Across the world, Coronavirus or COVID-19 is affecting the lives of nearly every single person. Through this special spotlight series, we’ll share conversations we’ve had with members of the St. Louis regional community. How are diverse individuals and organizations viewing the pandemic, and what strategies are they using to thrive in this time of uncertainty?
Afro World has a long history of support for identity and community
Afro World Hair and Fashion Co. in North St. Louis County began as a mail-order hair business in the 1970s. Today, it has grown to be a community hub of cultural pride. The doors at 7276 Natural Bridge Road are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have kept going with a drive-up window, tent, […]
St. Anthony Food Pantry adapts to continue serving St. Louis community
St. Anthony Food Pantry, in the basement of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church at 3130 Meramec Street, has been serving south St. Louis since 1991. Last year, the pantry served roughly 9,000 families. COVID-19 safety guidelines closed several food pantries in the spring, yet St. Anthony Food Pantry remained open. The pantry removed its […]
Antajuan A. conveys his activism through urban farming and buttons
Growing up in the 1980s in North Saint Louis—an area with high rates of crime and poverty—Antajuan A. never imagined he would one day farm this area and that it would become a tool in a fight for social justice. New Roots Antajuan works part-time delivering plants to office spaces; this allows him to be at […]
Audrey C. draws from experience, training to help people in crisis
Audrey uses her past struggles to shape the authentic person she is today—a mother of three, a certified peer recovery support specialist, a domestic violence crisis hotline operator, and a powerful advocate for opioid overdose prevention. Her story Drug addiction changed the canvas of Audrey’s life while in college in the late 1980s. Smoking marijuana […]
Matt T. discusses disparities, protest, and your news source
Matt T. has spent over 20 years examining how people think, particularly when it comes to race and ethnicity. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences and the Associate Dean For Faculty Affairs in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, with an interest in minority mental health. […]