Urban League Career Fair draws hundreds
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St. Louis American See page B1
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Ninth anniversary of Michael Brown’s death
COMPLIMENTARY
InSpired promotion Stephen Mills named Spire Missouri president
Commitment for change continues By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American
Vol. 95 No. 19
‘I am humbled’
It was a reunion of sorts. On August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. That incident sparked the hashtag “Black Lives Matter” and led to nationwide demonstrations against police use of deadly force. This year, as in every one since 2014, mourners, sympathizers, activists, clergy and many others gathered early Wednesday on the site of the shooting, Canfield Drive in Ferguson. Some said they gathered to remember Brown’s life, support his family and voice their commitment to ongoing efforts for change.
See BROWN, A6
By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Michael Brown (right) stands in solidarity with other supporters during the recognition of the 9th anniversary of his son Michael Brown Jr.’s shooting death by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson Aug. 9, 2014.
Spire Inc. has named Stephen Mills as senior vice president and president of Spire Missouri, which places an African American in charge of the state’s largest natural gas utility. His responsibilities include directing field operations in eastern and western Missouri, regulatory affairs and business and economic development. He has served as vice president and general manager of Spire Missouri’s operations in the western part of the state, including the greater Kansas City area, Joplin, and St. Joseph since 2020. Stephen “Spire plays a key Mills role in fueling energy for nearly 1.2 million homes and businesses across Missouri and I am humbled and excited to have this opportunity,” Mills said in a release. “I look forward to working with our dedicated employees across the state as we continue to deliver the energy our customers rely on and be a positive presence in the communities where we live and work.” Mills joined Spire in 2014, beginning his tenure in human resources, earning increased responsibilities including managing director of employee relations and
See MILLS, A7
Festival of opportunities
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis SLPS Back to School Empowerment Festival offered a chance for job seekers to apply for positions throughout the district, including bus drivers. More than 20,000 people attended the festival on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at America’s Center in preparation for the SLPS opening day of school on Monday, August 21, 2023. The two-day festival included the Urban League Career Expo, school supply giveaways, free haircuts, a Gospel concert and boxing exhibition.
Bush meets with community, energy secretary on Coldwater Creek ‘An inflection point’
By Alvin A. Reid The St. Louis American While Congresswoman Cori Bush of St. Louis and Sen. Josh Hawley will not agree on much socially or politically, they recently partnered to introduce the Justice for Jana Elementary Act of 2023, The legislation requires the
cleanup of Jana Elementary School in Florissant, Missouri located in Bush’s 1st Congressional District. In October 2022, the Hazelwood Board of Education closed the school after a Cori private study found Bush high levels of radioactive waste inside the building and its playground area.
HEALTH
South City hospital’s sudden closure shakes St. Louis
The city of St. Louis has lost an important facility in the quest for access to equitable health care services, especially for uninsured and low-income patients.
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The school is located near Coldwater Creek, which was contaminated with uranium and other radioactive waste from a World War II nuclear weapons program, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The Bush-Hawley legislation also establishes a Radioactive School Assistance Program to provide financial assistance to local educational agencies that have been financially impacted by
See BUSH, A6
Tulsa Massacre survivors press on with lawsuit
NNPA Newswire
Lessie Benningfield Randle, Viola Fletcher, and Hughes Van Ellis, Sr., the last three known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, have continued their pursuit of justice. They have appealed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, urging a swift reversal of Tulsa County District Judge Caroline Wall’s controversial dismissal of their lawsuit. At a Monday press conference held at the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the legal team representing the survivor expressed confidence in the likelihood of the Oklahoma Supreme Court overturning Judge Wall’s ruling. “The facts of this case align with the long-standing property-based limitations of Oklahoma’s public nuisance statute,” said Damario Solomon-Simmons, the lead attorney for the survivors and founder of Justice for Greenwood. “The District Court’s imposition of a heightened pleading standard on the survivors is unprecedented in Oklahoma’s
See LAWSUIT, A7
SPORTS
Tim Anderson’s image suffers embarrassing TKO Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson embarrassed himself and his team, on Saturday after instigating a fight with José Ramirez of the Guardians.
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