St. Louis County’s first mass vaccination site opens
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St. Louis American See page A14
The
CAC Audited FEBRUARY 4 – 10, 2021
Serving, empowering and advocating equity in St. Louis since 1928
stlamerican.com
Vol. 92 No. 45 COMPLIMENTARY
Mayoral candidates file finance reports
Spencer leads rivals with most money raised By Dana Rieck Of The St. Louis American As the St. Louis mayoral primary nears, the race’s four candidates have submitted reports to the Missouri Ethics Commission that disclose campaign finance activity through mid-January. While there are hundreds of contributions recorded, several big-picture notes and individual donations should be highlighted. The maximum donation allowed by an individual or committee to a mayoral candidate is limited to $2,600, as stipulated by a St. Louis Board of Alderman bill unanimously passed in June 2018.
n St. Louis Alderwoman Cara Spencer, Ward 20, outraised her three opponents with $252,199 in contributions.
In addition to campaign funds, political committees that make only independent expenditures may solicit and accept unlimited contributions from individuals and other groups. Their finances are not included in this report.
Alderwoman Cara Spencer St. Louis Alderwoman Cara Spencer, Ward 20, outraised her three opponents with $252,199 in contributions — $163,818 of that money came from 95 contributions of at least $1,000 each. Of those 96 contributions, about half (47) are from addresses outside city limits, adding up to $76,668. Two of those 47 contributions came from addresses outside the state of Missouri — one in Florida and one in Tennessee. Thirty of those 96 donations amounted to $2,600 a piece.
See REPORTS, A6
The finance reports filed by the St. Louis mayoral candidates.
Better Family Life continues its mission after 38 years Enriching lives through workforce development, youth and family services and much more
By Danielle Brown Of The St Louis American
Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
‘Black Americans in Flight’
Cleaning crew member Brenda Rhodes wipes the glass covering the “Black Americans In Flight” mural at St. LouisLambert International Airport as Black History Month began on Monday, February 1, 2021. The 21-foot, four-panel mural honoring the contributions of African Americans in aviation, features the Tuskegee Airmen, among other notable Black aviators. The mural, unveiled in 1990, was painted by Solomon Thurman and the late Spencer Taylor when they were employees at the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) factory. See more Black history stories in Section B.
What do you suggest to achieve real equity in publicly subsidized economic development projects? 2021 St. Louis mayoral candidates respond
Lewis Reed Subsidies need to be available for areas that have been historically disinvested in, particularly north of Delmar. I was glad to help in the early stages and co-sponsor the recent Kingsway Development TIF, which is an area north of Delmar that includes commercial and resiLewis Cara dential projects and has an African Reed Spencer American lifelong resident of St. Louis as the lead developer. The subsidy will be used for the cost of infrastructure surrounding the project, which will make the project possible. We have developed a scoring system so that development projects are scrutinized objectively before being given TIF financing. It is time to develop north St. Louis. Residents have waited long
Andrew Jones Jr.
Tishaura O. Jones
enough. The incentives must be used for projects that: 1) are in disinvested areas, 2) include jobs for St. Louis residents, 3) have community input, 4) reverse environmental problems, and 5) build places for people of varying income levels to live. Cara Spencer
The neighborhoods I represent are the most challenged neighborhoods on the south side with 30% vacancy when I took office. I changed the trajectory by anchoring blocks with affordable housing
See CANDIDATES, A7
For 38 years, Better Family Life Inc. has proudly classified itself as one of the most influential non-profit organizations in metropolitan St. Louis, committed to enriching the lives of African Americans through a range of efforts including community outreach, housing and asset development, n “What we’re workforce development, cultural arts and youth, doing is nothfamily, and clinical sering new, but vices. we’re going to In 1982, DeBorah try to do a lot Ahmed and her husband, Malik Ahmed, took matmore and use ters into their own hands, our tentacles opening the basement to go out in of their University City the commuhome for weekly disnity to touch cussions about how they could meet the needs of more people others in their community with other by giving back. organizations Initially the couple and agencies struggled with having doing the same consistent attendance. People would attend a work.” meeting, then say they — Darryl Grimes, were going to come to the next but wouldn’t. CEO, Better “Sometimes people Family Life would show up, sometimes they wouldn’t, and when they wouldn’t I just told Malik to lecture me, I’ll listen, I’ll be your audience,” DeBorah Ahmed said. “Then we would eat after he finished.” Instead of becoming discouraged they remained persistent and continued to hold the lectures. After moving the meetings from their home to the University City Public Library, attendance skyrocketed at one point to more than 70 members. The Family Life Center was incorporated in Missouri in April 1984 as a non-profit community development corporation with the help of Mary Dot Simmons. She was the first chairwoman of the board of directors. Malik Ahmed was executive director, now retired, and DeBorah Ahmed is executive director of what is known today as BFL Cultural, Educational and Business Center. By 1985, BFL had achieved tax-exempt status as a 501c organization dedicated to the growth of the American family. After a $13 million renovation, the center
See BFL, A7