Devon vs. bruiser Four title fights on Don King’s undercard this Saturday
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Vol. 83 No. 12
CAC Audited JUNE 23 – 29, 2011
COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Diversity as national security issue USMC GENERAL USES MARINE WEEK ST. LOUIS TO COMMAND INCLUSION By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price
Anthony Agnew, age 20, the father of a 1-year-old, is a student at Shearwater High School, a charter school in the city that focuses on preparing struggling teens for college. It has slots for 75 students, but at the end of its first year 40 of those were empty.
College prep for dropouts Shearwater recruits struggling youth looking to excel at school By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American “My mother is perfect,” said Walter Paige, age 20, a student at Shearwater High School. For Father’s Day, he cooked her pancakes, eggs and grits because she’s “all that makes me happy,” he said. “She tells me, ‘Never give up,’” Paige said. “She’s always there for me.” Two months ago, Paige learned his mother had brain cancer. Although he previously had dropped out of Beaumont High School, Paige was determined not to give up on his education. In December, his cousin told him about
Shearwater, a charter school in the city that focuses on preparing struggling teens for college. The school, chartered by Saint Louis University and located on Ranken Technical College’s campus at 4470 Finney Ave., also offers opportunities for paid internships. The internship was the main attraction for Paige, he said, but he never expected the school to have such a profound impact on his life. “It has changed me,” he said. “It feels like family. If I didn’t go to Shearwater, I probably would have been locked up,” he said – like his father. Now entering its second year, the school has slots for 75 students. But at the end of the third
“If I didn’t go to Shearwater, I probably would have been locked up.” – Walter Paige
“Our students live in perpetual crisis.” – Stephanie Krauss, Shearwater Education Foundation
See PREP, A8
Local jazz legend Mae Wheeler passed Wednesday (June 15, 2011) at the age of 77.
Heaven gets a ‘Diva’ Beloved ‘Lady Jazz’ Mae Wheeler passes at 77 By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American “This is the last show I will be presenting,” local jazz legend Mae Wheeler told The American last year. “But I’ll sing until the Lord takes me home.” It was a few short days before her benefit show at the Sheldon in October, and Wheeler had resolved to listen to her body and slow down. Few believed she would do so. As her health declined over the years, she always managed to muster up a second wind for more shows. Sadly, with her death on Wednesday (June 15, 2011) at the age of 77, Wheeler had kept her word. She had been battling colon cancer for five years,
“She reached out to all races and didn’t care what anybody thought of it.” – Jeanne Trevor
Her last song was sung but the melody will just keep going on.” – Mar-Yam-Yahrib Aaten
See WHEELER, A9
Diversity is a national security issue, said Major General Ronald Bailey, the commanding general of U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Command. “When we can pull from all backgrounds, it allows the military to be innovative,” Bailey said. “From that perspective, we improve and we get better.” Bailey will soon assume command of the 1st Marine Division in Camp Pendleton, California – one of the most prestigious divisions in the world, he said. On June 22, Bailey spoke about diversity in leadership at Saint Louis University for a dinner hosted by the Midwest Marines. He took time to speak to The American on Tuesday night before enjoying the St. Louis Cardinals home game. Bailey’s St. Louis visit was part of Marine Week St. Louis 2011 from June 20 to 26, where the Corps hosted community activities and displayed military ground vehicles, aircraft, and weaponry at various locations “One of the downtown. important When people look at a picture of the things when we talk about Marine Corps, Bailey said, they should feel diversity is represented. To achieve attitude and this level of inclusion, Bailey embraces the belief.” Marine Corps’ “All Community – USMC Major General Ronald Approach.” “We don’t just come Bailey to one venue,” he said. “We talk to educators, political leaders, coaches, teachers, parents. We are able to reach out and touch all these leaders. That’s what it’s about.” During Marine Week St. Louis, representatives visited the Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club and several churches in the area. “One of the important things when we talk about diversity is attitude and belief,” he said. In the Marines, there’s a saying: “We make Marines, we win battles and we return to society good citizens,” he said. The leadership traits of Marines tie in directly to the future of diversity, he said. Nationally, about 71 percent of all students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma, but barely half of AfricanAmerican and Hispanic students earn diplomas with their peers. “That is a challenge and a problem for our nation,” he said. “When we talk with African-American, Latino and Asian and other minority communities, we are talking about the tangible and intangible of what the Marine Corps brings to this nation.” If U.S. high schools and colleges raise the See MARINE, A9
Photo by Wiley Price