St. Louis on the Air

Vocalist and songwriter Brianna Brown — known on stage as Be.Be the Neosoul, has performed on many St. Louis stages during her singing career. By day, she’s the artistic director at her alma mater Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. Next Tuesday, she’s hitting the stage at the Sheldon Concert Hall for something of a full circle moment. That’s when she and CVPA students will put on a benefit concert to raise money for the school’s arts departments. She shares what this moment means to her, what it’s like to hear her students perform her original music, and how it feels to perform beside them on stage.

Since 1975, the Focal Point has played a critical role in promoting and shaping St. Louis’ folk, roots, jazz, blues and world music scene. As the nonprofit celebrates its 50th anniversary with a year-long series of special concerts, we hear from musicians, volunteers and fans who have supported the organization from its humble beginnings — operating out of church basements and spare rooms — to its current, permanent home in downtown Maplewood.

Dilapidated and vacant buildings are more than eyesores for the community. They can lower property value and impact safety. But before starting up the bulldozers, Landmarks Illinois wants property owners and city governments to consider renovation and restoration. Their latest list of endangered historic places includes the Spivey Building in East St. Louis and various Meramec Caverns Barns including one in Madison County. Quinn Adamowski, regional manager of advocacy for Landmarks Illinois explains why renovation helps communities more than demolition and what successful rehabilitation looks like.

Just a year and a half after forming, the St. Louis-based improv team Some Black People took the championship belt in the Improv Shop’s 2024 Cagematch Tournament. Jessica Nicole, founder of Some Black People, shares what clinched it for them, and how far they’ve come in their goal to encourage more Black folks to get into improv as performers and fans.

In the new book “Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America,” Washington University professor Gerald Early traces the powerful impact of Black Americans on the game from the post-Civil War era to today. Written in collaboration with the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the book highlights pivotal figures, defining moments, and the lasting influence of Black players.

The 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis highlighted the nation's triumphs but it also reveled in public exploitation of indigenous Filipinos, who were put on display to demonstrate the "savagery" of other cultures. In addition to the 47-acre "Philippine Village," the Philippine Constabulary Band was also a popular attraction. Piccolo player Pedro B. Navarro was a key member of the band. His great-granddaughter, Mary Lacanlale, an ethnomusicologist at California State University, shares insights about the band, the exploitation of Filipino people at the World's Fair and her ancestor's experience there. She also reflects on the recent dedication of a memorial to the Philippine Village in Clayton.

Robert Cohen recently retired after a 38-year career, the last 25 years spent at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Cohen was part of a team of Post photographers who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 for their work covering the Ferguson protests. Cohen reflects on his famous photo of Edward ‘Skeeda’ Crawford throwing a tear gas canister during the protests, and other moments from his career in journalism.

Essence Anthony’s passion for art started when she was a kid, but she stopped painting as she grew older. She was recently diagnosed with functional neurological disorder, which brought her back to her love of painting. She shares what it’s like to live with the disorder, how she navigates her challenges through a creative outlet and how she uses her art to raise awareness about the disorder.

After losing reelection in April, former St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones says she wants to take a break from politics. It’s the first time in the last 20 years that she hasn’t held elected office. Talking with STLPR’s Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum, Jones reflects on her four years as mayor and the state of Black leadership in St. Louis and around the country.

The St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock” Catholic Church in north St. Louis received $500,000 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to restore its 120-year-old stained glass windows. Acting pastor Rev. Rodney Olive and longtime parishioner Monica Huddleston share what that grant funding means for the historic, predominantly Black church that’s endured more than its share of building damage — and why the preservation work is important for the community around the church.