Nation loses two leaders The Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth passes at age 89 and Derrick Bell passes at age 80.
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Vol. 83 No. 28
CAC Audited OCTOBER 13 – 19, 2011
COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Jumping for the First Lady
BUSINESS SALUTE
Retaining minority talent Valerie Patton of Business Diversity Initiative is NonProfit Exec of Year By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American Valerie Patton is a builder, visionary and strategist. She defines her work as “hightouch, high-feel.” For more than nine years, she has been the executive director of the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative, which creates sustainable change in local workforce diversity, inclusion and leadership. On November 9, Patton will receive the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2011 Non-Profit Executive of the Year at the Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon. The event will be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton. The St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative offers a yearlong fellows program, where professionals of color meet monthly to sharpen their leaderValerie Patton, ship skills and explore executive aspects of inclusion. director of the “When we develSt. Louis oped the fellows proBusiness gram, we were looking Diversity for solutions to ‘brain Initiative, will drain,’ retention of talreceive the ent and advancement St. Louis of talent,” Patton said. American Forty-seven percent Foundation’s of graduates have been 2011 Non-Profit Executive of the See PATTON, A7 Year Nov. 9.
Photo by UPI/Bill Greenblatt
Children from the Barack Obama Elementary School do as many jumping jacks as they can in a one-minute period on Tuesday. First Lady Michelle Obama was trying to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period. Thousands of schools across the U.S. brought groups of children together to help Mrs. Obama achieve this World Record as part of her “Let’s Move” initiative.
Protestors wait for answer Job site shutdown postponed for board’s decision By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American Protests downtown for more minority laborers at the Central Library renovation project continued on Friday, but activists did not disrupt operations as promised. “It was suggested by us that they would think to not cross the property lines in order to continue discussions,” said Ken Brostron, attorney for the St. Louis Public Library. Last week, Mikail Ali, of the African
“The public library is saying that it doesn’t have a moral obligation to accomplish the intentions of the stimulus program?” – Adolphus Pruitt, NAACP
dent Adolphus Pruitt presented the library with nine requests. These include urging the project’s general contractors to hire more black and minority workers and giving contractors incentives to hire graduates of the Construction Prep Center in North St. Louis City. Other requests in the proposal include a revised library diversity statement, a new program for future library vendor opportunities, and a consultant to implement the program.
American Business & Contractors Association (AABCA), and St. Louis City NAACP presi-
See SHUT DOWN, A6
‘Friendly’ church in the community Rev. Michael Jones turned his grandfather’s modest church into bustling sanctuary By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American “My grandfather’s attitude was to remain in this community, and it became the church’s mantra that we will stay,” said Rev. Dr. Michael Jones, senior pastor of Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church. “Since we were staying, we had Photo by Wiley Price
AMERICAN WINS LEADERSHIP AWARD Inland Press Association says paper provides ‘hope and positive direction’
to find a way to serve this community and transform it.” His grandfather, Robert Fulton Davis, founded Friendly Temple in 1955 with three members. He called himself “a ghetto preacher.” “It is certainly bigger than what we thought it would be,” Jones said about Friendly’s expansion. On one side of the campus is the dilapidated area that used to be the heart of Wellston. On
DES PLAINES, IL – The St. Louis American has won an international first place Community Leadership Award by Inland Press Association, an organization of more than 1,200 member newspapers in all 50 states, Canada and Bermuda. The American won in its circulation class, 25,001-75,000 circulation, for its annual Salute to Excellence programs,
See FRIENDLY, A6
See AWARD, A7
By K. Michael Jones Of The St. Louis American
“These events, combined with large special sections highlighting the honorees, are symbols of hope and positive direction in St. Louis.”