@stlouisamerican
@stlouisamerican
St. Louis American The
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2022
stlamerican.com
Johnson’s fate lies with Judge David Mason
Startling testimony throughout hearings By Danny Wicentowski St. Louis Public Radio
Lamar Johnson has waited 27 years for a chance to have his conviction overturned. He now must wait on a decision from St. Louis Circuit Court Judge David Mason that could lead to his freedom. Mason presided over hearings from Dec. 12-16 as local prosecutors argued that Lamar Johnson, who was convicted of murder in 1995, is actually innocent. The hearings have come to an end, and they were
See JOHNSON, A7
Photo by David Carson / Pool photo
Lamar Johnson (second from left), Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner (in a mask), and Johnson’s lawyers prepare for testimony on Dec. 12 at the start of his wrongful conviction hearing in St. Louis.
Yule! Be happy
Vol. 94 No. 39 COMPLIMENTARY
FBI: Hate crimes soar in Missouri Bell says state law part of problem
St. Louis American staff Donald Trump’s presidency and the hate mongering his administration invited into mainstream America certainly has played a role in the number of hate crimes throughout the nation. The FBI has released 2021 statistics about bias-motivated incidents throughout the nation, including information about the offenses, victims, offenders, and locations of hate crimes. Law enforcement agencies submitted incident reports involving 7,262 criminal incidents and 8,673 related offenses as being motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity. Hate crimes seem to have found a home in Missouri, with the FBI reporting a 70% increase in this state.
See FBI, A6
St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus members Michelle Byrd and Alexandar Johnson sing “What Child Is This?” during the annual A Gospel Christmas concert on Thursday, Dec.15, 2022, at Powell Symphony Hall.
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
SLPS steps in to keep Confluence Academies afloat
Mizzou backs out as sponsor By Alvin A. Reid The St. Louis American
The often-choppy waters dividing public schools and charter schools in St. Louis have temporarily been bridged at a confluence. The St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education, with retiring Superintendent Kelvin Adams’ support, on Dec. 13, 2022, approved an agreement to serve as charter sponsor for Confluence Academies for four years, beginning July 1, 2023. The University of Missouri – Columbia slammed the school door on its support for all charters permanently, the educational fate
BUSINESS
Chase opens branch in Covent Blu-Grand Center
n “Our mission is to give the children of St. Louis, all children of St. Louis, the best education possible.” – Matt Davis, SLPS board chair
of more than 2,400 Confluence students was unknown. While it is governed by an independent board, and not the elected SLPS board, it is required by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to have a sponsor. DESE must also approve the SLPS/
Confluence agreement. “Over the years, SLPS has maintained dialogue with Confluence leaders in the interest of ensuring a quality education across for all school-aged children in the City of St. Louis,” Adams said. “Confluence leaders have been at the table for discussions on a Citywide Plan for Education. When leaders of the University of Missouri – Columbia announced it would not be sponsoring any charter schools going forward, it gave Confluence and SLPS leaders an opportunity to strengthen our partnership with SLPS assuming the remaining four years of that five-year sponsorship agreement.” Confluence’s board approved the SLPS sponsorship last week. “After reviewing several sponsorship opportunities, we believe that the Saint Louis
See SLPS, A7
HEALTH
STL County receives opioid settlement payment
Last week, Chase cut the ribbon on its newest branch in the St. Louis metro area, at MLK Plaza (3625 Page Blvd.) in the Covent Blu-Grand Center neighborhood.
St. Louis County got the first installment of about $45 million it is due from the $458 million opioid settlement that the state of Missouri received.
Page B1
Page A12
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Doorways President and CEO Opal M. Jones stands in front of the sculpture created by Kehinde Wiley, an internationally-acclaimed African American visual artist.
A New Hero
Kehinde Wiley ‘Rumors of War’ part of Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood By Danielle Brown St. Louis American Jeff-Vander-Lou residents have seen a representative of the Confederacy replaced with a new Black hero. The “Rumors of War” sculpture is now located on North Jefferson Avenue near Martin Luther King Boulevard, and it replaces one of Confederate States Army General J.E.B. Stuart that stood at the north St. Louis location Kehinde Wiley, an internationally-acclaimed African American visual artist, created the sculpture. It features a Black male fashioned in a hoodie, blue jeans, high-top sneakers, and dreadlocks. It is one of
See WILEY, A6
SPORTS
Girls basketball players already shining bright
The St. Louis American’s Earl Austin Jr. profiles all of the top female basketball talent in the St. Louis area giving readers the stars to look for in 2023.
Page B3