Providing COVID-19 vaccines to children
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St. Louis American See page A16
The
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited NOVEMBER 11 – 17, 2021
stlamerican.com
Vol. 93 No. 33 COMPLIMENTARY
Salute to Excellence In Education Scholarship and Awards Virtual Gala
STL American Foundation supporters boost record $2.9 million for students
By Alvin A. Reid The St. Louis American
Support for higher education in the St. Louis region and throughout the area has not waned during the COVID-19 pandemic and an unfavorable economic climate.
More than $2.9 million in scholarships and grants was pledged toward Donald M. Suggs Scholarships during the 34th Salute to Excellence in Education Virtual Gala on Nov. 4. Suggs, publisher and executive editor of The St. Louis American, is also president of the St. Louis American Foundation.
KMOX radio personality Carol Daniel, host of the event, said the resources “bridge a critical gap, given the economic hardships many families are facing.” Washington University Chancellor Andrew
See SALUTE, A6
‘Service ‘til glory’
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
“I’m a much better soldier today than I was in 1972.” – Rufus Shannon, vice commander of Tom Powell Post No. 77
Signing up to fight in the Vietnam War wasn’t on Rufus Shannon’s to-do list. Shannon, now 69, was 18-years-old in 1972, attending college and considering marriage when he received notice he’d been drafted. This was a time when anti-war demon-
strations were sweeping the nation. It was five years after heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali boldly declared he wasn’t going “10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation” in the name of white supremacy. During the Veteran’s Day Parade on Saturday, Nov. 6, Shannon, joined by fellow members of Tom Powell Post \No. 77 of the
Desire to change lives stressed during Salute gala
By Alvin A. Reid The St. Louis American
American Legion Tom Powell Post No. 77 members Rufus Shannon Jr. and Don Clark pass the reviewing stand at Soldiers Memorial in the Veterans Day Parade Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021 near 14th and Market Streets in downtown St. Louis.
By Sylvester Brown Jr. Of The St. Louis American
Education honorees praise family
American Legion, proudly gathered to accept and give recognition for the sacrifices made by soldiers of America’s wars. Although he wasn’t thrilled to be enlisted, Shannon is honored to have served. “I’m a much better soldier today than I was in 1972,” he said.
See SERVICE, A6
Arthur R. Culver, East St. Louis Schools District 189 superintendent, says based on the ZIP codes he lived in as a child, “I should not be where I am right now.” Culver shared his thoughts during The St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Virtual Gala on Nov. 5 where he was honored as Lifetime Achiever in Education. After his parents divorced and his mother remarried, he found himself one of 10 children. “I know what it is like to be on welfare. I know what it is like to not have. It is because of educators and coaches and the positivity they instilled in me and my mom, that’s why I’m where I am today,” he Arthur said. R. Culver As he climbed to success, he said his main motivation was to make his mother proud. “She never gave up. She instilled in us high character, moral values and the importance of high self-esteem,” he said. Culver took over a beleaguered school district when he arrived in 2011. Achievement scores are now steadily growing, the graduation rate is up 13%, college attendance is up 12% and the drop rate is down Dr. Gwendolyn 5%. Diggs “In the environment they come from, many kids aren’t performing as they should. A lot of times it’s about the belief system, the expectations, the standards. Never compromise on your principles, standards, and expectations,” Culver said. He calls education “the great equalizer.” “You can have a different life if you choose to be serious about your education.” Dr. Gwendolyn Diggs, vice president of Head Start/Early Head Start of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and 2021 Stellar Performer honoree, was the third of eight children and grew up in towns in Arkansas. “My parents did not obtain high school graduation because they were working in the fields. Their goal was to make sure their children received the education that they needed. I am humbled by their hard work and endurance. It’s amazing how they did it,” she said.
See HONOREES, A7
Protest aimed at Paul McKee on Saturday Comptroller Green, state Reps. Aldridge, Ann-Collins rip controversial developer
By JoAnn Weaver The St. Louis American Some St. Louis city officials and the community are fighting back against Paul McKee’s insistence that the Homer G. Phillips’ name will not be removed from a new
medical facility. A protest and press conference is scheduled at the new medical facility at Jefferson Avenue and Cass Avenue for Saturday, Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, who will attend the event.
n A protest and press conference is scheduled at the new medical facility at Jefferson Avenue and Cass Avenue for Saturday, Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mayor Tishaura Jones has already labeled McKee’s
silence and the use of Homer G. Phillips’ name insulting.
Comptroller Darlene Green said Wednesday a medical facility is a welcome addition to the city but, “the use of Homer G. Phillips’ name for a private entity without the support of the community is unthinkable. “Homer G. Phillips Hospital
was a beloved institution in our community—both for patient care and as a teaching hospital, where it trained generations of Black doctors and nurses. In many ways, Homer G. Phillips was also symbolic of the Black
See McKEE, A7