Stewards, Nolting win Arts Awards Arts and Education Council also honors Edward Jones, Metro Theater
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CAC Audited JANUARY 23 – 29, 2014
White House comes to North Side
Vol. 84 No. 42
stlamerican.com
Millions in construction dollars not monitored
No justice, no peace
City deal for Ballpark Village has no inclusion oversight for ‘tenant finishes’
St. Louis picked for Obama’s SC2 Initiative
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
By Chris King Of The St. Louis American The outsized scope and ambition of Paul McKee Jr.’s $8.1 billion, 1,500-acre Northside Regeneration project was critical to convincing the Obama administration to pick St. Louis as one of seven cities to expand its Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Initiative. President Obama sent an SC2 team from a host of federal agencies to St. Louis in November to explore the possibility of expanding here. n “After As officials from the White the Department House gets of Housing here, maybe and Urban Development, we can Environmental finally get Protection a visit from Agency, Gov. Nixon.” Department of Health and – Paul Human Services, McKee Jr. Department of Justice and Department of Transportation, among others, viewed the scope of McKee’s plans, they saw a good fit for their mission. “The White House was looking for cities where they would send a team of people to help the city work across the silos of government agencies,” McKee described the SC2 initiative. “The fact that we touch so many things, they could see the need to leverage various government agencies to get the most out of it.” See OBAMA, A7
COMPLIMENTARY
Hidden legal definitions in Ballpark Village’s development agreement with St. Louis City have allowed developers Cordish Company and the St. Louis Cardinals to leave undisclosed n “We are not millions in construction costs required to share unmonitored when it comes to those numbers.” hiring minorities and women. Developers contracted – Zed Smith, Cordish PARIC to complete the $21.65 Company million “outer shell” and exterior infrastructure on the $100 million first phase of the retail and entertainment complex. However, that is the only contract the city is monitoring for minority participation on the project’s contract spending and See DOLLARS, A6
A challenge for 2014 We owe it to our people and our ancestors
Photo by Wiley Price
Morris Tellis chanted, “No justice, no peace” bearing his grandson Darius Willis, 3, on his shoulders as he marched from the Old Courthouse to Powell Hall on Monday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
A successful local African-American business executive sent us a challenge to the community. We respect this person’s request for anonymity. Forget the messenger; heed the message. Fellow African Americans, today I give you a challenge for 2014. It will take guts, determination and perseverance to accomplish, and I dare you to do so. Black leaders, teachers, actors, sports stars and clergy, I See CHALLENGE, A7
Veteran activist Jamala Rogers was honored by Washington University with its 2014 Rosa L. Parks award at its Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration held Monday evening in Graham Chapel.
‘Standing on the shoulders of Rosa Parks’ Jamala honored for service at WUSTL celebration of MLK By Bridjes O’Neil Of The St. Louis American When Jamala Rogers was awarded the Rosa L. Parks Award on Monday at Washington University’s 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration, she recognized that the civil rights pioneer provided the basis for her life work as a community activist, organizer and intellectual. “I know that from the work that
n “I believe that not only is dissent healthy, but it’s essential in a democracy.” – Jamala Rogers
I do,” Rogers said, “I’m standing on the shoulders of Rosa Parks, Madiba Mandela, and Martin Luther King.”
The award, presented by the university’s Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Committee, honors individuals or organizations exhibiting the character, conscience and courage of Rosa L. Parks. The activist and St. Louis American columnist joins past award recipients Ron Himes, founder and producing director of the St. Louis Black See ROGERS, A6
Photo by Wiley Price