St. Louis entrepreneurs honored for success
St. Louis American See page A5
The
CAC Audited NOVEMBER 13 – 19, 2025
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
stlamerican.com
Vol. 97 No. 31 COMPLIMENTARY
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Homes along the 4200 block of St. Louis Avenue destroyed by the May 16 tornado that swept through north and west St. Louis neighborhoods are still in need of serious repairs. Photos taken November 10.
Still rebuilding
Six months later, North St. Louis coming together – one block at a time By Sylvester Brown Jr., Zaria Mac and Ashley Winters St. Louis American
O
n May 16, 2025, a ruthless tornado tore through parts of St. Louis City, County and the Metro East. In less than 30 minutes, the storm carved a 20-mile scar across North St. Louis, flattening blocks in Fountain Park, Penrose, The Ville and Kingshighway West. Nearly 5,000 homes, churches and businesses were destroyed, with damage estimates topping $1.6 billion. Six months later, the city is still in the midst of healing — physically and emotionally. The most powerful storm to hit in nearly a century left some neighborhoods unrecognizable. Yet amid the devastation, St. Louisans have shown remarkable strength and generosity, with thousands pitching in to deliver food, clear debris and comfort neighbors where official help lagged. Across North St. Louis, recovery remains slow and uncertain. But stories of resilience and community continue to define the city’s long road home.
See TORNADO, A15
Food insecurity
Problem deepens across St. Louis region amid federal aid delays By Nia Hightower For The St. Louis American With more families across the St. Louis region struggling to make ends meet, community groups and local governments are expanding food distributions and pantry services to meet growing demand before the holidays. “Ever since the announcement of a reduction or pause in SNAP benefits, we’ve seen a huge increase in visits to our six food pantries across the region,” said Michael McMillan, CEO
See FOOD, A12
Larry Gray stands in front of a tornado-damaged home near Ashland and Newstead avenues. He has provided free meals, clothing and essential items to residents for the past six months.
Photo by Sylvester Brown Jr. / St. Louis American
‘Mill Creek: Black Metropolis’ Restoring a lost legacy
By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American
Photo courtesy of the Urban League
The Panera Pantry, at the headquarters of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, serves food to area residents.
For decades, Mill Creek Valley was dismissed in headlines as a “slum.” In truth, it was a cultural and civic powerhouse — a place where jazz, blues and ragtime thrived. Black-owned businesses, churches, schools and social clubs flourished there, and nearly 20,000 residents built lives rooted in joy, resistance and community. On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Missouri History Museum will unveil “Mill
Creek: Black Metropolis,” an exhibition that resurrects the story of Mill Creek Valley — a vibrant, 454-acre African American neighborhood in mid-century St. Louis that was razed in the name of urban renewal but never erased from memory. “For too long, Mill Creek was described by what was taken from it rather than what it gave,” said Julia Clark, African American History Initiative Programming Specialist at the Missouri History Museum. “This
See MILL CREEK, A12