PAGE 4A • THE ST. LOUIS EVENING WHIRL • TUESDAY, MARCH 24-31, 2015 • @thewhirlonline The Truth Hurts Sometimes: The St. Louis Evening Whirl’s Editorials & Opinions You Still Must Tell It! By Rev. Rodrick Burton COMMUNITY MATTERS Jonathan Capehart is an African American writer, blogger, and substitute-anchor on MSNBC’s “UP with Steve Kornac- ki.” Capehart strongly protested the injustice of the Michael Brown killing everywhere he Roadmap to Empowerment: Fruitful For STL Urban League Clients & Sponsors could until March the 16th when he wrote this piece, ‘Hands Up Don’t Shoot’ was built on a lie. He did not retreat one bit from calling for an end to police profiling, militarization, and bru- tality. Caphart did not step back from calling for an end to state sponsored debtor’s prison with unjust ticketing and incarceration. He still called and demands that America value black lives as much as everyone else, but he apologized for using Michael Brown’s case as an example after he read the exhaustive Department of Justice Report on his shooting. Before we go any further, we must note that many welcome and cite the Department of Justice Report on Ferguson’s sys- tematic racism in governance, policing, and courts. Many hold it up as undeniable, verifiable, factual truth; proving what blacks have been saying all along about Ferguson. On the flip side, that same army of investigators, FBI agents, and forensic researchers in an 86 page report found that Offic- LEFT: STL Mayor Francis Slay; former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman; Keynoter Dr. George C. Fraser with Michael P. McMillan, president/CEO, er Darren Wilson was justified in shooting Michael Brown Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. CENTER: National UL Chairman Michael F. Neidorff; Andrea Jackson, STL County Human Services; who witnesses (black and white) saw the incident go down former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, and STL City License Collector Mavis Thompson, Esquire. RIGHT: Heatupstlouis.org board member exactly as Wilson said. DNA, fingerprint, gunshot residue, and STL County Executive Steven V. Stenger and Harry E. Johnson, Sr., Friends of Memorial Foundation. and blood evidence all backed Wilson’s recalling of events. The supposed holding of his hands up in surrender exposed as supposition. It’s like the saying goes, “If you tell a lie long enough, it becomes the truth.” So Capehart wrote his piece and the Washington Post column received over 5,000 comments. They stopped count- ing at 5,000. As I read the vile accusations and ignorant com- ments lobbed at a black journalist with a record for standing up for black people, I wondered how we expected anyone outside of our community to take what we say about profiling and racism to be true when we won’t acknowledge what facts prove to be true. If the truth must always fit our narrative of us being victims of white racism, then at some point it becomes propaganda and less than truthful. This scenario happened before with the infamous Duke rape case. Our community and even a white prosecutor were FAR LEFT: Michael P. McMillan, honoree Richard Mark, president/CEO, Ameren Illinois with STL Urban League board chair Richard H. Miles. LEFT: all convinced some rich lacrosse players rape a black stripper. Malik Ahmed, and DeBorah Ahmed of Better Family Life with Michael Patrick McMillan. RIGHT: Esther Haywood, president, STL County NAACP; and It turned out to be a complete lie. How authentic are our cries County Executive Steven V. Stenger. FAR RIGHT: Consultant Ida Woolfolk and David L. Steward, Honorary Dinner Chair, UL. for truth and justice when we have nothing to say when oth- ers outside our community suffer injustice. Only racists are happy with Wilson’s actions, most folks of any color and even cops are saddened by Michael Brown’s death, but just as I tell my congregants you have to tell the truth whether it makes you look good or not, the same goes for our people. We have to tell the truth and not be biased about it. The truth is there are many examples of police brutal- ity against the poor and people of color. Michael Brown’s killing was not one of them. Capehart was right, ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot’ was built on a lie and if you are about the truth you will not repeat that lie. My prayers and support are still with the Brown Family, who has suffered a tragedy too terrible and often too common ••• Editor’s Note: Rodrick K. Burton is Pastor, New Northside Missionary Baptist Church, 8645 Goodfellow Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63147, www.newnorthsidebaptist.org, FAR LEFT: Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, Atty. Mavis Thompson; Steven V. Stenger and Kathleen T. Osborn, executive director, RBC. LEFT: STL City (314) 381-5730. The opinions expressed by this regular contributing columnist are not Treasurer Tishaura Jones, ex-Secretary Alexis Herman and jazz stylist Denise Thimes. RIGHT: Rev. C. Jessel Strong, Heatupstlouis.org board and necessarily those of the Evening Whirl. Aldermanic President Lewis Reed. FAR RIGHT: STL County Community Empowerment staff Betty Thompson and Mattie Moore with former UL chair Atty. Frankie M. Freeman. DOJ Report: Sound-Bite Superbowl…Take the Field By James Clark When I heard that the Department of Justice had launched an investigation into the Ferguson police department and court practices in St. Louis County, I knew ex- actly what their finding would be. Being from the area my childhood, teen, and young adult years were filled with stories, experiences, and plans on how to navigate the terrain of the many North County police departments. As a child, I can recall attending court with a parent, or adult family member and marveling at how many African Americans were packed into the court, while others waited in long lines outside. As a FAR LEFT: Michael McMillan and Ameren Corporation’s Chairman & President Warner Baxter. LEFT: Patrick J. Sly, Executive Vice President, Emerson, teen, I recall riding through North County with friends as we accepts company honor from UL’s Michael P. McMillan. RIGHT: Heatupstlouis.org board members STL Mayor Francis Slay, Michael P. McMillan, reminded each other to “sit up straight.” As a young adult, I experienced being stopped, multiple Sandra Moore with Ameren Corp’s Chairman & President Warner Baxter. FAR RIGHT: Gracie Shields; UL Board members Debra Denham, Mathews- times in the same day on a short strip along Natural Bridge Dickey and Rev. E.G. Shields, Sr. Blvd. by different police departments, then, the following week- end, having the same experience driving along West Floris- sant. You see St. Louis, I did not need the Department of Justice report to know we had a serious problem in St. Louis County. If you have lived in St. Louis for any length of time, you’re personal experiences and the stories you have heard from others painted the picture. St. Louis we knew the police departments had an un-writ- ten policy of pulling African Americans over, petty traffic stops. We were all aware of the disproportionate, number of tickets written to African American motorists. We were all aware of the practices of police officers to set up speed traps, and knew that was an effort to meet ticket quotas. We all have watched for over 25 years, and did or said little FAR LEFT: Atty. Thomas Campbell; Rick Sullivan, special administrative board, St. Louis Public Schools, and Ed Bryant, St. Louis Minority Business to nothing. Had it not been for the killing of Michael Brown, Jr. the practices and policies would continue. Council. LEFT: Michael Moehn, Chairman and CEO, Ameren Missouri with Attorney Lisa Nielsen and Judge Jimmie Edwards. RIGHT: Eddie Davis, In 2000, Better Family Life, Inc. implemented the St. Louis Greater St. Louis Economic Development Council, educator Hattie and Ron Jackson. FAR RIGHT: UL Annual Dinner chairs Marsha and William Metropolitan Area Amnesty Program. To date, this innova- Rusnack. tive model has provided a non-threatening way for individu- als with outstanding warrants to re-engage the courts, with- out fear of arrest or posting a high bond. My challenge is St. Louis, we must get to a place where we can identify our problems and establish real action items that will result in change. Today, we are facing many challenges. We must end what I call, “The Superbowl of Sound Bites.” We enjoy talking, and analyzing issues once the mainstream media comes with cameras. Yet, those same issues exist, and we do little to address them. We must move beyond the pattern of meetings, church meetings, panel discussions, summits, and rallies. St. Louis we must get to a place where we do not need outside leaders, or outside government agencies to champion the issues we see, and feel every day. FAR LEFT: STL City Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly, Stacy Edwards and Rev. Arthur Cavitt, St. Nicholas Catholic Church. LEFT: Byron R. Price, ••• U.S. Bank, Denise Thomas and Linda Harris, UL’s SVP of Administration. RIGHT: April Ford Griffin, executive director, Affordable Housing Commis- Editor’s Note: James Clark is a contributing columnist and vice president of community outreach for Better Family Life. Your feedback is welcomed at sion; Sandra Moore, president of Urban Strategies, Inc. and STL County’s Andrea Jackson. FAR RIGHT: Mary J. Hayden, Martin Mathews and Cynthia [email protected] Williams. By Gentry Trotter, Editor & Publisher, corporate negligence over the years. City & Better Family Joint MultiMedia PR News Everyone has a role to play in strengthen- The year 2014 had to be one of the most ing a community, it doesn’t matter what politi- Efforts to Reduce Crime challenging years for many area municipalities, cal party you are affiliated with, as long as you ST. LOUIS—The City of St. Louis is increasing funding to long before the controversial Ferguson and possess some parts of an active Christian/Judeo Better Family Life to deliver targeted resources to neighbor- North County conflicts. There was a powder stance and can roll-up your sleeves when a hoods with the greatest amount of crime. The Neighborhood keg ready to explode throughout the St. Louis crisis pops up from time-to-time, after all that’s Alliance outreach model connects families and households region, as local, state and federal dollars be- what good citizenship is about, as residents to more than 65 different resource providers to help stabilize came tighter and requests for employment and and other entities of actions. individuals and families, and in turn, neighborhoods. job training limped along; increase in violent So, thanks to the indefatigable Michael At Mayor Francis Slay’s direction, the City has approved gang warfare, expensive higher education ac- Patrick McMillan, a professional staff committ- a $30,000 increase from Prop S funding, allotting a total of cessibility, tighter household budgets for utili- ed to excellence in serving the needs of the $55,000 for Better Family Life to expand the Neighborhood ties, groceries and rent for area seniors, the dis- “least of these,” and a good committed board Alliance Model, a neighborhood-centered program designed to provide residents with direct access to resource providers abled and low-income households and even Ameren Corp’s Warner Baxter; UL’s board chair of directors for the most part; the leadership that are able to address the immediate needs of each member the working middle class was feeling a pinch Richard Miles and KSDK’s Rene Knott, who has proven its ability to reach out and network of the household, such as: Employment, education, mentor- with lack of resources for home mortgage pay- MCed. with all types of resources, but its advocacy ing, drug treatment, mental health, legal assistance, and ac- ments, as well as equitable accessibility to so- ing center at 9420 West Florissant Blvd., thanks mission has most recently met and succeeded cess to food and prenatal care. cioeconomic elements that help them jettison to the generosity of QuikTrip Corporation with exceptional expectations, at a time they also Active in portions of three of the City’s more challenged to a new level of improving their quality of lives. its board member, Michael Johnson present. He were much needed. neighborhoods, this innovative model has shown early signs All summer and winter long, the St. Louis turned over the land to the Urban League as a During the recent annual dinner, McMillan of success in improving the quality of life and reducing crime Metropolitan Urban League was quietly meet- gift. ticked-off all types of four and five-star suc- “This is another arm of our hot spot initiative,” said Mayor ing the needs of the working poor, as well as The new Ferguson Community Empowerment cesses that make the Urban League the primary Slay. “First, we add officers to address increasing crime in the those who have temporary slid down the eco- mover and shaker in the social service and neighborhoods that need it most. Then, we follow up with a Center, which will cost about $500,000 to build, barrage of other City services, such as board-up, refuse, and nomic ladders, due to temporary will also be a new facility home for the Save Our equality areas because diversity of staff, board forestry crews. The partnership we’ve developed with Better hardships. However, under the leadership of Sons project, a jobs training and placement ser- and funding sources only equate to diversity Family Life will now add another layer of support to the fami- its news president, Michael Patrick McMillan vice targeting the Ferguson area and other North of thoughts and commendable deeds. lies in these specific neighborhoods.” this unit had begun to outpace its old records, County communities. Emerson, RBC, Ameren Former U.S. Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, “I put the integrity of the St. Louis City Police Department and well over 90,000 people in need have been Corporation and Civic Progress are among the also a national UL board member; Harry behind the Neighborhood Alliance outreach model,” said Chief impacted, mainly because McMillan is a cata- financial supporters to ensure that physical and Johnson, president and CEO of The Memorial Sam Dotson, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. “The lyst for chance – he harbors innovative ap- social service structures are erected. Foundation, and Dr. George Fraser were pas- issues we face in our more challenged neighborhoods begin proaches and critically he continues to show a McMillan gave a glowing and stabilizing re- sionate, well-informed and enjoyable when they in families, then, impact the neighborhood. Through aggres- unique ability to partner with corporate, civic mounted the podium to give us a glimpse of sive outreach, resource delivery, and case management, we port of 2014 and the brightest potentials of 2015 can improve public safety and make St. Louis a better place to and even social service funding entities that in various operational phases. In addition, we their individual commitment to improving lives’ live, work and play.” are able to support the League’s mission. enjoyed an evening of every-day people work- chances for so many struggling others. Better Family Life and the SLMPD will work together to Clearly on the same day, we attended a ing alongside the captains of local industries to We’ve been to a lot of UL’s events and an- identify neighborhoods most in need of these specific re- power-packed, fast-paced annual business din- quietly repair the area’s weak and battered so- nual dinners over the years and this was the sources. Trained outreach workers and case managers then ner at a downtown hotel. Earlier that day, cioeconomic infrastructure due to a weakened most prolific and results-oriented of the past 30 provide the necessary follow-up to ensure that key services McMillan and a group of civic and corporate economy, and often stale because of weak politi- years, that I am proud to have attended. are delivered and that individuals are taking advantage of the doers unveiled a very promising new job train- cal leadership, and potentially some civic and resources offered.