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St. LouiS AmericAn The
CAC Audited JUNE 28 – JULY 4, 2018
Vol. 90 No. 14 COMPLIMENTARY
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Harris wants hold on Supreme Court nod Sen. Kamala Harris keynotes St. Louis County NAACP Freedom Fund event By Ashley Jones For The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price
U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-California) was the keynote speaker at the St. Louis County NAACP’s 83rd annual Freedom Fund Dinner, held June 21 at the Four Seasons St. Louis.
After the Supreme Court handed down several major decisions this week – from upholding the president’s Muslim travel ban to allowing “fake women’s health centers” to continue deceiving pregnant women, Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered another blow to Democrats by announcing his retirement from the Supreme Court. “As you well know, this Supreme Court vacancy puts issues that affect every single American in the balance — from a wom-
an’s right to choose to equal rights under the law to privacy and our civil rights,” said U.S. Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-California), a rising figure in national politics, in a statement on June 27. “Given the high stakes of this seat, which I believe will determine the fate of many fundamentally protected constitutional rights, the American people should have a say in this decision.” With midterms coming in just four months, Harris is calling on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold the nomination until “after the American people have a chance to make their voices
See HARRIS, A7
St. Louis receives immigrant children Alderwoman introduces resolution to denounce president’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price
Celebrating Olympic Day! To celebrate Olympic Day 2018 on June 22, Olympic track star and gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee leads children and families on a one-mile fun run/walk around Francis Field at Washington University, site of the 1904 Olympics. The event was sponsored by the St. Louis Sports Commission.
St. Louis has received a handful of unaccompanied immigrant children separated from their parents at the border as part of the president’s new “zero tolerance” immigration policy rolled out in April. And more children are on the way, said Meredith Rataj, site director of immigrant services at St. Francis Community Services – the largest local organization providing legal and case management services for unaccompanied immigrant children. Under the president’s new policy, families seeking asylum – even those who present themselves to authorities through legal channels – are being criminally prosecuted. And prior to See CHILDREN, A6
‘This is really important for St. Louis’ Maryville University life coaches provide ‘academic, professional, personal development’ By Ashley Jones For the St. Louis American St. Louis was recently recognized as one of the seven new communities designated as a Talent Hub by the Lumina Foundation, in partnership with the Kresge Foundation. The St. Louis Talent Hub is a collaboration led by St. Louis Graduates. The foundation granted St. Louis Graduates $275,000 to address equity gaps in regional degree completion.
Maxwell Artis, a life coach at Maryville University, talks with new incoming student Kiara Harris.
“Part of the funding will be used to build out our student success initiative to where we are going to be providing professional development opportunities for college personnel to learn about the best practices, not only throughout the region, but throughout the country, and seeing how we can replicate those things in the various campuses,” said Alan Byrd, co-chair of St. Louis Graduates and vice provost for Enrollment Management at the University of Missouri- St. See MARYVILLE, A7
Photo by Wiley Price