The St. Louis American: July 28, 2016

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Study finds large disparities in mortgage lending

St. Louis American

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2015 Newspaper of the Year!

Report finds race a significant factor in determining where loans are being provided.

See special Diversity section, page 9

The

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Vol. 88 No. 16 COMPLIMENTARY

County Council seat contested Rochelle Walton Gray asked Moline Acres resident Yvonne Norman for her vote on Tuesday, July 26. Gray is running for the 4th District seat on the St. Louis County Council in the primary election on August 2.

Rochelle Walton Gray running against entrenched incumbent in 4th District

Photo by Wiley Price

By Mike Jones Of The St. Louis American

Neighbors and all of Black Jack and Spanish Lake. The American spoke to Gray about her campaign.

In the Democratic primary on Tuesday, August 2, Rochelle Walton Gray – a term-limited state representative from Black Jack – is trying to unseat long-term incumbent Mike O’Mara, a close ally of County Executive Steve Stenger and North County Labor, in St. Louis County’s 4th District. The 4th District includes the county’s farthest northern reaches, including most of Florissant and Bellefontaine

The St. Louis American: Why is this Council seat important?

Rochelle Walton Gray: So much of the population of the 4th District lives in unincorporated St. Louis County, which means they don’t have any municipal government and they have to depend upon St. Louis

INSIDE

See GRAY, A6

Fox 2 reporter makes sick joke about McSpadden

DIVERSITY

Diversity

A Business Imperative

American’s largest edition of the year!

Special section highlighting importance of diversity and inclusion for the St. Louis region.

~ Special Section ~

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Black St. Louis police officers said they are appalled by a white city officer’s inappropriate Facebook post about Michael Brown Jr.’s mother, Lezley McSpadden, being invited to participate in the Democratic National Convention – along with the “disheartening” reply by Bobby Hughes, a photographer and reporter at Fox 2 News.

The city officer, Lt. Jerry Foster (named as Jerry Allan on Facebook), made the original post on Friday, July 22, which The St. Bobby Louis American obtained from Hughes community members who were offended.

Foster stated, “Why not let them speak. It is the Democratic Criminal Party. How fitting.”

Below his comment was a link to a story critical of McSpadden being invited to speak at the convention. Several racist and aggressive comments followed – including one from Hughes and some from former city police officers.

BUSINESS

Contractor Loan Fund seeks more applicants Finance leaders have secured millions for minority contractors, but there’s more to be loaned.

See REPORTER, A7

~ Page B1 ~

SPORTS

Rams say goodbye to fans at Legends of the Dome One of the biggest cheers was for Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace, who was honored at halftime at midfield with his family.

~ Page B4 ~

Isaac Bruce

Double Dutch at Mathews-Dickey

Photo by Wiley Price

Nayla Brinson showed her Double Dutch skills while attending summer camp at Mathews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club on Wednesday, July 27. The summer heat has kept kids inside shielded from temperatures above 90 degrees.

‘This is the community hospital’ Rick Stevens takes over as BJC Christian Hospital president

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American Rick Stevens grew up in Rockford, Illinois, the son of a small businessman – his father operated a successful tax service and invested in real estate – and then became a biology major.

Rick Stevens

From activist to candidate Ferguson led young progressives to compete in August 2 primary

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

“I had business in the back of my mind, because I helped with both of those businesses,” he said, “but I also had the sciences as well.”

When a friend suggested that he combine the two and pursue healthcare administration, he had his career path – the one that led him to become the new president of BJC Christian Hospital, which he calls one

Rasheen Aldridge, 22, already had several years under his belt as a community organizer before Michael Brown Jr. was killed by Ferguson police on August 9, 2014.

Like several other social-justice fighters on the streets of Ferguson, the movement changed the way Aldridge approaches community organizing.

“Being in Ferguson felt like being alone,” said Aldridge, an organizer with Show Me $15. “There weren’t people in [Ferguson government] seats that understood why we were out here. It made me think about my neighborhood, not having

See STEVENS, A6

See PRIMARY, A7

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

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Dre wrongly accused of brandishing gun, detained by cops Dr. Dre was briefly detained and issued a citation outside his home Monday morning after police received a call from a motorist who alleged he had been threatened with a gun.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told CNN that the caller claimed he had parked his car in front of a Malibu residence, when the owner of the home ordered him to leave and showed a handgun, police Dr. Dre said.

Upon arriving at the scene, a police report said the producer and entertainment mogul matched the description provided by the caller.

“Due to the nature of the call, the person was searched,

handcuffed, and briefly detained in a known as “Miss Cleo” the pitchwoman confidentially agreement by speaking out about patrol car while deputies investigated for the Psychic Readers Network, died her case after dozens of other women came the incident,” law enforcement said in Tuesday of cancer, according to an forward with similar claims. a statement. attorney for her family.

This week, a judge ruled Cosby can sue According to the sheriff’s report, Harris, 53, was surrounded by Constrand for speaking out. Cosby was also Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, family and close friends when she died given permission to investigate how the sealed asked the driver to leave because his in Palm Beach, Florida, said attorney deposition from their case became public. vehicle was blocking his driveway.

William J. Cone.

The man drove off, but immediately Harris became the face of the returned and parked nearby, Dre famous TV infomercials in the late Arrest marathon told police. When Dre took out his 1990s. With her enthusiastic, “Call me Miss continues for Katt Williams cellphone to film him, the man left, now!” catch phrase, Jamaican accent Cleo according to the police report. and head wraps, Harris was promoted Katt Williams was arrested again on Police described the Grammyas the psychic “Miss Cleo” – who Sunday amid allegations that the actor/ winning producer as “cooperative.” could read tarot cards and comedian physically assaulted a female He consented to being searched and predict the future. member of his staff. denied the handgun and threat allegations, Harris was actually born in Los Law enforcement sources told TMZ police said.

Angeles, a fact that came to light after that police responded Sunday morning No weapon was found at the scene and the Federal Trade Commission went to the Sportsmen’s Lodge restaurant the rapper was not arrested or taken into after Access Resource Services, or in Sherman Oaks after an employee custody, the sheriff’s department said.

ARS, the company behind the hotline. alleged Williams had attacked her.

But the driver, who police Harris portrayed “Miss Cleo” from TMZ.com said it is unclear what declined to identify, “initiated 1997 to 2002. started the fight, but cops were said a private person’s arrest of to have noticed visible minor injuries Mr. Young for misdemeanor Cosby can sue accuser on the woman, and she requested Katt brandishing a firearm,” police Andrea Constrand requesting Williams be arrested. said.

Williams He was booked and later released Dr. Dre was given a Back in 2005, Andrea Constrand after posting the $20,000 bail. citation that requires him to agreed to accept a cash settlement appear in court. in exchange for her silence after she accused comedian Bill Cosby of drugging and Sources: TMZ.com, sexually molesting her inside his Philadelphia The Jasmine Brand, CNN.com RIP “Miss Cleo” brownstone.

Earlier this year, Constrand broke her Youree Dell Harris, better

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

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Florissant PD protested for racial profiling But new U.S. Supreme Court ruling could authorize their behavior

By Mariah Stewart Of The St. Louis American In the midst of inflamed Black Lives Matters’ protests across the country, one man is pursuing his own demonstration against the Florissant Police Department for what he believes was racial profiling.

Unfortunately, he may have a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision working against him.

On June 26, Tranell Stewart, 36, was pulled over by white Florissant police officer Dustin Edwards. Stewart, who is black, said he was flagged by Edwards, who has served on the force for just one year, after they encountered each other inside a Motel 6 lobby in Florissant.

“As I walk in, he’s getting ready to come out. He holds the door for me to go in. So he knows I’ve been to that establishment. He knows that I wasn’t there loitering,” Stewart told The American. “As soon as I leave, he pulls me over immediately.”

Stewart said he asked Edwards why he was pulled over. According to Stewart, Edwards said no law was broken and that he just wanted to assess Stewart.

Stewart asked Edwards to call a supervisor and refused to show his identification.

“I said, ‘Officer, you do not pull no one over to check them out. You’re violating my rights, and that’s not right,” Stewart recalled himself saying.

However, a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling complicated his complaint. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling in the Utah v Strieff case. In a 5 to 3

vote, the court went in favor of Utah police, who pulled over Edward Strieff for no reason other than he had just left a suspected drug house.

During the stop, police found that Strieff had a warrant for a traffic violation and was in possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

“This case allows the police to stop you on the street, demand your identification, and check it for outstanding traffic warrants – even if you are doing nothing wrong,” Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in scathing dissent.

Just like Strieff, Stewart was arrested and charged.

He received a summons for possession of a small amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, loitering and not wearing a seat belt. He has a court date on August 3 for these new charges.

According to Florissant Police public relations officer Craig DeHart, the Motel 6 where Stewart was sighted is surrounded by a lot of criminal activity and Edwards “observed Stewart acting suspiciously.”

And, cross-referencing the license plate of Stewart’s vehicle, Edwards found out Stewart had a felony drug warrant in St. Louis County, DeHart told The American.

Stewart claimed that when backup finally arrived at the scene, he was yanked aggressively from his vehicle

by Edwards and was never read his rights. DeHart said Florissant did not hold Stewart or make him post a bond.

Stewart was taken into St. Louis County Police custody for his warrant.

Florissant, which borders Ferguson, is the largest

Photo by Mariah Stewart

Tranell Stewart has been protesting the Florissant Police Department since he was pulled over on June 26 in what he believes was racial profiling.

municipality in St. Louis County, with a population of over 52,000 residents, according to the 2010 census.

using excessive force. In March 2014, Reynolds was arrested by then-Florissant Police Officer Kevin Feldman for an

n “This case allows the police to stop you on the street, demand your identification, and check it for outstanding traffic warrants – even if you are doing nothing wrong.”

– Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

While not as notorious as its neighbor Ferguson, Stewart’s is not the first complaint against the department.

In 2014, Joy Reynold filed a federal lawsuit against the Florissant Police Department for violating her civil rights and

outdated warrant stemming from an incomplete payment of a “defective muffler” fine, The Riverfront Times reported.

While in custody, Reynolds was seen (in a disturbing video) being slammed into a wall and then onto the floor after

grabbing her cellphone from a desk. The case surrounding the lawsuit is still under review.

Florissant’s Police Department, which has 88 full-time officers, prides itself on its community engagement relations, according to Dehart.

The police department has partnered with churches, hosted community kickball and volleyball games for youth, and started a mentor program.

“Our officers go through bias police training every year,” DeHart told The American.

“We try to get out there and do the right thing. We are engaged in our community.”

Since Stewart started to protest the department, Florissant police have erected six new signs within a few feet of each other that read “Restricted parking police business only.”

“We had issues with people parking on the parking lot who weren’t there for official business,” DeHart said. “We really have to have places available for police business.

Those signs were put up because people were harassed.

Someone out there hindered [an officer] from doing a custody exchange.”

A little over a week after Stewart’s encounter with Florissant Police, protests erupted across the country following two disturbing viral videos of black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, being fatally shot by a police officers.

“That could have been me,” Stewart told The American.

This story is published as part of a partnership between The Huffington Post and The St. Louis American.

Editorial / Commentary ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN ENDORSES

Jake Zimmerman X JAKE ZIMMERMAN FOR MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL X JUDY BAKER FOR MISSOURI TREASURER

Kimberly Gardner X BEN MURRAY FOR MISSOURI HOUSE DISTRICT 80 X STACEY NEWMAN FOR MISSOURI HOUSE DISTRICT 87

X JAMILAH NASHEED FOR MISSOURI SENATE DISTRICT 5

X ROCHELLE WALTON GRAY FOR ST. LOUIS COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4

X CORA FAITH WALKER FOR MISSOURI HOUSE DISTRICT 74

X KIMBERLY GARDNER FOR ST. LOUIS CIRCUIT ATTORNEY

X JOSHUA PETERS FOR MISSOURI HOUSE DISTRICT 76

X TISHAURA JONES FOR ST. LOUIS TREASURER

X STEVEN ROBERTS FOR MISSOURI HOUSE DISTRICT 77

X VERNON BETTS FOR ST. LOUIS SHERIFF

X BRUCE FRANKS FOR MISSOURI HOUSE DISTRICT 78

X BILL OTTO FOR U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 2

X MICHAEL BUTLER FOR HOUSE DISTRICT 79

The primary election is Tuesday, August 2

As part of growing activism in the wake of Ferguson and the Bernie Sanders campaign, longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, who turned 60 on July 27, faces a spirited challenge in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District from Maria Chappelle-Nadal, a young Ferguson first responder (she is 41) who is term-limited in the Missouri Senate. This is a choice between experience and seniority versus new energy and bold direct action. The American offers no endorsement.

The primary election is Tuesday, August 2. Absentee ballots are being accepted now.

Commentary

Why don’t I feel equal?

By State Rep. Michael Butler Guest columnist What is it about my existence that is so offensive?

Why do black lives seem to be less valuable than white ones?

I thought all I needed to do was stay in school and get a good job and I would be equal. Why don’t I feel equal? What do I tell my children to Guest Columnist do if they get pulled over Michael by the police Butler when it seems that complete submission and compliance don’t work?

These are the questions many African Americans ask themselves when another unarmed black man or woman is killed by the police. As a community, we are hurting.

The level of uncertainty for our future is daunting. The thought of moving forward in our country without an AfricanAmerican U.S. president has citizens scared, even as we wondering: Did he even matter?

I personally feel grief, frustration, then anger. It makes me wonder what we can do to change this.

Where do we start? Is it economics, education, government, parenting, or local police departments? Can we even improve all at once?

Who else will die while we are working? Will it be me?

Truthfully, no matter how much grief and frustration we

all feel (and others don’t feel), the facts speak for themselves.

Police are killing black people at persistently high rates, at least 187 in 2016 alone. This year really isn’t any different from past years in our country’s history. The difference is that cell phone video cameras have exposed these traumatic situations in a way never before seen.

Just as in 1963, when Bull Connor used firehoses to break up a children’s march in Birmingham, Alabama, countless videotaped police executions are riling up citizens all across this country who have become eyewitnesses to traumatic killings on their television, computer and mobile phone screens.

Why are some able to respect and appreciate the officers who risk their lives to

n Where do we start?

Is it economics, education, government, parenting, or local police departments?

protect our streets while not providing the same respect and appreciation to Black Lives Matter activists who risk their lives to raise awareness of the epidemic of violence and harassment toward persons of color?

Why is there a rush to judgment of black victims?

Why is there a push to silence the expression of anger over African-American experiences?

Adding to the anger we

have in the aftermath of these killings is the fact that black people are, more often than not, vilified in the media. These are citizens with children, husbands, wives, mothers and fathers, but all too often we see them characterized using coded language like “thug” or “inner-city.” This coded language appeals to already accepted stereotypes of black people who are perceived as threatening.

Instead of engaging in these characterizations of hate, why is the media not asking why black people are three times more likely to be killed by the police than whites? Why of the 187 African Americans killed by police in 2016, 69 percent were unarmed compared to 17 percent for whites?

In the aftermath of these tragedies, important questions go unanswered because the climate of our politics has turned every issue into a zerosum game where there are sides to be taken with winners and losers. What we fail to realize is that when we take sides, and refuse to respect and engage each other on these issues, we all lose. We get further away from acknowledging the fact that racism and racial bias still persist in the shadow of Jim Crow and slavery.

Let us be the answer. Let’s stop denying our faults, and stop giving a pass to our friends who support forms of racism.

Let’s support leaders and organizations that are working to this end. Let’s end the hate and begin the healing.

Michael Butler (D-St. Louis) represents District 79 in the Missouri House of Representatives.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Civility in turbulent times

By Will Ross Guest columnist I am deeply troubled and disturbed about the collapse of civility on conversations of race and social justice in our country, but I am not confused.

The continued spate of police shootings of unarmed AfricanAmerican men and the tragic shooting deaths of five Dallas policemen leave us wondering whether Black and White America can ever relate to each other in a civil, empathic manner.

I am not confused, but I used to be. Growing up in South Memphis, Tennessee in the 1960s, I developed a friendship with Shirley, the daughter of Chinese-American immigrants who operated a food market in my neighborhood. Shirley and I had a bond; we were both socially awkward children with big glasses and a fondness for math.

Our lives were irrevocably altered after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis. After Dr. King’s death, the word on the street was that black radicals were planning to bomb non-black businesses in the AfricanAmerican community. True enough; within days, my community was in flames.

Shirley’s store, where she and her family worked and lived, was just a charred shell.

I was 10 years old, and not fully capable of processing my feelings of confusion, sadness and helplessness, so I blocked the whole scene out of mind and would not revisit it until

very recently.

My faith in social justice took a cruel path in September 1981 in St. Louis. I was a second-year medical student at Washington University School of Medicine, walking back to my apartment in the Central West End after class, when I was suddenly surrounded by squad cars, with policemen screaming at me to drop my backpack and hold my arms up.

Apparently, an AfricanAmerican male had just robbed a store and I fit the profile (though I was wearing a tweed jacket, button-down shirt and bowtie). When I was violently slammed onto the hood of a police car, I Columnist experienced an Will emotion that Ross, M.D. was quite alien to me, even after growing up in the inner city of Memphis – fear. I truly felt I could have been killed and no one would be there to refute the police narrative.

After being handcuffed for what seemed like an hour, I was finally released after a white medical school classmate, Mark Cooper, saw what was happening and ran over to vouch for me. I was left feeling numb, dehumanized and violated.

I am now a professor and kidney specialist at Washington University; however, my relationship with the police has been fundamentally altered. I

Letters to the Editor Remember that oath you swore As a United States Marine Corps veteran, I appeal to all my fellow young veterans who have recently returned home from the hells of war to remember one important fact of their lives. We all took an oath to defend the United States of America from enemies, foreign and domestic, when we enlisted into the military. We were trained in the art of war, on how to become efficient at killing the enemy when on the battlefield.

However, we are back home as veterans and no longer in battle. The skills taught to us about weapons of war should not be used against American policemen in blue or American people with black skin. When you feel angry and frustrated, remember that oath you swore to uphold and run to your nearest house of worship, fall to your knees and pray.

Pray that God send a spirit of peace to calm your soul and remind you that violence is not the way. The people on America’s streets are not the enemy. The police who also took an oath to serve and to protect must remember their oath as well. If we want peace in our cities and towns, we must begin to see each other as brothers and not as others.

Lee M. Robinson Florissant

All letters are edited for length and style.

tuition through the college level. The Democratic Platform proposes to “make community college free” for all, half of the Sanders proposal.

The platform also proposes refinancing student loan debt to a lower interest rate and cutting interest rates for future loans, thus “preventing the federal government from making billions of dollars in profit from student loans.” No mention is made of the billions of dollars being made by wellconnected Wall Street bankers!

And why should government make a profit from educating its citizenry?

Michael K. Broughton Green Park

Voter ID law was against the law

I am pleased with the decision by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit holding that Texas’s 2011 photographic voter identification law violates

The largest weekly newspaper in Missouri 70,000 copies - CAC Audited 100% Independently owned & operated Continuously published, without interruption since 1928

Abandon the dance The “2016 Democratic Party Platform DRAFT July 1, 2016” is interesting. Having read some of it, I sincerely urge Democrat decision-makers to abandon their dance around the issues platform and follow the lead of Bernie Sanders. Hillary Clinton is the presumptive candidate for president, but the party is risking the loss of some of the progressive vote if the final platform contains watereddown versions of Sanders’ core principles, as does this draft.

Americans are demanding that government provide free education through the college level to all citizens, just like other industrialized nations have been doing for decades.

Sanders is proposing free

respect the job they do, but still harbor a lingering distrust.

Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown Jr., Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray and countless other unarmed African-American males have been killed by the police. I could have easily been on that list. Black lives matter.

However, our collective pain and anger do not give us license to strike back in a vengeful, self-righteous manner. We must take the moral high ground and bridge the racial and social divide in America by engaging in meaningful dialogue, in which we candidly discuss our thoughts and recognize our implicit biases. We must do so in a way that builds the allies we sorely need as we endeavor to promote social justice.

Yes, the criminal justice system is in serious need of reform, but those who have labored to bring the injustices to light must not be overshadowed by visceral calls to violence. This country must treat all its citizens with the dignity, respect and protection they deserve. All Americans rightfully demand that treatment, and should march, protest, occupy and engage in civil disobedience until such rights are restored.

What we are experiencing is an American problem; we are in dire need of civility to move us to resolution. Please join me as we help our nation heal.

Will Ross, MD, MPH, is associate dean for Diversity at the Washington University School of Medicine

Donald M. Suggs Publisher & Executive Editor Kevin Jones - Sr. Vice Pres. & COO Dina M. Suggs - Sr. Vice Pres.

Nathan B. Young (1894 -1993) - Founder N.A. Sweets (1901-1988) - Publisher Emeritus Bennie G. Rodgers - (1914 - 2000) Executive Editor Emeritus Melba Sweets (1909 - 2006) Editor Emeritus

Editorial Chris King - Managing Editor Kenya Vaughn - Website Editor Earl Austin Jr. - Sports Editor Sandra Jordan - Health Reporter Rebecca S. Rivas - Senior Reporter

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This decision affirms our position that Texas’s highly restrictive voter ID law abridges the right to vote on account of race or color and orders appropriate relief before yet another election passes.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Washington, D.C. Violence does not lead to justice

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus offer our deepest sympathies to the families of the officers killed and injured in Baton Rouge. Tensions are high in our country, but violence does not lead to justice and targeting law enforcement does not bring about solutions. The CBC continues to call for peace.

G. K. Butterfield, chairman Congressional Black Caucus Washington, D.C.

Wiley Price - Senior Photojournalist Lawrence Bryant - Photojournalist Denise Hooks -Anderson, M.D. Health Editor Dana G. Randolph Contributing Editor Fred Sweets - Contributing Editor Sales / Marketing Onye Hollomon- Sr. Acct. Exec.

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

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5-year plan for 2 million new black homeowners

ESL commission celebrates new releases Board members of the 1917 East St. Louis Riot Centennial Commission recently celebrated the release of the fourth issue of “I Am EStL—The Magazine” and a book on East St. Louis “legends”

by Reginald Petty and Tiffany Lee. Commissioners (L-R) include Lorenzo and Charmaine Savage, ESL poet laureate Eugene B. Redmond, Father/Dr. Joseph Brown (commission chair), Judge Laninya Cason, artist Edna Patterson-Petty, businessman Edmond L. Brown, LeVerne Backstrom (of the Katherine Dunham Centers ) and educator Marla Byrd. Sylvester Sunshine Lee (third from left) hosted the event.

Next July will mark the centennial of a riot in East St. Louis that left hundreds of African Americans and nine whites dead. More than six thousand black citizens, fearing for their lives, fled the city. This was shortly after American’s entry into World War I. “You have black troops going off to fight to make the world safe for democracy in April, and in July you have black people being murdered in the most wanton and barbaric manner in East St. Louis,” historian Winston James told PBS. The ESL commission is planning a public observation of this centennial. For more information, visit http://www.estl1917ccci.org.

Giveaway for Hazelwood teachers On Thursday, August 4, State Rep. Alan Green (D-Florissant) will sponsor his second annual “Back 2 School Giveaway for Teachers” to show appreciation for the Hazelwood School District from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Black Jack Fire Protection District, 5675 N. Highway 67 in Florissant.

School supply donations can be made through Wednesday, August 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the fire district, and the collected items will be distributed during the “Back 2 School Giveaway for Teachers” event.

For more information, contact Rep. Alan Green at alan.green@house.mo.gov. You may also contact co-sponsor Real Talk With Demingo at RealTalkWithDemingo@gmail.com.

Operation Food Search seeks volunteers Operation Food Search needs many volunteers for the 8th Annual Saturday Jubilee Food Drive is on Saturday, July 30. Volunteers will station teams at local participating grocery stores throughout the St. Louis area to ask shoppers to donate food or money to Operation Food Search. Operation Food Search will try to match your group with a grocery store in your neighborhood. If you and a group of people are interested in helping out with Saturday Jubilee, contact katie.schneider@ operationfoodsearch.org or call Katie at 314-726-5355 x21.

By Charlene Crowell Columnist

While economists contend that the economic recession is over, the reality for much of Black America is starkly different. Racial disparities in unemployment and underemployment persist. And homeownership, a key measure of economic health for consumers and communities alike, continues its downward decline.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, during the last few months of 2015, 41.9 percent of black households owned a home, compared to 72.2 percent of whites and 63.8 percent of all households across the country.

Many consumers and real estate professionals agree that redlining remains a serious problem. Despite federal and state laws guaranteeing fair housing and credit laws, majority-black areas often do not have adequate access to credit.

Even worse, at a time when private mortgage interest rates have remained consistently low, very few black borrowers have been able to benefit from these loans. The private market’s least costly convention mortgages have become out-of-reach for communities of color. In 2014, only 2.6 percent of owner-occupied conventional home purchases – approximately 45,500 nationwide – were made to black borrowers.

Other Census Bureau data show there are 9.9 million black households, where 1.8 million people ages 25 and older hold a graduate degree.

Were it not for the array of government-backed mortgages – VA, FHA Charlene and USDA loans – homeownership rates for people of color would be even Crowell lower. In 2014, 68 percent of loans made to help black borrowers purchase homes were backed by these federal programs.

In response to these disturbing findings, a five-year plan to add two million more black homeowners has been launched by the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB). Founded in 1947 from a need to secure the right to equal housing opportunities regardless of race, creed or color, NAREB’s mission remains vital today.

“We are prepared to use every tool at our disposal,” said Ron Cooper, NAREB’s president: n Census Bureau data advocacy in the halls of Congress, expanding show there are 9.9 million our army of informed and committed real estate professionals, engaging the active participation of black households, where informed organizational collaborators and lending 1.8 million people ages 25 partners, vigilance to the need to build and rebuild and older hold a graduate economic wealth through homeownership for black degree.

Americans, regardless of the issue of the day.”

Progress towards the goal of 2 million more homeowners will be measured through a database management system that will track and capture sales activities across the country. Both NAREB members and participating lenders will have access to the system. Its data will augment findings from the annual Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) report that tracks mortgage lending by race.

“When many black families are paying $1,000 or more each month for rent, they are losing the chance to build wealth for their families,” said Keith Corbett, an executive vice president with the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) and a NAREB partner. “The housing finance system must do a better job at providing mortgage credit to borrowers who represent the future.”

Earlier CRL mortgage research found that across the country from 2007-2011, foreclosures drained more than $2 trillion in property value, from families who live nearby foreclosed homes. More than half of these losses fell on either black or Latino communities.

“The economic tsunami devastated our communities and halted our collective ability to be participants in and economically thriving members of this country’s greatest promise to its citizens,” NAREB’s Cooper said: “the dream of owning a home.”

For more information on NAREB, visit http://www.nareb.com.

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending.

She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

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STEVENS Continued from A1 of the region’s “best-kept secrets.”

North St. Louis County’s main hospital operates the busiest emergency room in the state, he said, with 110,000 annual visits, and operates the state’s thirdbusiest ambulance service. It also has a Community Health Access Program that tries to keep people from coming to the hospital unless necessary.

“We send someone out to the home and, if it’s not a true emergency, a paramedic makes that diagnosis in the home,” Stevens said, “thereby reducing the cost to that person and then also providing good care in the home.”

While Stevens places a strong emphasis on the hospital’s role in the community – “this is the community hospital” – it

GRAY Continued from A1 County government for municipal services. That means the 4th District councilperson has two sometimes competing or contradictory responsibilities – to provide authorization and oversight for the countywide government responsibilities, and also has to be an advocate for the municipal interest of residents of the district.

The St. Louis American: In your interaction with voters of the 4th District, what have been the reoccurring issues?

Rochelle Walton Gray: Lack of accessibility to the County Councilperson, Mike O’Mara, and his failure to respond to any questions or concerns, brought to his attention. Not just his failure to provide results, but abandoned property, lack of street lights

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

also has areas of technical expertise and excellence.

Its lipedema surgical program is one of only a few in the country. Lipedema is a debilitating chronic disorder of body fat, causing fatty tissue to accumulate in the arms and legs on an otherwise healthy person. Stevens said people from all over the country come to Christian Hospital for lipedema treatment.

Stevens said the hospital also offers one of the nation’s only transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) programs. In this minimally invasive procedure, a surgeon repairs a damaged heart valve without removing it. Instead, a replacement valve is wedged into the aortic valve’s place.

“We are innovative,” Stevens said. “It happens right here at Christian, right here in North County.”

The hospital also is being renovated and expanded, though with less fanfare than

BJC’s dramatic and extensive campus renewal projects in St. Louis’ central corridor.

A hospital spokesman said there are combined projects to update and improve the facility totaling $20 million over the next two years. Over the past two years, BJC has invested about $30 million at Christian, with expansion and renovations to the emergency department and cafeteria. Its new Gastrointestinal Lab will be up and running next month, doubled in size.

Also, the hospital will convert its currently empty third floor from doubleoccupancy rooms into singlepatient rooms later this year.

“That helps with the quality of services and privacy,” Stevens said. “There is literature that shows it aids in the healing.

Family members will be able to stay in the room with the patients.”

Stevens moved to St. Louis for this position after four years in San Francisco, where he was

chief administrative officer at St. Luke’s Hospital and vice president at California Pacific Medical Center. He has more than 20 years of health care experience, with previous executive roles at Methodist McKinney Hospital in McKinney, Texas; Jewish Hospital and St. Mary’s Healthcare in Louisville, Kentucky; and University Medical Center in Dallas.

He earned a master’s degree in public health, with a concentration in health care administration, from Meharry Medical College and a bachelor’s degree from Tennessee State University, both in Nashville. He has served in leadership roles with the American Cancer Society, Salvation Army, and a number of other community organizations.

“This is the community hospital, and we do a lot of great things,” Stevens said of his new position. “I see a lot of opportunities here at Christian.”

and lack of street repairs, hassles with the County’s municipal court causing people to sometimes get locked up over small issues and even lose their jobs as a result.

I have met with small business owners (black and white) and community organizations. They say that people need a person on the County Council who would support and protect their interests. There is also significant dissatisfaction with Steve Stenger, and I will make him accountable to my constituents.

many poorly maintained rental houses. While Florissant and Hazelwood have seemed to maintain their fair share of business activity, other areas have seen large and small businesses leave.

Let’s look at Jamestown Mall, Northwest Plaza and Crestwood Plaza. All three were built about the same time and became functionally obsolete about the same.

But there was one important difference: Northwest Plaza and Crestwood Plaza are both in municipalities, while Jamestown Mall is in unincorporated St. Louis County.

The redevelopment of Crestwood and Northwest Plazas were the top priority of Crestwood and St. Ann. The failure of Jamestown Mall to be successfully redeveloped can be directly attributed to O’Mara. Wal-Mart proposed to locate there, and he opposed it because Wal-Mart was not

unionized. Wal-Mart located in Florissant instead. Wal-Mart would have brought Jamestown Mall back alive.

The St. Louis American: You are a longtime North County resident. How have you seen North County change during that time?

Rochelle Walton Gray: Too many homeowners are still upside down on their mortgages, and that has resulted in too many abandoned homes and too

The St. Louis American: Because of term limits, you could not run for reelection as a state representative. What motivated you to run for state rep?

Rochelle Walton Gray: I have been in and around politics all of my life. My father (Elbert Walton) and stepmother (Juanita Head Walton) were state reps. I ran to take my stepmother’s place. I was also motivated to run for office at the urging of others, who saw the need for someone who would represent the community and the average person, and not big business or union bosses. I absolutely loved being a legislator and the community service it allowed me to perform.

The St. Louis American:

Photo by Wiley Price

Rick Stevens is the new president of BJC Christian Hospital.

The incumbent has held the seat for a very long time. I believe that he and his father, who preceded him, have held the 4th District seat for a combined 36 years. How do you plan to beat him?

Rochelle Walton Gray: Because of the early, substantial financial help of state Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal, I believe we’ve run an effective campaign. The 4th Council District has a significant white population that has been open and welcoming to my candidacy, but the key will be black voter turnout.

The underperformance of black voters in Democratic primaries has been the key to North County Labor’s political control and, by extension, the neglect of the interests of the majority of the residents of North County.

The St. Louis American: What’s your strategy for

improving turnout?

Rochelle Walton Gray: Primarily, we are asking churches to mobilize their congregations, as they did during 2012, when Obama ran for his second term. We cannot continue to just focus on the presidential election.

What’s good for me is that at least half of the white voters in the district are Republican and will be voting in the Republican primary, so I should have at least a 70 percent black voting majority on August 2.

At 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, Rochelle Walton Gray and state Rep. will Alan Gray present the 5th Annual Community Resource Fair at Christ the King United Church of Christ, 11370 Old Halls Ferry Rd. in Florissant.

For more information, call (314) 355-6789.

The primary election is Tuesday, August 2.

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016 Rasheen Aldridge, seen here at a July 2015 protest, is one of many activists galvanized by Ferguson to seek elected office in the Tuesday, August 2 primary election.

PRIMARY Continued from A1 individuals who represent the larger community.”

In 2014, Aldridge was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to serve on the Ferguson Commission, where he had an opportunity to influence statewide policy reform. Now he is running for 5th Ward Democratic committeeman in St. Louis in the August 2 primary election.

His opponent is incumbent Rodney Hubbard Sr., part of an entrenched African-American political family in North St. Louis. Aldridge’s running mate, Megan Betts, also a Ferguson activist, is challenging incumbent committeewoman Penny Hubbard, Rodney’s wife.

Aldridge, who grew up in the 5th Ward, said the Hubbards “look like us, but they aren’t doing for the people what they’re doing for their family.”

Aldridge has been campaigning alongside state-representative hopeful Bruce Franks Jr., who is also challenging Penny Hubbard as the incumbent state representative of House District 78. Franks, also a Ferguson activist, said the movement made him realize how much local elected officials played a role in the policies that led to Ferguson.

“Being from the neighborhood I’m from, nobody concentrated on telling us the importance of elections and empowering people to vote,” said Franks, who grew up in the 78th District and owns an insurance business.

“I started to see we need some changes over here.”

Aldridge and Franks are among about a dozen candidates on the August 2 ballot who were inspired to run for office by the Ferguson protest movement. While Franks and others are reaching for state-level offices, many are starting at the basic level as Democratic Party

REPORTER Continued from A1 Hughes replied to Foster, “She’s going to talk about the new lead diet she’s endorsed.

Five servings and you can lose 200 lbs in two years easily.”

On Tuesday, July 26, the Ethical Society of Police, an organization that represents 200 minority police officers, released a statement demanding

Photo by Wiley Price

n “Ferguson made me think about my neighborhood, not having individuals who represent the larger community.”

committeepersons.

Committee members’ main responsibilities are to register and educate voters, as well as conduct meetings within their wards, Aldridge said. They also select delegates at these meetings in presidential years.

Two committee members are elected from each city ward – one man and one woman.

However, the unpaid position also gives them some authority to influence changes in their community. In the city, they are in charge of selecting candidates to fill vacancies at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, as well as state legislative districts that include part of the city.

“Ferguson was the straw that broke the camel’s back for many of us,” said Ferguson activist Rachel Johns, who is running for Ward 27 committeewoman.

Johns is also among a group of mainly South City progressives who are supporting each other in

committee races. They have all been endorsed by Mobilize Missouri, and are Bernie Sanders supporters. Of that group, about 10 are first-time candidates.

“You can’t jump to a national level without getting your feet wet first,” Johns said.

“You have to take care of home first.”

Maria Chappelle-Nadal, who is running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay on the August 2 ballot, has donated at least $1,000 to many progressive candidates for committeeperson, including Aldridge, Betts, Alison Dreith, Matt Carroll-Schmidt, Marty Murray Jr., Tony Zebrowski,

Annie Rice, Max Cassilly, Laura Hladky and Glenn Burleigh.

Chappelle-Nadal also donated to Franks’ campaign, as well as to Johns’ state rep. campaign – before state Rep. Joshua Peters had her removed from the ballot through a residency challenge. Johns is now running against incumbent committeewoman Pamela Boyd.

Alison Dreith is running for an open committee seat in the 6th Ward against Mary Entrup, the wife of Aldermanic President Lewis Reed. Her running mate, Matthew CarrollSchmidt, is running against state Rep. Michael Butler

that Hughes apologize to the community and Brown’s family for his remarks.

“The reference to ‘lead,’ the loss of ‘200 lbs in two years,’ and other words in this statement are a clear reference to Michael Brown being shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson in 2014,” the Ethical Society stated.

“The trivial manner in which Mr. Hughes refers to the brutal death of Michael Brown is disheartening. We should

all seek to behave in a manner that’s humane to others, especially when someone has experienced such a loss as Mrs. McSpadden and the Brown family.”

The Ethical Society contacted Fox 2 News, and Hughes removed his posted replies.

Fox 2 did not return The St. Louis American’s repeated requests for comment. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department told the American

that “inflammatory or racially insensitive remarks” on social media undermine the department’s work to bridge gaps in the community. The spokesperson did not indicate whether or not the department or Foster would issue an apology to Brown’s family.

Community members have since identified the other people who participated in insulting McSpadden as retired city officers Daniel Peek and Michael Lowry and former city

– Rasheen Aldridge

for the committeeman seat.

Carroll-Schmidt, who is an attorney, recently represented the protestors who were arrested during the Donald Trump rally in March.

As a “white ally,” Dreith was on the ground since day two in Ferguson and also joined the Don’t Shoot Coalition to push forward fair and impartial policing reforms.

“Getting people engaged and excited about the party, especially the young voters, is really important,” said Dreith, who is the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri.

Immigration lawyer Annie Rice had just started facilitating conversations about Ferguson in the Shaw neighborhood when VonDerrit Myers Jr. was shot and killed on Oct. 9, 2014 by then-St. Louis Police Officer Jason Flanery.

“I’d protested and worked jail support, but I hadn’t found a good outlet to move policy forward,” Rice said. “The more I tried to engage with our

elected officials, the more I realized I wasn’t really getting anywhere.”

Cara Jensen, the current 8th Ward committeewoman, told Rice she was stepping down and encouraged her to run. Her running mate is Tony Zebroski, also a Ferguson activist.

Others who were inspired to run for a committee position after Ferguson include: Torrey Park (Ward 15); Madeline Buthod (Ward 14); and Marty Murray Jr. (Ward 7).

A thousand miles above them at the U.S. Senate level, Cori Bush is running against Jason Kander in the Democratic primary to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican.

“If elected officials aren’t understanding the movement,” Rice said, “then maybe we should get some people in who do.”

officer Joyce Dreste. Steven Burle, who clicked “like” on Foster’s post, currently serves on the department’s unit that investigates officer-involved shootings.

Sgt. Heather Taylor, president of the Ethical Society, told The American that all the police officers on the post should apologize to Brown’s family as well.

“They have helped to continue the divide between the police and our community,” said Taylor, who serves in the homicide unit. “We each have the right to freedom of speech, under the First Amendment.

However, we must be careful that our rights don’t harm others with our own hatred, intolerance, and ignorance as we use that right.”

Later in the evening on July 26, Hughes sent this apology to the Ethical Society: “I would like to apologize for the hurtful posts I recently

made on my Facebook page.

I specifically want to tell Michael Brown’s family how very sorry I am. As a parent, I can’t imagine losing a child and what I wrote was incredibly insensitive considering all that Mrs. Lezley McSpadden has been through. My two inappropriate posts are by no means a reflection of the views at KTVI/KPLR. They are a news organization that prides itself on being fair. I on the other hand was anything but fair – and for that I am deeply sorry.”

News of Hughes’ post quickly spread through the community. On social media, many called for a boycott against Fox 2 until Hughes steps down. Taylor said she feels the community’s demand is understandable.

“Fox 2 has an obligation to be fair,” Taylor said, “and the fair thing is for him to step down.”

Follow this reporter on Twitter @rebeccarivas.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

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St. Louis American Foundation’s first Summer Science Academy

Students use telescopes to compare hair samples.

Boeing scientist Chris Miller’s flight Simulator challenges students to fly and land a plane.

Hazelwood teacher, Tracy Cotton, assists students with mock blood-typing analysis.

Students use chromatography to analyze ink to solve a mystery.

The St. Louis American Foundation recently held its initial Summer Science Academy at Little Creek Nature Area, part of the FergusonFlorissant School District. Area teachers who use The St. Louis American’s award-winning Newspaper In Education program in their classroom throughout the year nominated a “Science Star,” a student, who is bright and curious about science and who has demonstrated special interest in the American’s STEM page.

Twenty selected students participated (at no cost) in an intensive one week, science-based summer academy that included instruction, outdoor lessons, experiments and guest lecturers from local organizations including Boeing and St. Louis Louis Community College’s Center for Plant and Life Sciences. Funding for this special Summer Science Academy was provided generously by the Regional Business Council.

Students work together to analyze mock blood-type samples.

Photos by Wiley Price

The Regional Business Council’s Ryan Jones, Coordinator, Education Reform and Diversity Inclusion Initiatives asks students what they’re learning at the Summer Science Academy.

Angela Taylor, Education Outreach Specialist for St. Louis Community College, shows students how to use science to solve a mystery.

Students work in teams to research different kinds of habitats.

Hair samples provide data for forensics lessons.

Hazelwood teacher Paris Bouchard demonstrates the use of shoeprint impressions to solve a mystery.

A student uses a dichotomous key to study forensics.

Ferguson-Florissant educator, Nicole Binion, and Angela Taylor, teach students about forensics.

Hazelwood teacher, Sarah Wurst, engages students in lessons about energy.

Boeing Aerospace Engineer, Chris Miller, teaches students about flight.

St. Louis Public Schools Assistant-Principal, Anthony Virdure, helps students with a design challenge on Space Day.

Boeing scientist Chris Miller discusses flight with students before they can try the Flight Simulator he brought to the Summer Science Academy.

• Funding for this initial Summer Science Academy was provided generously by the Regional Business Council. •

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

President Barack Obama Since the earliest days of my first presidential campaign, Congressman Lacy Clay has stood with me.

And today, I'm proud to stand with him in support of his reelection on Tuesday, Aug 2nd in Missouri's Democratic Primary Lacy Clay has been a fearless progressive voice with backbone who stood with me against the Republican assault on Medicare and Social Security, and who defended women's rights to make their own healthcare decisions.

Lacy has also courageously stood up to the gun lobby to demand common sense gun safety measures like universal background checks and renewing the assault weapons ban...and Congressman Clay has led the way on criminal justice reform and transforming how local law enforcement interacts with the citizens they are sworn to protect.

A Message From The President

Congressman Lacy Clay is clearly the best choice in Missouri's 1st Congressional District to continue fighting for the inclusive, tolerant, brighter future that we are striving together to build for every American.

I'm proud to strongly endorse his re-election.

VOTE AUGUST 2ND

CONGRESSMAN

LACY

CLAY

ALL THE WAY WITH

www.lacyclay.org Paid for by Clay Jr. for Congress, Willis Lloyd, Treasurer

CLAY!

For a ride to the polls, please call (240) 722-2421 Follow Team Clay on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lacy.clay.3 and on Twitter @LacyClayMO1

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

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Meet VP pick Kaine, stealth progressive connected to black community During the week Tim Kaine was selected as the vice presidential candidate

by Hillary Clinton, many liberals – some of whom had deluded themselves with the pipe dream that Elizabeth Warren (or, even more delusionally, Bernie Sanders himself) might be picked – lined up to attack Kaine as insufficiently progressive. They cited his positive comments regarding the pending TransPacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, a recent letter he co-signed urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to ease regulations on mid-sized banks and credit unions, and finally, his personal opposition to abortion.

This is the sort of dilemma with which veteran Missouri progressives are intimately familiar. We would love to see strong progressive battlers who win office in St. Louis or Kansas City be elected statewide, but unfortunately, the state’s conservative lean makes that difficult. And so, we usually settle for centerright Democrats like Jay Nixon or Chris Koster, and are occasionally fortunate to see someone like Claire McCaskill, Clint Zweifel or Jason Kander take relatively more progressive stances on some issues. We understand that we aren’t likely to get dyed-in-the-wool liberals – or, for that matter, African Americans – elected statewide in Missouri.

This has been the message that many in the Democratic establishment have telegraphed this week: sure, Kaine is no progressive firebrand like Elizabeth Warren, but he’s the safe pick.

The irony is that when you strip away the moderate veneer and genteel manners that have helped him win wide bipartisan acclaim, Tim Kaine may be

the most progressive candidate on a national major party ticket since Mondale. Indeed, since his first statewide race in Virginia in 2001, pundits have often suggested that Kaine was not too moderate but rather too liberal to win.

Instead of taking the word of some activists still charged up by Sanders’ near-miss campaign – or assuming that, as a white Southern man, Kaine must not be progressive – or focusing on the way he looks in middle age, which one white progressive said was like a distant relative who sells insurance and talks about his work at family get-togethers – let’s take a look at his actual history.

Kaine, the son of a welder, worked his way into Harvard Law School (after a brief detour into journalism studies at the University of Missouri, where he found journalism students “too cynical”). Much like Barack Obama, Kaine opted for service after Harvard Law, instead of joining his friends on Wall Street or at lucrative jobs in elite law or consulting firms. He took a year off from law school to perform mission work in Honduras, teaching impoverished young people, learning Spanish and deepening his commitment to serve others. After graduation, he went to work as a civil rights lawyer, fighting against the death penalty and housing discrimination.

Back then, Virginia and Missouri were in the same category – generally conservative states with a few progressive outposts.

(That obscures an important difference: The two states were like political ships passing in the night, Missouri reddening as Virginia became increasingly diverse and progressive.)

During that maiden race, Kaine’s centrist running mate

state to ban smoking in public, and, true to the strong Catholic values that have guided his life, vetoed eight separate bills that would have expanded the death penalty.

Kaine: connected to black folks

Photo: CNN

Tim Kaine, who will run for vice president with Hillary Clinton, was endorsed by Barack Obama during his successful for campaign for governor of Virginia.

(gubernatorial candidate Mark Warner) spent their first joint press conference distancing himself from Kaine, a liberal civil rights attorney who was almost immediately attacked for opposing the death penalty in a state that has executed more people than any other except Texas. Republican strategists were certain that Kaine’s opposition to capital punishment – combined with his pro bono work on behalf of the ACLU – would end his statewide career before it began. “That’s the whole campaign,” one confident Republican consultant assured a reporter.

Kaine surprised most observers and won that first LG race. This was a preview of how Kaine’s elections would go for the next 12 years: The supposedly omnipotent NRA would spend millions of dollars telling voters that he was going to take their guns, even as they backed pro-gun Democrats such as Warner, yet Kaine would always win. And, in office, he was unbowed,

signing an executive order after the Virginia Tech massacre banning gun sales to people with mental illness and fighting to close the gun show loophole and make background checks more stringent.

Liberals have attacked Kaine on other social issues, particularly his longtime personal opposition to abortion.

But Kaine’s personal views have had little impact on his public record: Indeed, as a policy matter, he has supported a woman’s reproductive freedom. In fact, as a U.S. senator he has earned a 100 percent rating from Planned Parenthood. He has clearly stated that, despite his own personal objections to abortion, he doesn’t believe it is government’s role to police others’ personal choices. This stance is, in essence, the heart of the pro-choice position: that is, if you don’t like abortion, then don’t have one.

Kaine’s progressivism as governor wasn’t just limited to a few issues. He brought universal preschool to his state, made Virginia – one of the largest tobacco farming states in America – the first Southern

American readers may be wondering, though: As a white Southerner, is Kaine really going to support AfricanAmerican advancement?

The answer is pretty simple: Kaine has spent more of his life among black folks than any national politician in a generation with the possible exception of President Obama.

Kaine and his family have been members of a mostly black church for three decades – well before he entered politics – where he has been a longtime member of the choir. He practiced civil rights law on behalf of the city’s dispossessed, sent his children to the 85 percent black Richmond public schools, and was elected mayor of the majority-black city. Given how many powerful AfricanAmerican politicians choose private or suburban schools for their children and are present in the church pews only at election time, there are not many politicians of any color whose families have spent their lives in such proximity to the lived black experience.

And yet, Kaine was elected governor and then senator of a Southern state. As the nation’s first governor to support thencandidate Barack Obama in the 2008 primaries, Kaine was a key part of Obama’s primary victory, and also a big part of helping Obama carry Virginia in 2008 and 2012.

He won over suspicious, conservative Virginians when pundits thought it was impossible, and – amazingly, in these polarized times – was found by pollsters to be better-liked by voters after he told them that they disagreed on some issues. And then he

governed as a progressive in a moderate-to-conservative state – something Jay Nixon has never been able to master.

This is the sort of political skill that Democrats need to keep the famously slippery Clintons in the same progressive place where the Sanders-Warren and Black Lives Matter movements have pushed them.

RNC delegates almost all white How white is the Republican Party, the party of Donald Trump, in 2016? Only 18 of the 2,472 delegates at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland that nominated Trump were black.

That is 0.07 percent – less than 1 percent – the lowest percentage in over a century.

That makes it even easier to understand how some demographic polling on the 2016 general election has Trump garnering zero percent of the black vote.

DOJ and Ferguson choose wisely Good news out of Ferguson: U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry approved the team that will serve as independent monitor of the Department of Justice’s consent decree with the City of Ferguson. The DOJ and Ferguson chose Squire Patton Boggs, led by Clark Kent Ervin, out of a pool of four finalists. The cost shall not exceed $1.25 million over the first five years or $350,000 for any single year.

“Squire Patton Boggs assembled a dream team for this difficult and important work,” the EYE wrote two weeks ago – “Ferguson and the DOJ would be wise to select them.” Ferguson and the DOJ, in this instance, were wise.

Perry scheduled an update hearing on the status of implementation of the consent decree for 1 p.m. Wednesday, September 7.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission

Summer ends with Beyoncé, ‘Aida’ and more St. Louis is alive with music – as always

By Kiara Bryant For the St. Louis American There’s still time to explore St. Louis and take in one of the many shows that our city has to offer.

On any given week there are 300 bands playing live music at one of the many venues in town. In April, we paid tribute to our blues heritage with the opening of the National Blues Museum. St. Louis is a music destination for everyone, and this summer is no different when it comes to musical offerings.

The Muny’s 2016 production of “Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida” will conclude the 98th season at America’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre. Once again, The Muny has cast another multi-talented performer to build on their national reputation for providing world-class entertainment under the stars in Forest Park.

“Aida” will star Grammy award winner Michelle Williams as the Ethiopian princess in the title role. Williams is known for being a member of the internationally renowned recording group Destiny’s Child, but has also excelled in the musical theatre realm. She first starred in the role of Aida in 2003 on Broadway for the production’s original run. In addition, she has appeared in national tours including “The Color Purple” and “Chicago.”

“Aida” is a powerful and dramatic love story featuring amazing choreography and lyrics by Tim Rice, who wrote music for “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast.” The music in this production is a mix of contemporary rock & roll, gospel, soul and rhythm and blues. Aida is the evocative tale of a forbidden love affair between people from two different worlds. Before the Muny season ends we invite you to see “Aida” at The Muny, August 8-14.

Another event you shouldn’t miss is The Festival of Nations August 27 and 28 in Tower Grove Park. Festival of Nations celebrates diverse cultures with ethnic foods, music, dance, entertainment, arts and crafts, and gifts from around the world.

The Muny’s 2016 production of “Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida” (Aug. 8-14) will star Grammy award winner Michelle Williams as the Ethiopian princess in the title role.

On Labor Day weekend (September 3-4), listen to the sounds of The Big Muddy Blues Festival on Laclede’s Landing. This festival features over 18 hours of live music that all derived from the blues including soul, R&B, rockabilly, gospel and jazz.

Now in its seventh year, Loufest will take place in Forest Park on September 10-11. The 2016 LouFest lineup includes LCD Soundsystem, Chris Stapleton, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Band of Horses, Big Gigantic, The Kills, Buddy Guy, Shakey Graves, and many more of the best global entertainers all set to rock the stage in Forest Park.

And last, but certainly not least, see the queen bee live when she performs in St. Louis.

Whether you’re a member of The Beyhive or not you’ll want to get in formation when Beyoncé brings The Formation World Tour to The Dome at America’s Center on September 10. The set list features all of your favorite songs from her latest album Lemonade, as well as many more great hits from previous records and the days of Destiny’s Child.

For more ways to celebrate before the summer season comes to a close, be sure to visit www. explorestlouis.com.

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Religion

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

Local church leads way in clean energy Sierra Club highlights work with Rev. Rodrick Burton and New Northside MB Church American staff The strong clean energy leadership of the New Northside Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis is the focus of a video released by the Sierra Club for Netroots Nation 2016, which took place last week in St. Louis.

The conference – which draws thousands of bloggers, newsmakers, social justice advocates, labor and organizational leaders, grassroots organizers and online activists from across the country – was hosted at the America’s Center Convention Complex in downtown St. Louis from July 14–17.

Rev. Rodrick Burton and his church, the New Northside Missionary Baptist Church on Goodfellow Boulevard, have shown great clean energy leadership by installing solar panels on the Rev. church and the congregation’s Rodrick community center, which Burton Rev. Burton estimates saves the church $3,000 annually.

“I wanted this church to be a leader in the African-American community with regard to practicing sustainable stewardship by using the resources that we have,” said Rev. Rodrick Burton, pastor at New Northside Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. “I really wanted us to have solar panels.”

The St. Louis region is home to many coalfired power plants, which contribute to air pollution and climate change. New Northside Missionary Baptist Church has put its environmental stewardship into action beyond their solar panels through vocal support of the U.S. Clean Power Plan, the nation’s first comprehensive plan to cut carbon pollution from power plants by shifting to clean, renewable energy.

In the video, Rev. Burton points out that St. Louis has some of the worst air pollution in the country. The toxic air pollution, combined with hotter days, contribute to more “bad air” alert days, which impact vulnerable

Rev. Rodrick Burton and his church, the New Northside Missionary Baptist Church on Goodfellow Boulevard, have shown great clean energy leadership by installing solar panels on the church and the congregation’s community center, which Rev. Burton estimates saves the church $3,000 annually.

populations like asthmatics and the elderly.

The St. Louis region has seen more than 40 “bad air” alert days this spring and summer.

“Polluters are out fighting progress on

n “I wanted this church to be a leader in the African-American community with regard to practicing sustainable stewardship by using the resources that we have.”

– Rev. Rodrick Burton, New Northside MB Church

clean energy in order to protect their bottom lines,” said John Hickey, director of the Sierra Club’s Missouri Chapter. “By working together with New Northside Missionary

Baptist Church and other partners across the city of St. Louis to support the U.S. Clean Power Plan, we can finally clean up St. Louis’ air pollution and strengthen our economy with clean energy jobs.”

Family and Friends Day at North End MB North End Missionary Baptist Church Hospitality Ministry is sponsoring Family and Friends Day service scheduled for August 14 at 3:30 pm. The speaker for the service will be Rev. Reggie Chandler (aka the Bishop of Comedy, or Reggie Reg) of New Northside Missionary Baptist Church. “We would love to have your family worship and fellowship with our church family,” church leaders said.

North End Missionary Baptist Church is located at 463 N. 88th St. in East St. Louis.

The Rev. Paris D. Johnson Sr. is pastor. A $10 donation will be requested.

The Message

Ignorance is no excuse We have all heard the legal phrase “ignorance is no excuse” for breaking the law. So if you ever find yourself in court, telling the judge you didn’t know won’t get you off.

When it comes to our spiritual existence, I believe that belief in Christ might find the kind of verdict rendered in family court. The more I read scripture and internalize my unique relationship to the Almighty, the more I’m reminded of the family I belong to. The extraordinary power of His love, as demonstrated by the acknowledged blood relationship I have with Christ, demands that I recognize and accept my place as a family member of some standing.

Allow me to use two examples to illustrate my point: Christ on the cross and Peter’s denial of Christ as the cock crowed.

All of us know that Peter in fact denied Jesus as prophesied. We also know that Peter “wept bitterly” because of it. A very good example of the power of family love is reflected in this same fearful Peter who, although afraid for his own life, came to witness for the Lord with no fear of losing his life at all.

It was Peter who, when the day of Columnist Pentecost came and being filled with James holy Spirit, spoke boldly and without Washington fear of reprisal about the blood-bought forgiveness of sins because Christ’s death secured his place, and ours, as eternal members of god’s family.

Jesus is our access. He is our entrée, our courtappointed attorney, our intercessor to the Judge our Father, if you will. Peter readily acknowledges this.

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38.

What the Holy Spirit did for Peter, will also be done for you. The key here is the weeping part. Peter had to accept his shortcomings. He had to empty himself to make room for the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, in Luke 23:34, Jesus says, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” From the Master’s own lips, we know even His captors and persecutors were in line for forgiveness, the same forgiveness that rolls straight down to us.

Your court-appointed attorney has already won your case. But you do have to show up in court and acknowledge that the charges are true.

And, as Jesus told the adulteress, go and sin no more.

He tells us that every day. We just need to hear and obey.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

NEWSPAPER IN

Healthy Families

EDUCATION

PRESENTS:

Planting the Seeds for Success!

The weekly Healthy Families series is presented by the Missouri Foundation for Health to encourage your family to work (and play) together to improve your health.

Fresh Is Best!

National Dance Day!

Visit Your Library!

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Summer is the best time to try your own homemade versions of common food dishes. You can create your own homemade salsa. Just dice some tomatoes, onions, peppers and add in some chopped cilantro and a little lime juice. Try cutting some fresh fruit for a healthy version of a fruit salad, without the high-fructose (sugar) corn syrup included in the Saturday, July 30, is National Dance Day! This special day was created to encourage everyone to dance as a way to get healthy and have fun. Why not put on some comfortable clothes, turn on your favorite music and have a dance challenge with your family? Create your own dance moves; see who can dance the fastest, longest and craziest! Keep it going for 30 minutes for a great and fun way to stay healthy. And remember — it doesn’t have

During the hot days of summer, a great way to stay cool and keep reading is for your family to visit your local library. Every member of your family will find something fun and interesting to read at the library. And did you

canned version. And of course, making your own lettuce salad allows you to include healthy ingredients and even a homemade, low-fat dressing.

Give fresh food a try at your dinner table!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

Back to School Summer Health Fair!

Enjoy a fun day of food, drinks, raffles, games and a live DJ, all while learning about health and wellness!

The Health Fair ES! includes health screenings and PRIZ

to be National Dance Day to keep active with dance!

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 5

assessments, fitness activities, haircuts, immunizations and vision exams (glasses fittings to the first 35 children who qualify). The fun includes face painting, dunk tank and prizes.

Hosted by Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers, Inc. and sponsored

by Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, Ameren, and Aetna, Inc. RIZES!

know that many libraries even lend out movies, and books on CD? So spend some time with your family at the local library – you’ll be glad you did!

Learning Standards: CA 2, CA 3, CA 1.5

LOCATION Homer G. Phillips Health Center, 2425 Whittier St., St. Louis, MO COST FREE DATE Saturday, July 30 HOURS 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

P

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

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The hazards of e-liquids

By Dr. Jane Garbutt For The St. Louis American

HEAT WAVE

Staying hydrated with the right type of fluid is a first line of defense against summer heat.

Tips for cooling off during the sweltering summer

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American Sustained hot days and hot nights during typical St. Louis area summers provide little to no relief from summer soaring temperatures, creating a precariously unhealthy environment for people and their pets. Particularly susceptible are the elderly, the sick, and persons who live alone.

“Heat waves bring with them high temperatures, extremely high humidity at times to the point that the heat index can cross more than 100 degrees, which can drain moisture and energy very quickly from any living creature – human or animal,” said St. Louis County Department of Public Health Director, Dr. Faisal Khan.

Temperatures hover over 90 degrees with and heat index values over 100 degrees call for extra precautions. The health department says fans don’t reduce the heat – they can actually increase the heat in the room more by blowing hot air around.

Staying hydrated with the right type of fluid is a first line of defense.

“Nothing is a good substitute for water.

There is absolutely no substitute,” Khan said.

As tasty as fruity drinks and happy hour beverages may be – it is not an ideal choice to beat the heat.

“Alcohol may provide temporary relief, but it does not replenish the body’s electrolytes; it does not provide the body enough water, which is needed,” Khan explained.

“In fact, it may impair your judgement and reflexes to the point that you do not perceive heat and heat-related affects as quickly as another individual would.”

Wearing lose-fitting, light-colored clothing helps the body to cool itself. The doctor also recommends staying out of the sun, when possible, and taking it easy with strenuous activities – that goes for you and for Fido.

“Make sure you do the same for your pets,” he reminded. “If you are uncomfort-

able, they are uncomfortable.”

Even though you or others may not sweat a lot, your body is still losing moisture – and at a much faster rate in extreme heat. Dr. Khan said there is such a thing as “imperceptible sweating.”

“You don’t see yourself sweating, you don’t feel like you’re sweating, but even breathing, for example, results in a loss of moisture and dehydration,” Khan said. “If you’re exposed to a warm temperature, even inside a closed room – if your air conditioning

is not functioning , you might not sweat a lot, but you begin to lose moisture very quickly.”

Other steps you can take to help yourself and others during heatwaves include staying well-hydrated, getting out of the sun, and using your air conditioner, and pacing yourself during outdoor activities.

“One of the general misconceptions is that well, if we like to play sports or our children play sports, etc., we’ll just do that at night, for

See HEAT, A15

Over the past several years, many “vape” shops have opened throughout the St. Louis area. There are more than 300 of these stores, which specialize in the sale of electronic-cigarettes or e-cigarettes, in the region. One popular chain recently opened its 10th location.

E-cigarette sales were estimated at $1.7 billion in 2013 and are projected to approach $10 billion by 2017. In less than a decade, these devices have become an easily available and widely advertised alternative to regular cigarettes. They also have been marketed as an aid to help people quit smoking.

However, with the quick rise in e-cigarette use and sales, there has been little time to regulate manufacturing requirements or examine the health impact, especially for children. The concenJane trated nicotine present Garabutt in the e-liquid used in e-cigarettes can be toxic if even a small amount is absorbed through the skin or ingested. One small bottle of liquid nicotine is toxic enough to kill four toddlers.

This concern is real — U.S. Poison Control Centers reported a dramatic increase in calls related to e-cigarette exposure, up from one call per month in 2010 to 215 calls per month in 2014. From 2012 to 2015, of all calls related to nicotine or tobacco exposures among children over 14 percent were n The concendue to e-cigarette trated nicotine exposure. present in the Most of these incidents involved e-liquid used in children under e-cigarettes can 6 years old, and be toxic if even a almost 80 percent small amount is of the exposed absorbed through children were the skin or ingest- under two years old. In New York, ed. One small a 1-year-old died bottle of liquid after drinking e-liquid. The often nicotine is toxic enough to kill four sweet-flavored, scented e-liquid toddlers. can be attractive to children. In January 2016, President Barack Obama signed a bill to require that all e-liquid be sold in child-resistant packaging. Missouri and Illinois are two of the 16 states with laws requiring child-resistant packaging. Currently, only about half of products have childproof caps.

To better understand the use of and children’s household exposure to e-cigarettes and e-liquid, the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine surveyed almost 700 parents in 15 pediatric practice waiting rooms across the St. Louis area. The survey found that someone used e-cigarettes in one in eight households. In 68 percent of these households, both e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes were used. Among e-cigarette users, few parents were aware that

See E-LIQUIDS, A15

Wearing loose-fitting, light-colored clothing helps the body to cool itself.

Missouri Foundation for Health is a resource for the region, working with communities and nonprofits to generate and accelerate positive changes in health. As a catalyst for change, the Foundation improves the health of Missourians through partnership, experience, knowledge and funding.

Your Health Matters is provided in partnership with

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

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County releases health survey results of Bridgeton residents near West Lake Asthma, COPD, shortness of breath, and odor concerns St. Louis County Department of Public Health recently released survey findings on the respiratory health of Bridgeton residents. The survey was in response to concerns of residents who live near the West Lake Landfill. Last year, it began planning a Household Respiratory Health Survey of residents living within a twomile radius of the Bridgeton Landfill.

The landfill has been smoldering for several years due to an underground fire and it is located near where radioactive waste was dumped decades ago.

The self-reported survey was conducted in February. The major findings by the County health department indicate: • A slightly higher rate of asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in people living within a two-mile radius around the landfill as compared to control groups from elsewhere in the county.

Survey results indicate that 26.7 percent of the population in the

two-mile radius reports having asthma. Control groups report 24.7 percent. 13.6 percent of those living near the landfill report COPD symptoms. In the control group, 12.7 percent report COPD symptoms.

• People living within the two-mile radius experience “shortness of breath” and other allergy symptoms more than control groups. 33.9 percent in the two-mile radius experience shortness of breath or allergy symptoms. The number for the control group is 17.9 percent.

• Residents in the twomile radius are very worried about odor-related issues.

“The findings of the survey indicate the need for more research in the two-mile radius of the landfill,” said Director of Health Faisal Khan. “They also indicate that there should be increased access to clinical services for asthma, the need to encourage people to quit smoking and to continue monitoring and enforcement of

Photo: St. Louis Public Radio

odor-specific regulations.”

In addition to addressing these factors, Khan said the Department of Public Health will continue to work with

HEAT Continued from A14 example, and that’ll take care of any heat related issues.”

Night throws no shade during a heatwave.

“The problem is that, when we have a heat wave in the St. Louis region, typically, nighttime temperatures hover around 95 to 80 degrees, if not a few degrees higher. Even the absence of sunlight doesn’t really provide respite from dehydration,” Dr. Khan said. “You sweat, you become dehydrated, and so it’s even more important to consume fluids and electrolytes and make sure you take enough breaks inbetween.”

Recently, a heat-related death of 90-year old woman was reported in St. Louis County. Dr. Khan said she had an air conditioner that was not working properly.

“Please check in on your friends, relatives and loved ones who live by themselves – who are elderly or infirmed, or otherwise functionally disabled in some form or fashion so that we make sure they’re okay and the air conditioning systems are working fine. And if they need assistance, reach out and help them,” he said. “It’s kind of a double whammy – the ability to not perceive temperature changes as sharply as someone of a younger age and at the same time, the fact that you have a malfunctioning air conditioning system, which nobody could have predicted.”

He said in the spring before the temperatures get too warm is best “Nothing is a good substitute for water. There is absotime to have air conditioner serlutely no substitute,” said St. Louis County Department viced. of Public Health Director, Dr. Faisal Khan.

The health department encourages everyone turn on their air conditioners to cool their residences if they have them, or go to a nearby cooling center for relief. Designated cooling centers are located throughout the area. Residents can locate a nearby cooling center or seek assistance with cooling bills if needed from community organizations through the United Way’s referral line 2-1-1 from a landline phone or 1-800-427-4626 from any other phone.

“St. Louis County has also made available a number of resources, both for utility support for people who cannot afford them as well as others who need a cooling shelter,” Dr. Khan added.

Find out more on the St. Louis County Department of Health website at http://www.stlouisco.com/ HealthandWellness/HotWeatherSafetyTips.

For a list of area cooling centers are online at http://www.211helps.org/heating-cooling-sites.aspx.

(Heat Up) Cool Down St. Louis provides telephone numbers for cooling assistance in several counties at http://www.heatupstlouis.org/#ASSISTANCE.

E-LIQUIDS Continued from A14 e-cigarettes were addictive, and 40 percent did not want to stop using them.

Three percent reported

that a child had tried to drink e-liquid, most were unaware of risks to their children via ingestion or skin contact with e-liquid and a third of parents stored their e-liquid unsafely.

Only 15 percent had talked to their children’s pediatrician about e-cigarette use in their

household.

E-cigarettes will continue to grow in popularity in St. Louis.

They are marketed as the safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, and fancy new devices and flavors may motivate more individuals to try them.

However, parents must be

Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure implementation of all pro-

posed remedial measures at the landfill. The Department will continue to investigate all odor complaints in the area. The EPA has recently announced

Too hot?

What to do and when to call for help Cumulative effects of hot weather can cause heat exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke.

Signs of heat exhaustion include having cool, moist, pale or flushed skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea; dizziness; weakness; and exhaustion.

How to help If someone is exhibiting signs of heat exhaustion, the American Red Cross said you should: • Move them to a cooler place.

• Remove or loosen tight clothing and spray the person with water or apply cool, wet cloths or towels to the skin.

• Fan the person.

• If they are conscious, give small amounts of cool water to drink. Make sure the person drinks slowly.

• Watch for changes in condition.

• If the person refuses water, vomits or begins to lose consciousness, call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.

Symptoms of heat stroke, which is life-threatening, includes hot, red skin which may be dry or moist; changes in consciousness; vomiting; and high body temperature.

How to help • Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number immediately.

• Move the person to a cooler place.

• Quickly cool the person’s body by immersing them up to their neck in cold water if possible. Otherwise, douse or spray the person with cold water, or cover the person with cold, wet towels or bags of ice.

For more information, visit http:// rdcrss.org/1KiWUki.

aware of how they affect children and do their part to reduce risks. If parents have e-liquid in the home, they need to store it in a locked cabinet and use childproof caps. Storing e-liquid or e-cigarettes in places such as purses, bags or open shelves can lead to fatal conse-

Missouri Foundation for Health is a resource for the region, working with communities and nonprofits to generate and accelerate positive changes in health. As a catalyst for change, the Foundation improves the health of Missourians through partnership, experience, knowledge and funding.

quences.

Also, parents should talk to their child’s pediatrician about e-cigarette use at home. If he/ she doesn’t bring it up, parents can start the conversation.

The information parents share may prompt the pediatrician to talk to other parents about

the installment of Sulphur Dioxide monitoring stations on site. Data from those monitoring stations will help further research into ongoing community concerns.

“The St. Louis County Department of Public Health is actively seeking out collaborative research opportunities with academic partners as well as state and federal agencies to further this work,” Khan said. “We’ll continue to share as much information as possible with area residents.”

The health dept. said the self-reporting survey was the first step in researching and quantifying any respiratory issues among area residents. The Department of Public Health worked with the Saint Louis University College for Public Health & Social Justice as well as the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention to design and implement the survey.

The 83-page final report is available at http://bit. ly/29otZyD.

Health Brief Grant awards for Perinatal Behavioral Health Initiative Eleven organizations will receive grants from the Maternal Child and Family Health Coalition (MCHFC) as part of its 2016 Perinatal Behavioral Health Initiative to improve services for pregnant and new mothers in St. Louis City.

The grants are part of the second phase of the multi-year initiative that began in 2012. Awardees will meet objectives that include forming a referral network; collaboration; improved screening for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders as well as co-occurring disorders; enhancing and filling in gaps in existing services.

The grant recipients are: Children’s Home Society of Missouri; Family Care Health Centers; Family Resource Center of Missouri; Kingdom House; Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri; Nurses For Newborns; Queen of Peace Center; SIDS Resources; The Women’s Safe House; SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation Danis Pediatric Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Mom’s Line; and Washington UniversityPerinatal Behavioral Health Services.

The funded projects are expected serve over 900 women over the next year.

MCFHC partners with the St. Louis Mental Health Board to make $275,000 available to support improving service delivery to perinatal women experiencing behavioral health concerns.

e-cigarette use and safe storage of e-liquids. This action could save a child’s life.

Dr. Jane Garbutt is Research Professor of Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics at Washington University St. Louis

Your Health Matters is provided in partnership with

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

Business

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JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

Contractor Loan Fund seeks more applicants

People On The Move Ann Cuiellette Marr was named co-chair of the 2016 Charmaine Chapman Society at the United Way of Greater St. Louis. She is vice president of global human resources at World Wide Ann Technology. This Cuiellette leadership society Marr recognizes African American who contribute $1,000 or more annually to the United Way to provide human services a 16-county region throughout Missouri and Illinois.

Keith H. Williamson was named co-chair of the 2016 Charmaine Chapman Society at the United Way of Greater St. Louis. He general counsel at Centene Corporation.

This leadership Keith H. society recognizes Williamson African American who contribute $1,000 or more annually to the United Way to provide human services a 16-county region throughout Missouri and Illinois.

Photo by Wiley Price

“The Contractor Loan Fund was one of the only organizations to help us,” said Willie Sanders, founder and owner of A-Plus Contractors. “African Americans often struggle with getting loans at traditional lending institutions. The CFL gets nothing but praises from me.”

Finance leaders have secured millions for minority contractors, but there’s more to be loaned

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Two years ago, Willie Sanders took a leap of faith, quit his full-time job at Pepsi and put all of his energy into building his hauling company, A-Plus Contractors.

Before then, he had been subcontracting in the hauling industry for years without owning any equipment. In 2014, he was finally able to buy his first dump truck.

Then he hit the same wall that many small business owners face – no access to capital. He was getting multiple job offers, but he had no capacity to grow.

n In 2016, the Contractor Loan Fund group approved 11 loans for a total of $2.8 million and closed eight loans totaling $1.49 million in commitments, said Chris Reichert of Stifel Bank & Trust.

“It’s challenging,” said Sanders, founder and owner of A-Plus Contractors. “When you go into a lending institution, they give you assurities without giving you assurities. They

get your credit run, and it always ends up being something. The goal post is constantly moving.”

Then in May 2015, several business leaders launched the $10.5-million Contractor Loan Fund, which offers construction-related loans of up to $1 million to minority and women-owned companies.

The fund’s goal is to increase the number, size and stability of minority- and women-owned construction companies in the region, said fund chairman Chris Reichert, CEO of Stifel Bank & Trust.

In October 2015, Sanders obtained a loan See FUND, B6

Student pharmacists serve locally – and globally A conversation with St. Louis College of Pharmacy President John A. Pieper

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

John A. Pieper, president of St. Louis College of Pharmacy, and Dwaun J. Warmack, president of HarrisStowe State University, have partnered on a joint degree program that will add pharmacy as a degree at Harris-Stowe and create a pipeline from HSSU to the college of pharmacy.

John A. Pieper, Pharm.D., FCCP, became the fourth president of St. Louis College of Pharmacy over five years ago. Since that time, his progressive and innovative leadership is moving the school deeper into pharmacological research, as well as local and global partnerships to meet the fast-changing demands of patient care. Pieper spoke with The American about the school’s evolution, directed by the needs of its students and our community.

The St. Louis American: What are some new developments at the college?

John A. Pieper: You are sitting in our new 213,000-square-foot, $56 million building, which we occupied last August. This building houses our School of Pharmacy. We have two schools at St. Louis College of Pharmacy; we have a School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Pharmacy. This is the home of our School of Pharmacy, with approximately 1,000 See PIEPER, B2

Photo: St. Louis College of Pharmacy

Carla Hayden was confirmed as the 14th Librarian of Congress. She was formerly the CEO of Enoch Pratt Free Library and president of the American Library Association. “She Carla has the proven Hayden experience, dedication and deep knowledge of our nation’s libraries to serve our country well,” President Obama said, noting she becomes “be the first woman and the first African American to hold the position.”

John Parker joined the Office of the Comptroller for the City of St. Louis as public information officer. Most recently he ran a public relations/crisis communications firm in St. John Louis, Evolution Parker Communications Group. He is a native of North County, a former college and professional football coach of 25 years and author of three books, including “From Sheets To Suits; Embedded Racism In American Society.”

Gwendolyn Reed received the Hazelwood School District Lifetime Achievement Award.

She was one of the first AfricanAmericans hired in the Hazelwood School District, Gwendolyn where she served Reed as an educator for 30 years, and past president of the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees. Now she is committeewoman of Spanish Lake Township.

Anthony Grice was awarded Nation’s Best Advocate Top 40 Under 40 Lawyers by the National Barr Association. He is associate at Husch & Blackwell, where he has significant Anthony experience Grice litigating single and multiple plaintiff discrimination and harassment cases in federal and state courts. He has obtained numerous summary judgment dismissals and successfully defended those dismissals before the United States Court of Appeals in several districts.

On the move? Congratulations! Send your good professional news and a color headshot to cking@stlamerican. com

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

Personal Finance

Five ways to encourage good saving and spending habits in your children

By Nathaniel Sillin How often do you discuss money with your children? If your answer is “not often,” you’re not alone.

There is an opportunity to help your children form strong spending and saving habits at an early age, and doing so can have a concrete impact on their futures. For example, recent research suggests that children with savings – even as little as $1 to $499 – are four times more likely to go to college than children with no savings at all. There are many reasons why it’s beneficial for children to learn how to manage money from a young age, and getting started sooner rather than later can drastically shape your children’s financial futures for the better.

Here are five ways you can encourage your children to develop good saving and spending habits.

Find a balanced allowance.

One reliable rule of thumb for weekly allowance is to give your children $1 for each year of their age. For example, if your child is eight years old, you would give her or him an allowance of $8 a week. Of course, one size does not fit all, and you can adjust this allowance to fit your family rules and values.

PIEPER continued from page B1 students, and we have about 500 students in our School of Arts and Sciences. We have 92 classrooms in here, a 400seat auditorium, two 250-seat classrooms. It really is a stateof-the-art pharmacy building.

We are also in the process of greatly expanding our research initiatives, both to expand new knowledge of the clinical use of drugs at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology, and also to provide research opportunities for students. And, hopefully, our students from Harris-Stowe will be interested in doing

about the larger expenses on the horizon, whether it’s a car or college tuition, and discuss all the financial pros and cons of these investments.

Reward them for saving.

Back-to-school shopping presents a great opportunity to teach your children how to differentiate wants from needs.

Set a firm school shopping budget, and make a list with your children of what they need for school. Go over their list to see which items are really necessary versus which items are wants. Once you’ve determined what they need, help them calculate how much is left in the budget to spend on wants. Consider rewarding your children by giving them the surplus money to spend as they choose – but only if they’ve covered all of their necessary supplies first. If you have a teenager who’s hoping to drive a new car soon, consider matching his or her savings.

Take them to the bank.

Middle school is a good time to replace that savings jar with a savings account, and if your children have been saving cash for years, it can be very rewarding to take that money to the bank or credit union and open their first account with it. This is a great way to introduce them to the concept of interest, and how savings accumulate over time when left unspent. Visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website for more

research.

The American: Tell us about your partnership with Harris-Stowe State University that you put together with their President, Dwaun J. Warmack.

Pieper: When Dwaun got here in the summer of 2014, we met very early on in his time here, within his first several weeks. I shared with him my vision and he shared with me his vision, and our visions met to develop a partnership with Harris-Stowe, which I had wanted to do when I got here five and a half years ago. Now, the missions and visions were aligned for us to do that.

They are very close to us geographically; it’s three or four miles from here. I was

Help them earn their own money. Earning income through hard work is one of the best ways to learn the true value of money. Encourage your children to earn money, whether it’s through setting up their own lemonade stand, doing chores around the house or neighborhood, or, if they’re teens, getting a part-time or summer job.

This helps your children supplement their allowance and teaches them the real-life value of working.

Bottom line: Learning how to save and spend wisely is crucial to good money management, and teaches other important values.

The best way to help your children build solid financial skills is through practical, age-appropriate lessons, which are relevant as they grow into young adults.

information on savings accounts for children.

Talk to your children about essential expenses. As your

shocked when I got here that we didn’t have a very close relationship – and multiple levels and layers of relationships. And we really didn’t. He and I committed, right when he got here, that we were going to look towards a plan where we could develop a joint degree articulation agreement for pharmacy at Harris-Stowe.

Because I have always valued the quality of their students and the fact that they are a fantastically talented group and can bring a richness to our campus that we haven’t traditionally focused on. And it felt like it was the right thing to do. So once we began to understand there was enthusiasm for this at Harris-Stowe, next came the hard work of looking at the curriculum, with two curriculum committees and two sets of faculty.

At Harris-Stowe, they had to create some classes and create a new major. They had a lot of hard work to do. And, on our side, we are in the midst of a curricular redesign right now as well. And so, it was trying to manage our own internal curricular redesign and

children enter high school, you may want to consider delving into more complex financial concepts with them. If your teen has a paid job, review

their paycheck with them and explain where the money goes and why – for example, if money is withheld for tax purposes. Or talk to them

redevelopment, at the same time as working with their curriculum and understanding how we would make this work.

As a sophomore, HarrisStowe pharmacy students will spend a little time on our campus and we’ll spend some time on their campus. In the third year, again they’ll spend some time here and we’ll spend some time there. The fourth year, they’ll come on our campus fulltime, but they will be fulltime Harris-Stowe students. They will be what we call a P1 student, a firstyear pharmacy student. At the end of that, they will get a bachelor’s degree from HarrisStowe and then they will have three more years here to get our doctorate of pharmacy degree.

School of Medicine, OT (occupational therapy], PT (physical therapy), audiology and deaf sciences; Goldfarb School of Nursing; and St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

The object is for our students to learn together in teams, so that when they graduate and go out into communities and hospitals, they understand what team-based care looks like, how to collaborate with one another, how to take care of patients together. I think there is a national imperative that better patient care happens when there is a team of people with different expertise that work together to care for a patient.

The American: What other collaborations do you have?

Pieper: Geographically, we are located between Wash.

U School of Medicine and Goldfarb School of Nursing.

We’re at the interface – using a chemistry term, we are the “surfactant” – between the nurses and the physicians.

Metaphorically we are, but clinically sometimes too, pharmacists sort of bridge that gap.

So this was the logical spot for us, in our new building, to house the Center for Interprofessional Education, which combines Wash. U

The American: Isn’t that happening in pharmacy schools now?

Pieper: Well, it is happening, and it’s a part of the accreditation standards for all these programs now.

Students are expected to have this kind of interprofessional learning opportunity. But it has to be operationalized, and it’s never really been operationalized before.

Also, our students both have a calling to serve the community here in St. Louis, and they also have this yearning to go internationally and get an international cultural experience. So we’ve really heavily invested in an Office for International

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

Programs.

We have partnered with a number of pharmacy schools – from South Africa, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Mexico, Dublin, Ireland, China – where we are sending our students into clinical environments. In fact, I think we have 30 international sites that students can do some clinical experiences around the globe.

At the same time, we are really committed to working with Federally Qualified Health Centers here in St. Louis and to work through that system to get our students exposed to caring for patients who need help, and making sure that we are having our students in those kinds of environments. It’s really this interesting kind of dual commitment to the local area and a commitment globally.

And what’s interesting is the things that students learn globally can be applied here, and the things they learn here they can apply globally.

Because in both of these locations are people who have had limited access to healthcare, limited information about how to take care of themselves, limited information and access to services and pharmaceutical products. So, there’s a really nice interface between these international and local experiences and how they work together to expand our students.

n “When an HBCU drops a sport, it’s not simply a loss of a participation opportunity for student-athletes, but very often a person of color has also lost a coaching opportunity at a time when we desperately need more minority and women coaches.”

– SIAC commissioner Gregory Moore

Sports

INSIDE

Dennis Green, second black NFL head coach, passes at 67 ~ See ‘Sports Eye’ page B4 ~ B3

JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

Last dance in the Dome

Surge lose Regionals Now wait and hope for Wild Card berth

Rams return for flag football game

By Palmer L. Alexander III For The St. Louis American

By Palmer L. Alexander III For The St. Louis American The Legends of the Dome flag football game lived up to the hype and then some.

The score of the game didn’t matter.

There were plenty of hugs, handshakes and tears shed last Saturday in what was our last time ever stepping into that building to watch football.

One of the best moments was the player introduction, and I stood right by the tunnel as every single St. Louis Rams player was announced. It gave me goosebumps watching those guys run through that fog for the last time. It was great catching up with some of the former Rams players like Roland Williams, who video-bombed me on the field as I was interviewing Palmer L. Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

One of the biggest Alexander cheers was for Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace, who was honored at halftime at midfield with his family. Randy Karraker of 101 ESPN delivered some heartfelt words for Pace, who makes his home here in St. Louis. Pace also was taken on the golf cart and waved to the crowd of over 10,000 people, thanking them for support and love.

Former Rams cornerback Dre Bly came over to me on the sideline and said, “Please pray for us, ‘cause I’m out of shape,” but in fact some of those guys still look like they can play today.

Keith Lyle told me after the game that he hopes this event continues. “I think we should try bowling or softball from here on out,” Lyle said. He paused for a second when I reminded him it’s hot as can be outside. “You right, bowling it is,” Lyle said, as he bent over in laughter next to Jeff See RAMS, B5

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

This past Saturday the St. Louis Surge lost in the Regional Championship game, 91-76 to the Elite Flyers.

The last time these two teams crossed paths, the Surge won 93-88 in a chippy contest. This game had plenty of chippy play and lived up to what Surge head coach Tony Condra called a rivalry game.

Surge point guard Rebecca Harris told me during shoot around that the Flyers have an axe to grind with the Surge, especially since the Flyers coach Brittney Koch-Dowell was let go by the Surge. n Surge “This is war, coach Tony man,” Harris Condra said. “I’m ready looked at me for battle I wish I had some of in the hall the eye black to and said, put under my “How in the eye.”

Once the hell were game began, it we going clearly looked to win? We like the Surge missed 43 was just out of sync on offense, shots.” and they blew several pointblank shots.

They easily cheated themselves out of 24 uncontested points right by the basket.

You have to give the Flyers credit. They played their type of game, which reminds me a lot of the New York Knicks in the mid-1990s.

The Flyers were led by KariKoch Dowell, who won the Midwest Region Tourney MVP. Koch-Dowell put on an impressive shooting performance, making all kind of jump shots, pull ups, shooting across her body and with a hand in her face. She was finishing in transition with either hand and challenging Surge defenders to slow her down.

Condra threw different people at her, but it was just her night.

In the Legends of the Dome flag football game on Saturday, Isaac Bruce helped to provide a chance for Rams fans to have some closure on the team leaving town.

See SURGE, B5

In The Clutch With Ishmael H. Sistrunk

New Olympic faces good for the NBA Team USA Basketball may look a little different with Kyle Lowry, Paul George and Jimmy Butler, but shouldn’t be any less dominant in the 2016 Olympics.

Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant to lead 2016 team There was ample eye rolling James are the biggest disapand shoulder shrugging when pointments. In leading the Cavs the 2016 Team USA Basketball to become the first team to roster was announced last come back from a 3-1 deficit to month. Sports fans and scribes win the NBA Championship, lamented the absence James reestablished his of superstar Olympic claim as the top dog veterans such as in the league. James LeBron James, Chris would’ve certainly Paul, James Harden, dominated once again Russell Westbrook on the international and Anthony Davis. scene. Despite the Also missing are two Golden State Warrior’s would-be first-timembarrassing loss in the ers Stephen Curry, NBA Finals, Curry is Kawhi Leonard. That Ishmael H. still the most-exciting seven-man rotation player in the world due Sistrunk would easily waltz to his unlimited range Samba to Olympic and lack of conscience. gold against any roster in Rio. International basketball is However due to injuries, the nowhere near as physical as need for rest and the Zika the NBA and without James virus, several of the league’s lurking like Superman on the top stars choose to bypass help side, Curry would’ve had Brazil. Though the Team USA a field day in Rio. roster might not be as sexy, the Back to the current roster, assembled roster will pay big expect this 2016 team to play dividends to the NBA. with a major chip on its shoulThe absence of Curry and der. The team will be led by

OG Carmelo Anthony and the newly-crowned most-hated man in basketball, Kevin Durant. Nearly everyone outside the Bay area is still salty about Durant’s decision to join

the Warriors. Expect Durant to work hard to turn the jeers into cheers by getting buckets for the USA. Anthony will likely face harsh criticism from certain elements of USA fans after

pledging to use the Olympic platform to stand up for justice, civil rights and the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m sure Anthony realizes that the better he plays, the brighter the spot-

n Sports fans and scribes lamented the absence of superstar Olympic veterans such as LeBron James, Chris Paul, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis.

light and the bigger the impact.

The remaining 10 players on the roster are Olympic newbies.

The team’s guards are: Kyrie Irving, Kyle Lowry, Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan and Jimmy Butler. The forwards are: Kevin Durant, Paul George, Harrison Barnes, Carmelo Anthony and Draymond Green. The team’s centers are: DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan.

On paper, it’s definitely not the scariest roster Team USA has put forth, but it is well-balanced. The team has everything Coach Mike Krzyzewski needs See CLUTCH, B5

B4

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

Sports Eye With Alvin A. Reid

February 17, 1949 – July 21, 2016

Dennis Green, second black NFL head coach, passes at 67 Dennis Green was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1982 after his Northwestern Wildcats snapped a 34-game losing streak, won three games and was competitive in several others.

Freshman quarterback Sandy Schwab gained national recognition by completing 45 passes in a loss to Michigan, and he would set 12 freshman passing records during that season.

The following year Northwestern won just two games, and a 48-17 drubbing at Purdue was one of nine losses. I covered that game as a young sports reporter. Postgame interviews were held Alvin under a seating area Reid of the stadium and, as I prepared to return to the press box to write a story, Green and Schwab were having a conversation near the Northwestern team busses.

Schwab had on a sports coat, Green was wearing a Northwestern sweatshirt. The men weren’t arguing – just talking.

It turns out that Schwab reportedly did not want to ride the bus back to Chicago, and sought permission to travel with his parents. Green told him, “We came here as a team, we’re leaving as a team.”

Schwab missed the bus.

Green suspended the talented sophomore for one game. I always respected Dennis Green

after that day, even though I would never meet him again.

Green died of cardiac arrest last Thursday at the age of 67.

One of few black coaches in the NFL’s history, he went 113-94 with the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals.

The Vikings went 15-1 in 1998 and set a record for most points scored in a season. A chip-shot field goal was missed that would have iced the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons would score a late touchdown, denying Green a Super Bowl appearance.

While many fans remember him for his “they are who we A. thought they were” tirade after his Cardinals blew a 20-point lead and lost to Chicago in 2006, Green hardly ever lost his cool.

Groomed under San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, Green also coached Stanford for three seasons, where he compiled a 16-18 record and took Stanford to the 1991 Aloha Bowl.

“Dennis Green really played a big part in my career. He was one of those coaches who never shied away,” Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice said.

“You hear guys say that once you get to a certain level, you can’t tell that individual anything anymore. Dennis was totally the opposite. He’d say, ‘C’mon Jerry, you can run that

n “You hear guys say that once you get to a certain level, you can’t tell that individual anything anymore.

Dennis was totally the opposite.”

– Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice

said in a statement released last Friday.

“Ezekiel has done nothing wrong. The police have investigated this matter and eyewitnesses have verified the lack of any wrongdoing. The actual evidence in this matter clearly indicates what the real motivation was behind the police being called. We are confident that when the truth comes to light it will reveal the falsity of these claims. Ezekiel has been fully cooperative with the police and will continue to do so – along with cooperating with the NFL – moving forward.”

Dennis Green was the second black head coach in NFL history and was second-tonone in dedication to his profession. Between 1992 and 2001 he won 97 games and reached two NFC Championship games. He died of cardiac arrest last Thursday at the age of 67. slant route a little better than that. You’ve got to be able to read that defense, you’ve got

to be able to make that catch.’

If I had a drop or something, he would call me out. But I think that gave me the incentive to work a little bit harder.

My condolences go out to his family, because I really loved that man.”

Witnesses, sources Elliott is innocent The most seasoned sports fan or media member can be caught off-guard by an incident or allegation involving a player, coach or front-office member.

It happened last Friday when TMZ, then ESPN, reported that St. Louis-area native Ezekiel Elliott, the Dallas Cowboys’ first round draft pick and former Ohio State star, faced an allegation that he assaulted a woman in Columbus, Ohio.

Stunner.

Elliott was not arrested, and he has not been charged.

Clarence Hill, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Cowboys beat writer, said on Twitter, “Per a source, Elliott broke off the relationship and alleged victim said she would ruin him if he did. Thus the accusations.”

Mike Leslie of WFAA in Dallas reported, “High-ranking Cowboys source says that Ezekiel Elliott has messages saved on his phone proving his ex-girlfriend is trying to set him up.”

Elliott immediately denied that he assaulted 20-year-old Tiffany Thompson inside a vehicle on Friday, or during the previous week, which she also alleged on an Instagram page that has since been made private. She included photos of bruises on her wrist.

Thompson said she and Elliott lived together for three months, a claim which he also denies.

He said that he paid her rent and had co-signed on her car purchase. Elliott said Thompson’s wounds on the Instagram page were sustained when she was in a fight in a bar.

Four witnesses, including one who was in the car, told police they did not observe an assault.

“The reported allegations and Internet postings regarding our son are completely false,” Elliott’s father, Stacy Elliott,

If he were black, revisited Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale (14-3, 3.18 ERA) was miffed about the style and comfort of the throwback jerseys that his team was set to wear last Saturday night. He was also scheduled to pitch.

He chose to throw a tempertantrum that included taking a pair of scissors to many of the jerseys so his team could not wear them during the game. He also got into a heated argument with a member of the front office.

For this, he was not allowed to pitch Saturday and was suspended five games – meaning that he would miss just one start. The White Sox have said the incident will have no bearing on whether he is traded. Several teams want Sale as the August 1 trade deadline approaches, but the White Sox say he could remain a member of the team.

If Chris Sale were black and pulled this same stunt, the only chance that he would remain in Chicago is if he were traded to the Cubs.

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

B5

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

Inside Sports With Earl Austin Jr.

Marquis Hayes commits to Oklahoma Pattonville senior is ranked No. 8 offensive guard in nation Marquis Hayes of Pattonville High gave a verbal commitment to Oklahoma University last week. Rivals. com rated him as the No. 8 offensive guard in the nation’s Class of 2017.

High school football season is just around the corner as teams will be gearing up for official practice, which begins in August.

The St. Louis area is continuing to produce a number of highcaliber high school football players in the Class of 2017 and 2018.

One of those top prospects in the area is senior offensive Earl lineman Austin Jr. Marquis Hayes of Pattonville High. The 6’6” 320-pound Hayes gave a verbal commitment to Oklahoma

University last week.

Rated as a four-star recruit

by Rivals.com, Hayes chose Oklahoma over schools such as Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas State, Miami (FL) and many others. Rivals also rated Hayes as the No. 8 offensive guard in the nation’s Class of 2017.

Another top area prospect to give an early commitment was Lutheran North quarterback Aqeel Glass, who cast his lot with Florida International.

The 6’5” 220-pound Glass put up some impressive numbers as a junior in leading the Crusaders to the Class 2 state quarterfinals. Glass passed for 2,811 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior. He had one game in which he threw seven touchdown passes.

Glass’ teammate at Lutheran

North, Jordan Sommerville, just gave a verbal commitment to the University of South

SURGE

Muhammad.

The Flyers will move on to San Antonio, Texas for Nationals, while the Surge now wait and see if they get a wild card berth.

After the game, Surge players and family members

were disappointed about the loss. Condra looked at me in the hall and said, “How in the hell were we going to win?

We missed 43 shots.” And that was the PG version of the conversation.

The Surge just never got

Continued from B5 The Flyers also got great contributions from Channon Haywood and Hasina

Dakota. A wide receiver, Sommerville was one of the Glass’ top targets during

the season. As a junior, Sommerville caught 54 passes for 588 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.

Standout running back Andrew Clair of SLUH gave a verbal commitment to Bowling Green State. The 5’9” 175-pound Clair rushed for 1,303 yards and scored 21 touchdowns as a junior for the Junior Billikens.

The top targets on the Metro East side are 6’5” 250pound defensive lineman A.J. Epenesa of Edwardsville and five-star recruit Jeff Thomas of East St. Louis. Epenesa ended his recruiting early by committing to Iowa last year.

Thomas is being courted by national champion Alabama, Missouri and a host of other top programs. He recently

clocked a stunning time of 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Following behind the Class of 2017 is a loaded class of talented athletes in the Class of 2018. Many of them are already fielding a number of offers from high-level Division I programs.

Top prospects who are receiving a lot of recruiting attention include wide receiver Kamryn Babb (CBC), lineman Trevor Trout (Chaminade), lineman Michael Thompson (Parkway North), quarterbacks Kaleb Eleby (Pattonville), Tyler Foote (John Burroughs) and receiver/defensive back Dallas Craddeith (Hazelwood Central). These are just a few names in a very talented group in 2018.

into any kind of offensive flow or rhythm and never went on a sustained run. They cut the lead to as close as 9 points in the fourth quarter, with plenty of time remaining, they just couldn’t string together enough stops.

Then they had several unforced errors and erratic free throw shooting. The Surge came into the fourth quarter in the bonus and drew fouls – but couldn’t cash in at the line.

Unrelated to the Surge, congratulations are in order for

Condra, who is now director of Girls Basketball at Matthew Dickey Boys and Girls Club.

Golden State’s Draymond Green, left, and Klay Thompson, right, are two of the new faces on the 2016 Team USA roster.

CLUTCH Continued from B5 to reel in another gold medal.

The roster boasts athleticism, shooting, defense, size and toughness. It’s the continuation of a strategy that Jerry Colangelo and Coach K put in place in 2008 following the USA’s disappointing bronze medal finish in the 2004 Games.

Expect Irving to continue the coming out party he started in the NBA Finals. The big boon for the NBA will be its ability to showcase stars who don’t get to play in primetime that often. DeRozan, Lowry, George and Cousins are bigtime players that don’t often see the bright lights because of their TV markets.

George spent some time in the spotlight when he guided the Indiana Pacers to backto-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014. However, a gruesome injury preparing for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup put his superstar status on the backburner for a while.

DeRozan and Lowry got a glimpse of the spotlight this year by advancing to the ECF, but they were still seen as ‘opponents’ to the Cavaliers.

Cousins will likely benefit most from the increased exposure. ‘Boogie’ is one of the best big men in the NBA, but has never sniffed the playoffs with the Sacramento Kings.

Meanwhile, Thompson, Butler, Green, Jordan and Barnes play in larger markets, but are mostly seen as sidekicks rather than bona fide NBA superstars. They will all be fighting to prove they belong and deserve to represent their nation in the Olympics.

An impressive, gold-medal

RAMS Continued from B3 Wilkins.

Bittersweet it was.

Maybe this will stoke the fire once again for the NFL, but it’s going to take some time for the wound to heal in this city. But I appreciate what Isaac Bruce continues to do for St. Louis. He helped to provide a chance for all of us to have some closure on the Rams leaving town.

For more coverage, subscribe to stlamerican/ video on YouTube. Follow me on twitter @thelegendkil @NTheZoneShow @ NtheZoneNetwork.

Follow the Surge @ STLSurge on Twitter for updates.

performance by this crew will create new fans for all the players involved. It will put the next generation of NBA stars front and center on an international stage. Based on the exhibition games the team has played, it already appears to be firing on all cylinders. Team USA beat Argentina 111-74 and beat China 107-57 and 106-57.

If you doubt this team’s

desire to make a statement, look no further than DeRozan’s attempted 360 slam dunk in traffic (he was fouled and missed) as an example of the eye-popping, jaw-dropping play that is in store.

Jordan jeered for late arrival Black Twitter had a field

day roasting Michael Jordan after he released an article on The Undefeated speaking out against violence against both police and the black community. Jordan stated that he could “no longer stay silent” on the injustices that have plagued the black community seemingly forever. Of course, staying silent is exactly what Jordan did throughout his entire

career. He also donated one million dollars to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Institute for Community-Police Relations.

Even though Jordan is late to the party, I’ll welcome him with open arms into the fight against injustice. At this point, Jordan’s small gesture is not quite worthy of praise and adulation, but spare him the

ridicule. A hollow, one-time article and donation means very little to the fight against injustice. But a sustained effort by a billionaire owner with Jordan’s clout could make a serious impact. I won’t hold my breath waiting for it, but I will cross my fingers.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

B6

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

FUND continued from page B1 with the Contractor Loan Fund, and he was able to purchase a second truck and add on another employee – taking the total up to five in the company.

Sanders has already paid back the first loan and is applying for his second to grow his fleet to six trucks and add two more employees. Because of the Contractor Loan Fund’s assistance, Sanders believes his company’s revenue has grown 200 percent.

“There’s more demand than I have trucks,” Sanders said.

“This is a frenzy for me. We are growing our business to meet that demand.”

In 2016, the Contractor Loan Fund group approved 11 loans for a total of $2.8 million and closed eight loans totaling $1.49 million in commitments, Reichert said. More than 13 active applications are in the pipeline for more than $1.2 million at various stages.

In addition, three applicants leveraged the fund’s loan commitment and guidance to negotiate with their current lenders for additional capacity.

The approved loans thus far have ranged from small working-capital lines of credit and financing for start-up costs on awarded contracts to a much larger credit facility for a wellestablished contractor who is on the precipice of a tremendous growth opportunity, Reichert said.

One applicant was an electrical contractor who intends to finance the completion of one of the largest projects in its history. In addition, a plumbing company used the funds to purchase supplies and ramp up for two key awarded contracts.

There’s over $10 billion in significant projects on the slate over the next 10 to 15 years, Reichert said.

“We expect for those projects to be performed by an increasing number of minority-owned construction contractors,” Reichert said. “It requires that all of

these contractors graduate to traditional banking relationships.”

However, Reichert said they have seen a drop in the number of new applicants, and “are considering multiple approaches for community engagement to create a stronger pipeline.”

Also, some applicants have started but not finished the process.

Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis City NAACP, said that if it’s the paperwork that scares business owners

Contact the Contractor Loan Fund For more information on the Contractor Loan Fund or to apply for a loan, call 314-7255788, email info@ clfstl.org or visit http://clfstl.org/.

away, they should understand that the fund’s technical assistance committee is there to help.

“They will work with you to get it all done,” Pruitt said.

“They will stay with you to find accountants, if need be.

The objective is to get you bankable. They will advise in what you need to do to get your house in order.”

The establishment of the Contractor Loan Fund came one month after St. Louis city’s disparity study was completed in April 2015. The study found that the city failed to employ a fair amount of minority- and women-owned businesses when awarding city contracts for construction jobs from 2007 to 2012. The firm Mason Tillman Associates, which conducted the study, specifically found a disparity in how the city awards construction contracts to

African-American businesses, both as prime contractors and subcontractors.

As the firm noted, part of the problem is that these contractors do not have access to capital – and the city should work towards breaking down these barriers.

Pruitt said the idea for the fund was originally part of the Community Benefits Agreement that the contracting community drew up with the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) a few years ago. Because MSD is obligated to complete $4.7 billion in sewer improvements over the next 20 years, the agreement ensures that minorities and women will be included in that work.

Later, Reichert approached Pruitt and told him that Dennis Lower, Cortex president and CEO, was also trying to implement a similar fund. They all joined forces, and now 30 entities have partnered to make the fund a reality, including Washington University, Saint Louis University and the City of St. Louis.

“This is a big deal,” Pruitt said. “Cash flow is like oxygen for a business.

Without it, it would die.”

Pruitt said the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) sent out letters to push the fund along.

Reichert said 90 percent of the $10.7 million came from the private sector, and less than 10 percent from public organizations. The partnering banks – Stifel, Eagle Bank and Trust, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Midland States Bank and Scottrade Bank – raised about 70 percent of the fund.

“The Contractor Loan Fund was one of the only organizations to help us,” Sanders said. “African Americans often struggle with getting loans at traditional lending institutions. I would say the CFL gets nothing but praises from me.”

For more information or to apply, 314-725.5788, email info@clfstl.org or visit http:// clfstl.org/.

• Only Online •

UNCF honors Cedric The Entertainer Ledisi will headline Night of St. Louis Stars benefit concert on Saturday (July 30) at The Sheldon.

www.stlamerican.com C1 • ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

Black

& Single

Three’s a crowd

Adult stepson interrupts happily ever after just two weeks into marriage

Circus with soul UniverSoul uses the circus to bridge cultures and bring joy

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

elephants.

Through UniverSoul Circus, Walker made it his mission to create a “If there is one thing I want people circus where the next generation to know about us, it’s that we are of youth could see themselves in here for everybody,” said Cedric the spotlight, behind the scenes Walker, founder and president of and presented in a way that UniverSoul Circus. “We want reflects the African-American UniverSoul people of all ethnicities and experience. backgrounds to come together “He realized that seeing a Circus returns reflection and enjoy this one-of-a-kind of yourself in the experience.” ring – whether you’re the August 24-28 It was love at first sight ringmaster, the owner or an Jamestown Mall location when Walker went with his incredible aerialist – it gives the across from the Dome family see the circus as a young kids hope that their lives young person growing up in can change,” said Hank Ernest, 31-September 5 Baltimore. He would sit in the spokesperson for UniverSoul (Formerly Edward Jones Dome) rafters and watch way down Circus. “And that they can do below and contemplate how he amazing things if they just put could make it a part of his life’s work. their minds to it and work hard.”

But, based on what he saw in the show, he Nearly 25 years later, the circus is an thought the only role a man of color would be See CIRCUS, C4 afforded in the circus was to clean up after the

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

See SINGLE, C4

The 5th Annual Vibes Art Showcase will be held 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday July 30 at 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, with a new after-Vibes brunch the next day in Old North. It features visual art by 19 artist, such as this piece by JoMerra Watson.

N.E. Heatwave

New Edition

On a sweltering Thursday night at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, audiences had an opportunity to see the true showmanship of R&B veterans New Edition and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.

As the temperature crept dangerously towards 100 degrees, it was barely tolerable to simply sit and watch the show.

But Babyface and New Edition did anything but scale back to make provisions for the heat index, which went well into the triple digits.

Their hearts – and plenty of sweat – were left on the stage by the time they called it a night.

Showmanship and precision of

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

She told me she had married since the last time I saw her.

Before I could fix my mouth to say, “Girl, congratulations,” she had to let me know there was no need.

“I knew it was over two weeks to the day we got married,” she said.

How did this happen?

They followed all of the rules we assume lead to a happily ever after.

She was coming out of a dysfunctional relationship, when a blast from the past came back into her life. They took things slow – becoming friends first and really getting to know each other.

They went to premarital counseling. They decided not to live together before marriage.

And, even though they had been intimate when they dated before, they decided to refrain from sex until they were husband and wife. And they both had been married before, so they knew what they were getting into.

“I won’t say I thought I found the dream, because I’m not perfect and neither is he,” she said. “But I felt like I found my n After a confron- companion, my road dog tation with the son, and my friend – that we her husband told could enjoy each other’s her to just leave company for him alone. “I said, as long as ‘Leave him alone?’ we both shall live.”

We all have to After all live in this house of this prep work, how together.” could it fall apart after only two weeks?

His adult son from a previous relationship was at the root of the problem.

Fresh into the honeymoon phase, she had an argument with the son – whom her husband had secretly smuggled into the marital home they purchased together before they actually said “I do.”

She didn’t find out they would have a plus one in their household until she moved in four months later.

After a confrontation with the son, her husband told her to just leave him alone.

“I said, ‘Leave him alone?’ We all have to live in this house together, and I want to

the acts spoke volumes as far as commitment to giving their fans an unforgettable experience.

Thousands relished in the showcase of the best of 80s and 90s R&B from two of the decades’ biggest stars.

Although some could have room to complain that the concert felt a bit brief, but enough can’t be said about performance caliber both Babyface and New Edition delivered under the torture of temperatures that never subsided, even well after the sun went down.

Visit stlamerican.com for a full review and additional photos by Lawrence Bryant.

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds

Vibes time again Annual multi-media artist showcase is July 30 with new after-brunch

By Morgan Bradley For The St. Louis American It’s Vibes times again.

The 5th Annual Vibes Art Showcase will be held at 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center on Saturday July 30 from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. – with a new after-Vibes brunch the next day in Old North.

Organizers described Vibes as “50 percent music showcase, 50 percent art gallery and 100 percent fresh, innovative art, culture and good vibes.” It’s a grand arts showcase all about sharing positive vibes and giving local artists a platform.

Vibes prides itself on finding artists in and outside of the metro St. Louis area of all different media and providing them a platform to showcase their work.

“People should expect to see a wide variety of emerging artists and networking opportunities,” said Jarrel Lawrence, the creator of Vibes. “It shows a side of the city the youth rarely get to see.”

There are 19 visual artists participating in the show this year, including sketch artists, graphic designers, illustrators and photographers. All artwork will be on display around the venue the See VIBE, C4

Calendar

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016 host the Annual “Midwest Marchdown” Scholarship Step Show, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar in the Loop.

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

Sun., Aug. 7, 11 a.m., St. Louis Bride & Groom Magazine presents The Wedding Show. Your onestop wedding shopping with over 200 vendor booths.

America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. For more information, visit www. stlbrideandgroom.com.

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

concerts

local gigs

Fri., July 29, 7 p.m., District Rhythms Series with Dru Hill. Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Ave., 63102. For more information, visit www.tickef. ly.

Sun., July 31, 6 p.m. (5 p.m. doors) Community Women Against Hardship Summer Jazz Benefit Concert with Johnny O’Neal, Anita Jackson, Eric Slaughter, Jerome Harris and Jeffrey Anderson. Harold and Dorothy Steward Center For Jazz, 3536 Washington.

For more information, call (34) 571-6000 or visit www.jazzstl. org.

Sat., July 30, 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Lumiere welcomes The Spinners, Lumiere Live Theatre. Visit www. ticketmaster.com for tickets.

Sun., July 31, 7 p.m., UNCF St. Louis presents An Evening of St. Louis Stars Benefit Concert with Ledisi.

We will be highlighting and acknowledging our area youth scholarship recipient and our person of the year award recipient, actor and comedian, Cedric The Entertainer.

All proceeds benefit The United Negro College Fund.

Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108.

For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www. thesheldon.org.

Fri., Aug. 26, Lumiere welcomes Betty Wright, Lumiere Live Theatre. Visit www.ticketmaster.com for tickets.

Sat., Aug. 27, 7 p.m. An Evening with Chaka Khan and El DeBarge, a benefit concert for Mathews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club, The Fox Theatre. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

special events Thurs., July 28, 4 p.m.

Rep. Rochelle Walton Gray and Alan Gray present the 5th Annual Community Resource Fair, Christ the King United Church of Christ, 11370 Old Halls Ferry Rd. Florissant, Mo., 63033. For more information, call (314) 355-6789.

Sat., July 30, 9 a.m., Mothers Against Killing presents Thousand Women March.

Featuring human service providers, companies and organizations at the fair, ready to empower young men, women and families with human and social services information that will lead to a brighter future through job training and placement services, free legal services, counseling, financial literacy, mental & physical health services, voter registration,

Sun., Aug. 7, 3:30 p.m., Black Women with a Purpose Sisterhood presents School Supplies Giveaway & Skate Party. Bring the family out for our end of the summer skate party and collect school supplies to for the 2016-2017 school year. St. Louis Skatium, 120 E. Catalan St., 63111. For more information, visit www. bwwpurpose.com.

2016 Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour featuring Karen Clark Sheard. For more information, see SPIRITUAL.

Featured Event Sun., July 31, 6 p.m. (5 p.m. doors) Community Women Against Hardship Summer Jazz Benefit Concert. Harold and Dorothy Steward Center For Jazz, 3536 Washington. For more information, call (34) 5716000 or visit www.jazzstl.org.

trade schools and much more. Fairground Park, 3740 Kossuth Ave., 63107. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Sun., July 31, 3 p.m., North & South/Delmar Block Party. Several restaurants and retailers in the North & South Business District will participate in bringing food, music, kids activities

and more to this fantastic celebration. Attendees will have the opportunity to enter a raffle featuring awesome prizes. North & South Business District, 63130.

For more information, call (314) 337-2439 or visit www. universitycitychamber.com.

Sat., Aug. 6, 8:30 a.m., Full Gospel United Spiritual Churches of Christ Inc.

Community Job Fair, New Northside Community Center, 5939 Goodfellow Blvd., St. Louis Mo. 63147.

Sat., Aug. 6, 11 a.m., St. Louis Dream Center presents the Back 2 School Blast. Join us as for food, fun, rides, games, haircuts, backpacks, and much more.

For more information, call (314) 381-0700 or visit www. stldreamcenter.org.

Sat., Aug. 6, 5 p.m., Purple Reign! A Summer Fashion Affair. The Rustic Goat, 2617 Washington Ave., 63103.

For more information, call (314) 372-9134 or visit www. purplereignfashionaffair. eventbrite.com.

Sat., Aug. 6, 5 p.m., 6 th & Madison’s 1 st Annual Girl Power Gala & Awards.

The purpose of the event is to honor the achievements of girls aged 7 – 17, who are changing the world through their local communities.

Danielle Scruggs of Fox 2 News will host the event.

The Sun Theatre, 3625 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www.6thmadison.com.

Sat., Aug. 6, 6 p.m. Alpha Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. will

Wed., Aug. 10, MathewsDickey Boys’ & Girl’s Club invites you to Achievement Avenue Transformation Plan Reception. Enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and learn about the new strategic direction of our organization. Attire is business. For more information or to RSVP, call (314) 6795228 or (314) 679-5234.

Aug. 12 – 13, Louis Armstrong Festival of St. Louis. The festival will feature St. Louis’ finest musicians of our times, recreating the style and feel of Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars. Ozark Theatre, 103 E. Lockwood Ave., 63119. For more information, call (314) 962-7000 or visit www. www.

YesLouis.com.

Sat., Aug. 13, 1 p.m., 3rd Annual St. Louis African American Artifacts Festival and Bazaar. Crown Square Plaza, 14th & Saint Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, call (314) 2431021.

Sat. Aug. 13 – Sun., Aug 14, Craig Blac’s 16th Annual Community Cuts for Kids, Saturday August 13th 10a – 2p, The Lessie Bates Davis Family Development Center 1045 State Street, East St. Louis, IL. Sunday August 14th 2p – 6p, The O’Fallon Park Rec Complex (YMCA), 4343 West Florissant, St. Louis, Mo. To Pre-Register Your Kids & Beat the Line.. (HAIR MUST BE WASHED) Log on www. thecraigshieldsfoundation.org, email craigblac@gmail.com or call 314 – 514 – 5762.

Sat., Aug. 13, 1 p.m., 3rd

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016 Annual St. Louis African American Artifacts Festival and Bazaar. The festival will cultivate awareness and appreciation of the significant contributions made by people of African descent through artifacts, art, music, dance, and literature with diverse people throughout the Saint Louis region. Crown Square Plaza, 14th & Saint Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, call (314) 243-1021.

the famed Club Ebony in Indianola, Mississippi. 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, visit www. nationalbluesmuseum.org.

Fri., August 5, 5 p.m., The Truth Telling Project & The Michael Brown Chosen for Change Foundation presents Youth Speak Truth: Responding to Racial Violence in America. Greater St. Mark Family Church, 9950 Glen Owen Dr., 63136. For more information, call (314) 868-7967.

Sun., Aug. 14, 9 a.m., As You Ago Events presents its 6th Annual Show Off Auto Show. Bridgeton Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044.

For more information, call (636) 492-1750 or visit www. asyougoevents.com.

Aug. 19 – 27, St. Lou Fringe Festival. Grand Center, 3526 Washington Blvd., 63103.

For more information, call (314) 643-7853 or visit www. stlfringe.com.

Sat., Aug. 20, 2 p.m., 2016 Rise Up Festival – Celebrating Revitalization.

1627 Washington Ave., 63103.

For more information, call (314) 333-7008 or visit www. riseupfestival.org.

comedy Fri., July 29, 8 p.m. Martin Lawrence, Chaifetz Arena.

For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Sat., Aug. 6, 8 p.m., Comedian Willie C presents Back of the Bus Funny feat.

Frank L. The In Spot, 5854 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

theatre Through July 28, The Muny presents Mamma Mia! Now it’s your turn to have the time of your life at this smashhit musical that combines ABBA’s greatest hits, including “Dancing Queen,”

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Thur., Aug. 25, 8:30 a.m., Saint Louis University School of Law presents an Entrepreneurship and Small Business Workshop.

Youth and Family Center, 818 Cass St., 63106. For more information or to register, call (314) 977-2778 or visit www. eventbrite.com.

UNCF St. Louis presents An Evening of St. Louis Stars Benefit Concert with Ledisi and Cedric The Entertainer. For more information, see CONCERTS.

“Take A Chance on Me” and “The Winner Takes It All,” with an enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship. 1 Theatre Dr., 63112.

July 29 – 30, COCA presents Memphis. Set in the underground dance clubs, radio stations and recording studios of 1950s Memphis, this hot musical bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a tale filled with laughter, soul and rock & roll. Edison Theatre, 6465 Forsyth Blvd., 63105.

For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www. cocastl.org.

Sat., Aug. 6, 7 p.m., Still – a stage play. The play speaks to the business of relationships and will cause you to question how you handle marriage, friendships, and faith in God when life happens. JC Penny Building, UMSL, 1 University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www. iamtheatre-srd.com.

art Sat., July 30, 6 p.m., Vibes STL presents The Grand Arts Event. Vibes is a grand arts showcase in St. Louis all about positive vibes and giving local artists from both St. Louis and outside of St. Louis a chance to showcase their talent. This marks #5, it’s 50% visual Art 50% music. There’s also food, drinks, and merchandise vendors. This year a portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Finesse Center. 2720 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sat., Aug. 6, 1 p.m., Contemporary Art Museum presents RE: Debtors’ Prison. Using Mark Bradford’s exhibition, Receive Calls On Your Cell Phone From Jail, as a point of departure, this program examines debtors’ prisons—the practice of jailing people who are unable to pay fines for minor offenses. Blake Strode, Skadden Fellow and

staff attorney for ArchCity Defenders, leads a lively discussion on this issue, which affects the lives of a number of St. Louis citizens. 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 535-4660 or visit www.camstl. org/calendar.

lectures and workshops Sat., July 30, 2 p.m., National Blues Museum presents Let’s Talk About Juke Joints. This event looks into the history and culture behind juke joints, a gathering place made popular

by African Americans in the early and mid- 20th century where musicians could perform and attendees could eat, drink, dance and socialize without outside pressures. Leading the discussion is businesswoman and “Delta Blues Queen” Mary Frances Shepard. For 34 years, Shepard and her husband Willie owned and managed

health Wed., Aug. 10, 4 p.m., St. Louis County Library presents Healthy People 2020: Older Adults. Registration required. Thornhill Branch, 12863 Willowyck Dr., 63146.

For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www. slcl.org.

Sat., Aug. 13, 10 a.m., Sickle Cell Association presents the 2016 Sickle Cell Educational Symposium.

The Symposium aims to help individuals with sickle cell live their best lives by educating the patient and/or caregiver on topics relevant to the sickle cell community. The program will include sessions on treatments, trait, pain management and kidney issues. Washington University Occupational Therapy, 4444 Forest Park Ave., 63108.

For more information, call (314) 833-6751 or visit www. sicklecellassociation.org.

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., Get Sexy Movement Boot Camp. Station styled boot camp with 1 minute at

each station for three rounds.

North County Recreation Center, 2577 Redman Rd., 63136.For more information, call (314) 898-8898.

spiritual Through July 29, Church of God in Christ Missouri Midwest’s 1st Annual Holy Convocation. Our theme will be “Fighting for Salvation and Righteousness in a Violent and Immoral World.” We will have a different guest speaker every night, including Bishop Marvin Sapp, Dr. Dorinda Clark Cole, and Bishop Willie James Campbell. Kennerly Temple COGIC, 4307 Kennerly Ave., 63113. For more information, call (314) 761-5148.

Sat., July 30, 10 a.m., Lutheran Church of the Living Christ presents Neighborhood Fun Day. Come out for food, games, a kids’ area, car show and more. Please bring can goods, old or new shoes, toiletries, and school supplies to benefit our community charities.

2725 Concord Dr., 63033.

For more information, call (314) 741-4588 or visit www. lc-LivingChrist.org.

Sat., July 30, 11 a.m., Christian Believers will host its Back-to-School Backpack Giveaway. We will give away backpacks, school supplies, and offer free haircuts to schoolaged children up to eighth grade. 1447 Burd Ave., 63112.

For more information, call (314) 616-8785 or visit www. christianbelieversministries.org.

Fri., Aug. 12, 7 p.m., 2016 Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour. Hosted by syndicated radio personality Lonnie Hunter, you’ll experience renowned gospel artists Karen Clark Sheard, Charles Jenkins, Canton Jones and Doug Williams (of the Williams Brothers). Friendly Temple MB Church, 5515 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., 63112.

For more information, call (314) 367-9700 or visit www. eventbrite.com.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

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SINGLE Continued from C1 understand what’s going on.”

The son told her that he didn’t want to take the time to get to know her – that he “didn’t have time for it.”

“His dad was like, ‘That’s a really messed up thing to say, but if that’s how he feels, forget him,’” she said. “I was like, ‘Okay, but that’s not how I expect to live in our house. We have a certain set of standards.’”

His response was simple and telling: “Well, this is my son.”

She left that night in tears and went to confide in a friend.

“Well, you have to be careful about what you say to people’s children,” the friend, who is a

parent, told her.

“But this child is a grown man,” she said.

She doesn’t have children, but was actually excited about the idea of being a part of her step-children’s lives. She was realistic enough to know that there might be friction, but was blindsided by the source.

“He has younger kids, and I was afraid they might be a problem – not a problem with me – but just life growing up as teenagers,” she said. “I never expected it to be the older one.”

Since the son was without work or a place to stay, both he and his dad were actually open to the idea of her using her professional connections to help him get on his feet.

“Everything was cool at first, until it came time to do his ‘assignments’ with respect to getting on task with his

Portrait of Tupac Shakur by artist Briana Woods

VIBES Continued from C1 entire night and available for purchase, and all artists will be present to discuss their work.

This year’s artists include Ghost in the Room, Kilograham, Hailey A.J., Micheala Angelena, S3an Alexander, Maxine Du Maine, Zae A.O.O.T, BETTIES, Jomerra Watson, Alvin Lewis, Sharelle B, Andrae EAZYOKERT Williams, Danielle Rene, ARTC, Tyler Harris, Mars Mansion, Tia Payne, Lost Liberty and Rich Bizarre.

Musical guests of many different genres, from soul to hip-hop, will perform live at the showcase. The lineup of musical performances in order, beginning at 8:30 p.m., is: Eric Donte, Bloom, Freshanova, J’Demul, Courtnie, VanaCana, Saint Orleans, Kass, Bryssa, 94 Nodd and closing act Myrion Twos.

A Vibes mix tape has been created and is available now on Soundcloud (Vibes Mix ’16)

life,” she said. “The son didn’t appreciate me getting into his business, and that caused a rift immediately. I don’t think it was that the son didn’t like me, but he definitely didn’t like me coming in and interfering with his comfy, cozy ride.”

The friction with her stepson rippled into exposing other cracks in their relationship.

Then the downward spiral sucked the life out of them both. A few months later, the husband announced that they were leaving.

She felt hopeless, but in the back of her mind she was actually relieved.

“I think you have to really understand the dynamic of a parent and their child and what their expectations are,” she said.

“And if you do not agree with the way they raise their

to better familiarize guest with preforming acts.

Music will be played all night with three different DJs – TYYouGenius, Paco and DJJTR3Y – proving distinct mixes all night across all three floors of the venue.

Food options will be plentiful, with four local chefs participating in the event showing off their culinary skills. Menu items will vary from savory Jack Daniel wings to stuffed strawberries. The night’s chefs include Shari,

child, you should not get married – no matter how much you love somebody. It’s just that simple. And don’t think you can wait until they are out of the house, because kids can always come back.”

She said seeking clarity is essential in the dynamic of blending into a family.

“Though you have to be willing to change and grow, there’s a difference between compromising and compromising yourself,” she said.

“You have to really think, ‘Okay, is this person going to put this child’s wants before my needs?’ You cannot act like it’s not going to be a problem, because you have parents who have children that are 30-yearsold and they still baby them.”

Eatzz by Keysh, Interstate 55 Cajun Creole and Chow Thyme Catering.

This year the Vibes team added a new morning-after event, Wake & Bake STL: After Vibes Brunch. Wake & Bake STL chef curators John Greene and Sharita Beck will serve an all-you-can-eat, bottomless mimosa brunch.

The menu includes a cookedto-order waffle bar and smoky lasagna with bacon. Wake & Bake STL will be held at 2720 N. 14th St. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 31.

Every year Vibes donates a portion of its proceeds to a local charity. This year, the recipients will be the Black Rep and the Finesses Center, named in honor of Tyrell Thompson, a Vibes artist and staff member who was killed during a robbery earlier this summer.

Tickets to Vibes are available online at http://2720cherokee.com/ for $20 until July 29 and will also be available at the door. Tickets for the After Vibes Brunch can be purchased until July 30 online at wakeandbakestl. eventbrite.com or at the door for $25.

CIRCUS Continued from C1 institution in its own right.

“The circus is called ‘UniverSoul,’ and the first half of that is universe,” Ernest said.

“We want to show talent from around the world – and we want to offer a glimpse of the world to the people who come to our shows. We also want people to realize that soul is not a color, it is an experience.”

The popular circus returns to St. Louis later next month and will stay into the first week of September. St. Louis has become only the third market in the annual national tour to expand with additional dates and two locations. The other two are New York City and Washington, D.C. “Hopefully, this shows St. Louis how important you are – how much you’ve supported us in the past and how we know you’ll be behind us in the future,” Ernest said.

UniverSoul Circus has become an instantly identifiable brand in the black community.

Much like Motown did for mainstream music, UniverSoul Circus has added a unique blend of flavor to the conventional circus format, while managing to connect across cultures and ages.

“Those who have never been should take out of their mind what they think a circus is supposed to be,” Ernest said.

“This is something that they’ve never experienced before as far as the tempo of the show, the music, the dancing, the laughter and the engagement between the performers and the

audience.”

It is scaled to be an intimate experience. “You can reach out and touch our performers,” Ernest said. “There’s a special power in that.”

Guests are encouraged to let loose or “join the party,” as they say on their website.

Instead of being escorted out, the most rowdy audience member just might be called into the ring to participate.

“When our show comes around, people are up dancing and singing and high-fiving performers,” Ernest said.

“When performers get a load of that at our show, it’s infectious and they want to be a part of it. They tell their friends back home. We have circus schools from around the world who want to come be a part of our show because our audience makes them feel so good.”

It is the hope of UniverSoul Circus to create an unforgettable exchange of positive energy that flows back and forth underneath their big top.

“We want to be that bright light, that glimmer of hope,” Ernest said. “If you are having a hard time, we want to be that moment where you have forgotten your troubles and let everything go. Hopefully that can last as long as possible after you leave.”

UniverSoul Circus returns to St. Louis on August 24-28 at the Jamestown Mall location and across from the Dome (Formerly Edward Jones Dome) from August 31-September 5. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. com at all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling (800) 745-3000.

For more information, visit www.unipversoulcircus.com.

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2016

Celebrations Centenarians

Birthdays

FREE OF CHARGE Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers.

Whether it’s a birth, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available. Photos will not be returned.

Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to:

On July 31, Lester Pope will celebrate his 58th birthday.

Happy Birthday and many more! God bless you.

Love always, Your brother-in-law, aunts, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Photo by Maurice Meredith

Happy Birthday to Mamie Boyd, who celebrated her 105th birthday on July 15.

Happy 3rd Birthday Alayna Robinson on July 27! I love you so much!

From, Your Gi Gi (aka Grandma Melissa)

St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103

Farrell Chatwell celebrated his 100th birthday on July 16, pictured with his wife Yvonne Chatwell. He received well wishes and congratulations from The Moles organization, President Barack Obama and Congressman Lacy Clay.

Reunions All reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Beaumont High School Class of 1976 will have its 40th year reunion September 23-25, 2016. For more detailed information please email bhs1976@swbell.net or Facebook: Beaumont High class of 76.

Beaumont High School, Class of 1978 is organizing

to celebrate our 40th Class Reunion in 2018. For further information, please contact: Marietta Shegog Shelby, 314-799-5296, madeshe@ sbcglobal.net.

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.

East St. Louis Lincoln High Classes of 1966 will celebrate its 50-year reunion August 19 - 21, 2016 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Fairview Hts., Ill. The cost is $100 for classmates and $50 for guests.

A late fee of $25 pp will be

assessed after May 31. Please contact John Cunningham for details and reservations at: 618-692-6610.

East St. Louis Class of 1971 will celebrate its 45-year reunion Sept. 2-4, 2016 at the Casino Queen. For more information, please contact Opal at 314-952-4729, Sandra at 314-249-7295 or Glenda at 618-781-4888 or email timac48@aol.com.

Hadley Technical High School Class of 1961 will celebrate its 55th class reunion, September 16-18, 2016 at the Renaissance Airport Hotel.

For more information, contact Ralph Johnson 477-2042, Shirley Woods 361-5351, or Jeffery Raybon 382-

1875. Send updated contact information to celiajteach@ gmail.com. Our Annual Picnic on Sunday, September 4th at John L. Brown Park, 4300 Calvert Ave 63134 (off Woodson Rd.).

Harrison School All Class Reunion Saturday September 10, 2016, 6:30 pm-10:30 pm at Ambruster Great Hall (6633 Clayton Rd. Tickets are $60 per person.For more info contact; Judy Darris at 314-443-6741, Yolanda Beck at 314-346-8103 or Làshell Tolliver at 314-420-3566.

Ritenour High School Class of 1976 is having its 40th reunion on October 1, 2016. For more information please see our Facebook page,

Ritenour Class of 1976 or email ekbyers58@gmail.com.

Soldan is having its 11th AllClass Alumni Picnic August 13, 2016 at Tiemeyer Park, 3311 Ashby Rd., St. Ann, MO 63074 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

The picnic is free. Bring your own basket or grill. T-Shirts will be sold for $15. For more information call 314-413-9088.

Vashon Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion and is need of contact information for alumni.

Please contact JoAnn Alvoid at alvoidjoe8@gmail.com; Sarah (Taylor) Robinson at srobinson647@hotmail.com; or Sonya (Walker) Smith at 314.381.8221, with address, email and phone number.

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 • JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2016

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Swag Snap of the week

Meeting New Edition was a dream come true for Angela Brown of Live Nation and longtime friends Tiffanie Jones-Bynum and Michelle Strong Walker Thursday night at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, where the veteran R&B group co-headlined a concert with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.

Keith of Koncepts, Ram’s Legends Dre Bly and Cliff Crosby along with Triky of Close To Famous in VIP for the Legends of the Dome after party Saturday @ Mood

John and Geanette Carpenter jammed to War and Switch @ The Classic Soul Fest Saturday @ Chesterfield Amphitheater

Nicole and Daesha were among the masses of folks who came through The Marquee Friday to party with Amber Rose

A hot edition. I figured out that I actually could stand the rain, but “can I stand the heat?” is the real question that went through my head as I suffered through what has to have been the hottest outdoor concert experience in all of my days. I took a sip of water just thinking about it. I didn’t even bother with my customary post-workout sauna visit when I made my way to the YMCA the next day. I had taken care of it on the front end as I sat in my seat at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater watching two of my favorite R&B acts get it all the way in. Babyface and New Edition did that too – and I know they had sweat dripping from the top of their heads to the seams of their socks from the work that they put in on that stage. And when Babyface ran through the crowd topless singing “End of the Road” I actually thought it was a symptom of heat stroke. He seamlessly worked it into the show though if it was. And I have a new appreciation for New Edition after they did full-fledged choreography like it was 72 with a strong breeze. Imagine preheating your oven to 375, putting on a tuxedo and jumping in to perform two hours of kick, step, touch and turn choreography for 80 minutes. If I had it to do again, I would have begged Mother Nature to shave of at least 28 degrees, but the show was so good it ALMOST took my mind off of the heat.

Host Fat-Fat was one of the lucky few to snag a picture with vixen Amber Rose Friday @ The Marquee

BBD at Boogie Nights. My body forced me to make a pit stop at my own personal cooling center, so I only caught the tail end of New Edition’s breakout side bar stars BBD’s visit to Boogie Nights after the show. But I will tell you that DJ Kut was killing it on the tables and BBD gave me a Peaches Records flashback by the way they patiently took photos with every single soul that stopped through and stood in line. I was thrilled by the way they took it back to an in-store meet and greet with their level of graciousness towards the fans.

I also got a chance to chop it up with some of my faves from the Radio One St. Louis fam while I was there too. I don’t know if these were strays from the slot machine, but I noticed way more co-stars of “When Bad Fashion Happens to Good People” than I ever remember from the concert – particularly the poor thing with the lonely clip on cornrow and church usher pumps. Nobody seemed to mind the fashion faux paus, because they were too busy fish bowling BBD. Muva’s Marquee takeover. World renowned celebrity ex Amber Rose (aka Muva) was in the building at the Marquee on Friday, and I really felt bad for the people with legitimate talents who have come there to face crickets after the way the masses stopped to see her stand around in a pair of fly shades and hot red lipstick. But hey, I’m not here to knock her hustle. Clearly she has a built some sort of brand for herself – and I’m just basing it on the platinum shadow fades and cat suits that were sashaying throughout the Marquee. I promise there is probably not a bottle of Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Born Blonde in the entire Bi-State area because of the “rose buds” getting prepped to see their leader. And usually it’s the girls who get beside themselves, not on Friday. Dudes were cat calling and trying to get her attention like they actually had a chance. One dude even had the nerve to try to pass his number up to her. I had to stop myself from telling him that she is not going to be bothered with any brother in general admission.

Dee Carter and Debra Lusain couldn’t help but to smile after the Classic Soul Fest starring War and Switch Saturday @ Chesterfield Amphitheater

Shelby and Michelle checked the style @ Three Pentacles fashion show Saturday @ The Old Post Office

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Rapper Indiana Rome and fashion designer Wiz of Think Smart Apparel @ The Show Me Your Kicks Expo Saturday @ Peabody Opera House

Classic Soul with War. I decided to get down with the grown folks Saturday afternoon and made my way to my second outdoor concert in three days. It wasn’t as hot as Thursday, but it was close. But at the end of the day, I’m so glad I decided to make the trek to Chesterfield for the Classic Soul Fest because it was best throwback live band performance so far this year. Switch was up first, and I’ll just leave it at saying there’ll never be another Bobby DeBarge. Instead, I’ll spend all of my time giving props to War. The only thing better than life, is unexpected life –which is what I got a taste of on Saturday. I thought that War would be cute, but I had no idea. By the time they sang “Slippin’ into Darkness” I was ready to pack up and follow them around like the hippies do the Grateful Dead.

A Lux lockout. When I tell you that things couldn’t have been any less out of the ordinary Saturday night when I made my way to Lux to check out the Umbrella Group and Super Ego’s latest party collabo. I actually decided to leave, but my lack of willpower made me decide to double back and hit up the gloriously blinged out dessert bar my girl Ashley Mitchell had set up in VIP. I got halfway back and somebody got on the microphone and essentially said – it was so non-eventful that I don’t remember the exact words – “Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but there’s something going on, and everybody has to get out.” I was like “Is this Jesus keeping me from these gold glittered donuts?”

Either way, I just kind of filed out with everybody else and saw a police van and officers standing around. I tried to ask what was going on, but was politely (no, seriously, the officer was quite polite) told to keep it moving. I was already at my next spot before I realized I was accidently caught up in a raid over an expired liquor license…or two. It was the most anti-climactic thing – so much so that I didn’t find out until well after the fact that the owner had been taken in by the law in the process. It’s a good thing that it went down this past Saturday instead of the 50 Cent Power Uncut party, because it probably wouldn’t have as seamless and uneventful. As of today, the details I have are that police say Lux and Rustic Goat/HG had been operating without proper liquor licenses. When I find out more, you’ll be the first to know.

Alicia and Shawna Friday @ The Marquee

SuperEgo Mitch and The Umbrella Group’s Raphael made sure they where in the building to party with Amber rose Friday @ the Marque

Nicky, Mira and Teanna celebrated Mira’s birthday Saturday @ The Lux Photos by Lawrence Bryant & John Scott