NAACP Capital to invest in Black communities
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St. Louis American See page B1
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Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited NOVEMBER 21 – 27, 2024
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Sonnier, city clear hurdles for unhoused
From left celebrating the passage and signing of Board Bill 114 are Adam Pearson, St. Louis Department of Human Services director, Board of Aldermen President Megan Green, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, and bill sponsor, Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier.
St. Louis American
The holiday season brings families and friends together in the comfort of homes throughout the St. Louis region. Unfortunately, many area residents do not have shelter, in part because adequate housing is not available, leaving them unhoused. Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier made it her task to help alleviate some roadblocks in the process of sheltering people by sponsoring Board Bill 114, which was passed by the Board of Aldermen on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. On Tuesday, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones signed the bill which amends the city’s zoning code to make the process for opening shelters and transitional homes clearer. Jones calls it “a crucial component in the city’s continued effort to reduce our unhoused population.” “As we work to implement a regional housing strategy, this legislation helps support the interim needs of residents getting ready for the rehousing
See UNHOUSED, A6
Photo courtesy of Mayor Tishaura Jones office
Vol. 96 No. 33 COMPLIMENTARY
Civil Courts Building renamed for Clyde S. Cahill By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American The judicial building where much of his historic legal career took place will now carry the name of Judge Clyde S. Cahill. St. Louis Circuit Court judges voted unanimously in passage of a resolution on Monday Nov. 18, 2024, to rename the Civil Courts Building and christen it the Honorable Clyde S. Cahill Courthouse. Cahill’s son Randall Cahill told judges at Monday’s Court En Banc said his family Clyde S. is honored that the Cahill courthouse will have his father’s name and legacy attached to its walls. “His decisions were on the cutting edge of so many things that affected our city,” Cahill said in the same court where dozens of legal stalwarts, civic dignitaries and Cahill family members gathered in October 2005 to honor the late Cahill after his death. Cahill passed on August 18, 2004, at
See CAHILL, A6
‘Our power, our solutions’ Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Mathews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club by Athletic Director Ray Merweather, left, gives Brandon Williams a tour of the facility. Williams will take over as its new president & chief executive officer Jan.1, 2025.
Brandon Williams to take reigns of BGCSTL ‘For me, the pressure is a privilege.’
By Sylvester Brown, Jr. St. Louis American In May, Flint W. Fowler, longtime president of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis (BGSTL) announced his retirement at the end of 2024. Fowler joined BGCSTL in 1996 when it was the Herbert Hoover Boys
& Girls Club and guided the nonprofit from one city location to 11 sites now serving some 14,000 youths throughout the region. Fowler will leave big shoes to fill as of Jan. 1, 2025 and Brandon Williams says the challenge is in his size. Williams, 40, a St. Louis native, former NFL player and XFL executive has
HEALTH
Dreamline Pathways helping fill healthcare cavity High School students recently visited the St. Louis Dental Center at A.T. Still University for an in-depth introduction to the profession of oral healthcare.
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been named the organization’s incoming president and CEO. Before joining BGCSTL in 1996, Fowler worked with INROADS, Upward Bound, the Boy Scouts and Operation Teamwork. Williams brings a diverse, but different, background to
See WILLIAMS, A7
‘Facing Race’ conference convenes in St. Louis
By Sylvester Brown, Jr. St. Louis American “Facing Race: A National Conference”the nation’s largest multiracial, intergenerational racial justice summit, is calling St. Louis home this week and will run through Friday, Nov. 22. According to organizers, the one-ofa-kind biennial event “serves as a vital intersection where community organizers, activists, and movement makers converge to build power and strategies to advance racial justice. Additionally, the conference’s theme, “Our Power, Our Solutions,” serves as a “clarion call that resonates deeply with St. Louis’ residents and community leaders.” Founded in 1981, Race Forward catalyzes movement-building for racial justice. In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, it works to build strategies to advance racial justice in
See RACE, A7
SPORTS
Kirkwood stuns CBC 28-26 in district final
The Kirkwood Pioneers sent shockwaves through the state of Missouri last Friday when they took down CBC 28-26 in a Class 6 District 2 championship game at CBC.
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