1. PAGE 4A • THE ST. LOUIS EVENING WHIRL • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9-16, 2014 • @thethethethethewwwwwhirhirhirhirhirlonlinelonlinelonlinelonlinelonline
The St. Louis Evening Whirl’s Editorials & OpinionsNews and Views:
Sheer Elegance Fashion Show
Celebrates Gems St. Louis Style
The gems of St. Louis are its rich history, unique attrac-
tions and wonderful people, including the girls of Mathews-
Dickey.The SheerEleganceNo.26FashionShow celebrates
the250thanniversaryofSt.Louisbydepictingthesejewelsin
“Gems St. Louis Style” at 11 a.m., Saturday, December 13, at
theChaseParkPlaza,212N.KingshighwayBlvd.
The charitable effort features exciting entertainment, stel-
lar door prizes, “Project Runway” alumni designers, celebrity
escorts like Actress Anna Maria Horsford, models like inter-
national sensation Jennie Runk and 20 outstanding Girls’
Honorees recognized for academics, community service and
citizenship.
The stylish affair features the very best of The Lou and
around the country, including Brown Shoe’s Carlos Santana
footwear; men’s wear designer Paulie Gibson; Savvi Formal
Wear;ShanOliverKeith,finalistfrom“UndertheGunn”Sea-
son 1; “Project Runway” alumni Michael Drummond, Laura
Kathleen,AJ Thouvenot and Qristyl Frazier and many more.
The entertainment will trace this fair city’s history in tributes
toLuckyLindy’shistoricflight,trailblazingdancechoreogra-
pherKatherineDunham,down-homeSt.Louisbluesandmore.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Fashion Editor Debra Bass and
KMOX “Total Information” Co-Host Debbie Monterrey pre-
side over the festivities, and KTVI FOX 2’s Bonita Cornute
will announce, a bevy of door prizes!
Most importantly, that day it’s all about the girls, with 20
high-school aged young women recognized for their academ-
ic, extra-curricular and community service achievements and
20 elementary-to-middle school girls taking part in a special
“Meet Me in St. Louis” thematic presentation.
Prior to the show the honorees receive eight weeks of
personal development and choreography training leading up
to their finale dance. They also are escorted down the runway
bycommunityleaders,rangingfromthemayortotheheadsof
cultural institutions, media personalities, CEOs and Actress
Anna Maria Horsford.
The 2014 slate of Girls Honorees includes:Alexia Bailey,
13;BriannaBailon,15;BraneishaCooper,16;DanielleDaniels,
15; Kira Downing, 13; Whitney Gant, 17; Wangui Gathungu,
17;SydneyGreen,17;MaKaylaHarden,13;DiamondHerron,
17; Deja Jackson, 18; Quiana Jefferson, 17; Oraiah Johnson,
17; Monay Phillips, 17; Dominique Prothro, 15; Taia Rucker,
17; Pareece Sanders, 17; Alyssiah Santano, 13; McKenzie
Spain,14;andChassityWilliams,14.
Under the leadership of event chair Forest ReLeaf , Mis-
souri Executive Director, Donna Coble and co-chair Greens-
felder,HemkerandGaleOfficerVanessaKeith,a$140,000fund-
raising goal has been established to support opportunities
for young women to enjoy positive educational, leadership
andcareertrainingexperiences;buildstrongbodiesandminds
in sports and recreation and encourage them to explore their
artistic and cultural aspirations.
Communityleadersalsowillberecognizedwiththepresti-
gious Sheer Elegance Award: Blueberry Hill Owner Joe Ed-
wards for his outstanding civic contributions to St. Louis and
AllsupVicePresidentPhakishaHorne,along-timecommittee
volunteer and perennial top ticket seller.
Diamond Major sponsors include CenteneHome State
Health Plan, Edward Jones, Engelhardt Family Foundation
and the Saigh Foundation. Corporate donors are Ameren,
American Family Insurance, The Catherine Manley Gaylord
Foundation, Clayco, John andAlison Nichols Ferring, Dowd
Bennett LLP, The Monsanto Fund and Nestle Purina Pet-
Care.
Mathews-Dickey is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) United Way
memberagencythatprovideseducationalenrichment,cultur-
alartsandhealth,sportsandrecreationandsummerdaycamp
programming for thousands of area young men and women.
For more information or tickets, call Bill Fronczak at 314-
679-5228,e-mail bfronczak@mathews-dickey.com orvisitht-
tp://www.mathews-dickey.com/sheer-elegance.html.
By K Gerard Thomas
November 24, 2014 St Louis County, Missouri
12-member grand jury refuses to indict former Fer-
guson police officer Darren
Wilson for the shooting of
unarmed MichaelBrown.
December 3, 2014 Staten Island,
NewYork, a 23-member grand jury
refusedtoindictpatrolofficer Daniel
Panteleo for the chokehold death
usedagainstunarmed EricGarner.
Eachoftheseverdictsalongwith
other cases that are pending has sparked a national
outcry,protestmarchesand“DieIns”inwhichpro-
testersarestoppingtrafficandfallingontheground
for4.5minutestocommemoratethe4.5hoursMicha-
el Brown laid on the street dead.
From LosAngeles to NewYork, white men and
womenarejoiningwithAfricanAmericansandoth-
er nationalities to show some form of solidarity for
those who have lost their lives to questionable
deaths at the hands of law enforcement officers.
St. Louis is not NewYork:TheMichaelBrown
verdictandtheEricGarnerverdictsharesomesim-
ilarities but it is how leaders of the two cities han-
dled them that made all the difference.
What happened shortly after Michael Brown
was killed was a cocktail for disaster and between
the heavy handed military response of law enforce-
ment and the weak docile response of the politi-
ciansandsomereligiousclergyitofferedlittlehope
of a non-violent response.
Ferguson leadership wasAWOL in the summer
of 2014 and the Fall of 2014 and as a result Fergu-
son was ripe for more looting and violence because
some feel anger cannot be appeased with talk of
what one should do, it takes walking the streets
andinteractingwiththepublicwhichsomeareafraid
to do.
What separates Ferguson from New York was
the people felt compassion for Eric Garner because
his story was played out before the television and
thousands if not millions heard his cry for help; “I
Can’t Breath.” In the case of Michael Brown, the
release of the convenience store taped incident lost
AnotherView:TwoRulingsTwoMovementsorAnAmalgamationofTheSame
many potential sup-
porters for Brown,
which was calculated
to do so. From that
pointonMikeBrown
was on trial, not Wil-
son.
BraveLeadership
Missing in Action:
After each verdict
was announced, two
political leaders re-
sponded with differ-
ent tactics and styles.
Missouri Governor
Jay Nixon continued
to express a heavy-
handed, Old Testa-
ment approach and
subsequent discon-
nect from the Ferguson community.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on the other
hand showed concern and compassion, which de-
fused what some could have turned into a Time
Square melee.
ItisgoodtonotethattheNewYorkPolicelead-
ership, even though they were the target of anger,
did not engage protestors, which comes from an
understanding of all parties involved and that pub-
lic safety is the primary concern.
What seems to be apparent in the relationship
between the people and the leaders in Missouri is
that the level of trust and respect is at an all-time
low.Thoseelectedofficialswhoclaimtocareabout
all of the citizenry, when confronted, speak in the
same old political gobbety gook that offers no real
solutions.
These is true of the “blow in and blow out”
personality preachers who express concern and
love for the victim and the community but are un-
willingtoworkwiththepeopleorstaylongenough
to get a real sense of the problem or make any real
change. Instead, they are on to the next show.
IsThisaKingMoment? Somehavecomplained
that the current style of protest is not the way
King would have
organized it and
that the void that
Dr. King’s nonvi-
olent movement
leftisstillbeingfelt
today.
Many of the
leaders in the sev-
enties were ap-
peased with mon-
ey and fame and
chose not to build
up the next gener-
ation. Conse-
quently, the orga-
nizations that lead
the civil rights
movement started
to dissipate in in-
fluence and mem-
bership.
By the eighties and nineties some of these re-
maining organizations leaders offered a new vision
for change and honesty but unfortunately some of
these very leaders were caught with their hands in
the preverbal cookie jar.
If one were to ask a layperson on the street
who’s the current leader of any of the organizations
that started the marches in the sixties, I wonder
what their answer would be?
To those who feel this is an inconvenience I ask
asimplequestion;whereistheSCLC,ortheBroth-
erhoodCrusade,CORE,orforthatmatterwhocould
name the current president of these organizations?
Training the marchers and protesters should
have been by those who understand how to make a
movement work. If this is a real movement it will
bring about change, if not it will go the way of
OccupyWallStreetandGunReform;alltalkbutno
show.
• • •
Editor’s Note: K. Gerard Thomas, a contributing writer is one of
the sons of our beloved founder, the late Ben Thomas. However, the
opinions expressed by Thomas, do not necessarily reflect those of the
Evening Whirl.
By Atty. Mike Owens
What I’m going to say in this column will be
seen as heresy by some in St. Louis, but here goes.
Stop the protests. That’s right, I
said it, even though I’m a child of
the60’sanddidmyshareofprotest-
ing the war in Viet Nam. But, we
didn’t shove people around, throw
bottlesfilledwithurineortrytoblock
highways.
I think the initial protests were
good for St. Louis, a catharsis for
some of the anger created by the non-indictment of
formerFergusonpoliceofficerDarrenWilson.Wil-
son shot and killed Michael Brown after Wilson
says Brown attacked him in his patrol car in Au-
gust. However, there are many who think the grand
juryinvestigationwasreallyanexonerationofWil-
son and some St. Louisans want a redo. That might
happen, but shutting down highways or business-
es won’t bring it about.
The most valid protest in recent days was the
EnoughAlready:DemandingMoreThan“Justice”
march to Jefferson City, to set up a meeting with
Governor Jay Nixon. The NAACP ran this march
andithadacleargoal,whichwasmet:tomeetwith
the governor and present the group’s position to a
governor who has ducked most Ferguson related
meetings.
I witnessed firsthand a recent protest. It was
artfully staged and the few folks who were around
were mildly inconvenienced by the disruption of
traffic.
Theprotestorswereaccompaniedbysomepeo-
ple wearing vests stating they were members of
the clergy and these vested folks seemed to be in
chargeofkeepingeveryonecalm.Thechantswere
plenty loud, but no one was complaining about
volume. After a few minutes, the protestors re-
grouped and decamped to another spot. It was
more of lark that a statement of protest.
So what’s next to bringing about change? The
protestors have valid points about change, but
they aren’t going to get it done standing on street
corners or at the doors of City Hall, yelling. Now is
the time to figure out the next steps and that’s a lot
harder than demanding justice.
They might want to put the next meeting of the
Ferguson Commission on their calendar. Even
though some think the commission is a sop to the
protest movement, it does have a mission to report
back to the governor on ways to “address the so-
cial and economic conditions” that lead to the pro-
tests.
The protestors might also want to track a bill
now before the St. Louis Board of Aldermen that
would establish a citizen review board over the St.
LouisPoliceDepartment.
So get off the street corners and start going to
those boring meetings where real work can be ac-
complished.
• • •
Editor’s Note: Mike Owens is an attorney and can be reached
at 314-803-9138. Owens is a former KSDK, Newschannel 5 investiga-
tive reporter, and as a contributor, the opinions expressed are not
necessarily of the Evening Whirl
By James Clark
My heart goes out to the families of Michael
Brown,Tamir Rice,Vonderrit Myers, Jr, Cary Ball,
Jr., and Antonio Johnson. I also ex-
tendmyheartfeltcondolencestothe
Powellfamilyandallfamiliesmourn-
ing the loss of loved ones in officer
involvedkillings.Thesetragediesare
underscored by the videotaped kill-
ing of Eric Garner, an unarmed man
inNewYork.
I stand in full support of holding
allofficersinvolvedaccountable.Ibelievewemust
hold law enforcement officers to a higher standard,
because they have taken an oath, to protect and
serve. As I look at each case, I recognize, deadly
forcemaynothavebeentheonlyoption.Asacoun-
try we mourn, the loss of life. These men were hus-
bands, fathers, sons, brothers and friends to many.
They will be missed by family and loved ones. Be-
cause of these killings families will never be the
same.
As we continue to mobilize and protest for sys-
temic change we must not forget the individuals
who have lost their lives to the crime and violence
that has a firm grip on the African American com-
munity.TherealityisthatsincetheAugust9,killing
of Michael Brown, Jr. over 60 African Americans
havebeenkilledinSt.LouisCity,CountyandE.St.
Rekindle the Soul: Neighbors WorkingTogether; Respecting OneAnother!
Louis.
In the case of the officer involved killings. We
must work for and create a society in which citi-
zens, in these case African American men, do not
fearfortheirlifewhenthereisinteractionwithlaw
enforcementofficers.Thiseffortwillincludework-
ing with our legislators on laws to require body
cameras be worn by officers while on patrol. This
initiative has come under scrutiny as, the killing of
Eric Garner was captured from beginning to tragic
end on video. Another effort that has merit is the
establishment of a Civilian Review Board. This
board of citizens from a cross section of the com-
munitywillhaveinvestigativeauthorityovercom-
plaints against the Police Department.
As we look to address the issue of crime and
violenceintheurbancorewemustbeginwithour-
selves. Each of us has a role to play. I am very
encouraged as I watch so many join in the call for
societal change.With the current climate, we must
look to restore the “soul.”.
Some may ask, “What is the soul?” The “soul”
was the feeling of joy in the face of oppression
that unified us over three decades ago. The “soul,”
was what made us speak to each other as we
passed each other throughout the day. The “soul,”
iswhatmadeit,“allgoodinthehood,”eventhough
some did not have enough to eat. The “soul” is
what made it ok to leave the front and back door
open over night. The “soul,” is what made our par-
ents and grandparents marry, and stay together.
The “soul,” is what made the older brothers in the
neighborhood start baseball teams for the young
boysontheblock.The“soul,”iswhatheldfamilies
and neighborhoods together.
I can remember feeling the “soul” at Sam the
Watermelon Man, on Natural Bridge. I remember
feelingthe“soul,”asmyfamilywalkeddownMar-
tin Luther King Blvd in Wellston. I felt the “soul,”
as my childhood friends, and I walked for hours
duringthesummermonthsfromJVLtoForestPark,
or to theArch, and helped ladies with the groceries
in far away neighborhoods, sisters, we did not
know.
You see, somewhere, we lost the “soul.”. We
went from neighborhood, “block parties,” to gang
“hood-days.” We went from, “brothers and sisters,
to n***as, and b***he’s.
The keys to addressing the external systemic
injustices are voting, and policy changes. These
require the multi-cultural efforts demonstrated by
protestors. The key to addressing our internal strife
is to “rekindle the soul.”
• • •
Editor’s Note: James Clark is a contributing columnist and vice
president of community outreach for Better Family Life. Your feed-
back is welcomed at nycbozo1999@yahoo.com
Anna Maria Horsford DebbieMonterrey Bonita Cornute