@stlouisamerican
Frankie Freeman, LBJ, white privilege and democracy See Mike Jones column page A4
2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 Gold Cup Newspaper Missouri Press Association
@stlouisamerican
St. LouiS AmericAn The
CAC Audited JANUARY 25 – 31, 2018
Vol. 89 No. 44 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
‘The case is closed – the verdict is well-done’
Parkway candidate has record of offensive tweets Jeanie Ames likens Michelle Obama to ‘a giant rat,’ self-identifies as ‘Confederate’ By Jessica Karins For The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price
Frankie Muse Freeman lie in state at the Missouri History Museum in the Grand Hall on Friday, January 19. The iconic civil rights attorney passed Friday, January 12 at age 101.
Life and legacy of Frankie Muse Freeman celebrated at homegoing service By Gentry W. Trotter For The St. Louis American The homecoming celebration of Frankie Muse Freeman on Saturday, January 20 was held at Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, just blocks away from where hundreds of women were preparing n “Today, we can say to Sister to march against a patriarchal Frankie Freeman status quo. They that the case is marched for wage parity, respect and closed, and the an end to sexual verdict is well harassment and done.” exploitation. It was a fitting – Rev. Donnie coincidence. Robinson Freeman – who passed Friday, January 12 at age 101 – had been a determined, lifelong foe of sexism and racism. “There has been gender discrimination from the beginning of the world,” Freeman once said. “The point is that you have to combat it. But you have to combat it See FREEMAN, A7
Attorney, protest veteran advise taking a lawyer to any FBI interview By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Photo by Wiley Price
Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, and Adolphus Pruitt, NAACP St. Louis City Branch president, were among the pallbearers for Frankie Muse Freeman. Her homecoming celebration was held Saturday, January 20 at Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, then the pioneering civil rights attorney was interred at Calvary Cemetery.
mostly impacts low-income people, and disproportionately people of color. One organization, the Bail Project, is aiming to change that and make the legal presumption of innocence a reality for everyone. The New York-based organization is beginning its effort to go nationwide with a new branch in St. Louis.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reaching out to St. Louis activists to ask them questions about police conduct during the September protests that followed the notguilty verdict in the murder trial of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley. But Ferguson activist Keith Rose warned that people should get a lawyer before speaking with FBI agents. “Even though you may want to help the FBI build up Richard evidence against [St. Louis Quinn Metropolitan Police] officers, you still shouldn’t talk to them about anything (even just casually over the phone) without a lawyer present,” Rose wrote in a Facebook post. “That’s because even if they are investigating police officers, they still can use any information that comes up to prosecute (or surveil) you and/or other activists.”
See BAIL, A6
See FBI, A6
Nonprofit offers solidarity, not charity, for those who cannot afford to post bail On any given night in America, around 450,000 people spend the night in jail despite not having been convicted of a crime. They have been arrested, charged and held on bail, something that would mean release pending trial for a wealthier person in their position. But because they cannot afford to pay their
See AMES, A6
FBI seeks protestor testimony on police abuses
Bail Project opens office in St. Louis By Jessica Karins For The St. Louis American
A candidate for the Parkway School District’s Board of Education has apparently been posting controversial content on her Twitter account, n “When you including calling for hold views like ban on Islam in Ms. Ames holds, aAmerica and referring there are going to to Michelle Obama as a “giant rat.” be children who On the Board of get left behind Education’s website, and get left out.” Jeanie Ames describes herself as a candidate – Erik Altman, running to support Parkway parent the families of children with special needs, based on her experiences in nonprofit work and with her own three children. According to her bio, she previously taught at Marion Elementary School in the Ritenour School District and was PTO
bail, they remain in jail instead. Many will eventually plead guilty without a chance to have their day in court, because the other option is remaining in jail until their trial date, which could be years in the future. While cash bail is intended to give people charged with a crime an incentive to appear in court, it often results in a lack of ability to defend themselves. Inability to afford bail is a problem that