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St. Louis American Publisher Praises Establishment of NNPA Task Force and Resource Center

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “There’s a lot of rumors and I knew that we had a special role to play,” argued Dr. Suggs. “That’s why the NNPA Task Force is so important. We have to have special, validated information. Our community has a disproportionate amount of exposure to disease and the NNPA collectively is in position to make certain that they are aware of the kind of information that’s out there and relevant to the Black community.”

Published

5 years ago

March 28, 2020

Oakland Post

“The Task Force will get to the people who are best informed to get that vital information, and we will be able to share the best and most accurate information available,” stated Dr. Donald M. Suggs, the publisher and executive editor of the St. Louis American, Missouri’s largest African American-owned newspaper.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

The establishment of the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) Coronavirus Task Force and Resource Center is both timely and necessary, and publishers, partners, sponsors, and others should quickly rally around the concept, according to one distinguished NNPA publisher.

“It’s extremely important because the Task Force will use the credible sources available to provide vital information to the Black community,” stated Dr. Donald M. Suggs, the publisher and executive editor of the St. Louis American, Missouri’s largest African American-owned newspaper.

Suggs, who holds degrees from Indiana University and Washington University, said a recent article published in the St. Louis American drove home the point that African Americans must be better informed.

He noted that the NNPA Task Force and Resource Center is positioned to inform the Black community.

“We just had this explosion on our social media platforms and website when we published the story of the first Black woman to die from the virus – she was a nurse,” said Dr. Suggs.

“The story blew up because there’s been so much misinformation in our community and the myth that Black people can’t get the coronavirus. This was a nurse,” continued Dr. Suggs.

Judy Wilson-Griffin, an African American nurse who worked at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, was the first person in the St. Louis region to succumb to COVID-19.

While St. Louis County Executive Sam Page identified her only as a county woman, the St. Louis American provided more information, including identifying her while noting that Wilson-Griffin had multiple health complications before contracting the virus.

Her diagnosis was confirmed 48 hours after being tested for the virus.

“There’s a lot of rumors and I knew that we had a special role to play,” argued Dr. Suggs. “That’s why the NNPA Task Force is so important. We have to have special, validated information. Our community has a disproportionate amount of exposure to disease and the NNPA collectively is in position to make certain that they are aware of the kind of information that’s out there and relevant to the Black community.”

He continued:

“The problem with social media is that there’s too much misinformation. People need to have a trusted source of where they get their information. In the Black community, you have other diseases like breast cancer and prostate cancer, and our experience is different from others, so what you would recommend to African Americans isn’t what you’d recommend to everyone else.

“We know that African Americans routinely aren’t included in clinical studies, so we need to have information available to us, and the NNPA needs to share that information with influential members of the community and the community in general.

“The Task Force will get to the people who are best informed to get that vital information, and we will be able to share the best and most accurate information available.”

As of this writing, health officials have confirmed more than 120,204 cases of the coronavirus in the United States, with at least 1,997 deaths. Globally, there are nearly 650,926 confirmed cases and more than 30,642 deaths.

“We have not seen this before, and there’s still so much uncertainty,” said Dr. Suggs. “We know that so many with preexisting conditions and seniors are susceptible to the virus, but I know I’ve not seen anything like this. Not even AIDS represented this kind of threat to people’s well-being and a threat to the economy.”

Continued Dr. Suggs:

“Look at what’s happened over the past few days with the number of cases and deaths rapidly increasing. What’s going on in Florida? There are a lot of older people there, and then you have those kids on the beach during Spring Break, and they will go home and spread the virus. This is a challenge.

“This changes from day-to-day, and we all have to take this very seriously. It’s a moving target that we’re trying to address. We have to talk to those who are informed, particularly from a Black perspective, and that’s what this NNPA Task Force will do.”

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

https://youtube.com/watch?v=0xUKM6U2Lpc&autoplay=0&cc_lang_pref=en&cc_load_policy=0&color=0&controls=1&fs=1&h1=en&loop=0&rel=0

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

WATCH HERE

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”