America’s best weekly Courier’s Merecedes Williams, Brian Cook Sr. making major moves Page A4
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 113 No. 12 Two Sections
MARCH 23-29, 2022
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Hosanna House opens new Center for Aviation Technology and Training Also honors Tuskegee Airmen with museum by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
In the words of Hosanna House Founding CEO Leon Haynes III, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” So in the coming months, there will be an abundance of young people, many of
COURIER EXCLUSIVE whom are African American, who will come to know a lot about the field of aviation. The month of April begins the start of school visits full of students pouring into the new Center for Aviation Technology and Training (CATT) and Tus-
kegee Airmen Museum, located inside the Sherwood Event Center in Wilkinsburg. The New Pittsburgh Courier was granted an exclusive look inside the museum in February, crafted in collaboration with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. The Children’s Museum staff placed a plethora of interactive exhibits for kids inside the new museum, including airport runways and a flight simulation center. To honor the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC), the museum is equipped with replica Tuskegee Airmen jerseys, helmets and other memorabilia. The museum also features the exhibit, “Black Wings: American SEE HOSANA HOUSE A5
RIBBON-CUTTING—Leon Haynes, founding CEO of Hosanna House, and Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald officially open the new Center for Aviation Technology and Training (CATT) and Tuskegee Airmen Museum, Feb. 24. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.)
CELEBRATING OUR REGION’S BLACK MAYORS — A CONTINUING SERIES
Kenya Johns becomes first Black woman mayor of Beaver Falls by Marcia Liggett For New Pittsburgh Courier
In January, Dr. Kenya Johns was sworn into the office of mayor of Beaver Falls, becoming the first Black woman elected as mayor in the city’s 153-year
City Council in 2012. In the year leading up to the election, Dr. Johns and her mother, both lifelong residents of Beaver Falls, discussed Dr. Johns running for office, believing she would be the catalyst for much-needed change in
ABOUT THE SERIES The New Pittsburgh Courier has profiled a number of African American mayors in our region over the past weeks, following the historic achievement of Ed Gainey becoming Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor. To read our previous profiles on Mr. Gainey, Homestead mayor John Burwell and Wilkinsburg mayor Dontae Comans, please visit our website,
www.newpittsburghcourier.com history. The 2.35-square mile city is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, bordering the Beaver River. Dr. Johns achieved victory by unseating incumbent mayor George Quay, who had held the position since being appointed by
the community. “There seemed to be a missing component with Beaver Falls not being represented,” Dr. Johns told the New Pittsburgh Courier in an exclusive interSEE JOHNS A7
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DR. KENYA JOHNS (PHOTO BY MARCIA LIGGETT)
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This Week In Black History A Courier Staple • MARCH
The Black Press of America celebrates 195 years by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier
NNPA NEWSWIRE--On March 16, 1827, Samuel E. Cornish and John B. Russwurm founded the first Black-owned newspaper in the U.S. They did so because there were no Black voices in the debate over the abolition of slavery. In their first editorial, Cornish and Russwurm wrote: “in short, whatever concerns us as a people, will ever find a ready admission into the Freedom’s Journal.” “One hundred and ninety-five years later, the mission of the Black Press has not changed,” Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes wrote in an editorial. “No matter whether Black Press journalists are invited to a seat at ‘their’ table, the voices of those the Black Press represents will always have a seat at ours,” Rolark Barnes wrote. From Freedom’s Journal to the North Star to John Abbott’s Chicago Defender, African American-owned newspapers have sparked fires for truth and equality that have burned with the passion of fighting for freedom throughout history. Wednesday, March 16, 2022, marked the 195th anniversary of the Black Press of America, whose global impact remains undeniable. It all began with Freedom’s Journal. On March 16, 1827, they announced its presence with a front page that contained these words: “We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us.” The 4-page edition included stories about the struggle to end the horrors of slavery, lynching, and social injustice. It also informed the African American community
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of international news of particular interest like Haiti and Sierra Leone events. Freedom’s Journal featured African American men and women biographies, schools, jobs, and housing opportunities. For nearly two centuries, the 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies, represented by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), have proudly carried that legacy. The bond between Black America and the Black Press remains strong. “Relationships, which have been the cornerstone of the Black community and the Black Press for 195 years, have always been its messenger in cementing that bond,” remarked Westside Gazette Publisher Bobby Henry. Dr. Toni Draper, the publisher of the 130-year-old AFRO in Baltimore and Washington, also noted the enduring value of the Black Press. “The contribution of the Black Press is invaluable. If not for the Black Press, there would be a lot of things we would not have documented in terms of the African American experience,” Dr. Draper said. “The Black Press was founded in 1827, and African Americans were not in any of the pages of the white-owned press unless there was an advertisement of our sale, of our resale, or us having run away from slave owners or plantations.” Dr. Draper continued: “The Black Press is one of the only places where you can find news and information and commentary about, by, and for African Americans across the spectrum. You don’t have to do anything wrong to make the pages of the Black Press; you don’t have to do anything famous. The Black Press covers the totality of the Black experience in the United States and beyond.” The anniversary of the Black Press is a reminder of the contributions that remain indelibly associated with the fearlessness, determination, and success of the Black Press. Those contributions include the works of Frederick Douglass, WEB DuBois, Ida B. Wells, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, and former NNPA Chairman Dr. Carlton Goodlett. Douglass, who helped enslaved people escape to the North while working with the Underground Railroad, established the abolitionist paper, The North Star, in Rochester, New York. He developed it into the most influential black antislavery newspaper published
during the Antebellum era. The North Star denounced slavery and fought for the emancipation of women and other oppressed groups with a motto of “Right is of no Sex – Truth is of no Color; God is the Father of us all, and we are all brethren.” Today, the Black Press continues to reach across the ocean where possible to forge coalitions with the growing number of websites and special publications that cover Africa daily from on the continent. “The spirit of Black journalism, which Russwurm and Cornish inspired, found its way to Houston 128 years later through a vision given to a local Black businessman to birth a newspaper that positively reflected the Black community, while also reporting the hard truths happening in our communities on the local, state, and national level,” Houston Forward Times Associate Editor Jeffrey Boney declared. The evolution of the Black Press, the oldest Black business in America, had proprietors take on issues of chattel slavery in the 19th century, Jim Crow segregation and lynching, the great northern migration, the Civil Rights Movement, the transformation from the printing press to the digital age and computerized communication. With the Plessy vs. Ferguson Supreme Court ruling that said no black man has any rights that a white man must honor, there came a flood of Black publications to advocate for Black rights and protest the wrongs done to Blacks. Today, the Black Press continues to tackle domestic and global issues, including the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on all citizens – particularly African Americans. “This is an important story about the history of the Black Press of America that has consistently been the freedom fighting voice of African people in America and throughout the world for 195 years without waiver or distortion of the truth,” stated NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. “Today, in 2022, the Black Press remains the vital source of news and information for 50 million African Americans,” he added. Chavis continued: “On this momentous anniversary, the NNPA salutes all the African American-owned newspapers and media companies that are affiliated with the NNPA’s expanding network of over 230 media properties and channels.
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1916—Marcus Garvey arrives in the United States from Jamaica. He would go on to build the largest Black nationalist and self-help organization in MARCUS GARVEY world history—the Universal Negro Improvement Association. The UNIA owned everything from bakeries to a shipping line. It would develop chapters throughout major cities in the U.S., Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. “Garveyism” emphasized racial pride, economic empowerment, Blacks doing for self and the establishment of a powerful Black nation in Africa to give protection to Blacks throughout the world. 1942—Scholar and political activist Walter Rodney is born in Georgetown, Guyana. Rodney would become one of the leading intellectual forces behind the worldwide Black Nationalist and Pan-Africanist movements of the 1960s and ‘70s. He was a brilliant scholar who traveled widely and among his major writings was the book “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa.” He died in a car bombing in Guyana in 1980. • MARCH 24 1837—Blacks in Canada are granted the right to vote. Most of these Blacks had escaped from slavery in America. 2002—Halle Berry becomes the first Black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress. She won for her role in the movie “Monster’s Ball.” She won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Movie/ HALLE BERRY Mini-Series for “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge” in 1999. Berry was born on Aug. 14, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio, to an African-American father and a Caucasian mother.
•MARCH 25
1931—Ida B. Wells Barnett dies. Barnett was one of the leading Black female activists in America for over 30 years. Born in Holly Springs, Miss., she became a crusading IDA B. WELLS BAR- journalist against NETT racism and injustice with her Memphis, Tennessee-based newspaper—“The Free Speech and Headlight.” When a prominent Memphis Black man (and friend or hers) was lynched in 1892, she launched a national campaign against lynching. In 1909, she became a member of the Committee of 40 which laid the foundation for the organization which would become the NAACP. But she later sided with scholar W.E.B. DuBois when he accused the NAACP of not being militant enough. Barnett would also later join with White suffragettes in demanding that women be given the right to vote. 1931—The “Scottsboro Boys” are arrested and accused of raping two young White women—a crime which evidence suggests (then and now) never occurred. However, the saga of the nine Scottsboro Boys (young Black men aged 12 to 20) would stretch out over a period of nearly 20 years in a series of trials, convictions, reversals and retrials. The racism of the period was so thick that even when one of the young White women recanted and admitted that no rape had occurred, an all-White Alabama jury still found members of the group guilty and sentenced them to death. The convictions were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court and more retrials and new convictions followed. Eventually, either by paroles or escapes, all the Scottsboro Boys would leave Alabama prisons. The last one died in 1989. 1942—Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul” music, is born in Detroit, Mich.
•MARCH 26
1831—The founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Church, Richard Allen, dies at age 71 in Philadelphia, Pa. As its first bishop, Allen set the AME Church on the path to becoming the first Black religious denomination in America to be fully independent of White control. He, in effect, chartered a separate religious identity for African-Americans. He also founded schools throughout the nation to teach Blacks. This includes Allen University in Columbia, S.C. 1944—Singer/ Actress Diana Ross is born in Detroit, Mich. She headed the most popular female signing group of the 1960s—The Supremes. DIANA ROSS 1950—Singer Teddy Pendergrass is born in Philadelphia, Pa. For a period, Pendergrass was the leading sex symbol in R&B music. However, an automobile accident on March 18, 1982 left TEDDY PENDERhim paralyzed from GRASS the chest down. Pendergrass died Jan. 13, 2010. • MARCH 27 1924—The sensational Jazz singer Sarah Vaughn was born on this day in Newark, N.J. 1970—Mariah Carey was born on this day in Long Island, N.Y. Her parents are of Irish/ African-American/ Venezuelan background. Carey came to promiMARIAH CAREY nence after releasing her self-titled debut studio album “Mariah Carey” in 1990; it went multiplatinum and spawned four consecutive number one singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Under the guidance of Columbia Records executive and later husband Tommy Mottola, she continued booking success with followup albums “Emotions” (1991), “Music Box” (1993), and “Merry Christmas” (1994), Carey was established as Columbia’s highest-selling act. In 1998, she was honored as the world’s best-selling recording artist of the 1990s at the World Music Awards. She married actor/comedian Nick Cannon in 2008. She lists Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder as her favorite singers. • MARCH 28 1900—The British demand the Ashanti Golden Stool. Ironically, the Ashanti had been one of the tribes which had actually benefited from slavery by capturing and selling their fellow Africans. But when the slave trade ended, the British turned on the Ashanti in a bid to colonize the Gold Coast (now Ghana). In an apparent attempt to demoralize and humiliate the Ashanti, the British demanded that they turnover one of their greatest symbols—the Golden Stool. The demand led to war. The Ashanti were led by Queen Yaa Asantewa. Her fighters kept the British at bay for several months. But with superior fire power, the British eventually prevailed. 1972—The two surviving Soledad Brothers are found not guilty by an all White jury in the alleged killing of a White guard at the California prison. The other Soledad Brother, revolutionary writer George Jackson, had been killed during an August 1971 Marin County Courthouse escape attempt, which also led to charges against college professor and communist Angela Davis. Davis was also eventually acquitted. 1984—Dr. Benjamin Mays dies. The president of Atlanta’s Morehouse College had been one of the leading Black educational figures in America during the 20th century. • MARCH 29 1981—Dr. Eric Williams, prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, dies in Port of Spain at the age of 79. Williams was a historian and his classic work was “Capitalism and Slavery.”
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COURIER FAMILY MEMBERS DOING BIG THINGS
Williams named PPS Dir. of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
Cook named Communications and Marketing Director for Central Catholic
MERECEDES J. WILLIAMS
BRIAN COOK SR.
by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
It didn’t take long for the New Pittsburgh Courier to learn about the new professional occupations for Brian Cook Sr. and Merecedes J. Williams—after all, they’re part of the Courier family. Williams has been writing movie and TV/show reviews for the Courier readers for more than five years, and Cook has brought his photojournalism prowess to the Courier in the form of top-notch Pittsburgh Steelers photos (among other assignments) and tribute videos of the Courier’s legacy honorees for the “Men” and “Women of Excellence” events. Now, the Courier has learned, Williams has joined Pittsburgh Public Schools’ leadership team as Director of Communications and Stakeholder
Engagement. And beginning Monday, March 28, Cook will head back to his alma mater, Central Catholic High School, as the school’s new Communications/Marketing Director. Williams is a Pittsburgh Public Schools advocate through and through. She attended and graduated from Schenley High School in 2005 and has worked in the district’s media relations/communications arm for years. Williams, also known as “Movie Scene Queen,” graduated from Duquesne University on Dec. 17, 2021, with a bachelor’s in multiplatform journalism and theology. In her new role with PPS, she’s responsible for the development and implementation of the district’s strategic internal staff communications and parental community engagement plan. She’ll also work on school-based marketing
plans, student recruitment and customer service initiatives. “Communication is a twoway street,” said Williams, who was born and raised in the Hill District. “It’s important for the district to release timely, relevant, pertinent information for our families. But it is equally important for the district to listen to all key stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, staff, and the community. I hope that in this new position I can tap into marginalized, unheard populations as well to ensure that their voices are heard.” Williams is also a PPS parent, so she understands the role parents and the administration should jointly play in contributing to a child’s education. “The pandemic—with school closures, asynchronous learning days, mitigating the spread of
COVID—has created a new age in communication,” Williams told the Courier. “Now more than ever, it is crucial to have the proper messaging to make families feel safe to send their children to school and confident about the quality of their child’s education.” Cook, meanwhile, is returning to the school that he cherished as a teenager, Central Catholic. Cook, who grew up primarily in Point Breeze, is a 1998 graduate of the school that he said “helped mold me into the man I am today. It is my duty to share the great works of Central Catholic by disseminating information to the school’s alumni, current students, parents and to the public at-large.” Cook told the Courier that because of Central’s formidable learning environment “that teaches boys
the essence of learning and logic within a Christian environment,” he said it has helped him learn how to be successful and stronger in his faith. Cook is also the president of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation. He’s been in the Pittsburgh media scene since 2003, following his graduation from Clarion University, when he took a position at American Urban Radio Networks, based in Pittsburgh. “I attribute my first video/on-air experience by doing the morning announcements at Central, in a closed-circuit television network that aired daily within the school,” Cook said. “My time at Central prepared me in many facets of life.” Over the years, Cook has produced video features for the Courier, WQED-TV and NBC News’ website.
His photos have appeared in the Courier, USA Today, Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh Business Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Soul Pitt, Urban Media Today and PublicSource, among others. Cook also is the owner of his own media company, Golden Sky Media. “Brian Cook has a genuine interest in people and their stories and it is evident to everyone he meets,” said Brother Tony Baginski, principal of Central Catholic, in a statement to the Courier, March 22. “That interest combined with varied and wide-ranging experiences in the industry as well as being a Central Catholic alum, makes Brian the ideal person to communicate the Central Catholic story to our parents, students, alumni, and the wider audience.”
Congratulations, Ruth Green, on your 100th Birthday!
The New Pittsburgh Courier salutes Ms. Ruth Green, who turned 100 years young on March 14. A small group of family and friends celebrated with Ms. Green at a restaurant in Monroeville for the occasion. Ms. Green was a member of the Sixth Mount Zion Church choir, and she also worked at a hardware store for 25 years. She was married to Major Green, who belonged to St. Cyprian Lodge Chapter 13, until his death in 2019.
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Hosanna House opens new Center for Aviation Technology and Training HOSANNA HOUSE FROM A1
Dreams of Flight,” which chronicles the story of African Americans who attained great achievements in the world of aviation, despite facing racial barriers. Much of the Tuskegee exhibits were contributed to the museum by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. The museum takes up most of the first floor of the Sherwood Event Center, 400 Sherwood Rd., while the second floor will continue to be a separate place for meetings, weddings, etc. Hosanna House, the longtime youth and family advocacy organization based in Wilkinsburg, owns the Sherwood Event Center. “If our kids don’t know anything about the Tuskegee Airmen and their history, they just don’t know,” Haynes told the Courier, Feb. 23. “The film (“Red Tails”) can’t be the only thing that tells a story like that of that importance, so we have to create a museum to do that.” Haynes said the field of aviation has been dominated by Caucasians, but it doesn’t have to be. Haynes said if Black children are not around “technology, anything dealing with aviation; If I’ve never been to the airport, never flown a plane, I don’t have a clue of what all goes on there... if nobody’s talking about a job that I can get there, I’m just clueless. But if I can get you thinking about aviation, if I can show you Black and brown people who’ve been in NASA and who’ve run programs, if I can show you training and get you empowered about taking a course, then you have an opportunity to win.” US. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that in 2020, African Americans accounted for just 3.4 percent of the country’s aircraft pilots and flight engineers. Hosanna House plans to open the museum to school visits and for special events in April and May, with June earmarked as the start for youth in Hosanna House’s summer program to take visits. School visits will start up again in the fall, and at that time, Haynes and his staff will determine if and when the museum would open to the general public. The museum also will be
used as a training center for high-schoolers to get them pumped about aviation. A partnership with Hampton University (an HBCU located in Virginia) and the organization “Black Girls Drone” will put teens through a fourto-seven week “boot camp” of sorts. They’ll learn everything from coding, to programming, to building a drone, to flying a drone good enough to be certified. “We want to get our children and our people ready,” Haynes told the Courier. “Some people are saying, in the next decade, 30 to 40 percent of Black folks who don’t have any experience in technology might be out of a job...we don’t want that to happen. So we’re trying to be intentional about investment and training/awareness, and a bridge for training to have that career.” In addition to the Courier, a number of special invited guests attended the Feb. 23 “soft opening” of the Center for Aviation Technology and Training and Tuskegee Airmen Museum. The guests seemed mesmerized at the contents inside the museum, particularly the flight simulation area and the Tuskegee memorabilia. “What an important thing this is around aviation,” voiced Rich Fitzgerald, the Allegheny County Chief Executive who attended the soft opening. “Pittsburgh’s history is so rich in so many things, and one of the richest things we have is with our Tuskegee Airmen, and what they did decades ago to help us win for democracy...it’s really important for particularly young people who may not know that great history that we have here in Pittsburgh and what these Tuskegee Airmen individually did so many years ago that can’t be forgotten.” Another speaker at the soft opening in addition to Fitzgerald was Kimberly Slater-Wood, the daughter of a Tuskegee Airman, Harold Slater. After her speech, she told the Courier she thought the museum was “phenomenal. This is a great approach to raise the awareness and also bring an education to the youth so they can not only learn the history, but also to identify different options for career opportunities.” Although the term “Tuskegee Airmen” refers to the city of Tuskegee, Ala., its army airfield and at historically-Black Tuske-
JOY HENDRIX IS READY TO FLY—The Tuskegee Airmen Museum has a flight simulator. (Photos by Rob Taylor Jr.) gee University is where thousands of Black pilots, bombardiers, navigators and support staff were trained to fight in World War II. Pittsburgh has a prized connection to the Tuskegee Airmen because so many Black men from the Pittsburgh area traveled to Tuskegee to train and enlist in the U.S. Army Air Forces. That includes Rosa Mae Willis Alford, a woman. She was from Beaver County. At the outdoor Tuskegee Airmen Memorial, located inside the Sewickley Cemetery, some 100 Tuskegee Airmen (and Alford) from the region are commemorated. It’s believed eight Tuskegee Airmen were from Sewickley. The logo for the museum is shaped in a “Double V” formation, similar to the famed “Double V” campaign logo that was launched by the Pittsburgh Courier to promote
not only a “victory overseas” for the U.S. over its World War II enemies, but a “victory at home” so that the U.S. would, as a whole, stop its discriminatory actions and freedom-limiting tactics against African Americans. After all, Blacks were enlisting in the war to fight for an America that oftentimes looked at them as second-class citizens. As attendees to the museum’s soft opening perused its confines, the youth were hooked on the flight simulator. Take a seat, like 17-year-old Joy Hendrix did, and now you’re now the pilot, just like the famed Tuskegee Airmen. “Anything at this level and this magnitude that they (the youth) can touch and feel, then they begin to form those ideas in their mind, as something that’s attainable,” said Lita Hendrix, Joy’s mother. Lita Hendrix, a teacher at Pittsburgh Colfax, told
the Courier she’s been a volunteer with Hosanna House for 25 years. “This makes it more real, espe-
cially when you do it in a play setting, for young children. It broadens their perspectives.”
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
ADVERTISEMENT Proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 on the following: RFP 3130 – VENDING/ENHANCED VENDING RETAIL FOODSERVICE OPERATIONS A virtual pre-proposal meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. To participate, request a meeting notification by emailing Mike Cvetic at mcvetic@ccac.edu. A walkthrough of the Allegheny Campus Cafeteria will be held for all interested parties on Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. Meet at the Tom Foerster Student Services Center, 800 block of Ridge Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Due date: 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 Any proposals received after this deadline will be considered as a “late bid” and will be returned unopened to the offerer. Proposals may require Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds, and Surety as dictated by the specifications. No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.The Community College of Allegheny County is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/Disadvantaged owned businesses.For more information, contact Michael Cvetic at mcvetic@ccac.edu. ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Rater for the Manchester Redevelopment ARMDC RFP #2022-36_ The Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation (ARMDC) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Professional Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Rater Services The documents will be available no later than March 21, 2022 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 10:00 a.m., April 14, 2022 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Responses may be hand-delivered or sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the address below. Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Chief Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp.org A pre-submission meeting via audio conference will be held via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/94690249769?pwd=ZlR4ZUd2Vj lNeWRIcVY3dmcwbFlyZz09 Meeting ID: 946 9024 9769 Passcode: 425599 April 14, 2022 11:00 A.M. The Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation strongly encourage certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. ARMDC has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, President & CEO Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation
LEON HAYNES, FOUNDING CEO OF HOSANNA HOUSE, WITH KIMBERLY SLATER-WOOD
ARMDC & HACP conduct business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
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Hope Chapel celebrates local African Americans
HOPE CHAPEL, located at 1028 Chartiers Ave., presented its Black History Month program on Feb. 19, at the church. The awards are in memoriam of Officer Eric Kelly, an African American who was shot while responding to a domestic call in Stanton Heights in 2009. He was off-duty at the time, but heroically responded to the call. Above are Luther and Roxanne Sewell, second and third from left, respectively, who received awards. Shown at far left is Sister Audrey Brown, and at far right, it’s Sister Elaine Johnson. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)
SISTER AUDREY BROWN
REV. THEODORE PUGH doing the bio for Officer Kelly.
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA MARCH 22, 2022 The Office of the County Controller of Allegheny County, Room 104, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, will receive separate and sealed Bids on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 A.M. until 2:00PM and FROM 10:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. prevailing local time, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, and a representative of the Department of Public Works will open and read the Bids in the Conference Room 1, County Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, one half hour later, 11:30 o’clock A.M., for the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS 2022 CAPITAL ROADS RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM VARIOUS ROADWAYS VARIOUS MUNICIPALITIES COUNTY PROJECT No. 7A00-2201 As a prospective bidder please note the following general Project information regarding: Pre Bid Information, Bidding Requirements, and Contract Conditions. See the Project Manual for detailed information, responsibilities and instructions. PRE BID INFORMATION: Purchase and/or view the Project Manual and Drawings at the Office of the Contract Manager, Room 504, County Office Building, Pittsburgh, PA. The non refundable charge for the Proposal and a disk containing the Specifications and Drawings is $107.00 including sales tax. The Contract Manager will accept only check or money order to the “COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY” in that amount and WILL NOT ACCEPT CASH OR EXTEND CREDIT. Prospective bidders may request to have bid documents mailed. An additional fee of $16.05 including tax, for handling costs for each requested proposal must be paid in advance. The fee must be received at the Office of the Contract Manager prior to the mailing of any documents. Interested bidders planning to purchase bid documents or attend the public bid opening are advised to follow Self-Monitoring and Social Distancing guidelines when entering the Allegheny County Courthouse or County Office Building. Interested bidders should also be aware that when entering either the Allegheny County Courthouse or County Office Building, a face mask meeting the guidelines set by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, must be worn at all times. BIDDING REQUIREMENTS: The County requires pre-qualification of bidders, including subcontractors, as specified in Section 102.01 of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Specifications, Publication No. 408, 2020 Edition, Change No. 4, Effective April 1, 2022 on this project. Submit Proposal on the supplied form in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders and Specifications; include the following documents with the Bid Form, ALONG WITH ONE COMPLETE PHOTOCOPIED SET OF THE PROPOSAL: • Bid Security certified check or surety company bond on County’s form to the order of/or running to the County of Allegheny in the amount of five (5%) percent of the Bid as evidence that you, the Bidder, will accept and carry out the conditions of the Contract in case of award. The County will accept only bonds written by Surety Companies acceptable on Federal Bonds per the current Federal Register Circular 570. Federal Register Circular 570 is available for inspection in the Contract Office, Room 504, County Office Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. • Bidder Certification of Pre-Qualification, Classification and Work Capacity • List of Subcontractors • Statement of Joint Venture Participation • MBE And WBE Goals Attainment Certification (ONLY NECESSARY IF YOU CANNOT MEET THE SPECIFIED MBE AND WBE GOALS.) • MBE/WBE Subcontractor and Supplier Commitment and Solicitation Sheets • Work Sheet Required Amount Performed By Contractor (Non-Federal Projects) THE COUNTY WILL REJECT BIDS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THE EXECUTED DOCUMENTS SPECIFIED ABOVE WITH THE BID FORM. You may not withdraw your bid for a period of Sixty (60) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. The County Manager reserves the right to reject any and all bids or waive any informality in the bidding. CONTRACT CONDITIONS: In accordance with the provisions of the “Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act” of August 15, 1961, P.L. 987, as Department of Labor and Industry, the prevailing minimum wage predetermination requirements as set forth in the Attachments apply to this Project. The anticipated notice to proceed is May 31, 2022. The project completion date is 154 days from the date the Notice to Proceed is issued. The County of Allegheny hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this Advertisement, minority business enterprises / women business enterprises [MBE/WBE] will be afforded the full opportunity to submit bids in response to this advertisement and the County will not discriminate against minority and women business enterprises on the grounds of race, sex, color or national origin in consideration for an award. It is a condition of the bidding process/contract that all responsive bidders / contractors shall follow the minority business enterprises and women business enterprises [MBE/WBE] procedures set forth in the project manual/contract documents. For contracting questions contact the Contracts Division, at 412-350-7646. For technical questions contact Jean Statler, P.E., Project Manager, at 412-350-5927. Tracy Royston Acting Controller County of Allegheny
REV. ALFRED BROWN
REV. ALFRED BROWN AND MS. LEMONA STRONG present awards to the Kelly family.
RELIGION/METRO
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
MARCH 23-29, 2022
“The days of our years are three score and ten (70); and if by reason of strength they are four score (80) years, yet is their strength, labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”
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Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH 91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Sunday Mass 11 AM
-Psalm 90:10
Rev. Thomas J. Burke- Pastor Rev. C. Matthew HawkinsParochial Vicar Rev. David H. TaylorSenior Parochial Vicar.
REV. WALKER SAYS: The Word of God: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)
www.sbtmparishpgh.com
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800
Worship in person or Online on Facebook/YouTube www.ELPC.church Journey Worship..........8:45am Sanctuary Worship.......11:00 a.m. Taize -Wednesdays.........7:00 p.m.
CELEBRATING OUR REGION’S BLACK MAYORS — A CONTINUING SERIES
Kenya Johns, the new mayor of Beaver Falls (PHOTO BY MARCIA LIGGETT)
JOHNS FROM A1
view. “We lack seats at the table, decisions have been made and opportunities are being missed by the city because we lack that representation.” Dr. Johns’ mother and sister both passed amid Dr. Johns’ preparing to campaign, but she persevered in hopes of changing the blighted image of the once-booming steel town. “My mother’s words of encouragement really pushed me to follow through with it (the campaign), because to be quite honest, going through that grief was really hard and challenging for me to run.” On the campaign trail, Dr. Johns met and connected with now-Councilwomen Peggy Evans
and Vanessa Taylor after learning that they all had similar goals to better the community. “It is a big misnomer that we ran together,” Dr. Johns said. “It has been through our journeys and talking that we decided to connect and do this together,” explaining that they are determined to give a voice to Beaver Falls’ often-overlooked 20 percent Black population. “We have to work together in all aspects on all fronts. We must be willing to do things differently than we’ve done before and be open to that collectively. We have a lot of great programs here. Learning what resources we have and enhancing those resources is vital to our success. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. We
need to work together to better the community.” Dr. Johns plans to achieve these goals through transparency, by setting an example and being accessible to her constituents. “It is my responsibility to serve and be a public servant, open the door, and allow people time to come in. There’s nothing that you can’t accomplish if you’re willing to learn, engage, humble yourself and work alongside people. We should acknowledge the challenges that come, especially in our community,” she said. Dr. Johns places great emphasis on serving as an example for youth by modeling positive, can-do behavior. “Children are my baseline,” Dr. Johns said. “The future and fu-
ture preparation are who I am and why I do this. If we’re not preparing our youth, for the next generation and next steps in life, then we are setting ourselves and them up (for failure).” Dr. Johns is often seen at school and community events supporting the youth. “I’ve always been behind the scenes and wore many hats in various roles within the community by participation in multiple groups and organizations,” which, she says, she’s committed to continuing. Dr. Johns, the 30-yearold wife and mother of two, earned a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from Slippery Rock University in 2014, a M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counsel-
ing from Geneva College, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Supervision and Education from Duquesne University. Her full-time job is school counseling program director at Geneva College. She’s also an active counselor and offers professional consulting. A former foreign exchange student to Spain, Dr. Johns gained a newfound appreciation for diversity, which played a significant role in her professional endeavors. She is a presenter at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-based conferences, and provides guidance with culture-building, workplace management, culture-shifting, relationships, wellness and mentorship.
WAMO Radio format acquired by Audacy, which owns KDKA Radio by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
The New Pittsburgh Courier learned, Tuesday, March 22, that WAMO, the longtime urban radio station in Pittsburgh, has been acquired by Philadelphia-based Audacy, the second-largest radio company in the U.S. Audacy has four radio stations in Pittsburgh, including KDKA Radio (100.1 FM, 1020 AM), 93.7 The Fan (sports), Y108 (country) and 100.7 Star (contemporary hits). The actual agreement is a local marketing agreement,
in which Audacy will provide programming to WAMO-AM (660) and its FM translator (107.3) beginning April 4. “There are very few brands that have been as influential in the city of Pittsburgh as WAMO and I cannot express our level of excitement to welcome such a great radio station and the terrific staff to the Audacy Pittsburgh family,” said Michael Spacciapolli, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Pittsburgh, in a statement to the Courier. “We will bring scale and leadership in the urban
format, while continuing WAMO’s mission of celebrating cultural diversity and commitment to promoting quality diverse music, community support, fan engagement, and local and national news.” WAMO was for decades owned by an African American company, Sheridan Broadcasting, before Sheridan announced in 2009 that it had sold the signal WAMO had been heard on, 106.7, to St. Joseph’s Missions. For two years, Pittsburgh did not have an over-theair urban station, until Tim Martz, owner of
Martz Communications, acquired the 660 AM signal and brought the “WAMO” brand back to the airwaves. Most people listened to WAMO on a translator, 100.1 FM. WAMO’s urban format later moved to 107.3 FM, and Audacy turned 100.1 FM into the FM home for KDKA, which, for the previous 100 years, had been heard exclusively
on 1020 AM. WAMO’s current onair lineup features the syndicated “Dede in the Morning,” Justin Luvv (3 to 7 p.m.) and Mike Dean (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.). WAMO also features gospel programming with Brother Marlon on Sunday mornings and a local music feature, “Future Flavors,” Sundays at 7 p.m.
MR. ALEX RONALD COLBERT Age 73 of Marietta, Ga, passed March 10, 2022. Private service will be held. HANLEY-SHELTON FUNERAL DIRECTORS, MARIETTA. (770) 428-6333
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SPORTS
MARCH 23-29, 2022
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
‘From Gold Teeth to Gold Jacket’ —The Edgerrin James story I must begin by pointing out that this book, “From Gold Teeth to Gold Jacket,” which details the story of NFL Hall-of-Famer Edgerrin James, is not some sort of narcissistic, warmed over, nostalgic recollection of the athletic and personal prowess of the running back. This work profiles his athletic and personal achievements and the lessthan-ideal circumstances that he faced on a daily basis. The book also provides keen and valuable insight into the fraternity-like machinery behind the high school, college and NFL athletic programs and financial systems. I can almost guarantee you that as you read it you will be transfixed and transported by the story of an athlete that overcame multiple odds to become an NFL Hall-of-Famer. Edgerrin James was born on August 1, 1978, in Immokalee, Fla. By many accounts it was a tough place to grow up but James has quite a different view of his birthplace. “Immokalee is a special place to me,” he said. “It’s unique. It shapes you. To give you a better understanding, Immokalee was a small town, one of the poorest cities in the state of Florida, if not the entire country. It has one high school. You grew up there, hung out there, went to school there, so it becomes all you know. The way we look at things, the way things go for people who live there, it’s just real tough. I was always determined to do more. You don’t have nobody to give you nothing; the only way you can get something is you’ve got to do what it takes. Whatever it takes.” James helped to rescue and put the Indianapolis Colts back on the map; no more polishing the tomb-
stones of past Colts. He also saved the Miami Hurricanes, his college team, from the oblivion of probation, but when he signed his NFL contract, he was handsomely paid for his services. Despite his affinity for gold as evidenced by his gold teeth and gold chains, it was the Indianapolis Colts that struck
ed a running back in the draft, pass over Williams to grab James (to the dismay of their fans and local media covering the team), but rewarded him with a seven-year, $49.5 million contract, the highest pact given to a rookie running back in NFL history. In his first year alone, James netted $14.8 million, a rookie
the “mother lode” when they drafted and signed him. Julie James, the mother of Edgerrin James, said this about his financial maturity, as told to the book’s author, John Harris: “‘One thing about my mom, m-o-n-e-y meant a lot to her, okay?’ She drilled that into his head about making money. She said there’s so many ways that you can make money legal. He listened to her.” “Nana” must have been onto something because Harris also wrote in the book: “Despite languishing below the national radar and performing in the shadow of Heisman Trophy winner and fellow running back Ricky Williams, James was the surprise and unpopular No. 4 overall selection by the Indianapolis Colts; one pick ahead of Williams, his college albatross. Not only did the Colts, who target-
record regardless of position.” One of the most genuine things about Edgerrin James was his respect for great teams and competition. He had the following to say about the Pittsburgh Steelers who provided stiff competition for the Colts during the beginning of the new millennium. “When we played the Steelers in the 2005 playoffs, whoever won that game was going to the Super Bowl. That was the real Super Bowl. The league’s two best teams played in that game. The thing you take away from that game is the good teams know how to win and the bad teams find a way to lose. That’s where experience came in. That’s where the Steelers, with their experience, came in. They’d be in that situation over and over again. We didn’t answer the bell at that moment. It’s not that we played bad. We just
didn’t capitalize on opportunities.” If you’re wondering, the Steelers won that Jan. 15, 2006, playoff game over the Colts, 21-18. A few weeks later, the Steelers won their fifth Super Bowl by defeating the Seattle Seahawks. Eventually, Edgerrin James left Indianapolis to play for the Arizona Cardinals. But the youth and inexperience of the newly hired Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt was on full display. He pointed out an incident of callousness regarding Whisenhunt when he approached his head coach concerning a serious family health matter. “I had a lot on my mind in Arizona. I ran for 1,000 yards my first two seasons and went to the Super Bowl my third year there. But I clashed with (Ken) Whisenhunt. At the time, during the 2008 season, my kids’ mom was going through leukemia. Because of that, I was dealing with a lot of things off the field. After Week 6, we had a bye week. So I go to coach and I’m like, `I’ve got to take care of some family stuff.’ He told me, `If you’re not back here tomorrow, you’re going to be benched.’ I had so much influence around here, and that’s how they treat me? They didn’t know how to go about dealing with somebody like myself. I had all this stuff going on with my kids’ mom and my kids. I don’t got time to play games. It’s not like I was asking to go on vacation or something. I had real-life things to deal with. After that, it kind of went downhill from there.” At this juncture, the Edgerrin James/Arizona Cardinals association was clearly in serious jeopardy. His longtime girlfriend, the mother of his children,
Andia Denise Wilson, died of cancer in April 2009, at age 30. After this, he asked for his release from the team, and the Cardinals honored his request on April 28, 2009, only a few months after he appeared in his first Super Bowl, when the Steelers beat the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. James officially retired from the NFL in 2011 at age 32. Today, he ranks at No. 13 in the NFL’s alltime rushing leaders, quite the accomplishment. He finished with 12,246 regular season rushing yards in 11 seasons. When it was all over, Edgerrin James had this to say, from the book: “And to all those who have been
judged prematurely because of their appearance, the way they speak, where they come from and in the minds of many should be locked up in prison, I represent us. I’m forever immortalized, locked up in the Canton Correctional Institution. Inmate No. 3-3-6 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame! My career started with gold teeth and ended with this Gold Jacket!” Edgerrin James has not only been bestowed with the title of NFL Hall-ofFamer; he has also earned the title of a humanitarian hall-of-famer.
March Madness? Actually, it’s Steelers Madness! :10—First of all, just relax. I’ll get back to the NCAA’s next week when it really starts to matter. Sweet Sixteen is where it’s at, baby! Sure you had a couple major upsets but by now you’re getting used to that. Know this— any five legit ballers can beat any five legit ballers any time, any place. Just ask Kentucky (they were beaten by No. 15 seed St. Peter’s) :09—On to your Steelers’ recent spending spree, man. That urban legend that the Steelers don’t spend money is just that, an urban legend. You saw that a few years back when they gave Big Ben... Big Bank! One hundred million dollars to be exact. For a second time. And clearly they opened up the savings account to make T.J. Watt the game’s highest-paid defensive player. So here’s what money can buy... :08—QB Mitch Trubisky. If you say you saw that one coming, well... 2 years for $14 million, up to $27 million if he exceeds all incentives.
Mitch spent the first 4 years with the Bears where he made the 2018 Pro Bowl and two playoff appearances. Strong of arm and fleet of foot, it won’t be long before the Trubisky era begins in the ‘Burgh... :07—OL James Daniels, a bargain at 3 years for $26.5 million. First, Daniels is only 24 and already has 4 years in the NFL so his upside is tremendous. At 6’4” and 327 pounds, he should optimally fit perfectly into the guard position and has Pro Bowl-caliber talent if left at one position and not constantly switching between center and guard. Prediction? Daniels becomes a beast at guard... :06—ILB Myles Jack, fresh from a 108-tackle season with the Jaguars, he signed with the Steelers after a phone call with Coach Mike Tomlin, calling his signing with the Steelers a “no-brainer.” Jack has a 2-year contract for $16 million, here to fill the turnstile-like rushing attack we saw against the
Steelers last season, replacing recently-released Joe Schobert who never lived up to modest expectations. Jack is known to be a run-stopper, just what the doctor ordered for our men in black and gold...
dressed this a few days ago saying, “I’ve never cared where I’ve played. Whatever I can do to help the team and bring the Lombardi Trophy to the city of Pittsburgh (is the goal). Whatever that role is, I’m all for it.” Cole will
:05—OL Mason Cole, recently departed from a 1-year stint with the Minnesota Vikings after his first 3 years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, signed a 3-year, $15.75 million dollar contract. In 4 seasons Cole has played both center and guard and ad-
most likely be the center on opening day, moving Kendrick Green to guard, his more natural position, and solidifying a line that Najee Harris will run wild behind in the 2022 season. Does 1,500+ yards seem out of the question for Najee, and a 4.5-yard-per-car-
ry average? C’mon man! Book it. :04—And finally, to the beleaguered D-backfield; CB Levi Wallace, 2 years for $8 million. After walking-on at Alabama, then going undrafted, Wallace signed with the Buffalo Bills and was a steady CB for them for 4 years, starting all 17 games last year. Brought in to fill the spot left by Joe Haden, Levi has some big cleats to fill but appears confident he can slide into Haden’s spot as Cam Sutton moves to the slot corner. The feeling is more defensive holes will be filled in the upcoming draft. Unless, of course, Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis slides to #20. Then all bets are off. :03—A fond heartfelt goodbye to our good friend John Clayton, gone much too soon at 67, and, to be sure, unexpectedly. I had the pleasure of having John call in on our show, “Champions Live” sports talk back in the day. John couldn’t have been nicer and more down to earth. And considering he knew
more than our entire sports team it could have gone much differently. :02—For the record, this is the first time in 20 years that no Pittsburgh local basketball team was invited to the Big Dance. No Pitt, No Dukes or RMU. For that matter, no Penn State or West Virginia. Now that’s madness! Hey, the good news is things can only get better. To that point trust me when I tell ya the Pitt Panthers will roar again... Duquesne will put up their dukes again and Bobby Mo will... well, they’ll do whatever Colonials do. (And keep this to yourself, I don’t want to say it out loud but we don’t really care about Nittany Lions and Mountaineers!!! Oh please, you were thinking it but I had to say it for you.) :01—By the way, this just in...Big Ben is coming out of retirement to join Brady on the ultimate comeback trail! Gotcha! That’s early April Fools! :00—GAME OVER.
The end of history or the beginning of the end? J. Pharoah Doss Page B4
BUSINESS New Pittsburgh Courier
MARCH 23-29, 2022
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CROWN Act to end bias against natural Black hairstyles by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier
(NNPA NEWSWIRE)—Connecticut Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes sounded off to critics of legislation that would allow individuals freedom to express themselves by how they wear their hair. “Natural hair should be worn without fear of discrimination,” Rep. Hayes asserted moments after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act, banning hair-related discrimination. The measure passed in a vote of 235-189 along party lines. Introduced by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-New Jersey), the acronym CROWN stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. The measure outlaws discrimination based on an individual’s texture or style of hair. The bill will, which now heads to the Senate, states that “routinely, people of African descent are deprived of educational and employment opportunities” for wearing their hair in natural or protective hairstyles such as locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, or Afros. Republicans strongly opposed the measure, and some used
race-baiting words in expressing their opposition. “No to the nappy hair act,” Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Green railed. Civil rights groups applauded the passage of the measure. “Passage of the CROWN Act by the House of Representatives moves our nation one step closer to federal protection for Black women, men, and children from discrimination across the country simply because of their natural hair or hairstyle,” stated Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “We urge the Senate to quickly take up this important legislation, which would ensure that Black students are not prohibited from attending or participating in school events because of their natural hair, that Black employees are not subject to pretextual firing or negative employment actions because of their hair texture or style, and that Black people are accorded dignity and respect in choosing to embrace a natural hairstyle.” Hewitt said restrictions on Black hairstyles and textures in workplaces and school campuses are relics of White su-
INTRODUCED BY REP. BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN (D-NEW JERSEY), the acronym CROWN stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.
premacy. “This explicit protection against racial discrimination based on hairstyles is long overdue,” he remarked. In a statement, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) said Black women and girls face discrimination because of their natural hair each day at their workplaces and schools. “So today, I proudly voted yes on the CROWN Act to finally end race-based hair discrimination once and for all,” Beatty insisted. “It’s simple—discrimination against Black hair is discrimination based on race. I look forward to swift passage of this critical legislation in the Senate and standing with President Biden as he signs it into law.” Rep. Beatty then delivered a message to Black youth. “To every young Black girl and boy, I say to you, your hair—from your kinks to your curls, from your fros to your fades, from your locs to your braids—is a crown,” she asserted. “Be proud of your hair and know the Congressional Black Caucus is fighting for you.” (Stacy M Brown is NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent)
Six strategies to maximize your salary increase (NewsUSA)—Many employers are finding ways to reward their loyal and productive employees with salary increases. A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional can offer guidance and strategies for how to maximize your salary increase. Think of this windfall not as an excuse for frivolous spending, but as an opportunity to line up your money with what matters most to you, says Karl Frank, CFP.® “With a little planning, a salary increase can become an opportunity to make a longterm impact in your quality of life,” Frank says. Some smart uses for the new funds coming in include: 1. Retirement security. If you have not started saving for
retirement, a salary increase is the perfect opportunity. If you have already started saving for your golden years, directing more of your salary into your retirement accounts moves you further ahead. 2. Long-term goals. Do you have an event on the horizon, such as a wedding, home purchase or dream vacation? Create an investment account and divert some of your pay increase into it. 3. Debt elimination. A salary increase can be the ideal way to pay down or pay off lingering debt, whether from student loans, mortgages, car purchases, or overused credit cards. 4. Emergency fund. Whether or not you already have an emergency fund, you can use
your pay raise to add to it. “Usually, six months to two years of your living expenses are reasonable amounts of money to keep in safe, very low- or zero-interest, accounts at a bank,” Frank says.
5. Career development. Setting aside the money from a salary increase to invest in your career can pay off with even greater financial benefits and higher pay. Consider opportunities for certifica-
tion or an advanced degree in your field that might take you to the next level. Seeking a career change? Setting aside money from a salary increase can help bridge the gap if you decide to switch to a different field, start your own business or take time off. 6. Fun! Spending a salary increase carelessly can be easy, but if you create a budget and mindfully dedicate some of your salary increase to activities you value and enjoy, whether that’s gym memberships, sports events, concerts or travel, you can improve your quality of life now and in the future. To learn more about ways to maximize your salary increase to reach your financial goals, visit LetsMakeAPlan.org.
Angry, unmarried stay-at-home mom goes HAM! I recently came across a question and answer Column in the “Market Watch.” The title read, ‘I am angry’: I’m an unmarried stay-athome mother in a 20-year relationship, but my boyfriend won’t put my name on the deed of our house. Am I unreasonable? The article goes on to say: I have been in my relationship for almost 20 years. For personal reasons, we are not married but we have a 10-year-old child. When our child was born, we decided that I would be a stay-at-home parent because my low-paying job didn’t cover the costs of child care, and at the time, we were stretched. I have been an at-home caregiver and homemaker for a decade. Through my labor as a homemaker, which includes meal preparation, cleaning, laundry and home maintenance— not to mention 24/7 childcare—I feel my role as a “stakeholder” in this family should include legally owning my home. Am I wrong? To me, not being on the deed is a direct correlation to how I am devalued for my time and labor. I feel like I am considered “less than” simply because I am a woman, an athome parent, and a homemaker. I am angry about my situation. Am I being unreasonable? I shared this article on my Facebook page and asked my followers to weigh in. I shared some of their comments below. I’ll also weigh in. I’m soooooo sick of “adults” playing house, living like a married couple without serious conversation!!! I’ve seen so many people die, leaving their unmarried longtime partner penniless because the family of the deceased says—YOU WEREN’T MARRIED—Your name isn’t on anything!! It’s terrible to witness! I can’t imagine being on the other end of that. She should be angry AT HERSELF!! After
the first discussion, if nothing was done, she should have made some moves. If that man dies or leaves her today—her and her child are on the streets! ~ Tonya Congratulations! You played yourself. You chose to be pregnant and broke. ~ Gabrielle I stopped reading after “20-year relationship.” ~ Katt Her biggest mistake was not getting that little piece of paper called a Marriage Certificate. ~ Sharon Listen! I’m mad at her for being in a committed relationship for TEN YEARS WITHOUT MARRIAGE? Who does that?!? Then she has the nerve to have a child after that. Then she stayed with him for another ten years and counting?? He never really cared about this woman for real and he NEVER will!! This lady has already lost 20year of her livelihood to this man. She needs to leave the relationship and just coparent!! 20-years WASTED! ~Valorie Putting her name on the deed is irrelevant! Why is she asking now? She’s missing the point of her side chick responsibilities! It’s obvious that he’s already married hence her “personal reasons” for him and her not being married. ~ Jamar Get married! 20-year relationship?? Please!! ~ Aaron If she is in a common-law state, she may have legal rights to the property. This is her fault by being over dependent on a man she’s
not married to. She clearly loves him but her expectations of him are off. ~ John She is an absolute fool! How in the heck do you discuss becoming a stay at home mom but do not discuss the pros and cons of her leaving her job with no marriage and no safety net? She sounds like a glorified, unpaid housekeeper who got pregnant by her boss. ~ Justine She should’ve kept this idiocy to herself. She already knows how dumb she is. Why hear it from people you don’t know? ~ Nikki My mom who is resting in Heaven used to say “Never depend on a man financially! Always be able to buy your own box of Kotex.” She’s my Shero! One of the greatest thinkers to grace earth. ~ P. Michelle “Now” that “You’re “ AWARE/AWAKE of your situation ~ CHANGE IT OR SHUT UP! . “You” ALLOWED HIM to put “you” in this situation .. “You” can change it or continue as is. ~ Jacqueline Damon here: There was one blurb in the article that defines his perspective. “I want to continue to fight for my name to be added—to fully own BOTH properties. But my partner is still making me sound completely unreasonable, to spend thousands of dollars just for a “piece of paper.” To him both a marriage certificate and warranty deed is simply a piece of paper. To him not having either one in place gives him complete power, control and influence over her. He controls the money, he owns the house and other properties. He didn’t leave
her barefoot and pregnant. He kept her barefoot—no income, no security, no savings, no say-so while she raised their child, cleaned his house, and prepared food for the household. He rewrote the meaning of the expression, it’s cheaper to keep her. One could say she got free room and board. I’d say, he screwed her in more ways than one but she’s the one who kept laying down. She sacrificed her job, her values, her wants and desires to appease him and to continue a 20-year relationship in the name of love, I suppose. What did he sacrifice? I wrote an article a while back titled “Avoid shackles when you’re shacking up. No matter what term of endearment you use to describe yourself, if you’re not married, you’re single. If you decide to live with your significant other while you’re unmarried, you’re roommates. One should act and move accordingly when it comes to serious financial matters. This woman has not worked in 20-years: 20-years of no Social Security credits. 20-years of no retirement savings. 20-years out of the workforce which means she more than likely lacks marketable skills. By not being married to her, he’s not obligated to make her the designated beneficiary on his 401(k), IRA, or Life Insurance policies. He’s not obligated to mention her in his Will to inherit property. If he were to die today, she risks getting nothing other than mention as his special friend and mother of his child in his obituary. Yes! You should be angry! But you fighting more about putting yours and his name on a deed instead of putting yours and his name on a marriage certificate gives me pause. If you’re seeking compensation or equality as you stated for your time and labor as a homemaker, ask for a salary not your name on a deed. Getting yours and his name on a marriage certificate gives you a vested interest in everything that he owns. (Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached at 412216-1013 or visit his website at www.damonmoneycoach.com)
BUSINESS
B2 MARCH 23-29, 2022
Workers in your home and Social Security taxes by Josh Grant For New Pittsburgh Courier
Do you plan to pay a cleaning person, cook, gardener, babysitter, or other household worker at least $2,400 in 2022? If you will pay at least $2,400 to one person during the year, which may include transportation, meals, and housing, you have additional financial responsibilities to consider. When you pay at least $2,400 in wages to a household worker, you must do all of the following: • Deduct Social Security and Medicare taxes from those wages. • Pay these taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. • Report the wages to Social Security.
Accurate reporting is important as employees earn credits toward Social Security benefits and Medicare coverage. You can currently earn Social Security or Medicare credit for every $1,510 in wages that are reported. Generally, people need 10 years of work to qualify for: • Retirement benefits (as early as age 62). • Disability benefits for the worker and the worker’s dependents. • Survivors benefits for the worker’s family. • Medicare benefits. You can learn more about reporting household worker income by reading Household Workers www.ssa.gov/ pubs/EN-05-10021.pdf.
Guard your card: Protect what’s important to you by Josh Grant For New Pittsburgh Courier
We encourage you not to carry your Social Security card with you every day. The best way to “Guard Your Card” is to keep it in a safe place and share it only when required. In fact, in most cases, just knowing the Social Security number should be enough. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, a Social Security card isn’t required to request a Real ID. Only Pennsylvania requires it. Please be careful about sharing your number when asked for it. You should always ask why your number is needed, how it will be used, and what will happen if you refuse. Also, you shouldn’t carry documents that display your number. If you need a replacement Social Security card, we make it easy. You may be able to use a personal my Social Security account to request a replacement on our website. If
you live in one of 46 participating states or the District of Columbia, and are requesting a replacement card with no changes, like a name change, you can use our free online service at www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ replacement-card.html. Visit our Social Security Number and Card page at www.ssa.gov/ssnumber to learn more about your Social Security card. Please read our factsheet, How You Can Help Us Protect Your Social Security Number and Keep Your Information Safe, at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-0510220.pdf Our Guard Your Card infographic at, www.ssa.gov/ ssnumber/assets/EN-0510553.pdf, is another great resource to understand whether you need to show your card. Please share these resources with your friends, and family—and post them on social media. (Josh Grant is Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh, Pa.)
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Rev. Jackson hosts 25th annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit by Chinta Strausberg, For New Pittsburgh Courier
(The Chicago Crusader)— Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., and the Citizenship Education Fund hosted the 25th Annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit Monday, March 21, through Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, 811 7th Ave., Third Floor, in New York, NY, to help increase African American, women and people of color employment and business opportunities. Monday’s session was in-person, and Tuesday’s session was presented virtually. This year’s theme is: “The Wall Street Project 25 Years Later: Many Successes, but Our Work to Level the Playing Field Continues.” Rev. Jackson made it clear that he wants more qualified African American coaches to be hired. The fight for greater inclusion of Blacks in sports, in companies and in board rooms is why he and the Citizenship Education Fund founded The Wall Street Project in 1996 and launched it on January 25, 1997, on Dr. King’s birthday. Its formation is based on the idea of influencing corporate America through research and education to embrace inclusion as a means of growth. He admits that this complex formula of success is layered with roadblocks, but the struggle, the multi-tiered fight to open new markets continues as well as the battle to close the digital divide, increase financial literacy and open every room from the mailroom to the boardroom to people of color and women. That fight continues. “We are demanding new markets for our businesspeople,” said Rev. Jackson. As an example, Rev. Jackson wants companies and sports teams to share the contractual pie with African Americans including hiring more Black coaches, and letting contracts for janitorial and uniform cleaning companies. With a 70 percent Black NFL team, Rev.
OUTSIDE THE RAINBOW PUSH COALITION headquarter, L-R is Genice D. Leavell, daughter, Crusader Newspaper Publisher; Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.; and Chicago Crusader Publisher Dorothy R. Leavell. They met to discuss the 25th annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit. Jackson thinks it is only fair for African Americans to be given top level management jobs, legal contracts, and scholarships “for our children.” “Within American businesses, there exists not a talent gap, but an opportunity gap,” Rev. Jackson said. “To unite talent and opportunity for a business benefit, we established the Rainbow PUSH Wall Street Project, which is an outgrowth of a social justice movement working toward both equal opportunity and protection under the law for all Americans.” For the past 25 years, the Wall Street Project’s goal has been to advocate for inclusion in the financial marketplace, including urging diversity in hiring practices, promotion of diverse candi-
dates to executive leadership positions and participation of minority-owned firms in financial deal flow. Rev. Jackson strongly believes that higher levels of inclusive business practices benefit both minority and majority communities. He wants more opportunities in the financial marketplaces and higher levels of minority business participation he says is needed to open the doors for greater economic parity. This year’s Wall Street Project will host a labor and ministers’ breakfast, a Wall Street Project business luncheon and sessions on utilization of diversity broker-dealers and assets managers, sports, Hip Hop at 50, transforming African economic prospects and much more.
The Wall Street Project Economic Summit will bring together entrepreneurs, corporate executives and some of the nation’s leading policymakers to increase business and employment opportunities for African Americans, women and people of color. On the first day, the Wall Street Project begins with the labor and ministers’ breakfast, followed by the Wall Street Project’s Impact Then and Now: Expansion and Utilization of Diversity Broker-Dealers and Asset Managers. John W. Rogers, Jr., chairman, co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Ariel Investments, will be one of the distinguished honorees acknowledged during the Wall Street Project business luncheon.
New law takes effect to end ‘surprise’ medical bills by Charlene Crowell For New Pittsburgh Courier
A new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finds that the nation’s healthcare system is supported by an infrastructure of billing, payments, collections, and credit reporting that is fraught with commonplace mistakes. At the same time, patients encounter difficulty in getting these errors corrected or resolved. And yet again, the worst burden of medical debt is borne by the poor, the elderly, and people of color. As of June 2021, according to CFPB, the $88 billion medical debt documented on consumer credit reports is likely an undercount, and in actuality could be closer to $141billion. Even so, it stands as the most common collection item appearing on credit reports, affecting 43 million people and comprising 58 percent of accounts in arrears. Half of the financial burden of past due medical debt is held by Blacks (28 percent) and Latinos (22 percent). By comparison, only 10 percent of Asians and 17 percent of Whites have medical debt. Regionally, the highest number of consumers caught in this financial web live either in the Southeast or the Southwest—where statewide Medicaid expansion is seldom available. Similar and independent findings from the
National Institutes of Health found that racial minorities’ access to health care is compounded by several factors, from quality of care to lower levels of health insurance and heavy reliance on emergency care instead of regular preventive care. For many Black Americans already burdened with lower incomes and with less family wealth, medical debt deepens that financial load 2.6 times higher than that for Whites. Regardless of locale, lengthy and multiple credit reporting delinquencies bring measurable harms to consumers in other important ways. “Medical debt collections on an individual’s credit report can impact their ability to buy or rent a home, raise the price they pay for a car or for insurance, and make it more difficult to find a job,” states CFPB’s report. “This impact is particularly pronounced when lenders, insurers, landlords, and others rely on outdated credit scoring models that fail to take into account that medical collections are less predictive than nonmedical collections of future credit performance.” While many consumers expect quality health care to come at a premium price, CFPB’s report also addresses excessively high medical charges. “[M]ultiple studies have found that markups are higher at hospitals with more Black and Hispanic patients,” states the re-
port. “Higher markups do not correlate with better care; one 2016 study published in Surgery found that the risk of postoperative complications and death increased as price-to-cost markup ratio increased. The same study found that investor-owned for-profit hospitals charged the highest markups.” Beyond higher-than-expected medical fees are the bills that arrive weeks if not months following medical care from parties unknown. Federal agencies refer to these charges as “surprise billings” that haunt insured and uninsured patients alike. Nearly one in five patients who go to an emergency room, have an elective surgery, or give birth in a hospital re-
ceive surprise bills, with average costs ranging from $750 to $2,600 per charge. Many patients are unaware of the participation of out-of-network ancillary services that they never selected. Emergency medicine personnel, anesthesiologists, pathologists, radiologists and surgeon assistants are among the providers with their own fees. New protections that went into effect this January may provide enough consumer safeguards to end surprise medical bills. “The No Surprises Act is the most critical consumer protection law since the Affordable Care Act,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “After years of
bipartisan effort, we are finally providing hardworking Americans with the federal guardrails needed to shield them from surprise medical bills. We are taking patients out of the middle of the food fight between insurers and providers and ensuring they aren’t met with eye-popping, bankruptcy-inducing medical bills.” For uninsured patients, most medical providers must provide a “good faith estimate” of costs before providing non-emergency care. This estimate must include expected charges for the primary item or service, as well as any other items or services that would reasonably be expected. Should the patient receive a final bill that is $400 or more
than the estimate, he/she gains the right to dispute the higher costs. For people insured through a Health Insurance Marketplace®, or either an individual plan or employer group plan, the new rules: • Ban surprise bills for emergency care, and require that cost sharing for these services, like co-pays, always be based on in-network rates when care is received without prior authorization; • Ban surprise bills from certain out-of-network providers participating in scheduled procedures at in-network hospitals. Cost sharing for certain additional services during one’s visit will generally be based on in-network rates; and • Require providers and facilities to share easy-to-understand notices with patients that explain the applicable billing protections and who to contact if they have concerns that a provider or facility has violated the new surprise billing protections. “The pandemic has exposed how quickly our country and our lives can change,” concluded CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “As we look to recover, it will be critical that we ensure that patients seeking care do not find their financial lives ruined.” (Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.)
OPINION
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
MARCH 23-29, 2022
B3
Herstory once again
Guest Editorial Establishing a no-fly zone in Ukraine would be reckless As disturbing reports come in on the nightly news of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States and other nations are asked to do more to stop the assault. Fighting for his country’s survival, Ukraine’s leader made a “desperate” plea March 5 to American lawmakers for the United States to help get more warplanes to his military and cut off Russian oil imports as Kyiv tries to stave off the Russian invasion, reports the Associated Press. “President Volodymyr Zelenskyy opened the private video call with U.S. lawmakers by telling them this may be the last time they see him alive. He has remained in Kyiv, the capital, which has a vast Russian armored column threatening from the north,” AP reported. “Appearing in what is now his trademark army-green shirt in front of a white wall with the Ukrainian flag, he told them Ukraine needs to secure its skies, either through a no-fly zone enforced by NATO or through the provision of more warplanes so Ukraine could better defend itself.” More can and should be done to stop Russia’s unjustified attack on Ukraine, a sovereign nation with a less powerful military. The Biden administration and Congress should help Ukraine with military supplies, including warplanes. The U.S. Congress is working on a $10 billion package of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The U.S. is considering sending American-made F-16s as backfill to former Soviet-bloc countries in Eastern Europe that are now members of NATO. They, in turn, would send Ukraine their own Soviet-era MiGs, which Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly. Tough sanctions have rightly targeted Russia’s central bank and cut off Moscow from the SWIFT international payment messaging system. Zelenskyy urged U.S. lawmakers to sanction Russia’s oil and gas sector, which has so far escaped the mounting sanctions imposed by the Biden administration and other countries. President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced the U.S. will ban all Russian oil. Biden correctly pointed out that the ban will bring costs to Americans, particularly at the gas pump. But the request by Zelenskyy and a minuscule number of U.S. lawmakers to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine must be opposed by NATO, Biden and Congress. A no-fly zone would mean sending NATO fighter planes into Ukrainian airspace and then imposing it by shooting down Russian planes that enter Ukrainian airspace. Imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine could provoke a full-fledged war in Europe with nuclear-armed Russia. (Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)
Founded 1910
Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Allison Palm
Rob Taylor Jr.
Ashley Johnson
Office Manager
Managing Editor
Sales Director
John. H. Sengstacke
Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)
(TriceEdneyWire,com)—Once again, the calendar cycles to the month of March. By now, everyone understands that the month of March has been designated as Women’s History Month. This observance shares a great deal with Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and other ethnic and “special” observances. They serve as occasions when marginalized groups can honor their ancestors and predecessors, and celebrate the contributions of their respective groups to the prosperity and general well-being of what has been called the greatest nation in recorded history. Consistent with the negative consequences of other observances, Women’s History Month provides those who are party to or sympathetic with the marginalization of women an opportunity to trivialize or minimize the significance of women’s contributions. The metric they use to assess the importance of women’s participation in the life of our nation is the amount of time dedicated in their honor each year. As absurd as that attitude might be, even more absurd is how the word history is treated contextually. For far too many, the word ‘history’ is perceived to only refer to Whites. In the perception of others and the context of racism, the contributions of Black women to this nation are frequently disregarded and considered as unsubstantial or nonex-
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Commentary istent. From the time that the first Africans set foot on what would become the United States in 1619, Black people, and Black women specifically, have played an integral role in the growth and success of this nation. Reading this will make thousands of Whites “uncomfortable” and, in the minds of many of them, disqualify the legitimacy of this information, but, for over two hundred years enslaved women were nursemaids for generations of White babies. Black women could sustain White babies with their life-giving breast milk, but neither they, nor their offspring, could enjoy the liberties of free and autonomous people. Enslaved Black women not only gave life to White babies, their free labor gave life to a fledgling economy that would eventually grow to become the largest in world history. Cotton was King and the commodity which would lead the United States to the pinnacle of world economies. The Black woman was larger-than-life in her contribution to that economy. Were it not for strong Black women,
the destruction of the Black family would have been absolute and permanent. Enslavement and the forced conditioning of behaviors inconsistent with our African ancestry caused irreparable damage in many, but the quality of character that strong Black women were able to instill in most of their children prevented the extinction of humanity in a people—in OUR people. The Black woman (Mother) was the parapsychologist of our communities. She saw how the weight of the negativity of our existence distorted our interaction with each other and the larger community, and she did all that was within her power to help us heal the physical and emotional wounds of our treatment. She told us that things would get better and convinced us to believe that we would overcome. She told us to hold on and not give up—that we could achieve ANYTHING we put our minds to. We could attempt to name her, but her DNA runs too broadly among us. We see her in the enthusiasm of Michelle Obama. Hers is the legal brilliance of Sherrilyn Ifill. We see her expertise and mother-wit in the respected midwife skills of Jennie Joseph. And her endurance is seen in Allison Felix, seven-time Olympic Gold-Medalist. She is the Black Woman—the rock and foundation upon which our hopes rest.
(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc.)
Pay inequity—The past is prologue (TriceEdneyWire.com)—March 15 was National Pay Equity Day. It’s the day when women have to work into a new year to earn the same amount that men earned in the previous year. While National Pay Equity Day came earlier this year than last, meaning that the gender pay gap is narrowing, the general pay equity day does not address the pay differences that Black, Latina, Asian, and Native American women earn. Black women will work into September to make the same amount that a man earned last year. Latina women will work into October. Native women work almost until the end of the year (or nearly twice as long) to get equal pay! One of the reasons we have pay inequality is that employers tend to make salary offers based on what people made in their previous job. In other words, an underpaid woman who reports her salary is likely to get an offer based on her last salary. Instead of valuing the job, no matter who holds it, too many employers value the person who holds it based on their prior pay, not their qualifications or prior experience. President Biden’s March 15 executive order “On Advancing Economy, Efficiency, and Effectiveness in Federal Contracting by Promoting Pay Equity and Transparency” addresses some of the ways the gender pay gap is maintained and develops policies to ensure that past salary is not a consideration in current salary for federal contractors. This is a policy that other employers should consider. Too many women, especially Black, Brown, Native and Asian women, are viewed through a lens darkly, pun intended. Too many em-
Julianne Malveaux
Commentary ployees feel that these women should be “grateful” or “lucky” to be employed with reasonable salaries. Without salary transparency, too many workers earn much less than their peers, even though they are doing the same job. Even with the same education or qualifications, people in the same organization earn vastly different amounts. Without pay transparency laws, the gender pay gap persists. The National Women’s Law Center (nwlc.org) has prepared a fact sheet titled, “Asking for Salary History Perpetuates Pay Discrimination from Job to Job,” exploring this issue. The fact sheet notes that many states have passed laws that prevent the use of salary history in setting current salaries because salary history perpetuates discrimination. According to the Economic Policy Institute (epi.org), women earn 22 percent less than men, but grocery stores don’t charge women 22 percent less for groceries. Utilities don’t give us a break on our telephone, water, or electricity bills because we are women and earn less. The pay gap contributes to women’s economic insecurity. When the pay gap is combined with the effects of COVID on women’s employment, the result is a precarious existence for too many women. The gender pay gap is not just a women’s issue; it is a family and a human
problem. Lily Ledbetter, the outstanding activist who sued the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for pay discrimination. When she sued, the law required that lawsuits be filed within 180 days of experiencing discrimination, so her case was dismissed. The first piece of legislation that President Obama signed was the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. The late Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, had a framed copy of the legislation in her chambers. The Biden executive order is a step in the right direction, but it is a step that affects just a fraction of the workforce. More women need to be more like Lily Ledbetter, prepared to sue exploitive employers. Unfortunately, too many need their jobs more than they need justice. Too many fear negative repercussions if they complain or sue. Too many men turn a blind eye to pay inequity, although they have working mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives. Too many think gender discrimination is acceptable. Our National Pay Equity Day recognition reminds us of how much work remains to close the pay gap and combat gender discrimination. But, as the great abolitionist and civil rights leader Frederick Douglass said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” Where are the people who will forcefully demand an end to gender discrimination? And do those who work for the White House, the Congress, and the Senate experience pay discrimination or earn equal pay? (Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author. She is the Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. Juliannemalveaux. com)
Black Americans and the worldwide principles of democracy (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Anti-democratic authoritarianism is on the rise—both around the world and here at home. Sometimes it is easier to recognize overseas. That’s especially true at moments like this when Vladimir Putin’s military is killing civilians in Ukraine to feed his ambitions for greater power and is crushing any effort at dissent or truth-telling in his native Russia. Americans don’t often recognize authoritarianism at home because they don’t want to. They believe the U.S. is so exceptional that the checks and balances built into our system will protect our democratic values. That smug assurance was shaken by the Capitol Insurrection and the all-out effort by former President Trump to stay in power after the voters sent him packing. Black Americans have never had a problem seeing the threat. After all, we were formally denied our place in democratic government for most of the country’s first century. And in some parts of the country, we were violently locked out of real access to democracy—and to opportunity—for most of its second century. And now, almost halfway through the U.S.’s third century, we see access to voting being rolled back. We see mechanisms being put in place for the party in power to steal elections if they don’t like the outcome. And we see corrupt census figures and abusive gerrymandering being used to deny Black peo-
Ben Jealous
Commentary ple the level of access to political power that we deserve. We’ve seen this all before. Specifically, Black newspapers have seen it all before. In 1942, the federal government was rallying Americans to support the cause of democracy in World War II, which the U.S. formally entered at the end of 1941. One Black man called out the glaring contrast being our country’s stated ideals and the reality of life for Black people who faced prejudice and discrimination even in the military. James Thompson wrote a letter to the Pittsburgh Courier, which was the largest-circulation Black newspaper at the time. The paper titled the letter, “Should I Sacrifice to Live Half American?” “Would it be demanding too much to demand full citizenship rights in exchange for the sacrificing of my life?” he wrote. “Is the kind of America I know worth defending?” The Courier turned Thompson’s letter into a public campaign that other Black papers embraced. They adopted
the allies’ “V for Victory” slogan with a call for a double victory over the enemies of democracy at home and abroad. The Double V Campaign urged Black Americans to fight “not merely for the salvation of America, not merely to secure the same degree of democracy for Black Americans that White Americans have long enjoyed, but to establish precedent for a world-wide principle of free association among men of all races, creeds and colors. That’s the black man’s stake.” That is still our stake. It is still our fight. It’s no surprise to us that the same far-right media figures excusing Vladimir Putin’s brutality have also excused or actively promoted Donald Trump’s Big Lie about the election—and used that Big Lie to justify new assaults on Black Americans’ access to democracy. Back in 1942, James Thompson wrote that he was “willing to die for the America I know will someday become a reality.” That is the kind of remarkable faith that motivated and sustained the civil rights movement after the war. It is the same kind of faith and determination we must find to defend American democracy and our place in it.
(Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice in the Africana Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches leadership.)
B4
FORUM
MARCH 23-29, 2022
The end of history or the beginning of the end?
Should Democrats help Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger? (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Wyoming is undoubtedly “Trump Country,” and the Republican voters there are making it known that Rep. Liz Cheney is no longer welcome. As Republicans abandon Cheney, they are also abandoning critical elements typically advocated by the conservative movement as a whole. American conservatism has always been marked with competing ideologies between fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, and neoconservatives. Regardless of the various political ideologies, the divergent strands making up the conservative movement have always agreed on upholding the U.S. Constitution, which established a federal republic under the rule of law and maintaining the ideas of our Founding Fathers. Cheney, who is seeking a fourth term as the lone representative from Wyoming, holds the seat once held by her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. In her previous leadership position as House Republican Conference Chair, she voted in line with Donald Trump’s position 93 percent of the time. Despite her conservative record, the congresswoman was formally removed from her position as conference chair, is no longer recognized by the Wyoming Republican Party, censured by the Republican National Committee, and has been targeted by Trump himself for defeat in this year’s primary election. The backlash did not occur because of a lack of loyalty to conservative beliefs but from a lack of loyalty to one individual. Cheyney voted to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, joining nine Republican representatives and all House Democrats to impeach the former president. She called it a “vote of her conscience” against Trump’s betrayal of his office and his oath to uphold the Constitution. When House Republicans voted to remove her as conference chair, she addressed her colleagues, saying in part, “Today we face a threat America has never seen before. A former president, who provoked a violent attack on this Capitol in an effort to steal the election, has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen
David W. Marshall
Commentary from him. He risks inciting further violence. Millions of Americans have been misled by the former president. They have heard only his words, but not the truth, as he continues to undermine our democratic process, sowing seeds of doubt about whether democracy really works at all. I am a conservative Republican and the most conservative of conservative principles is reverence for the rule of law.” Reverence for the rule of law is also supported by Rep. Adam Kinzinger, the Republican congressman from Illinois. He also voted for the impeachment of the former president, and along with Cheney, they are the only Republican members serving on the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. For those reasons, Kinzinger is also a target for political wrath. But reverence for the rule of law is not solely a conservative principle; it is an American principle supported by Republicans and Democrats of all races. When Cheney, Kinzinger, and the Democrats voted for impeachment, it was out of patriotic duty to the nation, not politics, as some would describe. If we as Republicans and Democrats adhere to the Founders’ ideas, then we must embrace the concerns held by George Washington regarding a president versus a king. As a Founder and the very first president, Washington had the tremendous responsibility of shaping and forming the role of president for others after him to follow. Experiencing life under British rule and tyranny from King George III, Washington desired not to have the president become another version of an autocratic king. His fears are now being made manifest in how political loyalty to Trump is demanded and how that loyalty is a prerequisite for acceptance from GOP leadership and the Republican base of supporters. Cheney insists that her sole focus is serving the people of Wyoming and protecting democracy from Trumpism. Kinzinger shares the same goal about democracy and Trumpism, which is why he has endorsed Cheney and other anti-Trumpism candidates through his Country First organization. Kinzinger’s organization is unique in that it joins Democrats, Republicans, and Independents together to support candidates who are willing to publicly resist the toxic attacks on democracy. The Republican primary is more critical than the general election against the Democrat candidate in many deep-red congressional races. With this schism within the Republican Party exposed, should registered Democrats in critical primary races just watch from the sidelines or step in? Many voters in Republican-controlled areas such as Wyoming identify with Democrats and are seriously considering switching parties to keep pro-Trumpism candidates out of office. This could prove to be an effective tactic in close races. The idea that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” has been applied in American foreign policy, but it is relevant in this year’s primary elections. Do Democrats step in and help pro-democracy Republicans fight to defeat pro-Trumpism Republicans by party-switching? Consider the Revolutionary War between the American colonies and Great Britain. Britain’s main adversary was not the Americans but the French. It was France coming to the military aid of the Americans that sealed Great Britain’s defeat. France’s calculated decision to help its enemy’s enemy paid off. Democrats in critical districts may need to follow France’s example when considering the real consequences.
(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 atwww.davidwmarshallauthor.com.)
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
The Cold War ended when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Instead of sighing in relief, the West beat its chest. The following year political scientist Francis Fukuyama published The End of History. Fukuyama didn’t mean history stopped being recorded. It was a reference to Marx’s theory of history. Marx believed history progressed through socioeconomic stages. First, feudalism than capitalism. Both were systems of exploitation that led to class conflict. Marx predicted the capitalist stage would end with the working class overthrowing the ownership class. Which in turn would create a “dictatorship of workers” under the new socioeconomic banner of socialism. Marx’s final stage of history was communism, a classless and stateless society where cooperation replaced competition and human beings were all equals. Fukuyama was convinced the implosion of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) indicated Marx’s final stage of history would never materialize. Therefore, history ended in the capitalist stage with Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government. According to Fukuyama, the universalization of this final form of government would advance underdeveloped countries and establish a global order of peace since “mature democracies rarely or never go to war with one another.” However, a group of neo-liberal geopolitical strategists in the United States misconstrued the “end of history”. They assumed it was a license to achieve what their Soviet counterpart could not accomplish and decided to exert global dominance by spreading Americanized liberal democracy around the
J. Pharoah Doss
Check It Out world. They also decided to make the Western alliance stronger by allowing former Soviet satellite countries to join NATO. This isolated Russia and diminished its sphere of influence. Of course, US neo-liberal ambitions led to misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the West began to experience self-doubt, Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, also known as the mind behind Russian President Vladimir Putin, published a response to Fukuyama’s End of History in 2012, it was called The Fourth Political Theory. Here he stated liberalism persistently fought against its enemies and by the end of the 20th century defeated them all. As a consequence of such a turn in history, all other political ideologies, passionately feuding against each other during the last century, lost their currency. Conservatism, fascism, and communism, together with their secondary variations, lost the battle. But triumphant liberalism ceased being an advanced sociopolitical ideology and mutated into a lifestyle of consumerism, individualism, and postmodernism. (This was why people in the Middle East said they wanted modernization without Westernization.) As it turned
out, it wasn’t just the defeated political ideologies that left the world stage, but liberalism also exited. Dugin said those that do not agree with liberalism are in a difficult situation. How can they defeat an enemy that had already dissolved and disappeared? The answer was by developing a fourth political theory and re-starting history in the 21st century. Dugin said for Russia the Fourth Political Theory has immense significance. The majority of Russian people view their integration into a global society as a loss of their own identity. The Russian population had almost entirely rejected liberal ideology in the 1990s. But it was apparent a return to the political ideologies of the 20th century was unlikely. Fascism and communism came with the moral cost of totalitarianism and proven themselves to be incapable of opposing liberalism. Therefore, in order to fill this political and ideological vacuum, Russia needs a new political idea, a Fourth Political Theory. For Russia, this is a matter of life and death—Hamlet’s eternal question. If Russia chooses “to be”, then it automatically signifies the creation of a Fourth Political Theory. Otherwise, for Russia there remains only the choice “not to be”, then quietly leave the historical and world stage, and dissolve into a global world, neither created nor governed by Russians. After Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February, political pundits in the West suggested Putin was refighting the Cold War, but it never occurred to them that Putin was re-starting history and initiating the beginning of the end for the West.
Let’s celebrate Women’s History Month by adjusting Lady Justice’s Blindfold (BlackPressUSA)—Lady Justice is an iconic symbol of the American judicial system. In one hand, she holds scales to represent that both sides will receive a balanced hearing, and, in the other, she holds a sword to represent the power of justice. She also wears a blindfold to indicate that justice is blind and, therefore, fair. However, that fairness is not reflected in the makeup of our courts. In fact, one might say Lady Justice’s blindfold prevents her from seeing the imbalance on current federal benches. March, the month we celebrate women’s history, I believe is an appropriate time to take a good look at the status of women in our judicial system. We all know that representation matters, and the federal judiciary has been sorely lacking on this front. During the 2020 Presidential campaign, I often heard expressions of displeasure that there had never been a Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, nor had one ever been seriously considered. That is why I believed it to be appropriate and timely that then-candidate Joe Biden pledge during the South Carolina primary that, if given the opportunity, he would nominate a Black woman to the highest court in the land. He made the pledge during the South Carolina presidential debate and went on to win the state’s primary by almost 30 points gaining the momentum that took him to the White House. His victory was due in large part to the support of Black women. President Biden has upheld his pledge and has nominated the highly qualified and
Rep. James Clyburn
Commentary well-respected Ketanji Brown Jackson. If confirmed, she will be a tremendous addition to the Supreme Court and bring a different life experience to the bench than has ever been there. It is not just the Supreme Court that is struggling to reflect the diversity of our country. Of the current 1,395 federal judges, only 8 percent are women of color, and just 4 percent are Black women. In fact, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which represents states with a combined Black population of 20 percent, has no women of color. This issue is not new to me. When I was elected Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus 24 years ago, I declared it my mission to integrate that Court and went toeto-toe with North Carolina Senator and well-known segregationist, Jesse Helms. Senator Helms had blocked earlier attempts by President Clinton to integrate that Circuit and even attempted to reduce its size to get rid of the two vacancies. The battle was public and not pretty. An editorial writer from my hometown newspaper declared that it was a dispute I could
not win. But I developed a scenario that convinced President Clinton to make a recess appointment and Judge Roger Gregory of Virginia became the first Black person on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in December 2000. Today Judge Gregory serves as the Chief Judge on that court. President Biden has made it his mission to create even greater diversity on the federal bench, especially for women. In his first year in office, women of color have represented more than 40 percent of President Biden’s federal judicial nominees. As of January 2022, the Senate has confirmed 22 of his minority women appointees to the federal bench, 7 minority men, 11 White women and 2 White men. That is a significant effort toward smashing a larger hole in the glass ceiling of the federal judiciary. You might ask: when will there be enough women of color on the federal bench? I will borrow my answer from a famous response offered by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to a similar question —with a slight modification. She said at Georgetown Law School in 2015, “I’m sometimes asked, ‘When will there be enough?’ and my answer is, ‘When there are nine.’ People are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.” I think Justice Ginsburg made an appropriate observation. (Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-SC), House Majority Whip)
Women’s History Month sees historic progress by Marc Morial (TriceEdneyWire.com)—“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well … Understanding the true history of our country will help us to comprehend the need for full equality under the law for all our people.”— President Jimmy Carter, proclaiming the first National Women’s History Week This goal can be achieved by ratifying the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that ‘Equality of Rights under the Law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.’” When labor activist Theresa Malkiel established the first official Women’s Day in 1909, only four states and four U.S. territories granted women the right to vote. The 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law, did not apply to women. Two years later, some European countries joined the United States in the observance of International Women’s Day. The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day in 1975, and in 1987 Congress designated March as Women’s History Month for the first time. Throughout much of America’s history, the advancements of women’s rights ap-
plied only to White women. The National Women’s History Alliance, which was instrumental in establishing Women’s History Month, declared: “despite our best intentions, we have not done enough to challenge racism within the sphere of women’s history. In the past we have failed to effectively speak out against racism in our collaborative spaces.” So, it is especially significant that the first Black women nominated to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday as the first step in the confirmation process. This Women’s History Month also has seen the confirmation of the first Black woman to head Office of Management and Budget, Shalanda Young, and the confirmation of Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, is imminent. Beginning with his historic selection of Kamala Harris to serve as Vice President, President Biden has appointed a record number of women—and women of color—to key roles in his administration and nominated more Black women to the federal courts than any president in history. National Urban League and the Urban League have long shared this commitment to gender equality. From Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks and Fannie Lou Hamer, women have been the driving force in the fight for equal rights. The National Urban League was co-founded by philanthropist and social activist Ruth Standish Baldwin in 1910. More than half of our 91 affiliates are led by dynamic women CEOs, and nearly 70 percent of the National Urban League’s senior vice presi-
dent and vice president positions are held by women. Women’s History Month is not only a celebration of women’s achievements of the past, but of women who are making history today. Among the honorees at the National Urban League’s most recent Women of Power Awards were Stacy Abrams, who confronted voter suppression in Georgia and inspired an estimated 800,00-plus new voters to register through her efforts; immunologist Kizzmekia S. Corbett, whose research was central to the development of the COVID-19 vaccines and treatment; and Amanda Gorman, who inspired the nation as the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration and became the first National Youth Poet Laureate. As we celebrate the progress women— especially Black women—have made in recent years, it’s important to recognize the work we have yet to do. The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries, and Black women are about three times more likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after birth than White women, yet reproductive rights are under attack across the nation. Women still are paid only 84 cents for every dollar paid to men, and Black women are paid only 63 cents for every dollar paid to White men. President Obama once said there is no greater form of patriotism than the belief that “it is in our power to remake this nation to more closely align with our highest ideals.” Achieving and protecting the equal rights of all women is among the most sacred of those ideals.
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AURORA INNOVATION, INC. seeks Data Analyst in Pittsburgh, PA to collect/analyze autonomous vehicle map/team performance data. Email resumes to Mary Ellen Mahoney at memahoney@aurora.tech and include REF#00108.
CITY EDITOR The New Pittsburgh Courier is seeking a highly motivated individual with a sense of urgency in developing engaging general news and feature content to be our City Editor. The successful candidate must be an engaging storyteller with strong reporting, writing, and editing skills and the ability to work within a fast-paced production and marketing environment while maintaining high ethical standards and meeting deadlines. Our ideal candidate should also be able to produce quality photographs to supplement their stories and have graphic layout skills. Duties will include: working with editorial leadership to determine priorities for daily news coverage and reporting geared towards the Black community for both digital and print publication; and daily collaboration across a close-knit team, assisting leadership in the planning and managing of day-to-day operations, proofreading and editing copy for compliance with policies, style, and tone; and attending events, panels and speaking engagements on behalf of the publication. This is a full-time position offering compensation commensurate to experience. Excellent benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), PTO, and more. Please send a letter of interest and resume to jobs@newpittsburghcourier.com
JOB OPENING: ASSISTANT FARMERS MARKET MANAGER Seeking someone passionate about food access to assist with operations of the Lawrenceville Farmers Market. 10 hrs/wk, $15/hr, seasonal. More info at bit.ly/LFMassistant SENIOR TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER Duolingo, Inc. has multiple openings for Senior Technical Program Manager in Pittsburgh, PA. Oversee & streamline tech. process of bringing online & mobile application products from concept to reality. Duties include: Partner w/engineers, product mgrs., designers, & other stakeholders to defi n e & ex ec ut e e n g i n e e ri n g project release deadlines & plans; Architect environment that encourages & fosters collaboration & support amongst functions & propels development lifecycle for eng. projects; Create & iterate tools for identifying project goals, metrics, & milestones for eng. projects & ensure all internal/external stakeholders are informed; Play pivotal role in forecasting & assessing potential risks & delays for in-process & upcoming eng. projects; Measure engineering projects before/during development against budget guidelines, & d eadlines ; Hand l e re l e v a n t inbound inquiries regarding eng. projects & facilitate meetings to help teams nav igat e t ec h . i s s u e s ; Identify metrics that support Company OKRs. Reqs.: Bachelor’s degree or foreign equiv. in Computer Science, Information Systems Management or related field. Must have 2 yrs of exp. with following: (1) Exp. leveraging agile software development lifecycle tooling to facilitate software development planning & execution activities; (2) Exp. driving software development processes by leading teams through backlog refinement & sprint planning activities. Must have knowledge of following: (1) Java; (2) Python; (3) Atlassian Jira; (4) Atlassian Confluence; and (5) Microsoft Project. Email resume to: jobs@duolingo.com with Job No. S r Te c h M g r 2 0 2 2 a n d t i t l e “Senior Technical Program Manager” in subject line. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE & GENERAL ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR THE ROCHESTER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT is currently accepting applications for the position of Accounts Payable & General Accounting Coordinator. Interested applicants may send their resume, clearances and references to Dr. Jane Bovalino, Rochester Area School District, 540 Reno Street, Rochester, PA 15074.. More information is available on our employment page at WWW.RASD.ORG. POSITION OPEN UNTIL FILLED. CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART. SENIOR DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. With development team, develops programs & strategies, manages resources focused on fundraising for Carnegie Museum of Art. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience/ education required. View full posting and apply through website. https://bit.ly/3CNxHN7 SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking an ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org Deadline 4:00 PM April 8, 2022 EOE SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking an ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN TEACHER for the start of the 2022-2023 school year: Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org Deadline 4:00 PM April 1, 2022 EOE
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CHIEF ENGINEER Port Authority is seeking a Chief Engineer to direct the development and implementation of all major capital engineering and construction projects, including areas of engineering d e s i g n , c o n s tructi on, proj ect programming, and technical support for the rail and bus operations as required. Maintain the Port Authority asset inventory to a state of good repair. Essential Functions: •Directs the activities of the division’s department directors, managers, and staff. Conducts annual performance reviews and recommends and initiates appropriate personnel action. •Oversees the Technical Support team in providing the required engineering and technical services and support for the activities of the Operations Division in the areas of facility, rail system and bus-way maintenance and rehabilitation. •Manages all staffing, technical and control issues (such as budgets, schedules, reporting, safety and quality assurance) required in implement engineering and construction projects. Oversees the management of third party consultants and contractors. Directs activities necessary to perform project coordination with various departments within the Authority. Job requirements include: •Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from an accredited school. •Minimum of ten (10) years’ progressively responsible capital project or multi-discipline design and construction experience, with at least five (5) years in a senior level position. •Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in rail operations management, including system and equipment maintenance, system design and construction supervision, engineering management and project management. •Minimum five (5) years supervisory experience. •Demonstrated experience in managing asset management program. •Demonstrated history of oversight of both operating and capital budgets. •Professional Engineer Registration in Pennsylvania •Professional and effective communication skills. •Demonstrated ability in the use of Microsoft Office 365 software products. •Valid driver’s license. Preferred attributes: •Master’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Public Administration, Urban Planning or directly related field. •Demonstrated ability to deliver presentations, answer questions, and address stakeholder concerns in highly stressful public forums.
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DBE/DB PROGRAM ASSISTANT Port Authority is seeking a DBE/ DB Program Assistant to provide staff support to the DBE/DB Program Manager in the day-to-day implementation, administration, and evaluation of Port Authority’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program and Diverse Business (DB) Program in compliance with all applicable U.S. DOT 49 CFR Part 26, PennDOT, Section 303 of Title 74 and Act 89 requirements and regulations. Attend DBE public outreach functions as a representative of the department and the Authority. Act as a representative of the DBE Program on Authority Procurements. Essential Functions: • Maintains and manages updates in the DBE Directory of all certified DBEs. • Performs intake of DBE certification applications. • Assists with reviews of Annual Affidavits for continued eligibility of DBE certification and forwards to DBE/DB Program Manager to sign off on continued eligibility of proposed DBE firms. • Maintains certification files and projects files in accordance with established DBE program requirements and procedures. • Reviews requirements for contracts, goods, and services to evaluate DB participation good faith efforts. Job requirements include: • BA Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or related field from an accredited school. Relevant experience may substitute for education on a year-for year basis. • Two (2) years related experience. • Knowledge of diverse business community, public procurement and business management. • Working knowledge of federal and state laws, government regulations pertaining to contracts, procurement and DBE/DB Programs. • Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows. • Professional and effective communication skills. • Established community contacts and networks. • Valid PA driver’s license. Preferred attributes: • Contract administration.
Estate of SHIRLEY GRACE KNIGHT, Deceased of 365 Wheeler Street, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 Estate No. 02-22-01284, Mr. John William Knight Jr., Executor, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108
ROCHESTER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT ATTENTION: FOOD SERVICE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES (FSMCS) The Rochester Area School District, a sponsor of the National School Lunch Program, is requesting proposals for full-service food service management services. Specifications may be obtained from Kathleen Onuska, Business Manager, onuskak@rasd.org or 724-775-7500 ext. 1813. A mandatory walk-through meeting is scheduled for March 25, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. at Rochester Area School District, Board Room, 540 Reno Street, Rochester, PA 15074.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Deborah Slocum Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 DSlocum@portauthority.org EOE LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
Estate of RONALD E. HAMMILL A/K/A RONALD EDWARD HAMMILL, Deceased of Baldwin Borough, Pennsylvania Estate No. 02-2201629, Ryan W. Brode, Esq., Administrator, or to Robert S. Bootay III, Atty, 6 Clairton Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15236
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to:
Estate of MARGARET FLENORY, deceased, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 022201138, Paula Flenory, Administratrix, 736 Bryn Mawr Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
Missy Ramsey Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 MRamsey@portauthority.org EOE
Estate of JAMES E. VINCENT, JR. Deceased of Pittsburgh,PA 15235 Estate No. 09188 of 2022, Lorraine D. Vincent, Executor, P.O. Box 17536. Pittsburgh, PA 15235, or to Sheila M. Ford Esq, 6419 Stanton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
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Estate of JOHN F. SAMBOLT, Deceased of 1414 Fourth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate No. 02-22-04523, Ms. Karen M. Wojtechko, Executrix, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of MS. FLORENCE L. PALLAS, Deceased of 1536 Vance Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate N o. 02-22-01285 , Ms. Tara A. Pallas-Sheetz, Executrix, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108
Estate of DIANE C. GAUTHIER, Deceased of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Estate No. 02-21-06712, Chad A. Gauthier, Administrator, D.B.N., 8905 Cornish Hen Cove Austin, TX 78747 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue Bridgeville, PA 15017
ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings
MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY The Community College of Allegheny County Board of Trustees will hold a meeting on April 7, 2022. The meeting will be held virtually beginning at 4:30 p.m. and streamed on CCAC’s YouTube page. A copy of the Board meeting agenda will be made available for review on the College’s website (www.ccac.edu) Comments regarding items scheduled for action by the Board may be submitted via email to brichardson@ccac.edu by no later than 3:00 p.m. on the date of the meeting. Comments will be read into the record, up to a maximum of three minutes each.
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ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA PITTSBURGH, PA MARCH 17, 2022 The Office of the Director of the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY will receive Letters of Interest with current SF 330 for Professional services until 3:00 p.m., on Friday, April 22, 2022 for the following assignment: ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Construction Engineering, As-Needed; County Project No. CMIT-2023 (Construction Management, Inspection and Testing Services) Stephen G. Shanley, P.E., Director Allegheny County Department of Public Works Room 501, County Office Building Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Place five (5) hard copies and one electronic copy of your Letter of Interest with required Standard Forms in a sealed, opaque envelope with firm’s name, the title and number of the Project, and the words “Letter of Interest” on the front. If you mail the Letter of Interest, insert the sealed, opaque envelope containing the Letter of Interest and standard forms inside a separate mailing envelope. The Director will receive Letters of Interest with accompanying SF 330 until the day and hour stated in the Public Advertisement. The Director will not consider any Letter of Interest received after the set day and hour and will return it to the addressee unopened. The firm is responsible for ensuring that the Director receives its Letter of Interest by the set day and hour. This submission is limited to 40 pages including the SF330 forms. The County will use only SF 330’s of firms responding with Letters of Interest to prequalify firms for consideration for these services. The County encourages responses from small firms, minority and women owned firms, and firms that have not previously worked for the County. Any inquiries into this Advertisement are to be directed to Mr. Matthew Vietmeier, P.E., Deputy Director of Public Works, at 412-303-2747. The selection criteria will apply to the following general types of Capital Project Assignments: PARKS:
Sports and recreational facilities; Shelter renovations; Miscellaneous civil improvements including drainage and pavement improvements.
BLDGS:
General, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing renovations; Roof replacements and repairs.
BRIDGE:
Small bridge replacements/rehabilitations, bridge repairs.
ROADS:
Lateral support projects including all types of wall construction, drainage improvements and upgrades, safety feature upgrades, and paving projects.
The County will preselect or short-list three firms for consideration for this Project assignment on the following evaluation criteria: Suitability, Past Performance, Size, Workload, and Related Work. By a Request for Proposal the Department of Public Works will notify the short-listed firms to submit proposals. The County’s minority business enterprise and women’s business enterprise goals for this Project will be 13% of the total price for MBE participation and 2% of the total price for WBE participation. Certification of MBEs and WBEs by the County is mandatory on or before proposal due date. Firms submitting a Letter of Interest must have their MBE/WBE participants in place and noted in their letter and/or SF 330 form information in order to be considered for this project. The contract will last up to 5 years in length or a contract value of $5,000,000.00. The Director may reject any Letters of Interest/Proposals and may waive any irregularity in the Submission of Letters of Interest/Proposals. Stephen G. Shanley, PE, Director Department of Public Works of Allegheny County
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COMBINED NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS (FONSI/RROF) This Notice is published pursuant to Federal Regulations promulgated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Environmental Assessment set forth at 24 CFR Part 58, Section 58.36. March 23, 2022 Office of Management & Budget Community Development Division City of Pittsburgh City County Building, Room 501 414 Grant Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-255-2211 These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Pittsburgh and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP). REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS (1) On or about April 8, 2022, the City of Pittsburgh will authorize HACP to submit a request to HUD for the release of HACP Moving to Work (MTW) Funds (approximately $3,000,000, PA28P001501-19. 2019 CFP Grant) to undertake the demolition of Northview High-rise apartment building with an annexed gym. The release of the aforementioned funds will be for the purpose of demolishing the Northview Heights High-rise located at 533 Mt. Pleasant Road, in the Northview Heights neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh, 15214. The Northview Heights High-rise consists of an 87 apartment units with administrative and commercial uses on the first floor along with a gym. The total projected cost of the demolition activities is approximately $3,000.000. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (2) 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 Whitney.Finnstrom@pittsburghpa.gov. PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to: Whitney Finnstrom City of Pittsburgh 414 Grant St Room 501 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-255-2211 OR Whitney.Finnstrom@pittsburghpa.gov All comments received by April 7, 2022, 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. 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 City of Pittsburgh and HACP to use Program Funds. OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Pittsburgh’s certification for a period of fifteen 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. Potential objectors should contact the HUD Field Office of Public Housing in Pittsburgh via email to verify the actual last day of the objection period. ED GAINEY Mayor City of Pittsburgh LEGAL ADVERTISING
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NOTICE TO PROPOSERS The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA) will receive proposals for purchase of Event Equipment for Rooftop Terraces at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center as identified below. The contracts for these purchases will be with the Sports & Exhibition Authority. The Request for Proposals may be obtained after the date identified below from Carter Swegman, Event Operations Manager email: cswegman@pittsburghcc.com, Telephone: (412) 325-6154. This Advertisement applies to the following Request for Proposal: Project:
Event Equipment for Rooftop Terraces
RFP Available:
March 14, 2022
Pre-Proposal Meeting: 3:00 PM EDT March 17, 2022 (non-mandatory) ZOOM Meeting Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82634814304 Time/Date/Location for Proposals: 12:00 PM EDT, March 29, 2022 David Lawrence Convention Center 1000 Ft Duquesne Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15222
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PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY Electronic Proposals will be received online at the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org). Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 AM on April 8, 2022 and will be read at 11:15 AM., the same day, at Port Authority’s Heinz location (345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527) as well as through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org) 1
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B220325A
HVAC On-Call Services
To join by Microsoft Team video conference: https://bit.ly/3Cq9nAY To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: 412-927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) Conference ID: 621 202 466# No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held via tele-conference on each of the above items at 10:00 am March 22, 2022, as well as through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conference. To join by Microsoft Team video conference: · https://bit.ly/3IHP83U To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: · 412-927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) · Conference ID: 298 931 576# Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the Port Authority within five (5) business days of the scheduled bid opening. These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations. Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing. Port Authority of Allegheny County hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. The Board of Port Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids. PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY Electronic Proposals will be received online at the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org). Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 AM on April 7, 2022 and will be read at 11:15 AM., the same day, at Port Authority’s Heinz location (345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527) as well as through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org) Bid Number
Bid Name
1
B220102AR
Coach Radiator Assemblies
2
B220323A
CRP - Air Conditioning
3
B220324A
CRP - Suspension
To join by Microsoft Team video conference: https://bit.ly/36ZUAkR To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: 412-927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) Conference ID: 482 503 092# No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held via tele-conference on each of the above items at 10:00 am March 22, 2022, as well as through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conference. To join by Microsoft Team video conference: · https://bit.ly/3IHP83U To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: · 412-927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) · Conference ID: 298 931 576#
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) ADVERTISEMENT The Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh (Authority) is soliciting proposals from qualified respondents to provide Professional Design and Management Services for a new public Authority website, as more fully described in the formal RFP document. The RFP document will be available Tuesday, March 22, 2022, after 3:00 p.m. EST on the Authority website at www.pittsburghparking.com on the homepage (Doing Business with the PPA). Printed copies may also be obtained at the Authority main office located at 232 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. A mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held virtually via Zoom on Monday, April 4, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Meeting information will be provided with the RFP documents on the Authority website. Submitted proposals are required to be in the Authority’s possession, in the one (1) electronic copy via USB drive, clearly marked and sealed by 2:00 p.m. EST on Monday May 2, 2022. OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Request for Proposal for a SUPPLIER DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT & COMPLIANCE SOFTWARE SOLUTION This Request for Proposal may be obtained from the District’s web page at: https://www.pghschools.org/ domain/239. One (1) original and five (5) copies of the proposal, including any attachments and cover letter, must be prepared and submitted as described in the RFP by 5:00PM EST on Monday, April 18, 2022. The District reserves the right to reject any or all RFPs. Paula B. Castleberry Minority/Women Business Department Email: pcastleberry1@pghschools.org ARCHITECT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 2022 - 01 The Housing Authority of the County of Beaver will receive pr oposals f or t he pr oviding of Architectural, Engineering, Planning, Development and Associated Services. Detailed proposal requirements may be obtained by contacting the Housing Authority Office at (724) 775-1220 Ext. 22. Proposals must be submitted in a sealed envelope and m ar ked “Proposals for A/E Services. Proposals will be received until 10:00 A.M. (prevailing time) on May 2, 2022. The right is reserved by the Housing Authority to reject any and/all proposals or to waive any informality in the submission. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER Brian L. Yaworsky Executive Director
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Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the Port Authority within five (5) business days of the scheduled bid opening. These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations. Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing. Port Authority of Allegheny County hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.
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The Board of Port Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219
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Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on April 12, 2022, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on March 29, 2022, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
Pgh. Carrick and Westinghouse CTE Air Conditioning Mechanical (HVAC) and Electrical Primes
Various Schools and Buildings HVAC Systems & Building Automation Controls Mechanical Prime
412-481-8302 Ext. 140 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com
Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on March 23, 2022, at Modern Reproductions (412488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on March 11, 2022, at Modern Reproductions (412488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
Deadline/Closing/Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations:
OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH
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