Rahn Ramey passes National comedian with St. Louis roots succumbs to cancer at 56
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CAC Audited JUNE 13 – 19, 2013
Vol. 84 No. 11 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Family questions police shooting Cary Ball Jr. was shot at least 25 times, 6 times in the back By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American Residents living blocks north of downtown St. Louis want to know when their nightmares will go away. When will they stop seeing the image of a 25-year-old man with his hands in the air get shot at least 25 times by police? “Cary Ball Jr.’s death has caused the community a great
See story video at www.stlamerican.com
deal of emotional distress,” said Carlos Ball, 24, brother of Cary Terrell Ball Jr., who was shot and killed by police on
April 24. “There were kids out on the street who saw what happened. One woman told me her sixyear-old daughter now urinates on herself every time she sees a police officer.” On April 24, Cary Ball Jr. was driving home from
Cary Ball Jr.
his catering job at a downtown banquet hall, when a police car turned on its lights behind him at Delmar Boulevard and 18th Street. Rather than pull over, Cary led St. Louis police on a high-speed chase through the downtown area. He crashed his car on
“As a family, all we want is justice and for those officers to be held accountable for their actions.” – Carlos Ball
the 1000 block of North 9th Street, grabbed his semiautomatic handgun and started running east on Carr Street. When residents heard the crash around 9:45 p.m., several
came out of their homes. Three residents, who cannot be named because they may be asked to testify in litigation the See BALL, A6
Photos by Wiley Price
Daisha Tankins, a recent McCluer High School graduate who will attend Spelman College in the fall, is the first person in her immediate family to attend college and feels overwhelmed by financial aid concerns.
Photo by Lois Ingrum
Sassy and friends Patrice Coleman assures young Ajave Banks, 11, not to be frightened of her horse Sassy after the Silver Spur Riding Club Horse Show held Saturday in Forest Park. The equestrian exhibition was part of a variety of familyfriendly events organized by the St. Louis City NAACP to commemorate its centennial. Next week’s American will feature coverage of the Centennial Gala.
John Burroughs School standout bound for Yale
By Bridjes O’Neil Of The St. Louis American
Foyesade Oluokun will study business and play football He runs. He catches. He shoots. He hits. He reads. He studies. Foyesade Oluokun can do a little bit of everything. Whether he is playing a sport or working in the classroom, Oluokun excels. The John Burroughs School athletic standout graduated May 30 and will
“I made it in this country because of the people that came to my aid and I hope my boys will do the same in the future.” Foyesade Oluokun
On track for college Community partnership helps recent graduates further education
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
By Peter Baugh For The St. Louis American
Christian Coffman, a recent Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School graduate, is headed to University of Missouri- Kansas City in the fall and is working with St. Louis Graduates for financial aid services.
attend Yale University this fall on an academic scholarship. Oluokun, whose parents are from Nigeria, will study business and play football at Yale – which only accepted 6.8 percent of its applicants in 2012. At John Burroughs, Oluokun was one of only 15 African Americans in
– Steve Oluokun See OLUOKUN, A7
It didn’t take long for word to spread about the new St. Louis Graduates High School to College Center, the first of its kind in the St. Louis region. From now until – Daisha Tankins August 18, the center will offer free college counseling and financial aid assistance to recent high school graduates and their families. On Saturday, June 1, the day the center officially opened, a dozen students had already begun to pack the small retail store-
“The preparation of going off to college, it’s still so much that I’m very naïve about. I don’t have my counselors anymore.”
See GRADS, A7