Urban League granted $500K
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St. LouiS AmericAn The
CAC Audited MAY 14 – 20, 2020
92 years serving, empowering and advocating equity in St. Louis
Vol. 92 No. 8 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
City, county prepare to lift public health orders on May 18 City health board chair says restrictions still needed n “We’ll be in a good place to offer COVID testing to the general public.”
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Dr. Will Ross wanted to set the record straight at the City of St. Louis’ Joint Board of Health and Hospitals meeting on May 7. The move to lift the stay-at-home orders in the city and St. Louis County on May 18 was not based on epidemiology. “Let’s make that abundantly clear,” said Ross, a professor at Washington University School of Medicine. “There is nothing that suggests that we are safe to lift the order. The order is being lifted solely on the basis of the adverse effect on the St. Louis economy — not because we are saying it’s safe to return to life because
—Dr. Fredrick Echols
the pandemic is abating. It is not.” Ross chairs the 13-member board that advises the city’s director of health, Dr. Fredrick Echols, on matters related to public health and hospitals. At the board’s May 7 meeting, Ross gave a See HEALTH ORDERS, A6
Photo by Wiley Price
A walk-up line formed at Affinia Healthcare’s pop-up COVID-19 testing site at Better Family life on Tuesday, May 5. A line of cars led east down Page across Union Boulevard.
Newspapers included as necessities
Legal pioneer Larry L. Deskins passes at 68
Taliya Allen, 16, a student at Hazelwood Central High School, distributed copies of The St. Louis American along with food and necessities for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis on Saturday, May 9 at the agency’s Aubert Avenue location in the city’s Fountain Park neighborhood.
First African-American partner of any major St. Louis law firm By Chris King Of The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price
City must provide masks if it requires masks, health board chair says ‘If we can’t do that, then we are doing an injustice’ By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Buses and some businesses will be able to turn people away for not wearing masks when public health restrictions are lifted on Monday, May 18 in St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis. That means peon “We have to give the public ple who can’t afford the assurance that on May 18 or find masks will the masks will be available. If be denied services they desperately we can’t do that, then we are that need, said Rebeccah doing an injustice.” Bennett, founder and principal of — Dr. Will Ross Emerging Wisdom and InPower Institute. When Bennett learned about this requirement on May 6, she immediately started firing off emails, she said. “What we require we must support,” Bennett told The St. Louis American. “We should not as a society require proSee MASKS, A7
Photo by Wiley Price
St. Louis public health staff interviewed people at a tent camp in downtown St. Louis on May 1.
Black St. Louis legal pioneer Larry L. Deskins was overlooked somewhat in his passing, because he transitioned the day before the St. Louis region went under stay-at-home public health orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has since claimed the lives of almost 400 people in St. Louis city and county. Deskins died Sunday, March 22 at age 68 after a long illness. But he definitely was noticed – and did not miss much – while he was alive. Deskins was one of the first African-American lawyers hired by any major St. Louis law firm when he joined Lewis Rice right out of Washington University Law Larry L. School in 1977. He became Deskins the first African-American partner of any major St. Louis law firm when he was elevated by the firm in 1985. He brought others up along with him. Ronald Norwood, now a member at Lewis Rice, worked with the firm as a sumn “He lived well mer intern during the summer of 1985. “Larry and always took me under his wing, gave us a reaproviding advice and son to be proud counsel on how to navof who we are.” igate the challenges of being a minority attor– Logan Deskins ney in a majority firm and exposing me to his broad-based business clientele,” Norwood said. That powerful nurturing relationship grew when Norwood joined the firm as a litigation associate in 1988. “It was through that strong mentorship, which evolved into a close personal friendship, that I was able to navigate my way as Lewis Rice’s second African-American equity See DESKINS, A7