NAACP selects new CEO Cornell William Brooks becomes civil rights group’s 18th president
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St. LouiS AmericAn The
CAC Audited MAY 22 – 28, 2014
Vol. 85 No. 7 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Clear Channel chops Tony Scott
Normandy district lapsed
American’s social media community reacts to dismissal of ‘Uncle Tony’
Contracts void, new board to be appointed
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American Late Friday afternoon the earth shattered for St. Louis urban radio. It seemed business as usual for those who tuned in to the Tony and Tammie morning show on Clear Channel’s KMJM Majic 100.3 FM. Actually, things were even better
Tony Scott was dismissed by Clear Channel on Friday after more than 25 years as an on air personality with Majic.
than usual, thanks to a visit by popular New York radio personality turned talk show host Wendy Williams. She stopped at the studio while in town doing promos for the upcoming season of her nationally syndicated “Wendy Williams Show”
See SCOTT, A7
Nicastro: ‘he failure is Missouri’s, not that of a struggling community’ By Dale Singer Of St. Louis Public Radio
Photo by Wiley Price
High five for safety Parade-watchers were excited to see Sam Safety when Officer Jackie Gladney and Sgt. Cathy Dennis escorted the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s mascot down Market Street in the Annie Malone May Day Parade on Sunday.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to replace the Normandy School District with a new entity with the same boundaries but run by an appointed board, effective July 1. The accreditation status of the new district was not immediately clear. That means that no one is sure yet whether students in the district would be able to take advantage of the state’s transfer n “I have law and enroll in confidence that accredited schools in Normandy can and nearby districts. The state board is expected will improve.” to take up that question and others at its – Chris Nicastro, meeting in June. commissioner of And the status of elementary and Normandy and its secondary education students could be for the state further affected by the 135-page transfer bill passed by lawmakers last week that is now sitting on the desk of Gov. Jay Nixon, awaiting his signature or his veto. Chris Nicastro, commissioner of elementary and secondary education for the state, and Peter Herschend, president of the state board, both made clear that the vote to create the new Normandy Schools Collaborative is hardly the end of the process. “I have confidence that Normandy can and will improve,” Nicastro said in introducing her recommendation to the board. “But it will take bold innovation and significant change. Business as usual will not be sufficient. The problem is urgent and it is ours, not just theirs. The failure is Missouri’s, not just that of a struggling
See NORMANDY, A6
SpeAking of fAith
Pastor Morris leaves Lane Tabernacle By Chris King Of The St. Louis American The Rev. James T. Morris, senior pastor of Lane Tabernacle Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church, is leaving the pulpit and St. Louis after 14 years of service. Morris has been an outspoken, progressive voice in the local clergy – and state Legislature, where he served a term as Democratic state representative. He spoke up, particularly, on labor and health issues, opposing then Gov. Matt Blunt’s sweeping cuts to Medicaid. At Lane Tabernacle, he oversaw the establishment of the church’s Health Ministry and Comprehensive Cancer Coalition and the opening of its community
The Rev. James T. Morris, senior pastor of Lane Tabernacle Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church, delivered one of his last sermons at Lane on Sunday morning.
center, the Isom Center. Morris, 53, a native of Paducah, Kentucky and married father of three sons, also struggled against the orthodoxy at Lane. He said he tried to bring diversity to Lane on several issues and failed, and that ultimately is why he is leaving in a bid to serve as CME bishop and advocate for change at a higher level. He talked to The American about this struggle. The St. Louis American: Why are you leaving Lane Tabernacle? Rev. James T. Morris: I have taken the Tabernacle as far as I can take it, or as far as they will go with me.
See MORRIS, A6 Photo by John Scott
NEWS
LIVING IT
‘Bring back Our Girls’
Stories born of scars
Sterling should’ve just shut up
Local rally raises awareness about Nigerian mass kidnapping
Cynthia Bond reveals sources for captivating debut novel ‘Ruby’
When asked whether he’d apologized directly to Johnson for his racist comments, Sterling did… well….what Sterling does. He criticized a black man.
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SPORTS