NGA, Harris-Stowe sign agreement to develop STEM educators
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St. LouiS AmericAn The
Serving, empowering and advocating equity in St. Louis since 1928
CAC Audited OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2020
Vol. 92 No. 27 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
All you need to know to vote
American wins Gold Cup from MO Press Captures the coveted award for the sixth time in eight years American staff
Photo by Wiley Price
Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Veronica Walton spent the afternoon of Saturday, September 26 near North Grand Boulevard and Spring Avenue encouraging residents in North St. Louis’ Greater Ville neighborhood to remember to vote on November 3. In fact, absentee voting is underway at the local election authorities, and many voters are eligible to cast their votes now.
See GOLD CUP, A6
Explaining the important dates for the Nov. 3 general election By Nigel Holloway For The St. Louis American “Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble,” Civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis wrote, before his death on July 17. “Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a dem-
ocratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.” Every citizen has the opportunity of having their voice heard in the November 3 presidential election by casting their ballot. Absentee voting is underway, as of September 22. Voters should note these other important dates: • October 7: Last day to register to vote • October 21: Last day to request ballot by mail
2020 SALute to exceLLence
• October 31: Saturday absentee voting 9 a.m.-1 p.m. • November 2: Last day to vote absentee in person • November 3: Absentee ballots must be received by election authority by 7 p.m. As a notary and a poll judge, let me explain the significance of these dates. September 22. If you are either unable or
See VOTE, A7
How God got Ella Owens’ attention Baptist church activist had her ministry interrupted by COVID-19 infection When COVID-19 struck, Ella Owens was serving as the administrative assistant and missionary president at Greater Leonard Missionary Baptist Church is the Old North neighborhood. This involved attending to its business, collecting offerings, worshiping, doing missionary work in the neighborhood, and overseeing once-a-week food and clothing give-aways.
By Sylvester Brown Jr. Of The St. Louis American “It appeared that my life was going along rather well.” In her letter to The American, Ella Owens expressed appreciation for her life. At 76, Ella and her husband, Phillip, 77, are retired empty nesters. With their three children all grown and living in different parts of the country, the couple lives comfortably in their home in Pasadena Park in Normandy. Ella wrote of how God is using her in the ministry: “God is working through me. All of us have been created with a purpose, and I feel like this is my purpose. I enjoy my positions in the church and gathering with fellow parishioners.” On any day, the diminutive senior citizen climbs into her miniature, 2014 forest green, white-topped Mini Cooper and heads
See OWENS, A6
Photo by Sylvester Brown Jr.
The St. Louis American won the Gold Cup award for weekly newspapers with a circulation of 5,000 or more from Missouri Press Association in its 2020 Better Newspaper Contest. This marks the sixth time in the past eight years that The St. Louis American has won top honors among all large weeklies from the state press association. In all, The American won 43 statewide awards, the most it has ever won in this comThe St. Louis petition. Besides American’s Mary Easter the Gold Cup, The and Robin Britt display St. Louis American the 2020 Gold Cup. won 10 first place awards, 12 second place awards, nine third place awards and 11 honorable mentions. Each year, a different state press association judges the competition. This year, it was the South Carolina Press Association. “This is an affirmation of the journalism quality of our mission-driven work that is achieved by
‘Second mom’ at Lift For Life Ariel Turner is 2020 SEMO Counselor of the Year By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American Tylea Wilson was a self-proclaimed “busy bee” during her senior year at Lift For Life Academy in 2019. She was class president, heavily involved in sports, an activist and valedictorian. “But yet, I was still growing up on the North Side of St. Louis,” Wilson said. “During the last two years of high school, I lost a lot of people. I lost a sibling, I lost best friends, I lost my boyfriend. Ms. Turner could tell when something was wrong; I didn’t have to say anything.” Ariel Turner Ariel Turner is a college and career counselor at Lift For Life Academy, a charter school in Soulard. The school building, at 1731 South Broadway, was once a bank and still has the marble teller counters and columns in the school lobby. Turner could tell if something was off the minute Wilson walked through the school doors, Wilson said, and they would “talk for hours” in
See SALUTE, A7