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CAC Audited NOV. 29 – DEC. 5, 2018
COMPLIMENTARY
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Cops who fled fatal Berkeley crash fired Activist: ‘Other steps towards complete justice is necessary’ By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Until the North St. Louis County community started raising questions, the St. Louis County Police had been consistently telling the media that their officers did not engage in a high-speed chase of a vehicle that ultimately crashed into a tree in Berkeley on August 10, killing two black men. After the car crashed, the two county officers – who initiated the pursuit because of a traffic violation – kept driving. The two
n “I like the fact that Belmar fired these officers,” said Darryl Neil, Mikel’s older brother. “That’s step number one.”
men who died in the crash were Mikel Neil, 49, and Townsal Woolfolk, 59. Now nearly four months later, Police Chief Jon Belmar announced that the two
Vol. 90 No. 36
Desegregating Saint Louis University Bill Clay, one of 11 black freshmen admitted in 1949, looks back By Chris King Of The St. Louis American
county officers did pursue the car and provided “misleading” information to their commanders, the department’s internal investigation found. It goes against county police policy to pursue a vehicle if a felony has not been committed. The two officers, Alex Maloy and Mark Jakob, have been fired. “Through the examination of the Highway Patrol’s crash investigation, internal documentation, and video evidence, it was determined that the involved officers
See CRASH, A7
Rev. Wilson’s final day
Saint Louis University is celebrating its bicentennial in 2018, but blacks and women have been admitted to the Jesuit icon in Midtown for barely half a century. Former Congressman Bill Clay was one of 11 black students who first matriculated at SLU in 1949, and The American asked him about his experiences. St. Louis American: When did you enroll at Saint Louis University and why? Bill Clay: I enrolled in Saint Louis University Bill Clay in September 1949 after my graduation from Saint Nicholas High School. I was the recipient of a Catholic education, graduating from St. Nicholas Elementary and its high school. The university had a great representation across the country, and Catholics in the Midwest considered it great occasion to be accepted by the institution. That, of course, was white Catholics, since it was an allwhite, all-male institution. During the prior years of my enrollment, the
See CLAY, A6
Rev. Starsky Wilson, paster of St. John’s Church blesses a young girl after being baptised during his last day at the church in the Fairgrounds Park neighborhood.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Bassem Masri died of massive heart attack on Tuesday, November 27 at age 32.
Bassem Masri dies of massive heart attack Influential Ferguson livestreamer and ArabAmerican activist Photo by Wiley Price
By Umar Lee For The St. Louis American
Better Family Life rallies local teens 2,500 students reminded about STDs and teen pregnancy prevention By Mariah Stewart For The St. Louis American Over 2,500 students packed the Scottish Rite Theater on November 20 for Better Family Life’s annual Teen Empowerment Rally. The event was designed to uplift teens and raise awareness about sexually
transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy prevention. “We want kids to come together and see each other doing positive and wonderful exciting things,” Miranda Jones, vice president of Better Family Life (BFL), told The American. “We had kids from East St. Louis to North County.”
BFL organized the rally as part of its Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program in the wake of alarming STD and violence rates in the St. Louis region. In St. Louis County, syphilis rates have spiked for the highest amount of cases in five years. Last year, St. Louis was ranked
See TEENS, A7
Bassem Masri was remembered in funeral prayers on Wednesday, November 28 at Dar al Jalal mosque in Hazelwood. The Muslim funeral rite (the janazah prayer) is short and simple, over and done in a few minutes. Most often no talk is given, and that is saved for family visitations. The Muslim completes the cycle of life with simplicity, knowing that in our graves there is no difference between a king and a peasant. All are buried in white shrouds. While the funeral of Bassem Masri will be simple, his life certainly was not. Bassem’s upbringing in Florissant was an
See MASRI, A6