23rd annual Health Salute is today!
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St. Louis American See special tabloid
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Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited JUNE 22 – 28, 2023
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City acts after downtown mass shooting Continue anti-gun efforts
By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American The St. Louis Juneteenth weekend, which included Father’s Day, was rocked early Sunday by a mass shooting that left 17-year-old Makao Moore dead and at least nine others wounded. Mayor Tishaura Jones, the chief of St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and other city leaders took immediate action by extending Friday and Saturday hours of two St. Louis recreation centers, Wohl and Marquette. The goal is giving teens safe alternatives to gatherings like the one in an office building in the 1400 block of Washington. Jones said other programs are available to help youths avoid trouble during the summer. The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment is offering summer and year-round
See SHOOTING, A6
Vol. 95 No. 12 COMPLIMENTARY
Author inspires future Black female doctors Dr. Oruwari penned ‘Black Girls In White Coats’
By JoAnn Weaver St. Louis American
Photo by Brian Munoz / St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy addresses the media alongside Mayor Tishaura Jones on Sunday after one person was killed and 11 were injured in a mass shooting during a downtown teen party.
Juneteenth joy Jayla Redman, 4, plays with bubbles at the BKM For Life Boot Camp Juneteenth Family Fun Day Saturday, June 17, 2023 in north St. Louis County.
Less than 6% of physicians in the U.S. identify as African American, according to statistics from SSM Health. A new book called “Black Girls In White Coats” is helping to inspire Black girls to become doctors, and could help increase that low percentage. Written by Dr. Jovita Ugochi N. Oruwari, a breast surgeon at SSM Health DePaul Hospital, the collection of narratives draws on personal and professional chalDr. Jovita lenges and milestones Ugochi N. that Black female docOruwari tors experience. “This book actually means quite a lot to me as a Black woman,” Dr. Oruwari said. “I’ve always just had an affinity for wanting more and the best for my fellow Black women and Black girls. I also strongly believe that it’s so hard to try to be or try to aspire to something that you have never seen.” The book features powerful testimonies from African-American female doctors in multiple disciplines who share their experiences navigating the medical field. “This book seeks to empower young Black girls who need to see people that do what we do,” says Dr. Oruwari, who was an Excellence in Healthcare
See ORUWARI, A7
Q&A with circuit attorney Gabe Gore “Judge me based on how I perform this job...”
By Sylvester Brown Jr. The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Museum debuts exhibit honoring Julius Hunter By Sylvester Brown Jr. The St. Louis American The George B. Vashon Museum of African American History recently announced its grand opening of a permanent exhibit recognizing the life and achievements of longtime St. Louis broadcast and print journalist,
Julius Hunter. The “Julius Hunter Media Room” was dedicated on Saturday, June 3, 2023. The exhibit features a cardboard cutout of Hunter, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling artifacts, awards, framed photos, videos and other memorabilia highlighting Hunter’s remarkable broadcast, print and
HEALTH
LIV Recovery Center breaks mental health stigmas
Owners Derrick and Cameo Jones opened the rehab center in August, 2022 wanting to create a safe space for men to be honest about their mental health and what can be done for them.
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public service career that spanned four decades. “We are so pleased and proud to honor Julius Hunter. He is St. Louis through and through” said Calvin Riley, founder of the museum. “His groundbreaking work on local television set the path for countless
St. Louis’ new circuit attorney, Gabe Gore, sat down with the St. Louis American for a wide-ranging conversation about his new job, his new hires, his rebuilding the CAO and how he plans to dig out from a backlog of unattended cases. Gabe Gore knows he’s under the media and public spotlight. He said his only desire is that he be judged based on “how I perform this Gabe Gore job.” American: You knew there were many challenges in taking over the circuit attorney’s office, yet you said: ‘Saying something is going to be hard makes it kind of
See HUNTER, A7
See GORE, A6 SPORTS
Bradley Beal bound for Phoenix in NBA mega-deal St. Louisan Bradley Beal was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday in what was the first blockbuster deal of the off-season.
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