With his wife, Susan, close at hand in the ballroom of the Sheraton Westport, Urban League chief Jim Buford
exuded over his recent trip to Israel when he opined, “Israel needs to exist and there are 22 Arab countries that are determined not to allow it to do so.”  Turning to the immigration bill, he said that he is opposed to it, because it’s profiling and “we shouldn’t judge how people appear. And, besides, the national Urban League office is also in opposition to it.” Buford, the $220,000 a-year president and CEO of the St. Louis league, confided he was a Republican, while working for former Gov. Kit Bond in the 1980s, but has since switched to become a stalwart Democrat. “I once worked with President Obama, since the league also covers St. Clair (Illinois), and I feel he’s making a change and people don’t like change,” he said.  Buford has raised the current budget to $20 million from $1.75 million when he was appointed to his post 25 years ago.

Seen here ‘n there were: civil rights lawyer, the 93 year-old beloved Frankie M. Freeman with her daughter and son-in-law, Shelbe and Ellis Bullock; Bryan Thomas, president of the Urban League Professionals; mistress of ceremonies Darlynn Bosley, wife of former mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr,; Rebecca M. Barnes, guild president; Brenda Clayton-Davis, brunch chairwoman.

Musical chores before and during the brunch were capably handled by “Lady Jazz” Mae Wheeler, the Hazelwood High Jazz ensemble and The Jazz Edge group.

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