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Michael McMillan Is Minding His Own Business as a Public Servant. Thank God! | ||
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If there ever was a person who has tirelessly for years shown the community respect, accessibility, generosity, and love, it’s been Michael McMillan, our city’s License Collector and Chairman of the St. Louis Community Empowerment Foundation, also known as the Vashon/Jeff Vander Lou Imitative. It’s been said that he ought to “mind his own business…thank God, the community is his business because he certainly looks out for us….always has and still does.
His business is our children : A few weeks ago the Metro Sentinel hosted its first Scholarship event that recognized a diverse group for youth. Michael McMillan presented each youth with a framed certificate (for many it was the first they had received from a city official). By the way, when Michael was a teenager at SLU, he founded the Young Democrats Association. Fast forward 20-yars later, he hasn’t lost sight of how important it is to inspire youth like he was. He continues through his eight-year continuous support of the St. Louis Public Schools. Five times a year, at five different schools he hosts Academic Achievement events that inspire good grades, good attendance and good behavior. That means some 4th graders he touched are now out of school and in college. Just to be sure, Michael established a scholarship program with Harris Stowe State University, St. Louis Community College and Ranken Technical School to do the same.
His business is our senior citizens: For 13-years he has supported and visited 70 senior citizen buildings throughout the city to host meals and give gifts, while informing them giving them information that could help them f through services provided by such city agencies as the St. Louis Department of Aging, and St. Louis Police Department targeting elderly abuse. and predatory scams. Just ask the seniors at Heritage House, Metropolitan, Southside Center or Mt Zion Senior Centers, Michael McMillan makes it his business to give us Holiday and Valentine parties when most, even our families, can’t be with us. And regardless of our age, thousands of people receive personal birthday cards from Michael with gift certificates every year.
His business is our business: As an alderman he generated over a billion dollars in economic development. He laid the groundwork that inspired St.Louis Community College‘s new campus in North St. Louis, and numerous other such developments. In any capacity, whether as License Collector, Alderman or Committeeman, he does the best he can to keep us informed, included and assisted. Now, he isn’t going to break the law, but he will do everything he can within the law to help us.
His business is helping the media
as a business: Unlike
many elected officials, Michael McMillan supports us consistently no matter how
modest all year long. whether he is running for an office or not. As a member
of the black press, we appreciate Michael McMillan for respecting us as a
business, and as journalists .One of the reasons the black press was founded was
because the white press routinely denigrated African Americans in print, even to
the extent of questioning both the integrity and morality of the entire race.
These discussions began back in 1827, with a meeting at Samuel Comish’s house
and John B. Russwurm. The two proclaimed, “Too long have others spoken for us
... We wish to plead our own cause.” During the 182 years since the appearance of Freedom’s Journal the Black Press has chronicled and commented upon events as they have occurred and impacted upon African Americans. Throughout that time the Black Press has given voice to the struggles of African Americans as they have sought to overcome the effects of enslavement and discrimination to attain social equality -- it has continued to “plead the cause.” In this vain, today, don’t we have enough to challenge without singling out those whose long-term documented good deeds far exceed the fulfillment of a personal vendetta? We are challenged as black journalist to see the bigger picture and not to indiscriminately tarnish a model public servant with the power of the press. This by no means we close our e yes to true injustices against us by our own, but it does mean that we do not bash human error unnecessarily. Our white counterparts do that without our assistance. Just with most news stories regarding our President. Our
Over the years the list of contributors
to the Black Press who have lent their talents as publishers, editors,
journalists, columnists and cartoonists has included the greatest names in
American history. Among them are Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells
Barnett, Langston Hughes, Romare Bearden, James Weldon Johnson, Mary McLeod
Bethune and Daisy Bates through 1941 with the founding of the NNPA. Locally the
St. Louis American, St. Louis Argus and the Metro Sentinel or members. We e each
have a challenged to report real time news while not forgetting why we were
founded. Not just to make head lines, not to use our papers as a political
soapbox or advertising engine, but to remain an explanatory voice for our
community without bias. Using Michael McMillan, as an example, who is a public
servant in the truest sense of the word, may not do what we want him to do, when
we want him to do it, but he comes through for us right on time in many unseen
ways. That is what needs to be chronicled. No different than the white
publications do their own. Back to General Information | Home
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