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Volume 1 | Issue 1
FEBRUARY 2016 | FREE
One-on-One with Missouri University System President
stlnews Congressman Clay works to keep NGA
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national Obama promotes equal pay
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in thespotlight PAGE 6
Steve Harmon Seeks Circuit Attorney’s office
Entertainment Award-winning Singer Encourages Artists to Fight Racial Inequality
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sports Steve Webb From gridiron to hardwood
In the emotionally-charged speech, Legend urged fellow artists to rise up and speak out for racial equality in America. “We know that we stand on the shoulders of giants who risked their lives to bring us closer to true freedom. And of course, we are still fighting for freedom.”
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STL SPOTLIGHT | FEBRUARY 2016
Stlnews
Justice Department Files Lawsuit against Ferguson
Rep. Kimberly Gardner Seeks Collaborative Effort to Fight Violent Crime
Attorney General Loretta Lynch Announces Justice Department Will Sue Ferguson. ttorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced that the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Ain U.S. District Court against the city of Fergu-
son, Missouri, alleging a pattern or practice of law enforcement conduct that violates the First, Fourth and 14th Amendments of the Constitution and federal civil rights laws. “The Department of Justice is filing a lawsuit against the city of Ferguson, Missouri, alleging a pattern or practice of law enforcement conduct that violates the Constitution and federal civil rights laws,” said Attorney General Lynch. “The residents of Ferguson have waited nearly a year for their city to adopt an agreement that would protect their rights and keep them safe. They have waited nearly a year for their police department to accept rules that would ensure their constitutional rights and that thousands of other police departments follow
every day. They have waited nearly a year for their municipal courts to commit to basic, reasonable rules and standards. But residents of Ferguson have suffered the deprivation of their constitutional rights – the rights guaranteed to all Americans – for decades. They have waited decades for justice. They should not be forced to wait any longer.” “Our investigation found that Ferguson’s policing and municipal court practices violate the Constitution, erode trust and undermine public safety,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As shown by our lawsuit , the Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce the law to ensure that Ferguson implements long-overdue reforms necessary to create constitutional, effective and accountable policing. Ferguson residents and police officers deserve a law enforcement system that productively and fairly serves them. n
Proposed New Site for National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Western Headquarters in North St. Louis ongressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri Cwelcomed House Intelli-
gence Committee Ranking Member Congressman Adam Schiff (D) California to St. Louis as they received a classified briefing at the National Congressman Geospatial Intelligence Lacy Clay Agency and then toured a proposed site in North St. Louis, which if selected, would become home to the NGA’s new $1.6 billion western headquarters. That decision is expected in late March.
“I was very pleased to welcome my friend and colleague, Congressman Adam Schiff (D) California, to St. Louis,” said Mr. Clay. “As the Ranking Member on the House Intelligence Committee, which has oversight of the NGA, I appreciated the opportunity to show him why the proposed Northside site is the right choice for NGA’s vital mission; the best choice for the 3100
talented employees who work there; the responsible choice for the taxpayers; and the greenest choice for protecting our environment.” “I could not be more impressed with what I’ve seen,” said Mr. Schiff, as he toured to proposed NGA Northside site. “I think there is a compelling case here. To me, this looks like a quintessential example of what a Promise Zone is supposed to be about.” Congressman Clay added. “As I have already indicated, Presidential Executive Order 12072 directs that wherever possible, federal dollars should be targeted to restore economic opportunity and vitally to distressed neighborhoods that have suffered from decades of disinvestment and concentrated poverty.” The National Geospatial Agency (NGA) needs a new headquarters and must choose between North St. Louis and a site 35 miles outside of St. Louis. Executive Order 12072 requires that we give priority to urban areas when we move federal facilities. North St. Louis and North St. Louis County are in the federal Promise Zone. Locating NGA in the urban core will spur unprecedented private and public investment. n
Rep. Kim Gardner
Lawmaker files bill to create pilot program in St. Louis City JEFFERSON CITY, MO. – State Rep. Kimberly Gardner has filed legislation to establish a pilot program in St. Louis City to address rising incidents of violent crime. The Intervention and Compliance Unit pilot program created by House Bill 2434 seeks to improve safety within individual neighborhoods through collaboration with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and community members within the city. The bill also would create policies and procedures regarding crime data collection as well as strategies for improving mental and social service programs. “Police and community cooperation is essential to preventing or solving violent crimes,” said Gardner, a former assistant circuit attorney in St. Louis. “This pilot program would provide the city additional tools to reverse the recent spike in violent crime and protect the safety of St. Louis residents.” The pilot project would follow an inclusive approach by expanding membership to key stakeholders within St Louis City. Accordingly, the Intervention and Compliance Unit’s membership would include representatives from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, city prosecutor’s office, local courts, the state Department of Social Services, local government leaders, civic organizations, local schools and local probation and parole offices. Gardner is also seeking a $100,000 appropriation in state operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year to fund the pilot project. n
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FEBRUARY 2016 | STL SPOTLIGHT
national
President Barack Obama signs executive actions to strengthen enforcement of equal pay laws at an event marking Equal Pay Day.
Obama Promotes Equal Pay even years ago, President Obama signed into law his first piece of legislation as President, the Lilly SLedbetter Fair Pay Act. Policies that ensure fair pay
for all Americans and that help businesses to attract the strongest talent can not only narrow the pay gap, but also boost productivity and benefit our economy. Yet today, the median wage of a woman working full-time year-round in the United States is about $39,600—only 79 percent of a man’s median earnings of $50,400. While the gap has narrowed slightly
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over the past two years, there is much more work to be done to ensure fair pay for all. The President is renewing his call to Congress to take up and pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, commonsense legislation that would give women additional tools to fight pay discrimination. States are increasingly taking action to fight pay discrimination, such as California and New York which passed equal pay laws last year and a number of states that will see legislation introduced this year. The President urges states—and employers—to take action to advance pay equality. The White House will host a Summit on “The United State of Women” on May 23rd together with the Department of State, the Department of Labor, the Aspen Institute, and Civic Nation. The summit, which comes nearly two years after the first-ever White House Summit on Working Families, will create an opportunity to mark the progress made on behalf of women and girls domestically and internationally over the course of this Administration and to discuss solutions to the challenges they still face. n
Gaps in Teacher Effectiveness Hurt Young, Minority Students By Freddie Allen NNPA News Wire Senior Correspondent
inority and low-income students are less likely to have consistent access to effective teachers M between preschool and the third grade than students from high-income households, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress (CAP), a Washington, D.C-based think tank.
Rachel Herzfeldt-Kamprath, a researcher at CAP and a co-author of the report said that research on brain development shows that kids are learning a lot during that time period and gaining foundational skills that they build on throughout the rest of their academic careers. The report found that more than 60 percent of children in prekindergarten that come from households earning more than $100,000 have access to highly educated teachers (a bachelor’s degree or higher), while about half (52 percent) of the students in prekindergarten that come from households earning less than $20,000 have access
those teachers. “As children progress through elementary school, they are slightly more likely to have a highly educated teacher,” the report said. “This is particularly true for children from higher income families: 60 percent of the highest income second-graders have a teacher with a master’s degree compared to only 46 percent of kindergarteners in the same income group.” However only about half of second-graders from households earning less than $50,000 have access to highly educated teachers. Black children are also more likely to have teachers whose household income is below $50,000 when compared to their White and Asian peers, according to the report. “In the early childhood field, studies have found both direct and indirect links between teachers’ pay and the quality of education provided, with comparatively better-compensated educators creating a higher-quality classroom environment,” the report said. n
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STL SPOTLIGHT | FEBRUARY 2016
Black History Month: Honoring St. Louis History Leon Spinks
Bertha Knox Gilkey
Olympic boxing champion Leon Spinks was born July 11, 1953, in St. Louis. Spinks won the heavyweight championship from Muhammad Ali in February of 1978. Seven months and one day later, Ali regained the title.
president of the Cochran Tenant Management Corporation in St. Louis, was instrumental in obtaining over $30 million in funds for renovation and new construction in the Stl area. She was born in Arkansas to bitter poverty. Her mother relocated to St. Louis in 1960 and raised her 15 children in a three-bedroom apartment at Cochran Gardens. Gilkey died on May 25, 2014 at the age of 65 due to a two-year battle with cancer.
Josephine Baker
Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee
Born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri, she later took the name Baker from her stepfather. Surviving the 1917 riots in East St. Louis, Illinois, where the family was living, she ran away a few years later at age thirteen and began dancing in vaudeville and on Broadway. In 1925, she went to Paris where her comic ability and jazz dancing drew the attention of the director of the Folies Bergère. Josephine Baker died of a cerebral hemorrhage on April 12, 1975, and was buried with military honors.
Track legend Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee was born in East St. Louis, Illinois March 3, 1962. Jackie first gained national attention by winning 4 consecutive National Junior Pentathlon Championships. She set the heptathlon world record (7,291 points) at the 1988 Olympics. In 1988, she was the first woman selected Athlete of the Year by the Sporting News. This impressive female athlete earned the U.S. record and won the World Championship for the long jump twice (1987 and 1991).
Maya Angelou
Chuck Berry
Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Johnson on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. Maya Angelou became one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. With over 50 honorary doctorate degrees Dr. Maya Angelou became a celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.
Rock and roll innovator Charles “Chuck” Edward Berry was born in San Jose, California. Berry, regarded as one of the founders of Rock and Roll, is responsible for such hits as “Johnny B. Good” and “Roll Over Beethoven.”
Dred Scott
Katherine Dunham
Dred Scott was an enslaved African American man in the United States who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom and that of his wife and their two daughters in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case of 1857, popularly known as the “Dred Scott Decision.” The United States Supreme Court decided 7–2 against Scott, finding that neither he nor any other person of African ancestry could claim citizenship in the United States. President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and the post-Civil War Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments nullified the decision.
1912 - Katherine Dunham anthropologist, choreographer and dancer was born. Her research in Afro-American dance, particularly the Caribbean culture, led her to form a company of black dancers. This company performed throughout the United States and Europe. One of her best works was the Broadway musical Cabin in the Sky. In the late 1960’s, she became the director of Southern Illinois University’s Performing Arts Training Center. Later, she established her own dance school and museum in East St. Louis, Illinois.
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FEBRUARY 2016 | STL SPOTLIGHT
Award-winning Singer Encourages Artists to Fight Racial Inequality During Acceptance Speech rammy and Oscar Award-winning singer, John Legend, turned his Gacceptance speech into a platform for action.
In the emotionally-charged speech, Legend urged fellow artists to rise up and speak out for racial equality in America. “We know that we stand
on the shoulders of giants who risked their lives to bring us closer to true freedom. And of course, we are still fighting for freedom.” Legend accepted the NAACP’s annual President’s Award during the widely-watched televised event. He went on to say, “Today, communities of color are still being crushed by a
Tyrese Gibson to be Ambassador For The 2016 Coca-Cola Pay It Forward Program ix time Grammy-nominated R&B singer, author, philanthropist & Sinternationally renowned film star Tyrese Gibson joins Coca-Cola to help inspire and empower teens to strive for their highest potential through the 2016 Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program.
Building on the program’s five years of success, the Company will now offer up to 25 students a chance to win a $5,000 scholarship and a trip to the second annual Coca-Cola Pay It Forward Academy. Now through March 31, parents, relatives, friends and mentors may nominate an aspiring teen for the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program by visiting www. coke.com/payitforward. “I have long recognized the importance of helping young people reach out to grab their dreams,” said Gibson. “Returning to Coca-Cola, the place where I got my start, brings my story full circle and offers me another opportunity to help inspire, motivate
and give back to our youth. Because it’s not lonely at the top if you help someone else get there.” Gibson’s foundation recently awarded a $50,000 scholarship to a Compton teen to assist with his pursuit of higher education. His foundation, #TheLoveCircle, focuses on empowering youth.
Tyrese Gibson
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John Legend gives speech at the 2016 NAACP Image Awards
criminal justice system that over-polices us, over-arrests us, over-incarcerates us, and disproportionately takes the lives of our young people because of the simple fact that our skin conjures the image of threat and violence. Now, some will call you divisive for speaking out for a disenfranchised people. Some will call you
a radical for calling for justice for all. Some will take offense when we have to assert that our lives should indeed matter, just as much as anyone else’s.” The evening’s Image Award winners also included Terrence Howard, Tracee Ellis Ross, Taraji P. Henson, Steve Harvey, Anthony Anderson and Ryan Coogler.
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STL SPOTLIGHT | FEBRUARY 2016
co
In His Own Words:
One-on-One with University of Missouri System Interim President
Michael Middleton slurs hurled at students of color … a swastika made of human feces smeared along Rtheacial wall of a predominately-black residence hall … cotton balls scattered outside the Black Cultural Center.
These are only a few of the many racially-motivated incidents documented by students attending the University of Missouri. Students say an earnest effort by top administrators to address racial tension on campus was futile and consequences for offenders, light. Students took action. Faculty and staff joined arms in peaceful demonstration with students of color and campus-wide protests ensued. The unrest was so dynamic; the Nation’s attention was soon captivated. Protester and student Jonathan Butler went on a hunger-strike and about 30 of the University’s football players refused to compete until University officials stepped down. Their demands were soon met. University System President Tim Wolfe, along with Chancellor R. Bowen, resigned their positions.
In steps Michael Middleton.
Although recently retired, Middleton accepted the role as Interim President and transitioned into the position immediately. A move many are praising the System for taking. For more than three decades, Middleton has been part of the University’s community and history. As one of the first black graduates of the University’s Law School, Middleton stood tall on
Dr. Michael Middleton the front lines as a voice for the underserved and disadvantaged. He joined the System’s law faculty in 1985 after an illustrious career with the federal government in Washington. He was a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and in 1977 was appointed Assistant Deputy Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of H.E.W. President Middleton says the first order of business is to regain student trust, community support and effectively recommit the University to the needs of its minority students campus-wide. LeShea Agnew: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak one-on-one with the Spotlight. This is a conversation many in our area are interested in following. How are you settling into your new role as Interim President at the University of Missouri? President Middleton: (chuckles softly) … Like drinking through a fire hose. Other than that, it’s ok. I have some very good people around me, good staff. They’re filling my head with all the information I need and it’s going well. Agnew: The tough part of the job must be where
to start. You’re coming in during an especially sensitive time of unrest. Day one, you’re facing students’ needs, the faculty’s needs, campus needs … how do you start to address them all? By taking small bites out of a big meal as the saying goes? President Middleton: Well, you take bites. I have trouble calling them small because many are pretty big, just taking them one at a time. I’m trying to get resolutions to the issues that got us to this point, what I call the “perfect storm.” Not only am I addressing the race issue but graduate student healthcare issues and Planned Parenthood issues we’ve had. A group of Deans and faculty members have concerns with academic freedom, shared governance and leadership. Those are the issues that came together and exploded on the system. First order of business is to get those issues resolved and settled down so we can focus more broadly on the overall mission of the Missouri system. We have unique issues at all of our campuses. Our mission is education, research, economic development and service. It’s important we get the current issues so visibly on the table under control so we can begin to focus on our primary mission
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FEBRUARY 2016 | STL SPOTLIGHT
overstory and restore trust amongst faculty, students, staff and the communities we serve. Agnew: How long do you have in this position to attempt to address those issues? President Middleton: I hope to address the hot-button issues as soon as possible. I’ll have about a year in this role. The hope is that by then, we can get the structure in place to address most of those issues fairly quickly. Whether they will all be resolved quickly is another question, but we are going to address them all. As quickly as possible and as efficiently as possible to settle things down system-wide and move forward on our primary mission. Agnew: All eyes are on the University, especially the African-American community. Since we cater to that readership, speak to the momentum building on campus. The dust is far from settling as issues surrounding race-relations and student trust continue to linger. Because racial tension is such a widespread concern around Missouri, for the African-American community in particular, what is the intended message to not only Missouri but wherever these issues arise? President Middleton: This issue is critically important to me personally and to the University. I was involved in civil rights litigation and policy as a lawyer before I came into academia. That frankly, is my passion…my life’s work. I’m taking it very seriously. And I’m convinced the University is taking it as seriously. I’m hopeful with my leadership, a serious approach to resolving the issues will be taken. We have a Chief Diversity Officer on all four campuses now. Here at Columbia, in Rolla, Kansas City, and St. Louis. We’re doing a national search for the Chief Diversity Officer for the entire Missouri system. We are reviewing all policies and procedures to see where nullifications might be necessary to improve the climate on campus. We’re also implementing training for faculty, staff, students and administration around these issues. We’re doing inventory of programs on all campuses to determine what works and what doesn’t work. There is a lot of research nationally that can inform of us of best practices and techniques. I’ve got a lot contacts around the country in Universities and elsewhere with people who are actively engaged in this work. I think we can pull together the resources. And develop serious programs and plans to address this issue that are going to benefit the university and people of Missouri. I think as a result of what we’ve been through, we are poised to become a national leader in dealing with culture and climate issues on American universities. We’re determined to do that. The message to the community? I hope they will be patient with me and my University and understand we are committed to getting this job done as quickly and effectively as possible. I think this is a great time to be at the University if you are a student of color. We are having those difficult discussions all across all of our campuses. The only way to get a resolution is to sit down, face-to-face, and talk honestly. And truly listen to what people are saying. We’ve gotten that done on the Columbia campus. There is no doubt everyone’s attention is focused on this issue. We’re going to use that attention and work through it. And we’ll be better for it. Agnew: Walk us through your reaction as things were unfolding. Student hunger strikes, the football team refusing to play, individual protests on campus … because this is your home and you’ve
ng Voice of St. Louis’ Black Community
done so many things on so many different fronts with the University, what was it like to witness the unfolding events? President Middleton: Bittersweet. Bitter, in that, I’ve been on Columbia’s campus for 30 years. For a while I’ve been working on these issues as I could from the position I had. So it was disappointing to come to the realization things had not moved along as far as I hoped they would over this same period of time. That’s the bitter part. Sweet part … these young people were implementing strategies I was actively engaged in in my youth. I grew up in Mississippi in the 50’s and 60’s. I was at Mississippi’s Freedom Summer in ‘64. I was involved in nonviolent, peaceful demonstrations that brought attention to the situation in Mississippi in those days. It was sweet to see students in 2015 using the same techniques to draw attention to their experience on this campus. I had mixed emotions about it. I think the students successfully drew our attention to the needs of these problems more systematically. Now that our attention has been drawn, we have an obligation to put in place structures that will improve the situation here. We fully intend to do that. Agnew: What is the feeling with students on campus now? Are they still actively protesting or having more sit-down discussions like you mentioned? Paint that picture for us. President Middleton: Well, we had the Board of Curators conduct a listening session before Thanksgiving Break. We had about 14 different student groups including graduates, minority groups and others. They presented to the Board their concerns and suggestions for improvement. Students displayed a commitment to work with administration to develop solutions. I’d like to think that was a turning point for us. The protests and marches were reminiscent of what we were doing in late 50’s and 60’s to serve the purpose of drawing attention of people in power to the problems. There comes a point when it’s time to start working on solutions. Our students have demonstrated and expressed their desire to work with us to develop those solutions. I intend to take them up on that. We can’t develop meaningful solutions without those involved in the issues. Agnew: You mentioned in the 60’s, there were certain things you were helping students to call for during that particular time of activism. You demanded an increase in black faculty, implement
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a Black Studies program and additional scholarships. Are you still working to have those demands met? President Middleton: Many of the demands have been met. Like the Black Studies program, it has been established and is now a full-fledged department. In ’74, there was an old house in the neighborhood on campus that administration allowed black students to use as a culture center. Now we have built a freestanding building (The Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center) named after St. Louis native Marian O’Fallon-Oldham and Lloyd Gaines. It’s there and in place. We hired a number of African-American faculty but not enough. That’s really the difficult issue. While we have over the years hired a significant number of African-Americans, over the same number of years, a significant number of professors left for better opportunities in many cases. And some left because they didn’t like it around here. Campus and community culture issues need to addressed to make Columbia more hospitable and welcoming to African-American and other minorities. We will continue to work on that. I hope to improve those numbers of faculty. The list of demands … you know, I used to keep the list on my desk. And I would tick them off. We’ve pretty much satisfied all of the demands made in the 60’s. We’ll do our best to move the institution forward and satisfy those legit requests of our students. Agnew: You’ve detailed your message to the community, what about to students? What is the message to them right now during this time of great change? Are you sharing encouraging words? Words of patience? President Middleton: Both. Words of encouragement need active dialogue and participation. We need our students. We need their perspective. This is a new day in this country. Black Lives Matter. Ferguson ... There is something happening in our society and we need to pay attention. And it’s coming from young people. To the extent we can encourage our young people to come to the table and talk seriously about developing solutions to the societal problems they see, the better off we are. These young people are really, really bright. Our primary mission is education. And I’ll tell ya, we’ve done a good job at that. These kids are smart.
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Campus and community culture issues need to be addressed to make Columbia more hospitable and welcoming to African-American and other minorities.
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STL SPOTLIGHT | FEBRUARY 2016
in thespotlight
Javania Webb Selected for Emerging Leaders Spring 2016 Class St. Louis has chosen 29 young professionals for the Spring 2016 class of Emerging Leaders.
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he Emerging Leaders program offers a select group of St. Louis’ young and talented the opportunity to receive training to develop leadership and management skills. This competitive program provides participants with an increased sense of engagement in the region, as well as the tools to take an active role as the next generation of St. Louis regional leaders. Over the course of the threemonth program, Emerging Leaders gain a better understanding of the inner workings of the St. Louis community, an opportunity to develop leadership skills, a chance for personal growth and self-assessment, exposure to volunteer involvements, and a diverse network of peers. Javania Webb was deemed an Emerging Leader by the organization and selected for the competitive program. She currently serves as the Program Coordinator for Grace Hill Settlement House. Her passion is to help young girls and
women ‘figure out their WORTH’ which is in alignment with her volunteer endeavors’. Javania has worked with Queen of Peace Center as a Substance Abuse Case Manager, (second) staff lead on the consumer advisory board, and was the lead staff on the Disease Management Program with the State of Missouri. Javania has over 6 years of program development experience with You Are Worthy, Incorporated (a subsidy of Javania M. Webb, LLC), which is a mentoring program that she has developed. Javania has more than 13 years of mentoring with different agencies in Missouri and Illinois. Javania works from experience and has a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics. Javania is a graduate of Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville and Lindenwood University.Javania believes that it is imperative that women are able to sustain life on their terms in order to provide examples for their children who are the future of America. She plans to bring diversity and wholeness to the community of St. Louis.
Steve Harmon Sets Sights on City of St. Louis’ Circuit Attorney Seat
St. Louis’ Democratic primary election for Circuit Attorney is August, 2.
S
ince announcing his candidacy last year, Steve Harmon spends his days (and often nights) going door to door, business to business, neighborhood to neighborhood garnering support. The son of the city’s former police chief and mayor says he first considered running long before he officially declared. The lawyer/ retired police officer says he was approached by countless members of the community encouraging him to seek the office. The St. Louis Spotlight caught up with Harmon at a birthday celebration for supporter and friend Alderman Freeman Bosely, Sr. We took the opportunity to learn more about Harmon’s platform, vision and hopeful plans for the position. Here’s an excerpt of our conversation. Harmon: After a lot of thought and prayer, I made the decision in the summer of 2014. I held my first campaign meeting right before the primary election in August and waited patiently until the dust settled from that. Unfortunately when starting up, four days later, Michael Brown was killed. Once it happened, the whole region was in complete disarray. I couldn’t get anybody’s attention about the upcoming election and understandably so. We had civil unrest, protests and the Black Lives Matter movement going on so we had to wait. I declared formally in March. Since then, I was running against incumbent Jennifer Joyce who held that office for 16 years. I think she saw the
writing on the wall; her office was plagued by problems that had yet to be disclosed to the public. After three months, she decided not to seek reelection and retire. She has since endorsed someone from her office but I plan on beating whoever is out there. We’ve never had an African-American prosecuting circuit attorney in the city of St. Louis. I believe the timing is ideal for changing that. Spotlight: If you successfully win the upcoming election, how will you implement change in that office? Harmon: Diversification for the office is a main focus of my campaign. Currently, there are 59 attorneys in the circuit attorney’s office. Four are African-American. That is not remotely reflective of the community that office serves. There should be more than four African-American attorneys. In terms of clerical, support staff and the investigative departments … there are about 30-35 people. Of which, maybe three or four are African-American from what I’ve been told. It’s not right and not fair to the people of St. Louis. That office needs to change. Steve Harmon is the son of Clarence Harmon; the city’s first African-American Police Chief. His father also served as Mayor from 1997-2001 when he was defeated by Francis Slay. Steve says his father is a strong supporter of his candidacy and treasures his campaign. Steve has two sisters and one brother, his brother serves as a police officer for the Pine Lawn Police Department. Steve Harmon’s son, Blair, is a straight-A student at Ferguson Middle School. Read Steve Harmon’s entire interview with the Stl Spotlight at www.thestlspotlight.com
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FEBRUARY 2016 | STL SPOTLIGHT
opinion
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Behind Flint Water Horror, a Corrosive Cynicism By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.
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he basic story of the poisoning of the children of Flint, Mich., through the water they drink is now pretty well known, but as more details come out, it keeps getting worse. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, after passing a big tax cut for the rich and corporations on coming into office, had to find cuts to make up for the lost revenue.
Drum notes that while white children were severely afflicted in the postwar lead epidemic, it produced “nothing less than a carnage among black kids.” He argues that before lead was brought under control in the late 1980s, virtually an entire generation of urban black teenagers was at risk of lower IQs, more behavior problems in school, higher rates of violent behavior. This, of course, reinforced already vicious racial stereotypes of African-Americans, and of the poor. The only hope in Flint is In Flint and other cities, he essentially nullified democratthat the children’s exposure was limited in time and intensity, ic elections, deposed elected mayors and city councils and but even that is grasping at straws. installed his own agents with virtually dictatorial powers. The And as Flint resident and documentary filmmaker Michael “emergency manager” of Flint decided that the city could save Moore points out, this isn’t just a crisis of water. Flint’s residents money by discontinuing its water supply from Lake Huron and now see the value of their homes wiped out and their hopes instead drawing it from the toxic Flint River. He then failed to for jobs dashed. Few would consider buying a home in Flint treat the new water with additives needed to keep the city’s now. Few employers will want to set up shop there or expand old pipes from leaching lead. When people objected to the there. The governor’s men have wreaked untold economic brown, smelly water filled with particles that was coming out damage on the residents of Flint on top of the threat to their of the taps, the governor’s men reassured them the water was health. safe. All of Flint’s children were exposed to water with elevated The lessons of Flint are plain. Those who scorn government levels of lead. are the wrong people to elect to head it. Government capacity Now we learn that General Motors complained to state to enforce health and safety, to police environmental poisons officials that the water was corroding their auto parts. So the and water safety, is essential to the security of our children. As governor’s team gave GM its own hook up back to the water America gets more and more unequal, the cynical, unstated asfrom Lake Huron — while still insisting to the residents of Flint sumption that there are some who are simply disposable, who that the water was safe for their children to drink. don’t deserve decent services, is likely to spread. State officials also acted promptly to respond to the bad water But Flint may end up showing something else as well. That for one other constituency: state employees in Flint’s state office cynicism is more corrosive than the toxic water coming from building. Even as it was reassuring residents that the water was the Flint River. People aren’t going to put up with it. They aren’t safe to drink, Flint officials arranged for coolers of purified water going to adjust quietly to the decline of basic services. The Flint to be set up on all the floors of the office building. calamity was exposed because the poorest residents objected Flint’s residents — disproportionately black and low income time and again, despite the reassurances issued by authorities. — were seen as disposable. And they are not alone. The naThe failure of the governor’s local dictator and of the state tional statistics on lead poisoning, as Kevin Drum of Mother officials themselves is now apparent. Yet the reaction to the Jones details, show that African-Americans were poisoned at calamity still seems in slow motion. It is time for the federal three times the rate of whites until recent times. And, of course, government to step in. Investigations should lead to indictlow-income people are poisoned at higher rates than the more ments. Federal resources should be mobilized to rectify the affluent; poor, urban African-Americans and Latinos suffer the water in Flint immediately, and to provide the city with a real highest rates of all. plan for renovation and revival.
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STL SPOTLIGHT | FEBRUARY 2016 Cover Story » Continued from page 7
They’ve studied the issues. They have good ideas and we need to listen, particularly with race relations. If one has an interest in working on those issues and studying those issues, I think this University is a great place to do that. They won’t be met with resistance from administration or faculty. I can’t promise they won’t hear a racial slur or see graffiti that’s offensive. But I can assure them the University is committed to finding perpetrators of that kind of hateful activity and dealing with them effectively. This is a safe place, a welcoming place. We’re working feverishly to make it more welcoming. For students, I’m sharing words of a real desire for real collaboration around these issues. Agnew: It must feel like you’re living in two different times at once. You were one of the first black students to enroll and receive a law degree from the University. Now, all these years later, we’re here discussing the new role you’re in while somewhat fighting the same battles. President Middleton: The struggle has been a long one. And we’ve still got a long way to go. I was getting to a point in my life where I was getting disappointed. But a good friend told me I was measuring my success by the wrong measures. Success is not eliminating the problem, it’s engagement in the struggle. I have redesigned success for myself and I’m quite comfortable continuing to address these issues. My difficulty is, I’m the President of the Missouri-system now. Not a Chief Diversity Officer. I’ve got to make sure I get people in place who can handle these issues so I can focus on the larger University goal and mission. This University system serves the entire state of Missouri. We’ve got 70,000 students, we’ve got a multi-billion dollar budget and we have a hospital with research and extension responsibilities. We have a serious obligation to strengthen Missouri’s economy through economic development activities. All those things have to be done and done
Michael and Julie Middleton
well. I have responsibilities for that as well. I’m trying my best to address race issues quickly, effectively and permanently. We have people and structures in place to focus exclusively on resolving these problems so I can get busy restoring this University to its place of prominence in higher education. Agnew: “Engaging in the struggle.” This is something I want to make sure our readers have more detail on. Wherever you are, how can you engage in the struggle? Not just for persons of color but because you may not be. How can we all actively engage? President Middleton: Really good question. Before I retired, I was part of an on-campus Faculty Council Race-Relations Committee. It’s composed of African-American students, a few white professors who had reservations whether racism was real in our community, myself, a couple of Latina and African-American professors. We spent the summer meeting for a couple of hours every week talking about how to engage people not of color in the struggle. To get beyond race, homophobia and other “things” that divide us. It was a difficult process. There were different conversations we had. I’m happy to say all of us got to a middle point of understanding, of the way the things affect how we behave and how we treat people. And how people react to the way we’re treating them. The group has made real progress in recognizing the nature of the problem. We haven’t found a solution but the first step is for people to understand the true nature of the problem and how it affects people. We’ll continue work with that group and hopefully we can answer that question. I think it comes down to a matter of respect for human beings as human beings. Not falling into the trap of stereotypical thinking. How you get people to change their mindsets on these issues in light of the systematic indoctrination we’ve all had from the very beginning around the things that make us think we’re “different.” We’ve got to get beyond that.
business Missouri Tourism on the Rise with a Record 40.4 Million Visitors in ‘15 Missouri welcomed a record 40.4 million visitors in Fiscal Year 2015, Gov. Nixon announced on a conference call with local tourism industry leaders. During that time, visitors spent more than $12.4 billion and supported more than 297,000 jobs. As a result, the economic impact of tourism has increased by nearly 30 percent since the Governor took office in 2009. “From big cities to small towns, there’s something for everyone in Missouri,” Gov. Nixon said. “I appreciate the work of our Division of Tourism, and their local partners throughout the state, who continue to make Missouri a destination for visitors from around the world.” Gov. Nixon’s balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2017 includes an additional $3 million to enhance Missouri’s tourism marketing efforts. “Tourism plays a vital role in Missouri’s economy, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and strengthening our communities,” said Dan Lennon, Missouri Division of Tourism Director. “We truly appreciate the leadership of Gov. Nixon and the bipartisan support of both the Missouri Legislature and the Missouri Tourism Commission.”
Institute Supporting Three New Ferguson Academic Projects The Ferguson Academic Seed Fund (FASF), established by the Washington University Chancellor and Provost’s offices to address issues related to the development of sustainable urban communities, awarded three research grants for the Fall 2015 FASF period. The Institute for Public Health is offering assistance to three of these projects, which have the potential to impact public health, by providing additional (matching) funds. Understanding the Role of School Discipline as a Stressor in the Socio-emotional Health and Well-being of Marginalized Youth Principal Investigator: Rowhea Elmesky (Associate Professor, Department of Education, Arts & Sciences) Through Ferguson, our nation is compelled to make the connection between schools and neighborhoods and to begin to link maltreatment within educational institutions—entrusted to take care of children—to hostility and social unrest in confronting authority outside of school. This proposed research project seeks to study one school’s disciplinary culture and teaching practices with youth already experiencing marginalization within their neighborhoods. It will highlight the public health implications when anger, aggression, and alienation are normalized experiences inside and outside of schools. The Baden Pilot Project Principal Investigator: Rod Barnett (Professor and Chair, Landscape Architecture Program, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts) Baden is a north St. Louis neighborhood with many challenges, including poverty, high crime rates, poor health outcomes, and insufficient educational and employment opportunities. These challenges can be multiplied by inequitable development, urbanization, and housing practices. This project aims to address these spatial issues in Baden through strategic redevelopment of green space, and to research best practices that might be translated into other under-resourced neighborhoods in the St. Louis metro area. It will include the development of a master plan (integrating community feedback) and a survey assessing local perceptions of health and well-being. The Black Body in White space: Does Racialized Fear Inhibit Health-Promoting Use of Public Space? Principal Investigator: Melody Goodman (Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine) St. Louis and the United States as a whole has a long history of racial segregation, which has impacted all sectors of society, especially residential areas. This project aims to explore how access to urban green space is affected by race, and if structural racism creates “exclusionary symbolic boundaries” that limits the participation of people of color in shared public parks (thereby perpetuating health outcome inequality). It will serve as a foundation for further study on what has been called “White space” – public areas that Blacks and other minority groups may perceive as “off limits” to them but they must navigate to live. It will include a literature review, qualitative interviews with African American city residents, development and testing of quantitative survey items, and systematic observation of parks in St. Louis to evaluate usage by different racial groups.
FEBRUARY 2016 | STL SPOTLIGHT
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sports Westminster Football Standout Steve Webb Takes to the Basketball Court
From the Field to the Hardwood:
a successful football season with Westminster, many expected junior Steve Webb to catch Ahis fter breath and rest during the off-season. Instead, the “bruising-runner” headed straight into basketball season. The 17-year-old led the Wildcats football team to the state semi-finals, now he looks to help the school’s basketball team reach its own state tournament. The Wildcats fell short last year by one game, losing to Cape Central in the quarter finals. Webb says this football season was nothing less than a dream. A talented runner with great vision and a bruising running style, week after week Webb shattered Westminster’s record books. He’s credited with making the “team tick.” Westminster has its share of all-state talent playing alongside Webb including Drew Melaragno, Dylan Conway, Zach Hughes and a massive line only rivaled by the Houston Oilers. Webb’s hard nosed running-style was a great fit for Coach Cory Snider’s explosive offense. Webb rushed for 1,874 yards and 25 touchdowns in an offense designed to use
all of its players. The Wildcats recent football season was one for the history books as they went undefeated until their hopes of a state championship were crushed by powerhouse Kearney in the state semi-finals. “It hurt, it hurt really bad,” said Webb. “We wanted to finish it off and we didn’t want it to be over. It was more than just losing the game, I also realized my time with my brothers had just ended.” A twosport athlete, Webb now prepares for basketball. “My mom and dad tried to get me to take a week or two off but I hadn’t touched a basketball since summer and I was ready to get going.” Webb admits he didn’t begin the basketball season as seamlessly as he wanted but now appears to be coming into his own. “I started slow, it’s not easy to adjust from football to basketball.” A 6’1” point-guard for his summer team, this season Webb has been tasked with playing under the basket due to the Wildcats lack of size on this year’s team. “I would rather be on the ball, but it’s a team sport. I guess being a football player, I’m the logical choice to put down there.” The Wildcats Basketball season is off to a good start, boasting a 15-3 record. Senior Aaron Cook has formally committed to Southern Illinois Carbondale and has shown to be one of the top players in the area. He averages 23 points per game. Along with sharp-shooter Cliff DeGroot, swingman Jordan Hawkins and scrappy-guard Nick Caccarelli, the Wildcats small lineup is holding its own against bigger opponents. When asked about Cook, with a smile Webb replied, “He’s my brother, we grew up together and have played basketball on the same teams since the 3rd grade. It’s been fun watching him light it up this year and I wish him the best in college next year”. With the playoffs looming, the Wildcats fully understand what’s at stake. The talented group will
lose three starters after this season, only Webb and DeGroot will be returning. “We’re going to be okay next year, but i’m thinking about winning now. We are starting to gel and I think we can make a run,” says Webb. When asked about his own prospects for college, Webb says he’s hopeful. “I’m getting looks and prayerfully I’ll have an opportunity to play something in college.” Webb wouldn’t admit which sport he likes better but says he’s focused on helping the Westminster Wildcats get to the state tournament in Columbia. n
Football College Signings
Standout Defensive-back Roderick Campbell of Chaminade Prep will suit up for Big Ten School Northwestern University in Illinois.
Westminster’s tough all-state cover man Drew Melaragno will take his talent to Dayton University in Ohio.
A big catch for the Mizzou Tigers, superstar wideout Harry Ballard of McCluer North High is staying in state.
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