Bree reflects on Ferguson visit Newsome says unrest here gave the movement ‘a revolutionary spirit’
St. Louis American Page A3
The
CAC Audited AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
INSIDE BUSINESS
How would market chaos affect 2016 race If the global swoon in stock prices were to turn into something more serious, which candidates would benefit?
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Vol. 86 No. 21 COMPLIMENTARY
Witnesses dispute police account Community members angrily confronted St. Louis police on August 19 after 18-year-old Mansur Ball-Bey was shot in the back by police and killed near Page and Walton in the Fountain Park neighborhood.
Killing of Mansur Ball-Bey investigated by police, prosecutor, family attorneys By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Shaken and tearful, the 14-yearold friend of Mansur Ball-Bey, who was shot and killed by St. Louis city police on August 19 in the Fountain Park neighborhood, gave his testimony to police and the St. Louis Circuit
Attorney’s office on Tuesday, August 25, according to attorneys representing Ball-Bey’s family. Both the boy’s mother and Jermaine Wooten, one of the family’s attorneys, said they were present as he told investigators that Ball-Bey, See MANSUR, A7 Photo by Wiley Price
COMMUNITY
‘Angel on earth’ ushered into heaven
Moving past the blame to unified action We hear the variation of cries to “Stop the Violence,” but often there’s no action plan as to how to stop it.
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LIVING IT
For the love of Jamyla A crowd of nearly 400 – including dozens of children – filled the 9200 block of Ellison to participate in a candlelight vigil, balloon release and march in memory of Jamyla Bolden.
Hundreds mourn tragic death of Jamyla Bolden with vigil
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By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American
SPORTS
Black head coaches don’t get second chances Tyrone Willingham, who was fired at Notre Dame and then hired by the University of Washington, is the only black coach that has resurfaced as a head coach at a major program.
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Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Akeelah Kelly, 9, a friend of Jamyla Bolden, wept with her mother in Ferguson on August 20 during the vigil for the 9-year-old girl killed by a stray civilian bullet while studying.
“No one had the right to take Jamyla’s dreams, her hopes, her graduations or her wedding,” said Rev. Traci Blackmon. “No one had the right to do that.” Blackmon stood on the frontlines in Ferguson n “It ain’t about amidst the constant protest nothing to stand in in response to the death the streets yelling if of Michael Brown Jr. last we don’t take care August. Thursday, August 20 of our own.” she was less than two blocks away from the heart – Rev. Traci of the unrest, helping a Blackmon community bid farewell to 9-year-old Jamyla Bolden. The fourth grade Ferguson resident was killed when a stray bullet entered her home Tuesday, August 18. A crowd of nearly 400 – including dozens of children – filled the 9200 block of Ellison to participate in a candlelight vigil, balloon release and march in memory of Jamyla. See JAMYLA, A6
Superintendent on the street Tiffany Anderson honored as Stellar Performer Sept. 25 Salute
Tyrone Willingham
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American At 7 a.m. on August 21, Jennings Schools Superintendent Tiffany Anderson stood on the corner of one of the district’s busiest intersections dressed in a skirt suit – but with white tennis shoes on her feet. She leaned on her hand-held stop sign like a
cane, waiting to serve as a crossing guard for families. “It’s a beautiful way to start and end your day,” said Anderson, who became superintendent in 2012. The district serves about 2,500 students in eight schools and one
2015
alternative program. “I love being on the street,” she said. “I call everybody Mom and Dad. This morning alone, I got to fix problems that I probably wouldn’t have if I was just in an office or walking through a school building.” That morning, a mother told See ANDERSON, A6
Tiffany Anderson
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
A2
Rose are getting their own MTV reality show. The celebrity news and gossip site says it’s close to being a done deal with contracts on the table. Friends in real life, Rose and Chyna are known for having children with high-profile rappers and for feuding with the Kardashian/Jenner clan. Sources close to production say the show will focus on Rose and Chyna taking care of their kids while juggling work, including club appearances. No word if either of their famous exes Wiz Khalifa or Tyga – who already has a show on Blac MTV2 will be involved with the project. Chyna
studio incident with Suge and look how he acknowledged & admits on this interview with #JimmyKimmel injecting ppl instead of shooting them is a new thing that’s done. Oh n let’s not touch the topic on Ice Cube naming his album ‘Lethal Injection.’”
THE STUFF THAT HAS PEOPLE TALKING
Terrence Howard wins alimony battle with ex-wife
Eazy-E’s son claims Suge Knight is responsible for rapper’s death Last week old video surfaced of Suge Knight joking about killing people by injecting them with HIV positive “like Eazy E” while being interviewed by late night television host Jimmy Kimmel. In an angry post on Instagram, Lil Eazy E reposted the video of Knight and used the caption to say the former Death Row Records boss is to blame for his father’s lifeending battle with HIV/AIDS. “I’ve been known my pops was killed. His death never added up 2 what ppl have always said maybe they think we’re idiots blind to the truth idk….but 4 u new fans, youngsters & ppl who just don’t know much notice in #StraightOuttaCompton. Eazy did not get sick until after the Lil Eazy E
For the past year Terrence Howard and his second ex-wife Michelle Ghent have been fighting over their divorce settlement with Howard claiming Ghent blackmailed him into a bigger settlement by threatening to expose embarrassing information about him. A judge overturned Howard’s divorce settlement, agreeing with the “Empire” star that he signed the original settlement under duress. Howard and Ghent will now have to renegotiate the terms of their divorce.
Blac Chyna and Amber Rose headed to reality TV According to TMZ, Blac Chyna and Amber
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
Bree reflects on Ferguson visit
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Newsome says unrest here gave the movement ‘a revolutionary spirit’ By Chris King Of The St. Louis American When Bree Newsome visited Ferguson to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown Jr.’s being killed, she was not going back to the source of her activism. It was actually the Trayvon Martin killing in 2012 that brought her into what is now a national movement. But in Ferguson she was visiting the place, she said, where people really began to fight back against a newly defined common enemy. “Trayvon Martin, that was when I got pulled in, that was when a lot of people got pulled in,” Newsome told The St. Louis American in an August 14 interview. “But Ferguson was a flashpoint moment.” Newsome is the Charlotte, North Carolina organizer who literally climbed her way to a national platform by scaling a flagpole at the South Carolina capitol and taking down the Confederate battle flag on June 27, aided by another activist, James Tyson. She has credited Ferguson as an inspiration for her daring action. “I spent a sleepless week watching live feeds,” Newsome said of the Ferguson unrest. “I followed people on social media. I was so inspired.” Now she appreciates that Ferguson also inspired many other people to get more engaged and active. “Prior to Ferguson, there was a movement, but it looked like gradualism,” Newsome said. “There was a push for
reform, but I don’t remember a larger conversation about dismantling white supremacy. Ferguson tipped it more in that direction. It gave it more of a revolutionary spirit.” Reforming the police – to many – seems very ambitious, given how entrenched and powerful the police are. But it’s a walk through the park compared to dismantling white supremacy. “Dismantling white supremacy means changing part of the very fundamental ideology that this country was built on,” Newsome said, adding, “not a great ideology, by the way.” Gradualism versus revolution was much discussed within the movement over the Ferguson Commemoration Weekend. Those conversations continue. Newsome said, “It’s something I am still thinking about right now” when asked about it. “I don’t think any of it will be an overnight win, but then I could be wrong,” she said. “I could not have foreseen Ferguson.” The uprising in Ferguson, she said, accelerated the movement more than anyone foresaw. “A lot of the movement has been reactionary – there is an event, someone is killed, there is a protest,” she said. “These are reactionary things to bring attention, to create enough disruption that the problem can no longer be ignored.” After Ferguson, she said, the almost daily police killing of an African American routinely “makes the evening news,” so disruption is succeeding on
Photo by Wiley Price
When the family asked Bree Newsome to speak at the memorial for Michael Brown Jr. in Canfield on August 9, she got and returned much love from the large crowd.
that point; the incidents are no being ignored. But the killings continue, so the movement continues and tries to find ways to be effective. “We realize you don’t make change just by reacting,” Newsome said. “I am seeing a pivot by the movement. We are asking: ‘What are the next steps? What proactive stance do we take to make that change? What does that look like?’”
Bree visits West Florissant Newsome was invited to Ferguson by Rev. Osagyefo Sekou, a frontline pastor and native of North St. Louis. On the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown Jr.’s death, Sekou gave her an early morning tour of Ferguson, which was the first time she saw West Florissant Avenue
or the Ferguson Police Department. “Sekou pointed out parts of the city that had been on fire,” Newsome said. “He would say, ‘This is where a helicopter was beaming a light down on me and I thought I was going to be killed. This is the McDonalds where you saw milk being poured over people’s eyes.” On August 9, 2015, however, Ferguson looked like any other non-descript American ring suburb. “To be in a place that looks like any other town, but to know these things happened there, the only other climate I have seen like that is Baltimore,” Newsome said. “I went to Baltimore the day after the indictments in the Freddie Gray killing, and that town had been through a whole lot at that point.” Newsome is a local organizer in Charlotte who was thrust into the national spotlight
through a daring and historic direct action. She retains very much the vibe of a local organizer and was fascinated to mingle with people on the ground in Ferguson. She experienced the routine Ferguson movement pleasures of meeting up at MoKaBe’s and dining on a People’s Brunch prepared by Mama Kat. “It was really amazing to meet all these different people,” Newsome said. “Some I’d seen on Twitter, from a distance. Clearly it is a protest community that has sustained itself for a year now. They are truly members of a community working together among themselves. It’s not as much formal organizations there, but just the people themselves.” Sekou invited her to speak on a panel following remarks by Dr. Cornel West at Greater St. Mark Family Church in Ferguson on Sunday night, the night of the one-year
anniversary. The Brown family asked her to speak briefly at the memorial service on Canfield Drive earlier that day. She also joined the Moral Monday march to the Department of Justice building in downtown St. Louis. But she otherwise kept a low profile while here. “This being my first time there I wanted to be in more of a supportive role, not always in front of a camera,” Newsome said. “I also understand as a local organizer the need to be respectful of other people’s space.” In Charlotte, she is a local, unpaid organizer with The Tribe, a member of the Charlotte Branch of the NAACP and a paid staff organizer for Ignite North Carolina, which facilitates fellowships for young organizers, ages 18-30. In Ferguson and St. Louis, she did not want to be close enough to a direct action to get arrested while her own charges are pending. She said she has a trial date set for November 19, but has not spoken with her counsel, Todd Rutherford (who is also the House minority leader in the South Carolina state Legislature), since she first appeared before the court after her action. “I am charged with defacing state property, but we were careful not to deface anything,” Newsome said. “There was a flag back up in 45 minutes. I highly doubt they will give me the three-year maximum, but I honestly don’t have a read on what is likely to happen.” In the meantime, no thanks, but she does not want to come to your city and take down your local racist symbol. She already has been invited “to come take down every Confederate flag in America,” but she would prefer to let her example speak for itself. “I really want people to look at what I did and see what they can do, in terms of direct actions,” she said. “Some people have told me that what I did inspired them. That’s amazing. I want people to emulate my action.”
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Editorial / Commentary A4
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
Is Jamyla the movement’s next moment?
It remains to be seen whether Jamyla Bolden will have the same transformative power in her death that Michael Brown Jr. is having in his, but when the studious 9-year-old Ferguson girl was remembered two days after she was killed by a stray civilian bullet, many people promised that Jamyla would have an angelic power to inspire positive change. “It’s the enemy within that we’ve got to fight here,” the Rev. Traci Blackmon said Thursday, August 20, less than two blocks from the heart of the unrest in Ferguson. “It ain’t about nothing to stand in the streets yelling if we don’t take care of our own.” Blackmon can challenge the community from within. As pastor of Christ the King United Church of Christ in neighboring Florissant, she has been a frontline Black Lives protest clergy supporter from early August on. Her leadership and credibility led Gov. Jay Nixon to appoint her to the Ferguson Commission. She has remained throughout a liberation theologian convinced, along with the young people who sparked the movement, that black people in America still are not free. And they are determined to change that. The senseless slaughter of a 9-year-old who was studying for school woke Blackmon up, the way the senseless killing of Mike Brown over a jaywalking incident woke up many black millennials and their diverse supporters. The life and liberty of black people are also being threatened and destroyed
by people within our own community, Blackmon was saying. And it stops today. “We need justice for this little girl,” said April Cooks, who organized the August 20 vigil on behalf of her uncle, Jamyla’s father James Bolden, and family. But seeking justice in the death of a child by street gunfire means turning to some of the very law enforcement officials that have been singled out for protest by the Ferguson movement: police and prosecutors. The cousin
n Our youth who are not shot and killed are still deeply hurt and scarred by knowing so many young people who are injured and killed by guns.
of the girl they were mourning encouraged people to assist the police investigation – if only for their own safety. “For those of you that might know something, think about how the man walking around here can do it to your child,” Cooks said. “Think about what you are keeping to yourself.” Even Brother Anthony Shahid – who protests police wearing a parody of a police uniform that includes a noose and dangling stuffed puppies, reminders of cop canines turned on black people – connected the crime of the
civilian to the crimes of cops who kill. “If the police shoot us, we’re gonna address it,” Brother Shahid said, before turning his address directly to the killer of Jamyla: “but if you shoot us, we’re gonna address you too. What we cannot do in this community is allow this kind of devastation on our families.” In fact, the civilians shooting and killing in the black community are causing devastation upon the entire community, from the earliest age. The stress and trauma endured by the young peers of Jamyla Bolden going through this tragedy is incalculable. Our youth who are not shot and killed are still deeply hurt and scarred by knowing so many young people who are injured and killed by guns. This stops today. Shahid addressed the killer: “You took the life of a little baby that was doing her homework. We can’t let you do this.” The Ferguson movement has been insulted and dismissed by many people because it preaches “Black Lives Matter” while pursuing justice only for black lives ended by police. As we have said before, any people or generation can pick its own defining issue, and the deadly disparate impact of law enforcement on African Americans is a life-or-death stand-alone issue. But for all those haters who demanded more of the movement, who insisted the movement also needed to embrace black lives killed by the street, Jamyla just might be the movement’s next moment.
As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues
‘Slayed’ by Civilian Oversight legislation By Rev. Dinah L. Tatman For The St. Louis American After much fanfare and celebration, St. Louis now has a Civilian Oversight Board. A question still remains: Is the legislation signed into law truly effective? And does this legislation provide St. Louis with the Civilian Oversight Board (COB) that citizens requested? The best way to evaluate whether this 2015 COB legislation is effective is to go back to 2006 when the Board of Aldermen passed the very first Civilian Review Board legislation. Back in 2006, Aldermen Terry Kennedy, Dionne Flowers, Charles Quincy Troupe, Freeman Bosley Sr., O.L. Shelton, April Ford Griffin, Lewis Reed, Mike McMillan, Bennice Jones King, Jeffery Boyd, Frank Williamson and Gregory Carter fought for the creation of legislation establishing a Civilian Review Board. As a result of their tenacious efforts, in March 2006 they were able to pass, despite filibuster attempts and Slay opposition, remarkable legislation. Looking back at this 2006 aldermanic victory through the lens of the Mike Brown killing and the subsequent worldwide uprising, these African-American aldermen and alderwomen look almost prophet. In 2006 the St. Louis Board of Aldermen insisted upon including these words in their legislation: “WHEREAS, the question of police… use of deadly force and racial profiling, remains an ongoing source of controversy between the Saint Louis Police Department and the citizens of Saint Louis, and “WHEREAS, complaint procedures established
by police Internal Affairs Departments to detect and enforce standards of conduct have proved significantly inadequate in ending police abuses, ending the appearance of impropriety or engendering public confidence in a fair and unbiased process…” Sadly, none of that specific language made it to the 2015 COB legislation. In fact, the entire Civilian Review Board (CRB) law was killed by a Francis Slay veto. At the time, Mayor Slay justified his veto by claiming that he didn’t like the straighttalk language pertaining to the police and he was concerned that there was no legal authority for CRB subpoena power. As grandma used to say: “Mayhaps that’s the truth and mayhaps it ain’t.” Guest Columnist Nevertheless, Rev. Dinah by comparing L. Tatman and contrasting the 2006 CRB and the Slaysupported 2015 COB, we know it is not a complete list of things Slay opposed in that first CRB legislation. In 2006 the CRB had the authority to: • Conduct Independent, meaningful investigations • Conduct joint investigations with IAD PRIOR to an IAD finding • Use subpoena power to compel testimony • Make recommendations about discipline and confer about discipline • Select their OWN executive director • Create internal policies independently • Hire independent staff • Raise monies to supplement
their costs • Hire independent attorneys • Conduct audits regarding implementation of previous policy recommendations • Issue reports/make analysis based upon collected data from the year’s complaints • Make policy recommendations. In 2015, the Slay-supported COB legislation bore little resemblance to 2006 CRB. All of the powerful elements were gutted. They even defanged the name, changing it from Civilian Review to Civilian Oversight. To get a sense of the powerlessness of this 2015, COB one simply has to understand the meaning the adage “you dance with the one who brung you.” Every member of the 2015 COB is selected by the mayor. In addition, all staff for the COB comes from St. Louis City’s Department of Public Safety. In fact, the director of Public Safety selects office space and must be conferred with before the COB: drafts/ adopts internal rules, drafts/ adopts office protocol, and selects employees or an executive director. Any legal questions are directed to the City Counselor’s office. Who appoints the director of Public Safety and the City Counselor? Mayor Francis Slay. So whose tune will the director of Public Safety and his staff be dancing to – the COB or the one “who brung ‘em,” Mayor Slay? It’s really quite sad actually. After this region became the birthplace for a worldwide movement that is centered on police brutality, we answered the call to action with fearful, feckless, Slay-dominated legislation. Rev. Dinah L. Tatman is CEO & founder of Greater New Vision Ministries, Inc.
As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues
Seeing God in the uprising By Rev. Renita Lamkin For The St. Louis American I arrived in Ferguson on Sunday, August 9, finding activists engaged in resistance through protest. Police paddy wagons were arriving, and their stance was changing – the atmosphere was shifting. I made my way through the crowd. The police are preparing to aggress, which will include arrests. Are you straight? If you don’t make it home tonight, are your babies good? Is your car secure? If you don’t make it to work tomorrow, are you good? As activists realized that the police were preparing their next move, many started toward the sidewalks. Our nonchalant walk turned to running for cover as shots rang out behind us. Activists were frantically looking for their protest partners, family members and children – it was terrifying! When we were able to reenter the area, activists again faced off with police. In the chaos one young man just sat down in the middle of the street. Police yelled at him to move, but he was too traumatized. I urged him, “C’mon, baby, let’s go.” He looked up and asked, “How long? How long do I have before they take me out? If the streets don’t get us, the police will.” Tears were running down his face, so I just sat on the street with him until he was ready. Later in the night we were sitting in the street again—this time in front of the police. “You’re a pastor, right?” he
asked. Yes. “Then you talk to God, right?” Well, yes. “Can you tell me why God lets this stuff happen?” Right there in the middle of West Florissant, with police in riot gear before us and shouts of F* the Police behind us, this young man and I engaged the issue of theodicy which has plagued humankind since existence: Where is God in the presence of evil? I answered, “Us sitting Guest Columnist here together – watching out for Rev. Renita each other and Lamkin fighting with each other – is the presence of God on earth.” My answer felt lame then and feels lame now. However, in that moment it seemed to bring him comfort. He squeezed my hand and we chanted together, “The people. United. Shall never be defeated.” I believe folks struggle with seeing God in the uprising because what they see is interpreted as hate toward the men and women line officers. The officers serve as enforcers of the system of oppression hell-bent on genocide and therefore receive verbal condemnation. The words chanted, spoken, yelled and cussed are not out of hate for police, but rather out of love of and desperation for life. Too many of our young people live with the reality of never knowing when their
Letters to the Editor Prophetic yet applicable Ishmael-Lateef Ahmad’s article “Stop fighting the Civil War” can be boiled-down to one paragraph. He wrote, “In this United States of America, I have no problem keeping symbols of the Confederacy in museums and in history books. But to flaunt them in a world trying to rid itself of racism and bigotry does not help to build a stronger union.” That single statement is prophetic yet applicable to contemporary America. A “stronger union” is an America that serves all of its citizens, and that union cannot be predicated on a cornerstone that includes idolizing division and inequality. The prophecy of tomorrow begins today when it comes to the eradication of racism and bigotry. So let’s put the symbols of the Confederacy where they belong, in museums and history books. Michael K. Broughton Green Park
time is up. Daily harassed by police who exploit authority and flex power, the community is constantly on edge. Parents, myself included, have a permanent lump in our stomachs, which stirs every time our black children venture out. This reality begs the question, “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” As I write this, the community was again terrorized by teargas, pepper spray and rubber bullets while grieving two more statesanctioned murders of young black men. Again, I stood on the street with young men and women who wonder if they will be next. The policies and practices that lead police to shoot to kill and allow police to shoot persons fleeing must be changed. Those who order and allow chemical warfare against citizens in our neighborhoods must be changed. The system will be disturbed, disrupted and resisted until it bends toward justice. No justice, no peace. So, where is God? God is in our fight for justice – in our words on the streets and in the meetings; in our songs and chants; in our memorials and videos; in our banners, signs and gigantic kites. God is in our resistance. I know. I know that we will win—we are winning. Rev. Renita Lamkin is an ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church pursuing a doctorate in ministry in social justice from Eden Seminary.
All letters are edited for length and style.
abortion views and furthering an extreme political agenda to end access to safe, legal abortion in the state. The political attacks claiming that Planned Parenthood profits in any way from tissue donation or illegal activity are simply not true. Some Planned Parenthood affiliates in the country have programs for women and families who want to donate tissue to leading research institutions that will use it to help find treatment and cures for diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Mary M Kogut, president and CEO Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri
Uncritical acceptance It saddens me that the community unquestionably accepts Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls which is
segregated two ways, by gender and race, as an educational resource for our children. Forty years ago schools segregated by race or gender were thought to be detrimental to a child’s education. Single gender schools were especially thought to hamper the ability of young women to learn to compete in what was then and largely still is the male dominated work place. Most single gender schools became co-ed. Why is this school being welcomed as a good thing? The uncritical response to this school is even more disturbing considering that its executive director, Mary Danforth Stillman, is the daughter of former Senator John Danforth. Senator Danforth sponsored Clarence Thomas’s nomination to the Supreme Court and excoriated law professor Anita Hill for outing Thomas as a sexual harasser. Susan Turk, Via e-mail
Highest medical and ethical standards Planned Parenthood follows all laws and has the highest medical and ethical standards. Public records demonstrate this. The plain fact that the affiliates in Missouri are not participating in tissue donation programs underscores that these state legislative committee meetings are about political grandstanding, not facts. This is yet another orchestrated attempt to restrict access to safe, legal abortion in Missouri and to the needed services Planned Parenthood has provided for nearly 100 years. Our abortion services are regulated and licensed by the Department of Health. The department’s thorough, unannounced inspections have found compliance with all state laws, including those that govern tissue and medical research. Despite these facts, Senator Kurt Schaefer is spending valuable taxpayer dollars to convene an Interim Senate Committee with the sole purpose of spreading anti-
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
Moving past the blame to unified action
By Jamala Rogers Of The St. Louis American “Everyone is crying out for peace, yes None is crying out for justice.” The above are lyrics from reggae artist Peter Tosh’s song “Equal Rights.” The song comes to mind when I hear families’ unspeakable pain after violence has taken a loved one. I would change Tosh’s lyric to: “Everyone is crying out for peace, yes But most are not working for justice.” #BlackLivesMatter has become a powerful banner to wave in the face of racist oppression and repression. It’s also a coalescing space for those who want to work to make Black Lives Matter on many fronts. Yes, we hear the variation of cries to “Stop the Violence,” but often there’s no action plan as to how to stop it, no discussion about the roots of the violence, no agreement
on who’s the main perpetrator of the violence. A thousand chants into the stratosphere or, in the words of Sweet Honey in the Rock, mothers “crying tears that fill a million oceans” will not bring us the peace we so desperately seek. We must actually do the work for justice in a tangible and meaningful way. Recently three families experienced the death of loved ones by violence. They all called out in pain, confusion, anger and frustration to the social forces engaged in racial justice work. St. Louis Alderman Jeffrey lost his 23-year-old nephew Rashad Farmer to gun violence. His initial response was to ask, “Who’s going to protest this death?” – referring to the community outcry in the cases of Mike Brown, VonDerrit Myers, etc. The black St. Louis cop who was shot as he sat in his car questioned why he “didn’t hear any politicians, any clergy, no one reached out to me on any hashtag.” The officer’s wife also took to Facebook asking
if her husband’s black life injustices in the U.S. didn’t matter because he was The Ferguson Rebellion a cop. The officer survived his peeled back systemic violations injuries. of human rights, not just in Zachary Hammond is a Ferguson or North County white 19-year-old youth who but in the St. Louis region was gunned down by Seneca, and nationwide. This energy South Carolina police connected with other during a so-called urban communities drug stop. The initial experiencing identical autopsy showed injustices. Very Hammond’s bullet quickly the demands wounds were from for accountability the side and back, by the Three P’s – contradicting the police, politicians police report, which and preachers – and says that the teen was beyond were voiced. fired on as he tried to Our community run over police with needs to see them Jamala his car. Hammond’s unapologetically Rogers family and attorney advocating for the also asked the rights and dignity of rhetorical question as to where black folks in a visible way. the protests were for Zachary’s The Ferguson Movement killing. has called for greater These acts of violence accountability of all those did not occur in a vacuum who are part of the oppressive and were different from each system, whether that role is other, yet all the families aggressive or passive, whether invoked the support of the you’re just a cog in the system #BlackLivesMatter movement or whether you’re actively in their hour of need. But this propping it up. The violence movement is not a panacea that results from that system for resolving all the racist can come from the barrel
of a gun or from the stroke a keyboard. The layers of violence are heavy upon us and must be dismantled. Black cops need to be standing up and speaking out against police terror. Black elected officials need to take the power given to them by the people to actively fight for better jobs, better schools, better housing and better health care. Black faith leaders need to use their pulpits to educate and activate their congregations to be change agents in those fights. Black youth need to see us fighting for their lives, even when it seems like they don’t care about us or themselves. White communities need to be working aggressively in solidarity with efforts to make the system accountable to black people. When this doesn’t happen in a quantitative way, the problem can spill over into white communities, especially white working-class communities. The best example is the drug epidemic that was imposed on black communities; drugs don’t bother with color or class, they just claim
victims. Basically, whites saw it as a “black” problem – until it invaded their tranquil neighborhoods. Now, heroin is moving with a vengeance into white suburbia. Black Lives Matter not because of a hashtag but because it is a fundamental affirmation of humanity. Black people and our allies have been and are fighting to make it so. Our black lives are affirmed when we consciously and intentionally work to affirm all black lives, regardless of their employment (or lack thereof), their education, their title, their criminal record or where they live. Any justice-loving person can be a part of this movement for making Black Lives Matter. You don’t have to wait until injustice knocks on your door. I do believe the only requirements for joining the movement are compassion for humanity and commitment to transform a racist system. We must build a big, broad, effective movement. The membership is always open – step on up.
SLPS Healthy Schools initiative
Back to school
Students in the Carr Square, Carondelet and Greater Ville communities are coming back to school with healthier improvements. Some to include: a new school garden, access to a water bottle filling station, more equipment for physical activity, and some new school policies that will help students have greater access to healthy food and physical activity. These new additions at Woodward, Gateway and Hickey Elementary along with Gateway Middle School are part of Missouri Foundation for Health’s Healthy Schools Healthy Communities (HSHC) initiative. The new Healthy Celebrations Policy also will give the district a chance to encourage healthy snacks, and remove the multiple individual sugary birthday celebrations, while still giving them a monthly opportunity to celebrate our kids’ birthday, she said. Efforts to increase access to healthy food and physical activity in St. Louis City, co-led by St. Louis Public Schools and BJC School Outreach and Youth Development, began last year as one of 13 HSHC collaborations supported by Missouri Foundation for Health to build a healthier future across Missouri. HSHC brings together school district personnel, neighborhood residents, business owners, social service agencies and government entities to identify and push for changes that increase access to healthy food and physical activity where our kids live, learn and play.
St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Kelvin Adams greets students at Sigel Elementary School on the first day of school on August 17.
Photo by Wiley Price
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“It doesn’t take a lot of courage to face the devil that’s outside – that you can see,” Blackmon said, referring to the protests. “But it’s the enemy within that we’ve got to fight here. This is our neighborhood. It ain’t about nothing to stand in the streets yelling if we don’t take care of our own.” In her short life, Jamyla clearly had an impact on all who knew her. “My cousin was an angel on this earth,” said April Cooks. She organized the vigil on behalf of her uncle, Jamyla’s father James Bolden, and the rest of the family. In her death, Jamyla moved those who had never met her to tears. The thought of having her life snatched away in a place expected to be a guaranteed safety zone seemed too much to bear. Ferguson police officers – who stood as statues while having expletives shouted at them during heated moments of protest – broke down crying. Some stood stoically with tears streaming down their face, while others melted into their emotions. “We are going to do everything we can, and we will not give up. Trust me,” said interim Ferguson Police Chief Andre Anderson. But seeing the young girl’s peers attempt to come to grips with their loss in front of the home where Jamyla lived – and died – was the most difficult to watch. Children who should have
ANDERSON Continued from A1
Anderson that her middleschool student had not been able to register for school because she didn’t have any utility bills. Yet, her elementary student had been able to register just fine. Another
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Ferguson police officers and interim Chief Andre Anderson mourned along with the community at the August 20 vigil for Jamyla Bolden, a 9-year-old girl killed by a stray civilian bullet while studying. been home preparing for the next school day – or soaking up what was left of the sun – wailed and leaned on each other. “My heart goes out as I hear these children cry,” said activist Zaki Baruti, who served as master of ceremonies. “This is an abnormal reality in
our community.” They kept crying. James Bolden’s entire body shook as he attempted to hold a megaphone and muster enough composure to address the group that came to show their solidarity and support. Jamyla’s mother Kendric Henderson was understandably absent.
“I am deeply hurt, but I am very grateful that everybody came out to celebrate and lift up my daughter Jamyla Bolden in peace, love and unity,” James said. “And to the person that did this, I say whatever the situation was that happened, you had a choice.” Between the tears,
prayers and reflections there was a resounding cry for the community to aid law enforcement in helping identify Jamyla’s killer. “We need justice for this little girl,” Cooks said. “For those of you that might know something, think about how the man walking around here
mother told her that they needed groceries – something Anderson didn’t think the mother would have mentioned to her inside the school. “There is something about walking into a school or hospital that sometimes causes people to have a defense mechanism that they don’t even recognize they have,” she said. On September 25, Anderson
will receive the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2015 Stellar Performer in Education Award at the 2015 Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala, to be held at the America’s Center Ballroom. The gala will begin at 7 p.m., following a reception at 6 p.m. A St. Louis native, Anderson grew up near the
Jennings School District, and her parents, both former Jennings residents, still reside in North County. “I have a tremendous dedication to making sure that in St. Louis County and city we thrive as a community,” she said. “Good schools are the center of any community, and when you have good schools you have good neighborhoods.”
However, Anderson has taken that mantra a step further. More than 95 percent of the district’s students receive free or reduced-price lunch. Many students are on the verge of homelessness or in the care of a grandparent, extended family member or distant relative. Under her leadership, the district now provides students with three meals a day, along with services for their 200 homeless families. They also have one of the largest schoolbased food pantries in the area – distributing 8,000 pounds of food each month. Just this year, they opened a health clinic at the high school. “It lets them know that we care, that we love them,” Anderson said. “And that all they really have to do is to make sure their kids show up, and we’ll take care of the rest. If that’s all they can do is physically get them here – and they don’t have clothes or food or supplies, that’s okay. We have all of that.” On Anderson’s first day as superintendent – July 1, 2012 – she started writing grant applications. Her tenacity landed a $90,000 federal grant to assist homeless students and their families. This allows the district to employ a homeless coordinator who tends to the 200-plus students who are homeless in the district. It also pays for students’ college prep exams, college visits and other support. The second grant she secured was a $1.6 million grant to expand afterschool programs. With that money, the district has been able to open the seniorhigh swimming pool, which was closed before she arrived. Now the district offers swim lessons, dance and tutoring after school. Most of the schools provide some sort of child care or activity up until 6 or 7 p.m. Anderson first moved back
can do it to your child. Think about what you are keeping to yourself.” During the march, children led the way and chanted. “Justice for Jamya” for most of the way from Jamyla’s home to site where Michael Brown Jr. was killed in the Canfield Green Apartments. It turned into a call and response, with the adults starting off “Justice for …” and the youngsters passionately screaming, “Jamyla!” “I’m affected today,” Brother Anthony Shahid admitted to the crowd. “People are probably saying, ‘If it was your son or daughter how would you feel?’ What I want you to understand is that this is your daughter.” Shahid asked the marchers to shout out the name of their own daughters as they prepared to disperse. “Now you can understand that this is your daughter,” Shahid said. He also promised to galvanize black men so that they can “take back the streets” from the criminal element. “If the police shoot us, we’re gonna address it – but if you shoot us, we’re gonna address you too,” Shahid said. “What we cannot do in this community is allow this kind of devastation on our families.” Shahid addressed the killer: “You took the life of a little baby that was doing her homework. We can’t let you do this.” The reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Jamyla Bolden’s killer had reached $8,265 by press time. Call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.
to Missouri when she accepted a superintendent position at University Academy, a college prep charter school in Kansas City. Under her leadership, it became one of the highestperforming urban academies. In 2012 University Academy was recognized with Distinction in Performance for exceeding the 14 Missouri state standards for accreditation. When she started at Jennings, the district had a significant fiscal deficit, and it was bordering on going from provisionally accredited to unaccredited, like its neighboring school districts of Normandy and Riverview Gardens. Although still provisionally accredited, the district has made some of the most significant gains on the state’s annual academic performance reports among regional schools. Anderson said the high school is one of their “shining stars” in terms of academic proficiency and its 93 percent four-year graduation rate. “That’s a four-year graduation rate for 100 percent poverty, 98 percent African American students,” she said. “That’s unheard of in many places.” “It’s a district that was struggling not long ago,” she said, but by changing how they serve families, they have instilled hope. She said, “I believe that you have to serve the whole child in order to move things forward.” The 2015 Salute to Excellence in Education Gala will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, September 25 at the America’s Center Ballroom, following a reception at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale now. Individual tickets are $85 each/$850 table, and VIP/Corporate tickets are $1,500 table. For more information or to purchase tickets, visitwww.stlamerican. com and click on Salute to Excellence, or call 314-5338000.
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
MANSUR Continued from A1
18, was not inside the house when police executed a search warrant at 1211 Walton Ave. on August 19 – nor were they carrying guns, Wooten said about the boy’s statement. The story contradicts what police have said transpired when members of the police Special Operations Unit and Tactical Team searched for weapons and drugs at the home near Page Boulevard and Walton Avenue that Wednesday morning. The raid ended in Ball-Bey’s death on the front lawn of 1233 Walton Ave. Police said that Ball-Bey and a 14-year-old, both black males, fled out the back of the house that they were raiding and ran into the alley. Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce – who launched a simultaneous investigation into the killing – said she could not confirm that her office took the boy’s statement because it’s an active investigation. Police did not respond to The St. Louis American’s request for comment by press time. According to Wooten, the boy told both investigative teams that Ball-Bey had stepped off the bus at Page Boulevard and Walton Avenue, after getting off work from Fed-Ex that morning. BallBey and he went to the corner store and then walked to 1211 Walton Ave., where Ball-Bey’s aunt lived, the youth said. Ball-Bey had knocked on the door, probably about 10 minutes before the raid, but no one answered, Wooten said. They then walked over to 1233 Walton Ave., where his cousin lived. They were walking around in the backyard and then in the alley right behind 1233 Walton, Wooten said of the boy’s interview, because that’s an area where people congregate in the neighborhood. At around 11:30 a.m., BallBey and the boy saw two men with guns coming towards them in the alley from Page,
and they took off running in different directions, Wooten said. The men did not identify themselves as police, Wooten said. Ball-Bey ran down the gangway at 1233 Walton Ave., and the boy ran towards Bayard Avenue. At some point, the boy turned back and saw the words “Police” on their vests, but by that time he thought he had already heard gunshots fired, Wooten said. The boy hid in a stairwell and then ran home, Wooten said. According to Wooten, the mother said that he ran into the house crying that police had killed his friend. He had not seen him shot dead, but he just had a feeling, Wooten said. After some encouragement from Wooten, the mother agreed to bring her son forward to give a statement, Wooten said. The boy said he had known Ball-Bey all of his life. Although Ball-Bey did not live in the neighborhood, he would frequently visit his relatives there. The two were supposed to work on a music project together later that afternoon, Wooten said. ‘He was a good son’ On August 25 at dusk, about 150 people, including many friends and family members, gathered at Becky Park – not far from where Ball-Bey was killed – to pray and release balloons in his memory. Forming a circle around Mansur’s parents, they extended their hands to Barbara and Dennis Ball-Bey. “Even though we may have lost someone, we don’t know what this pain is like, oh God,” said a pastor who let the prayer vigil. “Help us to pour more life and love into them.” Mansur’s friend, John Muhammed, 24, stood close to the parents in an all-black suit. He said Mansur was a “quiet individual” and had been his brother in the Moorish Science Temple of America at 2918 North Sarah St. “Every Friday and Sunday he’d be at the temple studying,” he said. “He was fully active in the temple.” When asked if he believed
Photo by Wiley Price
The community demanded answers from the St. Louis police on August 19 after 18-year-old Mansur Ball-Bey was shot in the back by police and killed near Page and Walton in the Fountain Park neighborhood. Ball-Bey could have been involved in any criminal activity, Muhammed said, “Absolutely not. His parents didn’t pray that. His parents are very strict.” Muhammed also said Mansur loved music and was always humming some kind of music. Robinette Chandler, his older cousin, said Mansur liked to hang out with his family. “He wasn’t into the street,” she said. “I don’t understand how something like this could happen to a kid as good as he was. He liked to work; that was his number one thing.” She said her last good memory of him was at the hospital when his sister had her baby three months ago. “He was just so happy holding his first niece,” she said. Tasha, Mansur’s sister, held her newborn baby as the balloons released into the air. She described her brother as a “goof ball.” “He was just a kid,” she
said. Talking about memories of him was still too hard for her and her family, she said. However, Mansur’s father, Dennis, said, “He was a good son, and I’m going to miss him so much. Please say that.” Conflicting accounts On August 24, Wooten and his team led a walkthrough of the crime scene with media. Wooten said only two individuals were inside the house at the time of the police raid. One of them did not give a police statement, Wooten said, and the other told police and him that Ball-Bey was not in the house at the time of the raid. Sgt. Roger Engelhardt, head of the police department’s Force Investigation Unit, attended the attorneys’ briefing and confirmed with Wooten – away from the media – that the witness told police that Ball-Bey was not in the house, Wooten said. However, to the
press, Engelhardt said he could not say what the witnesses told them. He said police had four witnesses, but did not specify how many of them were police officers. Police have said that BallBey pointed a gun at them and then ran. However, the attorneys said the two did not have weapons. “Mansur had just come from his job at Fed-Ex,” Christmas said. “Why would he have a gun? None of the witnesses we’ve talked with said he had a gun.” Wooten told The St. Louis American that Ball-Bey’s record was “squeaky clean.” Police said they recovered the gun that they say Ball-Bey had. However, at the briefing, Engelhardt said the attorneys had witnesses that they have not heard from, and they would be interested in interviewing them as well. Joyce also is actively pursuing new witnesses and has enlisted the help of the St. Louis City Branch of
the NAACP to encourage witnesses to come forward. On August 21, St. Louis police’s preliminary autopsy results showed that Ball-Bey died from a gunshot wound in the back. Many felt this confirmed that he was running when he was killed and not preparing to fire at the officers, as police claimed. However, Police Chief Sam Dotson told The American, “There were two officers, and they weren’t standing in the same spot.” When asked if the investigation showed that one officer was standing in front of Ball-Bey and the other at his back, he said that’s still under investigation. Wooten pointed to inconsistencies in the police’s story. He said that in a house raid, there would have definitely been a “tactical team” stationed at the back door to ensure the security of the officers inside. Ball-Bey would have never gotten past the back porch – especially armed – if he was inside the house, Wooten said. Also, the gunshot wound went straight to an artery that leads to the heart, he said, and it would have been “impossible” for Ball-Bey to run two lots away, as police have claimed, after they shot him. He died almost instantly, Wooten said. The two officers involved in the shooting are described as white males, ages 33 and 29, both with about seven years on the police force. Both have been placed on administrative leave as per department policy. Christmas said that if the police had body cameras, they wouldn’t have the “controversy that we have right now.” Dotson said the department does not have any body cameras. “The police gave a narration as to what happened, and that narration isn’t plausible at all,” Wooten said, “so we want to give a correct narration. Mr. Ball-Bey was not here (at the house raid). Based on all the witnesses we talked to, Mr. Ball-Bey was not armed.”
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Congressman supports Campaign Zero
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
Clay: win-win for police and community
By Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay For The St. Louis American I want to express my strong support and admiration for the Campaign Zero initiative. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have the pleasure of knowing three of the talented young leaders who crafted the plan: Brittany Packnett (my former congressional staffer); DeRay Mckesson; and Johnetta Elzie. Many of the core principles that make up the Campaign
Zero initiative closely mirror the police and criminal justice reform legislation that I have already introduced in Guest Columnist Congress, the recommendations Wm. Lacy of President Obama’s Clay Taskforce on 21st Century Policing, and St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green’s timely proposal to
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
allocate unused ward capital funds to purchase body cameras and data storage equipment for all St. Louis police officers, at no additional cost to taxpayers. Body cameras for all police officers, better sensitivity
training, a renewed emphasis on de-escalation to prevent violent confrontations, and appointing an independent prosecutor in all cases when police employ deadly force are essential elements included
in both my post-Ferguson legislative agenda and Campaign Zero. The bottom line is this: Most police officers do a difficult and dangerous job with courage, bravery, devotion to duty and
professionalism. That’s true in St. Louis city and county and across the nation. But what is also true is that there are still far too many young African Americans and Latinos who interact with local police – and wind up dead. And more often than not, the community does not believe the explanation given by the local police department and the local prosecutor. So the “trust deficit” grows, violence increases and the quality of life declines. The core ideas contained in Campaign Zero can help our community and our nation begin to close this deadly divide. Campaign Zero can save lives while helping local police keep neighborhoods safer. It can also begin the process of addressing the staggering divisions and very real disparities that still perpetuate a system which provides equal justice for some, but not for all. Campaign Zero: http://www. joincampaignzero.org/. U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-St. Louis) represents Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
Mourning Jamyla and Mansur
Photos by Wiley Price and Lawrence Bryant
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
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Baltimore meets Ferguson
Activists from two sites of unrest discuss the movement
Art Museum Showcases Two West African Art Exhibits
By Mariah Stewart Ferguson Fellow When Baltimore and Ferguson activists gathered in Christ Cathedral Church on August 7 to discuss the year past and the future, it was one of the first of many meetings in honor of the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown Jr.’s death. A racially diverse crowd of some 50 people sat inside the art-filled sanctuary listening to the voices of six embedded activists who have experienced protests from the frontlines. Rev. Osagyefo Sekou, a frontline pastor at Ferguson protests who also traveled to Baltimore at the time of its unrest, said he sees a connection. “What’s unique about Baltimore and Ferguson is the way that young people took to the street and resisted,” Sekou said, “the way in which young people lead primarily the organizing infrastructure in the streets, as well as in the rooms negotiating with the powers.” Brittany Ferrell, co-founder of Millennial Activist United, is one of those young people. “The people who were sworn to protect us were violating our rights as human beings,” Ferrell said, “occupying our communities and exposing us to chemical substances. We do not know what it’s going to do to our bodies even 20 years from now.” Nabeehah Azeez, a local volunteer for MORE (Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment), left her job as a probation and parole officer when she was offered a position with MORE.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
The Rev. Osagyefo Sekou, a frontline Ferguson protest pastor, met Kevin Moore, the man who shot the Freddie Gray arrest video, in Baltimore on May 1.
“I quit to go work for my people,” said Azeez. Azeez helps with jail support. “Even if I only got one person out of jail, that would help make the significant impact in my world and my community,” Azeez said. Trey Murphy, who was on the ground in Baltimore, is involved with the Baltimore Algebra Project and jail support. “The judiciary system has to be radically transformed in order for people of color, particularly black people, to receive any real meaningful justice,” Murphy said. Lydia Mesekale, from Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle in Baltimore, recalled how the unrest began in Baltimore. She said there aren’t a lot of school buses in the area and many depend on public transportation to get home from school. When school closed early, so did the nearby transit stations, Mesekale said. “When you close the school down early and no one has made any plans, of course you’re going to go across to the mall and try to catch the bus or Metro to go home,” Mesekale said. “But they were met with
police already there.” Tawanda Jones is the sister of Tyrone West, who was killed by Baltimore police on July 18, 2013 at the age of 44 in an altercation following a traffic stop. Jones said she experienced a troubling pain during the exact time her brother died. “My whole world just ended,” Jones said. “My whole normal just ended right there.” Jones said she and her family were not allowed to get her brother’s body for five days and it took police 154 days to tell them that her brother died of a heart attack. “My brother was beat to death,” she said. Last December, Fox News issued an apology to Jones for editing footage of her to misleadingly make her appear to say, “Kill a cop.” Jones said she would never say such a thing. “Hatred and violence is what got my brother killed,” Jones said. “I would never want anyone killed. I just want these killer cops in cell blocks.” This story is published as part of a partnership between The Huffington Post and The St. Louis American.
Unidentified Yoruba artist, Wrapper (adire eleko), mid-20th century; cotton; 65 x 79 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of William C. Siegmann 1165:2010 who inhabit an area of West Africa known as the three-corners region – an area spanning northern Côte d’Ivoire, western Burkina Faso , and southern Mali. Artworks labeled as Senufo typically appeared as stationary displays in lively processions and performances during age-grade promotions, and funerary rituals. Senufo objects also adorned and served in intimate settings for domestic purposes. Among the many wooden masks and figure sculptures, there is a range of decorative arts including vessels of fired clay, sculptural heddle pulleys from weavers’ looms, caryatid containers, and personal adornments associated with the more secular domains of home, work, and self. Senufo: Art and Identity in West Africa is on view in our fee-based special exhibition galleries and will be on view through September 27. If your group or organization would like to see this extraordinary display of West African art and culture, please contact me at renee.franklin@slam.org. For more information on both of the art exhibitions and for a complete listing of programs related to the exhibition, please visit www.slam.org.
For many people visiting West Africa is their first cultural introduction to the Motherland. Culture and art are inseparable among the people on the continent and the convergence of the two is clearly seen in two current exhibitions on view at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Whether seeing familiar and beloved artistic creations or viewing the objects for the first time, a visit to the Art Museum to see Senufo: Art and Identity in West Africa and Adorning Self and Space: West African Textiles is well worth the trip. Adorning Self and Space: West African Textiles is an installation highlighting blankets, garments, and cloths demonstrating an array of design and pattern. The textiles created by artists of several cultures from Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, were produced to comfort and protect, and to proclaim identity, status, and style. Many of the textiles on view share a formal structure of strip-woven cloth that is the basis for myriad design variations. Other cloths in the exhibition merge foreign, industrially produced fabric with inventive techniques for dyeing and decorating that result in kaleidoscopic effects. The textiles on view were gifts to the Museum from the late William (Bill) Siegmann (1943—2011), a noted scholar and curator of African art. As part of his personal collection of African art, the textiles shown in Adorning Self and Space sometimes decorated Siegmann’s home in Brooklyn, New York, while also serving as tangible connections to his lived experiences in Africa. Likewise, the cloths were touchstones for the individuals and communities from whom they originate in West Africa, and for whom the textiles served to adorn self and space both for ceremony and the everyday. Adorning Self and Space: West African Textiles is a free installation on view in Gallery 100 through September 7. Senufo: Art and Identity in West Africa is a stunning collection of more than 170 masks, figure sculptures, and decorative arts not seen together in more than 50 years. Senufo refers to the group of peoples linguistically related
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
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Comptroller pushes to use ward capital funds for police body cams
St. Louis’ chief fiscal officer has put together a voting majority on the city’s chief fiscal body to push for funding body cameras for St. Louis police using existing funds set aside for capital improvements. On Tuesday, August 25, Comptroller Darlene Green sent Mayor Francis G. Slay and Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed – her counterparts on the city’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment – a letter urging them to consider using capital funds meant for neighborhood improvements to pay for police-worn body cameras. The American obtained a copy of the letter soon after it was delivered that morning, and by the afternoon the comptroller had garnered a Board of E&A majority when a spokesperson for the mayor said Slay agreed with the proposal. Green projected that the body-camera program would cost $1.5 to $2 million, and the city could fund it through the $30 million in “carry-over funds” that are part of the city’s Capital Improvement Program – funds generated from the city’s half-cent sales tax. The $30 million has accumulated over several years, Green claimed. A number of aldermen balked at the notion that they have that kind of money lying in their ward capital funds. Alderman Chris Carter said if Green knew about that much money the aldermen don’t know about, an investigation was in order. Alderman Antonio French posted numbers to disprove Green on Twitter; Green countered on the comptroller site with numbers that support her position. Though Green has a voting majority of the city’s chief
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
St. Louis Metropolitan Police responded to protests on the city’s West Side on August 19 following a fatal police shooting of a black teen, armed with tactical vehicles, high-powered rifles, potent chemical dispersants – but no body cameras.
fiscal body on her side, all she and Slay can get the Board of E&A to do is “make an urgent request” to the Board of Aldermen that they “immediately reallocate a sufficient portion of the ward capital accounts to fund body cameras for police officers.” So, whoever’s counting of the beans is most accurate, the aldermen ultimately get to decide whether or not to yield the funds.
Reed: find other money Reed – who sits on the Board of E&A and presides over the Board of Aldermen – opposes the idea. He supports the purchase of police body cameras, but not from these
funds. “As the only member of the Board of E&A that was in Ferguson at night in August of last year, I became one of the earliest proponents of the benefits body cameras can bring,” Reed told The American. “This $5 million being targeted as a source of funding is used to alleviate oppressive living conditions and reverse years of disinvestment in many of the city’s historically underserved neighborhoods, and I think it would be unfair to tell our residents they have to choose between these basic city services and body cameras – when other sources, like the asset forfeiture fund and federal grant funding, are available.” Reed made a specific suggestion. “Also on Thursday’s E&A agenda will be a decision to mortgage city buildings to pay a developer up to $17 million for land and development rights, and I will propose that we take $2 million of that $17 million as a source of funding for body cameras.”
NAACP: emergency allocation The comptroller has the support of the St. Louis City NAACP behind her. In an August 23 letter to Green, branch President Adolphus Pruitt told Green the implementation of body cameras should be declared an emergency. “All future officer-involved shootings have the potential of lighting the fuse of a powderkeg,” Pruitt wrote to her. He wrote her less than a week after heavily armed city
police patrolled protests on August 19 in the Fountain Park neighborhood after an officer-involved shooting. Police deployed tear gas in the residential West Side neighborhood. Pruitt wrote to Green that the police’s response to protestors in officerinvolved shootings has been “consistently problematic, resource-draining, impacting commerce and in some cases an endangerment to the public at large.” The city police currently have no body cameras, and Pruitt argued that this limits their accountability, which has led to this crisis. “I agree that the longer we delay funding body cameras, the more we jeopardize the city’s peace, health and safety,” Green then wrote to Slay and Reed. “It is in our power as city leaders to act responsibly by taking the appropriate steps to avoid further unrest.” The response to the controversial killing of Mansur Ball-Bey, the 18-year-old who was killed by police at Page and Walton, brought Ferguson unrest to one of the deadliest ZIP codes in the region – or the world. Attorneys for the family said they have spoken to witnesses who claim police killed an innocent bystander – not someone who fled the house that police raided that morning, as police have claimed. Attorneys said body cameras would have helped to sort out contradicting stories. “We have about 100 in-car cameras,” St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson told The American, “but body cameras are something that we don’t have yet. It’s always a question in any big city about funding.”
Dotson – along with some law professors from Saint Louis University – said that laws surrounding citizens’ privacy in the use of body cameras have to be strongly considered before a camera program is implemented.
Aldermen approve minimum wage hike On Tuesday, August 25, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen gave an initial approval to raising the minimum wage in St. Louis to $11 an hour by 2018. The vote was 15-6. “Throughout the long debate, two factions formed,” St. Louis Public Radio report: “those who want to see a significant increase in baseline pay, and those who fear that an increase will alienate businesses and drive them into St. Louis County or across the river to Illinois. Both sides say they want the best for low-wage workers. The bill faces one more vote. Look for detailed coverage in the September 3 Business section.
Reform, not reform “Ferguson issues municipal reforms!” City of Ferguson crows. Not so fast, responds Thomas Harvey of Arch City Defenders. “Those ‘reforms’ in Ferguson are really not new reforms, the ones referred to in the press release,” Harvey told The American, seeing the paper’s initially approving online report. New Ferguson Municipal Court Judge Donald McCullin – a veteran African-American jurist – was the hero of the Ferguson
press release, Harvey said, but many of his “reforms” were previously put in place by a major Ferguson villain: Judge Ronald Brockmeyer, who resigned after the Department of Justice report on Ferguson revealed the court and police colluding with the city manager to raise revenue through tickets. “Judge Brockmeyer issued an order to create a docket for anyone having a hard time making payments. There have been several warrant recalls,” Harvey wrote. “The only thing new here is the possible commutation of fines.” Harvey pointed out that Ferguson spun a press release out of a rehash of an order Arch City Defenders forced in another predatory North County muni, Velda City. “It’s really just a rehash of our order in Velda City with an important difference that makes it less important: it’s a voluntary order that could change at any time,” Harvey said. “Just as Judge McCullin ordered this, he or his successor could simply change it and go back to the way it was before.” Along with the Saint Louis University law clinics, Harvey is leading reform – Harvey would prefer revolution – of municipal courts in the region. So he knows what real reform would look like. “If they want to make real change, they would dismiss the cases, not just recall the warrants,” Harvey said. “If they are confident these are the procedural reforms that should be implemented, ask the Missouri Supreme Court to make it part of Rule 37 or enter into an agreement in federal court so a higher court can monitor it.” Missouri Supreme Court Rule 37 covers “Statutory and Ordinance Violations and Violations Bureaus,” i.e., municipal courts. Harvey and other legal advocates have been hammering at the high court to step in and make the necessary changes that would make St. Louis County municipal courts more consistent with the U.S. Constitution. Until municipal reform in Ferguson is filed with a higher authority than Ferguson, Harvey is not buying what they are selling. “As it stands, if Ferguson decides to go back on its own order, there is nothing to stop it,” Harvey said. “Given the court’s past behavior, why trust it to self-regulate?”
ACLU will help protestors The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri is committed to helping all who have been charged from Ferguson protests to find legal representation. Those charged should complete the form at http://bit.ly/1PwG6Ve. A representative will be in contact soon with next steps. If you are not sure if you have been charged, dial 314-6158760, press 2, then 0 to check your status.
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
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NEWSPAPER IN
EDUCATION
Planting the Seeds for Success!
The weekly Healthy Kids page provides health tips on nutrition, exercise and more.
Healthy Kids PRESENT:
Healthcare Careers
Nutrition Nutrition Challenge:
Color Your
World!
Norma Ross,
Think about how colorful your meals are. Is your plate usually filled with a lot of white and brown (e.g., breaded chicken strips, mashed potatoes and a roll)? Or do you have a rainbow of fresh, healthy vegetables?
Exercise
How Healthy Are Your Lungs? And...
One way to find out how “in shape” you are —is to see how long you can run (or hop, or skip) until you run out of breath. If it only takes a couple of minutes before you can’t breathe well, then you probably need to make some healthy Mental Health Tip — If you don’t already have one, start a journal today. This is a great way to express your feelings and think about ways to change/improve your life. You can use any kind of notebook or a computer. But journaling does not mean “blogging.” Always be cautious about revealing personal information online.
Imagine a plate with grilled red salmon, roasted red peppers and steamed in Education Program Weekly Newspaper green broccoli. In general, the more Staff RN, Intensive Care Unit colorful… the better it is for you! Where do you Try this— work? Christian Make it a goal to have at least three Hospital. different colors on your plate each Where did you meal. go to school? I Learning Standards: graduated from HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 2, NH 5 Cairo High School and I received my Associate Degree of Nursing at John positive changes in your daily A. Logan College activities. in Carterville, Exercising regularly IL. I received my Bachelor Degree of Nursing at strengthens the muscles around McKendree University in Lebanon, IL. your lungs. This allows you to run What does an intensive care unit staff RN and play longer before you feel tired or do? Assessment of my patient from head to toe winded and will help you feel better too! is very important at the beginning of the shift. Discuss with your classmates different kinds of I check vital signs, which consists of checking activities you could do every day. their temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate. Learning Standards: HPE 1, NH 1, NH 5 The readings of the vital signs can indicate if there are any complications.
Healthy Snacks Tortilla Pizza
Ingredients: 1 Whole Wheat Tortilla 1-2 Tbsp Pizza or Pasta Sauce 2-3 Tbsp Low-Fat Mozzarella Cheese ¼ Cp Chopped Fresh Veggies (You pick your favorites!) ¼ Cp Cooked Chicken (Or any leftover cooked meat)
Learning Standards:
Directions: Lay the tortilla on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Spread sauce on the tortilla. Spread out toppings (cheese, veggies and meat) on top of the sauce. Cook in a 350-400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are brown and your sauce and cheese is getting bubbly. (*Always ask an adult’s permission before
HPE 2, NH 4
cooking a recipe that requires chopping and baking/cooking.)
Why did you choose this career? At the age of 12, I lost my father and I knew then that I wanted to become a nurse. I said to myself that 12-year-old children should not lose parents and I felt that by becoming a nurse, I would be able to help others get well and live a long life. What is your favorite part of the job you have? My favorite part of nursing is when I see one of my patients healed and they are then able to go home. It is such an inspiration to me knowing that they have a second chance at life. Working in the health care field, I have a chance to help others.
Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG 27 -SEPT 2, 2015
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The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 7,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.
CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT
SCIENCE STARS African -American Inventor and Engineer David Crosthwait, Jr.
Fairview Primary School 3rd grade teacher, Wendy Stocker, helps students
David Crosthwait was born in May of 1898 in Nashville, but grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. Crosthwait attended Purdue University to study engineering, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1913, and a master’s degree in 1920. After earning his degrees, he worked as a research engineer for C.A. Dunham Company in Marshalltown, Iowa. He worked there from 1925-1930.
Tashawyn Hutchinson, Va’Niya Baker and J’Anna Williams use the newspaper to look for positive character traits. Fairview Primary School is in the Jennings School District. Photo by Wiley Price/ St. Louis American. Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s NIE program and would like to nominate your class for a Classroom Spotlight, please email: nie@stlamerican.com.
SCIENCE CORNER
Beat the Heat!
A meteorologist is a scientist who predicts the weather. They look at past and present weather, computer models that show what might happen, and combine that information to create a weather forecast that is as accurate as possible. Forecasting is not an exact science because of changes in the atmosphere that are difficult to predict. A cold front is a boundary where cooler air is running into warm air and taking its place. On many weather maps, these are marked by blue triangles that point in the direction the cooler air is moving. A warm front is a boundary where warmer air is running into cooler air and taking its place. On most weather maps, these are marked by red semicircles that point in the direction the warmer air is moving. What is a heat index? The Heat Index is a combination of air temperature and humidity (the amount of moisture in the air) that gives a description of how the temperature feels. Heat index is not the actual air temperature. Knowing
the heat index is important to help prevent heat stroke. Heat stroke is the most severe form of heat injury and is a life-threatening emergency. It is the result of long exposure to the sun. When the humidity is high, a person does not sweat enough to lower body temperature. The chart above shows how heat index affects the body.
Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting detail. I can make text to self and text to world connections.
SCIENCE EXPERIMENT Color Your Own Sunrise / Sunset! Background Information:
w Add a teaspoon of milk to the water. Add the cap to the
Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue? Have you ever stared at a beautiful sunrise or sunset and admired all of the colors? In this weather experiment, you will see how the colors are distributed in the sky.
bottle and shake to combine the milk and water.
e Keep adding milk until you see a blue light. How many teaspoons did you add? (This represents the blue of the sky.)
r Next, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the light
Materials Needed:
• Flashlight • 2 Liter Soda Bottle (empty and clean) • Milk • Water • Mesuring Spoon (teaspoon)
becomes orange and red. (This represents sunrise and sunset.) The mixture of milk and water represents the atmosphere. The atmosphere reflects more of the blue wavelength than any other color. That’s why the sky is blue. As the angle of the sun tilts, the color changes to reds, pinks, and orange due to the way the atmosphere filters the wavelength of color. This is why sunrises and sunsets are so colorful.
Process:
q Fill the soda bottle ¾ full of water. Prop up the flashlight so that the light shines through the side of the bottle.
MATH CONNECTION
Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can make observations and text to world connections.
Tracking Temperature!
Use your math skills to solve these temperature tracking word problems.
x
The five-day weather forecast shows the predicted high temperatures as 86, 88, 91, 90, 88. What is the average predicted temperature? ______
midnight zthe Attemperature was 73 degrees. If the temperature then rose 2 degrees per hour, what was the temperature at 7 a.m.? ______
DID YOU KNOW? Movie theaters were one of the first public places to have air conditioning. Summer blockbusters became popular because many people would attend the movies to avoid the heat.
c
If it is 82 degrees at dinner time, and 68 degrees when you go to bed, how many degrees did the temperature decrease? ______
is 64 degrees at 11 p.m., vandIf78itdegrees when you wake up at 8 a.m., what is the increase in temperature? ______ If the actual temperature is 98 bdegrees, and the heat index is 105, what is the difference between those two numbers? ______
Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve problems.
If you spend a lot of time in air conditioning, your body will become less likely to tolerate the heat. Air conditioning allowed hospitals to work more effectively. Air conditioning is credited for helping hospitals defeat malaria.
The amount of energy the United States uses every year to power our air conditioners is about the same amount of energy consumed by the entire continent of Africa.
Crosthwait worked with air ventilation, central air conditioning, and heat transfer systems. He holds thirtynine United States patents and eighty international patents. He created many different heating systems, refrigeration methods, vacuum pumps, and devices to regulate the temperature, such as the thermostat control. One of his greatest accomplishments was creating the heating systems for the Rockefeller Center and New York’s Radio City Music Hall. This design was copied in other large buildings around the nation. In addition to inventing, Crosthwait was a very skilled writer. He created guides for heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems. From 1930 to 1971, he served as technical advisor for Dunham-Bush. When he retired, he taught a course on heating and cooling systems at Purdue University. Crosthwait has earned many honors for his achievements. He won a medal from the National Technological Association in the 1930s. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Purdue. He also served as a member of the American Chemical Society, and the National Society of Professional Engineers. In 1971, he was made a fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers. Crosthwait was the first African American to receive this honor.
Discuss: Why was Crosthwait’s research so important? How is it still used today?
Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. I can make text to world, and text to self connections.
MAP CORNER Enjoy these activities that help you get to know your St. Louis American newspaper.
Activity One — Find five pictures of things that cause pollution. Cut them out and paste them on a piece of paper. Can you label each kind of pollution you have found? Write two or more sentences on how you can stop pollution. Activity Two — Find as many weather words as you can and clip them from the newspaper. Write a definition for the words, and illustrate or draw a picture for each word you have cut out. Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify cause and solution. I can define unknown words. I can make text to world connections.
This special Newspaper In Education initiative is made possible, and delivered to classrooms, through The St. Louis American Foundation and its NIE Corporate Partners:
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG 27 -SEPT 2, 2015
Business
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AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
People On The Move Bradley Rayford, a local freelance photojournalist, won two Salute to Excellence Awards in Digital Media from the National Association of Black Journalists. Those awards were for Ferguson-related Bradley projects he worked Rayford on for MSNBC. He received one award for a short documentary he produced about Ferguson from a resident’s perspective. He received the awards while at the 40th NABJ convention in Minneapolis on August 8, 2015.
Photo by Wiley Price
Hillary Clinton – seen here in Ferguson on June 23 with Tiffany Anderson, Jennings Schools superintendent, and Jason Q, Purnell of the Brown School – gets the biggest candidate boost from market turmoil, argues Eugene Robinson.
How would market chaos affect 2016 race?
Market turmoil forces reassessment of candidates By Eugene Robinson Washington Post The sudden turmoil in the financial markets is a reminder that when the preliminary hoopla is over and voters actually begin to select their presidential nominees, competence and cool will probably matter. If the global swoon in stock prices were to turn into something more serious, which candidates would benefit? Could it give a boost to the billionaire developer who has a degree – as he constantly reminds us – from the prestigious Wharton School? Or would his
n The United States – not Russia or Saudi Arabia – is now the world’s biggest producer of oil and natural gas. The domestic fossil fuels industry is bound to suffer.
four corporate bankruptcies and “ready, shoot, aim” approach to life make Donald Trump’s supporters think twice? I’m reminded of a story I’ve heard House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tell. You may recall that when the financial crisis struck in the fall of 2008, Sen. John McCain, the GOP candidate, melodramatically suspended his campaign and demanded an all-hands summit meeting at the White House. Democratic candidate Barack Obama was invited, as were the leaders of both houses of Congress and the frantic, sleep-deprived members of George W. Bush’s economic team. Bush was a reluctant but gracious host. The president offered McCain the floor, as See MARKET, B6
Will Congress rollback discriminatory protection in auto finance?
See CROWELL, B2
Taj S. Jackson, a human resource business partner at BJK People’s Health Centers, was appointed to the Board of Directors for Ready Readers, a non-profit organization committed to inspiring Taj S. preschool-age chilJackson dren from low-income communities to become readers. A graduate of Morehouse College, Jackson also holds a master’s in international commerce and policy from George Mason University School of Public Policy. Marie J. O’Kain recently received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Western Baptist Bible College in Kansas City, Mo. for her work in human services. She has been taking coursMarie J. es from both Saint O’Kain Louis University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis towards her Doctorate of Education Degree and is near completion. Karissa Anderson became the manager of advocacy and policy research for the Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis. The new position is designed to enhance the foundation’s advocacy Karissa work with and on Anderson behalf of low-income students. Anderson brings a depth of knowledge of higher education policy, including policies for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Access Missouri, the state’s needbased financial aid program.
Industry favors bill to stop related CFPB enforcement By Charlene Crowell For the St. Louis American When it comes to public policy, most citizens tend to think in terms of what government can accomplish on their behalf. Multiple civil rights laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act are but a few such examples. Then there is also another side to public policy reforms: attempts to rollback or take away regulations that are often favored by industry and championed on Capitol Hill by paid lobbyists. This month, a U.S. House committee moved a bill that will stop the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from taking action against discriminatory practices in auto lending. This legislative development is an example of how Washington often responds to industry and its lobbyists. The proposed rollback in consumer protection in auto financing has the support of more than 170 Members of Congress, including a number of Democrats. H.R. 1737, co-sponsored by House Members Frank Guinta of New Hampshire and Ed Perlmutter of Colorado, recently passed in the House Financial Services Committee.
Jeffery Hughley was appointed to Missouri’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission by Gov. Jay Nixon. The commission establishes standards for peace officer basic trainJeffery ing, officer continuHughley ing education, law enforcement instructors and law enforcement training academies. Hughley is a supervisor for the street crimes unit/gang squad with the Kansas City Police Department.
Major Brands supports Innovative Concept Academy Elson Williams, Major Brands community affairs liaison, presents a check to Judge Jimmie Edwards and the students of the Innovative Concept Academy. The Academy was founded by Judge Edwards to educate youth, teach life skills and respect for each other. “These are the youth that have been expelled from public schools, disruptive in classroom and problems with the law,” Williams said. “This program has given youth with serious problems help, pride and a chance to graduate.” Judge Edwards’ concept and program have been accepted by several other major cities, and he has received national recognition from the U.S. Senate and Supreme Court. Contributions are needed and accepted, payable to the Innovative Concept Academy, P.O. Box 56509, St, Louis, MO 63106.
Sara Burke was recognized as a Woman of Achievement. First as a dancer in East St. Louis with The Dunham Company and then as a working artist in St. Louis, she has fostered inclusiveness in the arts Sara and provided numerBurke ous opportunities to minorities and those in underserved communities.
On the move? Congratulations! Send your good professional news and a color headshot to cking@stlamerican.com
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
Personal Finance
Getting your home ready to sell Think twice before spending on improvements. Not every home construction project pays off at sale time. Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report (http://www. remodeling.hw.net/cost-vsvalue/2015/) tracks both pricing and cost recovery for leading remodeling projects. Before fixing up a bathroom, kitchen or any other area of your home, research whether the work will actually pay for itself at sale. For many sellers, it might be advantageous to hire a licensed home inspector to identify any structural, mechanical or major appliance repair issues that could delay or compromise a sale.
By Nathaniel Sillin As the economy improves, today’s sellers are facing a very different environment than they were before the housing market stumbled in 2006. Today’s housing market features new procedures and standards, not the least of which are continuing borrowing hurdles for prospective buyers. If you are thinking about a home sale in the coming months, it pays to do a thorough overview of your personal finances and local real estate environment before you put up the “for sale” sign. Here are some general issues to consider: Make sure you’re not underwater. You may want to buy a new home, but can you afford to sell? The term “underwater” refers to the amount of money a seller owes on a house in excess of final sales proceeds. If what you owe on the home – including all selling costs due at closing – exceeds the agreed-upon sale price, then you will have to pay the difference out of pocket. If you’re not in a situation where you absolutely have to sell now, you may want to wait until your financial circumstances and the real estate market improves. Evaluate your finances. Before you sell, make sure you are ready to buy or rent. Making sure all three of your credit reports (https://www. annualcreditreport.com/index.
CROWELL Continued from B1
So what does this legislation do? H.R. 1737 would require the CFPB to drop guidance it issued in 2013 that called for auto lenders to comply with anti-discrimination laws. The bill would also require the Bureau to gather public
Don’t forget moving costs. According to the American Moving and Storage Association, a leading industry trade group, the average professional interstate move of 1,220 miles costs an average of $5,630; in state, the average moving cost is $1,170. After all the costs involved in selling a home, don’t forget how much it costs to relocate.
action) are accurate is an important part of that process. Consider “for sale by owner” vs. “for sale by broker.” “For Sale by Owner” (FSBO) signs were a common
comment before issuing any other guidance related to auto lending. Supporters say it is simply about proper process. No, it is not. The bill would condone discrimination in auto lending – And all of its supporters should be ashamed. The 2013 CFPB guidance took direct aim at a specific practice in auto lending. Auto dealers get bonuses from lenders for selling consumers a higher interest rate than that
sight in many neighborhoods during the housing crisis. Shrunken home values convinced many sellers to sell their property themselves rather than pay 5-6 percent of profit in broker commission. However, consider what a
licensed real estate broker could accomplish in your specific situation. Many experienced brokers have market knowledge and negotiating skills that could potentially get a better price for your property. Deciding
which route to take shouldn’t be an overnight decision. Check leading FSBO and broker sites and talk with knowledgeable friends, attorneys and real estate professionals to learn as much as you can.
for which they qualify. These bonuses add up to billions of dollars in added dealer compensation. On top of these lucrative deals, this practice is completely hidden from consumers. Research by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) found that consumers who took out loans in 2009 paid $25.8 billion in more interest over the lives of their loans – all due to dealer interest rate markups. For the past two decades, this lending practice has resulted in a series of lawsuits and more recent enforcement actions that all alleged discrimination resulting from this practice.
The data from these lawsuits and related enforcement actions consistently show that borrowers of color pay higher interest rates than white borrowers, solely because of this dealer kickback. Recent CFPB enforcement actions total more than $176 million in fines and restitution to consumers. By utilizing the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), CFPB has taken steps that no regulator to date has taken to end discrimination in auto lending. Fortunately, just as a coalition of interests pushed for and won passage of reforms that created CFPB, several consumer and civil rights
groups are now simultaneously pursuing preservation of the Bureau’s pro-consumer actions. A late July letter sent to the entire 465-member House of Representatives on behalf of the NAACP, the National Council of La Raza. Americans for Financial Reform, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) and other organizations, reminded lawmakers of the history and scale of discriminatory auto lending finance. “This is one of the last areas in consumer lending where an individual sitting across the desk from a consumer makes a decision about how much to charge that particular consumer for financing above and beyond the financing costs dictated by their credit worthiness. Intentionally or not, this often leads to people of color paying more than their fair share,” wrote the advocates. “In the mid-1990s, a series of lawsuits was filed against the largest auto finance companies in the country alleging that borrowers of color were most likely to have their loans marked up and paid larger markups,” continued the advocates, “The data used in those lawsuits indicated that borrowers of color were twice
Bottom line: Selling your home requires planning. Before putting it on the market, get solid, qualified advice on how to sell smart in a still-recovering housing market. Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www. twitter.com/PracticalMoney.
as likely to have their loans marked up, and paid markups twice as large as similarly situated whites borrowers with similar credit ratings.” It is doubtful that the consumers who received restitution for faulty financing of vehicles through Ally Financial and Ally Bank, American Honda Financial and Evergreen Bank would support a regulatory rollback either. From their perspective, monies the industry returned to consumers are financial justice. “Consumer protections in auto lending have been non-existent until the CFPB came on the scene,” said Chris Kukla, CRL senior vice president. “Auto dealers and their allies in Congress are now trying to stop the CFPB from enforcing antidiscrimination laws. Dealer interest rate markups are unfair and discriminatory, and should be prohibited entirely. With the record of discrimination tied to this practice, Congress should be thanking the CFPB for acting instead of getting in the way.” Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@ responsiblelending.org.
n “If you want to run the read option with your quarterback that’s had two knee surgeries, that’s on you.” – Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, on his controversial hit on Eagles QB Sam Bradford
Sports
INSIDE
Black head coaches don’t get second chances ~ See ‘SportsEye’ page B4 ~
B3
AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
Rams Roundup
University City’s Mitchell Gross (9) lets a touchdown pass slip through his hands after getting behind Hazelwood East’s Rajal Perkins during Saturday’s game at U. City. The lions would go on to defeat the Spartans 23-14.
With Palmer L. Alexander III
New Rams, same as old Rams Preseason looks like rerun of last losing season
Photo by Wiley Price
Vashon beats state contenders Plus, St. Louis area full of sophomore standouts
By Earl Austin Jr. Of The St. Louis American The Vashon Wolverines enjoyed a big opening night last Friday as they ventured down South and came away with a 34-32 victory at Cape Girardeau Central, a team what played for the state championship last season.
Although low on numbers, the Wolverines displayed some quality athletes in knocking off the Tigers in dramatic fashion overtime. Trailing 32-26, quarterback Clifton Dickens connected with 6’7” 250pound junior Levi Stockard on a 7-yard touchdown pass to tie the score. Vashon then won the game on a two-point conversion by
Charvon Lewis. Lewis was one of the offensive standouts of the game for Vashon with 160 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns to go along with his game-winning twopoint conversion. Dickens had two rushing touchdowns on the evening. Vashon will face Miller Career
Academy in an early Public High League showdown on Saturday at Sumner. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Sophomore standouts The St. Louis area has some very impressive sophomores See PREP, B4
I hate to be repetitive. However, the St. Louis Rams are repetitive on the football field – and I don’t care if it’s just a preseason game. Now I’m making reference to the Rams’ loss to the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday. I see red flags already. Normally, you kind of take the “wait and see” approach this time of the year. Well, not when it’s the Rams. This is Jeff Fisher’s fourth season as head coach. And I think this team and this franchise should be a lot better than this. The first-string offensive line looks bad. Palmer L. If they keep this up, Nick Alexander Foles will be wrapped up in more bandages then Mummra. Foles didn’t have a good game. He threw a pick six and the receivers couldn’t get open. I can’t for the life of me understand the purpose of signing Foles to a contract extension if you can’t count on the line to protect him. Nick Foles may as well have the number 8 on the back of his jersey. What a grossly negligent decision to overlook having a solid line to protect your most recent investment. It’s unfair to Foles to wait for this young, inexperienced line to gel as he dodges defensive ends, tackles and even his own offensive linemen getting knocked on their back like a cockroach that just got a cap of rubbing alcohol poured on it. Sad to say, but so far Fisher hasn’t worked out. The Rams are better. But, the Rams are no closer to being a
See RAMS, B5
In The Clutch With Ishmael H. Sistrunk
Be a fantasy football boss
St. Louis fans are left in a state of limbo amidst relocation talk
As the NFL preseason winds solely on the strengths of down, owners across the land clever names, but when close are giddy with hope, anticipagames come down to the wire, tion and championship aspirathe based laced god shows tions. I’m not talking about the favor on those who actually 32 billionaires anxiously await- put effort and thoughtful coning for NFL Commissioner sideration into naming their Roger Goodell to turn team. Who wants to see on the free-flowing “The Eagles” coronated money fountain. Only a as league champions? handful of owners have Nobody. Dig deep into a legitimate chance to your creative cranium win the Super Bowl. and come up with someI’m referring to the thing witty like “It’s 57 million individuals a Hard Gronk Life” who play fantasy footor “Somewhere Over ball. For those owners, Dewayne Bowe.” Extra everybody has a chance Ishmael H. points for incorporatto be great. Follow this Sistrunk ing football player or guide, and your name celebrity names or using could hang from the rafters as current events. a 2015 fantasy football champion. Prepare for the draft Pick a cool name Some might argue that a name has absolutely nothing to do with how a fantasy football team performs. These are people who have likely never finished on the peak of the fantasy football mountaintop. Championships aren’t won
Many people think because they watch SportsCenter every day and their uncle Chuck used to sell beer at the football stadium that they have some special level of insight when it comes to drafting players for their fantasy league. Hogwash. Preparation is key to success. Traditional 12-team leagues
n Find two or three sites you trust for information and build your draft strategy from there. Too much info will have you looking like a deer in headlights.
Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald help make the St Louis Rams defense an elite fantasy football unit. will choose between 160 and 240 players, depending on roster size. IDP (Individual
Defensive Players) leagues could go even deeper. When you remove offensive lineman
from the equation there are still more than 900 players to be considered for those roster
positions. Unless you work in the front office, there’s no possible way you can make solid decisions about those players without taking time to prepare. However, too much preparation can be detrimental. Everybody has opinions and suggestions regarding fantasy football (including me). Many of those suggestions will clash. Find two or three sites you trust for information and build your draft strategy from there. Too much info will have you looking like a deer in headlights once the draft finally begins. See CLUTCH, B5
B4
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
SportsEye With Alvin Reid
As kickoff for the 2015 college football season nears, only 11 of the 128 FBS head coaches are African American – a paltry 8.6 percent. They are: James Franklin, Penn State (SEC); Darrell Hazell, Purdue (Big Ten); Curtis Johnson, Tulane (AAC); Mike London, Virginia (ACC); Derek Mason, Vanderbilt (SEC); Ruffin McNeill, East Carolina (AAC); Trent Miles, Georgia State (Sun Belt); David Shaw, Stanford (Pac 12); Charlie Strong, Texas (Big 12); Kevin Alvin Sumlin (SEC) and Reid Willie Taggert, South Florida (AAC). According to ESPN figures, when the 2014 FBS football season began 53 percent of players were black and 42 percent were white. Yet, more than 90 percent of FBS coaches are white. Those numbers don’t add up, do they? Of course, the situation could be worse. There were four black head coaches at the Division 1 level (now called FBS) in 1994. Over the next eight years, dozens of men were hired to run college football programs and in 2002 – there were four AfricanAmerican head coaches. By 2008, there had been a dramatic increase to a total of five black head coaches. Between January 2011 and January 2012, six black head coaches were hired, bringing the grand total to 15 at the start of the 2012 season.
PREP
Continued from B3 playing high school football around town. Many of them
Black head coaches don’t get second chances
This all-time high has now drifted backward, and former San Jose State head coach Dr. Fitz Hill knows why. After he was dismissed from his post with a 14-33 overall record after the 2004 season, he continued his research on the respective fates of other black coaches. He concluded that black coaches rarely got a second opportunity to be a head coach. According to his statistics, 28 black head coaches have been fired or forced to resign – usually because of losing records. In each case, the school then hired a white coach as his successor In fact, only one black coach has resurfaced as head coach at a major program after being fired. Tyrone Willingham was fired at Notre Dame and was then hired by the University of Washington – and this was more than a decade ago. Says Hill in a Daily Beast interview: “Race will no longer be an issue when the day comes that an AfricanAmerican football coach is unsuccessful, but you still go and replace him with another African-American football coach.” Black head coaches “deserve second and third chances” – like their white counterparts. John Embree was one of those black head coaches on the sidelines in 2011 at Colorado. He was fired during his third season with a 4-21 record.
enjoyed prime-time debut seasons as freshmen last year. Some of the area’s top individual performances from the opening weekend came from the Class of 2018. Pattonville’s Kaleb Eleby
n “Race will no longer be an issue when an AfricanAmerican football coach is unsuccessful, but you replace him with another AfricanAmerican coach.” – Dr. Fitz Hill
According to Dr. Fitz Hill, 28 black head coaches have been fired or forced to resign. In each case, the school then hired a white coach. Tyrone Willingham (above), who was fired at Notre Dame and then hired by the University of Washington, is the only black coach that has resurfaced as a head coach at a major program. “We don’t get second chances,” he said at the time of his termination. Embree had played for former Colorado head coach Bill McCartney who said in 2012 black coaches “have a more difficult road to tread.” While wins and losses are
the cause for a coaching change the overwhelming majority of the time, it can also be argued that black coaches are held to a higher off-field standard. Last week, USC coach Steve Sarkisian made a fool of himself and his school
by taking the stage while apparently hammered drunk during the annual Salute to Troy pep rally. His tirade included profanity and insults to other Pac 12 schools. It was so disgusting that Pat Haden, USC athletic director, had to drag him off the stage.
was 19 of 24 for 345 yards and six touchdowns in the Pirates’ 55-7 victory over Seckman. Vianney’s Tionne Harris rushed for 140 yards and passed for 171 yards and had three touchdowns in the Golden
Griffins’ 43-21 victory over Francis Howell North. Lutheran South’s Cody Schrader rushed for 275 yards on 15 carries and scored four touchdowns in the Crusaders’ 56-28 victory over DuBourg. Eureka’s Hassan Haskins rushed for 275 yards on 41 carries to lead the Wildcats past rival Lafayette 35-13. John Burroughs’ Tyler Foote passed for 182 yards and a touchdown in the Bombers’ 33-6 victory
over Cardinal Ritter. JBS teammate Jake Bain rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns, including a 90-yard romp in the first quarter. It was the varsity debut for both players. Lutheran St. Charles’ Bryce French rushed for 167 yards on just 10 carries in the Cougars’ 60-3 victory over Principia. Westminster’s Evan Johnson passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns in the
Sarkisian has been fined and reprimanded by his school and the Pac 12 – yet there has been no call to fire him. In 2013, Eastern Michigan coach head Ron English, who is black, was fired after he reportedly used “inappropriate language” that included a homophobic slur during a film session with defensive backs. His tirade was recorded, and when it came to light a month later he was fired. Eastern Michigan athletic director Heather Lyke said, “my decision to make a change in leadership of our football program was the culmination of a lot of factors including the comprehensive review of our program, the competitive performance and this tape.” Had English had a better overall record than 11-46 he probably would have kept his job. Had Sarkisian (9-4) been black and pulled the same stunt he did last week in L.A., my guess is he would be looking for a new job.
Wildcats’ 27-7 victory at Festus. HB3 McCluer North opened its season with a 64-34 loss to perennial state power Jefferson City, but senior wide receiver Harry Ballard stole the show with a glittering five-touchdown performance that included one big play after another. The 6’3” 200-pound senior caught five passes for 83 yards and three touchdowns. He also had five carries for 156 yards and two touchdowns on runs of 72 and 67 yards. Clark runs wild Hazelwood Central’ Demontez Clark also enjoyed a big opening night as he rushed for 203 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Hawks’ 40-6 victory at DeSmet. Clark scored on runs of 78, 28 and 81 yards. Top Games this Week Jefferson City (1-0) at CBC (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m. Nixa (1-0) at Francis Howell (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m. McCluer North (0-1) at Kirkwood (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m. Fort Zumwalt West (1-0) at Fort Zumwalt North (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m. Hazelwood Central (1-0) at Lafayette (0-1), Friday, 7 p.m. Collinsville (0-0) at Belleville Althoff (0-0) at Lindenwood-Belleville, Friday, 7 p.m. East St. Louis (0-0) vs. Chicago Simeon (0-0) at Gateley Stadium, Saturday, 3 p.m. Ladue (0-1) at Jennings (1-0), Saturday, noon Vashon (1-0) vs. Miller Career Academy (1-0) at Sumner, Saturday, 1 p.m.
B5
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
From The East Side
East St. Louis set to fly With Maurice Scott, Jr.
Flyers open football season Saturday night against Chicago Simeon Last season’s 49-27 loss to Peoria Notre Dame in the IHSA Class 6 quarterfinals still has a bad taste in the mouths of many East St. Louis Flyers’ fans and alumni alike. The loss tasted like the bologna and mayonnaise sandwiches that former Flyers’ head basketball coach Ray Coleman use to serve the team for pre-game meals. Coach Coleman’s players constantly complained to the assistants, just like East Side fans and alums are starting to complain about the state of the Maurice football program at East St. Scott Louis. The Flyers were 7-5 last season. It was the first five-loss season in East St. Louis in 15 years. Only five times in the illustrious history of East St. Louis football have the Flyers’ lost at least five games in a single season. Entering his 14th season at East St. Louis Senior High, head coach Darren Sunkett has an overall record of 122-43. I have been a huge fan of coach Sunkett during his
RAMS
Continued from B3 contender than they were when the previous regime ran the organization into downtown hell. Let’s just look at one area
CLUTCH Continued from B3
Make a list of players you want to target, players you want to avoid and potential sleepers. It’s also critical to pay attention to your league’s scoring settings. Is your league PPR (points per reception)? If so, running backs who catch the ball out of the backfield are liquid gold. Are QB TDs worth 6 points or 4 points? The difference can determine whether you need to target a stud QB in the first- or second-round or wait for a quality second-tier guy in the fifth- or sixth-round. Adjust your player rankings manually All fantasy football sites have default player rankings. The rankings are usually fairly solid and consistent, however they often don’t take into account injuries that happened during the preseason, player holdouts, late suspensions, chronically injured players. Since draft gremlins love to make cameo appearances during this time of year,
tenure. Frankly, some have rely on senior Tre’Vour Simms said I’ve defended him while at East (6’5 260) who has made a verbal Side in my column in The St. Louis commitment to Illinois. American. Estes may have the best trio of One thing for sure, when things receivers in the state in junior Alldon’t go right during the American candidate Jeff Thomas football season, I get blamed (5’10 167 pounds) who had for introducing Sunkett to the 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns. administration 14 years ago. Some Thomas is considered the top-rated people stopped speaking to me wide out in the 2017 class. He has until he won a championship back in offers from Alabama, Florida State, 2008. Florida, Missouri, and just Another thing that is certain is about everyone else in the country. that Sunkett can coach football. In addition, senior receiver Karon Hopefully, this will be the season Randolph (6’4 195), who is a starter Jeff Thomas is in which he delivers what the “City on the Flyers’ basketball team, considered the of Champions” wants so desperately has offers from Florida top-rated wide during the fall – that is, another state State and Kansas. Junior wide out in the 2017 championship. out Jermaine Grissom may be the class. This year’s team is loaded once best all-around athlete in the school. again led by junior quarterThe 6’2” 190-pound two-sport star is back Reyondus Estes. The 5’11” 180-pound a nightmare of a match-up for opposing teams to signal caller will lead the Flyers’ highdeal with on Friday nights. octane offense. As a sophomore, Estes passed for On defense, the Flyers hope to improve from 1,743 yards and 20 touchdowns and only three last season when they gave up 324 points, which interceptions. is ridiculous for an East St. Louis defense. Only Up front, East St. Louis will be young, and Granite City in the powerful Southwestern
Conference gave up more points. That’s certainly not championship status. East Side will be led on defense by two of the best linebackers in the area in juniors James Knight (6’ 190 pounds) who had 67 tackles as a sophomore. Alongside Knight will be hard hitting linebacker Lamondre “State Street” Harvey (6’2 200). On the defensive line, the Flyers are led by junior Terrez LaGrone (6’4 220) and Antuan Quilling (6’2 220). East St. Louis will open its season on Saturday night against the No. 4-rated team in the Chicagoland area in Chicago Simeon at 7 p.m. at Gately Stadium. In addition, the Flyers have a tough non-conference game in Week 2 against Class 5-State runner-up Lombard Montini, who beat the Flyers 46-32 last season. Flyers fans and the alumni have a right to be concerned about the state of the current football program for a number of reasons. The program has the most wins all-time in the state’s football history, and currently in the top 15 teams in victories in the country. For now, we will keep the focus on the kids, and not the coach and the outsiders. For now...
because I can write all day about their shenanigans. Point Differential: 2012 (49), 2013 (16) and 2014 (30). In 2013, the Rams had two three-game losing streaks and lost an additional two straight in the month of December. Last season they started off losing three out of the first four games
then closed the season out with a three-game losing streak. This looks like the same thing. As a matter of it is the same thing. But, you know what? Like I used to say, maybe it’s not the players. It’s the officials selecting the players. The Rams have drafted
at least six running backs since 2012 and selected all the offensive line in this past draft, and the end result is not a damn good thing. “Ground and pound” only works when you win at the point of attack. Play action works when you can run the ball effectively. And those two things tie
back into the offensive line, which has been an eyesore since Mike Martz left. Yeah I brought his name up again. He’s only the winningest coach in St. Louis Rams history. And the last coach to bring some excitement on offense. But, that’s in the past. No need to keep repeating old
stuff. Hmm, like a syndicated rerun. For more Rams Roundup, please subscribe to youtube. com/stlamericanvideo and you can also hear me M-F 6-8 p.m. on The Charlie Tuna Show on Talk1380 AM and on my weekly podcast @ NtheZoneShow with Arlington Lane II.
pre-ranking your players could be a lifesaver. One missed pick, whether due to tardiness, a lost WiFi signal or the baby finding the magical button that causes your computer to restart and install 17,325 updates just as your draft is starting could cause the autopick monster to select Sam Bradford or Geno Smith to be your starting QB with someone competent like Cam Newton still on the board. It’s not necessary to vet every single player available, but find those afflicted with what Palmer Alexander III calls “Bum Disease” and completely remove them from your rankings to prevent a disaster.
(IND), Drew Brees (NO) and Peyton Manning (DEN)
Rams defense makes the most sense as the front four is arguably the best in the league and we can expect plenty of sacks, fumbles and picks from the boys in blue and gold. In IDP leagues, grab Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald and Alec Ogletree without hesitation. On the offensive side, things get a little trickier. WR Brian Quick has potential to be an impact player, but is coming off a serious injury. The same can be said for rookie RB Todd Gurley, who is slated to start the season on the sidelines. Rams QB Nick Foles is an upgrade over Sam Bradford, but the shaky offensive line could spell doom for his fantasy potential.
ciated treasures for your trash. Good luck and Godspeed. Follow Ishmael and In
the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk
Separate the top tier players at each position Every position has tiers. Your goal should be to at least get one elite player at every position. To help you here is a listing of elite players at the skill positions. When an inevitable run occurs on each position, make sure you snag at least one of the top guys before they’re gone. QB Top Tier: Aaron Rodgers (GB), Andrew Luck
RB Top Tier: Adrian Peterson (MIN), Le’Veon Bell (PIT), Eddie Lacy (GB), Jamal Charles (KC) and Marshawn Lynch (SEA) WR Top Tier: Antonio Brown (PIT), Odell Beckham Jr. (NYG), Demaryius Thomas (DEN), Calvin Johnson (DET), Dez Bryant (DAL), Julio Jones (ATL), A.J. Green (CIN) and Randall Cobb (GB) TE Top Tier: Rob Gronkowski (NE) and Jimmy Graham (NO) DEF Top Tier: Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills Local line It’s always good to have a local player on two on your fantasy football roster. After all, chances are you will be tuning in to watch the Rams each week anyway. You might as well have a few guys to root for even more. Choosing the
Regardless of your strategy for the 2015 fantasy football season, make sure to put in the time and effort to build a winner. If you blow the draft, you’ll have to spend the season trying to hustle gullible owners into trading you their unappre-
B6
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
MARKET
continued from page B1 Pelosi recounts, but it turned out that the senator had nothing of substance to say. Attendees were dumbfounded. Then came Obama, the constitutional lawyer, who gave an academic lecture on finance to a room littered with MBAs, including the former head of Goldman Sachs. Bush, who had no patience with meetings that wasted his time, leaned over to Pelosi and whispered, “Y’all gonna miss me when I’m gone.” In the end, voters decided that sangfroid, perhaps with a touch of arrogance, was better than cluelessness. The financial crisis alone didn’t swing the election Obama’s way, but it helped. This sharp decline in stock prices is in no way comparable to the meltdown of 2008, which threatened the global financial system with ruin. Venerable investment houses are not failing. Big banks are not clamoring for emergency infusions of cash. There is no subprime bubble to burst. But the current market losses, which began in China, are not happening in a vacuum. China’s growth rate, which for years was about 10 percent a year, is down to a relatively anemic 7 percent, according to official figures – and the
true growth figure is probably much lower, according to independent economists. A slowdown of this magnitude in the world’s second-biggest economy inevitably ripples across the rest of the globe. Oil prices, meanwhile, are lower than we’ve seen in years at about $45 a barrel. This should be good news for consumers. But remember that the United States – not Russia or Saudi Arabia – is now the world’s biggest producer of oil and natural gas. The domestic fossil fuels industry is bound to suffer. How might all of this affect the presidential race? I’m guessing it could make voters pay more attention to the candidates’ records on economic and financial management – and might give a boost to those with experience, as opposed to promise. On the Democratic side, I would expect Hillary Clinton to get a bump. Polls consistently say that voters see her as the most experienced candidate in either party. Steady economic management is part of the Clinton brand. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has plenty of bold economic ideas, but I wonder if voters might look at their shrinking 401(k) balances and become more risk-averse. The Republican side is where things get really interesting. Jeb Bush, as I’ve written before, was supposed
to be the adult in the room, the consummate grown-up, the steady helmsman. But there’s the slight matter of his brother, who let the 2007-08 crisis get out of hand before finally reacting with a huge bank bailout that many conservatives saw as corporate socialism. Governors such as Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Chris Christie of New Jersey have already been pressed to defend their management of their states’ budgets and credit ratings. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has had to answer for his precarious personal finances. Businesswoman Carly Fiorina did run a massive corporation, but there is disagreement over how well. Ben Carson was a tremendously gifted neurosurgeon but has never really run anything. And then there’s Trump. Many of his policy prescriptions are, to put it mildly, far-fetched. Round up and deport 11 million people? Somehow force the Mexican government to pay for a border wall? Take back jobs from China? Logically, it seems to me that market craziness ought to be bad for Trump. But while his candidacy is about many things, logic isn’t one of them. Eugene Robinson’s email address is eugenerobinson@ washpost.com.
Business Brief
Missouri offers Tax Amnesty Sept. 1 – Nov. 30 As authorized by House Bill 384, Missouri will offer a tax amnesty from September 1 to November 30. The tax amnesty provides individuals and businesses with a onetime opportunity to pay back taxes that were due prior to December 31 without having to pay interest or penalties. “Missouri Tax Amnesty provides taxpayers with a three-month window to pay their debt without having to pay the interest and penalties
they would owe under normal circumstances,” said Revenue Department Director Nia Ray. Tax types that are amnesty eligible include individual income tax, corporate income tax, corporate franchise tax, employer withholding tax, sales tax, consumer’s and vendor’s use tax as well as fiduciary tax. The program requires taxpayers to stay in compliance with all state tax laws for eight years after signing the agreement. Taxpayers who
are the subject of any civil or criminal state tax-related investigations or litigation cannot participate in amnesty. The Missouri Department of Revenue will mail tax amnesty notices to delinquent taxpayers and businesses in late-August. For more information about the tax amnesty and to obtain an application online, visit dor. mo.gov or call 573-751-7200. Follow the Missouri Department of Revenue on Twitter @MoRevenue.
Check out the latest Edition of
PARTYLINE Page C6
C1 • ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
Black
& Single
A message for the Independent ladies
For the love of Jamyla
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Mini-love lesson for alpha females to keep in mind By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American “I don’t mean no disrespect, but you ladies were just raised wrong. That’s why you don’t have a man.” A man of a certain age decided to get me and a casual acquaintance all the way together after chiming in as he ear-hustled on us catching up. She and I hadn’t seen each other in forever and were really having a good little time in this public place. n “Don’t indeThe looming question quickly pendent mean made its way to that you by our conversation. It yourself? You always starts with a “so...” can’t have it “So…what’s up, you seeing both ways.” anybody?” she asked. “Do you have any prospects?” I quickly followed. We both knew the answer – because neither one of us would’ve had to ask had we been anything other than utterly single. It would have been the first order of business for our “long-time no see” dialogue. The very one who says, “I saw so-andso and if I heard one more thing about her little funky husband…” is the first person to holler, “I have a man, girl, can you believe I got a man…did I tell you I have a man?” from the mountaintop. See TRAVEL, C4
• Only Online • Simeon Rice’s ‘Unsullied’ hits theatres this weekend
Former NFL star turned writer/director Simeon Rice discusses the inspiration behind his film ‘Unsullied,’ which opens in theatres nationwide this Friday (Aug. 28), and making the transition from on the field to behind the lens.
www.stlamerican.com
Rapper This’l organizes march in memory of fallen fourth-grader By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American “I’ve been blessed with the platform to reach a lot of people real fast,” said rapper This’l as he stood before people who had marched from the street where Jamyla Bolden once played to the schoolyard where she enjoyed recess. This’l, an artist who has used his music to promote redemption from the ashes of urban decay, vented about the senseless tragedy of Jamyla Bolden’s death on his social media channels. Fans and followers urged him to use his presence to help make a change. In just under 48 hours he was able to bring together nearly 500 people to honor Jamyla’s memory in a march for change and balloon release. “People said ‘let’s do something about it’,” This’l said. “So we are here to show our condolences and to show the family that we are going to stand with them through this.” It was the second memorial in less than a week. “When I first got the news, I instantly put myself in the shoes of the family because I have a 9-year-old daughter,” This’l said. The family’s heartache is something few can imagine. Kendric Henderson’s face cringed as she slowly limped on crutches to join the march in memory of her daughter, Jamyla Bolden on Sunday afternoon. Although she had been shot in the legs by the same stray bullets that entered the family home and killed her daughter Tuesday night, the pain
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
In less than 48 hours rapper This’l was able to bring together nearly 500 people to honor Jamyla’s memory in a march for change and balloon release. she expressed was also the result of a broken heart. Henderson would ride in a pickup truck as the marchers made the mile-long journey from the corner of Ellison and Canfield Drive to Koch
Elementary school – where Jamyla had just started fourth grade. Jamyla’s father, James Bolden, her siblings See JAMYLA, C4
‘Tell Me Something Good’ returns
Black Rep founder speaks legacy, the arts and activism
Alicia Rive, Olivia Neal, Sheronda Gregory and Jennifer Kelly are in the throes of preparing to put their mark on the show. Photo by Wiley Price
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American “‘Tell Me Something Good’ is the most popular musical in Black Rep History,” said founder and Producing Director Ron Himes said about his opening show for season 39. “We’ve had more people come into the lobby and say, ‘when are you gonna bring tell me something good again?’” The show, which is also conceived and directed by Himes, seems to be one of his favorites too. His eyes jump when he talks about presenting the musical to yet another generation. “It’s really sort of back by popular demand,” Himes said. “The people have asked for it and we are producing it.” “Tell Me Something Good” opens next Thursday (Sept. 3) at Washington University’s Edison Theatre. Originally produced in the 1980s as “Dressin’ Up, Stepping Out and Getting Down,” the revue became its current incarnation in the mid-1990s.
It features eight singers and two dancers and carries the audience on a journey through musical history via songs that stretch from the 1950s to the 1990s. Earth, Wind and Fire, Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men and, of course, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan take the audience from doo wop to funk and back to four-part harmony. “The thing that I’m excited about is that this is the first time that none of the original company
members are in the production,” Himes said. Alicia Rive, Olivia Neal, Sheronda Gregory, Jennifer Kelly, Sam Huddleston, Steve Williams, Jeff Hardin and Herman Gordon are in the throes of preparing to put their mark on the show. Some are familiar faces to the Black Rep Stage, but none have previously assumed the respective roles portrayed by local favorites like See Black REP, C4
Calendar
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015 Inc. presents Jazz and Gospel Sunday Soiree. The day will include a delicious brunch and silent auction from 1-2:45 p.m., followed by the sounds of Anita Jackson from 3-5 p.m. Proceeds support programs and scholarships. Bank of America Theatre, HSSU, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 282-0818 or email akagofundraising@gmail.com.
How to place a calendar listing 1. Email your listing to calendar@stlamerican. com OR 2. Visit the calendar section on stlamerican.com and place your listing Calendar listings are free of charge, are edited for space and run on a space-available basis.
concerts Sept. 11, 8 p.m., The Arianna Quartet launches the 201516 Touhill Concert Series with three riveting works that capture the power, grace, elegance and nuance of the art of the string quartet. Mozart: Quartet in D minor, K.421; Kevin Puts: Credo for String Quartet; Beethoven: String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op.130, Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL. For more information, visit www.touhill. org. Sept. 11, The Ambassador welcomes Lil Boosie, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111. Sept. 19, 8 p.m., Johnny Mathis, The Fox Theatre. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or visit www. metrotix.com. Sun., Oct. 25, Stevie Wonder: Songs in The Key of Life Performance, Scottrade Center. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.
local gigs Sun., Aug. 30, 3 p.m., African Musical Arts, Inc. presents Music Saved from the Storm. Join us as we kick off the 2015-16 concert season with a classical music concert featuring pianist Sunghee Hinners, along with the Intercultural Music Initiative (IMI) Chamber Players.
The concert commemorates the ten year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a storm that nearly decimated a large portion of AMA’s music archive manuscripts. Trinity Presbyterian, 6800 Washington Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 6526800 or visit www.africarts. org. Sun., Sept. 6, 7 p.m., Cuz and Company presents A Labor of Love. We’re featuring the smooth mellow sounds of Jerry Richard of Dallas and introducing the talented Ken Crombie from Minneapolis. Special guest, St. Louis’ own, the amazing Debra “FoFeet” Warren. This Showcase of artists will feed your body, mind & soul. Hampton Inn St. Louis/Westport, 2454 Old Dorsett Rd., 63043. For more information, visit www. cuzandcompany.com. Sat., Sept. 12, 6 p.m., Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council presents Summer BBQ Concert with The Outliers: “Blues at the Edge of the Spectrum.” Greg Freeman Park at Four Corners, 6008 Kingsbury Ave., 63112. For more information, call (314) 862-5122. Tues., Sept. 15, 6 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents Twilight Tuesday: The Jackson 5 Tribute. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org. Tues., Sept. 22, 6 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents Twilight Tuesday:
Stevie Wonder: Songs in The Key of Life Performance Tour coming to Scottrade Center. See CONCERTS for details.
Featured Event Sun., Sept. 13, 10 a.m., 2nd Annual Hair & Black Cultural Expo. This event will showcase models, live music, poetry, African drumming, dancers, and much more. Every attendee will receive a Natural Hair Care Sample bag that’ll be full of shampoos, conditioners, lotions, body oils and some other special surprises absolutely free. New Northside Conference Center, 5939 Goodfellow Blvd., 63147. For more information or to request vendor space, call (314) 398-1585 or visit www. eventbrite.com/e/st-louis-2nd-natural-hair-black-culturalexpo-tickets. (In SPECIAL EVENTS)
Jeremiah Allen and Friends present a Tribute to Stevie Wonder. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org.
special events Aug. 27, 7 p.m., ALIVE Wedding: Best Day Ever, a carefully curated wedding event for nontraditional, fashion-forward brides and grooms-to-be. This is no normal wedding show. Best Day Ever encourages couples of all kinds to celebrate our community. Come prepared to party and take in the best vendors, food and fashion our city has to offer. More information and tickets are available at BestDayEverSTL. eventbrite.com! Aug. 28, 7 p.m., 4th Annual
- The Chocolate Affair, Indulge in a diverse selection of decadent chocolate delicacies from local bakeries & chocolatiers, complimentary wine pairings, appetizers and gourmet coffee bar. Tickets can be purchased through Brown Paper Ticket: annieshopechocolateaffair. brownpaperticket.com All proceeds benefit Annie’s Hope - The Bereavement Center for Kids. Sat., Aug. 29, 11 a.m., Women Empowering Women presents Sundresses and Sandals Tea. Come and fellowship with us as we begin another year of Empowering Women for Leadership. Please RSVP by Aug. 24. Josephine’s Tea Room, 6109 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey, IL 62035. For more information and to RSVP, call (314) 313-1523. Sat., Aug. 29, 6 p.m., GLoveBoxX Arts & Ent.
presents 4th Annual I AM ART Runway Show and Exhibition: Elemental (An Ode to Hip-Hop). Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 881-8278 or visit www. gloveboxx.com. Aug. 29th, 10am-7pm & Aug. 30th, 10am-6pm. The International Institute’s Festival of Nations. More information about the festival can be found here: http://www. festivalofnationsstl.org/ Sat., Aug. 29, 4 p.m., The Universal African Peoples Organization (UAPO) will host their 26th Annual Celebration of the Life and Legacy of the great PanAfricanist visionary, the Honorable Marcus “Mosiah” Garvey. This powerful event is a prelude to a National Black Political Leadership Conference that the UAPO will convene on Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31, 2015. St. Paul AME Church, 1260 Hamilton Avenue, St. Louis, MO. For more information call (314) 454-9005 or (314) 477-4629. Sat., Aug. 29, 7 p.m., HarrisStowe State University Alumni Association presents The First Annual T-Shirt Scholarship Dance. Emerson Performance Center, 3101 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 3403386. Sun., Aug. 30, 1 p.m., Gamma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Sat., Sept. 5, 5 p.m., The St. Louis Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. presents Ala White Summer Finale - Kappa Day Party. The all white affair will feature Music by “DJ Flex” and the smooth sounds of “Pieces of the Family”. Be ready to mingle, dance, drink (BYOB), and enjoy this event’s décor. Kappa House, 500 Vandeventer Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 374-0491 or visit www.alawhite.eventbrite.com. Sun., Sept. 6, 5 p.m., 13 Black Katz presents Pre-Labor Day Soiree “Let’s Do It Again.” Voce, 212 S. Tucker Blvd., 63102. For more information, call (314) 477-4249 or visit www.13blackatz.com. Sun., Sept. 6, 7 p.m., Nu Chi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. presents RQQF TQP Labor Day Weekend. Hosted by comedian Joe Torry with a live performance by Jon B. Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Ave., 63102. For more information, visit www.nxques.com. Through September 7, Saint Louis Science Center presents Alien Worlds and Androids: Science Fiction Meet Science Fact, Saint Louis Science Center. For more information, visit www. stlsc.org. Sat., Sept. 12, 12 p.m., 3rd Annual Brazil Day STL StreetFest 2015. 2900 Missouri Ave., 63118. For more information, call (314) 771-7457 or visit www. brasildaystl.com. Sun., Sept. 13, 10 a.m., 2nd Annual Hair & Black Cultural Expo. This event will showcase models, live music, poetry, African drumming, dancers, and much more. For more information or to request vendor space, call (314) 3981585 or visit www.eventbrite. com/e/st-louis-2nd-naturalhair-black-cultural-expotickets.
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
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Sun., Sept. 13, 4 p.m., All-N-1 Entertainment presents 3rd Annual I Am Exquisite Red Carpet Fashion & Hair Show. Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044. For more information, call (314) 690-3660 or visit www. alln1entertainment.com.
The Pulitzer has collaborated with local yoga studio Urban Breath Yoga to create a movement and sound class for infants of up to twelve months. For more information and to register, please email programs@pulitzerarts. org.
Sept. 18-20, 11th annual Budweiser Taste of St. Louis, The event is free to the public and showcases 35+ restaurants. Chesterfield Amphitheater. Visit TasteSTL.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @TASTESTL Sat., Sept. 19, 3 p.m., Soldan High School Class of 1973 hosts A Taste of Soldan An All Class Event. Calling the Best 50 Male Cooks of Soldan, men who cook! Entry fee $40.00 per cook, which includes your tent, table, chafers, souvenir apron & hat. Legacy Books & Café, 5249 Delmar Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 520-9848 or visit www.soldanclassof73.com. Sun., Sept. 20, 2 p.m., M.A.D.E. Moguls hosts 5th Annual Charity Bowling Tournament. Registration is only $150, and includes entry into the tournament, unlimited bowling, free bowling shoes, and custom t-shirts for the entire team. Flamingo Bowl, 1117 Washington Ave, 63101. For more information, call (314) 200-5348 or visit http:// www.eventbrite.com/e/themade-moguls-5th-annualcharity-bowling-tournament. Thursdays, 7 p.m. (6 p.m. practice), The Cultural Bop Society Of St. Louis Continuing the Bop with Style (CBS) (BOP the official Dance of St. Louis, Free Bop Lessons and Bop Set Every Thursday Night, 7555 Olive Blvd. in U-City, St. Louis, MO 63130.
literary Tues., Sept. 15, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Jeff Smith, author of Mr. Smith Goes to Prison. Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com. Mon., Sept. 28, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Jamala Rogers, author of Ferguson is America: Roots of Rebellion. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com. Wed., Sept. 30, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Jocelyn Delk Adams, author of Grandbaby Cakes. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 3676731 or visit www.left-bank. com.
spiritual Through August 21, 7 p.m., Mt. Beulah M.B. Church hosts Back to School Revival. 7823 Racine Dr., 63133. For more information, call (314) 725-3136 or (314) 327-9966.
The Universal African Peoples Organization (UAPO) will host their 26th Annual Celebration of the Life and Legacy of the great PanAfricanist visionary, the Honorable Marcus “Mosiah” Garvey. For more information, see SPECIAL EVENTS.
theatre Sun., Aug. 30, 4 p.m., Gordon’s Entertainment presents 6th Jazz Heaven Series “St. Louis Legends”. Florissant Civic Center, 1 James J. Eagan Dr., 63033. For more information, call (314) 838-9198 or visit www. florissantmo.com/theatre. Sept. 3 – 20, The Black Rep presents Tell Me Somethin’ Good. Edison Theatre, Washington University, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 534-3810 or visit www. theblackrep.org. Sat., Sept. 12, 2 & 7 p.m., Prince of Peace Church and TLT Production Co. present The Wiz stage play. Prince of Peace Church, 9350 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, call (314) 669-2419 or visit www. princeofpeacechurchstl.com.
arts Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. and Aug. 29 at 12 p.m., 2015 AltArt Fair. Koken Art Factory, 2500 Ohio Ave., 63122. For more information, call (314) 2554038 or visit www.altart.us. Sept. 4-6, Labor Day Weekend Art Fair at Queeny Park The Greater St. Louis Art Association (GSLAA) presents the Labor Day Weekend Art Fair at Queeny Park. Greensfelder Recreation Center, located on 550 Weidman Road, Ballwin, MO. For more information, visit http://www. artfairatqueenypark.com
Sept. 5, 4 p.m., Join Pulitzer Arts Foundation for a musical performance by California-based sound and social practice artist Chris Kallmyer, LA-based violinist Andrew Tholl, and leaders of the St. Louis creative community. For more information, visit http://pulitzerarts.org/ program/commonfield-clayperformance Through Sept. 7, The St. Louis Art Museum presents Adorning Self and Space: West African Textile Exhibit. 1 Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, visit www. slam.org. Through Sept. 11, The Griot Museum of Black History presents Opening Doors: Pioneering African American Surgeons. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (314) 241-7507 or visit www.thegriotmuseum. com. Sat., Sept. 12, 6 p.m., The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts presents Poetry + The Politics of Joy. 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 754-1589 or visit www. pulitzerarts.org.
lectures/ workshops Aug. 27, Meet in the lobby of the Gateway Arch for a free, ranger-led astronomy lesson. Pending clear skies, there will be a telescope viewing led by the St. Louis Astronomical Society. Call 314-655-1750, ext. 472 to
check weather conditions the afternoon of the program. For more information, visit http:// gatewayarch.com. Sept. 2, 8:30 a.m., COCAbiz will host SPARK, a business creativity conference, featuring keynote presenter John Maeda. For more information, visit cocabiz.com/spark-conference Thur., Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Sumner Alumni Association presents Stories from Sumner Panel Discussion. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.
health Sept. 2, 10:30 a.m., Oasis presents a Dance Party, Get your groove on at a dance party where you’ll learn some simple dance moves. We’ll Zumba, Wobble, Cupid Shuffle and more! St. Louis
Oasis. For more information or to register, call 314.862.4859, ext 24. Sat., Sept. 5, 8 a.m., The Lustgarten Foundation presents The 2015 St. Louis Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk. Participants will walk or run in a 4-mile loop on the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Katy Trail. Frontier Park, 500 S. Riverside Dr., 63301. For more information, visit www. 2015stlouiswalk.kintera.org. Sat., Sept. 12, 9 a.m., Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Participants will complete a one or three mile walk and will learn about Alzheimer’s disease, advocacy opportunities, clinical studies enrollment and support programs and services from the Alzheimer’s Association. Scottrade Center, 1401 Clark Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 801-
Fri., Aug. 28, 7 p.m., McDonald’s presents The 2015 Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour feat. Dorinda Clark-Cole, Ricky Dillard, Tasha Page-Lockhart, and Dewayne Woods with host Lonnie Hunter and comedian Small Fire. This event is free. Greater Grace Church, 3690 Pershall Rd., 63135. For tickets, visit www.365black.com. Fri., Sept. 4, 6:30 p.m., Believers Temple Word Fellowship hosts A Night of New Beginnings Concert. 2115 Chambers Rd., 63136. For more information, call (314) 240-0181 Through Sept. 6, 7 p.m., Solomon’s Temple Community Tent Revival, Bishop James E. Holloway Sr. - Founder and Pastor First Lady Sister Linda D. Holloway Co-Pastor 5569 Page Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, call (314) 361- 4466, (314) 3614460 or email: solomons@ i1.net Web Site: www. solomonstemplechurch.org Sept. 14 – 20, Choir Week 2015 with Dr. E. Wayne Evans & St. Louis Progressive Mass Choir. For ore information, visit http:// www.eventbrite.com/e/st-louisprogressive-mass-choir-2015city-wide-choir-week-tickets17627551481?aff=es2
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
Celebrations Pastoral anniversary
Pageant winner
FREE OF CHARGE
Wishing these very special people, Jasmine and Cayden Flagg a very blessed, Happy Birthday on August 24th and 26th!!! We love y’all!
Birthdays Huge congratulations to Sheena Woods for winning the National Miss Unite Pageant in Nashville, Tennessee in July. We are proud of you and look forward to seeing you at Miss Missouri in October!
Reunions All reunion announcements can be viewed online! Beaumont High School Class of 1965 will celebrate their 50th Class Reunion on September 26, 2015 at the Royale Orleans, 2801 Telegraph. Dinner dance with open bar is $65/person. For additional information contact Geraldine Carter-Reid at 314868-8284 or bluejackets65@ gmail.com. Beaumont Alumni Class 1968 are having 48th Class Reunion Kickoff Luncheon & Meeting on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015, 1-4 p.m. at Granite City Food & Brewery, 11411 Olive Blvd, Creve Coeur, MO 63141. Beaumont Class of 1970 will be celebrating their 45th Class Reunion Saturday, October 24,2015, at Catering to You.12775 New Halls Ferry Rd,63033. For more info please contact: Oneita (Meeks)
The Restoration House Community Church salutes Pastor Frederick Joseph McCullough on his 20th Pastoral Anniversary, as we celebrate our 2nd year Church Anniversary!
Murphy: (314) 322-4205, Chuck Campbell: (314) 5204581, Toni (Brady) Hopson: beaumontclassof1970@gmail. com, or see our Facebook page. Beaumont High School class of 1975 is in the planning process for its 40th year reunion! Reunion dates: August 14-16, 2015, contact: Gale (314) 838-8493 or Cynthia (314) 869-4049. Beaumont High Class of 1984 can stay updated via our Facebook page “Beaumont Class of 1984”. We meet the last Friday of every month. Contact Rochelle Williams at rochellewilliams001@yahoo. com. Lincoln High School (East St. Louis, IL) January and June 1955 classes are planning the 60th year reunion, September 4-6, 2015. For additional information, you may contact John W. Morgan at 618558-6880 or Maxine Parks Kimbrough at 314-741-3967. Normandy High School Class of 1975 40th year reunion weekend September 18–20 at Ameristar Casino. For full details contact Lisa Garrett at 314-707-4673,
Jay Buck at 636-346-9165, Virginia Ferguson Crosby at v_crosby2004@yahoo.com, Paul Jordan at 314-565-3452 and Gina Whitfield Pope at 314-348-6795 or Normandy High School Class of 1975 Facebook page. Northwest High School Class of 1973 has planned a 60th Birthday Bash for September 5, 2015 at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel. The deadline for payment has been extended to 8/21/2015. If you have not received an email with the details, please email northwesths1973@gmail. com or contact Cornelia Clark Stephens 314-580-1114. Old Neighborhood Reunion Incorporated 14th Annual Street Festival (Representing Cass-Garrison-GlasgowHoward-Leffingwell-MadisonSheridan-Jefferson-Elliott, The Huts, North Market and Graduates of Curtis and Columbia Grade Schools). Saturday September 19, 2015, 12 pm—6 pm, 2700 Block of Howard Street (Between Leffingwell and Elliott Streets. Soldan High School Class of 1975 40th Reunion Celebration, September 11-13, 2015. Contact: Terese ColeMarshall, (314) 640-9611,
Happy 5th Birthday Miyoko-Sakae Nelson on September 1. We love you, Sweet Pea!
Roslyn “Cookie” Williams (314) 616-4892, or AnnieSue Preston (314) 606-5618, email: Soldanclass75@gmail.com. Soldan High School Class of 75 40th Reunion Celebration, September 11-13, 2015. Contact: Terese Cole–Marshall at (314) 640 9611, Roslyn “Cookie” Williams at (314) 616 4892 or AnnieSue Preston at (314) 606 5618, email: Soldanclass75@gmail.com. St. Mark High School Classes of 72, 73, 74 and 75 are planning a joint reunion picnic on Saturday September 12, 2015 at Tilles Park. If you are or know someone from one of these classes, please have them contact: Anne Epplin Jesse at thejesses@prodigy.net or Eldra
Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, graduation, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available. Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103
Taylor at eldra.taylor@yahoo. com, (314) 570-1513. Soldan Class of 1961 is inviting all Soldan Alumni to join them September 10-13, 2015 at the New York New York Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. For additional information contact Willie Mullins at wjmull@yahoo.com or 1-510-530-8337 by March 15 for additional information. Vashon Class of 1965 will be celebrating their 50 Year Class Reunion September 18-20, 2015 at The St. Louis Marriott Airport. Planning meeting to be held at the Walnut Park Library at 3:30-5:30 P.M. on August 29. For information Vashon65Alumni@Yahoo. com; Cleo 383-1934 or Bernice 534-8282.
Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103 Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is:
reunions@ stlamerican.com
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
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Celebrity Swag Snap of the Week Niddy had double the star power Friday night when fellow “Real Husbands of Hollywood” co-stars Nelly and Kevin Hart came through HG. Hart had two wins in one night thanks to the St. Louis leg of his “Now What” Tour and a packed club.
Dave Hollister, Teddy Riley, Vito and Nikko Smith following the District Rhythms concert series starring Blackstreet and featuring Nikko Sunday night @ Ballpark Village
Stephanie and Kim Roberts experienced some Southern Hospitality Friday night @ Mood
Kristen, Jasmine, and Rashonda joined in on the swag @ Mood for Style Saturdays
R&B Artist Bryssa, Dee Elise and Bri were in the building for Free Time’s Glow Saturday night @ Atomic Cowboy
Gabbi and D kicked their weekend off with a taste the Dirty South Friday night @ Mood
Lo and Bria brought their beauty to HG Saturday night Photos by Lawrence Bryant & John Scott
Kevin Hart’s forced phone etiquette. It’s no secret that media was NOT invited to review the Kevin Hart comedy show Friday night at the Scottrade. I wasn’t stressed. I heard from a friend in another city that he told plenty of the same jokes as before. Plus, while I sincerely live for him as a person and his work ethic is ____________ (insert new slang for off the chain), I’m far from bothered from his standup or his movies. People were surprised that I took not being there so lightly. Let me tell you, had I known then what I know now I’d still be on the phone while beating down the door – even offering up my own little coins – to be at that show. Not for his routine, but to witness the shenanigans that ensued as a result of his prohibitive cell phone policy. I’d sacrifice my beloved (as seen on TV) Suzanne Sommers three-way poncho to see the looks on the dozens of folks faces as they were tossed out before the show got good and started. I can only imagine based on the Negro Spirituals that flooded my inbox how hilarious it had to be to see it firsthand. And baby, the pounced patrons were so hot that every e-mail started with “Girl…,” so I already knew what would follow. “Girl, I cannot believe…” or “Girl…they had the nerve to throw me out after all that money I paid …” or “Girl…I’ve supported Kevin Hart for his whole career…NEVER AGAIN!” According to the folks who were shown the door, Kevin gave “one strike you’re out” orders. And the security executed the consequence to breaking the rules in a way that gave new meaning to the phrase “tap out.” If you got a tap, you would be escorted OUT. I personally am not mad at Kevin for his policy. It forces folks to actually pay attention to the show as opposed to trying to capture it on social media. But I don’t understand why he was so protective over recycled jokes. Then again maybe I do, because the only thing I’ve heard about that show is how a hundred folks got tossed out. Sweet Southern Hospitality. I made my way to Mood Friday night and I must say that I got every bit of my life as the young black and fabulous crowd came through – some still in their corporate work clothes – and filled the spot to capacity for Southern Hospitality. Mood really has a knack for reeling in that ultra-sexy, ultra-professional urban crowd. And when they get them in the door, they let their buns down and unbutton those freshly pressed dress shirts, do you hear me?! And DJ Kimmy Nu was slaying with my favorite Dirty South classics. I was shocked at how packed it was when I knew that Kevin Hart, Nelly and ‘nem were right down the street. But trust that even with the star power going on at HG, Mood managed to win in a major way among their respective crowd.
Alisha and Jasmine @ Mood for style Saturdays
St.Louis Rap start JR and Video model Torri Brixx had VIP on lock Sunday @ HG
Hollywood Husbands at HG. Kevin Hart and his fellow “Hollywood Husband” Nelly were live and in the flesh at HG following Kevin’s show Friday night. Thank goodness nobody was getting snatched up over cellphones there because that could’ve been ugly. But anyway, the superstars and their respective crews had the stage area overflowing. At HG the folks were officially set to “fishbowl” as they watched the stars interact with the lucky few who rubbed shoulders. The first thing I noticed was that some of Kevin Hart’s crew had those hot-red Costco disposable cups as they attempted to trot across the tight quarters of VIP. I was like “how tacky is it to bring your own homemade drinks up in the club?” Then I remembered that their whole little gimmick is “The Plastic Cup Boyz.” I still thought them carrying the cups around was pretty late. Those who braved the line and the heat were in for the most special of treats as they were gifted a mini concert with performance snippets by Nelly and anybody else in the building who had ever rapped on a track over the course of their entire lives. JGE, T-Marley, Donta Wade, Big B, Abby, Gabby and Mousie were just a few of the faces I managed to see. I must say though that as packed as it was, I was shocked to see the club wasn’t as full as when Omari “Ghost” Hardwick came through a few weeks back. The goodness of Glow. The fellas of Free Time were true to form with their tradition of annually giving me everything I need in a nightlife event via Glow Saturday night. For several years it was at Mike Shannon’s but I think the patio of Atomic Cowboy is just so much sexier. It’s like you are on some sort of island excursion for the night. DJ Climate gave me everything I absolutely needed as I watched folks with sizable 401K packages twerk like nobody was watching. I’m telling you, Glow should be on the bucket list of everybody who fancies a good old fashioned outdoor party. Bedazzled by Blackstreet. I will tell you what, the promoters involved with the District Rhythms concert series Sunday at Ballpark Village truly deserve a gold star for being able to reach and attract their target audience. When I tell you I have never been to one of those shows where it is not packed to the gills with folks having a good time. Anyway, Nikko Smith was responsible for warming the crowd up for Blackstreet and he really did his thing I know I’ve rightfully hated on him in the past, but he has really grown as a performer and gives the people exactly what they want to hear. And the fact that his band is absolutely sickening (that’s a good thing) doesn’t hurt either. Blacksteet front-man Teddy Riley tried to blind me with his “all rhinestone everything” action, but other than that, the headliners did their thing! You know that somebody is serious about that bedazzled life when they have a rhinestone encrusted ear monitor. I wish I was joking, but I saw it up close and personal when Teddy scooted around on that hover board after the never ending sound check. Blackstreet gave me the shock of the century to see that Teddy had patched things up with Dave Hollister to the point where he is back in the band. I got my life from the show, even if Teddy Riley’s solo tribute portion was longer than the group set.
Monique and Sindi were sitting pretty Sunday @ HG
Carol and Melodie made their way to @ Mood for Style Saturdays
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Religion
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 -SEPT. 2, 2015
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Justice is not blind
The Message
Spiritually Speaking
A Letter from Pastor Mike to his congregation at South City Church On August 10, I participated in an act of civil disobedience with St. Louis clergy that involved a march from Christ Church Cathedral downtown to the Thomas Eagleton Courthouse. The purpose of this action was to go forward as a show of unity and solidarity, to pray, sing hymns on the steps of the federal building and demand that the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Missouri move forward on the changes that ensure that all who are sworn to serve and protect will be better equipped to serve people, not systems. When the federal marshals and St. Louis police threatened the peaceful crowd with chemical agents, some of us decided on the spot to be dragged, tased and/or cuffed as a way of distracting or at least slowing down that type of dispersal tactic, hoping to prevent many (including children) from being harmed. This action was announced last Friday night at the conclusion of our First Friday Prayer meeting. Obviously, though the possibility of arrest was discussed at the meeting, my arrest could not have been announced. My hope, along with those of everyone who participated, was that we would not be arrested, but engaged. I believe we were heard, in some small way, but I believe we must keep speaking, keep confronting. And I will do it all again if the circumstances are ever the same. I would do it again because I am not just doing this for myself. I was out there for my family, for our family. And I was there for everyone else. I hope that something I do keeps the next generation from being raised to become racists without even knowing it. Brothers and sisters, this world is broken. Justice in America – and so many places on Earth – is not blind. If she were blind, she would not be blindfolded. She can see very clearly. She can see
Photo by Wiley Price
On Aug. 10, local clergy and Cornell West joined together, prayed and sang hymns on the steps of the Thomas Eagleton Courthouse before getting arrested by St. Louis city police.
which ethnic group you belong to, how old or young you are, which side of the tracks you live on. Justice, without the blindfold, can be manipulated by those who claim to exact it; to make you afraid of black people or Hispanic people, to make you dismiss addicts and ex-cons, to prevent us all from embracing equality or extending grace; to prevent us from affirming that we are all made in God’s image. I think the blindfold was pulled off in this country when, not long ago, white men constructed a phenomenon called Race to make sure that people of color would never be considered equal, based solely on skin tone. Justice needs someone to help her with her blindfold, and we marched that Monday to demand that she retie it. Brothers and Sisters, I know that many of you are tired of hearing about Ferguson or surrounding discussions. I get so tired of talking about ethnic division, marching about it, meeting about it, sitting on stages in forums about it. But what else can I do when it seems that so many U.S. citizens don’t know, or often
forget the history of this country – how our cities evolved into their present state — how many of them became the “hood.” I grew up in North Saint Louis and I saw how it happened here. In the 60s and 70s, a large tract of North Saint Louis (The Ville, Fountain Park and a few other neighborhoods) were racially diverse, with a large percentage of middle-class households. Then, the white folks left the city. Many white churches left, especially white Evangelical churches. It was a westward expansion to Saint Louis County. As a result, we are a hyper segregated city in a country that seems to be happy with “separate and unequal” standards of social justice for the black and brown underclass. No wonder my actions seem like foolishness to so many. It would seem like foolishness to me too if I didn’t know what I know about racism – or if I didn’t believe my foolish acts would help change things in this country. Mike Higgins is lead pastor of South City Church at 2109 South Spring Ave.
Sometimes words alone cannot trust people who have taught you not to give them the time of day? convey meaning and feelings the Do you treat all people this way way we’d like them to. Trust for or just the one(s) who betrayed example. The reference point for you? Can you forgive? Can you my meaning is “Trust in the Lord ever forget? Do you really want with all your heart, and do not to? And what does all of this have lean on your own understanding. to do with God? Well, how are In all things acknowledge Him you treating Him in the trust area? and He will make your paths “Now it is required that those straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust is who have been given a trust must such a complex thing. Have you ever been betrayed by someone in prove faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2. Now exactly, who’s proving whom you had total trust? Have what to whom? Are you requiring you been able to totally trust God to prove something to you another person since? See how before you trust Him? Are you easy misplaced trust takes you to demanding from God those a terribly vulnerable place. It’s same things you demand from uncomfortable. It’s abnormal. someone, anyone before It ain’t fun. Yet, in this you would even consider passage we are instructed to giving him or her your put our trust in the Lord. love? You see it is so The question is can you easy to succumb to a do it? Are you able to put lifestyle which requires trust in your heart after proof before love is you experience devastating given. It’s so easy to betrayal? And we’ve all demand the impossible been betrayed in one way from people who are or another; either by having Columnist incapable of giving it to our beliefs proven false or James maybe your heart has been Washington you. But how can you base your relationship broken. Every one knows with God on worldly someone who has been principles grounded in betrayal crippled by a lover or spouse and disappointment? Are you gone crazy, or watched someone requiring God to prove His love stumble up on the truth about a to you before you give Him situation that everybody but them yours? knew the real deal. In the real The key to this trust thing lies world that kind of stuff hurts. In deep within each and every one a real sense, once destroyed, trust of us. We first have to confront “don’t” come here anymore. Now wait a minute. Go out and those demons which have plagued us for years. And yes, that means trust in the Lord implicitly. You get my meaning? Extreme caution all the pain that goes with them. usually follows crippling betrayal. Then and only then can we begin to even accept the concept of trust New relationships are founded and loyalty, total and without largely on mistrust and “prove equivocation. Because then trust it to me;” not, blind faith and means knowing. Trust means unconditional trust. Life teaches truth. Trust means no matter us that only a fool would allow what, I know that regardless of themselves to be misused again. conditions and circumstances, Therein lies my question about I am God’s child, made in His trust and what it means to you. image and the recipient of His Can you deal with this concept love. May God bless and keep everyday? How much of a you always. struggle are you having trying to
n “If you want to run the read option with your quarterback that’s had two knee surgeries, that’s on you.” – Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, on his controversial hit on Eagles QB Sam Bradford
Sports
INSIDE
Black head coaches don’t get second chances ~ See ‘SportsEye’ page B4 ~
B3
AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
Rams Roundup
University City’s Mitchell Gross (9) lets a touchdown pass slip through his hands after getting behind Hazelwood East’s Rajal Perkins during Saturday’s game at U. City. The lions would go on to defeat the Spartans 23-14.
With Palmer L. Alexander III
New Rams, same as old Rams Preseason looks like rerun of last losing season
Photo by Wiley Price
Vashon beats state contenders Plus, St. Louis area full of sophomore standouts
By Earl Austin Jr. Of The St. Louis American The Vashon Wolverines enjoyed a big opening night last Friday as they ventured down South and came away with a 34-32 victory at Cape Girardeau Central, a team what played for the state championship last season.
Although low on numbers, the Wolverines displayed some quality athletes in knocking off the Tigers in dramatic fashion overtime. Trailing 32-26, quarterback Clifton Dickens connected with 6’7” 250pound junior Levi Stockard on a 7-yard touchdown pass to tie the score. Vashon then won the game on a two-point conversion by
Charvon Lewis. Lewis was one of the offensive standouts of the game for Vashon with 160 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns to go along with his game-winning twopoint conversion. Dickens had two rushing touchdowns on the evening. Vashon will face Miller Career
Academy in an early Public High League showdown on Saturday at Sumner. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Sophomore standouts The St. Louis area has some very impressive sophomores See PREP, B4
I hate to be repetitive. However, the St. Louis Rams are repetitive on the football field – and I don’t care if it’s just a preseason game. Now I’m making reference to the Rams’ loss to the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday. I see red flags already. Normally, you kind of take the “wait and see” approach this time of the year. Well, not when it’s the Rams. This is Jeff Fisher’s fourth season as head coach. And I think this team and this franchise should be a lot better than this. The first-string offensive line looks bad. Palmer L. If they keep this up, Nick Alexander Foles will be wrapped up in more bandages then Mummra. Foles didn’t have a good game. He threw a pick six and the receivers couldn’t get open. I can’t for the life of me understand the purpose of signing Foles to a contract extension if you can’t count on the line to protect him. Nick Foles may as well have the number 8 on the back of his jersey. What a grossly negligent decision to overlook having a solid line to protect your most recent investment. It’s unfair to Foles to wait for this young, inexperienced line to gel as he dodges defensive ends, tackles and even his own offensive linemen getting knocked on their back like a cockroach that just got a cap of rubbing alcohol poured on it. Sad to say, but so far Fisher hasn’t worked out. The Rams are better. But, the Rams are no closer to being a
See RAMS, B5
In The Clutch With Ishmael H. Sistrunk
Be a fantasy football boss
Follow these tips if you want to contend for a league title
As the NFL preseason winds solely on the strengths of down, owners across the land clever names, but when close are giddy with hope, anticipagames come down to the wire, tion and championship aspirathe based laced god shows tions. I’m not talking about the favor on those who actually 32 billionaires anxiously await- put effort and thoughtful coning for NFL Commissioner sideration into naming their Roger Goodell to turn team. Who wants to see on the free-flowing “The Eagles” coronated money fountain. Only a as league champions? handful of owners have Nobody. Dig deep into a legitimate chance to your creative cranium win the Super Bowl. and come up with someI’m referring to the thing witty like “It’s 57 million individuals a Hard Gronk Life” who play fantasy footor “Somewhere Over ball. For those owners, Dewayne Bowe.” Extra everybody has a chance Ishmael H. points for incorporatto be great. Follow this Sistrunk ing football player or guide, and your name celebrity names or using could hang from the rafters as current events. a 2015 fantasy football champion. Prepare for the draft Pick a cool name Some might argue that a name has absolutely nothing to do with how a fantasy football team performs. These are people who have likely never finished on the peak of the fantasy football mountaintop. Championships aren’t won
Many people think because they watch SportsCenter every day and their uncle Chuck used to sell beer at the football stadium that they have some special level of insight when it comes to drafting players for their fantasy league. Hogwash. Preparation is key to success. Traditional 12-team leagues
Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald help make the St Louis Rams defense an elite fantasy football unit. will choose between 160 and 240 players, depending on roster size. IDP (Individual
Defensive Players) leagues could go even deeper. When you remove offensive lineman
from the equation there are still more than 900 players to be considered for those roster
n Find two or three sites you trust for information and build your draft strategy from there. Too much info will have you looking like a deer in headlights.
positions. Unless you work in the front office, there’s no possible way you can make solid decisions about those players without taking time to prepare. However, too much preparation can be detrimental. Everybody has opinions and suggestions regarding fantasy football (including me). Many of those suggestions will clash. Find two or three sites you trust for information and build your draft strategy from there. Too much info will have you looking like a deer in headlights once the draft finally begins. See CLUTCH, B5
B4
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • AUG. 27 – SEPT. 2, 2015
SportsEye With Alvin Reid
As kickoff for the 2015 college football season nears, only 11 of the 128 FBS head coaches are African American – a paltry 8.6 percent. They are: James Franklin, Penn State (Big Ten); Darrell Hazell, Purdue (Big Ten); Curtis Johnson, Tulane (AAC); Mike London, Virginia (ACC); Derek Mason, Vanderbilt (SEC); Ruffin McNeill, East Carolina (AAC); Trent Miles, Georgia State (Sun Belt); David Shaw, Stanford (Pac 12); Charlie Strong, Texas (Big 12); Kevin Alvin Sumlin (SEC) and Reid Willie Taggert, South Florida (AAC). According to ESPN figures, when the 2014 FBS football season began 53 percent of players were black and 42 percent were white. Yet, more than 90 percent of FBS coaches are white. Those numbers don’t add up, do they? Of course, the situation could be worse. There were four black head coaches at the Division 1 level (now called FBS) in 1994. Over the next eight years, dozens of men were hired to run college football programs and in 2002 – there were four AfricanAmerican head coaches. By 2008, there had been a dramatic increase to a total of five black head coaches. Between January 2011 and January 2012, six black head coaches were hired, bringing the grand total to 15 at the start of the 2012 season.
PREP
Continued from B3 playing high school football around town. Many of them
Black head coaches don’t get second chances
This all-time high has now drifted backward, and former San Jose State head coach Dr. Fitz Hill knows why. After he was dismissed from his post with a 14-33 overall record after the 2004 season, he continued his research on the respective fates of other black coaches. He concluded that black coaches rarely got a second opportunity to be a head coach. According to his statistics, 28 black head coaches have been fired or forced to resign – usually because of losing records. In each case, the school then hired a white coach as his successor In fact, only one black coach has resurfaced as head coach at a major program after being fired. Tyrone Willingham was fired at Notre Dame and was then hired by the University of Washington – and this was more than a decade ago. Says Hill in a Daily Beast interview: “Race will no longer be an issue when the day comes that an AfricanAmerican football coach is unsuccessful, but you still go and replace him with another African-American football coach.” Black head coaches “deserve second and third chances” – like their white counterparts. John Embree was one of those black head coaches on the sidelines in 2011 at Colorado. He was fired during his third season with a 4-21 record.
enjoyed prime-time debut seasons as freshmen last year. Some of the area’s top individual performances from the opening weekend came from the Class of 2018. Pattonville’s Kaleb Eleby
n “Race will no longer be an issue when an AfricanAmerican football coach is unsuccessful, but you replace him with another AfricanAmerican coach.” – Dr. Fitz Hill
According to Dr. Fitz Hill, 28 black head coaches have been fired or forced to resign. In each case, the school then hired a white coach. Tyrone Willingham (above), who was fired at Notre Dame and then hired by the University of Washington, is the only black coach that has resurfaced as a head coach at a major program. “We don’t get second chances,” he said at the time of his termination. Embree had played for former Colorado head coach Bill McCartney who said in 2012 black coaches “have a more difficult road to tread.” While wins and losses are
the cause for a coaching change the overwhelming majority of the time, it can also be argued that black coaches are held to a higher off-field standard. Last week, USC coach Steve Sarkisian made a fool of himself and his school
by taking the stage while apparently hammered drunk during the annual Salute to Troy pep rally. His tirade included profanity and insults to other Pac 12 schools. It was so disgusting that Pat Haden, USC athletic director, had to drag him off the stage.
was 19 of 24 for 345 yards and six touchdowns in the Pirates’ 55-7 victory over Seckman. Vianney’s Tionne Harris rushed for 140 yards and passed for 171 yards and had three touchdowns in the Golden
Griffins’ 43-21 victory over Francis Howell North. Lutheran South’s Cody Schrader rushed for 275 yards on 15 carries and scored four touchdowns in the Lancers’ 56-28 victory over DuBourg. Eureka’s Hassan Haskins rushed for 275 yards on 41 carries to lead the Wildcats past rival Lafayette 35-13. John Burroughs’ Tyler Foote passed for 182 yards and a touchdown in the Bombers’ 33-6 victory
over Cardinal Ritter. JBS teammate Jake Bain rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns, including a 90-yard romp in the first quarter. It was the varsity debut for both players. Lutheran St. Charles’ Bryce French rushed for 167 yards on just 10 carries in the Cougars’ 60-3 victory over Principia. Westminster’s Evan Johnson passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns in the
Sarkisian has been fined and reprimanded by his school and the Pac 12 – yet there has been no call to fire him. In 2013, Eastern Michigan coach head Ron English, who is black, was fired after he reportedly used “inappropriate language” that included a homophobic slur during a film session with defensive backs. His tirade was recorded, and when it came to light a month later he was fired. Eastern Michigan athletic director Heather Lyke said, “my decision to make a change in leadership of our football program was the culmination of a lot of factors including the comprehensive review of our program, the competitive performance and this tape.” Had English had a better overall record than 11-46 he probably would have kept his job. Had Sarkisian (9-4) been black and pulled the same stunt he did last week in L.A., my guess is he would be looking for a new job.
Wildcats’ 27-7 victory at Festus. HB3 McCluer North opened its season with a 64-34 loss to perennial state power Jefferson City, but senior wide receiver Harry Ballard stole the show with a glittering five-touchdown performance that included one big play after another. The 6’3” 200-pound senior caught five passes for 83 yards and three touchdowns. He also had five carries for 156 yards and two touchdowns on runs of 72 and 67 yards. Clark runs wild Hazelwood Central’ Demontez Clark also enjoyed a big opening night as he rushed for 203 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Hawks’ 40-6 victory at DeSmet. Clark scored on runs of 78, 28 and 81 yards. Top Games this Week Jefferson City (1-0) at CBC (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m. Nixa (1-0) at Francis Howell (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m. McCluer North (0-1) at Kirkwood (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m. Fort Zumwalt West (1-0) at Fort Zumwalt North (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m. Hazelwood Central (1-0) at Lafayette (0-1), Friday, 7 p.m. Collinsville (0-0) at Belleville Althoff (0-0) at Lindenwood-Belleville, Friday, 7 p.m. East St. Louis (0-0) vs. Chicago Simeon (0-0) at Gateley Stadium, Saturday, 3 p.m. Ladue (0-1) at Jennings (1-0), Saturday, noon Vashon (1-0) vs. Miller Career Academy (1-0) at Sumner, Saturday, 1 p.m.