Happy MLK Day STL

Since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. African Americans have been striving towards making all of his dreams come true. While there have been a few moments were it seemed as if we were peddaling backwards, there were plenty of us who kept pushing forward. I found a list of african american first and I thought I would share some of them here.
1983
First African-American astronaut: Guion Stewart "Guy" Bluford, Jr. (Challenger mission STS-8).[28]
First African-American mayor of Chicago: Harold Washington
First African-American Miss America: Vanessa L. Williams
First African-American WWE Tag Team Champions: Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas
First African-American to appear on MTV via music video: Michael Jackson
1987
First African-American woman, and first woman, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Aretha Franklin
1990
First elected African-American governor: Douglas Wilder (Democrat; Virginia) (See also: P. B. S. Pinchback, 1872)
First African American elected president of the Harvard Law Review: Barack Obama (See also: 2008)
First African-American Miss USA: Carole Gist
1993
First African American woman appointed U.S. Secretary of Energy: Hazel R. O'Leary
First African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature: Toni Morrison
First African-American woman named Poet Laureate of the United States: Rita Dove, also the youngest person named to that position
First African American appointed Surgeon General of the United States: Joycelyn Elders
First African-American woman to win a national chess championship: Kimberly McClelland
1997
First African American to win a Grand Slam event in golf: Tiger Woods (The Masters)[31]
First African-American model to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition: Tyra Banks
2001
First African-American Secretary of State: Colin Powell
First African-American president of an Ivy League university: Ruth J. Simmons at Brown University, also the first permanent female president of Brown.
First African-American woman to win the ASCAP Pop Music Songwriter of the Year award: Beyoncé Knowles
First African-American woman to be appointed National Security Advisor: Condoleezza Rice (See also: 2005)
First African-American billionaire: Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television
2002
First African-American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress: Halle Berry (Monster's Ball, 2001)
First African-American Winter Olympic gold medal winner: Vonetta Flowers (two-woman bobsleigh). (See also: Shani Davis, 2006)
2004
First African American to win Broadway theater's Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play: Phylicia Rashād
First African-American female billionaire: Oprah Winfrey
2008
First African American to be nominated as a major-party US presidential candidate: Barack Obama, Democratic Party
First African American to referee a Super Bowl game: Mike Carey (Super Bowl XLII)
First African-American woman elected Speaker of a state House of Representatives: California Rep. Karen Bass
First African-American governor of New York State: David Paterson (elected as lieutenant governor, succeeded on resignation of previous governor)
First African American to own a movie and TV studio: Tyler Perry
First African American elected president of the United States of America: Barack Obama
First African American to be nominated as United States Attorney General: Eric Holder

Go Rams...?

Rams fans will have to watch our former St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner make a return to the Superbowl this year but this time it will be with the Arizona Cardinals. While Warner fans cheer him on and talk about how the Rams would have been better if we would have just kept him on the squad, I'm not sure that was the problem this year. The Rams have been plagued with problems for the last 3 years and one of those is not having a coach that could lead the team to a winning season. After seeing 3 coaches in 3 years the Rams have now signed a 4 year deal with former NY Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. He also served 8 years with the Eagles family and even played a little football in college as wide receiver for Springfield College. He has signed a 11.5 million dollar contract with the St. Louis Rams. Lets hope next season he makes us proud and we don't have to be embarrassed about rocking a Rams jersey anymore. 

Now that they have hired a Head Coach, which players do you think will be first to go under this new leadership? Is it time for Torry Holt and Steven Jackson to go or has Orlando Pace seen his last days in St. Louis?

Ludacris and T.I. to Perform in STL

It is confirmed that Atlanta rappers T.I. and Ludacris will be back in St. Louis on Thursday, February 19th at the Chaifetz Arena. Both T.I. and Ludacris made stops in the Lou in 2008 with Ludacris holding it down at EXO for a Election watch party and T.I. headlined at Hot 1041's Super Jam back in June. I can't even front, I am as excited about seeing these two as I was getting my hair cut in stacks back in '93.

PRE-SALE INFO

You know I can't post this without letting you know that you don't have to wait until tickets go on sale on Saturday.. Or you know how things go when you in the Suite - once the comment count makes it 10 - somebody might just post the code in the comment section that will allow you to purchase your tickets TODAY from 10am - 10pm

STL Celebrity Sighting

(photos jacked at Sandra Rose)

Rumor has it that St. Louis native Kimora Lee Simmons is expecting another child. Since we don't gossip over here at SuiteSTL, we can just focus on that fabulous bag of hers that is covering up her tummy.

Stay Warm today with $1 Coffee

The tempature is -freezing and the country is in a serious recession! Don't worry because there is a way to save a little money and stay warm. Go to West End Grill and Pub today and enjoy some HOT coffee for only $1 (today only)! While you're there check out the menu and enjoy some nice cuisine and culture in this City's trendy Central West End.

V.I.P. Suite: NOTIFI RECORDS

Honest, Fantastic, Godsent, Loyal, Sweetheart, Tenacious, and Passionate. All words that friends and used to describe Notifi Records CEO, Ira DeWitt. She is a Doctor, Mother and Wife and the owner of the Record Label that 90’s heartthrob Ginuwine signed with in 2008. I recently sat down with DeWitt to discuss the upcoming project with Ginuwine and Notifi Records and what she has in store for the St. Louis music scene.

pictured left: Ira DeWitt, CEO of Notifi Records

While I went in ready to learn all about what Ginuwine has cooking with his upcoming album I found myself more intrigued with how Ira DeWitt landed herself in this position. When you think record label head a lot of images may come to mind, but Ira is ready to change that. On the East Coast you have Bad Boy, and So So Def is a part of Atlanta history and for years I often thought that Derrty ENT would hold the same kind of weight in St. Louis. After meeting with Ira DeWitt and seeing the fire in her eyes and passion for what she does, I’m going to say with total confidence that she will take Notifi Records into that leadership role. St. Louis natives Oli and Ms. Bee are 2 of Ginuwine’s label mates and DeWitt plans on reaching out to Faith Evans and Jagged Edge to join this group. Although DeWitt says she doesn’t have the thick skin that many others have in this industry, her songs keep her going. Her husband Bill DeWitt, President of the St. Louis Cardinals admits that the long hours his wife works are hard but says, “he couldn’t imagine her doing anything else because she loves what she does.” While R. Kelly, Ginuwine and even some old school Boyz II Men are in constant rotation, Dewitt’s is focused on Ginuwine topping the charts again and bringing some credibility back to the St. Louis Music Scene.

She has hit the St. Louis music scene running by signing Ginuwine who most recently was linked with the group TGT (Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank) but that didn’t last long after legal issues halted the project. If you are thinking “What has Ginuwine been doing these days” then you will be glad to hear that he has been working hard on an upcoming album and from what I hear, you won’t be disappointed when it it’s stores. Once famous for having a way with the ladies by doing songs like “Pony” that would have ladies going wild, he has matured his sound and style. DeWitt says that Ginuwine has “evolved as an artist”. Oh and ladies if you thinking you are going to catch Ginuwine (who is still looking fine) around town and have your way with the pretty boy, please keep don’t go groupie on the brotha because he is still married to former rapper Solé who is a Midwest native so you know she don’t play. Stay tuned for what’s to come and I’m sure we will have an update on his comeback real soon.

WAKE UP CALL: STL needs to put a wrap on it!!

As a child I wanted to be Punky Brewster with the cool bed, fly style, and the adoptive father Henry who would let me get what I wanted. I even wanted to be Vanity, I mean seriously what little girl didn’t want to be saved by Leroy. I once cried because I even wanted to be Rudy who had the best family ever on The Cosby Show. But I never ever wanted to be that girl. You know that girl that your mother didn’t want you to play with because she was “to damn fast”. There were positive role models, and positive role models sometimes help positive outcomes happen to young people. I have to shake my head at all the foolishness that is going around in my city. I mean seriously the embarrassment with the possible HIV break out at Normandy High School should have been enough for people to wake up. Now once again this city should be ashamed at leading this country in gonorrhea and chlamydia. I mean really people in 2008? Are you still having unprotected sex? Does the threat of an STD not scare the lust out of you? I know that some men are trifling and want to “feel” it and refuse to put on a condom. But ladies lets please wake up. It’s your body!!!!!! Nothing should be more important than your body!!!!! You have the right to refuse to have unprotected sex. I wish we could just have a city wide rally and just shake the stupid out of people. I know that a lot of these cases are probably from teenagers. I am so scared for today’s teenagers. They are reckless and unfocused, and I know that most don’t give a damn about life. Everyone has been there and we don’t like to be told what to do, but let us tell you this one thing, Sexually Transmitted Diseases are real. Know the value of your life and for your own sake, wrap it up. You want the full story you can check it out here. Be safe people.