Mother Baltimore: More fuel to the fire
Loy’el Dunigan, 2. Jabari Johnson, 4. Neveah Dunigan and Heaven Dunigan, 8; Deontae Davis Jr., 9. Loy’el Dunigan, 2; Jabari Johnson, 4; Neveah Dunigan and Heaven Dunigan, 8; and Deontae Davis Jr., 9 are the names of the five siblings who died in an apartment fire in East St. Louis.
Loy’el Dunigan, 2; Jabari Johnson, 4; Neveah Dunigan and Heaven Dunigan, 8; and Deontae Davis Jr., 9 are the names of the five siblings who died in an apartment fire in East St. Louis that was reported by their mom after she returned home.
Loy’el Dunigan, 2; Jabari Johnson, 4; Neveah Dunigan and Heaven Dunigan, 8; and Deontae Davis Jr., 9 are the names of the five siblings who died in an apartment fire in East St. Louis that was reported by their mom after she returned home and found her kids devastated by the fire, the cause of which is unknown.
Loy’el Dunigan, 2; Jabari Johnson, 4; Neveah Dunigan and Heaven Dunigan, 8; and Deontae Davis Jr., 9 are the names of the five siblings who died in an apartment fire in East St. Louis that was reported by their mom after she returned home and found her kids devastated by the fire, the cause of which is unknown, and tried to rescue them.
Sabrina Dunigan, 34, mother of Loy’el Dunigan, 2; Jabari Johnson, 4; Neveah Dunigan and Heaven Dunigan, 8; and Deontae Davis Jr., 9----the five siblings who died in an East St. Louis apartment fire, the cause of which is unknown, that was reported by Sabrina on her birthday--- has been charged with five counts of endangering the life/health of a child.
Shortly after the fire this summer, Sabrina’s mom said her daughter would need time and prayers to help her heal from losing all of her children in a fire she did not start.
Now, nearly three months later, Sabrina is going to unfortunately need a lot more than that. The insurmountable loss of her children is now compounded by the possible loss of her own freedom.
Now, here’s the latest news in southwestern Illinois:
How a high school student from East St. Louis turned TikTok success into a rap career
Jordyn Powell, who goes by the stage name Jaiimoni Starr, is a 16-year-old rapper from East St. Louis who recently launched her music career after going viral on TikTok. The BND talked to Starr about her newfound fame, growing up in East St. Louis, going viral on social media and starting a rap career at an early age. Although Starr is becoming a celebrity in the community, this quote illustrates how women in rap still don’t receive the respect they deserve:
A boy was like ‘Oh my God. I didn’t think she could rap because she’s a girl.’ But I can rap. Even though I’m a girl, it’s not much different.
More on music and culture in East St. Louis
A dance legend owned these abandoned East St. Louis homes. Local group wants to save them
East St. Louis has a rich musical history. It deserves to be celebrated.
East St. Louis woman charged in connection with the deaths of her 5 children in a fire
On Wednesday, Sabrina Dunigan, mother of the five children who died in an August fire, was charged with five counts of endangering the life/health of a child, according to St. Clair County State’s Attorney. The cause of the apartment fire is still under investigation. Dunigan’s bail is set at $75,000. BND reporter Carolyn Smith has extensively covered the fire since it was first reported.
More on the East St. Louis fire
Five children from same family die in overnight East St. Louis apartment fire
Mother of children who died in East St. Louis fire need prayer and time, grandma says
A white lawmaker for East St. Louis? Lawsuit says Black voters might not have a choice
The East St. Louis NAACP branch, along with other entities, recently filed a lawsuit against state officials that alleges the current redistricting map is an example or racial gerrymandering. The new map removes a fifth of Black voters from House District 114, which is represented by Rep. LaToya Greenwood, and places them in House District 113, pushing an additional chunk of Black voters into House District 112. Districts 112 and 113 are both represented by white Democrats. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit and East St. Louis residents say the new map directly impacts East St Louis residents’ ability to have a representative who looks like them and understands them. District 114 has had a Black representative since 1975.
More on redistricting in the metro-east:
Here are 4 things you should know about redistricting in IL---and why you should care
Democrats propose a map that could set southern Illinois Republicans against each other
What to do
This is a new section of Mother Baltimore that’ll highlight upcoming events in the metro-east that’s relevant to Black communities. If you have tips for events, send them to dsutgrey@bnd.com
Transformational Justice Expo
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 13 at The T.A.K.E. Center in East St. Louis
United Congregations of Metro East, Metro East Organizing Coalition and Empire 13 are hosting an expo that will provide services such as voter registration, applying for expungement and sealing help and reinstating driver’s licenses. The T.A.K.E. Center is located on 1798 Summit Avenue. Click here to register for the event
What to watch
Ferguson Rises
Winner of the Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award, “Ferguson Rises” covers the 2014 Ferguson protests from the perspectives of those who were there, including Michael Brown Sr, father of Michael Brown Jr. The younger Brown was killed by police in 2014, sparking a nearly month-long protest in Ferguson, Missouri. “Ferguson Rises” will make its U.S. broadcast premiere on Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. on NinePBS. The documentary will also be free to stream for a limited time on the PBS Video App after the broadcast.
What to read
Rats, mold, roaches: Howard students stage sit-in over housing conditions
For more than 20 days, students at Howard University have protested unsanitary living conditions on campus. Students have voiced their concerns about “mold on expired air filters, rat and cockroach infestations, and mushrooms blooming on dorm room ceilings and under sinks”. Gloria Oladipo, a reporter for The Guardian, reported on the protests:
It’s incredible that with the amount of money Howard University receives each year, whether it be from the government, tuition, fees, or donations, we still have buildings that haven’t been up to date in years,” said Eja, 18, a freshman at Howard and protest participant.
That’s all she wrote!
Talk to y’all in two weeks!
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