@stlouisamerican
Black culture on full display
@stlouisamerican
St. Louis American See page C1
The
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited AUGUST 21 – 27, 2025
stlamerican.com
10 years after son’s death, city has yet to pay the judgment
Mayor Cara Spencer on Tuesday addressed findings of an external investigation into the city’s response to the disastrous May 16 tornado.
By Sylvester Brown, Jr. St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Spencer slams city’s crippled tornado response By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American Mayor Cara Spencer on Tuesday addressed findings of an external investigation into the city’s response to the disastrous May 16 tornado, saying it identifies “cascading failures at almost every level leading up to and even after the storm.” The Carmody MacDonald law firm wrote the investigative report, which delivers a blistering review of city failures in response to the storm that killed five people, injured 38, damaged thousands of buildings and will require more than $1billion
See SPENCER, A8
HEALTH
Pregnancy-related prosecutions The criminalization of pregnancy has long targeted communities of color, beginning in the 1980s.
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SPORTS
• Poor design and implementation of siren equipment • Ineffective testing protocols • 22 of 60 sirens weren’t working
1930 – 2025
Anita Bond
Proponent of equal rights, education
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“Never give up on your dreams, no matter how big they seem.” — Entrepreneur Joshua Danrich, 16
Teen lands Walmart deal
Mr. Fresh goes national
St. Louis civil rights activist, former St. Louis school board president and fierce advocate for education who died last week at age 95.
See BOND, A9
See MR. FRESH, A9
Photo courtesy of the Bond Family
Those words, above in italics, were spoken by Anita Lyons Bond, a noted
See WAITING, A8
Joshua Danrich isn’t your typical 16-year-old. While many of his peers are thinking about getting a driver’s license or chasing the next trend in video games, Danrich is striving to get his air fresheners placed on shelves around the world. His quest, apparently, is a lot closer to being successful. Danrich, along Danrich, along with his mother with his mother and and business business partner, partner, Shay Shay Danrich, has Danrich, has signed a deal with signed a deal with Walmart to carry Walmart to carry their “Mr. Fresh” their “Mr. Fresh” line of natural, oil- line of natural, oilbased air fresheners based air freshin the retail giant’s eners. automotive departments worldwide. The products are also available through Walmart’s online store, placing Joshua among fewer than 100 teenage entrepreneurs in history to have their products sold by the company. Mr. Fresh is in Walmart across Missouri and in select Walmarts in Illinois. “I’m the only kid in the world with my own air fresheners in Walmart,” the teen proudly said. His partnership with the global retail giant will help the Feeding
St. Louis prep football players to watch
By Sylvester Brown, Jr. and Dawn Suggs St. Louis American
On Aug. 19, 2015, one year and 10 days after police fatally shot Mike Brown in Ferguson, another 18-year-old, Mansur Ball-Bey, was fatally shot by St. Louis police officers in the Fountain Park area. On Jan. 31, nearly a decade after the shooting Family lawand following a yers told The five-day trial, a jury awarded the BallAmerican they fear the Spencer Bey family almost $19 million for administration Mansur’s death. will appeal the So far, not a sindecision. gle dollar has been paid. Family lawyers told The American they fear the Spencer administration will appeal the decision, which would further delay any payout to the Ball-Bey family. Last week Mansur‘s father, Dennis Ball-Bey, and two family lawyers — John Waldron and Jermaine Wooten — sat down with The American. Ball-Bey re-lived the agony that he, his wife and children endured after learning what happened to his son, both on the streets and in court, starting on that fateful day in August 2015. A little before noon, while working his
By Ashley Winters St. Louis American
“I always had a pressure to succeed; … we’ve been a success-oriented family. This became a problem for others … to adjust to their stereotypes, that Blacks could compete with or surpass whites, … that Blacks were individuals and personalities, some you liked and some you didn’t.” – In a 1975 interview
Nick McClellan of CBC, above, has committed to Kansas State. He is just one of dozens of talented football players that college recruiters will follow this upcoming season.
COMPLIMENTARY
Waiting game
‘Cascading failures’
INSIDE
Vol. 97 No. 20