@stlouisamerican
Check out our Salute to Excellence in Health Care tabloid
@stlouisamerican
See special section
St. LouiS AmericAn The
CAC Audited APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2019
91 years of serving the St. Louis community
Vol. 91 No. 5 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
John Gaskin branded ‘traitor’ Black officials denounce County NAACP prez for endorsing Better Together while getting paid
Empowering local youth Links to host political workshop with state, county, city leaders American staff The Gateway Illinois Links Chapter will sponsor a Youth Political Empowerment Workshop at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 27 at the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being, 1000 North Vandeventer Ave. Panelists will include St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, state Senator n The Brian Williams, state workshop Representative Cora Faith will focus Walker, St. Louis County Councilwoman Hazel Erby, on pressing Blake Strode of ArchCity political issues Defenders, and Mike of our region Jones, St. Louis American brought to the columnist and member of the Missouri State Board of forefront in Education. the wake of According to organizers, the death of this workshop will educate Michael Brown. participants on the pressing political issues of our region that have been brought to the forefront in the wake of the death of Michael Brown, including the cash bail system, municipal fragmentation, and inequity in education funding. It also will expose participants to multiple generations of African-American public servants who have dedicated their lives to addressing these issues and teach them how to advocate to address these issues on the local and state level. Register at https://tinyurl.com/Links-youth-rally.
Photo by Wiley Price
On Monday, April 22, some 30 black elected officials grouped under the Fannie Lou Hamer Democratic Coalition banner hosted a press conference at Cool Valley City Hall to denounce John Gaskin III, president of the St. Louis County NAACP, who endorsed Better Together’s city/county merger plan without disclosing that he was being paid to push the proposal. By Rebecca Rivas and Chris King Of The St. Louis American Black elected officials in St. Louis County and city are unanimous, if not quite united, in calling for the resignation of John Gaskin III, president of the St. Louis County NAACP, after he endorsed Better Together’s city/ county merger plan last week – without
disclosing that he was being paid by Unite STL to push for the merger by a statewide vote. “Mr. Gaskin should have revealed his conflict of interest to everyone prior to any vote by the board and have allowed public input,” Dellwood Mayor Reggie Jones raised the first outcry in a statement on Friday, April 19, after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
confronted Gaskin with his undisclosed conflict of interest. “The process was not transparent and not fair. It has stained the reputation of an organization whose historic role was the protection of the rights of the AfricanAmerican community.” Photo by Wiley Price
See GASKIN, A7
St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell
‘Collaboration and partnership is the biggest challenge’ SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams – seen here greeting Jeremiah Tabor on the first day of school in 2017 – said he signed a contract to stay after 10 years because of “the level of commitment of the community to young people. There are a lot of people who care greatly to what happens to kids here.”
Superintendent Kelvin Adams on the path forward for public education under local control By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Following a unanimous vote on Tuesday, April 16, the Missouri State Board of Education gave governing power of the Saint Louis Public School District back to a seven-member elected board. For the past 12 years, the district has been run by the three-member Special Administrative Board (SAB), which was appointed after the state stripped the district of its accreditation. The transfer of governance happens on July 1. The American sat down with SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams to discuss the
n “I stayed neutral because I report to whatever board is in place. That’s my responsibility. My contract is with the Board of Education, regardless of what that board is.”
change and its anticipated impact on the district. St. Louis American: How do you feel about the vote to return the elected board to governance authority?
See ADAMS, A6 Photo by Wiley Price