Diversity A Business Imperative • The largest edition in our 83-year history of uninterrupted publishing •
Vol. 83 No. 17
CAC Audited JULY 28 – AUG. 3, 2011
COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Sheriff fires deputy for running for sheriff
Dancing for health
Vernon Betts said Jim Murphy fears his credibility in the community By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Photo by Maurice Meredith
A group of youth from Pinx Academy of Dance performed recently at the CHIPS Health fair.
Workshopping diversity at Wash U “I was pleasantly surprised that she brought issues of prejudice that many might find hard to discuss.” – Malcolm Townes, on Brenda Newberry (above)
University tries to connect underrepresented innovators to regional resources By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American Maurice Muia, a master’s student in sustainability at Saint Louis University, had two golden minutes on July 25. He had the ears of about 100 poten-
tial business partners, investors and mentors who gathered at Washington University’s Diversity Workshop to pitch his idea for a bottle-reuse business at the event’s IdeaBounce. Then a few minutes after his pitch, entrepreneur Dawn Stovall presented her recycling program idea. After she
finished, she whispered to Muia as she passed his seat, “We’ve got to talk.” Those connections are exactly what the workshop was supposed to do – give women and minorities the See WASH U, A6
DR. HELEN NASH TURNS 90 Iconic pediatrician celebrated by family and friends By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American “Dad and Helen were role models for me coming up, and it’s really great to know that she’s lived a wonderful life and touched so many lives in St. Louis,” said Dr. Alison Nash, who represents the third generation of the Nash medical legacy. In the 1940s – at a time when blacks and women faced an uphill battle in the field of medicine – Dr. Helen Nash paved a way for her race and gender as one of the top pediatricians in the area. St. Louis received the gift of Dr. Nash’s dedication and comSee NASH, A7
Photo by Kenya Vaughn
Her brother Dr. Homer Nash and sister Dorothy Nash Shack helped legendary St. Louis pediatrician Dr. Helen Nash (center) celebrate her 90th birthday Saturday afternoon at Cuisine d’Art restaurant in Creve Coeur.
On July 12, Sheriff James Murphy, who was found guilty of racial discrimination last September, fired an African-American deputy sheriff when he saw a business card that identified the deputy as a candidate for sheriff in the city of St. Louis. In a July 6 letter to terminate Deputy Sheriff Vernon Betts, Murphy wrote that Betts violated a procedural order. That order states, “Deputies shall not file for, campaign for or hold any elected public office while an employee of the Sheriff of the City of St. Louis.” However, Murphy’s order puts a barrier on the path that most people take to become sheriffs in Missouri, experts say. John Worden, the “I have the director of the Law right to run Enforcement Training for sheriff. Institute at University It’s my of Missouri–Columbia, constitutional said aspiring sheriffs typically become right.” deputies and then run – Vernon Betts for the elected office of sheriff. As long as the deputies don’t campaign on the clock, they can run for office while still working as deputies, Worden said. Michael Covington, executive director of the Missouri’s Sheriff’s Association, said there is no state statute that prohibits deputy sheriffs from running for sheriff. Covington was also not aware of any such ordinances that prohibit a deputy sheriff running for sheriff. Betts said he believes that Murphy abused his power as sheriff by writing the order to squash competition in the 2012 election. Betts said he told Murphy in June 2010 that he planned to run for the seat. From Betts’ perspective, Murphy developed the order because Betts’ popularity was growing. As a minister at the Shalom Church City of Peace, former St. Louis Public School teacher, retired AmerenUE employee and well-known citizen in the African-American community, he believes he has a fighting chance at winning the election. Mike Guzy, the sheriff’s executive assistant, said that Murphy developed the order because he did not want deputies to engage in political activities. “We ran it by the judges before we put it into effect,” Guzy said. “It’s a good order. We don’t want our deputies out campaigning. They are supposed to be uninvolved.” Guzy would not say which judges the See BETTS, A7