How a legacy of racism is drowning Black people
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@stlouisamerican
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St. LouiS AmericAn The
92 years serving, empowering and advocating equity in St. Louis
CAC Audited JULY 9 – 15, 2020
Vol. 92 No. 15 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
“The police called writing on two pieces of plywood ‘destruction of property’ and used that as a reason to viciously attack protestors.” – Rev. Darryl Gray
COVID-19 starting to spread more Pandemic continues to hit Blacks harder as numbers rise again By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price
Expect Us organizer Cori Bush addressed protesters on Sunday, July 5 before a protest at the Florissant Police Department.
Protestors claim brutality during arrests Youth says police taunted him by name in ‘sneak attack’ at protest, police deny By Sophie Hurwitz For The St. Louis American Elijah Foggy, 19, was injured by Florissant Police officers on Sunday, July 5 during a protest action organized by Expect Us. He sustained lacerations to his face, arm and leg from the police officers who arrested him. That was after he was doused with mace. Foggy said the police officers came for him by name after he had retreated from Florissant Police Department property as ordered. “One officer came up and was like, ‘Come
n “There can be no real police reform as long as police officers continue to conduct themselves as thugs.” – Rev. Darryl Gray
on, Elijah; come on, Elijah,’” Foggy said. “He was taunting me, trying to get me riled up. I didn’t know there were officers who were sneaking up behind me to do a sneak
attack.” Foggy has been photographed and identified by name while leading recent protest actions. Foggy said that four officers pushed him to the ground and pinned him there. “They dragged my head into the concrete – literally,” he said. “That’s why I have that big gash on my forehead. Another person had his knee on my back. When they were trying to turn me over, I was complying.” Florissant Police said that Foggy had to be restrained because he resisted arrest after See PROTESTORS, A6
McCloskeys ‘opposed to cultural diversity’ McCloskeys claim alleged directions to nanny are ‘a hit job’ By Chris King Of The St. Louis American Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who confronted peaceful protestors passing in front of their home while heavily armed and screaming, followed up with the amazing claim that they support the Black Lives Matter movement. This claim was amazing because the peaceful protestors they confronted with guns on June 28 were a diverse group visibly affiliated with that movement.
If the McCloskeys have, in fact, embraced the Black Lives Matter movement, this was a dramatic shift from their position in the mid1990s, when they advertised for a live-in nanny for their child, according to someone who applied for the position. The McCloskeys’ former nanny candidate, who did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation, shared with The American four See McCLOSKEYS, A6
Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
Mark and Patricia McCloskey pointed firearms at peaceful protestors passing in front of their home at 1 Portland Place in St. Louis on June 28.
If you’re Black, you’re almost four times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 in the St. Louis metro area, hospital experts say. You’re 2.5 times more likely to be hospitalized and 1.5 times more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). “This tells a n On Monday, July story that we’ve 6, the task force said before — that reached a new mile- COVID disproporstone of dischargtionately affects the Black community,” ing a total of 3,002 Dr. Alex Garza, COVID-19 patients incident comto date. mander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, said during a June 15 press briefing. “We’ve finally been able to generate some numbers to show that discrepancy.” These statistics from the task force are based on hospitalized patients at the region’s four largest healthcare systems: SSM Health, BJC HealthCare, Mercy and St. Luke’s Hospital. They represent 2.8 million people for an area that includes surrounding counties in Missouri and Illinois. At the task force’s hospitals, about 25% of patients tested for COVID-19 were Black — yet they made up 50% of the positive results. African Americans only make up about 19 percent of the region’s population. “The white population is much larger than the Black community, so you can see the discrepSee COVID-19, A7
City plans to evict another homeless camp ‘Now they’re moving us again’ By Sophie Hurwitz For The St. Louis American Asia Morgan, 18, recently aged out of the foster care system. She was left fending for herself on the street, where she made her way to the homeless encampment on Market Street. The City of St. Louis evicted her and the rest of the camp on May 1, citing public health concerns relative to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city’s temporary housing grant program funded by the CARES act paid for her room at the Red Roof Inn. Three weeks ago, Morgan and her boyfriend Demetrius were out on the street again. According to activist Alex Cohen, the city terminated its Asia contract with the hotel. Morgan Morgan joined about 15 other unhoused people living under a downtown Interstate 44/ Interstate 64 overpass. She and Demetrius share a tent there as they attempt to get their four-monthold child back from state custody and she nurses a new pregnancy. They are the youngest residents of the settlement, where several tents and pieces of furniture are grouped together, along with food, coolers, and decorations like string lights and flowers. Buckets were left out the morning of June 30 to catch the pouring rain and keep it from seeping into tents. That morning, however, the mood in the settlement was tense: the city had warned it would evict See HOMELESS, A7