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EAST ST. LOUIS - Mike Jones, executive director of the Greater St. Louis Region Empowerment Zone, dicussess the benefits and services of the Empowerment Zone before an audience of nearly 200 entrepreneurs and business representatives, attending the first Monthly Merchants Breakfast at the Crown Hotel.

Metro East Merchants Learn How the Fusion of 'Hip Hop'
Culture Is Driving Revenue and Their Businesses

East St. Louis Mayor Debra A. Powell introduces the program to members of the business community attending the first Monthly Merchants Breakfast at the Crown Hotel.

Text and photos by Bob Moore
© 2002, Southwest Illinois News

EAST ST. LOUIS, (SWI-news.com), Oct 22, 2002 - East St. Louis Mayor Debra A. Powell joined Mike Jones, executive director of the Greater St. Louis Region Empowerment Zone, and Willie Spratt, account executive of Q95.5/Radio One, as guest speakers at the first Monthly Merchants Breakfast, October 16, at the Crown Hotel.

Mo'Shay, program director, Q95.5/Radio One, Inc. spoke about the buying power of the Hip Hip culture. "I have found that a lot of people have a misconception of Hip Hop as being 'gangster rap.' Actually Hip Hop is a culture. Since the early 80s and the Sugar Hill Gang, Hip Hop has always had an influence and set the trend for that time and that generation. It was to the point that the clothes they wore, we wanted to wear. They way they talked, we wanted to talk."

That was then, yet the evolution of the Hip Hop culture has grown into something much bigger than what a lof of people believe and know today," stated Mo'Shay.

"You have to give a lot of respect to the life of Russell Simmons as a visionary. He saw the influence this culture had on buying habits. He was able to take this mold, market it to the masses, expland its values, generate revenue and build an empire consisting now of records, retail such as Baby Phat, film and his newest venture - a network channel that directly competes with regular TV," Mo'Shay said. "All this from a thing people thought was 'gangster' instead of being a 'culture'."

Mo'Shay, program director, Q95.5/Radio One, Inc.

Mo'Shay, program director, Q95.5/Radio One spoke about the influence and buying power of the Hip Hop culture.

"I think it's safe that say that Hip Hop culture has now disseminated all racial boundaries, creeds and cultures," continued Mo'Shay. "It is a lifestyle. You might ask what is the buying power. This generation of consumers has contributed to more than $3 billion of the national revenue of 2001. It is a culture of business-minded young people who are learning to cultivate their creed, their talent and building businesses that appeal to the general audiences."

Mo'Shay illustrated her point by noting how the fusion of Hip Hop has influenced mainstream advertising used by the automotive industry, the wireless industry.

"This is a mass appeal culture and it's something that everyone in this room comes in contact with everyday. It is driving revenue and businesses like yours," stated Mo'Shay.

The monthly breakfast meetings are part of an ongoing program to educate the local business community on various assistance programs that are available, ranging from state and federal loans to county and local grants.

With the overwhelming inquiry regarding the qualification process and procedures involved in receiving government allotted assistance, the meetings provide an opportunity for future and present business leaders to learn more about building and developing the business community in East St. Louis.

Upcoming Merchants Breakfast events at the Crown Hotel are November 27 and December 18. The meetings will take place, 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m., at the Crown Hotel, adjacent to the Casino Queen. A free continential breakfast will be provided, however, seating is limited. For business representatives interested in attending the breakfast, please call Mrs. Crosby to reserve your seat at (618) 482-6601.

Rays of Hope Community Development Conference
EAST ST. LOUIS, (SWI-news.com), October 9, 2002 - A national audience of bankers, investors and members of community development organizations are expected to attend a special conference, "Rays of Hope: A New Day for America's Distressed Urban Areas", from October 22 and 23, at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis.

The conference will focus on comprehensive housing and job strategies, attracting businesses to the inner city, redeveloping "brownfields" and building individual wealth. The conference is co-sponsored by the Community Affairs department of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's East St. Louis Action Research Project

Mark W. Olson, member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C., will deliver the keynote address, October 22.

Speakers for the conference include: Robert L. Woodson, Sr., founder and president of the National Neighborhood Enterprise; William Poole, president St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank; John Kretzmann, co-director of The Asset-Based Community Development Institute Northwestern University; James H. Carr, senior vice president for innovation, research and community technology of the Fannie Mae Foundation and Vada Manager, director of global issues management at Nike Corp., and a native of East St. Louis.

East St. Louis has been the site of several successful revitalization projects in recent years. New housing, a library, hotel, shopping mall, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, and the extension of the MetroLink light rail line connecting the city's residents with jobs in St. Louis and surrounding communities.

Presenters will showcase models for urban design and building wealth. There will also be a tour of redevelopment projects along the MetroLink route and an opportunity at workshops to exchange ideas on community development financing and on resolving community conflicts.

"Get Fit With Five" Program Features Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee
EAST ST. LOUIS, (SWI-news.com), Sept. 27, 2002 - St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets has launched a program designed to help people stay fit and healthy.

The "Get Fit With Five" education campaign, which runs through Oct. 27, features Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a face familiar to East St. Louisans.

In a statement, Mike O'Brien, vice president of produce for Schnucks, commented, "We're extremely pleased that Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee has agreed to support our efforts to teach families the value of adding more produce to their diets. A world-famous athlete like Ms. Joyner-Kersee is a great role model and can be an effective catalyst for teaching young people the importance of eating right and exercising."

The seven-week event will include store displays featuring Jackie Joyner-Kersee and help direct customers to educational materials stressing the health benefits of a proper diet in combination with regular exercise. Fliers featuring nutrition information, fitness tips and a 30-day fitness challenge for children will be offered free of charge. "Our stores will also offer take-home recipe cards featuring healthful dishes customers will enjoy preparing and eating," said O'Brien.

"We, in the United States however, still have a way to go," stated O'Brien. "Although experts recommend that we eat between five and ten servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily for better health, Americans average just 4.4 servings daily." I am hoping that the 'Get Fit With Five' program will encourage children and their families to introduce more fresh produce into their diets and make healthier decisions in the supermarket and in the kitchen."

The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation serves residents of the Metro East region through integrated, intergenerational programming and activities at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis and at satellite sites in East St. Louis and Washington Park.

Schnuck Markets, Inc. currently operates 103 stores and 93 in-store pharmacies in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Mississippi.

Archived Stories:
A New Cardinals Stadium Could Be Catalyst for East St. Louis Redevelopment - Interview with Mayor Debra A. Powell
Olympic Spirit Burns at Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Club
Miles 2001 Festival Draws Thousands of Jazz Fans
MetroLink Extension in St. Clair County Opens
East St. Louis Library Built Brick by Brick
Home Team Helps Two St. Louis-area Families Achieve Dream of Home Ownership
Local Cisco Networking Academy
Habitat for Humanity
JJK B&G Grand Opening
Mayor Christens Crown Hotel
Happy Birthday, Katherine Dunham
New Library For East St. Louis
MetroLink Brings Viability to East St. Louis
JJK Youth Center Is a Dream Come True

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