Athletes tweet against injustice Sports stars react to Zimmerman ‘not guilty’ verdict.
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CAC Audited JULY 18 – 24, 2013
Vol. 84 No. 16 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Mike McMillan to lead Urban League ‘Natural choice’ to succeed Jim Buford, says board chair American staff
Michael McMillan, the new president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, with board chair Debra Denham and James H. Buford, who is stepping down after leading the affiliate for 28 years.
“He’s been a partner with the Urban League for the last 20 years,” Debra Denham, board chair of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, said of the board’s pick for its new president and CEO, Michael McMillan. “He’s just a natural choice.” This “natural choice” takes over from James H. Buford, who is stepping down after 28 years of leadership, having brought the organization’s annual budget from $2.5 million to more than $23 million and had it certified as the only Five-Star Urban League affiliate in the nation. McMillan, who will resign as license collector for the City of St. Louis to accept the position, previously was
See McMILLAN, A7
Photo by Wiley Price
‘What do we do next?’ Community troubled, saddened, enraged by Zimmerman verdict By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American Across the entire country, from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to NBA superstars to mothers in St. Louis, many Americans are wondering: What do we tell our sons now? On Saturday night, when a Florida jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of killing unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones asked herself that question. “What lesson will I teach my son when he gets to be that age?” said Jones, whose son is almost six. “Are we still living in a world where we have to instruct our black boys about their interactions with police and so-called neighborhood vigiA baby boy at the lantes? It’s scary.” downtown St. Louis Hundreds of devasrally held in protest tated St. Louis comof the george munity members of all Zimmerman “not races took to the guilty” verdict. streets on Sunday in front of the St. Louis Justice Center. Today at noon, local activist organizations will lead a protest of the verdict at the Old
See VERDICT, A6
Photo by Wiley Price
Putting down the toy gun Johnathan Smith, 7, turns in his toy gun in exchange for a non-violent toy at the Toy Gun Exchange Day held Saturday at North County Recreation Complex, 2577 Redman. For more information, visit www.toygunbuyback.org
Sad, angry and disgusted By Jamala Rogers For The St. Louis American Yes, another one did get away. The acquittal of George Zimmerman on all charges is not a surprise, but it is still painful. Once again, black folks got a nasty taste of the medicine: You are worthless. We are sad, angry, disgusted.
We need to get past the fantasy of a post-racial society and ramp up the discussion about preserving and protecting the lives of young, black males.
Those are human emotions that must be expressed at times like this. That energy must
Scholars team up to research coordinated regional response to black health By Chris King Of The St. Louis American
be channeled into changing the institutions that deal with our children: media, schools, police, courts and prisons. Black males are continuing to be assaulted and killed at alarming rates. We must make this is a national issue, as the forces bearing down on black boys are created and/or tolerated by the broader society. We need to get past the fantasy of a postracial society and ramp up the discussion
Seven African-American scholars from Washington University and Saint Louis University are teaming up to produce a multi-disciplinary study on the health and well-being of African Americans in St. Louis with a $200,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health. The Institute for Public Health and the Brown School of Social Work’s Policy Forum at Washington University and The St. Louis American are also partners in the study, which will culminate in a community conference in 2014 to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
See ANGRY, A6
See HEALTH, A7
Zimmerman got away, but this must never happen again COMMENTARY
Not just another disparity report