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Khari Mosley, R. Daniel Lavelle shine in front of standing-room-only Council Chambers Mosley now represents District 9; Lavelle elected City Council president

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Not figuratively, but literally, there was standing room only in Pittsburgh City Council Chambers on Monday, Jan. 8.

Shortly after, there was this thunderous applause that came from the crowd.

"All these people here today, y'all must have thought I brought (DJ) Selecta with me," quipped Khari Mosley.

Actually, they were there to witness Mosley be sworn-in as the next City Council member for District 9. An African American man with long ties to the community, who served as the political director for 1 Hood Media, and worked on campaigns for then-state Rep. Jake Wheatley and then-mayor Bill Peduto.

Councilman Mosley has also served as the Democratic Committee chair for the 22nd Ward, Pa. state director for BlueGreen Alliance, and director of Green Economy Initiatives for GTECH Strategies.

But on this Monday, Jan. 8, the weather outside was

actually pretty good—42 degrees, a little bit of sunshine following the weekend snow—as another positive light in the African American community was having his day in the sun.

Mosley takes over for longtime Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess, who had served on council for over 15 years. Both Councilman Mosley and Rev. Burgess are Black.

Not that it was a foregone conclusion, but early in 2023, Pittsburgh's first Black mayor, Ed Gainey, threw his support behind Councilman Mosley. And usually, when the mayor supports you, you're on to victory. Just ask people like Congresswoman Summer Lee, Pa. Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, and especially new Allegheny County Chief Executive Sara Innamorato.

After Councilman Mosley was sworn-in by Judge Chelsa Wagner (who is also Councilman Mosley's wife), he took to the podium and thanked his new SEE MOSLEY A3

NEW CITY COUNCILMAN KHARI MOSLEY HUGS HIS WIFE, JUDGE CHELSA WAGNER, AFTER BEING SWORN-IN ON MONDAY, JAN. 8.

MOSLEY’S SON LOOKS ON.

The seniors are the ones struttin’ this time Brenda Tate hosts Senior Jazz Connection Holiday Fashion Show Retired Pittsburgh Police Detective Brenda Tate and the Senior Jazz Connection Program hosted a Holiday Fashion Show featuring 100 senior models, at the Energy Innovation Center on Bedford Avenue, Dec. 29, 2023.

But there’s more to the story.

As the COVID pandemic started to ease in 2021, Tate, a lifelong resident of the Hill District, in conjunction with her goddaughter, Tonya Ford, developed a concept to bring both entertainment and socialization to seniors living in high rise complexes.

Tate, an active senior herself, according to a press release, recognized how many of her friends, neighbors and seniors in high rises were struggling with the lack of socialization.

Tate and Ford designed a plan that would bring both socialization and entertainment into the housing communities. Every first Friday of the month, the Senior Jazz Connection shows up at a high rise in the Hill District or

Oakland with a jazz band and a healthy lunch. Local renowned musician Tony Campbell performs for the seniors for two hours as they dance and enjoy music that they have been sorely missing.

Tate and Ford have also enlisted the support of many partners who believe in Senior Jazz Connection’s concept to make financial investments so they can provide seniors with a safe environment to express themselves socially.

“My entire career as a police officer for 40 years was about service to my own community and the city,” said Tate, who made the decision to return to the Hill District late in her career to make it a safer community for seniors.

“When I retired, my life didn’t change, only the job.

I was still serving my community, but I could now focus on seniors. With Senior Jazz Connection we do just that every month.”

Then the decision was SEE TATE A5

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THE DIFFERENT STYLES WERE SHOWCASED AT THE SENIOR JAZZ CONNECTION HOLIDAY FASHION SHOW, DEC. 29, 2023.

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A2 JANUARY 10-16, 2024

U.S. Mint releases Tubman coins Black Information Network A new coin set featuring abolitionist Harriet Tubman has been released.

According to WBOC, Tubman is featured on a $5 gold coin, a $1 silver coin, and a half-dollar coin as a part of the Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coin Program.

Tubman is depicted as a conductor on the Un-

“The coins are fabulous but that $20 bill, for me, represents something greater about who she was and what she gave to the United States.”

—Tina Wyatt derground Railroad, a Union nurse during the Civil War and in her later years.

The coins are available as a set or individually, according to a press release.

According to the U.S. Mint, a portion of the proceeds from the coins will go toward the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Harriet Tubman Home.

Several lawmakers have pushed for Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Tubman’s great-great-great-grandniece Ernestine “Tina” Martin Wyatt said the move would make a bigger statement.

“The coins are fabulous but that $20 bill, for me, represents something greater about who she was and what she gave to the United States,” Wyatt said.

The coins are available for purchase online and at U.S. Mint stores.

Pre-orders opened Thursday (January 4) and will ship in February.

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This Week In Black History

A Courier Staple • JANUARY 10

1924—Legendary Jazz drummer and composer Max Roach is born in New York City. He was perhaps the greatest drummer-composer of the Jazz era performing with some of America’s best known Jazz musicians and singers. He formed Debut Records in 1952 with bassist Charles Mingus.

1957—The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is founded in New Orleans, La., by a group of Black ministers led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The SCLC goes on to become one of the premier leadership organizations of the Civil Rights Movement.

Among the original founders were Ralph Abernathy, Joseph Lowery, Fred Shuttlesworth and C.K. Steel.

Washington, D.C., Min. Walter Fauntroy was chairman of the board of directors and one of the leading women of the Civil Rights Movement, Ella Baker, became executive director. In 2009, King’s daughter Bernice was elected to head the organization.

• JANUARY 11

1965—The extraordinarily talented author and dramatist Lorraine Hansberry dies. Deeply committed to the Black struggle, Hansberry’s brilliant career was cut short by cancer. She was only 35. Her primary works included “A Raisin In The Sun” and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.”

“A Raisin In The Sun” became the first play written by a young Black woman to be produced on Broadway.

1971—Popular R&B singer Mary J. Blige is born on this day in the Bronx, N.Y. Blige starred in the Lifetime movie “Betty and Coretta” alongside Angela Bassett, Malik Yoba and Lindsay Owen Pierre. She played Dr. Betty Shabazz, the widow of Malcolm X. The film premiered in February 2013.

1988—Scientists (paleo-anthropologists) announce the discovery of the “African Eve”—the mother of all humankind. Based on research in East African involving mitochondrial DNA, the researchers from the Welcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics in Oxford, England, conclude that the original woman evolved in East Africa approximately 200,000 years ago and that all of humanity can ultimately trace their ancestry to this woman. However, some more recent studies suggest that humankind first evolved in Southern Africa.

• JANUARY 12

1890—Educator Mordecai Wyatt Johnson is born in Paris, Texas. John-

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son became the first Black president of Howard University and presided over the prestigious Black institution for more than 30 years. He died in 1976.

1920—Civil rights leader James Farmer is born on this day in Marshal, Texas. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s he was among the top three or four most prominent civil rights leaders. He helped organize the “Freedom Rides” to help desegregate public transportation and founded the Congress of Racial Equality. He died in 1999.

• JANUARY 13

1869—On this day in 1869, one of the earliest post-Civil War attempts at organizing Blacks on a national level occurs. The National Convention of Black Leaders is held in Washington, D.C. Frederick Douglass is elected president. Also, the first Black labor union convention takes place. It was called the Convention of the Colored National Labor Union.

1913—The sorority Delta Sigma Theta is organized on the campus of Howard University by 22 coeds. It develops into one of the most prestigious and influential Black Greek letter organizations in the nation.

1953—Don Barksdale becomes the first African-American to play in an NBA All-Star game.

1966—Robert C. Weaver becomes the first Black member of a presidential cabinet. Lyndon B. Johnson appoints him Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

1987—In what many considered a racist decision, Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham rescinds the gubernatorial decree, which had established the birthday of civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr. as a state holiday. The decision sets off protests and a national Black boycott of Arizona.

1989—Poet Sterling Brown dies. Brown, a middle-class Black, born into one of Washington, D.C.’s, most prominent Black families, has probably never received full credit for the power, thought-provoking and even revolutionary nature of his poetry. He was a professor at Howard University for nearly 40 years.

• JANUARY 14

1895—A group of African-Americans organized the National Steamboat Co. in Washington, D.C. The group sailed the luxury steamer “George Leary” between the nation’s capital and Norfolk, Va., during the waning years of steamboat popularity in America.

The George Leary was a triumph for Black entry into business.

1930—Ernest Just becomes vice president of the American Association of Zoologists. Just was perhaps the most noted Black zoologist in American history. He accomplished pioneering research in fertilization and cell division while also publishing more than 70 scientific papers and books. Born in Charleston, S.C., he was a brilliant student who graduated from Dartmouth magna cum laude. He taught at Howard University in Washington, D.C., for years and helped a group of students organize the Black Greek letter fraternity— Omega Psi Phi. Just died in 1941 of pancreatic cancer.

1972—“Sanford and Son” starring Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson premiers on NBC. The sitcom gains almost immediate popularity among Blacks as well as develop a large following of Whites. The name “Sanford” came from John Sanford—Redd Foxx’s real name.

• JANUARY 15

1908—Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first Black Greek letter sorority, is founded on the campus of Howard

University in Washington, D.C., by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle of St. Louis, Mo. The sorority gradually branched out to other campuses and became one of the leading organizational vehicles for college-trained Black women to make their mark on American society.

1929—Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the man who was to become America’s greatest civil rights hero, was born on this day in 1929. Actually, his original given name was “Michael,” but it was later changed to Martin. He first rose to national prominence as the country’s premier civil rights leader when he successfully led the 1955-1956 Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott by Blacks angered by the arrest of Rosa Parks for her refusal to give up her seat on a city bus to a White man. In 1957, King was elected to head the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which became the leading organization of the civil rights era. Between 1957 and 1968, he traveled more than six million miles, gave more than 2,500 speeches, was arrested more than 20 times, and physically assaulted at least four times—all on behalf of civil rights for American Blacks.

Perhaps his most famous speech was the “I Have A Dream” speech given before a crowd of 250,000 during the March on Washington Aug. 28, 1963. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and the nation now celebrates his birth as a national holiday on the third Monday of each January. But during his life, King also became the target of a massive FBI operation that some feel indirectly paved the way for his assassination in Memphis, Tenn., on April 4, 1968. During his “I Have A Dream” speech, King summarized the purpose of the march and the Civil Rights Movement: “But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.”

1961—One of the original super groups—The Supremes—signed with Black record company Motown on this day in 1961. The name was later changed to Diana Ross and the Supremes and the R&B singers rocketed to international fame.

• JANUARY 16

1901—Hiram R. Revels, the first African-American elected to the United States Senate, died on this day in Aberdeen, Miss. Revels, a politician, minister and educator was of Black and Cherokee descent.

1920—Zeta Phi Beta sorority was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., by five socially conscious Black women. It became one of the nation’s leading Black sororities. It was founded as a sister organization to Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

1950—Dancer-producer Debbie Allen is born on this day in Houston, Texas.

She is perhaps best known for her work on the 1982 musical-drama television series “Fame,” where she portrayed dance teacher Lydia Grant, and served as the series’ principal choreographer. She is the younger sister of actress/ director/singer Phylicia Rashad.

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Khari Mosley, R. Daniel Lavelle shine in front of standing-room-only Council Chambers Mosley now represents District 9; Lavelle elected City Council president MOSLEY FROM A1

colleagues on City Council.

"To join this body is truly the honor of my life and I look forward to working with you for all the people across the City of Pittsburgh," Councilman Mosley said.

He then thanked all the voters of District 9, which includes East Liberty, Homewood, and Lincoln-Lemington, among other neighborhoods. He thanked his family, the Mosleys, the Reeds, and the Wagners.

"And I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shoutout to my 1 Hood family," the new councilman said, and he honored his late mother, as well.

The theme of Council-

man Mosley's prepared remarks was transformation. For a city like Pittsburgh, its outsiders sometimes call it "the most livable," or a "destination city," that doesn't have the high crime numbers as, say, a Philadelphia, Baltimore or D.C. But to a lot of the true Pittsburghers, the ones who reside within this hilly terrain, it's called one of the "worst" cities to live in, especially if you're an African American.

This is not lost on Pittsburgh's political figures, Councilman Mosley included. "I believe our city is experiencing a transformational moment, and our generation has been tasked with the responsibility to seize a once-

SWORN-IN—KHARI MOSLEY, WITH HIS SONS, WIFE CHELSA WAGNER, FATHER THADDEUS AND UNCLE JACK WAGNER.

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT R. DANIEL LAVELLE.

in-a-century opportunity and lay the foundation for Pittsburgh that embodies the type of prosperity, vibrancy and diversity that epitomizes our progressive values," Councilman Mosley said, to a rousing applause. "And if we can do that, we can make the city a place we can be proud to call home for generations to come. I call this our transformational moment."

Councilman Mosley discussed that it's important for people to recognize the arts and culture that Pittsburgh has contrib-

uted to the larger society, everyone from the August Wilsons to the Andy Warhols, even the councilman's own father, the sculptor, Thaddeus Mosley.

"We have an obligation to each other, to those who came before us, and to future generations to answer this call to build a prosperous Pittsburgh that encourages shared economic growth, provides economic security for the most vulnerable and creates economic opportunities regardless of your zip code, bloodline or station

in life," Councilman Mosley said.

Following Councilman Mosley's remarks, another African American man, Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle, who's served on council for 14 years, was elected Council President by a 9-0 vote. He succeeds Theresa Kail-Smith, who had served as president since 2020.

Mayor Gainey then took to the podium to thank the retiring members of council, Bruce Kraus and Rev. Burgess. The mayor thanked Rev. Burgess, who was not in atten-

dance, "for his years of service. I appreciate him and I appreciate the work that he's put in."

Mayor Gainey then turned his attention to Councilman Lavelle, who received applause when he was elected Council President. "You definitely deserve it," the mayor said to Councilman Lavelle, "and it just adds on to the legacy of your family. Your family is the definition of transformation."

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The seniors are the ones struttin’ this time Brenda Tate hosts Senior Jazz Connection Holiday Fashion Show TATE FROM A1

made to have the fashion show.

“The Hill District has been my lifelong home, and it gives me great satisfaction to be able to serve the seniors,” Tate said. “This program has rebooted my life. As I age, I realize being a senior has many challenges, both physically and mentally.

But you still have a strong desire to be as active as you possibly can and enjoy each other’s company.

With the Senior Jazz Connection, you can do just that.”

In addition to all the runway strutting, the event included a free lunch and performance by Tony Campbell Jazz Surgery. Many resources were available for the seniors, including McAuley Ministries, UPMC, Hearing and Deaf, Duquesne University law students, Senior Grandparents, Salem’s Market and more. Tate also tapped into her own

scholarship (Brenda Tate Scholarship) recipients to serve as volunteers.

JANUARY 10-16, 2024 A5

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

A6 JANUARY 10-16, 2024

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a much more radical message than a dream of racial brotherhood

by Paul Harvey

Professor of American History University of Colorado Martin Luther King Jr. has come to be revered as a hero who led a nonviolent struggle to reform and redeem the United States. His birthday is celebrated as a national holiday. Tributes are paid to him on his death anniversary each April, and his legacy is honored in multiple ways.

But from my perspective as a historian of religion and civil rights, the true radicalism of his thought remains underappreciated. The “civil saint” portrayed nowadays was, by the end of his life, a social and economic radical, who argued forcefully for the necessity of economic justice in the pursuit of racial equality.

Three particular works from 1957 to 1967 illustrate how King’s political thought evolved from a hopeful reformer to a radical critic.

King’s support for White moderates For much of the 1950s, King believed that White southern ministers could provide moral leadership.

He thought the White racists of the South could be countered by the ministers who took a stand for equality. At the time, his concern with economic justice was a secondary theme in his addresses and political advocacy.

Speaking at Vanderbilt University in 1957, he professed his belief that “there is in the White South more open-minded moderates than appears on the surface.” He urged them to lead the region

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. addresses marchers during his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. (AP Photo)

through its necessary transition to equal treatment for Black citizens.

He reassured all that the aim of the movement was not to “defeat or humiliate the White man, but to win his friendship and understanding.”

King had hope for this vision. He had worked with White liberals such as Myles Horton, the leader of a center in Tennessee for training labor and civil rights organizers. King had developed friendships and crucial alliances with White supporters in other parts of

the country as well. His vision was for the fulfillment of basic American ideals of liberty and equality.

Letter from Birmingham Jail By the early 1960s, at the peak of the civil rights movement, King’s views had evolved significantly. In early 1963, King came to Birmingham to lead a campaign for civil rights in a city known for its history of racial violence.

During the Birmingham campaign, in April 1963, he issued a masterful

public letter explaining the motivations behind his crusade. It stands in striking contrast with his hopeful 1957 sermon.

His “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” responded to a newspaper advertisement from eight local clergymen urging King to allow the city government to enact gradual changes.

In a stark change from his earlier views, King devastatingly targeted White moderates willing to settle for “order” over justice. In an oppressive environment, the avoidance of conflict might appear to be “order,” but in fact supported the denial of basic citizenship rights, he noted.

“We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive,” King wrote. He

argued how oppressors never voluntarily gave up freedom to the oppressed—it always had to be demanded by “extremists for justice.”

He wrote how he was “gravely disappointed with the White moderate … who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom.” They were, he said, a greater enemy to racial justice than were members of the White supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and other White racist radicals.

Call for economic justice By 1967, King’s philosophy emphasized economic justice as essential to equality. And he made clear connections between American violence abroad in Vietnam and

American social inequality at home.

Exactly one year before his assassination in Memphis, King stood at one of the best-known pulpits in the nation, at Riverside Church in New York. There, he explained how he had come to connect the struggle for civil rights with the fight for economic justice and the early protests against the Vietnam War. He proclaimed: “Now it should be incandescently clear that no one who has any concern for the integrity and life of America today can ignore the present war. If America’s soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read ‘Vietnam.’ It can never SEE MLK A7

A HANDWRITTEN COPY of ‘Letter From a Birmingham Jail.’ AP Photo/Richard Drew, file

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

JANUARY 10-16, 2024 A7

MLK FROM A6

be saved so long as it destroys the hopes of men the world over.”

He angered crucial allies. King and President Lyndon Johnson, for example, had been allies in achieving significant legislative victories in 1964 and 1965. Johnson’s “Great Society” launched a series of initiatives to address issues of poverty at home. But beginning in 1965, after the Johnson administration increased the number of U.S. troops deployed in Vietnam, King’s vision grew radical.

King continued with a searching analysis of what linked poverty and violence both at home and abroad. While he had spoken out before about the effects of colonialism, he now made the connection unmistakably clear.

He said: “I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted.

I speak for the poor in America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home, and death and corruption in Vietnam.”

King concluded with the famous words on “the fierce urgency of now,” by which he emphasized the immediacy of the connection between economic injustice and racial inequality.

The radical King King’s “I Have a Dream,” speech at the March on Washington in August 1963 serves as the touchstone for the annual King holiday. But King’s dream ultimately evolved into a call for a fundamental redistribution of economic power and resources. It’s why he was in Memphis, supporting a strike by garbage workers, when he was assassinated in

U.S. PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON, right, talks with civil rights leaders at the White House in Washington, Jan. 18, 1964. (AP Photo) April 1968.

He remained, to the end, the prophet of nonviolent resistance. But these three key moments in King’s life show his evolution over a decade.

This remembering

matters more than ever today. Many states are either passing or considering measures that would make it harder for many Americans to exercise their fundamental right to vote. It would

roll back the huge gains in rates of political participation by racial minorities made possible by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. At the same time, there is a persistent wealth gap between

Blacks and Whites.

Only sustained government attention can address these issues—the point King was stressing later in his life.

King’s philosophy stood not just for “opportunity,”

but for positive measures toward economic equality and political power. Ignoring this understanding betrays the “dream” that is ritually invoked each year.

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Honoring Pittsburgh’s gospel radio icons WAMO’s ‘Brother Marlon’ Martin says they paved the way for people like him

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

When it comes to gospel music on the radio in Pittsburgh, there are six people considered to be pioneers, trailblazers, influential figures who resonated with listeners for decades.

They are Gloria Inez Briskey, Bishop Loran E. Mann, Apostle Otis L. Carswell, Joan Prentice, Nate Hollis, and Vicki Hill. Briskey, Bishop Mann, and Apostle Carswell have since passed.

All six hosted gospel programs on WAMO Radio.

Many of them spent time hosting gospel shows on WPGR or WGBN. Brother Marlon Martin, who is the current host of Sunday Gospel on WAMO (7-11 a.m., on 107.3 FM), decided to honor whom he calls “the inspirational gospel radio icons” who paved the way for someone like him to host gospel music on Pittsburgh radio.

The event was held, Dec. 15, at the Grayson Center in the Hill District. Hill and Prentice were able to attend; Hollis was unable due to illness. The event was held in collaboration with Brother Marlon’s 25th anniversary in gospel radio and WAMO’s

BROTHER MARLON MARTIN, HONOREE REV. JOAN PRENTICE, APOSTLE OTIS CARSWELL’S WIDOW (APOSTLE ANNETTE CARSWELL), HONOREE VICKI HILL.

BROTHER MARLON MARTIN HAS BEEN HOSTING SUNDAY GOSPEL ON WAMO RADIO SINCE 2006. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)

75th anniversary as a radio station.

“What I recognize is, if not for these people, I would not be able to (host gospel shows for 25 years in Pittsburgh),” Brother Marlon told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “They laid the foundation, they blazed the trail I was able to follow after. I had some type of connection to them either personally or by listening to them on the radio.”

Brother Marlon, who was known on WAMO in the mid-’90s as Sean Richards, would also DJ a variety of nightclubs.

But as the new year for 1998 approached, Brother Marlon told the Courier he had rededicated himself back into the church.

He stopped DJing secular-style events and began hosting gospel programs on WORD-FM (101.5) and WGBN. After a departure from WAMO in 1998, Brother Marlon returned to host the WAMO Sunday gospel program in 2006, where he’s been ever since.

Brother Marlon recalled the love and support the late Bishop Mann gave him. Bishop Mann owned WGBN Radio in New Kensington. “When I left (WGBN), he still continued to support me and he was proud to say that I worked for him,” Brother Marlon said.

Throughout the month SEE ICONS A9

THE AWARDS

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‘I felt very emotional because I felt like I was doing a great thing for these people who may not have had anybody recognize them.’

- Brother Marlon Martin

JANUARY 10-16, 2024 A9

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ICONS FROM A8

of November 2023, Brother Marlon featured each gospel radio icon during his gospel show.

Those who had passed were represented by a family member or close friend. Brother Marlon also spotlighted two charities that are dear to his heart: the Alzheimer’s Association and the Multiple Sclerosis Society, in honor of his parents, Douglas and Ercell Martin.

Brother Marlon, who has been married for 17 years to Ellise Small Martin and is the father of four children (Marlon, II, Jason, Ephraim, Caleb), said he was able to honor the late Apostle Carswell in 2017 when Brother Marlon celebrated 25 years in radio.

“I felt very emotional (during the December 2023 event) because I felt like I was doing a great thing for these people who may not have had anybody recognize them,” Brother Marlon told the Courier. “While it was a moment to celebrate my accomplishments, I didn’t want

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HONOREE VICKI HILL to put the spotlight on me, I wanted to put it on them. I wish I would have been able to do it for all of them while

HONOREE REV. JOAN PRENTICE

they were all alive.”

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MUSIC SELECTION BY WHITNEY ALLEN

APOSTLE OTIS CARSWELL’S WIDOW, APOSTLE ANNETTE CARSWELL, ACCEPTING HIS AWARD

“Beloved, I wish above all things that YOU may PROSPER and BE IN HEALTH, even as your SOUL PROSPERETH.” - 3 John 1:2 REV. WALKER SAYS: In this New Year, go to the House of Worship. Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another and so much the more, AS WE SEE THE DAY APPROACHING.

The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.

SPORTS

A10 JANUARY 10-16, 2024

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Tomlin’s team into the playoffs again, but still, ‘yinz’ are mad On January 6, 2024, the Pittsburgh Steelers invaded M&T Bank Stadium to face the Baltimore Ravens, the number 1 seed of the AFC. At that point, the playoff hopes of the Black and Gold were on life support. Even though the Ravens rested many of their starters, the prospect of defeating the Ravens at home, during an almost perpetual downpour was improbable. However, the Steelers prevailed by the score of 17-10. There were many opinions about the victory. The most asinine analysis that I heard was that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin should not be let off the hook because the Steelers should never have been put in that vulnerable position by losing to the Arizona Cardinals or the New England Patriots, two of the bottom feeders of the NFL. After many of the “squawk boxes” began to digest the Steelers’ improbable journey to the 2023 NFL postseason, they began writing the epitaph of the New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick.

I am going to get political now. Donald Trump, the ex-President of the United States, once said the following: “I could

shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.”

The Patriots cheated the Pittsburgh Steelers and their former head coach Bill Cowher on many occasions, and do you want to know what Cowher said about Bill Belichick’s possible departure from New England? Cowher said: “What I respect about Bill Belichick is his consistency and respect for the game.”

This man sanctioned cheating you, your team, your fan base, and your city out of a championship and the economic perks that it would bring to your city, and you respect his consistency and respect for the game?

Belichick’s cheating and skullduggery shot the Steelers down on multiple occasions consistently and with no respect for the spirit of fair competition. So maybe Bill Cowher should have put on a bulletproof vest before competing against Bill Belichick, the G.O.A.T. cheater.

Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger recently had the darn nerve to say, “Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done.”

Roethlisberger also praised Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and talked

about some of the Steelers’ “bad coaching.”

It was a tall task for Mike Tomlin or any other coach who would face the challenge of coaching Ben Roethlisberger or any other player who was divisive in the locker room.

That player also simultaneously disrespected that

coach who was forced to publicly support the individual who was accused of multiple accusations of sexual misbehavior. The “goose” of the Pittsburgh Steelers was almost cooked when Ben Roethlisberger was penalized and suspended for multiple games as a result of that behavior.

Andy Reid was not faced with the difficulty of coaching such a player. Travis Kelce, the future NFL Hall-of-Famer, coached by Andy Reid, recently had this to say about the biased criticism of Mike Tomlin. “The media is so dumb. Why do we do the media? Bunch of jackasses. Just out here

f___ing talking nonsense.

One of the best coaches the NFL has ever even seen, about to possibly get his 17th consecutive non-losing season.”

As I mentioned earlier, some of the Mike Tomlin critique is laced with “Trumpisms.” A few “yinzers” on Twitter or X or whatever, even had a problem with Travis Kelce praising Mike Tomlin. @DoctorTruth6 had this to say. “The Steelers represent mediocrity. The owners are OK with that, the fans aren’t.” Doctor Truth describes himself as: “retired, patriot, equality of opportunity, 1776.” The great patriot forgot to mention the following tidbit of American History.

The ultimate patriot was Crispus Attucks, a Black man who was considered to be the first person killed in the American Revolution.

He died March 5, 1770, in the Boston Massacre, an event that fueled rebellion among American colonists who were getting fed up with British authorities.

Crispus Attucks died for the American cause before the actual American Revolution began. To paraphrase the late poet and patriot Gil Scott-Heron: “The beginning of the

revolution was not televised.”

There are a few folks nowadays that are on a mission to rewrite history, whether it be sports history or just history in general. They would love to erase the hiring and tenure of Mike Tomlin from the Journal of Pittsburgh Steelers History. @ mountaindropping went as far as to trash megastar Taylor Swift because of her connection to Travis Kelce, “the Mike Tomlin lover.” “Saying a mediocre coach that’s only selling point is winning 1 more game than losing is one of the best ever is like saying Taylor Swift is one of the best singers ever.” The “poop-sayer” not the soothsayer continued saying, “Well, from his pov I get it, nym” Now I get it.

Could the “bird droppings” coming out of the mouth of @mountaindropping be synonymous with cow chips? Remember they wanted Mike Tomlin to bench George Pickens for disciplinary reasons.

Had Tomlin done their bidding, would the Steelers’ former starting QB Kenny Pickett have become the albatross around the neck of a new Steelers head coach?

Mike Tomlin gambled on

providing an opportunity for a young man that almost no one (including yours truly) had one ounce of faith in. Coach Tomlin decided to go with Mason Rudolph because what the hell, what did Tomlin or the Pittsburgh Steelers have to lose?

This is the first time in my career as an NFL sportswriter that I have seen fans celebrate when QB Kenny Pickett was able to achieve something as normal as moving the chains and getting a first down. On numerous occasions, Pickett left the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense hanging out to dry in the middle of the desert of competition. Mason Rudolph has become the most unlikely “oasis” for a team that was “thirsty for hope.” All first-round draft choices of NFL franchises are not destined for greatness and not all free agents are destined for failure. Do Yinz think that the Steelers and other NFL franchises might create and maintain a value system based on performance and not draft position and/or marketing?

Run, Run, Rudolph...it’s playoff time! :10--To start as is always the case, I’ll have to bring you young folks into focus. And the timing for it is still in effect given that we just wrapped up the Christmas holiday. Run, Run, Rudolph is probably the most exciting Christmas song of all time, brought to you in rock and roll fashion by the late, great Chuck Berry.

Do yourself a favor and Google it! You’re welcome! :09--You should know that no matter what happens, I’m out on the limb here giving you the “Here We Go” before the Titans vs. Jaguars or Bills vs. Dolphins game, because I, unlike some of you, believe! That being said, if I am wrong, I am wrong, and I’ll stand loud and proud and own it. (Turns out, I was right! Titans beat the Jaguars on Sunday,

Jan. 7) :08--For all you pretenders out there who want us to believe that you knew Mason Rudolph was the man to take us to The Promised Land, stop it, just stop it. You didn’t know, I didn’t know, Mike Tomlin didn’t know. No one knew except maybe Mason Rudolph. Hold up, wait a minute...let me clear my throat, I stand corrected. KDKA Steeler analyst and pre-and post-game show co-host and former Super Bowl Champion, Chris Hoke, actually called for Rudolph the minute Kenny Pickett went down. :07--While we’re in the area of I told ya so, now is a good time for me to remind you what I tried to explain to you even before the Steelers wised up and sent Matt Canada packing. (As if you thought I wouldn’t

tell you, please...I am the I told ya so guy!)

Everything, everything, and I mean everything in football on any level starts with the snap of the ball. The offensive line, aka O-Line, largely determines the success of your offense success,

period, end of story!!! :06--Now that your O-Line is operating at a pro level, you can run the ball effectively. Once that happens, linebackers have to stay put, that then allows your passing game to get in gear, now you’re forcing your safeties to

How would it feel to see all that money in your savings?

Damon Carr shows you the ‘Saving Challenge’ on page B1.

help in coverage and then, boom, touchdown George Pickens! That, boys and girls, is long story short. But, of course, I told ya that didn’t I...didn’t I?? :05--Your nonstop criticism of Najee Harris finally gets dismissed now that he has holes to run through and with renewed energy he can run over people when needed. #1. 6’2” and 240 pounds, #2. A #1 draft pick for a reason, #3.

Alabama’s all-time running back in most every category. Sorry, Little Johnnie, but that ain’t no accident or, as they say down south, “That dog don’t hunt!” :04--Does Rudolph have the talent? Yes! Did he get a fair shake?

No! Did the proverbial stars all align? Yes! Success is where talent and luck come together. Quote the legendary

philosopher Jim Brown.

(Big Smile—RIP) :03--Injuries are part of the game to be sure.

But the Steelers have had more than their share. However, credit must be given 1000 percent-plus for what the next men up have done for the Steelers. Getting some players out the air, off the beach and back in the fold has been nothing short of miraculous. :02--And, of course, it now forces those of you who have your variety of reasons to dismiss Coach Mike Tomlin, you have no choice other than salute the general.

This run will assuredly place him in Coach of the Year conversation.

A 17-YEAR NON-LOSING STREAK, THIRD ONLY TO LEGENDARY DALLAS COWBOYS COACH TOM LANDRY, WITH 21 AND BILL

BELICHICK OF NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT 19, C’MON MAN!!! :01--Here are the answers to the questions I know you have. #1.

Mason Rudolph remains the QB. #2. Remember, throw out the regular season. The playoffs are a new day. #3. No worries, they will get the ball to George Pickens.

How do I know that?

Because if they expect to win in the playoffs, they will have to. #4. Most importantly, the Pittsburgh Steelers have reclaimed their identity ...smash-mouth, hardnosed, pulling guard trapping football. :00--OOH - RAH / GAME OVER!

The humanist, the plagiarist, and the ‘right kind’ of Black person J. Pharoah Doss Page B4

BUSINESS New Pittsburgh Courier

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

WWW.NEWPITTSBURGHCOURIER.COM

NNPA employs Mark Thompson as Global Digital Transformation Director

by Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent The Rev. Mark Thompson’s illustrious and groundbreaking journalism career, which found its roots in the Black Press of America nearly 40 years ago, has come full circle as he assumes a pivotal leadership role with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

From his early days as a journalist with the historic AFRO newspaper in Washington, D.C., under the mentorship of the legendary Frances L. Murphy II, to trailblazing moments as the first talk show host on XM Satellite Radio, Thompson has consistently championed the cause of African American-owned media. Now, in his role as the new NNPA Global Digital Transformation Director, he is poised to drive a new era of innovation, guiding member publishers through the intricate landscape of digital transformation and content distribution.

“After serious contemplation and after a review of the capabilities of more than 75 others who inquired about the job, not only did Mark’s resume and experience rise to the top in the digital space, but in his longevity of advocating the power and impact of the Black Press of America, this was not a difficult decision,” stated NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. “In fact,” Dr. Chavis continued, “it was providential. We look forward to working as a team, and I’m very honored to invite Mark to join the NNPA’s national staff as a full-time Global Digital Transformation Director. In addition to Mark’s experience in America, he also has an international perspective, particularly in the African diaspora, where the content produced and distributed by the Black Press of America will also, with his assistance, have extended reach and impact for communities of color throughout the world as the NNPA continues to be the most respected, vital, and trusted voice of Black America.”

Currently a political, human rights, and breaking news podcast host, Thompson’s work in digital social media won his SEE THOMPSON B2

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Find what you need from jobs to cars to housing B5-6

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A cold, hard look at Snowball vs. Avalanche debt strategies Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase Debt can be a helpful tool, helping us pay for things we need, like a home, a car, or a college education.

But it can also be a significant burden if we let it get out of hand.

Debt is a fact of life for most Americans. The average U.S. household owed $155,622 in debt as of September 2021, including an average of $207,861 owed on mortgages, $59,042 on student loans, and $28,882 on auto loans.

During the COVID pandemic, Americans managed to reduce their credit card balances carried from one month to the next by an average of almost 14 percent, to $6,006. Still, credit card interest rates remain among the highest of any form of debt most of us face, averaging 16.2 percent as of February 2022. The average U.S. household pays $1,029 a year in credit card interest charges.

It’s vital to your financial welfare to keep debt under control. But paying down debt can be daunting. And when it comes to deciding how to pay down debt, you have choices to make on the best strategy.

That’s where terms like debt-snowball method and debt-avalanche method come into play. Either can be an effective strategy for tackling your debts. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look.

Debt-Snowball Method Defined The idea is to focus on paying off your smallest debt first, then the next smallest, and so on. Meanwhile, you make the minimum monthly payment required on all your debts.

Once you eliminate that first debt, you free up extra money that you can apply to your next debt. That’s why it’s called the debt snowball meth-

od—because your available cash to pay down debt grows like a snowball rolling down a snowy slope.

How the Snowball Method Works Investopedia offers this example.

Say you look at your finances and decide you can consistently spare $1,000 a month to apply toward all your debts. And let’s say your debts include a $2,000 balance on your auto loan with a $300 monthly minimum payment, a $5,000 credit card balance with a monthly minimum of $50, and a $30,000 balance on a student loan with a $400 monthly minimum. That makes the auto loan your smallest debt.

So you would pay the required monthly minimums on all those debts—a total of $750—and then pay an extra $250 a month to Pho-

to: fizkes via 123RF ward the auto loan until it’s paid off. Along with the $300 minimum, you’re paying $550 a month toward your auto loan, enough to pay it off in a few months.

Once the auto loan is taken care of, your combined minimum monthly payments will be down to $450, leaving you $550 extra out of your $1,000 monthly payoff budget to apply toward your next-biggest debt, the credit card. Once that’s paid off, all $1,000 of your monthly payoff budget can go to the student loan until you’re debt-free.

Debt-Avalanche Method Defined This approach also focuses on paying off one debt at a time. Under the avalanche method, instead of startSEE DEBT STRATEGIES B2

Saving Challenge 2024 In 2021, I received an inbox message from a friend. She informed me about a “Saving Challenge” she was inspired to do.

In 2022, on New Year’s Day, she inboxed me again saying Happy New Year. She included a photo of a pile of cash that was at least three feet high. She said she had saved a total of $4,610 from her saving challenge.

After seeing her success with this challenge, I thought it would be a good idea for me to challenge all my readers and followers to a saving challenge. I, too, was going to participate in this challenge. I was going to report my results in an article on New Year 2023. I never reported my results on New Year 2023. In 2022, we were about seven months into the challenge. It was going great. Then life happened. We experienced a major medical emergency with a family member. This family medical emergency was both stressful and extremely expensive. During this time we had exhausted our emergency funds. Fortunately for us, we also had this money set aside that we’d been saving for seven months.

Our emergency funds coupled with the money we were saving for this challenge helped us weather the storm. We didn’t fall behind on bills, incur any debt, nor did we withdraw money from our retirement savings during this time. We endured the stress of this medical emergency without creating financial stress on the backend.

I’m reminded of a previous article I wrote

titled, “Money talking: Save me today, I’ll save you tomorrow!”

Saving money is the cornerstone of sound money management. Saving money is how you create financial stability, financial security, and financial independence.

Sadly, Americans grossly undersave money. We live in a culture and an economy that thrives on spending money. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning until the time we close our eyes to go to sleep, we’re inundated with marketing messages via TV, radio, print media, social media, and podcast with one goal in mind—to extract money out of our pockets into theirs.

Money is the greatest magician. It can disappear before our eyes without us ever knowing. We must make saving money a priority because saving money is how we flex our money muscles. I’m happy to report that in 2023, my wife and I quietly initiated another saving challenge. I didn’t announce it because I wanted to complete the challenge. We successfully completed the challenge. I must say that waking up on New Year’s Day and counting a wad of cash that you’ve been saving all year is a great way to start off the new year. Very

few things put a smile on your face like a pile of money that you can spend on whatever you want to. We will do this saving challenge every year. Hopefully, you will too!

Having gone through the saving challenge twice, one of which we didn’t complete, the money saved during this time proved to be a lifeline. I decided to simplify the challenge. I wanted to make it easy to understand and practical for all to do.

The main takeaway from this challenge is for all of us to develop the habit of consistently saving money. As we develop our saving habits, we grow our saving muscles allowing us to save more and more. Doing this allows us to eventually grow our savings and investment accounts.

This saving challenge is in addition to money you may be saving or investing at this time including your retirement savings.

Saving Challenge Explained: • Set A Savings Goal: Put that money on a mission. Establish a reason for why you’re saving this money. Having a goal will create purpose, passion, discipline, and consistency to stay the course.

• Purchase Envelopes: Depending on your pay cycle, you’ll need between 12-52 envelopes. Some people asked if they could

do this challenge electronically. Sure!

Whatever works for you. However, there’s something thrilling and visually appealing about counting and stacking greenbacks. I prefer to save cash for this challenge.

• Count your paydays: How many paydays do you receive in a year? Depressing when you think about it. Work a whole year and only get 12 to 52 paydays?

Quick reference guide for your number of paydays per year based on your being paid monthly, bimonthly, biweekly, or weekly.

Monthly: 12, Bimonthly: 24, Biweekly: 26, Weekly 52. Based on your pay cycle, number the envelopes accordingly. Example.

1-12 (Monthly) 1-26 (Biweekly) •Set a dollar amount to be saved each paycheck: Be realistic with your budget. How much can you realistically save for this challenge each and every paycheck without dipping into it or stopping the challenge altogether? Minimum amount is $25 per pay. I know you can save at least $25 per pay. The key point here is to consistently set aside said amount each paycheck be it $25, $50, $100, $200 or $500.

We will do this challenge annually. Each year, set a goal to increase the amount you save for this challenge.

•Calculate how much you’ll save by the end of the year: Amount saved per paycheck times the number of paychecks received in a year will tally how much you SEE DAMON CARR B2

BUSINESS

B2 JANUARY 10-16, 2024

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

5 ways to get your coins right in 2024

by Amaka Watson Smart year-end money moves include strategically paying down high-interest debt, rebalancing your investment portfolio, maximizing retirement contributions, assessing your emergency fund, and exploring tax-saving opportunities.

Now that 2023 is over, it’s time to take charge of your financial destiny. The rollercoaster ride of record-breaking housing prices and interest rate hikes has left many wondering what can be done to ensure financial success next year. Don’t worry! As the financial planning frenzy kicks in during the fourth quarter, we’ve compiled the Top 5 smart yearend money moves to set yourself up for success in 2024.

Strategic Debt

Repayment Dance Before drafting your resolutions for the new year, why not bid farewell to some lingering debt? Begin by strategically paying down high-interest debts, such as credit cards, to free up more funds for your financial goals.

Consider creating a debt repayment plan that aligns with your budget, allowing you to enter 2024 with a lighter financial load.

Year-End Investment Portfolio Revamp Dust off your investment portfolio and give it a year-end glow-up.

Analyze your invest-

ment strategy, consider tax-loss harvesting, and rebalance your portfolio to ensure it aligns with your financial goals. The year-end is an opportune time to prune underperforming investments, welcoming in the new year with a revitalized and optimized investment plan.

Max Out Retirement Contributions Seize the opportunity to maximize your retirement contributions. Whether you contribute to a 401(k) or an IRA, take advantage of the annual contribution limits. Not only does this move strengthen your retirement savings, but it also offers potential tax benefits. It’s like giving your future self a high-five while reducing your taxable income.

Evaluate Your Emergency Fund Fortifications

The unpredictability of life makes a fortified emergency fund an essential financial ally. Take a moment to assess your emergency fund’s current standing. Aim to set aside three to six months’ worth of living expenses in case of unforeseen financial storms. A robust emergency fund provides a financial safety net, ensuring you can confidently weather any unexpected setbacks.

Tap into Tax Efficiency Familiarize yourself with potential tax-saving opportunities.

Explore tax-efficient investment strategies, utilize health savings accounts (HSAs), and take advantage of tax credits and deductions. This proactive approach can lead to significant savings come tax season, allowing you to keep more of your hard-earned money.

A cold, hard look at Snowball vs. Avalanche debt strategies DEBT STRATEGIES FROM B1

ing with the smallest debt balance, you start with your highest-interest debt, regardless of how much you owe.

For most people, that would mean starting with high-interest cred-

it cards, then moving on to loans ranked by interest rate (highest to lowest).

How the Avalanche Method Works It works much the same way as the snowball method. You decide how much money you

can spend each month paying down debts, pay your required minimum monthly payments on all debts, and apply whatever is left over to your highest-interest debt until it’s paid off.

Then you tackle your second-highest interest

debt and so on.

Snowball vs.

Avalanche The argument for the snowball method is that you’ll quickly get a psychological lift from paying off a small debt relatively quickly, inspiring you to keep going. You

Saving Challenge 2024 DAMON CARR FROM B1

can expect to save by the end of the year. For example, if you were to save $50 per paycheck and you were paid biweekly, you can expect to save $1,300 for the year. $50 X 26 (biweekly) = $1,300. If you were to save $50 per paycheck and you were paid weekly, you can expect to save $2,600. $50 X 52(weekly) = $2,600. You can also calculate with the end of the year saving target in mind. Let’s say you wanted to save $4,000 for the year. Take $4,000 and divide it by the number of paychecks you’ll receive in the year. If you’re paid

bimonthly, that’s 24 paychecks in the year. $4,000 divided by 24(bimonthly) = $166.67 per paycheck.

• Payday/Save: Stuff the envelopes with cash starting with your first paycheck in January.

This envelope should be numbered “1” accompanied with the date of your paycheck. Put the dollar amount you decided to save in the envelope then seal it. Sealing the envelope will make you think twice about opening it during those moments in between pays when the funds get low.

• Place envelopes in a

safe secure location—preferably inside of a waterproof, fireproof safe.

• We did it! January 2025, we’ll be saying, we did it. Count your cash!!

Married couples—Your choice: You can merge forc-

es and take on one challenge together—or you can both do a separate challenge then combine your savings at the end.

(Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached at 412-216-1013 or visit his website at www.damonmoneycoach.com)

may also eliminate one of your debts sooner than with the avalanche system.

On the other hand, advocates for the avalanche method argue you’ll pay more in the long run if you don’t tackle your high-interest debt first because otherwise it will continue to compound and grow. By trimming interest faster, you might pay off all your debts a little sooner.

In some cases, you can use both methods simultaneously, if your smallest debt happens to be a high-interest credit card balance, for example.

First, Consider This Before embarking on either payoff approach, make sure you have enough money to cover emergencies and your regular living expenses, like rent, groceries, and utilities.

You’ll need to be disciplined to make these plans work. In setting a monthly amount to apply to your debts, make sure it’s a figure you

can live with monthly, year after year. Some online debt-repayment calculators can help you develop a debt plan.

However you tackle your debt, don’t add expensive new debt to pay off old debt. For example, avoid drawing cash advances off your credit cards to apply to current debts. Credit card companies often charge a higher interest rate for cash advances than for purchases, plus a fee. That said, you may be able to refinance high-interest credit cards with a lower-interest personal loan or line of credit, depending on your credit rating.

If your debt is overwhelming, help is available. The Federal Trade Commission offers advice here on coping with overwhelming debt, including ways to find a reputable debt-relief service.

NNPA employs Mark Thompson THOMPSON FROM B1

“Make It Plain” recognition among Best Civ-

il Rights Podcasts, Best Human Rights Podcasts, Best Podcasts About Social Justice, and Best

Broadcast Television Podcasts in 2021.

A 40-veteran on the frontlines of the ongoing struggle of African Americans and others, the 104th Annual NAACP Convention in Orlando in 2013 awarded Thompson “For 25 years of crusading journalism and outstanding leadership in furthering the work of civil and human rights.”

He not only has been a part of every significant social justice movement and event over the past 40 years, but he has also been a radio broadcaster and journalist for over three decades and has spent over ten years as a national network television commentator.

“In this pivotal time as it pertains to the Black Press of America, we need new blood and new vision that would take us to higher heights which include making a huge footprint in the digital transformation of Black-owned media,” NNPA National Chairman and Westside Gazette Publisher Bobby Henry added. “Mark has a proven track record in his endeavors of achieving success in bringing Black-owned media to the forefront. We are positioned at the right time where a fresh undertaking would complement the 197 years of the rich history of the Black Press.

Digital transformation is on the horizon for all media, and this is especially of benefit to Black-owned media. The Black Press is here to stay and to be complemented by our digital platforms will only enhance our presence.”

Among Thompson’s many academic and professional achievements, he graduated from the University of the Dis-

trict of Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in mass media journalism long before the advent of the internet and social media, a testament to his foresight in the ever-evolving journalism world. He said his mandate with NNPA extends beyond technical aspects, encompassing a strategic approach to content distribution that emphasizes revenue generation.

“As media evolves, we’ve all had to adjust. I learned the importance of digital and social media at least ten years ago and jumped right in when others were resistant,” Thompson asserted. “When ‘Make It Plain’ was on Sirius XM, I pioneered a lot of digital and social media. Some people didn’t like it; only some were ready to embrace going into social media. However, we’ve all found something critically important: reaching a larger audience because more information is consumed via social media, and it’s an ever-growing and ever-standing market to reach our audience.

We must keep ourselves on the pulse of that and make our publications more and more accessible digitally and on social media. That is important to the future and survival of the African American print media.”

Thompson noted that he and Chavis began the “Meet the Black Press” segment on his “Make It Plain” show some years ago and said the importance of that component was again amplified at the time of his NNPA hire.

“Without realizing it, this moment for the NNPA is timelier than we may have thought,” Thompson insisted. “On

the very weekend that ‘Meet the Press’ has given a platform to someone (GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York) who questioned the legitimacy of the past election and called insurrectionists hostages, shows how relative and timely it is to meet the Black Press not just as a segment, but to meet the Black Press as a way of life going forward.”

Hiring Thompson in this role underscores the NNPA’s commitment to fortifying the 250 African American-owned newspapers and media companies within its membership, Chavis exclaimed.

Chavis and Thompson proclaimed that the NNPA Digital Network is now positioned as the most prominent African American-owned digital network in America, with an ultimate goal of global dominance in becoming the most influential, engaging, and impactful digital news and content distribution network globally.

“Everyone knows about the downsizing and contraction of print newspapers,” Thompson said.

“What the NNPA represents is what really boils down to is more than 200 bureaus, independent to some extent, but each local Black-owned newspaper has an important role in letting the world know what’s happening in local communities. The more we work together and promote that, the more it sets NNPA apart because very few major print media have organizations of that size and depth anymore.”

Already, in a testament to the NNPA’s commitment to innovation, strategic collaborations have been forged with key

players such as the Google News Initiative (GNI), the US Black Chambers of Commerce, the National Association of BlackOwned Broadcasters, the NAACP, and the National Urban League. Chavis said those partnerships are designed to aggregate and disseminate digital content, solidifying the NNPA’s position as a frontrunner in the digital realm.

“With NNPA, journalism is still taking place, not sensationalism,” Thompson continued.

“We’re seeing much of the mainstream [seeking] click-bait material. As the Black Press, we must continue to be the moral conscious and moral authority of objective journalism.

That’s most important as we set the example to educate the next generation of journalists because we want Black students inspired.”

Chavis cautioned that, since 1827, when Freedom’s Journal was first published, there have been naysayers and turncoats that have tried unsuccessfully to silence the Black Press.

“I see clearly that 2024 will be another year of growth and expansion for the NNPA and the Black Press of America,” he said.

“The acquisition of Mark Thompson as the Global Digital Transformation Director will greatly enhance not only what we do in 2024 in the digital and print space, but also as we approach the 200th anniversary of the Black Press of America in 2027, we are all grateful that Mark Thompson has agreed to join the NNPA for this vital and transformational objective.”

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Guest Commentary Avoid ‘scammation’ A forested jungle is a place where there are twists, turns and danger lurking at every corner. It is a treacherous place, and in order to navigate through it successfully, people must be alert at all times in order to ensure their safety.

There is another jungle, but this one can be found almost anywhere; it is also quite treacherous. It is the electronic “scammation” jungle, populated by identity thieves and other scam artists lurking at every corner. Unfortunately, these digital predators are becoming more sophisticated, and even people who are normally alert and cautious can fall prey.

Important facilitators of this ever-increasing army of scammers and fraudsters are devices such as computers, cell phones, and online venues. Because of them, scammers are able to extend their reach, as well as hide their true identities.

Who would have thought back in the day, before cell phones, that a person would one day be able to call you on the phone, copy your voice, and then use it to purchase items or use it for other forms of malfeasance? It’s happening!

There are also fraudsters who can take your home right from under you without you knowing. They can forge deeds, and you can find yourself homeless because someone has fraudulently taken your property.

Online venues are hotbeds of scammation, and like the physical jungle mentioned earlier, danger lurks at every point.

Online shopping was once considered to be a godsend; to be able to sit at a computer and purchase items that are then delivered to your home is a wonderful development. It saves time, energy, and the annoyance of traffic. It too, has been violated by scammers who make promises regarding items that either never make it to your home or if they do, they are not what you ordered.

But the internet is not the only place where scammers lurk. They can actually break into your computer and masquerade as a business providing services you already have, but closer scrutiny reveals that they are imposters.

For example, there are companies that provide you with computer protective services with which you already have accounts, and it is not uncommon to receive a “renewal notice” from the company on a document that looks legitimate saying that you need to renew in order to retain their services. Closer examination reveals, however, that these are scams. Fraudsters have created counterfeit documents complete with the design, logo and colors characteristic of the actual company. If you send them money, not only have you been scammed, but they can also use your banking and credit information for identity theft purposes.

Other computer scams include people who can take control of your computer, making it unusable until you call a certain number to reach a “technician” who promises to rescue it and get rid of whatever is causing problems.

The catch is that the person who answers the call is a scammer who has the ability to further invade your privacy and gain access to important information that can be used to take advantage of you.

There are numerous other scams that target the general population, but according to pundits, senior citizens are particularly vulnerable.

Because of this, it is important for seniors (and others) to become extremely cautious when taking care of business. This is especially true of computer-related purchases or wherever password compromise is possible.

There are some things to consider helping ensure safety from scammers.

Do not share your social security or credit card numbers with strangers, especially if THEY contact you. Utilize services that block spam; do not engage with people who call and ask you for money. Be extremely cautious when making online purchases.

Avoid suspicious-looking email that requires you to send money in order to receive a package that is being held for delivery to you. Do not put personal information like social security numbers on your bank checks. Change your passwords frequently and be cautious about any unsolicited commercial “deals.”

This is just the tip of the iceberg, because there are many other scams of a diverse nature. Be vigilant and stay alert. A Luta Continua.

(Reprinted from the Chicago Crusader)

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Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Allison Palm Office Manager

Rob Taylor Jr. Managing Editor

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024

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Words you should know Trice EdneyWire.com)—We’re hearing so many words in the news these days that we don’t normally hear. We need to get acquainted with them because leading up to the 2024 election, some candidates have made it clear if they’re elected, things will be changing. You need to take that into account as you decide for whom you will vote—especially for President of the United States. Many of you will already know these words, but Dick Gregory always told me I should speak and write so my grandmother will understand what I’ve said or written.

Authoritarian is the first word you need to understand before you vote.

Donald Trump has already told us that is what he’ll begin on his first day in office if you vote for him.

Many of those who already plan to vote for him and return him to office, they don’t know that an authoritarian means enforcing strict obedience to Trump. In this case, it means there’ll no longer be any democracy where the people get to decide anything. It means you’ll be forced to show strict obedience to Mr. Trump. You won’t get a chance to decide anything.

There’ll be no such thing as personal freedom to do anything. You’ll immediately lose democracy and be told what you can and cannot do. What you’ll experience will not give you the

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary option to make decisions, and in this case, you will live by what Mr. Trump tells you to do.

Facism is another word you hear.

That, too, means an authoritarian, intolerant or oppressive idea or behavior. There’ll be a ban on everything you now hold dear and you risk death or harsh imprisonment if you disagree under a fascist system.

Adolph Hitler is a name you’ll hear often. What he said and did is now mentioned a lot by people like Trump. Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party who rose to power. He was responsible for starting World War II which resulted in the death of more than 50 million people. It led to the extension of the once Soviet Union’s power which eventually led to the communist party in China. He was responsible for what we know as the Holocaust which led to millions of Jews. Hitler eventually died by suicide. He was a dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945. He is a person Trump quotes, but tries to deny he

knows much about him! However, there’s a disturbing link between Hitler’s rhetoric and the kind of thing Trump says about immigrants. Hitler used the word vermin about Jewish people when he chose to exterminate them! Ever wonder who Trump wants to exterminate?

Democracy is another word we hear a lot about these days. That’s what we have now under the current government, and what authoritarians want to destroy. In a democracy, we get a chance to vote and decide what our government will be like. I realize there are people even in this democracy who don’t want us to vote. Some are saying they aren’t going to vote in the upcoming election because they highly dislike the President’s action on the Hamas/Israel War. You may not like everything President Biden has done, but he has never said he will stop you from voting. He is committed to free and fair elections where you get to decide how we should have free and fair elections. You may not agree with everything he has done, but occasionally we have to take the good with the bad. If we don’t vote, there is nothing good for us! When you vote, you increase the chance of those who work to retain our democracy and we get some things better for all of us, so please vote.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams, President of The Dick Gregory Society. TheDickGregorysociety.org)

Haley’s embrace of ‘lost cause’ ideology shows she is eager to defend White supremacy (TriceEdneyWire.com)—“The Lost Cause mythology was more than bad history. It provided the intellectual justification for Jim Crow—not just in the former Confederacy, but everywhere systemic racism denied Black citizens equal citizenship and economic rights ... That’s why the recent retreat to Lost Cause mythos is troubling. One would think that a Republican candidate for the presidency might be proud of the party’s roots as a firmly antislavery organization that dismantled the “Peculiar Institution” and fomented a critical constitutional revolution during Reconstruction—one that truly made the country more free.”—Joshua Zeitz When she was inaugurated as South Carolina’s first woman and first non-White governor in 2011, Nikki Haley said “it would be wrong to mention our greatness during the revolutionary period without noting the ugliness of much that followed. The horrors of slavery and discrimination … remain part of our history and a part of the fabric of our lives.”

It would be wrong.

That didn’t stop Haley, now a presidential candidate, from flagrantly pandering to racists by lying about the cause of the Civil War during a town hall in New Hampshire.

When she told her questioner that answering him wasn’t “easy,” it wasn’t because she didn’t know that slavery was the cause of the Civil War. It was because she knew that giving the correct answer would alienate voters who have embraced a false version of history.

In the Declaration of the Immedi-

Marc H. Morial

To Be Equal ate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union, issued December 24, 1860, the government of South Carolina explained its reasons for seceding from the United States.

Those reasons bear no resemblance to Haley’s cowardly blather about “the freedoms” and “the role of government.”

Unlike Haley, South Carolina’s lawmakers were honest about their reasons for seceding. “An increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery has led to a disregard of their obligations” to return people who escaped from enslavement back to their enslavers.

All eleven states who seceded—and the pro-secession minority of legislators in Missouri and Kentucky—cited slavery as their reason.

Haley does not claim to be ignorant of this history. The day after her craven response in New Hampshire sparked national outrage, she declared, “Of course the Civil War was about slavery,” but quickly returned to her vague talking points about “the role of government” and “individual liberties.”

Haley’s pandering on the issue of slavery in New Hampshire appears

to contrast with her comments in 2015, after a White supremacist who draped himself in symbols of the Confederacy murdered nine Black worshippers at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston. Announcing the removal of the Confederate flag from the State House grounds, she called it—for some—“a deeply offensive symbol of a brutally offensive past.”

But she has long been willing to overlook “the horrors of slavery” in discussing the cause of the Civil War. In a 2010 interview with an activist group called Palmetto Patriots, she said the war was a conflict between “tradition” and “change,” never mentioning that the tradition was slavery.

Interestingly, the reason why Palmetto Patriots asked the question of Haley, who is of South Asian ancestry and none of the other candidates for governor, is rooted in racism. The other candidates were “Southerners whose families go back to beyond the war between the states, back to antebellum times, and they would have a deeper appreciation of Southern thinking and mentality,” a spokesman said.

As the daughter of Sikh immigrants from India, Haley’s loyalty to the false “Lost Cause” interpretation of history could not be assumed when she was running for Governor.

As a presidential candidate, she has proved that she is eager to defend White supremacy by distorting history and presenting racial gaps as the result of ‘merit” and “hard work” instead of systemic oppression.

President Biden’s lasting legacy NNPA NEWSWIRE—How poetic is it that the first woman, the first Black American, and first Asian American to be elected vice president of this great country at the behest of Joe Biden, has set a new standard and brought us into the 21st century?

Much ink has been spilled about what President Biden hasn’t done with little regard for the successes that would secure any previous administration’s legacy as being the most productive since President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society.

This administration has secured $132 billion in student loan debt relief for 3.6 million borrowers, including $53.5 billion for public servants and nearly $12 billion for borrowers with disabilities. However, the prevailing narrative centers on the Republicans-led rejection of his targeted student debt relief plan that was upheld by a right-leaning U.S. Supreme Court.

I’ve heard rumblings that this president has failed the Black community when, in fact, he has invested over $7 billion in HBCUs in 3 short years, produced the lowest Black unemployment rate on record, and begun the earnest work of closing the digital divide for Black families by making broadband accessible and affordable. The November Consumer Price Index revealed that inflation fell to 3.1 percent—down two-thirds from its peak; that consumers are paying less for essentials such as milk, eggs, and other appliances; and the median gas price has fallen below $3.00. With wages higher than before the pandemic and the creation of 14.1 million jobs, can anyone honestly argue with President Biden’s

Congressman Jim Clyburn

Commentary record?

Despite this incredible record, what will arguably become President Biden’s greatest and most lasting achievements was reached this month with the confirmation of his 160th judge to lifetime appointments on the federal bench. I repeat and italicize for emphasis: 160 judges confirmed for lifetime appointments on the federal bench. This number includes well over 100 women, more Black female appellate judges than all former presidents combined, and roughly 60 percent being women of color. This number also includes the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson; the first South Asian woman judge; and the first Navajo federal judge.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of this milestone. Every president selects judges whose record reflects the values they hold dear.

Donald Trump’s Federalist Society-sponsored selections reflected his extremism and penchant for vitriol.

Trump’s appointed judges are wreaking havoc today, as evidenced by this summer’s U.S. Supreme Court overturning of affirmative action and Roe v. Wade. We should all take pride in the fact that under President Biden, the daughter of two public

school teachers can ascend to the highest court of the land and that a first-generation Chicago native can make history as the first Muslim woman on the federal bench. It’s only fitting that this process made possible another glass-breaking moment: this month, Vice President Harris set the record for breaking the most ties in the Senate by a vice president. The record was previously held by John C. Calhoun, a staunch defender of slavery. How poetic is it that the first woman, the first Black American, and first Asian American to be elected vice president of this great country at the behest of Joe Biden, has set a new standard and brought us into the 21st century?

This is what this country is all about: moving the needle closer toward justice at every possible turn.

With President Biden’s legislative successes, from clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act to the manufacturing renaissance made possible by the CHIPS and Science Act, to the historic investments for veterans in the PACT Act, we are laying the foundation for a more secure, stable and successful future for our children and grandchildren. But foundations are worth little without a complete structure.

When undergirded by the decisions his judicial nominees are capable of rendering, President Biden is framing structures that will ensure that “the greatness of this country will be accessible and affordable for all Americans” for generations to come.

(James E. Clyburn is Assistant Democratic Leader)

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Black women and pay inequality (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Taraji P. Henson is speaking out, and people are listening. It remains to be seen if the award-winning actress will become a catalyst for major changes within the entertainment industry, but her message is much needed.

Henson made her film debut in the 1998 movie Streetwise and later received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” starring Brad Pitt. In 2016, she starred with Janelle Monáe and Octavia Spencer in the film Hidden Figures, which received three Oscar nominations. Henson is probably best known for her role as Cookie Lyon on the television show Empire. During the show’s six seasons, Henson won two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe for her performance.

Despite the depth of talent and the success throughout the careers of Black actresses, Hollywood is not immune from the issue of pay inequality for Black women. It is easy for fans to automatically assume television and movie celebrities have “rich and famous” lifestyles free from financial struggles.

When we see so many Black female celebrities in high-profile roles on the big screen, we conclude that they have made it, and the infamous glass ceiling doesn’t come to mind.

As others have done before her, Henson has returned the spotlight to one of Hollywood’s many dark sides.

In a recent conversation on SiriusXM, Henson spoke about how she is still treated as a novice regarding negotiating contracts for film and TV roles. “It seems every time I do something, and I break another glass ceiling, when it’s time to renegotiate, I’m at the bottom again, like I never did what I just did,” Henson said. There is a report claiming she considered quitting acting altogether.

“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, being paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson said. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired.” It is unfortunate that an actress of her talent was brought to the point of giving up due to being undervalued, disrespected,

The humanist, the plagiarist, and the ‘right kind’ of Black person Newsweek ran an item in July 2023 titled DEI college director fired for not being ‘right kind of Black person’. Tabia Lee, the director of the Office of Equity, Social Justice, and Multicultural Education at De Anza Community College, was fired due to the institution’s ideological resistance to Lee’s humanism in the classroom.

After being hired, Lee intended to adopt a humanist attitude inside the department, but she encountered an obstacle she had never faced before in her work.

Members of the department had already decided to “focus on whiteness” and “White supremacy culture,” and they expected Lee to follow suit.

Lee’s work environment became hostile after she invited speakers to campus to do “antisemitism education” and “Jewish inclusion education.” Lee undertook these initiatives when members of the community approached Lee’s department with concerns about the school’s Jewish students.

Unfortunately, Lee’s humanist approach to DEI collided with her department member’s focus on White supremacy.

According to Lee, members of her department constantly referred to Jews as “White oppressors” and accused her of “elevating the wrong people.”

Lee sued her previous employer to reclaim her job, and her tale was widely publicized, but she has received no public backing from DEI supporters since she has been branded as the wrong kind of Black person.

If that’s the case, who is the right kind of Black person deserving of public support?

The Associated Press headlined last week: Harvard president Claudine Gay resigns amid plagiarism claims and backlash from antisemitic testimony.

Congressional Hearing The House Committee on Education and Workforce invited the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Penn to appear at an antisemitic hearing in December 2023 because their campuses were hotbeds of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that resulted in numerous complaints.

Claudine Gay, Harvard’s first Black president, had an exchange with Republican Elise Stefanik during the hearing that enraged half of the country.

David W. Marshall

Commentary and discriminated against. Race and gender should never determine a person’s professional value. In 2019, she told Variety that she asked for “half a million” to perform in the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” only to receive $150,000. The film was a box office hit, grossing approximately $335 million worldwide against a $150 million budget.

The combination of racism mixed with sexism is not new. According to the National Women’s Law Center, Black women are typically paid only 67 cents for every dollar paid to White men. The wage gap widens to 65 cents on the dollar for Black women who hold doctorate degrees compared to White men with the same level of education. Pay disparity increases when educational and professional skill levels are the highest, decreasing with fewer skills and education.

Emily Martin, vice president of Education and Workplace Justice at the National Women’s Law Center, noted, “If you look at workers who don’t have a high school diploma, that is the education level at which the wage gap is smallest for Black women, who make a whole 75 cents for every dollar White men because there is more of a cap on lower-wage earners.” The Equal Pay Act requires “that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal.” That is the law that is often contradicted by reality.

One way companies ultimately get around the pay disparity is to encourage employees to keep their salaries private. As a result, the discrimination is not easily discovered.

As entertainment stars, Black actresses have shown their greatest talent in every film genre, from musicals, dramas, romance, and comedies. Many of them, such as Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Halle Berry, Alfre Woodard, Whoopi Goldberg, Kerry Washington, Cicely Tyson, Loretta Devine, Mo’Nique, Nia Long, and others have achieved star-power comparable to their White male and female counterparts. Yet, many of them still have horror stories of compensation discrimination.

In addition to Taraji P. Henson’s recent remarks, Octavia Spencer has spoken out many times concerning pay inequality in Hollywood. In 2019, she highlighted the importance of men advocating for fair pay for Black actresses. During Spencer’s salary negotiations for the Netflix series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, Executive Producer LeBron James was forced to intervene on her behalf. Mo’Nique, an Oscar winner for her Best Supporting Actress role in the movie Precious, sued Netflix for alleged gender and racial bias regarding negotiating her salary. The lawsuit was eventually settled. Beyoncé, the former Dreamgirls actress, said it best, “But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change. Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more—commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender…” Her words are true in addressing the issue of pay disparity everywhere, not just in Hollywood.

(David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America. He can be reached at www.davidwmarshallauthor.com.)

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

J. Pharoah Doss

Check It Out Stefanik inquired of Gay whether she was familiar with the phrase intifada.

Gay heard the term and agreed with Stefanik that it meant violent struggle against Israel and Jewish genocide. During the Harvard rallies, slogans included “there is only one solution, the intifada revolution” and “globalize the intifada.”

Stefanik asked Gay, “Do you believe that type of hateful speech is contrary to Harvard’s code of conduct, or is it allowed at Harvard?”

“We embrace a commitment to free expression, even of views that are objectionable, offensive, or hateful,” Gay responded.

“It is when that speech crosses the line into action that violates our anti-bullying and harassment standards.”

The exchange went on, but Gay refused to acknowledge that calls for the annihilation of Jews violated Harvard’s code of conduct.

After the hearing, billionaire and Harvard graduate Bill Ackman demanded the resignation of Gay, claiming that she was hired to achieve diversity and equitable goals.

Public Support Days following Gay’s testimony, CNN reported that “the President of Harvard University apologized in an interview with the school’s student newspaper after facing widespread condemnation for her disastrous congressional testimony.”

“I am sorry.” Gay told the student newspaper. “Words matter.”

After her testimony, Penn’s president, whose statements were on par with Gay’s, was pressured to resign. As a result, Republicans and conservatives pressured Harvard to remove Gay from her post, but unlike the White President of Penn, Gay possessed the intersectional identities that

would protect her from rightwing bigots.

Immediately, 500 Harvard faculty members signed a letter in support of Gay, urging her to resist the political pressures that were at odds with Harvard’s commitment to academic freedom.

Plagiarism Conservative news sites investigated Gay’s scholarly publishing history. They discovered more than a dozen occasions in which Gay’s words appeared to closely resemble words, phrases, or sentences in other academics’ published papers.

The evidence of plagiarism ultimately led to Gay’s demise and resignation.

Despite her poor congressional testimony and plagiarism, Gay had more public supporters than Kamala Harris had when she ran for president. Since Claudine Gay was the right kind of Black person for the radical left, the entire progressive intelligentsia came to her defense and insisted Gay was unjustly targeted and pushed out by right-wing racists.

According to Rev. Al Sharpton, the right-wing attack on Gay was an attack on all Black women in America who were attempting to break through the glass ceiling. According to MSNBC, Claudine Gay’s case reflects a history of discrediting Black intelligence.

However, Tyler Austin Harper told the truth in The Atlantic when he wrote, “The true scandal is that so many journalists … were willing … to redefine plagiarism to suit their politics. Gay’s boosters have consistently resorted to Orwellian doublespeak—in a desperate effort to insist that lifting entire paragraphs of another scholar’s work, nearly word for word, without quotation or citation, isn’t plagiarism. Or that if it is plagiarism, it’s merely a technicality.”

Apparently, Claudine Gay is the right kind of Black person worthy of public support, but Tabia Lee’s humanist approach to DEI made her underserving. The Black intellectuals who think Tabia Lee is a discredit to her race also believe Claudine Gay can’t be a plagiarist because Black women don’t have the power to plagiarize.

Tyler Austin Harper is wrong about one thing: none of this is Orwellian; it’s just backwards.

Once forbidden history offers hope (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Even Ron DeSantis had to admit, when pressed at a CNN townhall, January 6 was a bad day for America. Invariably, following this past week’s anniversary of the insurrection, we’re forced to ask ourselves: Will we ever be able to pull this country back together again?

It’s a reasonable question. The fissures run deep.

For the answer to that big, terrible question, I turn to the history books. And to the history of our country that was long kept out of those books.

In the wake of the Civil War, America was still a tinder keg. In 1867, two years after the Civil War had ended and nine years before another almost erupted, Frederick Douglass laid out the argument for why, as Americans, we should remain optimistic about our future and our ability to come together.

In “Our Composite Nation,” Douglass explained, a nation’s character is defined by that nation at its best, not its worst. And America’s character (at our best), our geography, and our already diverse population “all conspire to one grand end” … to make us the most “perfect national illustration of the unity and dignity of the human family, that the world has ever seen.”

It seemed a tall order in those tough times, as it does now. And yet close to 15 years after he gave that speech, a new movement erupted in Petersburg, Virginia that swept across the old Commonwealth uniting freedmen and former Confederate soldiers in a shared quest to save the public schools.

The Readjusters Party emerged amid an attempt by the old plantation owner oli-

Ben Jealous

Commentary garchs to reassert their influence, following the Hayes-Tilden Compromise.

The Compromise—which both prevented the possible outbreak of a second civil war and unleashed the terror of the Ku Klux Klan—resolved a bitter dispute over the election of 1876 and re-enfranchised former Confederates.

With the Confederates’ votes restored, the old oligarchs presumed their political power was assured. But they made a fatal mistake. They tried to dissolve the free public schools created by Black-led Reconstruction governments, claiming war debt made them unaffordable.

With the Readjusters offering a haven, working-class White former Confederates fled the Democratic Party of the plantation oligarchs to defend their children’s schools.

At the same time, sparked by both President Hayes’s betrayal of Black communities in the South and the same concern over public schools, my grandmother’s grandfather, Edward David Bland led an exodus of Blacks from the Republican Party to join them.

The math of democracy necessitated that if they were going to save their children’s schools, they would have to join up with the White parents who shared their same fears.

The new Readjusters Party quickly took over the state and won the governorship,

control of both houses of the legislature, and would appoint both US senators (state legislators still appointed US Senators back then).

In four years, the Readjusters succeeded in saving the free public schools. They radically expanded Virginia Tech to make the college the working White person’s answer to the patrician University of Virginia, and aided the creation of what is now called Virginia State University—the first public university for the training of Black teachers. They also abolished the poll tax and the public whipping post, and even pushed the state out of a deficit into a surplus.

However, at the end of the one term any governor is allowed in Virginia, the Readjusters would be swept out of power by a political movement built on disinformation, ruthless violence, and a call to White supremacy. The new political regime of Jim Crow then took steps to ensure that the history of the Readjusters would never make it into the lessons taught to Virginia school children. Jim Crow politicians knew how much of a threat that example was to their power structure, built on lies and hate.

The story of Frederick Douglass’s optimism and confidence in America’s destiny, and the Readjusters’ courage in pursuing it, is a reminder that the people of our country were always more resilient and greater than most politicians were ever willing to bet on.

It also begs the question: If they could unite then in the interest of all their children, what is actually keeping us from uniting now in the interest of all of ours?

(Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.)

Honoring MLK This January 15, our nation again will observe the only national holiday designated as a day of service. The Martin Luther King Jr. federal was first observed in 1986. But it took another 17 years for all 50 states to recognize the holiday, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture.

While Rev. King dedicated his life to the pursuit of freedom, peace, and justice for all Americans, too many economically marginalized people are reduced to fighting over scraps while others enjoy the nation’s economic bounty.

In 2022, 37.9 million people—11.5 percent of the nation—lived in poverty, according to the Census Bureau.

Additionally, Black individuals made up 20.1 percent of the population in poverty in 2022 but only 13.5 percent of the total population.

The federal minimum wage, currently at $7.25 an hour, has not increased since July 2009, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Standards.

And despite increases that take effect in many states in 2024, workers still earn only $7.25 per hour in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wyoming, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

Charlene Crowell

Commentary On December 10, 1964, Gunnar Jahn, Chairman of the Nobel Committee presented its Nobel Peace Prize to Dr. King saying in part, “[D]iscrimination will still persist in the economic field and in social intercourse. Realistic as he is, Martin Luther King knows this.”

Accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, Dr. King said, “I am mindful that debilitating and grinding poverty afflicts my people and chains them to the lowest rung of the economic ladder.”

“The tortuous road which has led from Montgomery, Alabama to Oslo bears witness to this truth,” Dr. King continued. “This is a road over which millions of Negroes are travelling to find a new sense of dignity… I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up.”

“This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future,” added Dr. King. “It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom…

Today I come to Oslo as a trustee, inspired and with renewed dedication to humanity. I accept this prize on behalf of all men who love peace and brotherhood. I say I come as a trustee, for in the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor to me personally.”

Dr. King would urge Americans to remain vigilant and vocal in fighting attacks against diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A true tribute to Dr. King would be a renewed groundswell of advocacy that ensures our march towards full freedom refuses to go back; but instead moves forward in the same determination of his life’s work. Social equity cannot be sustained without economic parity.

As a people and as a nation, let us confront these and other challenges in his memory.

(Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.)

CLASSIFIED New Pittsburgh Courier

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JOB OPPORTUNITIES

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Help Wanted

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Help Wanted

ANALYST, TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside in Pittsburgh, PA seeks a, Analyst, Translational Science. Serve as part of UPMC Enterprises’ Translational Sciences team researching, analyzing, and ‘translating’ early development in start-up biomedical products and companies for future investment into improved medical care, technologies, and solutions. Master’s degree, or equivalent, in Biomedical Engineering, Translational Health Sciences, Technology and Innovation, or related field, plus two (2) years of research and development, market research, applied research, or related experience, including some experience: performing market research of the healthcare and medical industry in order to design and develop product strategy, product requirements, and consumer needs; researching competitive companies, products, technologies, sales channels, and business models within the medical, biomedical, or healthcare industries; providing and building additional support for the data analysis results; developing and delivering product requirements; analyzing business trends to support the company’s long-term business objectives; performing relevant research to support or inform current product road maps of new solution spaces; examining FDA regulations that are relevant to the product development; working with executive management to develop, launch, and analyze programs; performing primary and secondary market research; and interpreting campaign metrics and organizing data for reports.

Telecommuting permissible. Apply by following these steps; visit http://careers.upmc.com and enter 24000008 in the “Search Keyword/ Job ID” field and click Go. EOE/Disability/Veteran.

SPECIAL SERVICES ASSOCIATE Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Special Services Associate to, under the general g u i d a n c e o f th e d e partment management, provides support and assistance in the execution of daily operating activities, to develop, communicate and implement bus and rail detours or temporary routings for planned construction projects, emergency closures, special events and temporary stop discontinuances.

Essential Functions: · Supports the Special Services, Events & Detours team along with Road Operations and Customer Service, by installing or setting-up detours in the Disruption Management System of Clever CAD. Resolves conflicts or escalates the set-up issue to team management. · Communicates as necessary with the Operations Command Center (OCC) in their efforts to maintain and adjust service, improve on time performance and the customer experience; provide necessary detours to Operations and Communications Departments, for major special events, service disruptions, natural or man-made emergencies. Communicates from the office or in the field. · Participates with department management in the drafting, creation, planning, production, placement and removal of temporary Bus & Rail Rider Alert and Stop Change signs during major special events or construction projects.

Job requirements include: · High school diploma or GED. · Associates or bachelor’s degree in transportation, business administration, public administration or related field from an accredited college or university. Demonstrated experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis. · Minimum of three (3) years’ experience as a Bus or Light Rail Vehicle Operator, or five (5) years’ experience as a Customer Service Representative. · A willingness to respond and attend special event assignments or emergencies on a 24/7 basis as needed. · E ff e c t i v e a n d p r o f e s s i o n a l communications (especially excellent writing) skills. · Through knowledge of the Pittsburgh Regional Transit service area, and those of other transit providers. · Thorough knowledge of the southwestern Pennsylvania highways, road, and street networks. · Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows. · Customer and safety focused.

Preferred attributes: · A minimum of four (4) years’ experience in one of the following positions with Bus or Road Operations, Rail Service Delivery, Instruction or Division Dispatcher. · Associates or bachelor’s degree in Transportation, Business Administration, Public Administration or related field from an accredited college or university. · Valid Commercial Driver’s License with a Class B designation and “P” passenger endorsement. · Supervisory or management experience in unrelated fields.

MANAGER OF BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Manager of Benefits Administration to coordinate the administration of Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) employee benefits programs, including PRT’s wellness programs, group life and health insurance, deferred compensation plans, and other related benefits programs. Leads PRT’s wellness and health initiatives to include organizing, marketing, and conducting events on wellness themes, monitoring program success metrics, coordinating employee participating in the wellness program. Conducts benefits orientation for new hires. Supervises team performing benefits administration functions. Supports the Director of Benefits Administration by assisting in the implementation of policies, procedures, and programs, including cost reduction initiatives.

Essential Functions: • Plans and administers group healthcare plans, group life insurance plans, and deferred compensation plans. Includes overseeing open enrollment process.

• Leads the wellness and health initiatives to include organizing, marketing, and conducting events on wellness themes (e.g., nutrition, exercise, weight management, flu shots, preventive care, grief care, blood-drive, blood pressure, etc.) for overall well-being. Coordinates employee participation in wellness programs. Sends out posters on different health care topics to the locations. Monitor appropriate metrics to measure success of health and wellness strategy.

• Responds by telephone and visits from employees and retirees on issues related to health insurance, retirements, deferred compensation, and other benefit questions.

• Conducts benefits orientation for new hires and provides information regarding the employee’s benefits.

Job requirements include: • BA/BS degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or Public Health. Related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.

• Minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience professional level benefits administration.

• Knowledge and understanding of personnel, state and federal benefits laws and regulations.

• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows, Microsoft Word, and Excel.

• Effective and professional communication skills.

Preferred attributes: • Master’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Public Health, Nursing, or directly related field from an accredited school.

• Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) or Certified Benefits Professional (CBP) designation from WorldatWork, the Professional Association for Compensation, Benefits and Total Rewards.

• Case Management experience.

• Training and experience in PeopleSoft Human Resources Management System (HRMS).

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of DEBORAH M. WALLACE A/K/A DEBORAH M. WALLACE-MEYER A/K/A DEBORAH M. MEYER, Deceased of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, NO. 02-23-06765, Shawn P. Hannigan, Executor, 2359 Thayer Avenue, Henderson, NV 89074 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of BRANT M. BERTHA, Deceased of 3026 Annex Avenue, Dormont, PA 15216, NO. 02-23-08491, Executor,Glenn Bertha, 316 East Bruceton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 or to William C. Price, Jr., Price & Associates, P.C., 2005 Noble Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 Estate of GENEVIEVE ELIZABETH GARVIN-ISAAC A/K/A GENEVIEVE E. GARVIN, Deceased of 5340 Saltsburg Road, Penn Hills, PA 15147, NO. 02-2308643, Executor, Donna Isaac, 1853 Atkinson Place, Wilkinsburg, PA 15235 or to William C. Price, Jr., Price & Associates, P.C., 2005 Noble Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 Estate of MS. ANNA MAE PECK, Deceased of 672 Crescent Boulevard, Crescent, PA 15046, No. 02-23-08426, Mr. Brion Peck, Executor, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of GEORGINA TOWNSEND, Deceased of Bridgeville, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, No. 02-23-08492, Ruth H. Underwood, Executor, 242 Millers Run Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017, or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of GILDA ORFITELLI, Deceased of 1813 Commercial Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218, Estate No. 02-23-08408, Executrix Andrea Kennedy, 333 Barclay Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 or to William C. Price, Jr., Price & Associates, P.C., 2005 Noble Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218

ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

BOARD MEETINGS OF THE PITTSBURGH WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY

SUNSHINE ACT NOTICE Notice is hereby given of the 2024 Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) Board Meetings. Meetings will begin at 10:00 AM EST and will be held via a hybrid format. Guests can attend in-person or attend virtually through the dedicated telephone conference line.

Conference Call Phone Number: 1-646-558-8656 Meeting/Webinar ID: 882-2660-3773 2024 Board Meeting Dates January 26 February 23 (Annual) March 22 April 26 May 24 June 26

July 26 August 23 September 27 October 25 November 22 December 20

Room: Highland 1 & 2 1200 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15222 For more information and to join on Zoom, visit: www.pgh2o.com/Board

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Glenn Huetter Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 GHuetter@RidePRT.org EOE ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

KILBUCK TOWNSHIP LEGAL NOTICE 2024 MEETING SCHEDULE Notice is hereby given that the Kilbuck Township Board of Supervisors has established their public meeting schedule for the calendar year 2024.

Board of Supervisors Monthly Workshop and Regular Meetings will be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month, except for December.

Workshop Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and Regular Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. Workshop and Regular Meeting dates are January 23, February 27, March 26, April 23, May 28, June 25, July 23, August 27, September 24, October 22, November 26, and December 17.

The Kilbuck Township Planning Commission will hold Regular Meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission Regular Meeting dates are January 9, February 13, March 12, April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, October 8, November 12, and December 10.

All meetings are open to the public and will be held in the Kilbuck Township Municipal Building, 343 Eicher Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

Andrew Wright Township Secretary

SONNY BOY 1 8 7

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public Notice

Public Notice

NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS AUGUST 30, 2023 City of Pittsburgh – Office of Management and Budget 414 Grant Street Room 501 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-255-2667 This notice shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Pittsburgh.

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS (1) – PBV PROJECT On or about September 18, 2023, the City of Pittsburgh (City) will authorize the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) to submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to release Federal funds under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 as amended, to undertake the Project known as Uptown Flats located at 1400-1406 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh (Project). Project Based Voucher (PBV) program under the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 as modified by the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 will be provided to thirty-four (34) housing units (of the 34 mixed-income housing units, comprising the Project).

The Project involves demolition of existing buildings and new construction.

The proposed result will be 33,923 square feet of mixed-use community service facility space and residential housing. The ground floor will be used for office space, common areas and residential apartments, with the remaining floors as solely residential apartments. There will be thirty-four (34) affordable PBV housing units targeted to individuals earning less than 60% of Area Media Income (AMI), with eleven (11) efficiency apartments, sixteen (16) 1-bedroom apartments and seven (7) 2-bedroom apartments.

Included in those units will be six (6) Uniform Federal Accessibility Standard (UFAS) units consisting of one (1) efficiency mobility unit, one (1) efficiency hearing/visual unit, two (2) 1-bedroom mobility units, one (1) 1-bedroom hearing/visual unit and one (1) 2-bedroom mobility unit. Funding for the Project will consist of URA funding of $1,250,000, a FHLBank AHP Loan of $736,744; a PHFA Penn Homes Loan of $537,606; a PHFA PHARE Loan of $662,394; Reinvested Developer Fee of $225,00; an Allegheny Economic Development Loan of $540,000; $1,394,199 in Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity, and an additional $325,000 anticipated in State Housing Tax Credit equity. HACP will provide PBV subsidies for thirty-four (34) units for the Project. The estimated total Project cost is $18,435,242.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (2) – PBV PROJECT The City of Pittsburgh has determined that the Project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional Project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR). The ERR will be made available to the public for review either electronically or by U.S. mail. Please submit your request

by U.S. mail to City of Pittsburgh, Office of Management and Budget, 414 Grant St, City County Building Room 501, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or by email to Kelly.Russell@pittsburghpa.gov.

PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to: Kelly Russell City of Pittsburgh, 414 Grant Street, Room 501 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 255-2667 OR Kelly.Russell@pittsburghpa.gov All comments received by Thursday, September 14, 2023, will be considered by the City of Pittsburgh prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice (Request for Release of Funds 1 or Finding of No Significant Impact 2) they are addressing.

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Holly Jenkins Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 HJenkins@RidePRT.org EOE ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

PUBLIC NOTICE ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY Notice is given that the regular meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority for the year 2024 will be held at 5:30 p.m. prevailing time in the Trefz Board Room at its offices located at 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15233, on the following dates: January 31, 2024, April 24, 2024, July 31, 2024, and October 30, 2024. The public may view the meeting via livestream by visiting www.alcosan.org.

Public comment may be submitted by contacting Jeanne Clark at 412-734-6222 or Jeanne.clark@ alcosan.org, by noon on the meeting date.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The City of Pittsburgh certifies to HUD that Ed Gainey in his capacity as Mayor, City of Pittsburgh, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh to use development funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Pittsburgh certification for a period of fifteen (15) days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Pittsburgh; (b) the City of Pittsburgh has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the Project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted via email in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to the HUD Field Office of Public Housing in Pittsburgh at PittsburghPIH.ER@hud.gov regarding MTW and PBV funds. Potential objectors should contact the HUD Field Office of Public Housing in Pittsburgh via email as given above to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

Potential objectors should contact the HUD Field Office of Community Planning and Development in Pittsburgh via email or phone as given above to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

Ed Gainey Mayor City of Pittsburgh

The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.

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CLASSIFIEDS

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public Notice

Public Notice

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA Notice is hereby given to the following persons, their heirs, successors or assigns, and to all persons whatsoever, that the City of Pittsburgh, by John Miller, Assistant City Solicitor, 328 City County Building has petitioned the Court of Orders quieting title to the following tax acquired real estate, pursuant to Act No. 171, approved December 11, 1984.

GD 23-12978 In Re: Petition of the City of Pittsburgh, Petitioner, v.

Bertie Elizabeth More, Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County, Their Heirs & Assigns.

Please be advised that pursuant to the Order of Court dated 12/20/2023, a Rule has been issued upon the above-named Respondents and, generally, upon all persons who may be interested, to appear and show cause within thirty (30) days hereof as to why the City of Pittsburgh’s Petition to Quiet should not be adjudicated and decreed valid and indefeasible against all mortgagees, assignees, or other persons having any right title, interest in or claim against certain real property located at 239 Sylvania Avenue, in the 18th Ward of the City of Pittsburgh, Block and Lot No. 15M-128, and to further show cause as to why all liens, including mortgages, tax liens and municipal claims, shall not be stricken from the subject property by an order granting clear title.

GD GD 23-12965 In Re: Petition of the City of Pittsburgh, Petitioner, v.

Edward Rico Tyler, Their Heirs & Assigns.

Please be advised that pursuant to the Order of Court dated 1/3/2024, a Rule has been issued upon the above-named Respondents and, generally, upon all persons who may be interested, to appear and show cause within thirty (30) days hereof as to why the City of Pittsburgh’s Petition to Quiet should not be adjudicated and decreed valid and indefeasible against all mortgagees, assignees, or other persons having any right title, interest in or claim against certain real property located at 220 Palmetto Way, in the 18th Ward of the City of Pittsburgh, Block and Lot No. 15-M-109, and to further show cause as to why all liens, including mortgages, tax liens and municipal claims, shall not be stricken from the subject property by an order granting clear title.

GD 23-013001 In Re: Petition of the City of Pittsburgh, Petitioner, v.

Gloria L. Johnson, Their Heirs & Assigns.

Please be advised that pursuant to the Order of Court dated 12/21/2023, a Rule has been issued upon the above-named Respondents and, generally, upon all persons who may be interested, to appear and show cause within thirty (30) days hereof as to why the City of Pittsburgh’s Petition to Quiet should not be adjudicated and decreed valid and indefeasible against all mortgagees, assignees, or other persons having any right title, interest in or claim against certain real property located at 220 Cedarhurst Street, in the 18th Ward of the City of Pittsburgh, Block and Lot No. 15-M-110, and to further show cause as to why all liens, including mortgages, tax liens and municipal claims, shall not be stricken from the subject property by an order granting clear title.

GD 23-012994 In Re: Petition of the City of Pittsburgh, Petitioner, v.

Edward Tyler, Their Heirs & Assigns.

Please be advised that pursuant to the Order of Court dated 12/21/2023, a Rule has been issued upon the above-named Respondents and, generally, upon all persons who may be interested, to appear and show cause within thirty (30) days hereof as to why the City of Pittsburgh’s Petition to Quiet should not be adjudicated and decreed valid and indefeasible against all mortgagees, assignees, or other persons having any right title, interest in or claim against certain real property located at 218 Cedarhurst Street, in the 18th Ward of the City of Pittsburgh, Block and Lot No. 15-M-111, and to further show cause as to why all liens, including mortgages, tax liens and municipal claims, shall not be stricken from the subject property by an order granting clear title.

GD 23-013002 In Re: Petition of the City of Pittsburgh, Petitioner, v.

Amil Suljic, Their Heirs & Assigns.

Please be advised that pursuant to the Order of Court dated 12/21/2023, a Rule has been issued upon the above-named Respondents and, generally, upon all persons who may be interested, to appear and show cause within thirty (30) days hereof as to why the City of Pittsburgh’s Petition to Quiet should not be adjudicated and decreed valid and indefeasible against all mortgagees, assignees, or other persons having any right title, interest in or claim against certain real property located at 216 Cedarhurst Street, in the 18th Ward of the City of Pittsburgh, Block and Lot No. 15-M-112, and to further show cause as to why all liens, including mortgages, tax liens and municipal claims, shall not be stricken from the subject property by an order granting clear title.

GD 23-012999 In Re: Petition of the City of Pittsburgh, Petitioner, v.

Fay L. Orme, Bank One, N.A., Aames Funding Corporation d/b/a Aames Home Loan, Their Heirs & Assigns.

Please be advised that pursuant to the Order of Court dated 12/21/2023, a Rule has been issued upon the above-named Respondents and, generally, upon all persons who may be interested, to appear and show cause within thirty (30) days hereof as to why the City of Pittsburgh’s Petition to Quiet should not be adjudicated and decreed valid and indefeasible against all mortgagees, assignees, or other persons having any right title, interest in or claim against certain real property located at 214 Cedarhurst Street, in the 18th Ward of the City of Pittsburgh, Block and Lot No. 15-M-113, and to further show cause as to why all liens, including mortgages, tax liens and municipal claims, shall not be stricken from the subject property by an order granting clear title.

GD 23-012991 In Re: Petition of the City of Pittsburgh, Petitioner, v.

Edward L. Yancey, Their Heirs & Assigns.

Please be advised that pursuant to the Order of Court dated 12/20/2023, a Rule has been issued upon the above-named Respondents and, generally, upon all persons who may be interested, to appear and show cause within thirty (30) days hereof as to why the City of Pittsburgh’s Petition to Quiet should not be adjudicated and decreed valid and indefeasible against all mortgagees, assignees, or other persons having any right title, interest in or claim against certain real property located at 212 Cedarhurst Street, in the 18th Ward of the City of Pittsburgh, Block and Lot No. 15-M-114, and to further show cause as to why all liens, including mortgages, tax liens and municipal claims, shall not be stricken from the subject property by an order granting clear title.

SONNY BOY LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

DOCUMENT 00030-AA ADVERTISEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA The Allegheny County Airport Authority will be receiving scanned PDF proposals through Submittable, and a submission link will be sent to each registered plan holder. Submissions are to be submitted via Submittable by 1:00 p.m. prevailing local time on February 7, 2024, and bids will be opened by the Airport Authority and results will be emailed by end of business day of bid opening for the following project: ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PROJECT NUMBER 55E4-23 (ELECTRICAL) AIRSIDE HOLD ROOM RENOVATIONS AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT A pre-bid conference will be held at 10:00 a.m., on January 18, 2024, in Conference Room A at Pittsburgh International Airport Landside Terminal, 4th Floor Mezz, Pittsburgh, PA 15231. All contractors that are interested in attending the site visit/walk through must pre-register through the Submittable platform at https://acaacapitalprograms.submittable.com.

Attention is called to the fact that not less than the minimum salaries and wages, as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, must be paid on these projects.

Proposals must be made on the Authority’s form and in accordance with the Plans and Specifications and the “Instructions to Bidders”’.

The non-refundable charge of $150.00 for the Bid Documents and the Plans, and Specifications through the bidding platform Submittable at https://acaacapitalprograms.submittable.com.

Please note that Submittable does not support Internet Explorer 11. Submittable recommends the following browsers: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.

This project has DBE participation goals; DBE firms must be certified with the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program) (PA UCP). Firms must be certified prior to award of contract. A searchable database of DBE firms can be found on the PA UCP web site: https://paucp.dbesystem.com/ The Airport Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids or waive any informalities in the bidding.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of sixty [60] days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

To view a complete advertisement, which is also included in the bidding documents visit www.flypittsburgh.com – ACAA Corporate – Business Opportunities or call 412-472-3677.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY

America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 134 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations: Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication

WHEREUPON the Court granted a rule on the aforesaid persons, and all persons, whatsoever, to appear and show cause within thirty days from this notice why the title of the CITYOF PITTSBURGH to the aforesaid real estate should not be adjudicated and decreed valid and indefeasible as against all mortgages, ground-rents, rights, title, interest in or claims against the aforesaid real estate, and to further show cause why the sale of the said real estate should not be made free and clear of all the aforesaid claims whatsoever.

JOHN MILLER ASSISTANT CITY SOLICITOR CITY OF PITTSBURGH

The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.

Read us online! at...

COURIER www.newpittsburghcourier.com CLASSIFIEDS

Support the publication that is ALWAYS focused on Pittsburgh’s African American community.

Subscribe to the Courier today by calling 412-481-8302, ext. 136.

The New Pittsburgh Courier....

Often Imitated.

NEVER Duplicated.

Call Allison Palm for your subscription at 412-481-8302, ext. 136.

To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128

The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Reception Sponsor

Award Sponsors

IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT 5-YEAR-OLD JADE ATTEND THE COURIER’S “WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE” TO SEE HER GRANDMOTHER, TANIKA HARRIS, FAR RIGHT, RECEIVE HER AWARD. ALSO PICTURED IS HARRIS’ DAUGHTER, JASMINE DIAZ. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)

Benefactor Sponsors

'Not a popularity contest' Courier’s ‘Women of Excellence’ showcases women who have real impact in Pittsburgh

by Rob Taylor Jr.

Patron Sponsors

Courier Staff Writer

As the Honorable Cynthia A. Baldwin finished her remarks after receiving the New Pittsburgh Courier’s “Women of Excellence” Legacy Award, her grandchildren joined her on the stage. The crowd loved it. Pictures were taken. And all the while, another youngster was taking it all in from the audience.

It was 5-year-old Jade, the granddaughter of “Women of Excellence” Class of 2023 honoree Tanika Harris. There’s a

reason, Harris said, she paid the money for a ticket for Jade to attend.

“I wanted her to experience this because I want this to be the norm for her,” Harris told the Courier at the annual “Women of Excellence” Awards ceremony, Dec. 8, 2023, at the Sheraton Hotel Station Square. “I don’t want her to think this is different. I want her to know that this is the standard. It’s important for her to see this.”

What Harris wanted Jade to experience was the presence of 50 powerful Black women in one room, honored for their achieve-

ments and impact in the Pittsburgh region. Not one Black woman, not two or three or even four, but 50. And especially for the Hon. Cynthia A. Baldwin, who was given a standing ovation for her decades of service, including being the first African American woman to be elected to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Jade was able to take all that in, as well.

And let’s not forget about Jade seeing her own grandmother being honored on stage, too. Courier SEE W.O.E. PAGE 3

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

W.O.E. FROM PAGE 2

editor and publisher Rod Doss, following his remarks to the 650 in attendance, greeted each honoree with their own plaque.

“I’m grateful to be honored by my own people,” Harris, director of communications and community relations for the Urban Redevelopment Authority of the City of Pittsburgh.

“In a room with so many incredible, powerful human beings.”

This year’s iteration of the “Women of Excellence” was near and dear to Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s heart. Even though he’s attended other “Women of Excellence” events in the past, this time he got to see his wife, First Lady Michelle Gainey, honored as a “Woman of Excellence.”

There were other honorees, too, like Tamika Simpson Darwin, program manager for Auberle-Ward Home. She told the Courier that it was a homecoming of sorts, seeing so many people from her childhood from the old Johnston Elementary

School in Wilkinsburg to Penn Hills High School.

“You never do it to be recognized,” Darwin said of her accomplishments, “you do it for the passion, you do it because of the need, but when people see that and recognize it, it’s a blessing.”

And for Tiffany Huff-Strothers, CEO of When She Thrives, she said she was honored to be “among the 750 women who have received this honor” of a Courier “Woman of Excellence.”

“I feel like there are a lot of unsung heroes,” Huff-Strothers added, emphasizing that sometimes, some women don’t get their just due because in Pittsburgh, it can be more of a “popularity contest.” But for the Courier’s awards, she said, it’s more about the actual work someone is doing.

“From the grassroots all the way up to the corporations, this shows and recognizes the people who are doing amazing things that impact the communities throughout the city,” Huff-Strothers said.

JANUARY 10-16, 2024 3

FIRST LADY MICHELLE GAINEY WAS A COURIER “WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE” HONOREE FOR 2023. SHE’S PICTURED WITH PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY AND FAMILY.

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

HONOREE JENEEN ASQUE-WILSON WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

HONOREE DR. SHALLEGRA MOYE WITH FAMILY

HONOREE BRANDI FISHER WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

HONOREE VALARIE DALLIS COLEMAN WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

THE CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY TABLE

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

THE HON. CYNTHIA A. BALDWIN — THE LEGACY HONOREE

THE HON. CYNTHIA A. BALDWIN, WITH NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ROD DOSS.

THE HON. CYNTHIA A. BALDWIN

JANUARY 10-16, 2024 5

6 JANUARY 10-16, 2024 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY

BNY MELLON AND MCAULEY MINISTRIES TABLE

REV. A. MARIE WALKER

ENVIRONMENTAL CHARTER SCHOOL TABLE

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE

DUQUESNE LIGHT AND AUBERLE TABLE

PITTSBURGH SCHOLAR HOUSE TABLE

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

ROMODORE ABDULLAH, MSW

Executive Director, Crestas Terrace Revitalization Project Therapist, Gateway Rehabilitation Center

HONOREE DR. SHALLEGRA MOYE, COURIER SALES DIRECTOR ASHLEY JOHNSON

KENYA ALFORD

THE DREAM.ORG TABLE

STACIE ALLEN

Community Engagement Coordinator, Trade Institute of CEO, Jazz Bean Entertainment Pittsburgh Director, Soul Food Murder Mystery Show Parent/Team Coordinator, Westinghouse Football Team

TANYA J. ASHBY

Social Worker at Martin Luther King PreK-8 Pittsburgh Public Schools

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

JENEEN ASQUE-WILSON

DENISE H. BAKER, MSN, CRNP

GLORIA J. BESLEY

CEO, Abundant Life Community & Home Supports Program Manager of Community Engagement, DHS/OBH/ Bureau of Drug & Alcohol Services

Chief Operating Officer Primary Care Health Services

President, Regency Crest Realty, Inc. Owner, Gloria J. Besley, LPA Accounting & Tax Services

Baldwin Investment Management Group, LLC CONGRATULATES

Justice Cynthia A. Baldwin on receiving the “New Pittsburgh Courier Women of Excellence Legacy Award”

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

CLASS OF 2023

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

ANGELA BLANTON

Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Carnegie Mellon University

TRACY LYNN CALHOUN

District Mathematics Academic Coach Pittsburgh Public Schools

SHERENE BRANTLEY

QIANA BUCKNER

DR. MELODY CARTER-FRYE

IMOGENE L. CATHEY, ESQ.

Associate Athletic Director for Academic and Student Services, Senior Woman Administrator, and Deputy Title IX Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Coordinator Duquesne University

Workforce Development Manager Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Associate Director of Programming, Alliance for Police Accountability Founder & CEO, Lady ‘Q’ Network & A Diamond in the Rough Productions

Vice President and General Counsel Seton Hill University

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

VALARIE DALLIS COLEMAN

TRACEY CONTI, M.D.

LEONTYNE T. DAFFIN, MSN, RN

Program Director, Naomi’s Place Transitional Housing Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator, The Salvation Army

Chair, Department of Family Medicine University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine/UPMC

President, Pittsburgh Black Nurses in Action Faculty, UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

TAMIKA SIMPSON DARWIN

DR. DAREN A. ELLERBEE

Program Manager Auberle-Ward Home

Director, Educational Outreach Center University of Pittsburgh, Office of the Provost

Founder & CEO Alliance for Police Accountability

ESTHER M. FRANKLIN

MICHELLE GAINEY

L’TESHA J. GAMBLE-PETTIS

First Lady, City of Pittsburgh Co-Founder, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Project

Manager of PA Treatment Family Foster Care & Foster Parent Recruitment and Licensing Cayuga Centers

Chief Executive Officer ALROWS, LLC

BRANDI FISHER

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

SHEILA GLOVER

Supervisor, Meter Shops and Testing Duquesne Light Company

TIFFANY T. HUFF-STROTHERS

CEO & Founder, When She Thrives Executive Development & Storytelling Coach, The Tiffany Huff Experience

TANIKA S. HARRIS

Director of Communications & Community Relations Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh

DR. VIRGINIA R. HILL

Chief Academic Officer Environmental Charter School

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

ROBIN MARSHALL KELLY

TRACEE KIRKLAND-RIVERS

SANDRA K. LEWIS

NICOLE D. LOGAN

KENYA SHEPPARD MATTHEWS

JESSICA MERRITT, Ph.D.

Vice President of Research, Quality & Compliance Wesley Family Services

Chief Financial Officer Keller Williams Realty, Pittsburgh North

Chief Clinical Officer & Director of Nursing East Liberty Family Health Care Center

Program Manager Google

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Delta Service and Education Foundation

President The Care Based Leadership Collaborative

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

NATASHA N. MITCHELL-JONES

CEO, 1st Prestige Home Care Agency Founder & Owner, Prestigious Notary Boutique

SHARISE NANCE

Owner, Hand in Hand Counseling Services, LLC Co-Founder, Vitamin C Healing, LLC

DR. SHALLEGRA MOYE

STEPHANIE MOYE

Associate Director, Office of Child Development, University of Pittsburgh Founder & Executive Director, Brilliantly Blessed Community Health & Wellness

Fashion Designer S. Moye Fashions

LINGAIRE NJIE

JACQUELYN OMOTALADE

Director of Operations Catapult Greater Pittsburgh

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

Climate Investments National Director Dream.Org

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

PAMELA JOHNSON POWELL

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

PASTOR ELLA RAWLINGS

KENDRA JANELLE ROSS, Ph.D.

Executive Assistant II UPMC

Pastor, Covenant Church Chaplain, National Church Residency

TENECIA M. ROSS

JACQUELINE SMITH

DR. MARGARET J. STARKES

Executive Director Greater Valley Community Services, Inc.

Principal, Pittsburgh Miller PreK-5, An AfricanCentered Academy Pittsburgh Public Schools

Director of Human Resources Mt. Lebanon School District

Head of Social Impact Duolingo

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

LECHELLE M. STRINGA

Business Development and Compliance Specialist Parkview Community Federal Credit Union

DR. DIAMONTE WALKER Chief Executive Officer Pittsburgh Scholar House

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

MARISOL WANDIGA VALENTIN

CYNTHIA VANHOLTEN-DIXON

Executive Director McAuley Ministries Foundation

Senior Vice President, Product Management, Engineering Transformation Office BNY Mellon

ERICKA D. WINGFIELD

FANTASY ZELLARS

Reintegration Specialist Allegheny County Juvenile Probation

Founder/CEO Bounce Marketing & Events

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Angela Blanton 2 0 2 3 W OM E N O F E X C E L L E N C E

Congratulations Angela on being named as one of the 2023 Women of Excellence.

As a pillar of the Carnegie Mellon University community, a proud alumna and community champion, Angela Blanton’s heart is in her work at CMU and in Pittsburgh, where she gives back through community service and by mentoring others.

We thank you for your commitment to CMU and your strong dedication to our region.

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