August 3rd, 2017 Edition

Photojournalist James Arnold Finley passes at 76

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2016 Gold Cup Newspaper Missouri Press Association

St. LouiS AmericAn The

CAC Audited AUGUST 3 – 9, 2017

Vol. 89 No. 20 COMPLIMENTARY

stlamerican.com

‘Bowing down is not an option’ Rev. William Barber II, paster of Greenleaf Christion Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, was the keynote speaker of the Gospel Brunch and Family Session on Saturday, July 29.

Rev. Barber preaches against the politics of oppression at Urban League national conference By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American As the keynote speaker of the One Movement Gospel Brunch and Family Session Saturday, July 29, one of the final events of the 107th National Urban League Annual Conference in St. Louis, Rev. William Barber II tied scripture to the current political climate of America – and the importance of doing the work for equality, justice and helping the poor. “The story of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and

Nebuchadnezzar provides us some lessons from the past that inform us in the present,” said the civil rights leader, who is pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, North Carolina NAACP president and creator of the Moral Mondays Movement. Using the third chapter of the book of Daniel, he drew parallels between Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and the rise of Donald Trump. “Nebuchadnezzar was a narcissistic egomaniac who loved

See BARBER, A6

Photo by Wiley Price

Jason Stockley murder trial underway Videos of Stockley killing Anthony Smith ‘don’t lie’ – but what do they say? By Sophie Hurwitz For The St. Louis American

after Nixon took control of Ferguson protests away from the St. Louis County Police. Johnson marched alongside protestors when

“The videos don’t lie” was a phrase repeated by the prosecutor, a witness and even the defense attorney during the first day of the Jason Stockley murder trial on Tuesday, August 1. That videos of Stockley killing 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith exist and are truthful seemed mostly agreed-upon. Exactly what those videos mean, though, is fiercely contested. Stockley, a white man who was then a St. Louis police officer, is accused of firstdegree murder in the 2011 killing of Smith, a black St. Louis resident. On Tuesday the courtroom was packed with observers – Jason activists, cops, clergy, family Stockley members. The jury box, however, was empty: Stockley waived his right to a jury trial. St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson carries full responsibility for his fate. Just after noon on December 20, 2011, Stockley and his partner, Officer Brian Bianchi, were on patrol near West Florissant Boulevard when they saw a man engaged in what they believed to be a hand-to-hand drug deal in the parking lot of a Church’s Chicken at Riverview and Thekla. They pulled into the parking lot to investigate. The man, Smith, got in his car and pulled out of the parking lot, hitting the police car in the process. The two officers gave pursuit, and “Stockley fired seven shots into the fleeing vehicle,” according to a lawyer for the prosecution. He used a personal weapon, an

See FERGUSON, A6

See STOCKLEY, A7

Photo by Wiley Price

Back to school with the Urban League The National Urban League and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis held a Back to School & Community Empowerment Festival on Saturday, July 29 as part of the National Urban League’s 2017 Annual Conference, held July 26-29 in St. Louis.

National Urban League convenes Ferguson forum New light shed on Rev. Traci Blackmon, Captain Ron Johnson and early protests By Chris King Of The St. Louis American The National Urban League’s forum on Ferguson at its 2017 Annual Conference in St. Louis did not feature the voice of a young protestor, but it did feature major players from the Ferguson unrest – and even provided new light on the relationship between two of them.

Rev. Traci Blackmon, pastor of Christ the King United Church in Christ, rose to national prominence during Ferguson for her support of front-line protestors. She was later appointed to the Ferguson Commission by Gov. Jay Nixon and then rose to a national leadership position within her denomination. Captain Ron Johnson became an international household name when he became the face of the Unified Command

n “It’s not a point in time, it’s a directional thing. We need to keep it going.” – Michael Neidorff, president and chairman of Centene and board chair of the National Urban League