If we can do that for us, what else can we do for us? Just imagine. We are stronger together than we are apart.”

This story was produced by the nonprofit publication Capital & Main and distributed by Word in Black.

HealthMattersHealthMattersHealthMatters

‘Taking Care of You’

Women and oral health

Dr. Shaista Rashid pushes for equity in dental care across St. Louis

By Ashley Winters

St. Louis American

Dr. Shaista Rashid stresses that oral health is inseparable from overall well-being. For her, the connection is both professional and deeply personal. Growing up in Pakistan, Rashid watched extended family members lose most of their teeth by their 30s and 40s. While her parents’ military insurance gave her access to dental care, many of her relatives had none. The experience inspired her to pursue dentistry and expand access and education to underserved communities.

“Teeth are part of your body,” said Rashid, assistant clinical dean at A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health in Kirksville. “They shouldn’t be treated separately.”

Rashid’s journey from Pakistan to St. Louis is part of a larger conversation about representation in dentistry. Women, and especially women of color, remain underrepresented in the profession.

According to the American Dental Association, only about 36% of dentists in the U.S. are women, and fewer than 6% are Black or Hispanic.

The gender pay gap persists as well: Female dentists earn roughly 75 to 80 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, even with similar levels of experience.

Those disparities ripple into access to care. Patients of color are less likely to receive preventive services and more likely to suffer from untreated oral disease.

While dentistry has become more diverse in recent years, barriers remain. The latest enrollment data from U.S. dental schools show that

A focus on Black men’s health

‘We have to be our own advocates’

By Heather M. Butts New York Amsterdam News

Chris Williams, founder and CEO of the Brooklyn nonprofit Heart, Body, and Soul, and Dr. Torian Easterling, senior vice president at One Brooklyn Health and former New York City health official, say tackling Black men’s health requires trust and collaboration.

Easterling said inequities in data reflect structural racism and an erosion of trust built over generations. “We have always seen these disparities when you’re talking about Black populations versus other populations,” he said. “Particularly, when we’re talking about Black men, we need to think about what are those resources that are available and that aren’t available.”

Williams noted that funding for community-based organizations is often unstable, making grassroots leadership essential. “We, the people that look like us, have to double down on efforts to make sure that we get the resources we need into our communities,” he said. “If our men are healthier, they’re going to make sure everybody else is healthier.”

To address that need, Williams launched the Black Men’s Health Festival in 2022. The annual event takes a celebratory approach, offering yoga, massage, acupuncture, free haircuts, panel discussions and healing circles. The goal, he said, is to give Black men a space where they feel valued and connected.

Both leaders emphasized urgency. Too many men, Williams said, are lost to preventable conditions like diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. “We really want to do everything in our power to seize the opportunity to take care of our health in our own communities,” he said.

Easterling urged action: “Know your numbers. Make sure you have a primary care physician. … We have to be our own advocates and push for truth in our community.”

Doctor intervention

A surgical team was about to harvest this man’s organs — until his doctor stepped in

By Cara Anthony KFF Health News

Lying on top of an operating room table with his chest exposed, Larry Black Jr. was moments away from having his organs harvested when a doctor ran breathlessly into the room.

“Get him off the table,” the doctor recalled telling the surgical team at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital as the team cleaned Black’s chest and abdomen. “This is my patient. Get him off the table.”

At first, no one recognized Zohny Zohny in his surgical mask. Then he told the surgical team he was the neurosurgeon assigned to Black’s case. Stunned by his orders, the team members pushed back, Zohny said, explaining that they had consent from the family to remove Black’s organs.

“I don’t care if we have consent,” Zohny recalled telling them. “I haven’t

Larry Black, Dr. Zohny’s 22-yearold patient, had arrived at the hospital after getting shot in the head on March 24, 2019. Black remembers running a block before collapsing.

spoken to the family, and I don’t agree with this. Get him off the table.”

Black, his 22-year-old patient, had arrived at the hospital after getting shot in the head on March 24, 2019. He remembers running a block before collapsing.

“I didn’t know I was shot at first,” Black said later.

See ORGANS, A8

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of Zohny Zohny

Shaista Rashid speaks with Clinical Education Manager Savage Gonna, Monday, Sept. 15.

See RASHID, page A8

Zohny Zohny (left), a neurosurgeon, stands with his patient Larry Black Jr. and Black’s sister Molly Watts in a photograph taken at a follow-up medical appointment in 2019. Black was shot in the head in St. Louis earlier that year.

Rashid

Continued from A7

female students now make up slightly more than 50% of incoming classes — a milestone that signals change. But in leadership, the numbers tell a different story. Senior faculty and administrative roles are still predominantly held by men, limiting mentorship opportunities for young women.

“When I was in dental school, I had one or two faculty women members I could relate to,” Rashid recalled. “I really didn’t have a lot of options when it came to mentors.” The solution could be

Organs

Continued from A7

When his sister Macquel Payne found him, he was on the ground near her apartment complex. Before an ambulance took him away, he reassured her: “I’m good, sis. I’m OK.”

In the hospital, family members noticed him blinking and tapping the bed in response to questions. “It’s like he was too alert,” Payne recalled. “He was letting us know: ‘Please don’t let them do this to me. I’m here. I can fight this.’”

Yet days later, Black was taken to surgery to have his organs removed for donation — even though his heart was beating and he hadn’t been declared brain-dead, Zohny said.

The family had been approached about organ donation. Black had listed himself as a donor on his ID. “I remember my mom saying, ‘Not right now,’” Payne said. “It’s kind of too soon.” Despite their hesitation, they ultimately consented after being told Black was at “the end of the road.” They even walked beside him for an honor walk, believing it was his “last walk of life.”

But Black was not gone.

Today, he is 28, a musician and the father of three. He still needs regular therapy for lingering health issues from the gun injury, and he said he is haunted by what he remembers from those days in a medically induced coma.

“I heard my mama yelling,” he recalled.

“Everybody was there yelling my name, crying, playing my favorite songs, sending prayers up.” He tried to show them he was fighting: “I got to hitting my hand on the side of the ICU bed,” he said.

Organ transplants save a growing number of lives in the U.S. every year, with more than 48,000 transplants performed in 2024, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. But organ donation has also faced criticism, including reports of patients showing alertness before planned organ harvesting. A recent federal investigation into a Kentucky nonprofit found medical providers had planned to procure the organs of 73 patients despite signs of neurological activity. Those procedures ultimately didn’t take place, but federal officials vowed in July to overhaul the transplant system.

“Our findings show that hospitals allowed the organ procurement process to begin when patients showed signs of life, and this is horrifying,” Health and Human

Services

Secretary Robert

as simple as partnering with middle and high schools to introduce girls to dentistry, perhaps sparking an early interest in the profession.

Representation, she said, helps girls imagine themselves in roles they may not have considered.

“We need to encourage more women of color to get into dentistry,” she said.

On her desk sits a flowered mug that reads, “Women empowerment,” a quiet reminder of how important women’s education and well-being are to the work she does every day. For her, education represents both financial freedom and the foundation for healthy families.

F. Kennedy Jr. said. “The entire system must be fixed to ensure that every potential donor’s life is treated with the sanctity it deserves.”

Even before that probe, Black’s case convinced Zohny that the system needed change.

“There was no bad guy in this. It was a bad setup. There’s a problem in the system,” he said.

“We need to look at the policies and make some adjustments to them to make sure that we’re doing organ donation for the

HealthMattersHealthMattersHealthMatters

“In my culture, education starts from the mother’s lap,” she said. “If the mother is not educated, then the child is not educated and vice versa.”

When mothers understand oral hygiene, the entire family benefits, she said.

“We need to focus on women because they carry the information,” Rashid said.

After earning her dental degree in Pakistan and immigrating to the United States, she scaled back to raise her three children. When they reached school age, she returned to the profession without hesitation.

“I always had my skillset and training,” she said. “When I decided to go

right person at the right time in the right place, with the right specialists involved.”

LJ Punch, a former trauma surgeon who was not involved with the case but reviewed Black’s records, questioned whether his treatment was shaped by his gunfire injury. Young Black men are disproportionately victims of gun violence, Punch said, and Black’s experience exemplifies “the general neglect” of Black men’s bodies.

The hospital declined

back into the workforce, I could.”

Her advocacy isn’t just philosophical; it plays out in her community work, too.

In St. Louis, Rashid works with the local chapter of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America, which runs a free weekend dental clinic. Students shadow professionals while patients receive care regardless of ability to pay. It is, as she puts it, “about doing the work and giving back.”

However, giving back is just one part of the work needed to make dental care equitable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that

to discuss Black’s case.

SSM Health’s Kim Henrichsen, president of Saint Louis University Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital-St. Louis, said the system approaches “all situations involving critical illness or end-oflife care with deep compassion and respect.”

Mid-America

Transplant, the federally designated organ procurement organization for the region, does not comment on individual donor cases. But Lindsey Speir, the group’s exec-

Black and Hispanic adults are twice as likely as white adults to have untreated cavities. Low-income communities also face higher rates of gum disease and tooth loss, conditions that affect overall health outcomes. For Rashid, the disparities are unacceptable. She sees oral health not as a luxury but as integral to general well-being. “Oral health is systemic health,” she said. “We can’t separate the two.”

Part of her role as assistant clinical dean is ensuring students are trained to serve diverse populations. By emphasizing community service and the ability to effectively interact with patients from different

utive vice president, said the group has walked away from cases when patients’ conditions changed.

“It definitely happens multiple times a year,” she said, adding that the industry is “losing public trust right now. And we’re going to have to regain that.”

Within two days of Zohny’s intervention, Black woke up and spoke, the doctor said. Within a week, he was standing.

“I had to learn how to walk, how to spell, read,” Black said. “I had to

backgrounds, she hopes to prepare the next generation of dentists to bridge gaps in access. As a woman, immigrant and leader in dentistry, Rashid is equally focused on her patients’ needs and on empowering the next generation of women to enter — and thrive —in the profession. “It’s the overall dynamic that needs to change,” she said. “It’s about perception and bias, and that needs to change.” Her message to young women is clear: Pursue education, embrace financial independence and see dentistry as a path not only to professional success but also to healthier, more empowered communities.

learn my name again, my Social, birthday, everything.”

Zohny called the fact they stopped the organ donation in time “an absolute miracle.”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling and journalism.

John Berry Meachum’s Steamboat School

By Ayan Ali, AAHI Graduate Student Intern

At a time when learning was a crime for Black Missourians, John Berry Meachum found a way to teach freedom. His story exemplifies Black resilience, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of liberation through education. Born into slavery in Virginia in 1789, Meachum spent much of his early life in Kentucky before using the earnings he gained from carpentry work to purchase his own freedom and that of his parents and siblings. When his wife, Mary, who was still enslaved, and their children were brought to St. Louis by their owner in 1815, Meachum followed them despite having only $3 to his name. A skilled cabinetmaker and blacksmith, Meachum saved his earnings working on the riverfront to secure the freedom of his remaining family members and establish himself in St. Louis. Meachum built deep ties to both religious life and educational activism. He worked with Baptist missionaries at the Sabbath School for Negroes and soon became ordained as a pastor. In 1827, he founded the First African Baptist Church, the oldest Black church west of the Mississippi. From the church basement, he began teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, and religious instruction to children and adults in violation of an 1825 city ordinance that banned the education of free Black people. Known as the Tallow Candle School for the sources of light that illuminated its

students’ forbidden learning, classes were run at night in a secret room to avoid detection.

After educating hundreds of Black St. Louisans across two decades, the secret school was discovered by authorities in 1847 and Meachum was arrested. That same year, Missouri passed legislation banning education, independent religious services, and free assembly for Black people. The legislation, which applied to both free and enslaved people, was largely intended to suppress one of the most powerful tools Black people had in their fight for liberation: education. Meachum was forced to shut down the Tallow Candle School. But instead of abandoning the work, he responded to the law with one of the most courageous and creative acts of educational resistance in American history: he built a school on a steamboat and anchored it on the Mississippi River. What came to be known as the Floating Freedom School stood in steady defiance against anti-literacy legislation in St. Louis

for almost 15 years. Since the Mississippi was technically under federal control, state officials could only watch as African American students were ferried to and from what would become a local symbol for Black resistance and intellectualism.

Equipped with its own library and classrooms, the steamboat-turned-school educated hundreds of Black children. Meachum died in 1854 while preaching from the pulpit of his beloved church. His funeral was attended by hundreds of St. Louisans, Black and white, a testament to his impact on moral and civic life in a divided city. What Meachum understood, and what so many white Missourians at the time feared, was that literacy was more than a skill. It was a form of power. In teaching Black children to read and write, Meachum was not only expanding their intellectual horizons. He was giving them the tools to imagine a future beyond slavery. The Floating Freedom School endured beyond Meachum, both in practice

and in spirit. Reverend John Anderson, one of Meachum’s former students, took over its leadership and kept the school operating until just before the Civil War. Among its alumni was James Milton Turner, who would go on to help establish 30 new Black schools in Missouri, including the Lincoln Institute, the state’s first historically Black college. And though the Floating Freedom School ceased operation in 1860, the idea of Black-led education rooted in resistance and self-determination was foundational for the freedom schools of the Reconstruction era and the civil rights movement.

The steamboat-turnedschool was more than a workaround to a racist law. It was a political statement, one that asserted that Black education was not only inevitable, but also necessary for collective liberation. Meachum’s defiance offers a powerful lesson for our time, reminding us that education is never neutral. It can be a tool of domination or a site of resistance. It can be used to reinforce racial hierarchies or to dismantle them. And even when faced with oppression, communities find ways to keep learning and fighting for their freedom. In the face of unjust laws, Meachum did not wait for permission. He built something new, something that existed beyond the control of those who sought to deny Black people knowledge and opportunity. His legacy reminds us that African American resistance runs deep in St. Louis.

The making of the Black criminal

By Jamala Rogers

Every now and then, Black people of African descent must dip into the historic and ancient waters of our experiences in this country. This affirmation helps to clear our minds and to fortify the resolve needed to defy the relentless, negative assaults on our existence.

The MAGA Movement is justifying sending the military into urban centers because of the crime and violence, equating blackness with criminality. This is when you see the confusion of most people about the creation of the Black criminal.

I’m here to remind us that there is a vast body of scientific evidence that documents the intentional and varied ways that Europeans have successfully linked Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora to crime. This dangerous lie impacts not just perceptions of us by others, but how Black people look at our own worth.

Fast forward to the country’s mass incarceration problem, the most vivid example of how this country looks at Black citizens. Black Americans are seven times more likely to be falsely convicted of serious crimes than white Americans.

When a Black defendant is sitting in front of a jury, he looks like a criminal, so he must be a criminal. That’s how the media images and narratives have shaped the consciousness about the “other.” Black people are not immune to these false stereotypes; they internalize the harmful beliefs about themselves and one another. When a young, Black male passes a woman on the street, it is not only white women who clutch their purses.

The ideology is embedded in every cultural, social, economic and political decision made by the institutions and government committed to white rule. The continued domination of the white status quo required the acceptance and participation of not just white folks, but people of color — the victims themselves.

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To keep enslaved and even freed Black people in their place, an interlocking web of practices, laws and policies was put in place to destabilize and halt any economic and political progress. When enslaved people were barely given enough food to eat, some took from the plentiful pantries of the enslavers. After all, their labor had created the necessities of life.

During colonial U.S. history, we see the escalation of forced criminality on Black people. Runaways were seen as dangerous and violent.

After the so-called abolishment of slavery, the Black Codes were introduced to keep Black folks tied to the land of their masters. Newly freed men and women were subject to convict leasing, where any menial infraction or trumped-up crime landed them in a parallel system of slavery.

Social conditions created by racial capitalism criminalized being an orphan, being unemployed, being homeless, being vagrant and other situations that kept a ready supply of incarcerated people working off their alleged crimes through a penal system that benefited the white property owners.

Black people must be vigilant when these racist stereotypes present themselves. We must be the first to educate and agitate against the dangerous perceptions. That’s because some of us think we can separate ourselves from the “thugs” and the “criminals.” This negates understanding that the broad strokes of criminality brush over all of us, regardless of our station in life. Even the first Black president couldn’t escape the thug label. President Barack Obama was openly called a thug by the likes of Karl Rove and Rush Limbaugh. It was thugs who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The mainly white mob destroyed governmental property and assaulted federal employees.

The attorneys who prosecuted these crimes were ultimately purged from the Department of Justice. The head thug in the White House pardoned nearly all of those charged or convicted for the insurrection, even calling them patriots.

All of us, especially Black people, must understand that our fears may be real when it comes to crime. It is the source of that fear that has been manufactured and perpetrated that is not real.

Knowing this keeps us from being used against our own self-interests and propping up a racist system that benefits only a few. The starting point is knowing who gets to define the crime, who suffers from being labeled a criminal, and who benefits from criminalizing an entire racial group.

Jamala Rogers is an opinion writer and one of the founding members of the Organization for Black Struggle, based in St. Louis.

Columnist Jamala Rogers

D4vid cancels world tour, vigil held for girl found in car

D4vd has canceled the remaining leg of his U.S. tour as questions mount over his connection to the body of a teen girl found in the trunk of a car reportedly registered to the pop singer.

Celebrity news and gossip site TMZ said a source with direct knowledge told them his camp made a decision on Thursday to cancel the two remaining shows in the U.S. He was scheduled to perform Friday night in San Francisco and Saturday night in Los Angeles. His two Paris dates have also been canceled.

In related news, a vigil was held on Sunday for 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found in the front trunk of an impounded Tesla police say is registered to the singer.

Rivas was reported missing in 2024, authorities said. Her remains were discovered on September 8, after police investigated a vehicle, which had been abandoned on a Hollywood street and subsequently towed. The investigation followed a foul-odor complaint.

The vehicle was registered to singer

D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke.

Detectives subsequently executed a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills address associated with d4vd, according to a news release previously detailed by PEOPLE. According to the entertainment news outlet, police said “several items of evidence were recovered” and that investigators are following several leads. The release also stressed that the 20-year-old musician has not been charged or named a suspect.

Diggs hit with separate paternity suit after Cardi B confirms pregnancy

Cardi B confirmed that she was pregnant by NFL star Stefon Diggs during an interview with Gayle King of “CBS Mornings.”

“I’m having a baby with my boyfriend, Stefon Diggs,” she said. “I’m actually excited. I’m happy. I feel like I’m in a good space. Me and my man are very supportive of each other.”

Days later an Instagram model

and influencer reportedly followed up on a paternity suit with Diggs.

According to the U.S. Sun, a 33-year-old social media model, who goes by the name Lord Gisselle on Instagram, first took Stefon to court when she was pregnant in December 2024.

Lord Gisselle, who also goes by GiGi, said she wanted legal and physical custody of the child, but she would allow Stefon, 31, visitation.

GiGi gave birth to the child, a girl, in April 2025.

In response to the suit, the New England Patriots wide receiver said he isn’t certain that the child is his, and he requested genetic testing.

“The respondent contests that parentage is as alleged,” representatives for Diggs said, according to The Sun.

He claimed if it’s proven he is the father, he wants joint legal and physical custody of the baby and “joint payment of reasonable expenses of pregnancy and birth and attorney’s fees and costs.”

Lil Nas X in treatment

following arrest

Lil Nas X has entered treatment

after he was arrested and charged with four felony counts last month. The rapper, 26, has sought care at an undisclosed facility outside of California. A lawyer for Lil Nas X, real name Montero Lamar Hill, reportedly confirmed the news with Rolling Stone.

“Defendant is allowed to remain out of state as long as he remains in treatment,” Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Shellie Samuels said.

The details surrounding Lil Nas X’s care are sealed, and the next hearing has been set for November, the outlet reported.

Lil Nas X’s lawyer Drew Findling gave an update on his client after the hearing.

“You heard the ‘treatment’ word. We’re doing what is best for Montero from a personal standpoint and a professional standpoint, but most importantly, for his well-being,” Findling said outside the courthouse, as seen in a video shared via X. “He is surrounded by an amazing family, an amazing team of people that care about him and love him. And we’re just addressing those issues. It’s really as simple as that.”

Sources: TMZ.com, People.com, Rollingstone.com, US Sun

Stefon Diggs

Kids

Continued from A1

down with him and talks through what he’s seen.

“We can’t shelter him,” she said. “We discuss what he saw on the news. It’s better they understand what’s going on in their community and in the world.”

With today’s media environment, children are constantly exposed to chilling headlines. They see news alerts on their phones, catch glimpses of coverage on TV or overhear conversations at school. Much of the news is about horrific events, like school shootings, terrorist attacks or natural disasters.

Experts say the key is not to shield kids entirely but to guide them in processing news in ways that are age-appropriate, reassuring and constructive, much like Spann’s approach to Courtney’s news habits.

Dr. Candice Cox, founder of KHAOS Inc., advises parents and

caregivers to create an emotional space before consuming the news and to help teens gauge whether they’re ready to engage. She suggests teens consider a few questions before opening themselves up to receive negative news, asking for example, “Am I in a good space to hear this right now?”

“That small act of self-awareness helps them regulate their emotions instead of being overwhelmed by them,” Cox said.

Teens should take in information in manageable doses, reflect on their feelings and participate in RAW conversations (Realize, Admit, Work Through) to process emotions safely, she said.

“Action restores a sense of control,” Cox said, suggesting youth participate in small acts like joining a community project or practicing kindness.

Courtney’s mother intervened early, always taking his weather questions seriously. “She would tell me the storm would just pass over,” Courtney said. “But I

Key

Continued from A1

Center.

“I certainly didn’t expect this recognition. I am very excited and very humbled,” she said.

“I am motivated to do what is best for children. When kids are successful, that’s when I find success.”

Key is most proud of her work in increasing student graduation rates and advancing college and career readiness. She has made partnership-building a cornerstone of her leadership — working with businesses, universities and community organizations to create real-world opportunities for students that extend beyond high school experience.

Dr. Tiffany Anderson, in her 10th year as superintendent of Topeka Public Schools in Kansas and credited with restoring state accreditation to the Jennings School District, called Key “beyond exceptional.”

She thrives on tackling challenges and puts students first in everything she does, Anderson said, noting that Key was an important part of her leadership team when they worked together on transforming the Jennings district.

“She has high standards for excellence and inspires those around her to reach those standards,” Anderson said. “She leads with a sense of urgency. Her fearless leadership and advocacy for every student helped the districts she has served to improve significantly.”

Miranda Ming, a former Jennings teacher and current advisor to the executive director of the Momentum Academy, said Key was a transformative mentor who “saw something in me” when Key was Jennings’ principal.

“She was the first administrator who would come into my classroom,” Ming said. “She is by far the best mentor

wanted to be ready.”

His curiosity has sometimes heightened his anxiety, especially after reports of local crimes or national tragedies. After hearing about local murders, he often thought about ways to avoid dangerous situations. He admits that watching the news at such a young age has heightened his anxiety, but he feels better being informed.

The Sept. 10 assas-

Symphony

Continued from A1

special meaning. As a fourth grader at the now-closed Arlington Elementary School, she once sat high in the balcony during a special SLSO concert performed during a field trip for straight-A students. The moment left her in awe.

I ever had. She allowed me to grow with her leadership.”

The two partnered to create an intern program at Jennings, and it was Key who advised Ming to successfully apply to be an assistant principal.

“If you give Dr. Key 99 reasons something won’t work, she will begin a relentless pursuit of the one reason it will,” Ming said.

Key’s leadership path was shaped early. While Key was teaching at the Jefferson City Ninth Grade Center, her principal asked her to consider returning to school to earn a master’s degree and create a path to school administration.

“My reaction was ‘I don’t want to leave the kids.’ He said not only would I still touch the lives of kids, I would touch the lives of adults. I could make a change in a building, not just a classroom.”

Lincoln would again be her school of choice, and she earned a postgraduate degree and a master’s degree, both in education, at the HBCU.

Key has authored and co-authored articles on urban education and is co-author with Ming of “The Path Less Traveled: Creating Authentic STEM Career Pathways by Removing Barriers for Underestimated Youth.”

“You have to be willing to remove barriers. You have to adapt when you want to see your kids be successful,” Key said.

She warns people entering education that the profession can make them uncomfortable. They have to be firm but fair and show students love by making them accountable.

“They need role models to show them how to carry themselves, how to be professional,” Key said.

Key firmly believes in a piece of advice she shared with Ming that drives the deputy superintendent to “make the impossible possible”:

“What other job gives you this satisfaction?”

“You can’t even see the seat from here,” Sissac said as she looked way up in the balcony with her hand on her chest. Her voice trembled with emotion. That moment activated Sissac, a Black girl growing up in North St. Louis, in ways she did not have the capacity to imagine.

Decades later, Sissac not only returned for the Friday event — a ribbon-cutting ceremony — she now sits on the board that helped make the $140 million renovation and expansion possible. There is even a seat in Powell Hall with her name on it.

Following the ceremony, Sissac basked in Powell Hall’s upgrades and the newly added Jack C. Taylor Music Center that surrounds it. She felt the same way at 9 years old when she first feasted her eyes upon the opulence of the building, with its signature plush red velvet seats.

“I would tell little Sherry, ‘Not only do you belong here, but this place is yours, too,’” Sissac said.

Trump

Continued from A1

hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry. I am sorry, Erika. But now Erika can talk to me and the whole group and maybe they can convince me that that’s not right. But I can’t stand my opponent.”

In a social media post, Trump also urged U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to more aggressively investigate his political adversaries.

Randall Calvert, professor emeritus of political science at Washington University, said such statements are virtually unprecedented. “There’s only been a couple of presidents who have openly expressed contempt for their opponents,” he said, pointing to former President Herbert Hoover, who disparaged

sination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk especially troubled Courtney, who said the idea of someone being harmed “just for saying what he believes” was hard to process. Yet he also admits he is starting to feel numb when he hears about violence or tragedies.

Spann’s solution is to watch alongside her son.

“If they have questions, you can address

Her feelings aligned with the words Denève used to greet the audience: “Welcome home.” The SLSO had spent two nomadic seasons performing elsewhere during construction. Its 146th season opens Sept. 26-28 in the revitalized hall.

Veteran St. Louis American photographer Wiley Price also felt the weight of history. Assigned to capture the event, he put down his camera when the orchestra began the fourth movement of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Firebird.” Tears streamed down his face.

He was transported back to the day he accompanied his music teacher and fellow Daniel Boone Elementary classmates to the newly opened Powell Symphony Hall, where he heard “The Firebird” for the first time. As a child, Price was so moved that he went to the library and checked out a vinyl album — the only portable listening option that was available to him in 1968.

While others reflected on Powell Hall’s past, SLSO Board Chair Steve Finerty focused on the future.

“What ChatGPT Enterprise told me is that when you are cutting the ribbon, you are removing a barrier to welcome folks into a happy new space,” he said. “That is exactly what we are doing here today.”

At the ceremony, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 19-25 as St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Week in the city.

The project was designed by the interna-

Franklin D. Roosevelt after Hoover left office, and President Andrew Jackson, who publicly sniped at his predecessor, John Quincy Adams.

“But those were rare and remarkable events because you’re not supposed to hate your political opponents, right?” Calvert said.

He added that Trump’s directive to Bondi — to specifically investigate former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff — broke long-established expectations.

“Let’s call it a ‘norm,’ an informal rule,” Calvert explained. “It says that criminal prosecutions should be pursued independently of political influence. If you’re going to have free and fair elections, you can’t have presidents — or any other kind of elected official — using the powers of government to attack their opponents.

them in real time,” she said. Courtney agrees. “If you’re watching the news with your kids, don’t skip over things. Inform them about what’s happening and answer their questions.”

It’s also OK to remind them to unplug and step away, turning off the TV, muting notifications or doing a fun activity, Cox said. This will protect their peace so they can come back stronger, she said.

Experts say the best place to start is with a conversation. Children often piece together bits of information from friends or snippets of coverage, so giving them a chance to explain what they already know allows parents to clear up misunderstandings. Simple, direct answers work best for younger children, while older kids may need more guidance in sorting fact from rumor.

For pre-teens and teenagers, conversations may need to go further. The American Psychological Association recommends asking what they are seeing on social media, how

tionally acclaimed firm Snøhetta with local firm Christner Architects as the architect of record.

The Jack C. Taylor Music Center includes a renovated Powell Hall and a 64,000-square-foot expansion. Additions include a new Education and Learning Center that provides additional space for the SLSO’s two resident choruses, its Youth Orchestra and a growing portfolio of education and community programs.

“This is more than a building — it’s a promise to our city, our artists, and the future of the St. Louis region to make music more accessible to all,” said Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO President and CEO.

“Through this transformational expansion and renovation, we elevate St. Louis as a global destination with exceptional artistry, innovation and deep commitment to the community,” Bernard said, “serving as an economic engine and growing our footprint with new jobs and tourism dollars to our region, our city and our state.”

St. Louis American Publisher Dr. Donald M. Suggs, a longtime board member, praised Bernard for bringing “so much to this great organization over the past 10 years.”

The project was fully funded by SLSO’s ongoing Music For All Campaign. With $173 million and counting, the fundraising initiative has exceeded its initial goal of $155 million.

The upgraded space ushers in a new era, one that Bernard proclaimed as the most transformational

That’s always been recognized as wrong.” Calvert noted that this principle was codified in the wake of the Watergate scandal during former President Richard Nixon’s administration in the 1970s.

“Both Democratic and Republican leaders realized one of the terrible things Nixon did was make them all look bad and erode public support for government. He tried to use the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service to prosecute his political enemies, and that became public knowledge,” Calvert said. “Rules were formalized to carefully control the contact between the White House’s upper levels and the Department of Justice’s upper levels.”

Kirk was fatally shot Sept. 10 while addressing a large outdoor audience at Utah Valley University.

The 22-year-old suspect, Tyler Robinson, is being held without bail. He faces

they feel about it and what their peers are posting. These questions invite teens to think critically about the information they consume instead of processing it in isolation. Some parents worry that difficult discussions could erode childhood innocence. But experts caution that silence can be more harmful. Children already live in a world where they practice lockdown drills at school, acknowledge Indigenous land in morning announcements, and welcome refugee classmates. Honest conversations help them connect these daily experiences to the larger world in a way that feels safe and guided.

Not every child is drawn to the news, but when curiosity arises, it can be an opportunity. Listening, reassuring and encouraging thoughtful reflection helps young people navigate a complicated world. These conversations not only build resilience but also remind kids that even in tragedy, there is always help — and always hope.

moment in the symphony’s history.

“It is a history that has seen the orchestra connect millions to the joy of live symphonic music,” Bernard said. “And our new music center is a testament to the tireless work and vision of many, built by their generosity for the community. We believe that music is a universal language and it belongs to everyone.”

After the program inside Powell Hall, members of the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus gathered at a side door at Grand and Delmar. Before the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra purchased the building and reopened it in 1968, the door was once used as the “colored entrance” during the venue’s past life as St. Louis Theatre.

There, Rev. Anthony Riley of Central Baptist Church led a rededication of the door, transforming the symbol of exclusion into one of hope.

“Once this was a door of brokenness, and now it is a door of belonging,” Riley said. “No longer is this a door of separation, but a door of reconciliation.” He closed with a prayer, and IN UNISON Director Kevin McBeth instinctively began singing “We Shall Overcome.” The choir and crowd joined in.

“This moment today is one of the most moving experiences I’ve had since I’ve been in St. Louis,” Suggs said. “This is a great occasion. For all of us, and for St. Louis.”

several charges, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstruction of justice.

Trump’s comments were a stark contrast to what Kirk’s wife told the audience. Despite a litany of racist, misogynistic and homophobic statements Kirk made over the years, she described her husband as a man of God devoted to helping young people — particularly young men — find purpose and faith rather than anger and despair.

“He knew things were not right with America — especially with young people. And they needed a new direction,” she told the crowd of tens of thousands, before adding that she forgives the man accused of killing her husband. “I forgive him because it is what Christ did. The answer to hate is not hate.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American Jasmine Spann with her son, Courtney.

Dr. Rhonda M. Key is most proud of her work in increasing student graduation rates and advancing college and career readiness.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Living It

Curl power

“I’ve had a career of making classic movies that weren’t critically received, and those movies went on to be CLASSICS. So don’t take anyone’s opinion, just go see for yourself.”

- Marlon Wayans on mixed reviews of his new film “Him.”

8th Annual Frizz Fest was a display of Black joy and community

By Zaria Mac St. Louis American

Tower Grove Park transformed into a radiant sea of curls, coils, and com munity as Frizz Fest 2025 returned for its 8th annual celebration. The Frizzy By Nature production on Saturday, September 20 once again served as a joyful, affirming space for Black women and all people with natural and textured hair.

“Frizz Fest is all about family, commu nity, love, Black joy, and entrepreneurship,” said Valerie Hughes, co-founder and

executive director of Frizzy By Nature. “It is a place of all things.”

Hughes and her sister Leslie Hughes, co-founder and CEO of Frizzy By Nature, launched Frizz Fest in 2017 to uplift the community by honoring the beauty and versatility of natural hair. Now in its eighth year, the festival continues to grow in scope and impact.

“Year eight means that we completed the mission,” Leslie said. “It’s a testament that we can stand through any and everything.”

Frizz Fest doesn’t just celebrate hair — it celebrates identity, culture, and community resilience. It’s a service to the community. It is also a reminder to Black women and all individuals with textured-hair that they are seen, valued, supported and powerful.

With the sun shining and music booming, the park was filled with families, creatives, entrepreneurs, and curl enthusiasts of all ages. Frizz Fest goes beyond the tradition-

A syncopated celebration

By Zaria Mac St. Louis American

At exactly 5:30 p.m., Jazz St. Louis President and CEO Victor Goines signaled to the marching band at Compton and Washington that it was time to start the party. The blended group of musicians represented St. Louis and Goines’ hometown of New Orleans – and both in the case of the Red and Black Brass Band. The rhythm compelled parade participants and onlookers into a synchronized bop as the second line proceeded down Washington.

When the horns chimed in, their ability to captivate brought to mind a Miles Davis quote from a 1987 interview.

“When the big bands used to come in town, and up from New Orleans on the

boat, if they needed a trumpet player –or a show drummer – they would pick up one when they came to St. Louis,” Davis said.

On Tuesday afternoon, the horns played with a New Orleans Flavor as Jazz St. Louis kicked off their 30th anniversary celebration festivities with a lively second line parade that led to the heart of the Grand Center Arts District. Instead of a swanky dinner party for shareholders and CEOs, Jazz St. Louis chose to open their to the community, one of the organization’s most vital resources. The gesture is aligned with their organizational goal of maximum

Inclusion in outer space

New novel by Nikki Alexander explores diversity beyond earth

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American

When St. Louis native Nikki Alexander was a student at Harvard Law School, she made a discovery that fueled her passion project.

“I had never heard of space law before,” Alexander said. She was instantly fascinated. Alexander realized that while there were private companies and billionaires going to space and making plans to settle on Mars, there were not many laws to ensure that equity would be incorporated in these future settlements. There didn’t seem to be very many people of color in the room – or any Black people working on the blueprints for these future endeavors.

A deep dive into the concept of space law posed questions that wouldn’t leave her alone.

“If we are going to space, how do we do it thoughtfully,” Alexander said. “How do we include everybody’s voice, and what does it look like for that to be fair.”

These inquiries became the premise for her debut novel, “Arc of the Universe,” which hit bookstores and the digital literary landscape on June 24.

“This feels like a really important time for this book to be coming out,” Alexander said. “The last year has seen a lot of disappointments coming out of the election. Personally, I was kind of shocked by it. And [by] seeing

Photo courtesy of Jazz St. Louis

Grand Marshals Herlin Riley and Yolonda Lankford with Jazz St. Louis President and CEO Victor Goines paraded through Grand Center in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Jazz St. Louis on Tuesday.

Images courtesy of Nikki Alexander New author and St. Louis native Nikki Alexander will return home on Sunday, September 28 and Monday, September 29 to discuss her debut

See FRIZZ, B3

Frizzy By Nature’s 8th Annual Frizz Fest brought the natural hair community and supports to Tower Grove Park on Saturday, September 20.

Photos by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American

Melanie Fiona

The 8th Annual Frizz Fest was a family affair Saturday afternoon at Tower Grove Park.

Ti and her team from The Loc Gallery sold items from her product line Saturday at Frizz Fest.

CONCERTS

Sun., Sept 28, 5 p.m. City Winery St. Louis and WSIE 88.7 present Peabo Bryson Live, City Winery St. Louis,3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information visit https://citywinery.com.

Wed., Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m. doors, Do the Reggae Tour staring Ziggy Marley and Burning Spear, The Factory at The District, 17105 North Outer 40 Road Chesterfield, MO 63005. For more information, visit www. thefactorystl.com.

Fri., Oct. 24, 7 p.m. doors, The Factory at The District welcomes T-Pain, The Factory at The District, 17105 North Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield, MO 63005. For more information, visit www.thefactorystl.com.

Sat., Oct. 25, 7 p.m., Playboi Carti Antagonist 2.0 Tour, Enterprise Center. For more information, visit www.livenation.com.

Sat., Nov 22, 8 p.m. (RESCHEDULED) Sexyy Red and Friends, Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave, St. Louis, MO 63106. All previous tickets will be honored. For more information, visit / www.enterprisecenter.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday, Sept. 27 10 a.m. 23rd Annual Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration, Missouri Botanical Garden (Sep. 20) and the Mississippi Greenway (Sep. 27). For more information, visit

St.

Louis American Calendar

STL Sites & Sounds

marymeachum.org.

Sat., Oct. 4, 10 a.m.

Zootobberfest, St. Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110. Various start times. For more information, visit https://stlzoo.org

Fri., Oct. 17, 7 p.m. St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Presents Chuck Berry’s Birthday Bash, Powell Hall, 718 N Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information visit https://shop.slso.org

Sat., Nov. 1, 6 p.m. (5 p.m. reception) The St. Louis American Foundation presents the 38th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala, America’s Center. For more information, visit www.stlamerican.com.

COMEDY

Sat., Sept. 27, 6 p.m.

KevOnStage & Tony Baker aka The Bald Brothers, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com.

Sat., Sept. 27, 7 p.m. Helium Presents: Rod Man, Helium Comedy Club, 11151 St. Louis Galleria Street, St. Louis, MO 63117. For more information, visit https://st-louis.heliumcomedy.com

Sun., Oct. 12, 6 p.m. Special Event: Nicole Byer, Helium Comedy Club, 11151 St. Louis Galleria Street, St. Louis, MO 63117. For more information, visit https://st-louis-heliumcomedy-com..

Prepare to laugh out loud as comedians KevOnStage and Tony Baker, also known as The Bald Brothers, bring their talents to The Pageant Saturday night. See COMEDY for details.

ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

Wed., Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m. Dee Jazz: Fully Bloomed Presented by Townsendx3.Live, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit citywinery.com

Wed., Oct. 1 - 5, Mary Stallings with Jazz St. Louis, Steward Center, 3536 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://my.jazzstl.org

Sat., Oct. 4, 7 p.m. (6 p.m. doors), A tribute to Luther Vandross and Frankie Beverly starring national recording artist and St. Louis native Julius Williams and musical director

Timothy “TC” Chandler. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com or call 314.534.1111.

Sun., Oct. 5, 7 p.m. A Neo Soul Love: Tribute to Erykah Badu & Jill Scott, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://citywinery.com

Wed., Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m. The Best of Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson with Nostalgia and The Motown Band, The Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit https://bluestrawberrystl.com

THEATRE

Sat., Sept. 27, 3 p.m. A Great Gospel Musical featuring Afriky Lolo, Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. Purchase tickets at www. metrotix.com

Through Sept. 28, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents The Cottage, LorettoHilton Center, 130 Edgar Rd, Webster Groves, MO 63119. Matinee showtime available. For more information, visit https:// www.repstl.org

Fri., Oct. 3 - 11, 7:30 p.m. It Shoulda Been You, Johnson Hall at Third Baptist Church, 620 N Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information visit https://www.taketwoproductions.org

Fri., Oct. 10 – Sun., Oct. 13, Union Avenue Opera One-Act Festival featuring dwb (driving while Black), Union Avenue Opera 733 N. Union Blvd | St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit www.unionavenueopera.org

ART

Through Sept. 27, Nyuso: A Celebration of African Artistry & Afrofuturism, Kranzberg Arts Foundation, 501 N Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https:// kranzbergartsfoundation.org/.

Through June 2026, The Future Is Female, 21c Hotel and Museum Hotel St. Louis, 1528 Locust St, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://21cmuseumhotels. com.

Continued from C1

exposure for jazz. It was also in tune with their mission “to advance the uniquely American art of Jazz through performance, education, and community engagement.”

The parade – which led to a party – was a celebration of joy, remembrance and everything that represents Jazz St. Louis.

“We want people to know Jazz St. Louis has something for everybody, because jazz has something for everybody,” Goines said.

Led by Grand Marshals Herlin Riley and Yolonda Lankford, Goines and company bounced down the block to kick off not only the Jazz St. Louis milestone, but to usher in the robust programming in honor of Davis, who would have turned 100 on May 26, 2026.

Lankford, Riley and Goines flaunted large customized parasols trimmed in black tinsel with sequined music notes and instruments adorning the panels and top. The stellar brass bands – the Saint Boogie Brass Band, the Funky Butt Brass Band and the Red and Black Brass Band – followed the grand marshals playing familiar favorites. “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers, Levert’s “Casanova” and “When the Band Comes Marching In” turned the crowd into background singers as they proceeded to Strauss Park.

There was a quick break before the bands blessed the outdoor stage just to the left of the Harold and Dorothy Steward Center For Jazz, Jazz St. Louis’ headquarters.

Saint Boogie Brass Band was up first. They brought style and flavor with their original and easy going lyrics.

“Don’t worry about nobody else, come have

yourself a good time,” the band said. The entire crowd chanted along. They also gave them a taste of their original music by way of the tune “314 Life.”

Funky Butt Brass Band began with rotating solos, which displayed the abundance of talent from each member in the band. They then delighted the audience with pop/rock covers reimagined for Brass.

“Hungry Heart” by Bruce Springsteen and “Finish What Ya Started” by Van Halen were crowd pleasers. Though not trained singers, the Brass Band played and sang with a love of music that was felt by everyone in the audience.

The final act of the celebration was the Red and Black Brass Band. Thankfully, they could hold a tune. They started with “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers, which was creatively reimagined through the horns. They added elements of New Orleans style, but the song felt familiar enough to catch the rhythm. Just like Saint Boogie, the Red

and Black brass Band came with original music.

“We are the City,” had a hopping melody that patrons quickly learned as they danced along. Their cover of “St. Louis Blues,” demonstrated the band’s vocal chops – and the region’s connection to the genre – as the melody rang through the streets of Grand Center.

Tuesday’s parade and party were a sign of what’s to come. Guests had the opportunity to purchase tickets or subscriptions for Jazz St. Louis’ spectacular 30th Anniversary season.

“Thanks to the support of the Steward Family Foundation, World Wide Technologies and Ameren, we’re honoring not just 30 years of concerts, but 30 years of moments, memories, and music that have shaped who we are,” Goines said. “Since 1995, we’ve had the honor of bringing Grammy winners, rising stars, and fearless innovators to our stage. Each has added to the rich legacy of St. Louis as a true jazz city.”

Jazz

Photo courtesy of Jazz St. Louis

Former Jazz St. Louis executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford was among those contributing their talents to the second line parade in honor of the organization’s 30th anniversary in Grand Center on Tuesday, September 16.

Fionafest at Frizz Fest. The good news is that the baby tsunami let up with ample time for us to celebrate at Frizz Fest 2025 Saturday, and we had a ball! The bad news is that the silk press I paid good money to be extra cute for Gala En Blanc was in heaven by 3:30 p.m. because of the humidity. Y’all, I went up in Tower Grove park with a Kamala Harris. I left out with my hair looking like that tragic wig Kerry Washington wore in “Shadow Force.” For those who haven’t seen the little movie, the synthetic hair has a shape similar to Rick James’ in his “Super Freak” era. But the texture is the same as whatever that thing was plopped on Halle Berry’s head for “The Call.” But back to Frizz Fest. As I have at every single one, I got my entire life! The natural hair queens take slaying to the next level! Tendai, you did that with the hair show! And Golliday, you already know how I feel about you. If y’all don’t mind, I’d like to spend the rest of my time giving flowers to our third favorite Canadian R&B homegirl, Melanie Fiona. What? I’m not being shady! She’s locked in behind Tamia, who secured a permanent first place because of that slide that crosses some of

Jazz

y’all up worse than mid 1990s Michael Jordan did against everybody in the NBA. But Mel might be giving Deborah Cox a run for her money after how she threw down at Frizz Fest! By the time she got to “It Kills Me,” I was screaming so loud I got lightheaded. Even when I’m in between boyfriends, I’ll hear this song and revert to being madly in love and willing to do anything for that man. And she had the unmitigated gall to come to the STL in real life with perfect pitch live vocals. Girl, how you gonna go MIA for the whole entire 2010s and pop back out giving all that range? Next time, we’re gonna need a warning before you gag us like that. Because I almost dropped my phone in the mud rushing to the front of the stage.

‘Bridgerton’ En Blanc. Each year, there are a handful of non-negotiable must attend events for me. In the words of mid-century American scholar Nettie, “nothing but death can keep me from it” when it comes to Frizz Fest and Gala En Blanc, the annual fundraiser for Urban Sprouts Child Development Center. This year’s Gala En

perimenopause.

Blanc “Bridgerton” theme was everything. And Founder/ Executive Director Ellicia Lanier as Queen Charlotte was chef’s kiss. Not one more table would fit within the Public School House patio Saturday night, which was filled to capacity with folks serving lewks (yes, lewks) in all white. Since it was at the school house, I’m going to take attendance with folks who ate down. I’ll start with Dallas Holland’s leather and lace. And I didn’t get his name, but the Black Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with muscles really did that. We are only two galas into the season, and Kira Cobb is ALREADY two for two. I’m sure a gown with a mermaid hem loves to see her

coming. I’m going to tip my Ola Ray to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jasmine Osby for that glorious globe purse! Tonia Harris’ makeup was flawless. And while it was in violation of the color scheme, Chris Patrick’s hat was so fire that I gave him a pass. Naretha Hopson was slaying from top to bottom, which is on brand for her. I would need this whole Partyline to give Gala En Blanc the flowers it deserves. More than $500,000 was raised to educate our babies! Oh, and Murphy Lee Kyjaun and the band backing them up got it in on stage. And for those who saw me coming out of the men’s bathroom, it wasn’t what you thought. Yes, the optics were bad. But blame that lousy heffa

A treasured throwback set for the ages. Some months back, there was a “90s fine” social media trend that described the baddies from that era to be unmatched. Well, Steve Lacy and DJ Kut’s EPIC moment at Treasures Sunday afternoon showed that those 90s fine women are still killing the game in 2025. Yes, DT, I’m talking about you. The same goes for Shaki and Stephanie Blue And it wasn’t just the ladies who have aged gracefully. If I hadn’t seen a Newport or two, I would have sworn these people sent their children to play a trick on me and make me feel old. As much as I knew it was gonna be ______________ (insert new slang for “off the chain”), I still wasn’t ready. It took me 15 minutes to get from the back door to the front door. The inside was packed. The upstairs was packed. The outside was packed. Part of me wanted to suggest that they open up the Mason Hall next door and use it as an overflow. Everybody who was somebody, and who had ever thought about being somebody, was in the building.

through performance, education, and community engagement.”

The parade – which led to a party – was a celebration of joy, remembrance and everything that represents Jazz St. Louis.

“We want people to know Jazz St. Louis has something for everybody, because jazz has something for everybody,” Goines said.

Led by Grand Marshals Herlin Riley and Yolonda Lankford, Goines and company bounced down the block to kick off not only the Jazz St. Louis milestone, but to usher in the robust programming in honor of Davis,

Frizz

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Frizz Fest 2025 featured a dynamic and diverse lineup of vendors. They offered everything from hair and skin care to books, candles, jewelry and cigars. There was even a plant vendor. Black Girl Vitamins, a major sponsor, provided samples. They also made a meaningful impact by awarding two scholarships to Black women studying in the health field. The gesture was especially celebrated amid growing concerns around DEI defunding and the current

Author

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the consistent

attacks on DEI and companies pulling back from their efforts, saying, ‘we don’t need to do this anymore,’ and that it’s not important.”

The current political climate, particularly in the past two weeks, has been an instance of life imitating art with respect to “Arc of the Universe.” Alexander started writing the book in 2021.

“I think it is an incredibly timely topic,” she said. “It’s fiction, but it is rooted in things that are happening around us right now.”

When she graduated law school in May of 2020, the world was upside down thanks to a global pandemic and international protests in response to

who would have turned 100 on May 26, 2026. Lankford, Riley and Goines flaunted large customized parasols trimmed in black tinsel with sequined music notes and instruments adorning the panels and top. The stellar brass bands – the Saint Boogie Brass Band, the Funky Butt Brass Band and the Red and Black Brass Band – followed the grand marshals playing familiar favorites. “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers, Levert’s “Casanova” and “When the Band Comes Marching In” turned the crowd into background singers as they proceeded to Strauss Park. There was a quick break before the bands blessed the outdoor stage just to the left of the Harold and Dorothy Steward

political climate. The vendor area was a onestop shop. Whether it was oils for a twist-out, vintage clothes for a photoshoot or night on the town or a new children’s book. Like in previous years, the festival was punctuated by live music performances and a high-energy hair show. Models walked the stage with intricately braided styles and sculpted afros presented by Healthy Hair Solutions. Guests were also treated to an impromptu performance by fan favorite Golliday. He made a special trip from Atlanta to surprise the crowd with his hit single “Dallas.” Festival host Tee Parks, backed by DJ Nico Marie,

the murder of George Floyd.

“There was a lot of activity happening and I really wanted to do something,” Alexander said.

“I wanted to speak out. I wanted to call attention to them and use my law degree in a different way. To get people thinking. That really was the biggest driver for the book.”

She will return home to discuss the book on Sunday afternoon as part of Authors at Tower Grove Pride and on Monday evening in a special conversation with Adrienne Davis of Washington University at Left Bank Books.

“Quite honestly, I’m so excited to be in conversation with Professor Davis,” said Alexander, who is also a graduate of Washington University. “So much of her work revolves around really similar themes. She has written a lot of important and incredible pieces about race, gender and the law. I’ve

Center For Jazz, Jazz St. Louis’ headquarters.

Saint Boogie Brass Band was up first. They brought style and flavor with their original and easy going lyrics.

“Don’t worry about nobody else, come have yourself a good time,” the band said. The entire crowd chanted along. They also gave them a taste of their original music by way of the tune “314 Life.”

Funky Butt Brass Band began with rotating solos, which displayed the abundance of talent from each member in the band. They then delighted the audience with pop/rock covers reimagined for Brass. “Hungry Heart” by Bruce Springsteen and “Finish What Ya Started” by Van Halen were crowd pleasers. Though not

had the crowd dancing from start to finish. They led a sing along to Usher’s “Seduction.” They had the crowd vibing to Jasmine Sullivan’s “Need U Bad” and Beyoncé’s “II HANDS II HEAVEN.” The energy was electric and full of joy.

The festival was capped with a powerful performance by Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Melanie Fiona. She had the crowd on their feet, and singing at the top of their lungs.

She took the stage with grace and undeniable presence. Fiona opened her set with music from her new album, “Say Yes,” which was released in April after a 13-year hiatus. She performed

always looked up to her work.”

Davis is the William M. Van Cleve Professor of Law, Founder & Co-director of the Law & Culture Initiative and Professor of Organizational Behavior and Leadership for the Olin Business School.

Alexander is predicting a fun and lively chat about the book and parallel themes.

“What does social justice look like in the book? What does it look like in our lives,” Alexander said. “What is the impact of futurism and technology? Where are companies going now – and who is getting left behind?”

In “Arc of the Universe,” protagonist Dr. Carrie Davenport is a key member of a team charged with developing governmental framework for Mars colonists who will establish permanent residency on the planet.

“It’s not a story that I’ve seen told before,” Alexander said.

trained singers, the Brass Band played and sang with a love of music that was felt by everyone in the audience. The final act of the celebration was the Red and Black Brass Band. Thankfully, they could hold a tune. They started with “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers, which was creatively reimagined through the horns. They added elements of New Orleans style, but the song felt familiar enough to catch the rhythm. Just like Saint Boogie, the Red and Black brass Band came with original music. “We are the City,” had a hopping melody that patrons quickly learned as they danced along. Their cover of “St. Louis Blues,” demonstrated the band’s vocal chops – and the region’s connec-

the album’s title track along with “Monna Lisa Smile,” a song she dedicated to Black women nationwide.

“I truly feel that Black women are works of art,” Fiona shared with the crowd. “And I feel like through all the heaviness and loads we have to carry in this life, we still manage to show up as beautiful works of art.”

Fiona’s pure and soulful vocals flowed effortlessly through the crowd, and reminded fans that she did not lose a bit of talent during her time away from the limelight.

The crowd erupted when she began performing her beloved hits “It Kills Me,” “Wrong Side of a Love Song” and “Fool for

“Not a lot of people are talking about diversity in space the way that I would hope.”

Davenport is a constitutional law professor, and the sole Black woman in a leadership role in the project.

“Carrie is a reluctant hero,” Alexander said. “At first she was showing up and doing her job. She wasn’t focused on racism. She wasn’t addressing any social justice issues.”

After suffering a traumatic incident, Davenport reevaluates everything in her life and her work.

“There are parts of me in the character of Carrie as well,” Alexander said. “And to see her go from being very shy to being a real voice in the room, and encouraging people to take action, is very inspiring. I love the character and I love what she stands for.”

She hopes that readers are also inspired by Davenport to

tion to the genre – as the melody rang through the streets of Grand Center.

Tuesday’s parade and party were a sign of what’s to come. Guests had the opportunity to purchase tickets or subscriptions for Jazz St. Louis’ spectacular 30th Anniversary season.

“Thanks to the support of the Steward Family Foundation, World Wide Technologies and Ameren, we’re honoring not just 30 years of concerts, but 30 years of moments, memories, and music that have shaped who we are,” Goines said. “Since 1995, we’ve had the honor of bringing Grammy winners, rising stars, and fearless innovators to our stage. Each has added to the rich legacy of St. Louis as a true jazz city.”

You,” a duet with CeeLo Green. Then she brought the crowd to its knees with her performance of “4 AM.” Fans rushed to the front of the stage, with phones in hand, eager to sing every word. As they sang in unison with Fiona, the audience became part of the performance — a sea of voices lifted by shared memory, emotion, and joy. Fiona, radiant and energized, delivered each note with passion. The deep connection with the crowd resulted in a permanent smile on Fiona’s face. Her set was a fitting finale for a festival rooted in love, affirmation, and celebration.

have the courage to take action in response to injustice.

“We are all in different jobs, we are all in different roles –even within our own community and our own families – but we can all take steps to try to make the world a better place.” Alexander said “Even when it is hard, it doesn’t always have to be the biggest change. But when you have the opportunity to make a change, I want people who read the book to think about what each of us can be doing to speak out.”

Nikki Alexander will sign and read from her new novel “Arc of the Universe” at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 28 in Tower Grove Park as part of Authors at Tower Grove Pride. She will appear in conversation with Adrienne Davis at 6 p.m. on Monday, September 29 at Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid. For more information,

1. Monique Shine (@everythinginmo) and Dasia Harris of Mid Coast Media (@_dasiavh) watched Lucky Daye do his thing on the MATI mainstage last weekend 2. PTré (@flowerboi.tre), Charlie Quigless aka “C-Quig” (@c_quigrapstar) and Rhylea Johnson (@Rhy.lea) were a vibe in their own right last weekend @ MATI in Grand Center

3. Leslie represented for Diversity Gallery @ Frizz Fest Saturday in Tower Grove Park

2

Photos by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Gamma Omega Chapter and The Ivy Alliance Foundation presented its 41st Annual FASHIONETTASM Scholarship Cotillion on Sunday, May 25, 2025, at the beautiful Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch with over 600 in attendance to see this enchanting evening unfold. Fox 2 News Anchor Dr. Kelly Hoskins and Dr. Sharilyn Franklin a.k.a. “The Leadership Doctor” served as emcees for the evening. The event and souvenir journal are presently available at AKAGOSTL.com.

At this event 19 amazing young ladies were presented and escorted by 19 wonderful young men.

FASHIONETTASM is a trademark of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® and a fundraising activity for the chapter’s philanthropic endeavors of the Ivy Alliance Foundation (IAF). Debutantes and escorts participated in an eight-month experience which included college preparations workshops, church service, an overnight retreat, community service, entrepreneurial workshops and a Mother-Daughter Luncheon.

At the Cotillion, graduating Debutantes and Escorts received $68,650 in scholarship awards. Miss Madeline Littleton was crowned Miss FASHIONETTASM 2025 and received a $17,700 award. Madeline is the daughter of David Littleton and Pamela Washington. She is a graduate of Clayton High School and plans to major in political science at Howard University.

First Runner-up: Miss Khloe Harris

• Daughter of Steven (Arica) Harris and Dietra (Derrick) Colquitt

• Graduate of Incarnate Word

• Plans to major in marketing at Howard University

Second Runner-up: Miss Kelsey Tolson

• Daughter of John and Kedra Tolson

• Graduate of Webster Groves

• Plans to major in forensic psychology and criminal justice at Maryville University

Third Runner-up: Miss Journey Pollard

• Daughter of Dwight and Mikia Pollard

Scholarship

• Graduate of Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School

• Plans to major in architecture at Hampton University

Fourth Runner-up: Miss Ja’Riya Johnson

• Daughter of Ja’Rodrick and Alfredia Johnson

• Graduate of Lutheran High School – St. Charles

• Plans to pursue a pre-med track focusing on dentistry at Jefferson College

Fourth Runner-up: Miss Jessica Robinson

• Daughter of Michael and Sheri Robinson

• Graduate of Incarnate Word Academy

• Plans to major in marketing at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

Remaining Debutantes and College Choices for Fall 2025:

• Saniyah Anderson:

Alabama A&M University majoring in criminal justice

• Kennedy Beverly: Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville majoring in nursing

• Jade Coleman: North Carolina A&T University majoring in mass communications

• Shanea Coleman: Tennessee State University majoring in biology

• Mariah Gurlly: University of Cincinnati majoring in Health Science

• Alijah Hunter: Hampton University majoring in political science

• Arianna Lacey: Lincoln University majoring in nursing

• Sophia Miller: University of Memphis majoring in sports management

• Chayce Porter: Grambling State University majoring in biology

• Endya Ross: Kennesaw State University majoring in biology

• Bailei Searcy: University of Missouri-Columbia majoring in biochemistry

• Elisah Sykes: Depaul University majoring in marketing

• Nyla Weathersby: University of Chicago majoring in environmental urbanization pre-law

Escorts:

• Nicholas Acklin: St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley majoring in mass communication

• Archie Arnold: University of Nevada majoring in business administration

• Shane Beatty: Junior at St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School

• Jeremiah Blalock:

Senior at University City High School

• Kareem Burns: Senior at Parkway North High School

• Jerimiah Cole: Ranken Technical College majoring in electrical engineering

• Marcus Hughes: Senior at Pattonville High School

• Nathan Hughes: Jackson State University majoring in computer science

• Roman Jackson:

Senior at Christian Brothers College High School

• Addison Jones: University of Missouri Science and Technology majoring in civil and architectural engineering

• D’Corey Jordan: Drury University majoring in architecture

• Richmond Lingard: Depaul University majoring in economics and computer science

• Donovan Meads: Culver-Stockton College majoring in business

• Austin Meek: University of Chicago majoring in computer science

• Jay Oliver: Senior at Crossroads College Preparatory School

• Herbert Quinn: Morningside University majoring in sports marketing

• Alan Walker: Purdue University majoring in finance

• Michael Wells II: Senior at Clayton High School

• Joshua West: Senior at Cardinal Ritter College Prep

The Chairman for FASHIONETTASM 2025 is Coretta Bozeman, with Co-Chairman Ruby Grady and Michelle Sanders. Carla Baker-Moore serves as President and Candice Nance as the Vice President of Gamma Omega Chapter and The Ivy Alliance Foundation.

If any young lady or young man is interested in our FASHIONETTASM 2026 experience, please contact Coretta Bozeman at akago1908fashionetta@gmail.com for more information.

prEp Football NotEbook

With Earl Austin Jr.

Jennings puts perfect record on the line against Affton

The Jennings Warriors have put together an impressive start of the season with four consecutive victories.

The Warriors improved to 4-0 with a 57-0 victory over Normandy last Saturday. They also have a 27-7 victory over John Burroughs. Jennings was 5-6 last season, so the turnaround has been excellent in “J-Town.”

The leader of the pack is senior Jeremy Ingrum, a 6’3’ 190-pound athlete who is a two-way standout at quarterback and safety. He is a dual-threat on offense who also leads the Warriors in interceptions on defense.

regular season games that

I’ve seen in quite awhile.

Host North Point defeated rival Liberty 51-48 in a high scoring, fast-paced affair. The touchdowns were coming fast and furious and my head was spinning.

Earl Austin Jr.

The Warriors also have a nice group of athletes on offense with running backs Tha’Jae Hawthorne and Jerrell Rideout-Anderson, along with receivers Micah Brown and Zay Henderson. Hawthorne and Henderson also excel on the defensive side of the ball.

Jennings will try to keep its undefeated season going on Friday night when it visits Affton. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Fireworks in Wentzville

I made the drive out to Wentzville last Friday night and witnessed one of the most entertaining

Liberty featured a tremendous running back in senior Jaylen Mack, who rushed for 197 yards and four touchdowns. He ran behind a big offensive line that controlled the line of scrimmage with their physicality.

North Point countered with its tremendous speed and an impressive array of athletes. Most of their scores were of the bigplay variety. Junior quarterback Ta’Vren Williams passed for 297 yards and six touchdowns. He was “Mr. Excitement” with his ability to escape and extend plays.

Senior receiver Ty’ron Williams scored two touchdowns on a 50-yard reception and a 95-yard kickoff return. He is Ta’Vren’s older brother. Senior Maqel Campbell had 11 receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a big kickoff return to set up a touchdown. Another speedster is senior Jayden Flores, who caught a 64-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

SLUH’s Harris enters the school record books

Standout senior linebacker Keenan Harris of SLUH reached a special milestone last Friday in the Jr. Billikens’ 49-0 victory at Lutheran St. Charles. The University of Missouri recruit now has 338 tackles and counting.

Standouts Performers from Week 4

Senior running back Vic Williams of CBC rushed for 283 yards and four touchdowns in the Cadets’ 58-13 victory over DeSmet.

Senior Quarterback Kyren Eleby of SLUH passed for 186 yards and

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

four touchdowns in the Jr. Billikens’ 49-0 victory over Lutheran-St. Charles

Junior quarterback Nigel Gooden of Cahokia passed for 186 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 67 yards in the Comanches’ 52-12 victory over Carbondale.

As the U.S. and European teams tee off in the 2025 Ryder Cup competition this weekend at the treacherous Beth Page Black course near New York, it is the 40th anniversary of the late Calvin Peete’s second appearance in the historic tournament.

Peete became the first Black golfer to be a member of the Ryder Cup American team in 1983, and the squad won the coveted cup.

The Europeans won the 1985 match, bringing Peete’s team record to 1-1, but he excelled in both events. Peete’s individual Ryder Cup match record was 4-2 with a tie.

He won over 64% of potential points for the USA, which ranks 37th on the all-time points list.

Peete’s path to 12 PGA tournament wins and two selections to Ryder Cup teams did not begin on country club courses or on a college team.

In a 1983 New York Times article, Peete said he saw how much money pro golfers were earning,

which swayed him to give the game a try.

Born in Detroit in 1943, Peete would later live with his grandmother in Hayti, Missouri. At 11, he and his father moved to Pahokee, Florida, and he would later drop out of high school in eighth grade. A self-made entrepreneur who picked beans and corn to support his family, Peete would purchase a station wagon and travel to sell vegetables and other goods to migrants. He was in Rochester, New York, doing that when he decided to take up golf at age 24. Within six months, he was breaking 80, and a year later he was posting scores in the low 70s.

To put that in perspective, I and many other golfers who have played scores of rounds have never shot under 80 over 18 holes.

Peete was skilled with his driver, rarely missing the fairway. He was admittedly a poor putter once he earned his PGA Tour card, but his driving accuracy helped him stay compet-

itive in his early years until that part of his game improved.

Peete led the PGA Tour in driving accuracy for 10 straight years starting in 1981. He earned the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average over Jack Nicklaus in 1984.

“Some of the players still drive farther than I do,” Peete said in the Times’ profile. “But I’m always in the fairway, and they’re sometimes in the trees.”

Peete’s first PGA win was at the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1979, which made him the fourth Black golfer to win a PGA event. Pete Brown, Charlie Sifford and Lee Elder had previously won tournaments.

Peete won four tournaments in 1982, tying Kansas City native Tom Watson and Craig Stadler for most on the tour. His biggest individual title came in 1985 when he won the PGA Players

Senior wide receiver Nicholas Hankins of Belleville West had nine receptions for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the Maroons’ 48-30 loss to Edwardsville.

Senior wide receiver Jayden Reed of CBC had three receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns in the Cadets’ 56-13 victory over DeSmet.

Senior wide receiver Makai Washington of Chaminade had two touchdowns in the Red Devils’ 49-34 victory over Vianney.

Senior linebacker Randell Richardson of Kirkwood had three quarterback sacks in the Pioneers’ 66-6 victory over McCluer North.

Senior quarterback Collin Sinclair of Orchard Farm rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles’ 49-14 victory over St. Charles West.

Senior quarterback Brett Ottensmeyer of Parkway West passed for four touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 46-10 victory over Parkway South.

Senior running back Jaylen Mack of Wentzville Liberty rushed for 197 yards and four touchdowns in the Eagles’ 51-48 loss to North Point.

Remembering Black golf pioneer Calvin Peete

Championship tournament.

As his career was taking off, Peete knew that Ryder Cup eligibility standards included having at least a high school degree. He would return to Detroit to take the GED high school equivalency test in 1982, and he passed.

“I love this game. You’re out in the fresh air and you can meet good people, like the president of the United States — I once played a round with President Ford — and you have a chance to make $400,000 a year,” Peete told the Times.

Peete would win $3.2 million combined on the PGA and PGA Champions tours, and Elder and he were the first Black golfers to play in the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

After the 1983 Masters, Peete was asked his opinion of the tournament’s traditions.

“Until Lee Elder, the only Blacks at the Masters were caddies or waiters,” he said.

“To ask a Black man what he feels about the traditions of the Masters is like asking him how he feels about his forefathers who were slaves.”

He, and other Black golfing pioneers, helped smooth the path for a young golfer named Tiger Woods, who made his PGA debut in 1996. Peete died at the age of 71 on April 19, 2015.

The Reid Roundup

Luther Burden III had his first breakout NFL game with three catches for 101 yards and a long touchdown from QB Caleb Williams on a trick play in Sunday’s win over Dallas.…Former NFL receiver DeSean Jackson has Delaware State at 3-1 in his first year as head coach the 3-1 Hornets are ranked seventh in the NCAA HBCU Top 10 poll…Coach Michael Locksley has Maryland at 4-0 after topping host Maryland 27-10 last Saturday in his team’s Big Ten opener. The Terrapins host Washington and Nebraska respectively on Oct. 11 and 18…Does anyone really care that Kawhi Leonard might have received $22 million to circumvent the NBA salary cap. I’m a fan of journalist Pablo Torre, but this story is overblown.

Alvin A. Reid

The Roosevelt defense attempts to chase down Jennings’ Thajae Hawthorne (8) during Saturday, Sept. 13, game action. The game was called early due to the extreme heat with Jennings on top 13-0.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Calvin Peete played twice on the American Ryder Cup team and won 12 PGA tournaments during his career.

Photo courtesy of PGA.com

COURT - JUVENILE DIVISION

MARKETING RESEARCH STRATEGY

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS

(3)

To apply, please send a current resume, along with a cover letter, to SLCCourtJobs@courts.mo.gov or to the following address (application materials must be postmarked by September 30, 2025): Family Court of St. Louis County, Attn: Human Resources Department, 105 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105. EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMo 711 or 800-735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative form.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOLICITATION FOR BIDS (SFB)

Service: Life Safety and Security System Services

Pre-Bid Meeting: October 6, 2025 1:00 P.M. Meeting will be held via Zoom. See SFB for details.

Question Due Date: October 13, 2025, close of business.

Bid Due Date: October 29, 2025 at 2:00 P.M., local time.

Point of Contact: Gin Nelson –gmnelson@flystl.com

Bid documents may be obtained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Airport Properties Division, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., or by calling (314) 426-8033. This SFB may also be obtained by visiting our website at www.flystl.com/ civil-rights/business/contract-opportunities Robert Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking one or more firms or individuals to assist with Marketing Research Strategy, Quantitative Implementation and Qualitative Implementation. See www.greatrivers greenway.org/ vendors. And submit by October,10, 2025.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for HVAC Improvements for Infection Control, Project No. U2301-07 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, October 16, 2025 Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Repairs to Building Exterior and Replace Windows at Helen M. Davis State School, Project No. E2412-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, October 23, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

NOTICE TO SMALL (SBE), DISADVANTAGED (DBE), MINORITY (MBE), & WOMEN’S (WBE), SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN OWNED (SDVOB) & VETERAN OWNED (VOB) BUSINESSES ADVERTISEMENT RIVER CITY CONSTRUCTION, L.L.C., 6640 AMERICAN SETTER DRIVE, ASHLAND, MISSOURI 65010, (573) 657-7380 (PHONE) (573) 657-7381 (FAX) IS SEEKING QUALIFIED SMALL, DISADVATANGED, MINORITY, & WOMEN’S BUSINESSES FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI WALTON STADIUM TRACK AND SOCCER SURFACE UPGRADE FOR THE SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: CONCRETE, ELECTRICAL, EARTHWORK, EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS, AND UTILITIES. ALL INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED SMALL, DISADVANTAGED, MINORITY AND WOMEN’S BUSINESSES SHOULD CONTACT, IN WRITING, (CERTIFIED LETTER, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED) BROCK BURSOTT, TO DISCUSS THE SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES. ALL NEGOTIATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE BID OPENING BID DATE OF 9/24/2025 @ 1:30 PM. PROPOSALS WILL BE EVALUATED IN ORDER ON THE BASIS OF

SEALED BIDS

Bids for REBID, HAWTHORN CHILDREN’S PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, REPLACE ROOF, ADMINSTRATION BUILDING, 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63133, Project No. M2416-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 10/21/25. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Geological Survey, Replacement of HVAC and Upgrade Lighting, Buehler & Annex Buildings, Rolla, MO, Project No. W2401-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, October 23, 2025. Project information available at: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

Sealed bids for the Baumgartner Road Resurfacing project, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1749, Federal Project No. STP-5547(603) will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https://stlouiscountymov endors.munisselfservice. com/Vendors/default. aspx, until 2:00 PM on October 22, 2025

Plans and specifications will be available on September 22, 2025 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouiscounty mo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 678-0087.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Bid Opportunities

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

NORTH

RETAIL PLAZA IMPROVEMENTS RFP 2025

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals. Bid documents are available as of 9/24/25 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Improvements for Infection Control, Mount Vernon Veterans Home, Project No. U2301-04 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 9/25/25. Project information available at: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for REBID Renovate Interior & Exterior at St. Clair Readiness Center, Project No. T2326-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, October 2, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Repairs to Building Exterior and Replace Windows at Helen M. Davis State School, Project No. E2412-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, October 23, 2025. Project information available at: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

Sealed Proposals regarding 26-101; Transportation Assistance Services to provide transportation assistance services to low and moderate income households (80% AMI) in St. Peters, Missouri are being solicited by the St. Peters Office of Community Services. The organization should have the capacity to provide round-trip transportation within St. Charles County and outside the County for medical purposes. Transportation should be provided to any person without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin.

Proposals will be received by the City of St. Peters, City Hall, One St. Peters Centre Blvd., P.O. Box 9, St. Peters, Missouri 63376 until 2:00 PM local time, Thursday, October 9, 2025. This will be a non-public opening.

Proposal documents will be available on Thursday, September 25, 2025 and may be obtained from the City of St. Peters website www.stpetersmo.net/bids.aspx

All questions regarding this project shall be submitted to the City of St. Peters Purchasing Department in writing to Bids@stpetersmo.net under the subject line “26-101; Transportation Assistance Services” before noon local time, Thursday, October 2, 2025.

The City reserves the right to waive any informality, and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the City.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the Kiefer Creek Pipe Culvert Replacement, St. Louis County Project No. CR-1928, will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https://stlouiscountymovendors.munisselfservice.com/Vendors/default. aspx, until 2:00 PM on October 8, 2025 Plans and specifications will be available on August 25, 2025 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouis countymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 678-0087. DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS COUNTY

ITB #:57824109

INVITATION TO BID

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting proposals for the construction services required for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Building. Bids must be emailed no later than 2:00 pm on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, to Corey Freeman at freemanc@hssu.edu Bids will be opened and read at a virtual bid opening on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 2:30 pm. The link to the virtual bid opening will be sent at the time of bid submission.

A pre-bid conference and walkthrough will be held on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 2:00 pm at the Henry Givens Jr. Administration Building, room 121 located on the 1st floor.

Documents will be ready for review on September 24, 2025.

A copy of the Bidding Documents can be obtained by contacting Corey Freeman at email address: freemanc@hssu.edu, or calling (314)-340-3325.

Should you need any further assistance, please email Ryan Wilson with NAVIGATE Building Solutions at ryan@navigatebuildingsolutions.com

The University reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive all informalities in proposals.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed bids for 25-170 – Harvester Road at Queensbrooke Blvd, Federal Project No. CMAQ-7305(625) will be received by the City of St. Peters, Purchasing Department, City Hall, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, P.O. Box 9, St. Peters, Missouri 63376 until 2:00 PM local time, October 20, 2025 and then opened and read aloud.

Contract Documents will be available on September 25, 2025 and may be obtained from the City of St. Peters website https://mo-stpeters.civicplus.com/Bids.aspx

All questions regarding this project shall be submitted to the City of St. Peters Purchasing Department in writing to Bids@stpetersmo.net under the subject line Bid 25-170 – Harvester Road at Queensbrooke Blvd, Federal Project No. CMAQ-7305(625) before noon local time, October 10, 2025.

Special Needs: If you have special needs addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act, please notify Bids@stpetersmo.net under the subject line Bid 25-170 – Harvester Road at Queensbrooke Blvd, Federal Project No. CMAQ7305(625), or through Missouri Relay System, TDD 636-477-6600, extension 1277, at least five (5) working days prior to the bid opening you plan to attend.

All labor used in the construction of this public improvement shall be paid a wage no less than the prevailing hourly rate of wages of work of a similar character in this locality as established by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (Federal Wage Rate), or state wage rate, whichever is higher.

The City of St. Peters hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, ancestry, or national origin in consideration for an award. A DBE goal of eight percent (8%) has been established for this project. Only the work performed by approved DBE subcontractors at the time of the bid opening will be applied towards calculating the DBE goal.

All prospective bidders are required to complete the DBE Submittal Form, made part of Section W of the contract document, and submit it with the bid proposal or within three working days after the bid opening date. Failure to deliver the completed and executed DBE Submittal Form showing DBE participation by 4:00 p.m. on the third working day after the bid opening date may be cause for rejection of the low bid and the proposed guaranty will become the property of the City of St. Peters. If any DBE’s shown on the DBE Submittal Form are not shown on the approved listings, then that DBE’s work will not be counted as DBE participation work and may be cause for rejection of the bid.

All bidders must be on MoDOT’s Qualified Contractor List per Section 102.2 of the Missouri Standard Specifications for Highway Construction, 2025 Edition including all revisions. The contractor questionnaire must be on file 7 days prior to bid opening.

Contractors and sub-contractors who sign a contract to work on public works project provide a 10-Hour OSHA construction safety program, or similar program approved by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, to be completed by their on-site employees within sixty (60) days of beginning work on the construction project.

A bid bond in the amount of 5% (five percent) shall be submitted with each proposal.

This project has no On the Job Training (OJT) Goal.

The City of St. Peters reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

No 2nd tier subcontracting will be allowed on this project.

This project will be awarded to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder.

BID CONFERENCE

CF Vatterott Construction Co. is looking to hire minority and women disadvantage businesses, section 3 contractors, and section 3 employees for work onmultifamily homes in the Velda City Neighborhood of St. Louis County.

• Construction Bid Conference – 11/19/25 9AM at 10143 Paget Dr. 63132

• Plans and specs can be obtained at bid conference or through email by contacting Jeffb@cfvatterott.com

• Intended qualified applicants for subcontractors are selected without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion or national origin.

ROANOKE CONSTRUCTION SEEKS BIDS

Roanoke Construction is currently seeking bids from qualified subcontractors on all trades for a new construction 89-unit multifamily project.

Project: Clinton Peabody Redevelopment - Phase 01

Anticipated Start: January 2026 Bids Due: October 24, 2025

Optional Subcontractor Pre-bid Meeting: October 6, 2025 Time: 3:30-5:00p

Address: Heartland Black Chamber, 929 North Spring Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108

For invitation to bid or inquiries, email bids@roanoke-construction.com