When Donald M. Suggs joined the publisher team of The St. Louis American, Michael Jordan had yet to play one game in the NBA, the CD player had just came out, and gasoline cost less than $1 a gallon.
When he became publisher/owner of The American in 1984, one of his very first moves was to make the newspaper free of charge to be able to reach as many readers as possible. This increased access to The American’s readers and increased reach for advertisers created a new value proposition for its readership and advertisers. His follow up move was to continue to increase circulation so The American would be available for even more households. The American began this enhanced distribution in area grocery stores and major workplaces as the anchors for its pick up sites.
In 1988, Suggs moved to better serve the community by starting The St. Louis American’s first Salute to Excellence Community Awards Dinner, honoring outstanding individual citizens. Later he formed the 501c3 St. Louis American Foundation.
By the early 1990s, Suggs had increased the circulation to more than 30,000, with distribution in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and portions of eastern Illinois where readers work and shop.
In 1988, Suggs moved to better serve the community by starting The St. Louis American’s first Salute to Excellence Community Awards Dinner, honoring outstanding individual citizens. Later he formed the 501c3 St. Louis American Foundation. Subsequently other celebration and recognition events were started to highlight deserving individual educators, businesses and individual workers in business, health care and young leaders under 40.
He started recruiting a team of talented professionals in the late 1980s and into the mid-1990s that led to The American getting more media industry recognition locally, regionally and later nationally. Thereafter this group and its work led to The American being named the top Black newspaper in the country by his Black newspaper peers in 1995. The American has now won that prestigious title 14 times. Since 1995, the organization has received nearly 1,000 industry awards for excellence in journalism, advertising and community service.
During Suggs’ tenure, health care and educational content have been consistent major themes of the paper’s content. The American started extensive health coverage in 1995 with its Health Matters weekly section. The section, now called “Your Health Matters” is now a collaboration with the similarly-aligned Missouri Foundation for Health. The section addresses health care disparities and encourages more fair and equitable health care policies as well as increased health literacy.
Eight years ago, The American started a Newspaper In Education program, targeted to children’s health and STEM education for grade school children throughout the region. It is available in more than 400 classrooms and online at stlamerican.com.
He has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Washington University, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis Community College and Saint Louis University and is the recipient of many prestigious civic awards.
The University of Missouri-Columbia, Southeast Missouri State University, Harris-Stowe State University, Missouri State University, St. Louis Community College, Maryville University, Fontbonne University, Webster University, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Goldfarb School of Nursing, Saint Louis University, and Washington University all provide annual scholarships to high potential students with financial needs, in his name.
Suggs’ industry awards include:
- St. Louis Print Media Hall of Fame (2007)
- Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame (2014) (initial awardee with Sen. Jack Danforth and President Harry S. Truman, posthumously)
- Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis Media Person of the Year (2015)
- National Newspaper Publishers’ Association Publisher of the Year (2016)
- Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists Trailblazer Award (2016)
- Gateway Journalism Review Lifetime Achievement Award (2021)
See the entire St. Louis American’s 95th Anniversary Special section.
