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‘It matters that I’m black’ Grandmaster Maurice Ashley on chess and mentoring
See ASHLEY, A7
Judge sets $1M bail for Stockley Union support for then-officer charged with murder offends some black cops
By Alicia von Stamwitz For The St. Louis American International Chess Grandmaster Maurice Ashley made history when he was inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame on April 13 at a ceremony in St. Louis’ Forest Park. “I think being the first African-American is extremely important from a social perspective,” he told The St. Louis American, “and, from a personal perspective, it spoke to everything I have done and dedicated to this sport.” Ashley is a world-class chess commentator, best-selling author, and coach (even coaching actor Will Smith), but he said his destiny is promoting the game among at-risk youth. He supports “Your Move Chess,” an after-school program in the
Vol. 88 No. 9
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Photo by Austin Fuller, courtesy of Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis
International Chess Grandmaster Maurice Ashley showed some moves to local youth during an April visit to the St. Louis Chess Club and Scholastic Center, 4657 Maryland Ave. in the Central West End.
A St. Louis city circuit judge set a $1 million bail for former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley on Tuesday, May 31. Stockley, 35, was arrested at his Houston home on May 16 and charged with first-degree murder for the shooting death of 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith following a car chase in December 2011. Stockley may be released from jail after posting 10 percent of the $1 million, the judge ordered. The St. Louis Police Jason Oficers Association posted Stockley $100,000 to secure his bail on Tuesday afternoon, and he was then released from the St. Louis Justice Center. At the bond hearing held in Judge Michael Mullen’s courtroom, Assistant Circuit Attorney Christine Krug argued for a $500,000 cash-only bail, while Stockley’s attorney Neil Bruntrager asked for a $150,000 bail.
See STOCKLEY, A7
Photo by Maurice Meredith
For Doyle Williams, injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in 2007 changed his fortunes but did not shatter his dreams.
Photo by Wiley Price
Twilight dancers Local youth got their groove on at the Missouri History Museum on Tuesday, May 31 as Dirty Muggs closed out the museum’s popular Twilight Tuesdays series in Forest Park.
Charter school parents try to join desegregation lawsuit If SLPS won’t drop suit, parents want a say in it By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Two families with children attending charter public schools in St. Louis asked a federal court on May 31 to allow them to intervene as plaintiffs in a controversial case about public school funding. The families were responding to the Saint Louis Public School District’s April 11 motion against the state – which some believe could potentially bankrupt some charter schools. The motion stems from the desegregation
n “It will be a tragedy … if SLPS is successful in draining resources from charter schools.” – Ken Ross Jr.
tax, a 2/3-cent sales tax which city voters passed in 1999 to support desegregation efforts in the SLPS district. The tax was also a requirement of the federal court’s order
HarrisStowe grads overcome obstacles Heart attacks, motorcycle accidents, parenting can’t keep them from diplomas
to settle the 1972 segregation lawsuit filed by five African-American parents in North St. Louis. Those parents also brought the proceeding as a motion in the pending case. Charter schools – which now educate one-third of the city’s public school children – did not exist at the time, so they were not included in the funding requirements outlined in the 1999 federal settlement. The April 11 motion claims that in 2006, state legislators revised the state’s funding formula to require some of the desegregation tax revenues to be “improperly diverted” to St. Louis charter schools. It also claims since the 2006-2007 school year, $42.5
See LAWSUIT, A6
By Pat Matreci For The St. Louis American The road to success nearly always is paved with obstacles, twists and turns. This certainly was the case for many of the 150 graduates in the HarrisStowe State University Class of 2016. For Joseph Wells, it took some 30 years to complete his degree in business administration. The obstacles of living, he said, delayed his walk across the stage. “I chose to start a family with my wife in my early 20s, and we had four children within a sixyear period,” Wells said. “I was taught the responsibility to raise and provide for them, and that was my main focus. I
See GRADS, A6