Dionne Peeples Of The St. Louis American
Father Emory Washington pulled over on the highway to deliver some important news to an African-American man working on the highway.
“I went to jail for you,” Fr. Washington told the worker.
The man didn’t understand. But in a crowded room at the Construction Prep Center (CPC), everybody understood.
As CPC celebrates its 10-year anniversary, politicians, union officials, activists, students and graduates came to celebrate a school birthed out of a 1,100-member protest that halted morning rush hour traffic on Interstate 70 and landed Fr. Washington and 124 others in jail in 1999, as they fought for more minority participation in the construction industry – especially on highway construction.
“That was a difficult time in St. Louis history but a necessary one,” said Yaphett El-Amin, chairwoman of the CPC board of directors and executive director of MOKAN, an organization that assists small and minority-owned businesses working in the construction industry. MOKAN was instrumental in organizing the 1999 protest.
“The result has been a successful collaboration that is putting African Americans and other disadvantaged residents to work on well-paying jobs,” El-Amin said.
The school, located in Wellston, was created on July 12, 1999 following discussions among State officials, political leaders and local activists. The school, which now has a $500,000 operating budget and has its rent and utilities paid by St. Louis County, was the brainchild of Eddie Hasan, one of the activists leading the 1999 protest, former MOKAN leader and father of El-Amin.
Hasan wanted to see a construction-trade school created because a trade school in the black community had closed, said Eric E. Vickers, who also was one of the activists leading the protest in 1999.
As he addressed the audience at the 10-year celebration, Vickers said the protest was “the most powerful force of progress – creative tension.”
The school has received $2 million for training from MoDOT since 1999, said Vivian Martain, the school’s executive director.
Currently, 933 students have graduated from CPC since 1999. Of those, 544 have found jobs and several recent graduates are seeking employment due to the lagging economy.
Adetokunbo Osisanya graduated in May and has not found a job in the construction industry. But he has started his own tattoo business.
“It’s very hard,” Osisanya said, as one of the officials at the celebration motioned for him to talk to him about potential work.
All graduates attending the celebration said the school laid a solid foundation for them professionally and personally.
“It was a life-changing experience,” said Ivan Pargo, a laborer for Millstone Bangert Inc. “It helped me become a man.”
Shaun Elston, a cement mason at Millstone Bangert, said the school prepared him for the rules and regulations of the construction trade.
“It was great,” he said. “It put us on the right path.”
Graduate Carliss Wade said the teachers at the school helped to guide students toward excellence. Wade, a warehouse/yardman for Millstone Bangert, said his teacher Michael Daugherty was instrumental in preparing him for his job. At Millstone Bangert, Wade works on the expansion of Interstate 64. His job is to pass out necessary tools to workers, making sure the proper tools are available and ready for use among, other things.
“Mr. Daugherty taught me everything I know about tools and power tools,” Wade said.
Daugherty, who retired from the school, attended the celebration and said he was proud of his students.
“We had a no-nonsense program,” Daugherty said. “I feel appreciative that they can come back and say those things.”
The school conducts five cycles per year. Each cycle is an intensive nine weeks of instruction in basic skills, work readiness, orientation to construction – with an emphasis on heavy highway construction and trade exploration.
“I think the importance of this day is not only that it’s been 10 years, it’s been a successful 10 years,” said Mayor Francis G. Slay.
“It has been a successful partnership between MoDOT, organized labor, construction companies and community leaders.”
Go to www.cpc-stl.org for more information about the school.
