Antisemitic rhetoric and violence is on the rise. The Anti-Defamation League tracks antisemitic incidents in the U.S. ranging from graffiti to assault and it have reported that incidents have been on the rise and climbing since 2016. Now they’re at the highest level since the ADL started tracking in the 1970s. Arts and culture senior reporter Jeremy D. Goodwin talks with Helen Turner, director of education at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, to talk about the museum's redesign and reopening to the public as well as the importance of sharing the stories and history of the Holocaust and its connection to St. Louis and its citizens.
Nartana Premachandra’s parents founded Dances of India in St. Louis in 1977. Forty-five years later, the dance company is one of the oldest classical Indian dance groups in the country. Premachandra and Dances of India Co-Director Theckla Mehta discuss this year’s annual performance and the Hindu mythology that inspires their dances.
Death is scary, uncomfortable, and expensive. More families are looking for alternatives to the conventional method of being buried in a casket and looking toward more cost effective and eco-friendly options. Tim Johnson of Foundation Cremation and Gracie Griffin of Bellefontaine Cemetery discuss these alternatives and the conversations they’re having with families as they lay their loved ones to rest.
Arkadin Cinema opened in St. Louis’ Bevo Mill neighborhood in June 2020. Other local theaters were closing during the pandemic — but not Arkadin. The microcinema has grown a cult following with its monthly Drinkolas Cage events. Co-owners Keith Watson and Sarah Baraba talk about their big plans for the future, and we bring you the sounds of last month’s Drinkolas Cage event.
On November 8, voters in Missouri will face Amendment 5, which asks them: “Shall the Missouri National Guard currently under the Missouri Department of Public Safety be its own department, known as the Missouri Department of the National Guard, which shall be required to protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of Missourians?” Its supporters include former Missouri National Guard Adjutant General Steve Danner. One opponent is St. Louis Democratic Representative Peter Merideth, who worries that the amendment is creating a new mission statement for the organization.
In 1989, the groundbreaking musical “Some of my best friends are” hit the St Louis theater scene, becoming the first example of queer culture being openly depicted on a St. Louis stage. More than 30 years later, on October 20, much of the original cast reunited for a one-night reunion performance. The play’s writer and co-creator, Joan Lipkin, reflects on the legacy of the production, and what connections she draws between the play’s world of 1989 and today. We also listen to clips of the musical’s songs “Hoosier Boy” and “There’s a judge in my bedroom,” and we hear from Rodney Wilson, who attended the play as an audience member in 1989 and 2022.
With her new documentary, “Education, Interrupted,” Aisha Sultan encourages audiences to reflect on the ways the coronavirus pandemic radically disrupted learning and children’s development. The film is featured in this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival.
Voters in Missouri and Illinois go to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots. We spoke with STLPR journalists Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about the major races and issues.
No county in Missouri has sent more people to the executioner than St. Louis County. Eighteen men sentenced through the county circuit since 1976 have been given the ultimate punishment. Another six people currently sit on death row. Kevin Johnson is among them, and, on November 29, he is scheduled for execution. In his first-ever interview with a reporter, he spoke with the RFT's Monica Obradovic, who shares what she learned from Johnson in what may be his final months alive. - Executive Editor at Euclid Media Group Sarah Fenske also returns to the show to discuss "Shadow of Death," a series of investigative stories exploring Missouri's death penalty, and to introduce the River City Journalism Fund.
What was once an empty lot, Love Bank Park on Cherokee Street has been an active gathering place for the community for years. Now, the park is undergoing a community led redevelopment. Cherokee community members join St. Louis on the Air to discuss the reasons for the redevelopment, as well as Cherokee Community Improvement District vice chair Kaveh Razani. We also address the question of whether this redevelopment contributes to gentrification in St. Louis.
Scott Joplin — popularly known as the “King of Ragtime”— lived at 2658 A Morgan Street 120 years ago. Plenty has changed since then: Morgan Street was renamed Delmar and the modest apartment and adjacent buildings were transformed into the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site. Since 1991, the museum exhibits have kept Joplin’s music and legacy alive. Cookie Jordan, site administrator at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, dives into Joplin’s time in St. Louis, his experience being a musician in America at the turn of the century, and the many discoveries still left to unearth about this legend of music.
Halloween conjures images of ghouls, goblins, ghosts and other spooky creatures. Every year it’s inevitable that you’ll see a child, or adult, dressed up as a witch complete with a broom and pointy hat. But for Jade Moore, the owner of Sincerely, the Craft, mysticism is more than a trend — it’s a connection to heritage.
As a Halloween treat, historical interpreter and Kirkwood resident Anne Williams gives a powerful performance of “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. Producer Avery Rogers accompanies Williams’ performance with chilling sound design that is sure to send shivers down your spine.
Beginning Tuesday, Planned Parenthood will take over the former Tri-Rivers Family Planning center in Rolla. The Title X health center will offer contraceptives, pregnancy tests and other reproductive health services to residents throughout Missouri. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Colleen McNicholas and nurse practitioner Hailey Kramer discuss their hopes for the new center.
Two schools remain closed in St. Louis in the aftermath of Monday’s deadly shooting. Some attention has turned to the shooter, and the weapon he used in carrying out this attack, which left two dead, a health teacher and a 15-year-old student. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann talks about the latest information.
The Tabernacle Church is more than a church. In 2014, leaders there created the Tabernacle Community Development Corporation, which went on to purchase dozens of vacant properties around the JeffVanderLou neighborhood in north St. Louis. Andre Alexander, the church’s lead pastor and president of the non-profit, discusses combining faith and community development, and, what a $1.5 million rehab of a former elementary school will bring to the neighborhood.
Toxic masculinity can be described easily: Destructive emotions, misogynistic comments and views, avoiding vulnerability. But what could healthy masculinity look like? ‘UnMasc: A Storytelling Event’ will feature experiences and reflections by 10 men as they take a step back to evaluate moments in their lives in front of an audience. Bryant Antione of The Village PATH and James Meinert of Undo Bias Consulting preview the event and discuss how they are learning to detoxify what it means to “be a man.”
In one of several high-profile lawsuits targeting the Biden administration, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt contends that Dr. Anthony Fauci and other government officials worked with social media companies to suppress misinformation about COVID-19 — and in a ruling last week a federal judge approved depositions of the physician and others, including former White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Attorneys Nicole Gorovsky, Connie McFarland-Butler and Bevis Schock tackle the case, and several more, during our Legal Roundtable.
St. Louis remains in mourning as details of yesterday’s school shooting further reveal the trauma experienced by students, staff and their families. In this episode, we talk with STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann about the latest news involving this tragedy, and we open the segment with the sounds and voices of a vigil held for the victims on Monday night.
Clinical psychologist Marva Robinson shares tools and resources for people dealing with trauma from the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School shooting.
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