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Pittsburgh Courier NEW
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www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 114 No. 41 Two Sections
OCTOBER 11-17, 2023
“If you don’t take care of you, you can’t take care of anybody else.” — Shantel Pizaro, mother of Steven Eason
MENTAL HEALTH TAKES CENTER STAGE
PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY, SHANTEL PIZARO AND LYNNE HAYES-FREELAND, DURING A COMMUNITY TOWN HALL AT CCAC, OCT. 7. (PHOTO BY ROB TAYLOR JR.)
More African Americans in Pittsburgh going to therapy by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Shantel Pizaro is the mother who, for the last two years and one month, has had to live with the trauma of the tragic loss of her son, Steven Eason.
Just trying to have a good time, Eason and friends went to the Haunted Hills Hayride in North Versailles on the evening of Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. An altercation occurred, and Eason tried to break up a fight when
he was shot and killed, at the Hayride. He was just 15 years old, a sophomore at Central Catholic High School. In no way, shape or form has it been easy for Pizaro. She said as much during a community town
hall hosted by the local Gateway Medical Society and KDKA Radio’s “Minority Health Matters” show. The town hall was labeled, “Mental Health & Gun Violence — Solutions, Not Just Talk!” The event was held, Oct. 7, at
Community College of Allegheny County’s main campus on the North Side. The phrase “Mental Health” is becoming more prevalent in the Black community. It seemed as though for generations, most Black families side-
stepped the notion that taking care of one’s mental health was even, a thing. Mental health is defined as “a person’s condition SEE MENTAL HEALTH A4
Little Amal — a powerful symbol of refugees, especially children She came through Downtown Pittsburgh to much fanfare by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
There are a lot of tall buildings in Downtown Pittsburgh, but for one afternoon, a 10-year-old rose above them all when it came to significance and inspiration. Little Amal isn’t old enough to drive, but one thing we know for sure — she’s too tall to ride the rides at Kennywood’s Kiddieland. Little Amal is 12 feet tall. And she’s become a strong symbol of refugees, as they often have to overcome adverse circumstances, along with fighting for their human rights. Little Amal is a puppet, a Syrian refugee who traveled through the streets of Downtown Pittsburgh on Sept. 20 to much acclaim from the young and the old. A parade of sorts was
thrown for Little Amal, as kids from schools like Urban Pathways College Charter School greeted her with open arms. Pittsburgh Public Schools’ “One Band One Sound” also performed in the parade. In the two years since Little Amal was created, she carries a message of hope for displaced people everywhere, especially children who have been separated from their families, according to her website. She’s walked more than 6,000 miles in 15 different countries, and she’s currently on a tour through the U.S., one that spans 40 cities. Her creators decided to make her larger than life to shine a spotlight on refugee children who are often overlooked. Refugees SEE LITTLE AMAL A5
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KIDS AT URBAN PATHWAYS COLLEGE CHARTER SCHOOL enjoy “Little Amal,” a 12-foot puppet that symbolizes the fight for human rights for refugees. Nearly half of the world’s refugees are children. (Photo by J.L. Martello)