Ten years ago, after parting ways with the East St. Louis Monitor, I was blessed by Donald M. Suggs) with the opportunity to write for The St. Louis American.
I say “blessed” because when a writer goes, literally, overnight from a small hometown publication (of maybe 8,000) to a newspaper with a circulation of over 70,000, a major web presence and a ranking as the top African-American weekly in America, as well as the top weekly in North America, that indeed, is a blessing.
In those 10 years, I have been given both the freedom and encouragement to be strident and unbridled in reporting the facts about matters on the East Side of the Mississippi regarding politics, sacred cows, public figures and corruption.
From Mayor Carl Officer’s return to City Hall to Mayor Alvin Parks Jr.’ ascendency, his family and their flagrant cronyism and nepotism and his political missteps, I’ve tried to be brutally honest, yet fair.
I introduced St. Louis American readers to a little-known Illinois State Senator by the name of Barack Obama, who would go on to the become a U.S. Senator then shock the world by becoming the first black President of the United States.
And, thanks (unfortunately) to an abundance of corrupt politicians, I never run out of material: from a Kelvin Ellis who used his City Hall office to run a prostitute service, to political boss Charlie Powell who was convicted for buying votes, to an Alorton mayor and police chief who are now in federal prison for selling crack and stealing, respectively.
Fame to shame was also a recurrent theme with the likes of East Boogie hometown hero and NBA star, Darius Miles, staying in trouble with local law enforcement for his notorious negligence and poor judgment.
But I also (despite some critics) tried to convey positive reflections on the lives of icons like the late Katherine Dunham, Myrtle Officer, Rev. Dorris Davis and others, who were the antithesis of the political opportunists who are, and continue to be, the bloodsuckers of the poor.
There were also moments in which I even expressed hope in the work of U.S. Attorneys A. Courtney Cox and Steven Wigginton, as well as the Financial Advisory Authority (FAA) for their efforts to root out corruption and to hold East St. Louis officials accountable.
The St. Louis American has provided the platform which led to my current radio show on WGNU, as well as invitations to co-author two separate books for SIU-Edwardsville. For that I am eternally grateful.
I’m also humbled and encouraged by the numerous emails, compliments in grocery lines, restaurants and even airports, by those who follow my work. The flattery is sometimes embarrassing, but appreciated.
As The St. Louis American celebrates their 85th anniversary, I just feel supremely blessed to have been a small part of her family for the past 10 years and pray that I will continue to be free to do what I do, without compromise, for many years to come.
If you like my column, then you will love my radio show on WGNU-920am every Sunday from 4-5 pm. Please tune-in and call-in. I love to hear from my St. Louis American readers. Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com; Twitter@JamesTIngram.
