Convention Center project is officially underway
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Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited MAY 19 – 25, 2022
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‘We are not going anywhere’
St. Louisans rally to protect abortion access By Sophie Hurwitz For the St. Louis American
St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education member Alisha Sonnier said, “Why do we elect people who won’t even name abortion? How does it make sense that someone who can’t even name abortion will advocate for and protect it? Speaking at the abortion rights rally Saturday, May 14, in Kiener Plaza.
That the U.S. Supreme Court seems poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision – as outlined in a draft Supreme Court opinion leaked to Politico earlier this month – was not entirely unexpected by Missouri pro-choice activists. When the final decision is released—which could be in late June or early July—nearly all abortions will be illegal in up to 26 states, including Missouri. “We knew, right? Here in Missouri, we knew. We have been living a post-Roe reality for years,” said Planned Parenthood of St. Louis President and
See RALLY, A6
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Vol. 94 No. 8 COMPLIMENTARY
Michael Sack named interim police chief Hayden steps down June 18
St. Louis American staff St. Louis Public Radio Retiring St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief John Hayden, who planned to serve until a permanent replacement is found, is stepping away June 18. Lt. Col. Michael Sack, Bureau of Community Policing commander, will take over as interim chief and, for now, has the support of The Ethical Society of Police [ESOP], which represents Black police officers in St. Louis and St. Louis County. “We respect him for his rank and the person he is,” ESOP said in a statement. “We support Interim Chief Lt. Col. Sack, yet we will hold him Michael accountable for our community Sack and our officers during his time as Interim Chief as we’ve held Chief Hayden and previous chiefs accountable. “We had open lines of communication with Chief Hayden and expect that will continue with Interim Chief Sack. This continuity is especially critical as we continue to work to fill the gap between law enforcement and the community through this interim leadership. “ Mayor Tishaura Jones and interim Public Safety Director Dan Isom announced Wednesday at City Hall that the the Boulware Group will conduct a
See SACK, A6
Buffalo shootings triggered by ‘replacement theory’ madness Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
The Girls Scouts of Greater St. Louis participated in the Annie Malone May Day Parade Sunday, May 15, after a two-year absence. The second-largest, African-American parade in the country was sponsored by NIKE for the first time this year.
“Am I too old? I don’t think so!” BJ said. He broke into an old-school dance as Bobby Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel” blasted through the speakers. “Go BJ,” the crowd responded. “Go BJ!” The tone was set by the time he danced his way to the announcer’s stage, where he also served as co-host with Jess Live of Hot 104.1 FM. What went on for the next few hours was an interactive exchange of fellowship that
President Joe Biden visited Buffalo, New York on Tuesday and called white supremacy “a poison … and it’s been allowed to fester and grow right in front of our eyes.” On Saturday, May 14, Payton Gendron, inspired by racial hatred and “replacement theory” ideologies, opened fire in a Buffalo grocery store, killing 10 people and wounding three. Eleven of the shooting victims were Black. “White supremacy cannot coexist with democracy,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson told MSNBC. “We must deal with domestic terrorism. We must do so aggressively; we must do so decisively, so we won’t continue to repeat this same story over and over again.” Marc Morial, National Urban League president, echoed similar thoughts as Johnson. “We better understand this is a clear and present danger to American democracy,” he told ABC
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See SHOOTINGS, A6
‘We are back!’
Annie Malone May Day Parade marches on By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American As Black St. Louis lined both sides of Market Street for more than a dozen city blocks, there was a special feeling permeating downtown. May 15th marked the first in-person Annie Malone Children and Family Services Center Annual May Day Parade since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. The parade was held virtually for two
SPORTS
Game 7 is Jayson Tatum time during NBA playoffs
Such was the case last Sunday when he turned in another sparkling Game 7 performance in Boston’s blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
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years – a valiant effort to keep the century-plus tradition going, and to keep resources coming in from the organization’s biggest fundraising initiative. Sunday afternoon served as a reminder of the one-of-a-kind experience the second largest annual African American parade in the nation provides for culture and the community. As the 112th parade kicked off, 2022 Grand Marshal BJ The DJ of iHeart Radio was eager to get the thousands in attendance hyped up.
By Alvin A. Reid The St. Louis American
HEALTH
LIVING IT
Doctors say children still need to be vaccinated
‘Jitney’ justly done by The Black Rep
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A pediatric infectious disease specialist with Washington University and Children’s Hospital has a positive outlook about the future of children.
Jitney represents the 1970s in August Wilson’s cycle of 10 plays that depict Black life in each decade of the 20th century.