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@stlouisamerican
@stlouisamerican
St. Louis American See Insert
The
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited JAN. 26 – FEB. 1, 2023
stlamerican.com
2023 Salute to Business
Yemi Akande-Bartsch, Non-Profit Executive of the Year
Focuses on transforming St. Louis
Yemi AkandeBartsch, Ph.D., will be honored as Non-Profit Executive of the Year at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2023 Salute to Excellence in Business on February 16.
By Chris King For The St. Louis American Yemi Akande-Bartsch, Ph.D. – who will be honored as Non-Profit Executive of the Year at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2023 Salute to Excellence in Business on February 16 – has served as president and CEO of FOCUS St. Louis since 2014. Previously she served as vice president of Leadership and Alumni Programs for FOCUS, and had more than 20 years of experience in designing and facilitating leadership training, development, and
See SALUTE, A7
Photo by Taylor McIntosh
Dancer Dezzia Payne (left) and dance instructor Anneka Shaw (right) from Yes Honey Studio in The Grove lifted people’s spirits with their performance during the STL Women’s March abortion rights rally on the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023 at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri. In the background are DJ Maxa (left) and DJ Prospect Out Hrr.
Vol. 94 No. 44 COMPLIMENTARY
SLPS superintendent search down to three candidates Nicole Williams a finalist
St. Louis American staff St. Louis Public Schools could have its new superintendent before the first day of Black History Month, Feb. 1, 2023. Three candidates, each an African American, will meet with the SLPS board of directors this week, and each will spend a day touring the district. “We are excited to host these three very impressive career educators and introduce them to our community,” said Matt Davis, SLPS board president. “On their visits, they will have opportunities to visit classrooms and meet and interact with students and staff members individually and in small groups.” The final three candidates include Nicole Williams, who has served as interim superintendent since Dec. 31, 2022 when former Superintendent Kelvin Adams resigned from the post. Williams served in several senior-level leadership positions, including as a superintendent of
See SLPS, A6
Photo by Brian Munoz / St. Louis Public Radio
Dan Isom will have served almost two years when he steps away from his role as interim director of the St. Louis Public Safety Department.
Roe at 50: Celebration and resistance
Photo by Dawn Suggs / St. Louis American
Missouri abortion-rights activists continue work
By Sophie Hurwitz For The St. Louis American Fifty years ago, on Jan 22, 1973, the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalized abortion across the United States. This past June, however, that decision was reversed, leading states including Missouri to declare abortions illegal within their borders. Despite that reversal, the mood at Sunday’s Women’s March gathering to com-
BUSINESS
ViolaSTL dispensary planted downtown
memorate Roe’s 50th anniversary was not entirely somber. Hundreds of people gathered in Forest Park’s World’s Fair Pavilion to remember the years of activism between the passage of Roe and today, and to plan the future of the abortion-rights movement in Missouri. There were speeches given, and attendees were asked to donate to groups like Missouri Abortion Fund–but there was also dancing, led by dancers from Yes Honey
Studio, to songs like Doja Cat’s “Woman” and Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.” Dana Kelly, the Executive Director of the St. Louis Women’s March, acknowledged that the celebratory mood might seem odd–but she considered it a critical part of the battle. “Once we leave here, we all go back to the fight again, a lot of us by ourselves,” she said. “So it’s very important to me that we find joy
HEALTH
SOS Task Force founded to fight substance misuse
ViolaSTL, a cannabis dispensary outlet, is serving medicinal patients and is the only African-American owned shop in the downtown St. Louis area.
Composed of community leaders, faith-based and non-profit organizations, and stakeholders in policy/government, the task force’s mission is to reduce substance misuse in the city.
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See ROE, A6
Coyle named interim Public Safety director Dan Isom moving to Ameren
By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American A national search for city Public Safety Department director after interim director Dan Isom leaves the role Feb. 11, 2023 to take a position with the Ameren Corp. Charles Coyle, a 45-year veteran of the St. Louis Fire Department has been tagged as his replacement while the search, which could take three to six months according to Mayor Tishaura Jones, is completed. Jones, who will select the new director, said Isom served “with patience, passion, and integrity.” “I asked him to join me for ‘a spell’, [and he
See COYLE, A7
SPORTS
Vashon classic features nationally ranked teams
The Vashon-Staley showdown is the marquee game of a six-game event that features top teams from Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.
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