Tony Thompson makes educating

minorities a priority
By Doug Moore, St. Louis Post-Dispatch on 08.22.16
Word Count 733

Tony Thompson, left, talks with musician Justin Murray as he records music on Wednesday, August 10, 2016, for a
planned Christmas album. Murray, 19, is recording in Thompson's studio at Kwame Building Group. The studio is part of
Thompson's foundation's efforts to provide opportunities to minorities. Photo: Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/
TNS

ST. LOUIS Tony Thompson is listening to his own music. He creates jazz music when he
needs to unwind or escape. Sadly, he also uses music to ease his pain.
Without music, Id have lost my mind by now, Thompson says from his ofce.
It is here, at Kwame Building Group which he founded in 1991, where he has built a music
studio. The studio is part of his foundation aimed at providing educational opportunities for
people of color.

Giving Students An Opportunity

Thompson is dedicated to opening doors for people who may otherwise not have an
opportunity to learn. He provides scholarships for students funded through an annual golf
tournament. Thompson also started a program for adults to support high school boys as
well as an annual bus tour of historically black universities.

His newest effort is a music studio summer camp, which just nished its second year and
spawned a record label called TBeats.
Thompson has always loved music. He played keyboards in the University City High
School jazz band, which led to a music scholarship offer by the University of Kentucky.
Instead, he accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Kansas, earning a degree in
engineering and environmental design. The path has been successful for Thompson,
but he never stopped creating music.

Family Loss, Times Two

As his company grew he remained close to his brother, Tyrone, who he hired to work at his
company. Six years ago, Tyrone was killed at age 47. He was the victim of a robbery
attempt that ended in a shootout.
Id wake up at 3 a.m., right after my brother passed, thinking of him, Thompson said.
Wide awake at night, he would write music, including a tune inspired by Tyrone.
Its called Brother, he said of the song he cued up on his phone.
Recently, Tyrones son, Tyrell, 28, was shot and killed during a street robbery. He had been
out walking with his girlfriend. Thompson was crushed by loss yet again.
Still, his efforts to provide education opportunities continue. His brother would have
insisted he keep going. Their father always stressed education.

The Gentlemen's Club

Thompson's family moved from St. Louis to University City, Missouri, when Thompson was
in the fourth grade. He remembers the lack of black male teachers, and the boys who
looked like him shifting their attention to athletics, something he sees today in his work with
schools. As he made his way through college and into the corporate world, Thompson
knew his success was driven by education. He thinks many of society's problems could be
solved if people were given the chance to learn.
Ten years ago he began the Gentlemens Club with his brother at Carnahan High School of
the Future. The school sits in a struggling neighborhood of St. Louis. Alice Roach was
principal at the time.
It was a very different school then, Roach said. Attendance was low and grades were
poor. The students, especially the boys, had no desire to work in school. She had heard
about Thompsons work and invited him to Carnahan.
His talks with students eventually turned into the Gentlemens Club, a weekly get-together
of about 15 students a year. He teaches them about business and the stock market. He
also buys them books to read and discuss.
The young men in the club are required to dress up to get prepared for the corporate
world. Thompson buys suits and ties for those who cannot afford them.

The program has paid off, said Jonathan Grifn, assistant principal of Carnahan. More than
200 students have participated in the Gentlemens Club. Every one of them has graduated
from high school.
Roach said Tony and Tyrone Thompson changed lives at Carnahan, where the
Gentlemens Club will kick off a new year shortly after school begins on Wednesday.
Their mission was to transform these young boys into young men. They did just that.

Producing Music
Music continues to play a big part in Thompsons life, and he works hard to provide
musical opportunities for students of color.
Two years ago, Thompson began a summer program to teach students to produce music.
To prepare, Thompson was selected to study in France last year with Young Guru, the
longtime sound engineer for Jay Z.
Like he did after Tyrones death, Thompson composed a musical piece to help deal with
Tyrells death. Its working title is Tragedy.

Quiz
1

Which detail would be most important to include in a summary of the article?

(A)

Thompson's company is called the Kwame Building Group.

(B)

Thompson has a lifelong passion for music.

(C)

Thompson attended the University of Kansas.

(D)

Thompson composed a song called "Tragedy."

Which two of the following sentences from the article include central ideas of the article?
1.
2.

3.
4.

Thompson is dedicated to opening doors for people who may

otherwise not have an opportunity to learn.
He played keyboards in the University City High School jazz
band, which led to a music scholarship offer by the University of
Kentucky.
Wide awake at night, he would write music, including a tune
inspired by Tyrone.
He thinks many of society's problems could be solved if people
were given the chance to learn.

(A)

1 and 2

(B)

1 and 3

(C)

1 and 4

(D)

2 and 3

Which answer choice BEST characterizes Thompson's reaction to his brother and nephew's
deaths?
(A)

He focused on making music and continued to support the education of

others.

(B)

He put most of his energy into writing songs about his brother and nephew.

(C)

He was crushed and could not sleep at night.

(D)

He focused solely on providing educational opportunities for people of color.

What is MOST likely the reason the author included the detail about Thompson's opportunity to
study jazz in college?
(A)

to contrast the opportunity with his decision to study engineering

(B)

to detail the role of music in his early life

(C)

to show his serious talent for and interest in music

(D)

to argue that Thompson should have chosen to study music instead of

engineering

Answer Key
1

Which detail would be most important to include in a summary of the article?

(A)

Thompson's company is called the Kwame Building Group.

(B)

Thompson has a lifelong passion for music.

(C)

Thompson attended the University of Kansas.

(D)

Thompson composed a song called "Tragedy."

Which two of the following sentences from the article include central ideas of the article?
1.
2.

3.
4.

Thompson is dedicated to opening doors for people who may

otherwise not have an opportunity to learn.
He played keyboards in the University City High School jazz
band, which led to a music scholarship offer by the University of
Kentucky.
Wide awake at night, he would write music, including a tune
inspired by Tyrone.
He thinks many of society's problems could be solved if people
were given the chance to learn.

(A)

1 and 2

(B)

1 and 3

(C)

1 and 4

(D)

2 and 3

Which answer choice BEST characterizes Thompson's reaction to his brother and nephew's
deaths?
(A)

He focused on making music and continued to support the education of

others.

(B)

He put most of his energy into writing songs about his brother and nephew.

(C)

He was crushed and could not sleep at night.

(D)

He focused solely on providing educational opportunities for people of color.

What is MOST likely the reason the author included the detail about Thompson's opportunity to
study jazz in college?
(A)

to contrast the opportunity with his decision to study engineering

(B)

to detail the role of music in his early life

(C)

to show his serious talent for and interest in music

(D)

to argue that Thompson should have chosen to study music instead of

engineering