2024 Salute to Young Leaders
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Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited AUG. 29 – SEPT. 4, 2024
Vol. 96 No. 21 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
CertifySTL takes over MBWE certification
Energy an earmark of Harris’ surging campaign An Obama flashback By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire “It’s like 2008,” are words being spoken at campaign events for Vice President Kamala Harris in recognition of the enthusiasm that often greeted President Barack Obama when he was seeking the presidency. Included in those amazing campaign stops was an event that drew more than 200,000 people to the St. Louis Gateway Arch grounds to hear Obama speak. While the Harris and Obama campaigns are similar, so far, there is a distinct difference. “It’s very similar energy,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said on MSNBC. “I think what is different, it’s at a much more divisive time because of Trump. The country is much more divided, and there’s more
See HARRIS, A6
SLDC to celebrate Sept. 3 By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American A major change in minority business certification is complete and “CertifySTL” will celebrate at 1 p.m. Tuesday Sept. 3 at the Northside Economic Empowerment Center, 4248 Cottage Ave. in St. Louis. CertifySTL is now the St. Louis region’s Minorityand WomenOwned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Certification Program, following its transfer to St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) from Business Diversity Development (BDD) at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. It will begin takNeal ing new applications Richardson and no change affidavits on Tuesday and MWBE business owners interested in pursuing certification are encouraged to visit the Empowerment Center to start an application in the computer lab, which is located in the annex east of Sumner High School. “Bringing the MWBE Certification Program in-house aligns with the Economic Empowerment objectives of [St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’]
Photo by Saul Loeb / Pool via AP
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris boards Air Force Two on Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews in in Maryland before taking off for Savannah, Georgia.
Festival of fun Beyond Measure Dance and Theater & AfroKuumba dance on stage at Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024.
See CERTIFYSTL, A6
NAACP demands action on academic inequality ‘We can’t let kids fail’
Photo by Taylor Marrie / St. Louis American
By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American
STL’s historic role in slavery, freedom lived, struggled and even tried to free themselves from the legalized tyranny that dictated their lives for decades. Next week, two connected exhibits – “Slavery in St. Louis,” and “The Freedom Suits,” – will offer a deeper dive into the growth of slavery in the city and present examples of Black slaves who tried to use the court system to liberate themselves and their families. “Slavery in St. Louis,” an exhibit created by the Ulysses
Citing improvements in other cities, the St. Louis NAACP chapter will file a complaint with the U.S. Dept of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) targeting St. Louis area public schools, including charter schools, regarding the “Systemic Educational Inequities Affecting Black Students.” According to the NAACP, “Data paints a concerning picture of the educational landscape in St. Louis, particularly in comparison to other urban areas with similar demographics. The NAACP concerns stem from: • The latest data available from a Stanford University 2022 study, shows that St. Louis is over 3 grade levels below the US national average. • In 2022, similarly situated Black students in Chicago and Newark perform
See SLAVERY, A6
See NAACP, A6
Exhibits to examine ‘peculiar institution’ By Sylvester Brown, Jr. St. Louis American Much has been written about St. Louis’ slave history. The study of census tracts of the times notes the city’s rapid growth of Black slaves increased from 268 in 1799 to 2,656 by 1850. A mere 30 years later, one-in-20 residents of our bustling river town consisted of Black people, of which twothirds were slaves. Still, there’s much to learn about how slaves in St. Louis
HEALTH
BUSINESS
Gun violence is a ‘public health crisis’
FoodCorps president shares commitment to DEI
15 bullets. This is the number of gunshots Craig Collins, who wants to mentor children from tough neighborhoods, survived over two years and two incidents.
Dr. Robert S. Harvey, president of FoodCorps, a national organization committed to ensuring that all children have access to nourishing food, is a Renaissance person.
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