Can People civic leadership live up to 2017 Against principled civil disobedience? Poverty campaign
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St. LouiS AmericAn The
CAC Audited OCTOBER 12 – 18, 2017
Vol. 89 No. 30 COMPLIMENTARY
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American ACLU claims aggressive VonDerrit remembered Unity is the message at vigil for teen fatally shot by city cop in 2014 By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American Syreeta Myers took a deep breath Sunday, October 8 as she made her way to Shaw and Klemm just before the candlelight vigil in memory of her son VonDerrit Myers Jr. It was the third anniversary of his death. On the front of her shirt was a picture of her and her late son embracing as they smiled for the camera. She was approaching the corner where her life changed forever. As she took another breath trying to get her emotions in check, her eyes began to well. Before her tears could fall, she was recognized and greeted with n “What I love embrace after embrace by those most is the gathered to pay tribute to his life. This past weekend of protests nationalities, was strikingly similar to three years ago. On Friday, the group the different that took to the streets in the wake races of us all of the Jason Stockley verdict three weeks ago headed to Ferguson. On coming together Sunday, the group converged on in unity.” Shaw and Klemm. The Ferguson unrest was in full swing when 18-year-old VonDerrit – VonDerrit Myers Sr. Myers Jr. was fatally shot by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Jason Flanery on October 8, 2014. The protestors left Ferguson to stand in solidarity with the Myers family in South City. They filled pews at the church for his funeral in North County. And for the third year, hundreds came back to Shaw and Klemm to help the family celebrate his life. “We are here to uplift his family, to let his family know that we haven’t forgot – that we will continue to fight and stand with them,” said state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. “The most important message about tonight is love. Look at everybody that’s next to you, everybody behind you and everybody in front of you – this is love. This is unity.” Syreeta Myers, VonDerrit Myers Sr. and several family and
ACLU targets schoolto-prison pipeline New report finds disproportionate impact on black and disabled students in Missouri
Syreeta Myers and VonDerrit Myers Sr. (right) joined a candlelight vigil in the Shaw neighborhood for their son, VonDerrit Myers Jr., on Sunday, October 8, the third anniversary of his death. He was killed by an off-duty St. Louis police officer in what the city prosecutor decided was a justified shooting in self-defense.
Photos by Vincent Lang
friends were showered with love and support. “It is our honor and our privilege to stand with you,” Melissa Higgins said, making a point to look Syreeta and VonDerrit Sr. in the eyes. “We don’t take it lightly that you are serving a life See VONDERRIT, A7
CWAH to community: ‘We got you!’ Nominations due Oct. 20 for 2017 People Against Poverty campaign By Gwen Swan For The St. Louis American
In 2016, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri filed a lawsuit against a Missouri school where a 7-yearold child had been marched to the principal’s office in handcuffs. Kalyb Wiley Primm, a black second grader, had responded to taunts from classroom bullies by crying and screaming. The ACLU saw Primm’s treatment as part of a disturbing pattern of over-policing of schools. Now, the organization has released a report detailing the extent
The TV cameras are gone, the GoFundMe accounts depleted, the rest of the world has moved on. Less than two years have passed, and the deep pain and sadness are still clearly heard in Sarah William’s voice. “My heart is heavy, and at the end of every day I tell myself that I did my best for the past 24 hours,” she said. “That’s all that I can do.” The house fire that destroyed her home and took the lives of three children – her niece, grand-niece,
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By Jessica Karins For The St. Louis American
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Sarah Williams and her children were welcomed into the Community Women Against Hardship (CWAH) family through its Christmas Program in 2016 after receiving a nomination from Williams’ sister.