UMB Bank makes $300,000 gift to the Urban League
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St. Louis American See page B1
The
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited DECEMBER 15 – 21, 2022
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Robert Tracy named city Police Chief
A historic hiring
By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American
Robert Tracy, who will officially become chief of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department on Jan. 9, 2023, is the first person to hold the title that was not promoted from within the same department. Tracy could say, “Been there, done that,” because he was also the first person to become Wilmington, Delaware Police Chief in the city’s 250-year history that did not come from that force. If you didn’t know whether he hailed from St. Louis, his thick East Coast accent could give him away.
See TRACY, A6
Photo by Bill Greenblatt / St. Louis American
St. Louis Mayor TIshaura O. Jones and Dr. Dan Isom, Director of St. Louis Public Safety, listen as former Wilmington, Delaware Chief of Police Robert Tracy makes his remarks after being appointed to head the St. Louis Metropolitian Polce Department.
Smiles were in style
Vol. 94 No. 38 COMPLIMENTARY
Bill to ease school supply burdens Would help families and teachers
St. Louis American staff Congresswoman Cori Bush is a co-sponsor of the Access to School Supplies Act of 2022 with Jamaal Bowman of New York, and Jahana Hayes of Connecticut. The proposed bill would increase federal investment in public schools by implementing a $500 million pilot program to provide students, teachers, librarians, and support staff with school supplies at no cost. This legislation would focus on “high-poverty schools” to ensure the resources are directed toward our students most in need. On average, families spend more than $860 on school supplies, with teachers spending around $750 each year to buy supplies out-of-pocket. “As a single parent of two, I remember struggling to afford all the school supplies my children needed when they were in school. I remember feeling more financially strained and stressed when it came time
See BILL, A7
The annual Winterize Kids Coat Giveaway was held on Dec. 6, 2022, at the Berkeley Fire Department and more than 700 new coats, which were purchased by SPIRE, were distributed. The event was hosted by ‘BJ the DJ Holiday’/iHeartMedia St. Louis and The Spreading Our Love [SOL] Foundation. Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Kenneth Nixon, the founder of the Organization of Exonerees was released after doing sixteen years speaking Mon. Dec. 12, 2022 in front of the circuit attorney’s office in support of the release of Lamar Johnson. Photo by Craig Currie
Rebounding from a bruising time in St. Louis politics
Healing ‘the scar’ has begun By Sylvester Brown Jr. The St. Louis American
Gary Willis has lived in the 21st Ward since the age of nine. He and his family have owned and operated New Carrie’s Corner Market at Athlone and Rosalee Avenues in the ward since 1992. Willis said he was saddened by the downfall of three prominent aldermen, John Collins-Muhammad (D-21st ward), Jeffrey Boyd (D-22nd Ward) and Lewis Reed, president of the board of aldermen. All three were recently convicted and sentenced for accepting cash bribes from a local businessman in
SPORTS
Area prep hoop teams are off and running
n “No longer can we have a process where the alderperson has ultimate veto authority.” – Mayor Tishaura Jones
exchange for supporting more favorable property tax assessments. “Anytime something happens or when someone fails, it’s a disappointment,” Willis explained. “Maybe there’s an opportunity to assist and help each other or prevent something like that from ever happening again.” Boyd was sentenced to three years in prison while Reed and Collins-Muhammad received that much time plus an additional nine months. The federal Judge, Stephen R.
Clark, who sentenced the politicians defined their crimes as “a scar that will long be on the city of St. Louis.” Willis didn’t quite agree with the judge’s interpretation. “I’m not sure about the “scar” part,” Willis said, adding: “Anything can hurt us [Blacks] especially when we try to act like them (whites). But maybe it will serve as a wake-up call for us to do better.” Collins-Muhammad, Reed, and Boyd were involved with local businessman Mohammed Almuttan, who operates several gas stations and convenience stores in north St. Louis and north St. Louis County. Almuttan was already facing federal charges and was among several people charged in 2017 in connection with a cigarette and synthetic marijuana trafficking sting. Through
Wrongful conviction case continues Others say they committed murder
By Rebecca Rivas Missouri Independent St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner has waited more than three years for the chance to argue the innocence of Lamar Johnson, who was convicted of murder in 1995. She finally got the hearing to set aside Johnson’s murder conviction on Monday, day one of a trial expected to last all week. “This is a rather historic moment in this court,” said Special Assistant Circuit Attorney Charlie Weiss in his opening statement Monday. “It’s the first time in the 22nd Circuit Court the court is hearing an actual innocence claim filed by the prosecuting attorney.” The case began in 2019 when Gardner filed a motion for a new trial for Johnson, the first
See CONVICTION, A7
See THE SCAR, A6
HEALTH
Sickle Cell patients face fertility complications
The high school basketball season is off to a fast break. As the season gets serious, the St. Louis American looks at some of the top boys’ players to watch around the area.
Sickle cell disease affects an estimated 100,000 people in the Uunited States, and the vast majority of them are Black.
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LIVING IT
A Christmas Carol runs through Dec. 30 at The Rep For two hours and 15 minutes, Guieseppe Jones’ depiction of the miserable, grumpy, old Scrooge keeps the audience’s eyes glued to his moving performance.
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