St. Louis on the Air

In recent weeks, many St. Louis institutions have begun to reopen after months of coronavirus-mandated closures. City Museum General Manager Rick Erwin discussed the difficulties of adapting a free-for-all playland to the age of COVID-19. Reps from the St. Louis Science Center and Magic House also shared their thoughts.

Thursday marks 100 years since the inception of St. Louis Lambert International Airport. On June 18, 1920, Major Albert Bond Lambert and the Missouri Aeronautical Society leased 170 acres of farmland in north St. Louis County to serve as an airfield for St. Louis. Today it is the oldest continuously operating commercial airport in the U.S. Daniel Rust is the author of “The Aerial Crossroads of America: St. Louis Lambert Airport and Flying Across America: The Airline Passenger Experience.” He joins host Sarah Fenske to delve deeper into St. Louis Lambert International Airport’s 100 years and its impact in the region.

At 17, St. Louis resident Antigone Chambers Reed is already a writer, actor and human rights activist. And earlier this month, she added yet another role to the mix when she was named the 2020 Jamala Rogers Young Visionary. The award is given annually by the Youth Council for Positive Development, recognizing young adults who are working for social justice and making a difference in their community. The council is associated with the Organization for Black Struggle, which celebrated 40 years of existence earlier this year. Reed’s project, Writing Through Trauma, impressed the selection committee with its vision to provide people in her community with a safe, creative space to process, heal and share lived experiences of violence. Making use of the $2,000 prize that accompanies the award, Reed expects to launch her free virtual workshop later this year. In this conversation she shares her passion for the work she is doing. The segment also includes pre-recorded comments from youth empowerment organizer Janis Mensah. In addition to discussing her plans for her workshop, Reed reads part of her poem "You Ask Me About North Saint Louis."

The average protester might seem like a young adult, but parents are also bringing out their children with them to demonstrate. Host Sarah Fenske explores that decision with parents about how they navigate the ongoing shift in culture when it comes to conversations about race, and making the decision to bring kids to protests. Joining the discussion are We Stories board members Jenna Voss and Pamela Washington.

After Tower Grove Park removed a statue of Christopher Columbus on June 16, it doesn't look like a new statue will be erected anytime soon due to COVID-19 budget challenges, according to a park official. But that got us wondering who St. Louisans should honor with a statue: Dred Scott, Josephine Baker, someone from the Osage Nation? We got the backstory from Washington University history professor Peter Kastor and architecture historian Chris Naffziger. We also sought listener suggestions.

In between all the news updates about the COVID-19 pandemic and protests against police brutality, a totally different story jumped out from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the other day. “Mass species extinctions are accelerating,” the headline began. That’s the existentially disturbing takeaway from a new study co-authored by Peter Raven, president emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Examining the populations of nearly 30,000 vertebrates, and particularly the 515 species that are on the brink of extinction, Raven and his colleagues found that 20% of all species could be gone by the middle of the 21st century. From there, the numbers could grow far worse in the coming decades because of how “extinction breeds extinction.” It’s all part of what Raven describes as an accelerating, human-caused “ongoing sixth mass extinction” — and it’s also a state of affairs about which Raven refuses to despair. In this segment, he joins host Sarah Fenske to dissect the new study’s findings and explore where to go from here in trying to prevent ecological collapse.

Nine of the top 10 books on the New York Times' nonfiction bestseller list are about race, or racism. And local book stores are seeing a similar surge. Jeffrey Blair of Eye See Me African American Children's Bookstore and Danielle King of Left Bank Books joined host Sarah Fenske to describe what they're seeing, and share their picks.

As part of his research into human origins for a recent book, Dr. Joshua Swamidass, an associate professor of laboratory and genomic medicine, has looked closely at how race has been defined in recent centuries. "If you go back about 150 years ago in science, and 500 years ago in theology, people have been wondering about this idea of polygenesis,” a long-dominant theory of disparate human origins, Swamidass explains. “Many scientists believed that — and that there’s a hierarchy [of races], with Europeans at the top.” Genetic science since the 1960s and ’70s has strongly disproved such ideas, and yet this has led to what Swamidass calls "a hangover of misunderstanding" surrounding terms like "race" and "racism." In this episode, host Sarah Fenske talks with Swamidass about why understanding the ways in which humans thought about race, and were influenced by racism, in the past is perhaps more timely than ever.

Sarah Fenske talks with St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent, Jason Rosenbaum, about a third straight weekend of protests in St. Louis, his recent reporting on the firing of Florissant police detective Joshua Smith (after a video of him hitting a man with an SUV sparked outrage throughout the region), and his recent conversation with outgoing Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III.

What’s in a word? The answer is a whole lot when it comes to words such as “race” and “racism.” And contemporary definitions of these terms can vary widely — both in dictionaries and in hearts and minds. Florissant resident Kennedy Mitchum recently grappled with this in an unusual way, and with striking results. After noticing some of her day-to-day associates citing Merriam-Webster’s definition of racism as a kind of dismissive proof text in conversation with her, the Nerinx Hall High School and Drake University alumna reached out to the dictionary’s editors, asking them to update the entry to better reflect the historical context of systemic oppression. Many emails later, the editors eventually came around, ultimately telling Mitchum that changes to the entries on “racism” as well as related terms are now in the works.

We remember former St. Louis Police Captain David Dorn. He served 38 years with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and served as Chief of Police for Moline Acres. Dorn was shot and killed on June 2nd after responding to an alarm at the pawn shop where he moonlit as a security guard. His death shocked those who knew him here in St. Louis, and those who didn’t across the country. Hundreds of people gathered on June 10th at the St. Louis Friendly Temple on Martin Luther King Drive for David Dorn’s funeral. He is survived by his wife, adult children and grandchildren.

In 2016, Ed Wheatley retired from his job as an engineer at AT&T. But Wheatley has kept busy — to the point that Reedy Press recently published his third book in as many years. Wheatley’s “Baseball in St. Louis: From Little Leagues to Major Leagues” surveys the city’s rich baseball history, from the Major Leaguers who got their start here to the semi-pro and amateur leagues that flourished for decades. In this conversation, Wheatley shares some of the remarkable facts he uncovered about baseball’s 160 years in St. Louis. He recalls the Khoury League, which began here in 1934, the Negro Leagues that provided a home for some gifted players shut out of the big leagues, and the high school and college teams that proved a major source of talent for the St. Louis Cardinals and more.

Corey S. Bradford Sr. chose a tough time to come home to the St. Louis metro. The native St. Louisan took office as president of Harris-Stowe State University on May 4 — an unprecedented time for higher education, which is grappling with both funding shortages due to the economic downturn and complications from the coronavirus. In this interview, he talks with Sarah Fenske about his career in higher education, his reasons for returning to St. Louis and the challenges Harris-Stowe faces in an uncertain time.

St. Louis-based nonprofit Duo Dogs has placed trained service dogs with clients in 38 states, as well as Canada and the United Kingdom. Their dogs are taught a wide range of skills that make them the perfect assistant for people who have trouble getting around or have hearing disabilities. In this episode, we learn about how the organization trains their puppies to become the ultimate companion to those in need.

The death of George Floyd has not just sparked action to protest against police brutality, but it’s also led to more conversations about how to support and uplift black Americans. Anti-racism books are selling out and topping best-seller lists, while infographics about how to best support local black-owned businesses are filling social media feeds. LaShell Eikerenkoetter, also known as Ohun Ashe, advocates for black lives in the streets as a frontline protester — and she does the same advocacy online for black entrepreneurs. She created For the Culture STL, a directory of black-owned businesses and events in the St. Louis area. She said support for the initiative has skyrocketed over the past couple of weeks. She host Sarah Fenske to talk about these two parallel efforts.

Alex Lindley and Danny Kerth are among the St. Louisans affected by suicide; they’ve each lost friends and family to it, including their mutual friend Ryan Candice. After Candice’s death in 2014, Lindley and Kerth started Project Wake Up — a nonprofit organization working to destigmatize mental illness and suicide, and raise awareness about providing adequate access to mental health care in the country. Their film, “Wake Up," highlights the voices of people from various walks of life along their mental health journeys. Kerth joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about the film’s future and ways it aims to spread awareness about various ways to seek help, including telehealth care.

As a professor of political science at Washington University, Clarissa Rile Hayward had a front-row seat for the protests and disruption that followed the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson in 2014. She paid attention as activists blocked highways, demonstrated at a symphony performance and even interrupted brunch at fancy restaurants to agitate for the Black Lives Matter movement. And she found herself thinking about what tactics work, and why. Hayward recently published a paper detailing this new way of looking at disruption in the Journal of Politics. In this interview, she discusses her findings and how they apply to the current protests sweeping the globe.

Three years ago, a Tennessee man made a wrong turn and ended up lost in rural Missouri. The man, Tory Sanders, sought help from local law enforcement — only to end up dead in a Mississippi County jail cell eight hours later. Two top jail officials reportedly pressed down on Sanders' neck for more than three minutes even as a colleague urged them repeatedly to ease up. Then-Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley declined to prosecute anyone for those actions. Now, George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police is reigniting interest in Sanders' 2017 death. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Missouri NAACP President Nimrod Chapel Jr.

For Dr. Sameer Vohra and his colleagues, a focus on improving the lives of people in southern and central Illinois has long been at the heart of their work. But now, in the age of COVID-19, the urgency of their mission is more obvious than ever. Vohra leads SIU School of Medicine's Department of Population Science and Policy as its founding chair, and the coronavirus pandemic has magnified many of the challenges that the region’s small cities and rural communities already faced. In this episode, Vohra joins host Sarah Fenske to share his insights on these challenges — and what can be done to address them. The conversation also includes comments from Audrey Gough, the health director for Shelby County, Missouri, about what she’s observed on the other side of the Mississippi River.

Quincy, Illinois, is among the thousands of cities across the country where demonstrations against police brutality have taken place in the past two weeks. Illinois’ Gem City has a population of about 40,000, with nearby Hannibal adding another 17,000. Jessica Benton and Michelle Renee Houston are longtime Quincy residents. They’re among the community members taking action in their own ways to raise awareness about police brutality and racism, joining a movement inspired by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. They join host Sarah Fenske on Tuesday’s St. Louis on the Air to talk about how their community is reacting to the Black Lives Matter movement and the change they’d like to see happen.

Data from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that, as of May 31, 253 Missouri nursing home residents had died of COVID-19. That’s about a third of the state’s 771 deaths. Marjorie Moore, executive director of VOYCE, an advocacy group for those in assisted living or nursing homes, joins to talk about what that figure says to her and the changes she would like to see moving forward.

Most people have become uncomfortable navigating public life in the months since the new coronavirus hit, but things are even more difficult for those who experience the world differently than the majority, like those with blindness or those who are deaf. In this episode, host Sarah Fenske talks with Nick Silver, who is almost completely blind, and Colleen Burdiss, who is hard of hearing, about how they've been getting by in the last few months.

In many cases, real estate transactions are a happy occasion. First-time homebuyers smile and hold up keys. Families move from one locale to another and begin exciting new chapters. But for others, selling or buying a home can be an enormous headache that’s just one part of a bigger mess: a divorce. And with the COVID-19 crisis, some lawyers have reported an increase in inquiries from people thinking about splitting up. St. Louis native Kathy Helbig has spent 25 years working in the region’s real estate industry. In that time, she’s helped many clients make these complex shifts as they try to work together — separately and as cordially as possible. And now, she’s Missouri’s first certified “divorce real estate specialist,” having recently undergone 40 hours of virtual training toward that end. In this segment, Helbig joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about what makes real estate transactions particularly tricky while divorcing. She also touches on the housing market trends she’s been observing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Protests against police brutality continue to fill the streets of St. Louis, its suburbs and even the small towns of rural Illinois and Missouri. On Sunday, thousands braved brutal temperatures to march at St. Louis City Hall. St. Louis Public Radio’s Kayla Drake joins Sarah Fenske to share the latest on the movement that began in Ferguson and now has the world on the march.

In the past week, protests against police brutality have filled the streets of St. Charles, O’Fallon, Kirkwood, Frontenac and more. In this episode, we explore the movement’s potential to lead to meaningful reform, as well as what will it take for all of St. Louis to affirm that black lives matter. Sarah Fenske talks with St. Louis Public Radio political editor, Fred Erlich, reporter Jonathan Ahl, and listeners who call in to share what’s on their minds at this moment in time.

Theater and restaurant workers have taken huge economic hits lately, and back before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Anna Blair was a busy member of both industries as an actor and bartender. Now theaters are closed, and restaurants and bars are seeing little traffic. But after experiencing some initial deep worry, Blair came up with an idea for how she wanted to spend her time during this crisis. She calls it Curbside Cabaret Cocktails. People looking for “a jolt of joy” can book her to serenade them karaoke-style — and mix them a drink while she’s at it. The other day, the St. Louis on the Air team stopped by one of Blair’s curbside performances in south St. Louis.

Vanessa Garry is passionate about preparing aspiring administrators to lead today’s schools. As an assistant professor of educator preparation and leadership at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, she often finds herself looking to the past for some of the most important lessons she teaches. That history is not always easy to grapple with, and Garry knows its ugliness better than most. The Missouri General Assembly’s 1847 passage of an act making it illegal to educate people of color is just one early example. Even after that changed in 1865, public schools were segregated by law. By the early 20th century, African American communities were leading the way in search of progress and reform. And one of those leaders was growing up in St. Louis’ Ville neighborhood: Ruth Harris. Described by Garry as a “reticent disrupter” in the Jim Crow era, Harris in 1940 became the first African American female president of Stowe Teachers College, which is now Harris-Stowe State University. This year marks the 80th anniversary of her appointment. Listen as Garry talks with host Sarah Fenske about Harris’ life and legacy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost everyone, but the epidemic poses unique challenges to children in foster care. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Rita Soronen, CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption,about the unique challenges facing kids in foster care right now. Also joining the conversation is t. Louis-based foster care recruiter Edna Green, who recently helped in the adoption of three St. Louis siblings. We also talk with their newly adoptive mother, Celeste Scott.

Jermar Perry and Bryant Antoine are social workers and friends. They graduated together from St. Louis University's Master of Social Work program in May 2019. Since then, the like-minded duo have launched an initiative aimed at what they say is their “life’s purpose” — helping men of color gain access to mental health resources. Perry and Antoine are the facilitators of the Village Healing and Writing Circle for Men of Color. The group's objective is to "heal from oppression, racism, toxic masculinity and the daily ills of life." It’s an effort to help black men, who are often dismissive of seeking mental health help, open up about their experiences and the world of therapy.

Seventeen-year-old Jalen Thompson and his friends Ryan Staples, Joseph Bartholomew and Ryan Fetsch had barely wrapped up their senior year at Fort Zumwalt West High School when protests against police brutality flared up across the country, sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Thompson and his friends wanted to seize the moment and find a way to galvanize their suburban community of O’Fallon, Missouri, which is largely white. They expected maybe a couple hundred people to show up at their June 1 demonstration — what they got was close to 2,000 people. In this episode of the talk show, Thompson joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about how he organized the first protest he’s ever even attended, the pushback he initially faced and how he’s already caught the attention of national media outlets — including MSNBC and the Today Show.

Last year, a report published in the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology surveying low-income women in St. Louis found that nearly two-thirds of them can’t always afford pads or tampons — often resorting to rags, diapers or paper towels. According to Laurel Segrist, program manager for the St. Louis Alliance for Period Supplies, such “period poverty” in the region is still as pressing of an issue than ever, perpetuated by the coronavirus pandemic.

When Heather Mitchell saw those viral Lake of the Ozarks images of not-so-socially-distanced partying over Memorial Day weekend, she felt concern and frustration — like many people. But she also saw the situation as a clear example of the various ways humans respond when new information conflicts with previously held beliefs. Mitchell is an associate professor of psychology at Webster University, and she specializes in cognitive dissonance. In the age of COVID-19, that means exploring how people deal with that psychological conflict — and the ways they rectify the uncomfortable disharmony between their beliefs and behaviors. In this episode of the talk show, Mitchell talks with host Sarah Fenske and responds to listener comments and questions about this topic.

St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent Jason Rosenbaum goes behind the headlines with Sarah Fenske on several of the biggest developments in the region over the past couple days. Callers join the conversation as well.

Last night, the city of Ferguson elected its first black mayor: Ella Jones. She is also the first woman to hold the position. She talks with host Sarah Fenske about her historic win as well as her concerns and hopes for the north St. Louis County municipality.

Long before protests against police brutality spread to cities across the country, they took place in Ferguson. In this episode, Ferguson activists leading the community in today's protests share their thoughts on the movement now sweeping the globe, and where things stand right here in St. Louis.

Four St. Louis police officers were shot late Monday night after official protests in the city ended over the killing of George Floyd. Two were shot in the leg, one in the arm and one in the foot, said Police Chief John Hayden. He was visibly frustrated as he gave an update on the shootings shortly before 2 a.m. Host Sarah Fenske talks with STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann about the events.

Protests against police brutality have now broken out around the world in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. That of course includes St. Louis, Clayton, University City and Ferguson. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss what happened over the weekend locally — and why so many St. Louisans are again taking to the streets.

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson has announced a plan to distribute $64 million in federal aid intended to bolster the city’s response to the coronavirus. The plan, which Krewson said she’ll submit to the Board of Aldermen for revisions and approval, includes $2.5 million for contact tracing: to hire 25 people and invest in technology. In this episode of the talk show, host Sarah Fenske is joined by St. Louis Alderwoman Cara Spencer, D-20th Ward, who chairs the city’s Health and Human Services Committee. Acting health department director Dr. Fred Echols also offers his perspective alongside Franda Thomas, the health department’s communicable disease bureau chief.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with Big Shark Bicycle Company owner Mike Weiss about why his shop is seeing an increase in bike sales during the COVID-19 crises and talk with Emma Klues of Great Rivers Greenway about her recommendations for specific biking trails and routes to explore while continuing to help limit the spread of the coronavirus

St. Louisan Eric Strand just set a fastest known time with his run across the entire length of the Katy Trail, covering over 240 miles in just three days and 14 hours. Since announcing his plans and setting up a GoFundMe charity page just last week, the Drury Hotels chief operating officer has raised nearly $40,000. It will all go to a foundation fund to help frontline hospitality workers who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Strand about his experience running the trail and his response to the GoFundMe page.

Imagine orchestrating a virtual telethon in the middle of a pandemic. A host of St. Louis arts organizations led by Opera Theatre St. Louis did just that, with the Arts United STL benefit set to premiere online May 31. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Opera Theatre General Manager Andrew Jorgensen about the financial needs that inspired the event and the difficulties that go into producing such a large group undertaking in the age of social distancing.

Legal Roundtable: Can students sue their universities for not refunding tuition and fees after they were forced to study from home because of the pandemic? Can St. Louis County force the House of Pain gyms to close? What about churches? Legal experts Bill Freivogel, Nicole Gorovsky, and Dave Roland talk with host Sarah Fenske about these issues and more.

As a scholar who works with human remains, Anne Austin had long looked closely at bones. Her training is in osteology and Egyptology, and for many years she worked to expand the world’s knowledge about the health, medicine and disease of past civilizations. But in 2016, her focus suddenly turned from bones to ancient skin— and body art. “As I was doing my research, I accidentally came across this really heavily tattooed mummy — minimum 30 tattoos, on her arms, her shoulders and her back,” Austin recalls. “That discovery literally rewrote what we understand about tattooing in ancient Egypt. And since then I’ve been able to go back and find more tattoos at the site [where] I work.” The University of Missouri-St. Louis professor isn’t fascinated by these ancient tattoos merely for their own sake. She sees relevance for our understanding of contemporary body art as well — from the stories they tell, to the wide range of functions they serve, to the stigma that is sometimes associated with tattoos. Austin’s expertise came in especially handy while serving on the dissertation committee for Lacee Kaufmann, who just earned her PhD in nursing at UMSL. Kaufmann’s qualitative study probed the experiences that 12 participants — each of whom have tattoos covering at least 9% of their body — have had with health care providers.

It’s not just parents of young children trying to balance caregiving with other responsibilities during this pandemic. People whose loved ones suffer from dementia are also finding themselves under increased stress. Adult day centers are closed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Many therapists and other support staff no longer offer in-person visits. And people with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive impairments may not realize why masks are necessary, much less remember the explanation from hour to hour. Memory Care Home Solutions has been helping its “care partners” deal with those complications — and many more — throughout the months of the pandemic. Amy Sobrino, program services coordinator for the organization, says its services continue, albeit remotely. Clients like Gail Brown, whose mother lives with dementia, say that assistance has been a godsend.

Gateway Arch National Park Superintendent Mike Ward talks with host Sarah Fenske about his 37-year-long career with the National Park Service. He started working at the Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, when he was just a teenager. After eight years of experience, he took on a more supervising role at the Ulysses S. Grant Historic Site in St. Louis. His took his expertise with him to renovate the Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. But when the Gateway Arch underwent its $380 million renovation in 2016, Ward came back in St. Louis to lead the project. Ward talks with Fenske about those cherished sites and what it takes to keep them going.

Daily life in the age of the coronavirus is riddled with stressors and stress can lead to increased substance use — as well as the possibility of relapse for those working to stay sober. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Jenny Armbruster of NCADA and also hears from people in long-term recovery as they discuss substance use disorder, relapse and navigating tough conversations in the age of COVID-19.

The 18th Amendment of the United States Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol in the U.S. Enforcement of the new law started on January 17, 1920. In this encore episode, our panelists dive into St. Louis' rich Prohibition-era history. They describe the time robbers siphoned off 3,000 barrels of whiskey from the Jack Daniels distillery, how Anheuser-Busch survived more than a decade of a nationwide ban on alcoholic beverages, and they recall the tale of a 1922 New Year’s Eve party at the Chase Hotel when an enforcement raid led to plates being thrown, shots being fired and pandemonium spilling out onto Lindell Boulevard.

These days, Zoom calls are more likely to inspire grousing than gratitude. Who wants to make uncomfortable eye contact with their boss or professor — and themselves? But Vikki Siddell of St. Charles recently joined a very different Zoom call, one where she got to talk — and perform — in front of celebrities including Daniel Radcliffe, Tina Fey and St. Louis’ own Ellie Kemper. Siddell joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about what it was like performing for some of her favorite actors.

Bring up Adam and Eve in contemporary conversation, and you’ll likely be met with either total skepticism or deep confidence, depending on one’s audience. Diametrically opposed views of the biblical origin story come with the territory of ongoing cultural battles between creationists and evolutionists and the typical right and left. But Washington University’s Dr. S. Joshua Swamidass, who describes himself as “a scientist in the Church and a Christian in science,” is hoping to shift the conversation. In this encore segment, host Sarah Fenske talks with Swamidass about his book “The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry.” Swamidass hopes to reach secular and religious readers alike. “What if the traditional account is somehow true, with the origins of Adam and Eve taking place alongside evolution?” he asks.

St. Louis Public Library and St. Louis County Library locations closed to the public earlier this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, both local systems have begun to release some cautious and partial reopening plans. During the closures, the libraries have been quick to assure patrons that they needn’t worry about returning overdue items during the crisis — and will be given plenty of time to return items in the coming days as book drops soon begin operating again. Host Sarah Fenske talks with SLPL CEO Waller McGuire and SLCL Director Kristen Sorth about the wide-ranging roles that libraries have been playing lately — and what their immediate future holds.