Sylvester Brown, The St. Louis American’s inaugural Deaconess Fellow, won an individual news coverage award in the inaugural St. Louis Press Club writing contest, and was part of a team recognized for in-depth reporting.
Brown was honored for his story, “Spanky, COVID-19 and the Plight of Missouri’s Disabled.” Brown profiled Mark Adrian “Spanky” Richardson, detailing his life as dealt with the pandemic in August 2020.
Brown was also a contributing author in a Pulitzer Center article entitled “63106: The Struggle to Survive the Pandemic in St. Louis’ Most Vulnerable Neighborhoods.” Reporters engaged with families in St. Louis’ most vulnerable neighborhoods to learn how they were coping during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring of 2020. Media partners included The American, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Public Radio, and Riverfront Times.
“St. Louis has a rich legacy of literary leaders and journalists whose work has transformed the craft of writing,” Joan Lee Berkman, president of the St. Louis Press Club, said.
“Their entries reflect the critical issues facing us today as well as the everyday stories that color our lives. We congratulate the winners and we’re proud to be able to recognize their achievements.”
The high school, college, and professional winners:
High School/College
News story
Elle Rotter, “The Second Pandemic: Mental Illness”
Addie Gleason, “Digital Divide”
In-Depth Reporting
Nikita Bhaskar, “Transgender Rights in the Education System: A Closer Look at Title IX”
Leah Schroeder, “Runoff Recap: What You Missed About the Georgia Runoffs”
Feature Story
Elizabeth Franklin, “The Pride and Culture of Black Hair”
Elle Rotter, “ABCs of Covid”
Commentary
Grace Hu, “Making the Case Locally for Reparations”
Mira Nalbandian, “Debunking Critical Race Theory”
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Parkway West Pathfinder Staff, A series of articles detailing the impact of the pandemic on various aspects of their lives, including “The Low-Down on Low Staff”.
The Kirkwood Call, “14 Months Later”
Professional
News story
Sylvester Brown, Jr., “Spanky, COVID-19 and the Plight of Missouri’s Disabled”
Danny Wicentowski, “Searching for the Real Inside a Police Training Simulator”
In-Depth Reporting
Before Ferguson, Beyond Ferguson, “63106: The Struggle to Survive the Pandemic in St. Louis’ Most Vulnerable Neighborhoods”
Danny Wicentoswki, “Inside the Missouri Tribe That Has Made White People Millions”
Feature Story
Denise Hollinshed, “A Grieving Reporter Rushes to Get Vaccinated as Her Subject Resists”
Suzanne Corbett, “Purchasing Property-Promising Preservation – Uncorking the Hoffman Family’s Plan for Augusta’s Wine Country”
Commentary
Eric Mink, “Dedicated to the United States of America”
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Aisha Sultan, A series of columns on the impact of the pandemic on her family’s life, including “The Day We Thought My Husband Would Die of COVID”
