Salute to Excellence in Education
Scholarship & Awards Gala
The St. Louis American newspaper has grown to be a nationally-recognized leader in community service. The newspaper has won the National Newspaper Association’s Community Service Award four times in recent years, and has also received first place community service awards from Suburban Newspapers of America, Missouri Press Association, Illinois Press Association, and the National Newspaper Publishers’ Association.
The St. Louis American is one of the few newspapers in the entire country with its own 501(c)3 foundation, the St. Louis American Foundation. In 2008 alone, the foundation distributed more than $130,000 in community grants and scholarships for local minority students. Since its inception in 1994, the St. Louis American Foundation has distributed more than $1.2 million locally.
2009 Marks the 22nd anniversary of the Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala, which honors the area’s leading African-American educators, and provides 10s of thousands of dollars for scholarships for minority students. It is St. Louis’ largest banquet of any kind honoring African Americans, averaging more than 1,500 in attendance each year.
Previous keynote speakers include:
– Susan L. Taylor (Longtime editor of Essence Magazine)
– Dr. Joycelyn Elders (former US Surgeon General)
– Cornel West (Author, professor, activist, etc.)
– Dr. Mae Jemison (First African-American female astronaut)
– Tavis Smiley (Author, radio and TV talk show host, etc)
– Dr. Keith L. Black (world-renowned neurosurgeon)
Included in the foundation program, is the Donald M. Suggs Scholarship (named after the St. Louis American publisher). The scholarship is a four-year, $12,500 per year scholarship awarded by the state’s largest university, the University of Missouri-Columbia. The scholarship also allows that individual to study an extra semester abroad, for up to $7,500 additional allowance. Past Suggs Scholars have studied abroad in England, Brazil and Japan.
2010 Awardees:
Lifetime Achiever in Education: Dr. Zelema Harris
Chancellor, St. Louis Community College
Stellar Performer in Education: Dr. Stanton Lawrence
Superintendent, Normandy School District
2010 Excellence in Education Awardees:
Dr. Celeste A. Adams (Riverview Gardens High School)
Michael Blackshear (Cardinal Ritter)
Sheandra P. Brown (Woodland Elementary)
Florida M. Cowley (Fairview Intermediate, Jennings)
Bruce Green (Carnahan Middle School, SLPS)
Carole Johnson (Bryan Hill Elementary, SLPS)
Matthew Corbin McCallum (East St. Louis School District)
Sybil Selfe (St. Louis Catholic Academy)
2010 SEMO Counselor of the Year
Kathy Bailey (University City High School)
2010 PNC Bank Early Childhood Education Award
Coretha Bynum-Dabney (Grace Hill Bethlehem Lutheran Head Start Center)
2010 Washington University, School Social Worker of the Year
(to be named)
2010 Monsanto School of Excellence:
Patrick Henry Elementary School