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Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited FEBRUARY 22 – 28, 2024
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MO. Senate Republicans want to take St. Louis back to Confederacy
Career spans seven decades By Ashley Winters The St. Louis American
See WILLIAMS, A7
COMPLIMENTARY
Commentary
Hollywood legend Billy Dee Williams charms STL Legendary actor and visual artist Billy Dee Williams shared his varied talents, wisdom, wit and hypnotizing smooth voice with a jam-packed audience at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. Williams in conversation with KSDK TV News anchor Rene Knott discussed Williams’ latest book, ‘What Have We Here?: Portraits of a Life’ “We are here tonight because we are so honored to have an illustrious guest, a Hollywood legend,” said Gwen G. Mizell, Ameren senior vice president and chief sustainability, diversity & philanthropy officer. Mizell informs the audi-
Vol. 95 No. 46
By Jared Boyd Most Black St. Louisians have a family reunion shirt in their wardrobe. These shirts recognize not only familial branches, but Black St. Louisians’ connection to places that make up the former Confederacy. My family reunion shirts recognize places like Mobile, Alabama; Columbia, South Carolina; and Arlington, Virginia. Like family reunion shirts, St. Louis police department operations have roots in the former Confederacy. Missouri took over control of St. Louis’s police department Jared Boyd during the Civil War because the state’s governor, Claiborne Jackson, feared the city would use its arsenal to help the Union. After 151 years of state control, advocates of local control got a statewide measure on the November ballot in 2012 allowing for local control with a broad understanding that residents and their police force should be directly connected. Missourians across the state overwhelmingly supported the ballot measure providing St. Louis residents with local control
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
A full house gathered at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts Tuesday, Feb. 20, to listen to Emmy Award-winning actor Billy Dee Williams. At left is moderator KSDK newscaster Rene Knott.
Head of the game St. Louis SC Josh Yaro (R) heads the ball in front of Houston Dyamo’s Lbrahim Aliyu during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions Cup match at City Park in St. Louis on February 20, 2024. St. Louis SC went on to win 2-1.
See REPUBLICANS, A6
Black businesses boom Fastest pace in 30 years By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American
ties that exist in our community” said Michael P. McMillan, Urban League president and CEO. “This grant will allow us to provide important health screenings and other critical wellness services where access is limited and better address those impacted by opioid abuse.”
Black business ownership is growing at the fastest pace in 30 years, and the share of Black households owning a business has more than doubled, from 5% to 11% between 2019 and 2022, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. The number of women-owned businesses has grown dramatically. From 2019 to 2023, the growth rate of women-owned businesses was 94% greater than the growth of menowned businesses. Isabel Census Bureau Casillas data projects that a Guzman record-breaking 5.5 million new business applications were filed in 2023, making it the strongest year of new business applications on record. It is also the third
See HEALTH CARE, A6
See BUSINESS, A7
Photo by Bill Greenblatt / St. Louis American
Urban League, Anthem advance community health care By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American The Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis has been on the front line in the war against substance abuse and effort to reduce healthcare disparities throughout the region. The organization has enlisted a new ally in Anthem Blue Cross and Blue
Shield Missouri, which has given the Urban league a $150,000 grant that it will use to strengthen its community health and wellness programs. The donation will support both the Community Mobile Health Clinic and the Opioid Triage Team. “Anthem continues to be a strong partner for the Urban League as we address the significant health dispari-
BUSINESS
SPORTS
Building a more inclusive economy
Season winds down with clash between Vashon, Ladue
This Black History Month, JPMorgan Chase is affirming their commitment to breaking down barriers – including the racial wealth gap – and promoting opportunity for all.
On the final day of the season on Friday, Vashon will be paying a visit to Ladue in a battle between two teams that have state championship aspirations.
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