Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception is May 26!
@stlouisamerican
@stlouisamerican
St. Louis American See special section
The
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited MAY 26 – JUNE 1, 2022
stlamerican.com
Grieving families seek ban on raids, police chases They rally at City hall
By Alvin A. Reid The St. Louis American
Atty. Brittney Watkins with Arch City Defenders spoke at a rally on the steps of City Hall Tuesday, May 24, 2022 to bring attention to the risks of “no-knock raids”. The legal advocacy group Arch City Defenders hosted the rally.
Gina Torres escorted her son to his graduation on Monday. Missing was her oldest son, Isaiah Hammett, who was killed during a “no-knock raid” by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in 2017. “Yesterday, I had to go to my son’s graduation,” and he didn’t have his big brother there,” she said during a Fatal State Violence (FSV) Response Program rally outside St. Louis City Hall on Tuesday. “That’s really hard for me. We do not need the police to have more money or to have training to keep killing us, because that’s all they keep doing.
See RALLY, A6
Vol. 94 No. 9 COMPLIMENTARY
Demands for new gun laws ring out across nation 19 students, 2 adults slain by Texas gunman
By Alvin A. Reid The St. Louis American With one day left in the 2021-22 school year, SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams planned to write a letter to parents thanking them “for support and patience through what has been a difficult, pandemic-riddled two n “I am sick and semesters.” His topic changed tired of it. We in the aftermath of the have to act, and Uvalde, Texas elementary school shootings that don’t tell me we left 19 children and two can’t have an teachers dead. impact on this “I have not encouncarnage.” tered a single person today whose heart isn’t President Joe breaking for those famiBiden lies,” he wrote. “As parents, teachers, and educators, every one of us feels the pain of these senseless killings through our shared sense of empathy surrounding all things involving children. Adams assured parents the district has been extra vigilant when it comes to the safety and security measures we employ every day.” “We are somewhat unique compared to other districts because we employ our own security force of well over 100 officers. While some districts have to call on local police for extra coverage, we are
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
–
See GUN LAWS, A7
Room for you
Photo by Bill Greenblatt / St. Louis American
A stellar performance
Mae C. Jemison delivers the commencement speech to the Washington University graduating class of 2021-2022 in St. Louis on Friday, May 20. As a NASA astronaut aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in 1992, Jemison became the first woman of color to travel into space.
The St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception is back for the first time since 2020, and a record 25 outstanding young professionals will be honored. The foundation celebrated 20 awardees in past years, but the number of nominations for outstanding individuals and interest in the
HEALTH
STL takes healthy step in endorsing Medicare for all St. Louis is now among more than 90 American cities whose governing bodies have passed resolutions supporting Medicare for All People.
Page A14
11th edition is sold out event kept growing and “we feel it is time to increase our numbers and share more of these positive career stories with the community,” according to Raven Whitener, St. Louis American Foundation director. “This year’s honorees are a diverse class of professionals ranging from health care, IT
By Sylvester Brown Jr. The St. Louis American
and technology, marketing, entrepreneurship and more. Their stories are so impressive and inspiring, and I’m sure everyone who reads about them in this week’s special section in the St. Louis American will agree,” Whitener said. Midwest BankCentre is the event’s presenting sponsor. Orvin Kimbrough, chair and
Ramona Brown, 47, clutched the box of Kleenex tightly in her left hand as she spoke through halting breaths. She dabbed at her eyes and nose, often with a single, crumpled, n “Life…sometimes tissue as it’s up, sometimes it’s soggy she recounted a down. But I refuse to series of events go down.” that invaded her already vulnerable – Ramona Brown, on life in 2020. her feelings about her When the global post-pandemic future coronavirus pandemic began to spread in March of that year, Brown was already battling the epidemic of violence surrounding the house she had rented in Dellwood for eight years. Drug activity and violence had punctuated her neighborhood. At one point, she counted
See SALUTE, A7
See ROOM, A6
Salute to Young Leaders Awards Reception May 26 St. Louis American staff
A homeless, single mom found comfort in helping others
BUSINESS
SPORTS
Diversifying the ax throwing business
Small schools make big tracks to state titles
Page B1
Page B3
Kiarla “Pepper” and Rhonda “Hatchet Queen” Taylor, who are married and mothers of three children, opened “Hatchet Haus” last month in St. Charles.
It was a big weekend for some area small schools in the Missouri Class 1 and 2 State Track and Field Championships in Jefferson City.