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St. Louis American The
CAC Audited DEC. 26, 2024 – JAN. 1, 2025
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
Vol. 96 No. 38 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Whitfield Foundation spreads Christmas joy By Ashley Winters The St. Louis American The Whitfield Foundation 4th Annual Toy Giveaway was held on Sunday, December 22, 2024, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Topgolf Midtown. Families and kids of all ages enjoyed free toys, clothes, n “When she holiday music, and a chance to meet heard about the St. Louis Cardinals foundation toy manager Oliver ‘Oli’ drive she knew her Marmol and his famprayers had been ily. At the annual toy answered.” giveaway more than toys were received but cheer and joy to local families in need. Partnering with Our Mission Guided by Faith Foundation, Faith by His Grace Foundation about 300 families were served. Other sponsors were DNI Property Management, 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis, Toys for Tots, Walmart, and Fredbird–all of which positively impacted the community this holiday season.
See WHITFIELD, A6
ESL makes academic progress By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American
Photo by Videll Philip / CapturedByVidell
A volunteer from 100 Black Men presents a family with a Christmas gift during the Whitfield Foundation 4th Annual Toy Giveaway at Topgolf in Midtown. The festive event included free toys, clothes, music, and a chance to meet St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver ‘Oli’ Marmol and his family.
East St. Louis School District remains on the path to improvement based on the Illinois State Board of Education 2024 Report Card which updates the public on a wide range of educational goals. The Spring 2024 Report Card was recently released, and it details how effectively schools are meeting “the diverse needs of all students.” Schools are assigned points on indicators including graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, and academic growth. A school can receive one of five designations: Exemplary, Commendable, Targeted Support, Arthur Comprehensive Culver Support, or Intensive Support. A solid report card for East St. Schools showed that of its nine eligible schools, seven received the Commendable designation. “We are making meaningful progress toward our goals,” said East St. Louis School District 189 Superintendent Arthur R. Culver. “I commend our school leaders, educators, support staff, and especially our outstanding students and their families. Their hard work and commitment to excellence continue to drive improvements in numerous indicators of student success.” Lincoln and Mason/Clark Middle Schools received a Targeted Support designation, which means they are performing well but need improvement in serving a specific student subpopulation,
See ESL, A7
Gov. Parson commutes sentence of Kansas City killer cop
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Jimmy Willams with wife Janet. Back row: Chelsea Cousins, Mrs. Paige Simmons, James (Tre) Williams III, Casi Strasser holding Ollie Strasser and Erin May at their west county home Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.
Paying it forward E. Officer said, “I’ve always been impressed with James Williams, Jr. as a gentleman and a citizen of this community and am extremely proud to call him my friend.” The operative word here is “friend.” Through his enterprising spirit, philosophy, corporate connections and philanthropy, Williams is known as a “friend” and benefactor to our region in a myriad of ways, since 1998 when he
On Friday, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Friday commuted the prison sentence of former Kansas City police detective Eric DeValkenaere, the first Kansas City police officer ever convicted of killing a Black man. The officer-who is white-was convicted of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action for the 2019 murder of Cameron Lamb, a 26-year-old Kansas City Black man and father of three. Both Parson and Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe publicly expressed concern and a desire to pardon DeValkenaere respectively. Although this newspaper predicted DeValkenaere would be pardoned shortly before Christmas, Parson a former sheriff, who considers himself “an ally of law enforcement,” placed the former officer on parole, “subject to the conditions imposed
See WILLIAMS, A7
See PARSON, A6
Jimmy Williams is The St. Louis American’s 2024 Person of the Year By James T. Ingram For the St. Louis American To watch James E. “Jimmy” Williams, Jr. navigate a room is a study in class, grace and poise. He moves with the swag of a politician and the refinement of an aristocrat; something that he acquired from his late father James E. Williams, Sr., the first African American mayor of East St. Louis, Illinois. He is kind, humble, respectful, engaging and quick to impart wisdom
and life lessons, particularly to youth and workers who are in awe of his success as the owner of 26 McDonald’s restaurants in the St. Louis metropolitan area, traits that he learned from his late mother, Lillian a beloved educator in the East St. Louis Public Schools. And if the term “good corporate citizen” were a person, then Jimmy Williams would be straight out of central casting. When asked, former East St. Louis mayor and funeral home owner, Carl
HEALTH
By Sylvester Brown, Jr.
SPORTS
Compassion, advocacy part of nursing student care package
St. Louis is brimming with boys’ rim talents
Being a professional nurse isn’t just a job – it’s a calling. At the intersection of compassion and advocacy you will find Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College student Zykita Deal.
High school basketball is now on a fast break on both sides of the river. College recruiters and coaches are fixated on the talent the region turns out each season.
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