Remembering black businesses Town/gown history course connects Wash U students with North City families
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Vol. 83 No. 24
CAC Audited SEPTEMBER 15 – 21, 2011
COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
SLPS contracts in question School choice advocates hired to recruit for public schools By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American Longtime St. Louis activist Bertha GilkeyBonds is one of the state’s biggest advocates for charter schools, particularly in black neighborhoods where school buildings are boarded up.
Suggs scholar studies abroad
She’s the state director for the national nonprofit Black Alliance for Educational Options. Just this year the St. Louis Public School District has awarded her organization four contracts, totaling more than $750,000, to recruit students into the district and improve student performance.
It could be that Superintendent Kelvin Adams is trying to mend the public education chasm. Or it could be a suspicious conflict of interest, as Susan Turk writes in her Aug. 5 article for the St. Louis School Watch, “The Sweet Perfume of Money.” Why would the school district – which has
Melba and Nathaniel A. Sweets enter Missouri Press Hall of Fame By American staff
By Rebecca S. Rivas Of The St. Louis American
See DANIEL, A6
See SLPS, A7
American places first for General Excellence
10th anniversary of 9/11
Brittany Daniel returns from Australia to Mizzou This summer, University of Missouri student Brittany Daniel studied Australian animals in their natural habitats on a monthlong expedition. Every few days, she and 13 other students traveled to a new amazing place, including veterinary schools, mountains and animal sanctuaries, to learn about animals. It was all part of a study-abroad pro “The gram through UM’s College of university Agriculture and gave us the Natural Resources. opportunity And it was all paid to see things for through her 2008 Dr. Donald that we would never M. Suggs which have seen if Scholarship, funds a studywe toured abroad experience. Australia by “The university gave us the opporourselves.” tunity to see things that we would – Brittany never have seen if Daniel we toured Australia by ourselves,” she said. The students visited ranches where farmers talked about working with native animals, and they also learned about the Aboriginal culture. Even though Daniel is not a veterinary student, she said the program was fascinating. This May, Daniel will graduate with a degree in communications science and disorders, and then she’ll go
long claimed that charter schools are sucking the life out of its resources – hire a pro-charter organization to recruit students into SLPS schools? Gilkey-Bonds said the organization supports
Photo by Wiley Price
Adrian White and her daughter Francesa White, age 6, a student at Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School, and other citizens, including Kim Shivers, participated in a public commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 at Forest Park on Sunday.
The St. Louis American garnered 16 awards for excellence in journalism and design, as well as community service at a recent statewide newspaper competition. The Better Newspaper Awards were presented at the 145th annual convention of the Missouri Press Association, which was held in Branson, Missouri this past week. In its circulation class, The American – now the state’s largest weekly newspaper – won first place awards for: General Excellence, Community Service, Best Business Coverage, Best Video (Rebecca Rivas) and Best Ad Idea or Newspaper Promotion (Kevin Jones). The criteria for the General Excellence award were based on: breadth of news coverage, quality of writing, advertising design and layout, general layout, use of photos and artwork, editorial page, front page, sports page, headline language, and treatment of public notices. According to St. Louis American publisher and executive editor Donald M. Suggs, who was in attendance at the convention, the See AMERICAN, A7
‘Amen’ chorus for Dr. Doris Jones Wilson Legendary choir director and arranger honored for 65 years of service
Members of the Legend Singers performed at West Side Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the career of legendary choir director and arranger Dr. Doris Jones Wilson.
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American
Dr. Doris Jones Wilson
What was planned as a celebration for Dr. Doris Jones Wilson ended up being a praise testament to the legendary choir director. As the honored guest and her husband entered the doors of West Side Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon, the shouting began well before the musical program See WILSON, A6 Photo by Wiley Price