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Chantal Braziel accepted into prestigious Berlin Opera Academy Page A7
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 113 No. 18 Two Sections
MAY 4-10, 2022
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African American candidates making their presence known in upcoming Primary Election
SUMMER LEE, VYING FOR U.S. CONGRESS
REV. GLENN GRAYSON SR., VYING FOR STATE HOUSE DIST. 19
AUSTIN DAVIS, VYING FOR PA. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Heated battles for Congress, state House, Lt. Gov. by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Pittsburgh is not “Chocolate City,” as Washington, D.C., was once dubbed. Pittsburgh is not “The Black Mecca,” as Atlanta is now dubbed. But one glance at the candidates running for elected office in the Pittsburgh region reveals that African Americans are looking to take over the political scene. One prominent African American — Ed Gainey — took over the top seat at Pittsburgh City Hall in January, and by May 17, Blacks could be in the driver’s seat to win seats for U.S. Congress, Pa. Lieutenant Governor, and the state House. May 17 is the date of Pa.’s Primary Election. In many cases, the candidate that wins the Democratic nomination in the Primary goes on to easily win in the November General Election, as was the case
JERRY DICKINSON, VYING FOR U.S. CONGRESS (PHOTOS BY GAIL MANKER)
with Mayor Gainey last year. But when it comes to the statewide races, such as Governor, Lt. Governor and the Senate, there’s usually viable competition between the Democratic and Republican nominees in November. “I think it is an amazing example of what a reflective democracy can be and should be,” said Miracle Jones, 1 Hood Media’s director of advocacy and policy, in an interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier, May 3, about the large number of Blacks running for office. “There, of course, is a whole ‘nother discussion about the (lack of) support these candidates are getting, the endorsements and the party backing that still reflects a huge disadvantage and barrier to Blacks running for office, especially (for office) outside of Black communities. But I think all of these Black candidates show what our democracy should be. It should be our
new normal.” For the state House, Reps. Aerion Abney and Martell Covington, both African American men, won the special elections last month for Districts 19 and 24, respectively. They replaced Jake Wheatley (now with the Pittsburgh mayor’s office) and Mayor Gainey. While Reps. Abney and Covington are guaranteed to represent their districts until at least the end of 2022, they have to fend off other challengers on May 17 vying for the Democratic nomination for the November election. In the overwhelmingly Democratic, African American districts of 19 and 24, the winners of the May 17 Primary on the Democratic side will easily win the November election, and would begin their two-year full term in January 2023. In House District 19, Rep. Abney’s challenger is Rev. Glenn Grayson Sr., pastor SEE CANIDATES A6
Radio executive Jerry Lopes dies at 72 Held senior positions at Sheridan Broadcasting, American Urban Radio Networks for 40 years by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
The “face” of America’s only African American-owned and controlled radio network has died. Gerald Allan “Jerry” Lopes was the longtime
president of programming and affiliations for Pittsburgh-based American Urban Radio Networks. He passed away on April 23. He was 72. His fiancee, Marcia Martin, told the online publication The Grio that Lopes died of natural
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causes. Lopes retired from his position in 2018. Those who worked with him at AURN said he had the perfect passion, the perfect temperament to lead programming that aired on hundreds of stations nationwide. “He was the most patient man I ever knew,” Lenore Williams, AURN Sr. Vice President, Program Operations & Affiliations, told the New Pittsburgh Courier, April 29. Williams had worked with Lopes as far
back as 1982. “You could go to him with all sorts of crises and problems and he would wait you out and help you come to a clear, concise course of action. An incredibly understanding and loyal friend. Even though he was our boss, he was still our friend.” Born on July 28, 1949, in Providence, R.I., The Grio reported that Lopes was an Air Force veteran whose radio career dated to 1970 SEE LOPES A4
JERRY LOPES
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The brain shrinks by 5% This Week In Black History beginning at 45; experts A Courier Staple say banish the distractions • MAY 4
1891—Dr. Daniel Hale Williams founds the Provident Hospital and Training Center in Chicago, Ill. It becomes a major training center for Black doctors and nurses. Williams is best known, however, for performing the nation’s first open heart surgery on July 9, 1893. He operated on a man injured in a knife fight. The man would live for another 20 years after the surgery.
by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier
Ted Zanto, an associate professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, said aging shrinks the brain by about 5 percent between age 45 and 60. Additionally, while AARP writer Sari Harrar noted that might sound small, it could help explain why the ability to pay attention and tune out distractions begins to decline before age 50. “Around then, your brain also has to start coping with the full catastrophe of midlife,” Harrar penned in a column for AARP’s magazine. She noted further in quoting neuroscientist Denise Park, “Rebellious kids! Aging parents! Work! Money! Menopause! Throw in constant interruptions from our digital devices, and you might start feeling overwhelmed.” Dr. Mahmud Kara, the creator of KaraMD, said in an email that tuning out distractions often is easier said than done. However, Dr. Kara offered some ways to limit the noise.
“Creating a routine that works best for your lifestyle is essential,” Dr. Kara asserted. “For example, if you know that you are a ‘morning’ person and focus best within the first few hours after you wake up, use that time to focus on the tasks that take priority for the day.” Dr. Kara continued: “Once you develop that routine, stick to it day after day so that it becomes a habit.” Working out regularly provides many physical, mental, and emotional well-being benefits. For example, recent research has revealed that exercise is good for the gray matter, offered Jim Powell, the co-founder of My Speech Class.
“It turns out that aerobic activities that get the heart pumping can also keep the brain working in tip-top shape for longer,” Powell remarked. “Peak oxygen uptake is associated with increased gray matter volume, which suggests that cardiorespiratory exercises known to improve aerobic capacity may help slow down a decline in gray matter. Some of the most popular and effective cardiorespiratory workouts include running, cycling, swimming, and even brisk walking.” Health experts noted that the brain does possess wondrous plasticity, and individuals can help it adjust and refocus by taking up a few simple, healthy habits. “Weight loss has been linked to increased memory and concentration. According to researchers, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes, all of which are typically caused by obesity, are thought to harm the brain,” said Theola Tinny, co-founder of VinPit. “Researchers believe that once people regain a healthy weight and the problems that come with it, their cognitive disorders will fade away,” Tinny added. “Also, our surroundings have a huge impact on our ability to concentrate. Decluttering your home or tidying your workstation is well recognized for making your mind feel more ordered, liberated, and able to think more clearly. You may alter your environment to make it more conducive to sustained focus,” Tinny continued. She said physical activity, dietary choices, and weight are all factors that might affect the ability to function and concentrate. “If you skip breakfast, for example, you are unlikely to be able to accomplish duties to your full potential by midday due to hunger sensations,” Tinny concluded. “Taking care of your health, staying active, and consuming foods that promote concentration can all help you improve your concentration.”
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FREEDOM RIDERS 1961—Thirteen Freedom Riders began bus trips through the South to test Southern compliance with a 1960 U.S. Supreme Court ruling outlawing segregation in interstate transportation facilities. They were soon joined by hundreds of other “Freedom Riders” of all ages and races. Despite the Court decision, dozens of Freedom Riders were arrested as the South attempted to hang onto its segregationist ways.
• MAY 5
1905—Robert Sengstacke Abbott founds the Chicago Defender newspaper calling it “the world’s greatest weekly.” Indeed, he would build the Defender into the largest circulation and most influential Black newspaper of its day. The Defender, which became the most widely circulated Black newspaper in the country, came to be known as “America’s Black Newspaper” and made Abbott one of the first self-made millionaires of African-American descent. In 1919, Illinois Gov. Frank Lowden appointed Abbott to the Race Relations Commission. Abbott died of Bright’s disease in 1940 in Chicago, Ill.
• MAY 6
1787—Prince Hall organizes the nation’s first Black Masonic lodge in Boston, Mass.—African Lodge #459. Hall would go on to become the father of Black Masons in America and a major PRINCE HALL Black leader in the Northeast. 1812—Martin R. Delany, a pioneering Black nationalist, is born on this day in Charles Town, Va. Abraham Lincoln once described him as one of the most brilliant men he had ever met. Delany MARTIN DELANY would fight in the Civil War to end slavery and become one of the nation’s first Black military officers. After the war he became a doctor. But over the years he became frustrated with American racism and began to advocate a return of Blacks to Africa.
• MAY 8
1858—The first play by an African-American writer is published. The play was titled “The Escape” and the author was William Wells Brown. 1925—The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was founded. It would become the leading Black-led trade union organization in America. In addition to introducing unionism to African-Americans, the ability to travel to cities throughout the country enabled the porters to become a major vehicle of communications for American Blacks. They distributed everything from letters to Black-oriented newspapers as they traveled the nation. The chief organizer was the legendary A. Phillip Randolph.
• MAY 9
1952—Boxer-turned-actor Canada Lee dies in New York City at the age of 45. Second only to the legendary Paul Robeson, Lee was the leading serious (non-comedic) CANADA LEE Black actor of the 1940s. He gave impressive performances in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller “Lifeboat” (1944), the boxing classic “Body and Soul” (1947) and “Cry, The Beloved Country” (1951). However, like Robeson, Lee’s film career came to an end during the McCarthy Era when a host of Black and White stars, who were also social activists, were labeled communists and denied jobs.
• MAY 10
1837—P.B.S. Pinchback was born in Macon, Ga., to a White plantation owner and a free Black woman. He became one of the leading Black politicians of the Reconstruction P.B.S. PINCHBACK era, especially in Louisiana. After the Civil War, he became lieutenant governor of Louisiana and actually served as governor for 43 days. He was later elected to both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. He would also play a significant role in the establishment of Southern University and a major Black newspaper known as the Louisianan. 1994—After being released from 27 years of imprisonment for his battles against the racist system of apartheid, Nelson Mandela is elected the first NELSON MANDELA Black president of South Africa. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he served as president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991-97.
• MAY 7
1800—On this date the founder of the settlement which would grow to become the city of Chicago, Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable, sold his property and left the settlement. The Haitian-born frontier trader JEAN BAPTISTE and businessman POINT DU SABLE had a history of building significant wealth, losing it and building it again. He would die 18 years later in St. Charles, Mo. 1878—Black inventor, Joseph R. Winters, receives a patent for his designing of the fire escape ladder. 2010—A report on felony disenfranchisement laws begins to receive widespread publicity. The report was actually released on April 21 by the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. It showed that 5.3 million Americans were being denied the right to vote because of past felony convictions. Disproportionately, those denied voting rights were African-American. In fact, the report revealed that 13 percent of Black males could not vote because of felony convictions. Historically, most voting disenfranchisement laws were enacted after the Civil War as a means to keep newly freed Blacks from voting.
THE COURIER ISN’T JUST A NEWSPAPER. IT’S BLACK HISTORY.
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Radio executive Jerry Lopes dies at 72 Held senior positions at Sheridan Broadcasting, American Urban Radio Networks for 40 years LOPES FROM A1
in the Armed Forces Radio and Television service. He worked at several Rhode Island stations before joining WILD in Boston, then owned by Sheridan Broadcasting, in 1974. Sheridan Broadcasting, which, at the time owned WAMO-FM and was the first Black-owned radio network in the U.S., brought Lopes to Pittsburgh. Lopes was instrumental in getting a White House correspondent in Washington, D.C., with Bob Ellison, and then with April Ryan. That representation in D.C. was important to Lopes, Williams recalled. “If you’re going to report to African Americans,
the best person to speak on it and to address the issues is an African American. That person asks questions that are relevant to African Americans.” American Urban Radio Networks’ White House correspondent currently is Ebony McMorris. Ryan now reports for The Grio. “Jerry was the reporter’s reporter,” Williams told the Courier. “He definitely was into the facts, he did not go for the rumors. A ‘trust-but-verify’ person.” In 1991, Sheridan Broadcasting Network merged with the National Black Network to create American Urban Radio Networks. The network carried The Bev Smith Show to numerous JERRY LOPES, far left, shown in this photo from 2014.
JERRY LOPES
affiliates, along with “The Light” gospel music service and Black college football games. In a release by AURN obtained by the Courier, the company called Lopes a “strong advocate for Black radio.” He served on the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) for more than 10 years, and a few of his notable accomplishments included securing and broadcasting an interview between then-presidents Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela in 1994, live on-side accounts of the Challenger explosion, and a live broadcast of the “Million Man March” in 1995. Lops also led the production of the radio versions
of “Lou Rawls’ Parade of Stars” for the United Negro College Fund and he spearheaded a program of scholarships for student-athletes, named The Black College All American. It celebrated Black students’ contributions on and off the field for 40 years. The Grio reported that under Lopes’ leadership, AURN partnered with the NAACP and other Black organizations to help increase Black voter turnout. And in 1994, AURN aired a halfhour special urging support when the NAACP fell into a financial hole. “If you said (a radio station’s) call letters to Jerry, he knew where it was, who the owner was, the frequency, all without looking any-
thing up,” Williams added. “He was definitely into the craft.” “Jerry was the consummate professional,” said Brian Cook Sr., president of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation and a former employee at American Urban Radio Networks. “His wisdom and knowledge about the radio industry were unmatched. He showed many industry professionals how to stimulate the minds of audiences by telling compelling stories through news/sports/information and the short- and long-form radio programs at the American Urban Radio Networks. Even through an ever-changing industry, Lopes knew how to adjust to the times while keeping
the fundamentals of radio, and he applied that to the present day.” Lopes is survived by four sisters, Linda Dorch (Kenny) Hyde Park, Mass., Teresa Gilbert (Ernest) Bowling Green, Ky., Leslie Lopes-Ruffin (Frederick) Baltimore, Md., Robin Lopes, Providence, R.I. and one brother, Steven Andrade, New Bedford, Mass., fiancée, Marcia Martin, Pittsburgh, and a host of other relatives and friends. Arrangements were entrusted to Coston Funeral Homes, East Liberty. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, 980 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15222.
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African American candidates making their presence known in upcoming Primary Election
AERION ABNEY, STATE HOUSE 19 CHRIS FRYE, LT. GOVERNOR CANDIDATES FROM A1
of Wesley Center AME Zion Church, in the Hill District. Reverend Grayson is also African American. Both candidates have been knocking on doors, spreading social media messages, garnering support. In House District 24, Rep. Covington’s challengers are: La’Tasha D. Mayes, founder, President & CEO of New Voices for Reproductive Justice; and Randall Taylor, a community organizer and former Pittsburgh School Board member. Both of Rep. Covington’s challengers are African Americans. In the race for U.S. Senator, there are four Democratic candidates, one of whom is Black (Malcolm Kenyatta, of Philadelphia County). The other
candidates are current Lt. Governor (and former Braddock mayor) John Fetterman, current U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, and Alex Khalil. The Republican side has a flurry of candidates, including former TV show host Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dave McCormick and Jeff Bartos. In the race for Pa. Governor, Josh Shapiro, the current state Attorney General, has a lock on the Democratic nomination, but come November, his Republican competition could be anyone from Lou Barletta, to Bill McSwain, to Melissa Hart. Shapiro has openly endorsed Rep. Austin Davis, of McKeesport, to be his Lt. Governor, even though in Pennsylvania, the candidates for Lt. Governor and Governor run separately
CON- RANDALL HOUSE 24
MARTELL COVINGTON, STATE HOUSE 24
WILLIAM PARKER, U.S. CONGRESS
JEFF WOODARD, U.S. GRESS
in the Primary. Representative Davis, who is African American, has good standing in the Pittsburgh region for his tireless work to better the Mon Valley for both Blacks and Whites. Representative Davis’ challengers for Lt. Governor are Ray Sosa and Brian Sims. On the Republican side, two African Americans are running for Lt. Governor — New Castle Mayor Chris Frye and James Earl Jones (Montgomery County). There are seven additional Republican contenders. There are a number of state Senate races, but none involve Black candidates... Which leaves the highly-publicized race for the remodeled 12th Congressional District. Pennsylvania now has 17 con-
gressional seats, tied for fifth-most in the country, and every congressional seat is crucial for the votes needed to pass certain legislation. Most political experts believe that while the newly-redrawn 12th Congressional District now includes some of Westmoreland County’s Republican-leaning suburbs, the seat should still fall to a Democrat in the November General Election. And this is why Pittsburgh TV watchers have been inundated with political ads over the past week chastising the Black female front-runner, Rep. Summer Lee. Most of the ads have been sponsored by a “super-PAC (Political Action Committee)” called the United Democracy Project. The person who stands to benefit
from the attacks most is Steve Irwin, who is White. Three other African Americans are in the congressional race, too: Pitt law professor Jerry Dickinson; Executive Director of the Pa. College Access Program Jeff Woodard, and William Parker. Representative Lee, who has built a significant fan base through her activism and outreach in the Mon Valley areas of Braddock, North Braddock, Swissvale, etc., told the League of Women Voters that “in Congress, I’ll bring upon the same values and track record I’ve been dedicated to as an organizer, advocate and state legislator—bringing broad coalitions of folks together for environmental, racial and economic justice, so we
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can win real victories for all working people.” Both Rep. Lee and Dickinson have been airing TV spots promoting their campaigns. But Jones, the 1 Hood Media director of advocacy and policy, told the Courier she wasn’t a fan of the attacks being levied on Rep. Lee by the super-PAC, especially when no other Democratic candidate for Congress was attacked. “It shows that Black women who are running for office still face additional barriers and additional attacks that the male counterparts do not,” Jones said. “That is a problem, and hopefully people address it in the future. It’s not enough to get Black people to run for office if we’re going to allow them to be crucified and abandoned.”
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Chantal Braziel accepted into prestigious Berlin Opera Academy Opera singing makes one ‘feel so alive,’ she says by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
The Berlin Opera Academy, in Germany, is one of the most prestigious opera training programs in the world. Its summer opera program is cherished in the classical music industry. Many want to be accepted into the program. Few actually get accepted. Chantal Braziel was one of the few who got accepted. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Braziel, the daughter of Pastor Melvin B. Braziel and First Lady Valda Braziel of Solid Rock Church, will be training at the Berlin Opera Academy from July 5-Aug. 1. Chantal Braziel is not your average singer. She earned her master’s in voice from Carnegie Mellon University in 2020 following her bachelor’s in music per-
formance from St. Vincent’s College in 2015. You may have heard her resounding, delectable voice at the “Lift Every Voice” annual celebration with the Pittsburgh Symphony; at PNC Park last summer singing the national anthem before a Pirates game; at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City; or at her own concert, a Spring Benefit Concert, held at First Unitarian Church in Shadyside, April 10. That Spring Benefit Concert was a de facto fundraiser to cover Braziel’s costs to attend the Berlin Opera Academy, plus living and other expenses. Her goal was to raise $10,000; as of May 2, she’s raised about $7,100. Braziel, 29, in an exclusive interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier, said she’s serious about her craft. Serious enough to travel 4,200 miles to
Germany. She called the Berlin Opera Academy “the opportunity of a lifetime.” “This will give me a chance to sing in front of German directors and agents, and German opera companies who are interested in pursuing young opera singers like me,” Braziel added. Braziel said the techniques the instructors will teach her can take her to another level as a soprano. And with Berlin being a mecca for opera and its three heralded opera houses — Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Unter den Linden and Komische Oper Berlin — Braziel hopes the exposure overseas can take her career to the next level. Ironically, singing opera “was never in the picture” for Braziel in her early days. “When I first learned about it, just like anybody else, I didn’t CHANTAL BRAZIEL, performing at her Spring Benefit Concert at First Unitarian Church in Shadyside, April 10. (Photos by Courier photographer Jaquelyn McDonald) want to pursue it,” she told the Courier. “But it took Black opera singers such as Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman and today’s singers like Denyce Graves and Angel Blue to sing such a beautiful, natural singing form” that fueled Braziel’s inspiration. She found that the opera singing made her feel like “a different person,” and feeling “so alive while actually singing that it makes me want to keep doing it.” As Braziel studied Blacks in opera, she soon discovered a little-known secret; it’s hard for African American opera singers to get major acclaim in the U.S. Braziel said that even in these times, Blacks in opera are more accepted in Europe than in the U.S. That was the
CHANTAL BRAZIEL WITH HER FATHER, REV. MELVIN BRAZIEL
case 80 years ago, when Marian Anderson, considered a pioneer in African Americans in opera, experienced countless racism in the States but traveled to Berlin on a fellowship in 1933. In that same year, Anderson made her European debut performance at London, England’s Wigmore Hall, to rave reviews — unlike the reviews she received early on in America. “It’s not as bad as it was back in the day,” Braziel said, but by going to Germany in a few months, “I will get more opportunities to audition and to be seen and heard, and be able to work with people who love the Black voice.” That long plane ride to Europe is about two
months away, but July 5 will be here before you know it. Braziel, with no doubt, practices her voice techniques daily. But more important, she said, is her daily talk with God. “God has that first and final say in your life,” she said, “What makes me feel good inside is that no matter what I sing in opera, I touch somebody, and I know this is a gift coming from the Lord himself, and he would want me to pursue this gift.” (Editor’s Note: For more information on Braziel’s GoFundMe account, Google “Fundraiser by Chantal Braziel”)
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Nurses on the front lines: A history of heroism from Florence Nightingale to COVID-19 by Leslie Neal-Boylan UMass Lowell
Nurses are heroes of the COVID-19 crisis. May 12 is International Nurses Day, which commemorates the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the first “professional nurse.” To nurses everywhere, this day and this year have great significance. Nurses, who are being recognized as heroes, have long awaited recognition as health care professionals in their own right and not ancillary to physicians. It’s wonderful
to be recognized now in the context of coronavirus, but nurses have always been at the forefront – during war, epidemics and other times of disaster. I have been a nurse for 40 years and a nurse practitioner for 17 of those years. An active clinician, researcher, scholar and educator, I currently serve as dean of the Solomont School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Throughout my career, nurses have typically been relegated to a secondary role, and if mentioned at
HISTORY—Florence Nightingale inspects a hospital ward during the Crimean War. Photos.com/Getty Images
all, we are described as assisting doctors. Nurses today are still asked why they didn’t become doctors instead. Aren’t we smart enough? Many people don’t realize that nursing and doctoring are entirely different professions with different purposes. We are proud to work alongside doctors and other health professionals, but we have never worked behind them. Not all nurses work at the bedside, but we all touch the lives of patients. Many nurses have doctoral degrees. They conduct
research that advances the quality of patient care. Nurses change health care policy. For example, nurses play a significant role in health care reform and advise Congress on proposed health care rules and regulations. They also guide organizations regarding health care technology and care coordination and sit on executive boards of health care organizations. Nursing is both an art and a science. The role of the nurse has evolved, but some things haSEE NURSES A9
Recognizing history of Black nurses a first step to addressing racism and discrimination in nursing by Keisha Jefferies Dalhousie University
During the coronavirus pandemic, nurses are among the nation’s front-line workers. Over the years and to this day, the contributions of Black nurses are hard-fought, unrecognized and under-appreciated. Nurses are essential in care delivery, policy directives and in shaping the healthcare system. Yet, Canada’s history of racism and segregation has contributed to residual anti-Black racism that remains present in Canadian nursing. Nursing, as a profession, was established on Victorian ideals of “true womanhood”, including notions of dignity, purity, morality and virtue. Think: white caps and pristine white smocks. Historically, people who did not meet these “ideals” were prevented from practicing nursing. It was believed that Black women did not possess these ideals of “true womanhood” and in turn, were prevented from pursuing nursing as a career. Many of these unconscious biases and stereotypes about nursing are still believed today, with evidence showing that the exclusion of Black folks and anti-Black practices persist in nursing. Beginning with oppression In Canada, the first nursing training facility opened in 1874 in Ontario. The first baccalaureate nursing program started in 1919 at the University of British Columbia. Moving Beyond Borders, Karen Flynn’s 2011 account of the racial segregation in Canadian nursing, vividly describes the experiences of Canada’s earliest Black nurses. As Flynn notes, Black folks were not permitted to attend nursing programs. Instead, prospective Black nurses in Canada were told to go to the United States. American schools began allowing Black folks into nursing in the 1870s while Canada continued to restrict admissions to Black folks until the 1940s, granting admis-
BARRIERS--Black nurses meet a number of barriers in health-care practice. (Hush Naidoo/Unsplash)
CHALLENGES—Black nurses are still trained to work with White patients in mind, posing a challenge for attending to many racialized patients’ needs. (Shutterstock) sion only after pressure from community groups and organizations. Ruth Bailey and Gwennyth Barton were the first Black nurses to earn a nursing diploma in Canada from the Grace Maternity School of Nursing in Halifax, graduating in 1948 — almost three-quarters of a century after the first school opened. Black nurses in Canada Overall, Black nurses are largely absent from leadership positions and specialty practice areas such as intensive care. Instead, Black nurses are often streamlined into areas that are more physically demanding and strenuous. At the same time, Black people are concentrated in entry-level positions, non-specialty roles or in non-licensed clinical roles such as personal care workers. Beyond physical challenges and visibility, Black nurses are subjected to micro-agressions and racism from patients, colleagues and superiors. Gender and class have a substantial impact on Black women nurses with the nursing profession having successfully racialized gender and class discrimination. Men who enter nursing usually ride the glass escalator: leadership, higher wages and other substantial advantages. It’s a marked contrast to Black women who do not encounter a glass ceiling but rather they hit a concrete wall from simultaneous racism and sexism; their existence is invisible, yet their mistakes and flaws are amplified.
Racism reinforced through nursing education In 2013, I proudly graduated from a nursing program with more than 10 Black soon-to-be nurses. At that time, there were designated seats for qualified Black applicants resulting in a 100 per cent increase in enrolment for Black students. After the removal of these designated seats, the program now graduates far fewer Black nurses each year. I hear similar findings from nursing graduates at other universities. Yet, despite evidence regarding inequity amongst faculty appointments in universities, most Canadian institutions do not collect nor publish race-disaggregated data related to the student population. Multiple barriers limit access to post-secondary education for Black students. However, issues within nursing education go beyond admissions. Considering what is taught in nursing school, we see stark examples of anti-Black racism embedded within a curriculum that not only reinforces the invisibility of Black nurses but also exacerbates health inequities. What is taught is largely void of the contributions to nursing made by Black pioneers. For example, nurses are not taught about Bernice Redmon, who was refused admissions to Canadian nursing programs, trained in Virginia before returning to Canada in 1945. Redmon became the first Black nurse appointed to the Victorian Order of Nurses in Canada. The nursing curriculum continues to be riddled with colonial, anti-Black, heteronormative and hegemonic content. For most of nursing’s history, aspiring nurses have been taught how to care for white, straight and gender-binary patients. If this is not you, even a routine hair, skin or health history assessment can pose a challenge. Anti-Black racism in nursing is detrimental to Black nurses and to the health of all Canadians, especially since Black folks suffer from high rates of chronic illnesses including diabetes, high blood pressure and mental illness. These health inequities are worsened by an undertone of mistrust towards a health-care system that does not have health-care workers who look like you nor who understand your health needs — leading to misdiagnosed or undertreated conditions. Towards an anti-racist profession There are successful initiatives in place. The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto has made great strides in combating anti-Black racism through the Black applicant stream and the collection of race-disaggregated data. At the Dalhousie Schulich School of Law, a successful program established in 1989 has increase the representation of indigenous Black and Mi’kmaq students in the legal profession. Select universities, like Dalhousie, offer entrance scholarships for Black students as a means to alleviate financial barriers. Nursing can learn from these bold, innovative ideas and work towards adopting anti-racist frameworks in education and practice. This begins by actively recognizing, appreciating and celebrating Black nurses and their contributions in nursing. Despite the persistence of anti-Blackness in society, nursing education and health care, Black nurses continue to provide care. Now, more than ever, we must recognize and celebrate their contributions. (This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.)
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Nurses on the front lines: A history of heroism from Florence Nightingale to COVID-19 NURSES FROM A8
ven’t changed. Nurses have always cared for the sick, the well and the dying. We promote health and prevent illness. We interpret what is happening so that patients understand it. We are there for the entire patient experience from birth to old age, from wellness to illness, and throughout age and illness toward a peaceful and dignified death. Our history provides many examples. In 1854, Florence Nightingale brought 38 volunteer nurses to care for soldiers during the Crimean War. The cause of the conflict focused on the rights of Christians in the Holy Land and involved Russia, the Ottoman Empire, France, Sardinia and the United Kingdom. Male nurses provided care as far back as the Knights Hospitaller in the 11th century. But prior to Nightingale’s involvement, male and female nurses consisted of untrained family members or soldiers who cared for the ill and infirm. Nightingale was the first to organize nurses and provide standardized roles and responsibilities for the profession. As such, she is credited with founding modern professional nursing. She was also an expert statistician, collecting data on patients and what did and didn’t work to make them better. Nightingale and her nurses improved sanitation, hygiene and nutrition. They provided care and comfort. Their work had a major impact on the survival of soldiers. The American Civil War in the 1860s brought thousands of trained nurses to the battlefront, risking their lives to care for soldiers on
both sides of the conflict. The most famous were Dorothea Dix, an advocate for indigenous populations and the mentally ill; Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross; and Louisa May Alcott, the author of “Little Women.” Nurses again answered the call with the yellow fever epidemic of 1878, rushing from all over the country to Tennessee. The epidemic ultimately killed 18,000 people, and many nurses died while caring for the sick. The U.S. recruited more than 22,000 trained nurses to treat Americans overseas and back at home from 1917 to 1919 during World War I. The war brought death from combat to about 53,000 Americans, while about 40 million civilians and military died worldwide. Time after time, nurses have left the warmth, comfort and safety of their homes to care for others. Nurses were also among the millions who died from the 1918 influenza pandemic. Fifty million people died worldwide. This pandemic is probably most comparable to what we are experiencing today with COVID-19. But epidemics, such as polio, off and on from 1916 to 1954; the global pandemic of influenza A, 1957-1958; swine flu, 2009-2010; Ebola, 20142016; and Zika, 2015-2020, have also required constant nursing care. I remember the AIDS pandemic, which began in 1981. I was a visiting nurse and saw many patients in their homes, from homeless shelters to penthouse apartments. Everyone suffered not only because of the physical and mental effects of the disease but also because of the stigma. People,
even their families, were afraid to touch patients, kiss them or be near them. It was a lonely time for these patients. I watched them deteriorate and die. Nurses were often the only ones to hold the hands of these patients, so they wouldn’t die alone. Nurses were also there during 9/11. They were among the courageous first responders who risked their lives to save others. Many have chronic diseases because of their exposure to Ground Zero. Every year, nurses are voted first among the professions the public trusts the most, according to Gallup. We work hard to earn and maintain that trust. You will find us caring for people in their homes, in public health departments, in nursing homes and skilled care facilities, in rehabilitation hospitals, in prisons and correctional institutions, caring for the mentally ill and providing health care advice over phones and computers. Nurses work wherever there are people. What do we ask in return? It’s simple. We don’t consider ourselves heroes, but we do deserve respect. Public images of the nurse in a sexy uniform or as a handmaiden to a doctor are wrong and insulting. We are professionals. Once the COVID-19 crisis is over, please don’t forget that we are always here for you. Always have been. Always will be.The Conversation Leslie Neal-Boylan, Dean of the Solomont School of Nursing, UMass Lowell (This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.)
CHARLOTTE MURRAY
Why we need and appreciate our nurses Nurses fulfill a vital role in the care of people. By working closely with patients, they can be advocates and a voice for those in their care. Advocacy is essential to improving health care. Nurses see firsthand the effectiveness of treatments and can mediate between physicians and patients. Their regular contact with multiple patients puts them in unique positions in which they can also advocate for major health care policies. Characteristics of Nursing Advocacy According to research on patient advocacy in nursing, nurses provide support for patients through compassion and empathy. They create mutual trust by sharing information, managing emotional situations, maintaining communications and encour-
aging proximity. In addition to mediating between physicians and patients, nurses often educate patients’ families on treatment recommendations. They might have to speak up if family members are not making decisions in the best interest of the patient. Influence on Community and Policy Nurses can apply their advocacy skills to speak to those in positions of power regarding educational, health care and economic issues. Nurse advocates can be found sharing their expertise with the community leaders, elected officials, and educational and health care organizations that are seeking to improve health care. Some of the issues nurses can advocate for include payment and poli-
cy solutions, changes to medical processes, legal options and policies that support certain groups of people (e.g., elderly patients, underserved communities, expectant parents, persons with disabilities). Role as an Advocate for Patients Nurses can contribute to improvements in health care. They need communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills to be successful advocates for patients. Carlow University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program equips students with the skills needed for nursing in a variety of health care settings and for roles in which they can become effective advocates for patients.
RELIGION/METRO
A10 MAY 4-10, 2022
Praise & Worship
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
MOTHER’S DAY, MAY 8, 2022
ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH
“The aged WOMEN likewise, that they be in behavior as becoming holiness, not false accusers, not given too much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husband, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Sunday Mass 11 AM Rev. Thomas J. Burke- Pastor Rev. C. Matthew HawkinsParochial Vicar
- Titus 2:3-5
Rev. David H. TaylorSenior Parochial Vicar. www.sbtmparishpgh.com
REV. WALKER SAYS: Older WOMEN in CHRIST have a responsibility to teach the younger WOMEN in the ways of CHRIST.
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800
Blessed Mother’s Day
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.
Attention artists and arts organizations; $450,000 in grants being awarded The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.
The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has launched of its largest grant program to date – the Allegheny Arts Revival Grant – which provides $450,000 to Allegheny County artists and arts organizations, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned. This grant program is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This one-time grant program offers $10,000
in general operating grants to arts and culture organizations that are registered 501(c)3 organizations conducting work in Allegheny County. Individual artists who are 18 years and older, living in Allegheny County are eligible for $5,000 for the creation of new work. Applications open on Monday, May 2, 2022, and are due by Friday, July 1, 2022, at 11:59 p.m.
In its commitment to equity, the Arts Council is prioritizing the support of BIPOC artists and BIPOC-led arts and culture organizations. The Arts Council has committed to ensuring at least 40% of all awarded funds will go to individuals and organizations that identify as BIPOC. The Arts Council has also committed to prioritizing funds to nonprofit arts and culture organizations with budgets of less than $250,000, earmarking 20 of the 35 grants available for these organizations. “Small arts organizations and independent artists often have less capacity to pursue the requirements of federal grants,” said Dr. Veronica Morgan-Lee, Board Chair of the Arts Council, in a release. “The Arts Council elevated its long-standing relation-
ships in the community and government to seek funds on behalf of a committed and richly diverse arts ecosystem.” Interested applicants can attend free information sessions on Monday, May 16, at 5:30 p.m. at Attack Theatre to learn more about the application, eligibility and more. The Arts Council will also host several coffee shop hours, beginning Thursday, May 19, where applicants can drop in for feedback. Funding for the Allegheny Arts Revival Grant comes from an American Rescue Plan grant awarded to the Arts Council late last year. The Arts Council was not previously eligible to apply for these funds; however, through targeted advocacy efforts alongside the United States Urban Arts Federation, American Rescue Plan
grant guidelines were updated to broaden accessibility nationwide to include local arts agencies. “We couldn’t have accessed these federal funds without the support of local representatives Congressman Mike Doyle and Senator Bob Casey who supported the American Rescue Plan, making this funding possible, and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald for his support of the application,” said Mitch Swain, CEO of the Arts Council, in a release. Interested applicants can email grants@pittsburghartscouncil.org with any questions about the grant. For more information on Greater Pittsburgh Art Council grant programs, visit www. pittsburghartscouncil. org/grants/aarg.
Interested applicants can email grants@pittsburghartscouncil.org with any questions about the grant.
METRO/SPORTS
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
MAY 4-10, 2022
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Youth win art awards from the Alliance for Police Accountability
THE ALLIANCE FOR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY held a Youth Art Awards contest, and on March 21, the awards were handed out at Blaqk House Collections, Downtown. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)
AWARDEE MARCEONA BROWN
AWARDEE SONNY WALTERS
Mike Pelaia’s Steelers Draft grade—’B’ Steelers didn’t look too far for their top pick, QB Kenny Pickett The 2022 NFL Draft is officially in the books and the Pittsburgh Steelers are receiving high draft grades from all the pundits. They went out and drafted their next franchise quarterback (at least they think they did) in the first round when they selected Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett. Many think Pickett was the best quarterback in the draft; clearly the Steelers thought so, too, making him the first quarterback off the board with the 20th selection. I’ll agree that Pickett was the most pro-ready quarterback in this draft but I disagreed with selecting Pickett at No. 20 overall for a few reasons. First, I felt the Steelers had even bigger needs than quarterback, believe it or not. I think they should have gone after a center in the first round and my hope was they would have valued Tyler Linderbaum, the center out of Iowa, higher than they did. Linderbaum now sits with the Ravens and the Steelers will need to face him for years to come. Second, I felt the Steelers could have traded back into the latefirst or early second round and
probably still landed Pickett while picking up additional draft capital. This capital would have allowed them to fill other holes along the way; offensive line and cornerback come to mind. Third, I don’t think the Steelers should have drafted any quarterback this year. I’m not suggesting that Mitch Trubisky is the answer, but the team just went out and signed the former number 2 overall pick to a twoyear deal and I think it would have made sense to give the kid a shot at showing what he can do while picking up pieces around him to help build a championship-level team. If he didn’t pan out this year or next, then the Steelers could have gone and gotten their guy. Last, there were other quarterbacks in this class they could have taken later if they chose to pass on Pickett. Malik Willis and Desmond Ridder could have been picked in the second and third rounds and I don’t think they are much behind Pickett in their talent levels. Yet, the Steelers got their guy and I accept that fact. Time will tell if it was the right choice.
The team went over 20 years between Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger, they certainly better hope they aren’t about do to that again. Despite my hesitancy around the Pickett selection, I love their next three selections. Taking wide receiver George Pickens,
out of Georgia, in the second round was a steal, in my opinion. He’s big, tough and one of the best receivers in the draft. He’s going to help Kenny Pickett immediately and will make this offense a tough one to defend. DeMarvin Leal was selected in the third round, the big defensive tackle out of Texas A&M. I think this helps fill a position of need as the Steelers are be-
ginning to age on the defensive line and he can make an impact very early in his career, if not as a rookie. Calvin Austin III, the speedy wide receiver out of Memphis, being taken in the fourth round was also a fantastic selection and again adds an offensive threat to a now-stacked arsenal that already includes Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Pat Freiermuth and Najee Harris. Austin, along with Pickens, will replace the departures of JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington and they will cost significantly less as well. Connor Heyward, the H-back out of Michigan State and brother of the beloved Cam Heyward, doesn’t make much sense to me unless they choose to release fullback Derek Watt. I don’t think Connor Heyward will see much more than special teams and I feel as though this was a charity pick for Cam. I just don’t fall in love with selecting brothers for the sake of saying you have brothers on your team, the way several other folks do. This just wasn’t a position that I felt they needed.
Finally, to wrap up the draft, the Steelers had two seventh-round picks where they selected linebacker Mark Robinson out of Mississippi and quarterback Chris Oladokun out of South Dakota State. It wouldn’t be a draft without the Steelers taking a linebacker and I’m OK with the pick there. The selection of Oladukun is a bit curious given they already had three quarterbacks but he’ll be a camp arm at a minimum, potentially a practice squad guy and possibly, a third-stringer that affords the team to rid themselves of Mason Rudolph. Overall, I believe Pittsburgh had a solid draft and they filled some needs. While I may not wholeheartedly agree with all of their selections and when they selected some of these players, I think they did a solid job of selecting good players who can and will make an impact soon. I’ll give the team a B for their 2022 selections and at the same time I’ll congratulate the retiring GM Kevin Colbert on an amazing career and wish him the best.
A12 MAY 4-10, 2022
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
BUSINESS New Pittsburgh Courier
African American: a defense of the term J. Pharoah Doss Page B4
MAY 4-10, 2022
www.newpittsburghcourier.com
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Find what you need from jobs to cars to housing B5-7
B
Wells Fargo accused of discrimination in lending by Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor
(BlackPressUSA)—“Last month, it was reported that Wells Fargo approved ONLY 47 PERCENT of Black homeowners’ mortgage applications compared to 72 percent of White applicants! We are suing Wells Fargo to demand they CHANGE their practices that are killing Black homeowners opportunities!” Attorney Ben Crump wrote on social media on April 14. Wells Fargo is the largest bank mortgage lender in the U.S. Ben Crump, who is mostly known for repre-
Lauren Victoria Burke
TAKE SOME TIME before you turn in your two-week notice to think about what you really want to do with your career.
Before you give your two-week notice... by DeQuan Smith
Commentary
For New Pittsburgh Courier
senting families of victims of police brutality, has now joined a lawsuit against Wells Fargo. The suit alleged the bank has engaged in racial discrimination in their home-lending practices. Crump has now joined an existing lawsuit filed in February 2022 by Chris Williams. Williams is claiming that Wells Fargo sought to charge him a higher interest rate than his credit score called for. He is a Black homeowner living in Georgia. He refinanced with another mortgage company in 2019. Two other new plaintiffs also joined the suit. “My credit score was just under 800 before I applied. They told me my credit score was 100 points less.” Williams told the media regarding his credit history. “We are deeply disturbed by allegations of discrimination that we believe do not stand up to scrutiny,” Wells Fargo said in a news release on the matter.” These unfounded attacks on Wells Fargo stand in stark contrast to the company’s significant and long-term commitment to closing the minority homeownership gap.” The lawsuit also alleges that Wells Fargo denies home loans to Black borrowers at a higher rate and charges higher interest rates to Black borrowers. On April 11, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander announced that the City will no longer deposit money with Wells Fargo and cited the alleged disproportionate denials of mortgages to Black loan applicants. (Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and the host of the podcast BURKEFILE.)
If you are unhappy with the way your career is progressing or you just don’t like your current job, before you give your two-week notice, take a breath. Finding the perfect job is often like finding a marriage partner. You search for specific qualities and consider whether you can live with any of the obvious negatives you find. Don’t act too hastily when you want to change jobs. Take some time to consider what you really want to do and where you want your career to go. Here are some tips to find out what you really want. Find Your Passion Daydreaming is something that we have all done as children. As adults, we call it visualization. Take some time to visualize yourself in an ideal work environment that suits your personality and skills. That daydream may not be totally realistic, but it may contain elements for a better work environment that you seek. What interested you as a child? This really is an important question. What books interested you? What movies or television shows did you watch and who caught your interest in those? What travel experiences did you have that left an impression? What still interests you?
What do you do well? Make a short list of the things you can do well. What can you do well but don’t like doing? If there are things you are good at but really despise doing, look at related activities. In addition, finding out what you love to do but can’t do well is also helpful. You can receive training to
to pursue a career that demands those skills, but it can help you make accommodations for it. The next step is to act. Try out some of these career ideas. You can explore career options through internships, apprenticeships, and volunteering. Perhaps you can take vacation time from school or
As you look for your perfect job, look for the hidden secrets that may lurk within. You might be offered a great salary, awesome perks, and even a fancy office or exotic working location. But will this be a good fit? improve skills for things you love to do. Often what moves your heart is closer to your true passion than what you think you like or should do in life. Brainstorm possible careers or positions that fit your interests. Explore Your Career Interests Research your career. Talk to a career counselor about what you think is the best career for your passion. Career counselors have tools that can help you narrow down your career search, such as comprehensive career assessment tests. Finding out you have a deficit in one area may not make it impossible
your current job to shadow someone whose career you’d like to explore. There is also nothing wrong with trying on a few career hats until you find one that suits your passion perfectly. Investigate the Culture of a Company Once you find the ideal career and position you would like to explore, find out more about companies that are offering jobs in your field. Look deeply into how the company handles its employees, what its mission statement is, how it deals with customers. Corporate or company culture is often referred to as the personality of the business.
You can find out about a company’s culture through business websites, internet searches, networking, on-site visits, and of course, interviews. The “About” page of a company website often lists who started the company, what its goals are, and its mission and ethics. Internet searches can unearth news about the company. Some websites like Glassdoor have reviews written by employees. Business publications (Business Insider, Entrepreneur, etc.) often have annual lists of companies with the best cultures. Networking is also another way to find out about a company’s culture. Ask friends and mentors. Talk to employees or former employees of a company you are interested in. Talk to college alumni who participated in internships at the company. You can even set up an informational interview with someone at the business just to ask questions. On-site visits are another way to find out more. Take a tour of the facility. Shadow someone in the company or do a brief internship or apprenticeship. You will not be making a long-term commitment, but you can get a better idea of what the company is about by seeing how it feels to work SEE TWO-WEEK NOTICE B2
How she gave her big fat wedding a diet! The average cost of a wedding in 2022 is $30,000. It’s $36,000 once you add in the average cost of an engagement ring. That’s a whole lot of money! That’s a huge financial commitment for the average person. That dear friend is the reason why newlyweds gaze into each other’s eyes and utter these words as the final statement in their vows, “Till Death do us part.” I’m joking. However, if you think about any major financial obligation you’ve ever made, you rationalize and justify the financial outlay by convincing yourself that you’re going to have it for a long-time. When you purchased that home that cost more than you initially budgeted for, you rationalized it being your forever home. When you purchased that car that was more than you initially budgeted for, you rationalized that you’d keep the car for a minimum of 10-years. As such, when you decided to tie the knot, you wanted the fairytale wedding with all the bells and whistles. That comes with a big fat price. A cost you rationalize and justify. This is why I was shocked when I stumbled across an article detailing a couple who got married on a $500 budget. That’s not a typo. I didn’t miss any zeroes. Her dress for the wedding was only $47. Say what!? The average cost of a wedding dress is approximately $3,000. Sure you can find a cheaper wedding dress but $47? Who knew? Sheesh! That’s how you give a big fat wedding a diet. I figured, my readers and I can learn a thing or two from this Budget Diva. The article I read is titled, “I got married in a $47 dress and posted it on TikTok to show that weddings don’t need to be expensive” Google it to read the entire article. I’ll share excerpts from this article which originally appeared in “Insider.”
Kiara Brokenbrough is the woman who’s wedding cost $500. When my husband and I got married in February 2022, we decided to have a small and modest ceremony. He had recently relocated to California to live with me, so we felt that we shouldn’t spend too much and instead chose to save up for our new life together. The dress only cost $47 because I ordered it from SHEIN, a clothing website based in China. I always wanted a more affordable dress to save on costs—we only spent a total of $500 on our wedding ceremony and reception, and that includes the cost of my dress and his $100 tux. Overall, I’m happy that I decided to have a modest and intimate ceremony, and I’m really proud to have spread a message that it’s more important to invest in your marriage than your wedding day or your outfit. Our wedding began with an intimate, 30-person ceremony in an outdoor location that we did not have to pay for. We rented 30 chairs for $76 and a triangle-shaped arch for $230. The flower petals, cake, and the runner on the floor were all gifted to us, and for the reception, we all went to a nearby restaurant where everyone paid for their own food and drink. I read this story a few times in preparation for this article. Yet, I’m still amazed at the fact they pulled off an amazing
wedding for only $500. I thought my wife and I were creative in how we kept our wedding costs down to $6,000. That cost included a wedding, 2 receptions, 2 wedding dresses, 2 Tux’s, and the Honeymoon. We were way under today’s average cost of $30,000 for a wedding but we were a far cry from $500. I’ll share more about how we manage to get our cost down. First, I’d like to share a wedding cost story on the other end of the spectrum. I was recently listening to a Ramsey Solution Podcast. This episode was called, “Help, our wedding is going to cost $500,000. That’s not a typo. I didn’t add too many zeroes. I was just as shocked listening to this $500,000 wedding story as I was reading the $500 wedding story. Below is a summary of his story: He’s 22 years old, making $90,000 per year. He currently resides with his parents. He has no debt. He’s not required to pay rent but he does help out with groceries and household items for the house. He currently has $30,000 in the bank plus he’s saving 15 percent of his income towards retirement. He’s been dating his girlfriend for 6-years. They’re High School Sweethearts. Safe to say, this young man has a good head on his shoulders. He’s doing an amazing job with his money. He called into the show because he’s thinking about moving out of his parents home and getting his own place to live in. He fears that doing so will hamper his ability to save towards
his $500,000 wedding. You’re probably wondering what I was wondering as I was listening. Why a $500,000 wedding? He’s from India. Apparently their wedding celebration is a big extravaganza. In their culture, a wedding celebration and wedding ceremony last an entire week. That’s some serious money for a wedding! That’s a huge financial commitment from the start! I can imagine them gazing into each other’s eyes, reflecting on the cost of their wedding as they say in unison, “Till death do us part!” Then there’s this show on Netflix called Marriage or Mortgage. On this show each couple has saved $30,000. They have to choose if they should use the $30,000 to finance an amazing Wedding or use the $30,000 as a down payment on their first home together. Spoiler alert. Ten couples participated. Half chose marriage. Half chose a mortgage. There was one couple whom I thought was the smartest couple of them all. They eloped, got married on the cheap and used the $30,000 as a down payment on their home. Which would you choose, marriage or mortgage? As for me, here’s how we are able to keep our wedding cost down. We got married on Royal Caribbean Cruise. The wedding package was $3,500. It included a wedding ceremony, A small reception and 7-day cruise/honeymoon. We had a second reception a month later in our hometown. Hence, the reason for two dresses and two tuxedos. Family picked up the majority of the cost. We chipped in with $1,000. The remaining $1,500 was for two gowns and two tuxedos. I rented both my tuxedos. (Damon Carr, Money Coach be reached @ 412216-1013 or visit his website @ www.damonmoneycoach.com)
BUSINESS
B2 MAY 4-10, 2022
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Job retraining necessary in Black community by Sonny Messiah Jiles For New Pittsburgh Courier
Automation is touching our lives daily and letting us function more efficiently. Household conveniences now include vacuum robots and smart home push buttons or voice commands for lights, TVs, security, and even refrigerators. “Powerful new technologies are increasing productivity, improving lives, and reshaping our world. But what happens to our jobs?” That statement and question are from a study by the consulting firm McKinsey & Company concluding that one in three U.S. workers could give up some of their tasks or entire jobs to robots or other artificial intelligence by 2030. An excerpt from the study states, “The shift could be on a scale not seen since the transition of the labor force out of agriculture in the early 1900s in the United States and Europe….” According to another study by MIT and Boston University titled “Robots and Jobs: Evidence from U.S. Labor Markets,” the displacement effect on the workforce will impact manual labor workers who are low and middle-income. This study hits close to home, indicating that Texas and the Rust Belt are among the areas expected to be impacted. Obviously, we need to stop and focus on offsetting the impact of automation and create new jobs.
HISTORY HAS PROVEN THAT TECHNOLOGY can create jobs that don’t even exist today and alter existing jobs that won’t disappear completely but are changing drastically. When you consider that 75 million to 375 million workers may need to switch JOBS and learn new skills, according to the McKinsey study, we as a nation need to pause for the cause and realize how many jobs—especially Black and Brown jobs—will be lost. History has proven that technology can
create jobs that don’t even exist today and alter existing jobs that won’t disappear completely but are changing drastically. Some believe the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic spurred the quicker transition of automation and deepened its reach into our world. But the automation of our world was already underway.
To my surprise, the job categories showing the highest percentage of projected growth according to the McKinsey study include healthcare providers; professionals such as engineers, scientists, accountants, and analysts; IT professionals and other technology specialists; managers and executives whose work cannot easily be replaced by machines; and educators, especially in emerging economies with young populations Also growing are “creatives,” a small but growing category of artists, performers, and entertainers who will be in demand as rising incomes create more demand for leisure and recreation; builders and related professions, particularly in the scenario that involves higher investments in infrastructure and buildings; and manual and service jobs in unpredictable environments, such as home health aides and gardeners. To acquire these high-paying jobs, you must be technically trained. The reality is there will be many who will be displaced in the workforce, especially in the Black and Brown communities. And remember, there will be new jobs that don’t even exist today that we can explore. Knowing the job categories where opportunities exist allows us to prepare for the future or retrain for the present. (Sonny Messiah Jiles is Houston based Defender Network CEO and publisher.)
‘Buy Now Pay Later’ plans drain consumer accounts Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) plans increasingly are being offered as a convenient credit alternative that enables purchases to be made in installments, typically four payments over six weeks. The socalled “fintech” (financial technology) companies offering these plans often advertise them as providing consumers interest-free payments with no impact to credit scores. But consumer groups and economic justice organizations point out that these financial products that already affect 8.42 million consumers may be just another explosive form of predatory lending that exploits unsuspecting consumers through a lack of transparency that usually leads to confusion about the true terms and consequences that come with the product. Without effective regulation, mil-
lions of more consumers could be financially duped by BNPL. Consumers can use BNPL offerings from firms such as Affirm, Klarna, PayPal Pay in 4, Sizzle and others at brick-and-mortar stores like Macy’s, Footlocker, Target, and Walmart, as well as online retailers like Amazon. BNPL purchases require direct payment deductions from either credit or debit cards. Because each BNPL purchase comes with its own set of payment due dates—unlike the fixed payment date for a credit card bill—these ongoing deductions can easily lead to consumers incurring additional bank fees assessed for insufficient funds and overdrafts. And many BNPL transactions do not automatically come with product return and/ or fraud protections that credit cards offer. Instead,
Charlene Crowell
Commentary these credit terms are currently at the discretion of BNPL providers. As a result, consumers can end up with no merchandise, while their money still is being taken from debit or credit card accounts. Complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Better Business Bureau have noted several consumer issues including lack of information about initiating disputes, delays in receiving refunds, and continued demand for repayment from BNPL lenders. This past November, Marisabel Torres, the Center for Responsible Lend-
ing’s Director of California Policy testified to Congress that BNPL loans typically are designed to avoid coverage under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA. “That law excludes from the definition of “creditor” one who extends credit that doesn’t require a finance charge and is repayable in four or fewer installments… The fact that this appears to be a “free credit” product raises the question: What’s the catch?” “It turns out there are a number of catches—some demonstrable, some potential—which require regulatory attention and response,” added Torres. Advocates say many adverse effects could be avoided if BNPL lenders were required to verify a consumer’s ability to repay before the first loan was made. Instead, like payday loans, each billing
cycle tends to worsen, rather than improve, the borrower’s financial position, dragging them deeper into the debt trap. Just a month later, in December 2021, consumer and economic justice advocates applauded the CFPB when it announced that it would open an inquiry into large BNPL lenders. “In opening this inquiry, the Consumer Bureau is taking a great first step in learning about this industry and toward preventing harm to consumers,” said CRL’s Torres. Without vigilant monitoring and appropriate regulation, Torres and other advocates warn that products promising to promote financial inclusion may instead exacerbate financial exclusion. This March, a coalition
of 77 organizations representing national consumer organizations and advocates in 16 states and the District of Columbia, sent a letter urging CFPB to treat BNPL as a form of credit, and to subject lenders offering the products to regulation under appropriate consumer financial protection laws such as TILA , This law requires responsible underwriting, fee disclosures, and the ability to dispute charged items. Without regulation, the rising use of BNPL could bring new financial harms to consumers, especially those with the fewest financial resources.
(Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@ responsiblelending.org.)
Before you give your two-week notice... TWO-WEEK NOTICE FROM B1
there. And, of course, asking questions during a job interview can give you an opportunity to ask how an employer about company culture. Everything Glamorous Isn’t Always Gold As you look for your perfect job, look for the hidden secrets that may lurk within. You might be offered a great salary, awesome perks, and even a fancy office or exotic working location. But will this be a good fit? Consider the company’s culture, your own values, your goals, and your known dealbreakers. What will you not tolerate in a new position? Are there practices that make you uncomfortable? Not every door that is opened means you must walk through it. Look for hidden secrets within the employees. Are there cliques within the business? Is there gossip or complaining? Who is the most vocal? Is there any bad mouthing of the company among employees? Are co-workers constantly job-hopping? If any of this exists, there is a serious issue internally. These behaviors don’t foster good team-building or productivity. Don’t Make Money Your Goal Many people think that making a lot of money is the goal of any successful career. Financial security is a proper motivator, but it shouldn’t be the primary reason to pursue any profession. This can limit your options and lead to deadend positions. If you are pursuing your passion because it’s a part of how you identify yourself and it’s what drives you every single day, then that becomes
your motivation for coming to work. Because you are following your heart, you’re rewarded through financial means. Your passion doing what you love often earns the respect of your peers and your supervisors. This combined with good work can boost you toward higher levels of success. Take some time before you turn in your two-week notice to think about what you really want to do with your career. (Note: Advice given here comes from Tidbits for the Emerging Pineapple Professional by Dr. DeQuan M. Smith and Davonne Reeves.) (Dr. Smith is a globally-recognized educator, author, career strategist, and contributor in the higher education field. Dr. Smith currently serves as the Associate Director of Graduate Education and the Co-Director of Career Services at Morehouse School of Medicine. As an educator, he employs an integrated mix of educational and practical approaches to his work, using a variety of modalities, while encouraging critical thinking, personal growth, teamwork, and cultural diversity. Whether in the classroom or as an industry executive, he strives to inspire students and employees to become dynamic leaders. As a servant leader, his commitment to collaboration, dedication to inclusion, data-informed decision making, creativity, and ability to unmask hidden potential within individuals allows him to provide motivation to the current and emerging leaders entering the workforce.)
OPINION
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
MAY 4-10, 2022
B3
Where are we with COVID?
Guest Editorial
Double standards generate double jeopardy Brittney Griner is an African American female basketball player currently detained in Russia for allegedly being caught with an illegal substance. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and player for the WBNA’s Phoenix Mercury, was accused by Russian authorities of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance, an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Her arrest has been extended until May 19, according to Russian news agency TASS. Griner, a top-rated basketball player in the United States, has traveled back and forth to Russia to play basketball. It is said that her salary in Russia far surpasses what she makes in the United States due to huge disparities in the amount of money female athletes make in comparison to what their male counterparts make. Griner has been behind bars in Russia since February. Though she has been in this predicament since that time, very little is being said about her plight due to the suggestion that people close to her don’t want to have a lot said about her because it could create more trouble for her. This may be why one of our own citizens, an accomplished African American female athlete, is languishing behind bars with very little attention publicly given to the matter. Though it may be true that Griner might fare better if people around her don’t stir up controversy, it’s also true that if an African American male athlete who is her counterpart was incarcerated in Russia, things would be quite different. For example, it would not be hard to imagine how things would be going if Lebron James was being detained in a Russian prison. You could rest assured that the low din that we hear now would have increased into a mighty roar by now. It is unimaginable that the collective noise of dissent would be this muted if one of our top male athletes was detained. Brittney Griner is top caliber; it is said that she is the breakout star of the WNBA. Her male counterpart in a similar situation would not be almost invisible. One of the reasons, aside from not stirring up controversy in order to keep from antagonizing her adversaries in Russia, is the meme going around that she committed a crime. People who are demonstrating less than sympathy for Griner are quick to point out that she broke the law and therefore deserves whatever punishment is coming to her. This may be true, but it is also true that she is being treated differently by people in the United States. It’s almost as though she is dispensable because she is a Black female athlete and not a celebrated male! Hopefully, the tables will turn in Griner’s favor, but whether they do or do not, and she ends up serving time, it is still true that she is treated differently probably because she is a woman! Which brings us to the point that there are still double standards when dealing with males and females in the United States. Let’s face it; American society is very misogynistic, and even more daunting, demonstrates misogynoir; i.e., misogyny specifically targeting Black women. It would be easy to point a finger at men in this regard, but the sad fact is that Black women tend to be just as guilty when it comes to devaluing and justifying the mistreatment of Black women. This is why the women and girls involved in the R. Kelly debacle get so much flack from the public for coming forth with their allegations. Women in America are seen as “less than,” which is one of the reasons why high-profile women garner a disproportionate amount of opposition from the public, even though, if the truth be told, they are doing a disproportionate amount of the work keeping families and our society together. It is a truism that it takes two to tango; opposites attract and bond. Between any two things, balance is generated because each one brings a specific quality to the pairing. Black communities are severely off balance as evidenced by reports that over 78 percent of all households are headed by single women who are, ironically, blamed for that predicament. Misogynoir is a problem that must be solved if our communities are to survive and thrive. The community will remain compromised until we realize that men and women must act as equal partners, and that misogynoir-generated double jeopardy is an impediment to the formation of healthy, balanced communities! A Luta Continua. (Reprinted from the Chicago Crusader)
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(TriceEdneyWire.com)— I don’t know about you, but I am sometimes confused about circumstances which dictate our compliance and action, and what those appropriate actions must/should be. COVID created that type of conundrum for me and millions of others. The 81 million US COVID cases and the 990,000 American COVID related deaths suggest a breakdown in understanding the seriousness and avoidance of this dreaded disease. Initially, we were told that facial masks were unnecessary. Later, we were all told to mask up. Some did. Others refused. Later, we were told that masks were only necessary indoors. For their survival, some businesses and many restaurants began setting up outdoors. For the sake of public health, many businesses and local jurisdictions elected to err on the side of caution and demand masking compliance. Some of us really want to do the right thing, but don’t know what the “real” right thing is! We do know that some never took the vaccine or booster, and never took their children to be vaccinated. We do know that we had more cases of the virus than necessary, and far too many people died. After two years of discomfort, my concern is that we have lapsed into a dangerous state of indifference. Panic no longer informs our conduct, and our own arrogance lies by telling us, “It can’t happen to you or anyone you love.” Political hacks exploit COVID for their personal advantage and be-
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Commentary come “pandemic experts” who peddle a false sense of invulnerability to the masses. I wish for the time when collective efforts against COVID was driven by public health officials who spoke scientific truth. Sadly, an active mob of COVID deniers have bullied and threatened public health officials across the nation into silence. Where is Dr. Fauci? Where is the Director of the CDC? I want reassurance from Dr. Kavita Patel or others of a like mind. Instead of self-serving political hacks, I would rather have competent public health officials provide guidance to direct the prevention of a reemergence of this disease. For over two years, we have been told to wear masks indoors and outdoors, and on public transportation. This guidance included the wearing masks on airplanes, trains, and other public transportation. Although there was resistance to these masking requirements, most rational adults accepted them as necessary and lifesaving. Unfortunately, those who bastardize and distort the defi-
nition of “FREEDOM” to mean “I can do what I want when I want,” recurringly initiate episodes of resistant violence on aircraft and other modes of public transit. Now, unqualified judges are getting in the act. Without hearing testimony, District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle exercised her medical expertise and invalidated the mask mandate on public transportation. Rated as “Unqualified” by the ABA, Mizelle’s ruling was in direct opposition to a planned extension of the mask mandate to combat the spread of the new COVID variant, ba2. Those on the radical right assert that the government has no authority to force us to wear masks, take vaccinations, or boosters. That seems strangely inaccurate since the government can force us to pay income tax, possess a drivers’ license if we drive, qualify for professional licenses, pay property taxes, pay child support or alimony, or get something called a “real id!” Now, if we must comply with those requirements forced upon us by the government, why must we suffer with false claims of the right of exemption from the mask? Someone please explain why it is wrong to protect our health as well as the health of those around us. (Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. is a minister, a UN Peace Ambassador, President of the Dick Gregory Society, author of “Dick Gregory: Wake Up and Stay Woke,” and Host of “Wake Up and Stay Woke” on WPFW-FM-89.3 radio.)
A new dream team of federal judges Something amazing just happened in the U.S. Capitol. On one day, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for five extraordinary women of color who have been nominated to federal judgeships by President Joe Biden. This judicial Dream Team will make our courts more representative of the American people. As judges, they will make our system more just. And they are building on an already exceptional record by the Biden White House and the Senate’s Democratic leadership to nominate and confirm what is by far the most diverse set of federal judges ever. What a difference an election makes. Two-thirds of Trump’s judges were White men. In contrast, twothirds of Biden’s judicial nominees, and more than three-quarters of his nominees to the important circuit courts of appeal—the level just below the Supreme Court—have been people of color. And that’s in addition to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who will soon be sworn in as the first Black woman ever to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. The Far Right did everything they could to try to smear Judge Jackson and derail her confirmation. Her qualifications and character were unquestionable, so they resorted to utterly shameful distortions about her record. They failed to block Judge Jackson’s confirmation, but that hasn’t stopped them from running the same unprincipled playbook against civil rights lawyer Nancy Abudu, who has been nominated to serve on the 11th Circuit Court. The same groups that attacked Judge Jackson tried to smear
Ben Jealous
Commentary Abudu. But I am convinced they will fail for the same reasons. Here, very briefly, are the latest members of the judicial Dream Team made possible by voters who elected President Joe Biden and took control of the Senate away from obstructionist-in-chief Mitch McConnell: Nancy Abudu is a civil rights advocate who spent years defending voting rights, freedom of speech, religious liberty, equality under law, and other core constitutional principles. She helped defend a six-yearold Black student turned away from school on the first day of first grade because of his hairstyle. She will be the first Black woman to serve on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Michelle Childs is a federal district judge nominated by President Barack Obama in 2010; President Biden has nominated her to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals; he strongly considered her for the Supreme Court this year. In her years on the bench, Judge Childs has earned bipartisan respect for fairness while protecting voting rights and equal treatment in the courtroom. Natasha Merle has been nominated as a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York. In her public-interest legal career she has served as a public defender in death penalty cases and as a civil rights attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where she is dep-
uty director of litigation, working to make real the promises of justice and equality. Nusrat Jahan Choudhury has also been nominated as a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York. Her legal work at the American Civil Liberties Union has addressed racial disparities in law enforcement and unfair treatment of low-income people in the legal system. She will be the first Muslim woman to serve as a lifetime federal judge. Ana Isabel de Alba has been nominated as a federal judge in the Eastern District of California, where she will be the first Latina judge. As a lawyer, she fought against barriers to justice facing mistreated farmworkers like her mother and advocated for immigrants’ rights. Since 2018 she has been a California Superior Court Judge in Fresno County. If you ever notice yourself feeling too cynical to vote, or so fed up with slow progress or broken promises that you’re tempted to stay away from the ballot box, think about these women and remember this: President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans filled our federal courts with young and often unqualified judges committed to the same ideology as the Supreme Court justices who are stomping on voting rights, civil rights, workers’ rights, and more. We need more judges who will be a voice for justice. Having five such women appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the same day was a remarkable sign of the progress that can be made when we elect leaders who are committed to making progress and serving justice. (Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.)
A master pastor and a master teacher by A. Peter Bailey (TriceEdneyWire.com)—The late South African leader, Nelson Mandela was quoted as saying that “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., Pastor Emeritus of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ, is blessed with that formidable combination. In over forty years as a church leader, he has made huge contributions to the ongoing war for economic, cultural and political justice in this country and in Africa. Because of Rev. Wright’s valuable contributions, he was recently honored by Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel. Nearly 1,000 people, including many students, paid tribute to someone whom the Chapel’s Dean, Rev. Bernard L. Richardson, PhD lauded as “A symbol and a reality of what the church is supposed to be.” Equal praise for Rev. Wright came from Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, Senior Pastor of
Friendship—West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. He praised him as being “Without question one of the greatest liberating and prophetic people ever to walk on this planet.” Pastor Wright, who was in a wheel chair due to a stroke, humbly thanked those in attendance. Because of the stroke, he spoke in a low voice that still greatly inspired those listening. While listening to him I thought about a 2008 speech he made at an event hosted by the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, during which he said “Liberation and transformation has been the bedrock of our preaching and practices for the past 36 years. In fact, our congregation took a stand against apartheid when the government of our country was supporting the racists of the Afrikaner government in South Africa…. Our congregation built two senior citizens housing complexes and has run two children programs for the poor, the unemployed and low-income parents in Southside
Chicago for the past 30 years…. Our congregation feeds over 5,000 homeless and needy people every year while our government cuts food stamps and spends billions of dollars fighting an unjust war in Iraq…. Our congregation awarded over one million dollars to graduating high seniors going into college and an additional one-half million to the United Negro College Fund….” In 2012, I heard Rev. Wright defend what he considered the true legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. against those who were reducing him to “I Have a Dream” and “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top.” Rev. Wright insisted that Dr. King, in both speeches, made powerful statements that supported his strong commitment to the causes of racial and economic justice. All of the above clearly show why so many people showed up to honor Rev. Wright as a Master Pastor and a Master Teacher with a good head and a good heart.
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MAY 4-10, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Thirty years after the flames— The L.A. Riots It’s a ritual with me. On the 10th, 20th, 25th, and now the 30th anniversary of the L.A. riots, I visit several of the same burnedout empty lots in South L.A. I ask: “Why years after the riots these empty lots where thriving businesses once stood are still empty today.” I quickly point out that in those years—no, decades—many parts of Los Angeles from the westside to downtown have been virtually remade. Billions have been poured into the construction of glitzy, pricey, showy, and functional office buildings, retail stores, boutiques, restaurants, hi-tech centers, and lite industry and manufacturing enterprises. The building bonanza has resulted in thousands of new construction, entry-level and professional jobs. In the process, it’s enriched the tax coffers of the city and surrounding cities. The lame excuse is that there’s no economic incentive to build in South L.A. won’t fly; residents spend millions on consumer goods and services, tens of thousands are well-to-do business professionals and tradespeople, and they repeatedly clamor for quality retail, restaurant, and service business in South L.A. But the lots remain empty. Worse, many neighborhoods in South L.A. have been gentrified, young Blacks and Hispanics have been priced out of the housing market, and the homeless in South L.A. and other parts of the city have reached epic proportions. My mind, though, continually goes back to those two fateful days at the end of April and the first day of May 1992. I ducked around police cordons and barricades. I cringed in fear and anxiety at the cackle of police gunfire and the non-stop roar of fire engines and sirens all around my house in South L.A. I choked, gagged on, and was blinded by the thick, acrid smoke that at times blotted out the sun and gave an eerie surreal Dante’s Hell feel to Los Angeles. I watched many Los Angeles Police Department officers stand by virtually helpless and disoriented as looters gleefully made mad dashes into countless stores. Their arms bulged with everything from clothes to furniture items. I watched
Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Commentary an armada of police from every district throughout California and the nation, National Guard units, and federal troops drive past my house with stony—even scared— looks on their faces, but their guns at ready. I watched buildings, stores, and malls that I frequented instantly disappear from the landscape in a wall of flames. The warning signs that L.A. was a powder keg were there long before the Simi Valley jury (with no Blacks) acquitted the four LAPD cops who beat Rodney King. There was the crushingly epidemic poverty rate in South L.A.; a spiraling crime and drug epidemic; neighborhoods that were among the most racially balkanized in the nation; anger over the hand slap sentence for a Korean grocer who murdered a teenage Black girl, LaTasha Harlins, in an altercation; and Black-Korean tensions that had reached a boiling point. And above all, there was the bitter feeling toward an LAPD widely branded as the nation’s perennial poster police agency for brutality and racism. This year, on the 30th anniversary of the King verdict and the L.A. riots, many still ask the incessant question: Can it happen again? The prophets, astrologers, and psychics couldn’t answer a question like that with absolute certainty. But there are two hints that give both a “yes” and “no” answer to the question. The yes is the repeated questionable killings of young, unarmed African Americans by police, such as George Floyd and the most recent, Patrick Loyoya. This continues to toss the ugly glare on the always fragile, tenuous, and at times openly hostile relations between African Americans and the police. The other cause for wariness is conditions in South L.A. and other urban communities. in 2005, on the fortieth anniversary of the other L.A. riots that ripped the nation, The Watts Riots, the L.A. chapter of the National Urban League and the United Way issued an unprecedented report on the State of Black L.A. The report called the conditions in South L.A. dismal, stating that Blacks still had higher school drop-out rates, greater homelessness, died younger and in greater numbers, were more likely to be jailed and serve longer sentences, and were by far more likely to be victims of racial hate crimes than any other group in L.A. County. The report has not been updated, but even the most cursory drive through the old riot areas still shows that for many residents little has changed. The one exception is the epic homelessness crisis plainly evident in many South L.A. areas. The L.A. riots are no longer the national and world symbol of American urban racial destruction, neglect, and despair. But they are still a cautionary tale; a warning that in the still Trump era, the poverty, violence, and neglect that made the L.A. riots symbolic may not have totally evaporated thirty years after the flames. The empty lots remain an ugly testament to that.
(Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.)
African American: a defense of the term In 1988 Rev. Jesse Jackson urged Black Americans to drop the adjective “Black” and replace it with “African”. Jackson argued that “Black” no longer described “our” situation in America. The term African American was used for decades. Then Jesse Jackson fell from grace and his “invented term” fell out of favor. Motown legend Smokey Robinson recently told an interviewer he hated being called an African American. Robinson said the term disclaimed all the contributions that Black people have made to America. Many Black conservatives rejected the term because they felt more American than African. Other Black people said they preferred “Black” because they weren’t from Africa. Since the number of African immigrants in the United States has tripled since the 1990s, many Black Americans believe the term African American more accurately describes these immigrants and not them. Moreover, the adjective African is not synonymous with Black, White billionaire Elon Musk was born in Africa and is also an American. These reasons don’t take into account two details. 1). Many people from the African continent who have immigrated to the U.S. think the term “African American” should only refer to Black Americans because the term omits their specific cultural heritage. People from Ghana, Liberia, Niger, Ethiopia, etc., have different languages, cultures, and histories. These immigrants prefer to be identified by their nationality or their specific African ethnic group. No one collectively labels people from France, Germany, and Italy as Europeans nor are Canadians and Mexicans lumped together as North Americans. 2). Jesse Jackson didn’t just conjure up the term. At the start of the African slave trade,
J. Pharoah Doss
Check It Out Portugal and Spain labeled their captives by their dark skin color because they didn’t know the differences between tribes. Therefore, all dark Africans became Negroes. After the American slaves were emancipated, the Spanish word for “Black” stuck. Later, a Baltimore publisher believed the descendants of slaves formed their own ethnic group in America and should be named accordingly. In 1892 this publisher created one of the first Black newspapers in the United States, and it was called the Afro-American. Jesse Jackson simply replaced the prefix for Africa with the whole term African. There are two more problems with these reasons. 1). They’re superficial. 2). They don’t put the “post-slavery identity crisis” into historical context. Historically, Negro is a White supremacist term. It was always a badge of inferiority. Then second-class citizenship became synonymous with—Negro—after the Supreme Court legalized segregation in 1896. In 1903 W.E.B. Dubois studied the post-slavery identity crisis and defined it as “double-consciousness”. Dubois explained Negroes always feel their two-ness—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two warring ideals in one dark body. The Negro simply wishes to make it possible to be both a Negro and an American, but a segregated society won’t allow the merger. The Supreme Court eventually declared
segregation unconstitutional in 1954 based on the results of an experiment with Black and White baby dolls that proved segregation produced a negative self-image in Negro children. The Negro children preferred the White doll, rejected playing with the Black doll, and wanted to be White instead of Negro. Double-consciousness evolved into an inferiority complex. At this point, the Negro community realized looking at themselves through the eyes of White America was to their detriment. As Civil Rights victories accumulated during the 1960s, the word Negro was replaced with Black and Black communities began to promote “Black pride”. However, John Oliver Killens wrote in Black Man’s Burden, “The root of the problem is the Negro Invention. So now here comes the question: Who will uninvent the Negro? It is important for us to know that our history did not begin with slavery’s scars.” Switching from the Spanish term Negro to the English word black didn’t uninvent the Negro. Promoting “Black pride” addressed the inferiority complex but not double-consciousness. When Jesse Jackson said “Black” no longer describes our situation in America, he meant Black people were no longer a permanent fixture at the bottom of White supremacy. More importantly, the term African American eliminated double-consciousness, the warring of the soul was over. The former Negro was now a descendant from Africa who can simultaneously be an American. Those were the guiding principles behind the term African American. But defending the term is hopeless when celebrities like hip hop icon Suge Knight stated he’d rather be called an N-word than an African American.
The crisis of Black Power, morality, illegal drugs and narcoviolence, Part I Every day, all-day long critics of the Black community—“and they are legion”—argue that Black people, particularly the so-called Black underclass, have lost their traditional moral and family values. They claim that is the major cause of the upsurge of drugs and narcoviolence in the Black community. So, they call for moral counseling and a whole lot of praying to stop the dope and violence. This greatly reassures and misleads a whole lot of Black folks. Often times, we believe divine intervention will chase away the drugs and violence, without a long hard struggle, or any sacrifice of our time or resources. We are wrong on all counts. In the real world, morality without power is lame, and power without morality is blind. First and foremost, the crisis of drugs and narcoviolence in the Black community is a crisis of Black Power, but that is often completely overlooked. Today’s flourishing open drug markets in the Black community are the direct descendants of the earlier so-called “Red-light districts” in the Black community that African American people did not have the power to stamp out. Over 50 years ago, Malcolm X said Black people must control the politics and economics of their communities. He also said, “(We) have to get together and remove the…drug addiction” that is “destroying…our community.” That’s Black Power. Some Black people are still confused about the “Black Power” Movement. It arose during the 1960s Black Freedom Movement for Black autonomy, Black respect, and self-defense. The hypocritical mainstream news media attacks Black Power as “too racial” and in the very same breath the media describes
Fred Logan
Commentary crime in the Black community in the most blatant racial terminology, that is as “Blackon-Black crime.” We should not let anyone convince us that Black Power is a bad thing. Black power is a good thing. The United States struts everywhere and boasts to everybody that it is the world’s only “superpower.” So, who can deny the Black community the right to Black Power? On the one hand, the Black community is condemned for not owning up to its social obligations. On the other, it has historically been denied the political and economic power it needs to address these obligations. W.E.B. Dubois said that long ago in Dusk of Dawn. These critics also ignore the reality that the Black struggle against dope has always been a moral struggle. It is the most profound moral statement against illegal drugs that anybody in Pittsburgh has made. Action speaks louder than words. The countless anti-drug activities by Black community groups, churches, and by unorganized people at large have been moral statements. The countless drug rehabilitation programs that Black folks in Pittsburgh have initiated over the past half-century are moral statements. It is also conveniently overlooked by these critics that Black low-income residents have
long been at the fore front of the African American struggle against illegal drugs. Outdoor drug markets thrive in Pittsburgh’s poor Black neighborhoods. These markets logically seek out the most marginalized parts of the city. Power, not morality, dictates where open drug markets do business in the USA. Illegal drugs have been sold on the street near Black churches and African American day care centers. But you can bet it is never sold on the street near big-time European American brothels or Trump’s Mar-A-Lago compound. These wholesale condemnations of poor Black people are also blatantly racist. Black and White critics alike are quick to blame Black parents, particularly single Black mothers for their children’s illegal drug activities. Black mothers have been blamed for every problem in the Black community. The former US senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan argued decades ago Black mothers were too strong, too dominating. Mainstream pundits now say Black mothers are too weak. But these critics never fault ex-US vice president Al Gore, or the former governor of Florida Jeb Bush, or other upper income White parents when their children buy or sell illegal drugs. Just try to find that in the news media. A March 24, 2004 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette front page investigation on illegal drugs in the city’s majority-White suburbs had to perform some racially-sensitive editorial footwork to clarify itself. The article “Heroin’s hold” had a subheading in bold type, “Don’t blame parents.” With more honesty, it should have read “Don’t blame White parents”.
Sorry, but you’re probably not a billionaire by Oseye Boyd The news of Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter had many people wringing their hands in consternation of what this will mean for the social media platform. Count me among those concerned about how Musk could change the platform to allow hate speech, harassment, etc. to flourish on Twitter as he strictly adheres to his belief in freedom of speech. It’s here that I note free speech doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences to that speech. Another point that often gets lost in the free speech conversation, is “freedom of speech” as it’s referred to in the First Amendment applies to government. Government can’t punish people for criticizing it—except in certain situations such as sedition. Private individuals, organizations and businesses can tell you to hush, and Twitter can ban you (for now). Obviously, the First Amendment is important to me, but this column isn’t about that. I’m more concerned with the inequality of wealth that Musk’s purchase of Twitter has highlighted. Musk, the richest person in the world —around $273 billion—owns Tesla and SpaceX. How many zeroes are in $273 billion? The number is as unreal as Puff the Magic Dragon to me. That many of us talk about billions like it’s thousands lets me know I’m not alone in
my inability to understand just how much money that is. I remember a friend asked people what they would do if they won say $500 million. The answers were buy a house, a car and save the rest. When she said, but you have $500 million, they’d think about it and say they’d buy a house for their parents or children. My point? Most of us don’t have any concept of $500 million let alone $273 billion. Because we have a lot of thousand-aires in this country, we may miss the reality that wealth inequality exists. It’s bigger than the racial wealth gap. White Americans need to know there’s a wealth gap that affects them as well. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but chances are you’re not among the 0.00001 percent of the richest Americans, which is about 18 households. They had an average net worth of about $66 billion each in 2020, according to a study by economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman. According to a New York Times article, “Since 1980, the incomes of the very rich have grown faster than the economy. The upper middle class has kept pace with the economy, while the middle class and poor have fallen behind.” The article goes on to say, “the bourgeois professional class—essentially, households with incomes in the low-to-mid six figures but without major wealth—is not so much different from the middle class and poor. All of these groups are grappling with slow-growing incomes, high medical costs,
student debt and so on.” Wealth and income is divided into the top 1 percent, the bottom 90 percent and the upper middle class, which earns between $120,000 to $425,000 after taxes, makes up the 90th to 99th percentiles of income distribution. The data is sobering, especially when you think about the disdain Americans have for those living in poverty, and how many of us believe we’re middle class to upper middle class. I know many of us believe one day, we, too, will become a billionaire, but you probably won’t. If it was easily attainable, there would be more. This data shouldn’t just give you a jolt of reality; it should also make you want to do something about massive wealth inequality and what that means for the majority. We live in a country that espouses majority rules, however, when it comes to wealth, the minority rules. The uber rich—think the Koch brothers, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg—wield an inordinate amount of power and political influence in our country. Whether these people use their money, power and influence for good or bad is a matter of perspective and irrelevant. The American press has made a big deal out of Russian oligarchs recently, but says very little about the equivalent in the U.S.A. We’ve been lulled to sleep by the American dream—a dream that won’t actualize for the majority of Americans.
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SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is seeking input from the public on the following important draft documents that will advance investments in the region’s transportation plan: • Draft 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which identifies the region’s priority roadway, transit, and multimodal transportation improvements programmed for advancement over the next four years • Environmental Justice Benefits and Burdens Assessment of the Draft 2023-2026 TIP • Air Quality Conformity Determination for the Draft 2023-2026 TIP • Amendment to the region’s long-range transportation plan SmartMoves for a Changing Region to reflect updated revenue projections and a revised project list including project phasing and cost information included in Draft 2023-2026 TIP Beginning Monday, May 9, 2022, these draft documents will be available for public review on the internet at www.spcregion.org. Three virtual public meetings will be held that will provide an overview of the draft documents, updates on project advancement, and opportunities for the public to ask questions and submit comments. One virtual meeting will be held for each of the three southwestern Pennsylvania PennDOT Districts, which serve multiple counties in the region. All virtual meetings will be recorded and made available online. VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS Wednesday, May 18, 2022 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PennDOT District 10 (Armstrong, Butler, Indiana Counties) Access Meeting: www.spcregion.org Thursday, May 26, 2022 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PennDOT District 11 (Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence Counties, and the City of Pittsburgh) Access Meeting: www.spcregion.org Wednesday, June 1, 2022 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PennDOT District 12 (Fayette, Greene, Washington, Westmoreland Counties) Access Meeting: www.spcregion.org In-Person Public Meeting Fayette County 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Fayette Chamber of Commerce 65 W Main St #107, Uniontown, PA 15401 Comments on the draft documents will be accepted by SPC representatives during each virtual public meeting. Written comments may also be submitted to comments@spcregion.org, by mail to SPC Comments at Two Chatham Center, Suite 500, 112 Washington Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, or by fax to (412) 391-9160. All comments must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Upon consideration of public comments received, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will consider approval of the draft documents at their meeting at 4:30 p.m., on Monday, June 27, 2022. This meeting will be held at Two Chatham Center, 112 Washington Place, 4th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. In the event that this meeting must be held virtually due to COVID-19, notices will be posted at www.spcregion.org and at SPC’s offices. For individuals without access to the internet, paper copies of draft materials will be mailed upon request. SPC will respond to requests for paper copies as soon as possible. To request paper copies, please contact Shannon O’Connell at (412) 391-5590, ext. 334 or soconnell@spcregion.org. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is committed to compliance with nondiscrimination requirements of civil rights statutes, executive orders, regulations, and policies applicable to the programs and activities it administers. Accordingly, SPC is committed to ensuring that program beneficiaries receive public participation opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, or economic status. SPC will provide auxiliary services for individuals with language, speech, sight, or hearing needs, provided the request for assistance is made 3 days prior to the virtual meeting. SPC will attempt to satisfy requests made with less than 3 days’ notice as resources allow. Please make your request for auxiliary services to Shannon O’Connell at (412) 391-5590, ext. 334 or soconnell@spcregion.org. If you believe you have been denied participation opportunities, or otherwise discriminated against in relation to the programs or activities administered by SPC, you may file a complaint using the procedures provided in our complaint process document or by contacting SPC’s Title VI Coordinator by calling (412) 391-5590. For more information, or to obtain a Title VI Discrimination Complaint Form, please see our website at: www.spcregion.org or call 412-391-5590. TRANSIT SERVICE INFORMATION For information regarding transit services in Allegheny County, please call Port Authority Customer Service at 412-442-2000. For transit information in other counties, please visit: www.commuteinfo.org/comm_trans.shtml or call 1-888-819-6110. This notice satisfies the program of projects requirements of the Urbanized Area Formula Program of the Federal Transit Administration for Beaver County Transit Authority, Butler Transit Authority, Fayette Area Coordinated Transit, Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority, Port Authority of Allegheny County, Washington County Transportation Authority/Freedom Transit, Westmoreland County Transit Authority, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, and CommuteInfo, a program of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.
PUBLIC NOTICE MID MON VALLEY TRANSIT AUTHORITY (MMVTA), CHARLEROI, PA DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) FY 2023, 2024 AND 2025 GOAL The MMVTA is proposing a 1.5% DBE goal for FFY 2023, 2024 and 2025 for DBE participation in contracting opportunities funded by the Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) pursuant to Federal Regulations 49 CFR, Part 26. The proposed goal and its rationale are available for review during normal business hours, for 30 calendar days following the date of notice by contacting Nancy Basile, DBE Liaison Officer MMVTA, 1300 McKean Ave, Charleroi, PA 15022, 724-489-0880 or nbasile@mmvta.com. Written comments on the goals will be accepted for 45 calendar days after publication of this notice. Firms interested in contracting opportunities are encouraged to contact the MMVTA above or by using the Vendor Registration Form at www.MMVTA.com. The MMVTA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex in the administration of their DBE program or the requirements of Title 49 CFR Part 26.
HACP HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM RELAUNCH The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) is pleased to announce that effective Monday, May 16, 2022, 8:00 a.m., the HACP will relaunch our Homeownership Program. The HACP Homeownership Program aims to expand and provide opportunities for low to moderately low income families and families having members with disabilities to purchase a home in the City of Pittsburgh. The program also seeks to help HACP residents build wealth and move toward self-sufficiency. Please review the Homeownership PowerPoint and the MTW homeownership program update on the HACP website at https://hacp.org/housing/ home-ownership/ for program eligibility criteria. Additional information is available by contacting HACP’s Homeownership Administrator, Titus Morris at home.ownership@hacp.org. HACP conducts 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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Bids/Proposals
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ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR THE MANCHESTER REDEVELOPMENT IFB NO. 2022-38-G-E-P-M ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION will receive separate sealed bids for the Manchester Redevelopment. The construction work is estimated to begin in November 2022. The estimated values of the project are in the following ranges General Construction: $7,000,129.82 - $10,196,887.87; Electrical Construction: $429,377.33 - $625,461.61; Plumbing Construction: $375,427.91 - $546,875.04; Mechanical Construction: $371,713.41 - $541,464.24. Bid Documents will be available on or about Monday, April 25, 2022 and may be obtained from the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s webpage, www.hacp.org. Bidders may register on the website and download the bid documents free of charge. A Virtual Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. virtually at the following link: Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/93645753832? pwd=VE9NRGpPMWw0SGtnS 2diV3c2U2UxUT09 Meeting ID: 936 4575 3832 Passcode: 302603 One tap mobile +19292056099,,93645753832#,,,,*302603# US (New York) +13017158592,,93645753832#,,,,*302603# US (Washington DC) Bids will be received at: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Attn: Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement until 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at which time and place all bids will be received. Bids will be received at: Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on June 7, 2022 at the HACP Procurement Department, 100 Ross Street, Suite 200, Pittsburgh PA 15219 Attn: Kim Detrick, Chief Procurement Officer. Due to COVID, the bid opening on June 7, 2022 at 10:00AM will be conducted virtually via Zoom. Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/91456157041?pwd=c3hoNHQ5VUZQSUxhZGdkaWZDMVR3QT09. Copies of bid documents are not available for in person pickup. Bid Documents, including the Bid Forms, Project Manual, and Drawings, may be obtained from the Business Opportunities Section of the HACP website, www.hacp.org. Prospective Bidders may register as a vendor on the website and download the documents free of charge. Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person on June 7, 2022 from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on June 7, 2022. Bids may still be submitted electronically at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/Ln19qAcIzBtOgFjuhmO2 and can still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION reserves the right to waive any informality in, or reject any and all bids. No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the opening of bids without the consent of ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally Assisted Construction Contracts. The Contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sexual preference, handicap or national origin. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh has revised its website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFP documentation. ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH STRONGLY ENCOURAGES CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement at (412) 456-5116 Opt 1. Caster D. Binion, President & CEO ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation conducts 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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LEGAL NOTICE BOROUGH OF BRENTWOOD BID ADVERTISEMENT On Thursday, May 19, 2022, the Borough of Brentwood will receive bids for New Calming Shelter at the Brentwood Park. Bids will be received up to 11:00 A.M., to the attention of George Zboyovsky, Borough Manager, Borough of Brentwood, 3735 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15227. It is the intent of the Owner to enter into a single contract for General Construction*. *General Construction includes general, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical trades. Bids shall conform with Contract Documents prepared by HHSDR Architects/Engineers, 40 Shenango Ave., Sharon, PA, 16146, and 201 Century Building, 130 Seventh St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15222. Bidders who contact the Sharon office of HHSDR (724-981-8820) will receive a public link to the Contract Documents. No hard copies will be distributed from HHSDR, and no deposit is required. Bids shall include a Bid Security Bond or Certified Check, payable to the Borough of Brentwood, in an amount of five percent (5%) of the bid, in accordance with Instructions to Bidders, as included in the Contract Documents. NOTICE TO BIDDERS CAPITAL FUND PROJECT PARKING LOT REHABILITATION CONTRACT RESURFACING – SEALCOAT – LINE STRIPPING LOCATED AT PA 18 WESTMORELAND COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY VARIOUS RENTAL HOUSING SITES – WESTMORELAND COUNTY SITE CONSTRUCTION – CONTRACT: 18-2022-1-SC The Westmoreland County Housing Authority (WCHA) is requesting construction bids for asphalt parking lot rehabilitation located at various locations within Westmoreland County. Sealed bids will be received by the WCHA, until May 18, 2022 at 11:00 A.M. Bids shall be deposited at the Administrative Office of the WCHA, 167 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA 15601. A Pre-Bid Meeting is scheduled for May 5, 2022 at 1:30 P.M. Meeting location will be at Westmoreland County Administration Warehouse – 154 South Greengate Road, Greensburg, PA. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended. Interested respondents shall obtain electronic bid documents at no cost via the internet at www.wchaonline.com, hard copy bid documents can be secured by contacting Erik Spiegel – WCHA Director of A&E Services at 724-832-7248-3056. Inquiries and plan holder registration can be emailed to eriks@wchaonline.com. Plan holders shall register with WCHA via email in accordance with the bid requirements. CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!
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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 May 11, 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
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B21-11-90AR
Pest Control Services
2
B22-02-17R
Brake Disc Pads - LRV
3
B22-04-30A
Cisco Smartnet Support
4
B22-04-34
5 B22-04-35A
Crossarm Insulator Assemblies Bus Batteries
To join by Microsoft Team video conference: • https://bit.ly/37rvKuj To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: • 412-927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) • Conference ID: 928 215 916# 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 April 27, 2022, as well as through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conference. To join by Microsoft Team video conference: • https://bit.ly/3JnKl7a To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: • 412-927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) • Conference ID: 521 855 683# 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. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR FIRE HOSE INSPECTIONS AUTHORITY WIDE IFB#300-07-22 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR FORD FLEET VEHICLE MAINTENANCE IFB#300-09-22 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):
Fire Hose Inspections Authority Wide IFB#300-07-22
Ford Fleet Vehicle Maintenance IFB#300-09-22
The documents will be available no later than April 24, 2022 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 9:00 A.M. on May 17, 2022. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on May 17, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org. Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on May 5, 2022 at 9:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/82563743805?pwd=WG8vTV JDYldYZkNWOEczbm5QSkNjQT09 Meeting ID: 825 6374 3805 Passcode: 796650 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP 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, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh
HACP conducts 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.
The documents will be available no later than April 24, 2022 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00A.M. on May 17, 2022 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 AM on May 17, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org. Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on May 5, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/81153696181?pwd=KzBXMEdw czRDUUE2YUhkb1dhUWZRUT09 Meeting ID: 811 5369 6181 Passcode: 861093 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP 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, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts 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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Legal Notices
PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY ADVERTISEMENT Separate sealed Bids for the Work as listed hereinafter will be received at the Purchasing and Materials Management Department of Port Authority of Allegheny County (Authority) Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222-2527 until 1:30 p.m. on May 31, 2022 (Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location – all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals) and will be opened and read at 2:00 p.m. via teleconference at: (toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 and conference ID #4485786). Each Bidder shall be solely responsible for assuring that its Bid is both received and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department at or before the advertised time for submission of Bids. Bidders submitting bids via FedEx, UPS, USPS, or other carrier must immediately provide tracking information to the assigned contract specialist via e-mail. Upon delivery, bidder will notify the assigned contract specialist with an e-mailed receipt. Bids received, or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the advertised time for the submission of Bids shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for Award. EAST BUSWAY BRIDGE REHABILITATION CONTRACT NO. EB-22-03 The Work of this Project includes, but is not limited to, the furnishing of all labor, materials, tools, equipment, and incidental items necessary for the rehabilitation of the following four (4) bridges along the Authority’s East Busway. Work items generally consist of, but are not limited to, concrete deck replacement, bearing and pedestal replacement, concrete repairs, crack repairs, masonry repairs, expansion dam replacement, painting, protective coatings, flushing and cleaning, anti-graffiti coating, signage, and miscellaneous repairs. Bid Documents will be available for public inspection and may be obtained on or after Thursday, April 28, 2022 at Authority’s offices at the following address (If you are picking up bid documents, please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location – all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals): Port Authority of Allegheny County Purchasing and Materials Management Department Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527 Bid Documents are available for purchase as follows: Bid Documents are available in an electronic form on USB Storage Drive upon payment of $15 per USB Drive. Payment shall be by check or money order (NO CASH), payable to “Port Authority of Allegheny County.” No refunds of payment will be made. Upon request, Bid Documents can be mailed upon receipt of payment in full. Should the purchaser wish to have the Bid Documents delivered via special delivery, such as UPS or Federal Express, the purchaser shall provide its appropriate account numbers for such special delivery methods. This Project may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and/or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Authority, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, as may be amended, require that certified Diverse Businesses (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts for this Project. In this regard, all Bidders shall make good faith efforts in accordance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, to ensure that DBs have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts. Bidders shall also not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of contracts for this Project. If aid is required to involve DBs in the Work, Bidders are to contact Authority’s Director of Employee Relations and OEO at (412) 566-5262. The Bidder’s attention is directed to the following contacts for Bidder’s questions: Procedural Questions Regarding Bidding: Cindy Denner - Authority (412) 566-5117 CDenner@Portauthority.org All other questions relating to the Bid Documents must be submitted by mail or email to: Port Authority of Allegheny County Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 Attn: Cindy Denner email: CDenner@Portauthority.org In addition, the Bidder’s attention is directed to the following schedule of activities for preparation of its Bid: 9:00 a.m. May 5, 2022
Pre-Bid Conference will be conducted via teleconference at Toll free phone number: 1-655-453-6957 Conference ID #4485786 ( Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended)
9:30 a.m. May 6, 2022
Pre-Bid Site Tour Transportation will be provided. All participants must wear safety vests and appropriate footwear. Contractors to initially meet at: Heinz 57 Center Lobby 345 Sixth Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15222
All participants must provide and wear class 2 safety vests and appropriate footwear; all participants must always provide and wear a mask and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals. Tours will be conducted in limited group sizes and in the order of which bidders sign-in at the site. (Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended.)
1:30 p.m. Bids Due May 31, 2022 Purchasing and Materials Management Department Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at the Heinz 57 location – all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals. Bids submitted via Fed Ex, UPS, USPS, or other carrier are subject to the notification requirements indicated above. 2:00 p.m. May 31, 2022
Bid Opening will be conducted via teleconference at: Toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 Conference ID #4485786
Estate of RUTH LONG, deceased, of Clairton, No. 021910857. Cynthia D. Long, Executrix, 744 Horton St., Clairton, PA 15025 or Peter B. Lewis, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Estate of BEVERLY J. MCMONAGLE, deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 022202486. Robert J. McMonagle, Jr. and Brian McMonagle, Co-Administrators, 272 W. Bruceton, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 or Peter B. Lewis, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 E s t a t e o f T H E O D O R E S A U L S B U RY, deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 021901942. Erin S. Yelverton, Administrator, 7 Coleridge Pl., Pittsburgh, PA 15201 or Peter B. Lewis, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Estate of FRANCES M. MURRMAN, AKA FRANCES MURRMAN, deceased of Pittsburgh, No. 00966 of 2022, Lynn Ardinger , Extr. 101 Bertley Ridge Drive, Coraopolis, PA 15108 or to c/o Jacqueline H. Brangard, Esquire, Scolieri Law Group, P.C., 1207 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200 Bldg., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219 Estate of JOSEPHINE BOBINSKI, deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 021603886. John Bobinski, Administrator, 131 Linnview Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 or Peter B. Lewis, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Estate of JOYCE BURKINSHAW, deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 022202854. Christopher Robert Burkinshaw, Administrator, 95 1st Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15229 or Peter B. Lewis, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Estate of LOUIS JAMES PASQUARELLI, deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 022202829. Michael Eugene Eicher, , Executor, 315 Penn Vista Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15235 or Peter B. Lewis, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted
INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST (Multi Positions w/National Placement out of Allegheny County, PA) Min of a Mast’s degree. Exp may be in Comp’s, Eng’g, Info Tech (IT), Info Sys’s or Business related field & foreign educ equiv acceptable. Candidate will plan, implement upgrade, or monitor security measures for the protection of computer networks & info.. May ensure appropriate security controls are in place that will safeguard digital files & vital electronic infrastructure. May respond to computer security breaches & viruses. Although no prior expreq’d candidate must have coursework in the following: Data Security; SCADA Architecture; RFID Sys’s; Operating Sys’s & Comp Sys’s Security. Able to travel/relo to different client sites as needed. 9-5, $101,130/yr. Ref# ISA-0921 IY send resume to Infoyuga Technologies, Inc., 280B Moon Clinton Road, Moon Township, PA15108 or hr@infoyuga.com. Infoyuga is EOE M/F/V/D. INFORMATION SECURITY ENGINEER HM Health Solutions Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-athome Information Security Engineer position (w/ability to telecommute w/appropriate telecommuting sys.) to conduct root cause analysis to identify & resolve complex problems. Will implement, monitor, configure & maintain Sailpoint & conduct studies of ISRM infrastructure performance & traffic analysis. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J205086”. APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT HM Health Solutions Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-athome Application Development Consultant position (w/ability to telecommute w/appropriate telecommuting sys.) to be responsible for providing complex architecture & technical designs incl. data mapping & process modeling. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J205024”. APPLICATION DEVELOPER HM Health Solutions Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-at-home Application Developer position (w/ability to t el ecommut e w / appropri at e telecommuting sys.) to be responsible for analyzing, designing, coding, testing, & implementing app. enhancements w/limited supervision. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J204974”.
Authority reserves the right to reject any or all Bids
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Help Wanted
Help Wanted
CAFÉ SERVICE STAFF Through excellent customer service, provide visitors to The Café at the Frick with an excellent dining experience. Become familiar with and perform all aspects of the front side of the Café. This Includes cashier, host, server, busser, sales, stocking, opening/closing, and cleaning. • Must provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination including booster • Must be committed to fostering a workplace of inclusion and diversity Reports to: Café Manager Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, primarily daylight hours, no set schedule, some evenings Status: Part-time, hourly Responsibilities: • Become familiar with daily features, lunch, and dessert items • Assist with food preparation • Have a working knowledge of the current menu and be able to explain all menu items to guests • Service tables in a professional efficient and friendly manner • Welcome guests, answer questions and direct guests to counter to order • Working knowledge of POS (Point-of-Sale) systems, ability to process payments and handle cash. • Opening and closing side-work • Assist with dishwashing • Cleaning, clean kitchen and sweep FOH floors • Keep beverage areas stocked and organized • Service bar duties • Stock supplies and inform the Café Manager if low on any items • Works with the Café Manager to handle any problems arising with visitors to ensure customer satisfaction • Treat visitors and colleagues with respect and courtesy at all times • Other duties, as requested/needed by management. Qualifications: • Possess an enthusiastic, professional, and positive attitude • Serving experience preferred but, not required • Flexibility in working a varied schedule • Excellent interpersonal skills • Clearance of a criminal background check • Become RAMP and serv-safe certified, if not already, (paid by Frick) Resumes should be sent to Barry Adams, Director, Human Resources at badams@thefrickpittsburgh.org The Frick Pittsburgh is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a workplace culture of accessibility, inclusion, diversity, and racial equity and urges qualified diverse applicants to apply.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ANALYST Port Authority is seeking a Software Development Analyst to develop, test, maintain and support the company’s Internet and Intranet applications and sites, enhance communication, and reduce redundancy within the company. Essential Functions: • Update and maintain existing Internet and intranet web applications and services which can include .NET and SQL. • Design, develop, document test and debug new software and web applications, web services and software systems and/or applications. • Participate in software design meetings and analyze needs to determine technical requirements. • Provide application, system and process improvement recommendations to management. Job requirements include: • High School Diploma or GED. • Associates or higher degree in Computer Science or related field. Related experience may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis. • Experience with software development languages such as web apps, desktop, mobile, service integrations using software development lifecycle. • Effective and professional communication skills. • Experience with Windows desktop and/or server environments. Preferred attributes: • Experience with .NET, HTML, XML, jQuery/JavaScript and CSS and SQL. • Experience with IIS web services, SSL, application deployment and server management and configuration using a VMware environment. • Experience with MVC. • Experience with responsive web design. • Experience with Visual Studio. • Experience with .NET Core. • Experience with Microsoft SharePoint & O365 development, including workflows. • Experience with Microsoft SQL Server. • Experience with TFS, GIT or other source control systems.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Danielle Jacobson Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 DJacobson@portauthority.org EOE SENIOR DECISION SUPPORT ANALYST Highmark Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-at-home Senior Decision Support Analyst position (w/ability to telecommute w/appropriate telecommuting sys.; remote worksite must be w/in commuting distance of Pittsburgh, PA for weekly trips to corp. office) responsible for providing analysis in the dvlpmnt & support of projects & data analysis. Specific duties incl.: determining how decision support systems will provide info. req’d to make effective bus. decisions; & translating req’ts into apps that employ appropriate decision support & reporting tools. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J205088”.
TRANSIT DATA INTERN Port Authority is seeking a Transit Data Intern ($16 hour) to, during the academic year, conduct data analysis projects assisting Port Authority in determining how to best deploy transit resources across the system. Essential Functions: • Assist the Transit Analysis team through applying data manipulation, analysis and visualization in one or more of the following projects: • Analyze ridership patterns to inform service decisions. • Assess effectiveness of service changes, including monitoring ridership per trip, on time performance, and ridership by geographic area. • Develop interactive maps and dashboards that allow end users to explore transit data and discover insights. • Assist with internal and external reporting and data requests as needed. Job requirements include: • At minimum, candidates must be in their Junior or Senior year of study in a public policy, data analysis, computer science or related degree program. Recent graduates of same programs will also be considered. • Data manipulation skills, including ability to retrieve data, clean it, join to other datasets, and export in a clean format. • Strong data visualization skills that communicate a clear message to the end user. • Intellectual curiosity and the ability to identify and solve problems independently. • Interest and familiarity with public transit (even just as a rider) and the desire to make public services better for everyone. • Ability to work independently. • Excellent communications skills. • Planning and organization. Preferred attributes: • Candidate enrolled in or recently graduated from a master’s degree program in public policy, data analysis, computer science or related field. • Knowledge of a coding language such as R or Python. • Knowledge of a dashboarding tool such as Tableau or PowerBI. • Knowledge of a spatial analysis tool such as ArcGIS. • Ability to write basic SQL queries.
SENIOR CLIENT PROJECT MANAGER HM Health Solutions Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-at-home Sr. Client Project Manager position (w/ability to telecommute w/appropriate telecommuting sys.) responsible for dri vi ng customer val ue thru client-facing advisory & delivery services in support of HM Health Solutions’ product offerings. Must be willing & able to travel up to 50%. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J204971”. BUSINESS SYSTEMS ANALYST HM Health Solutions Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA has work-at-home Business Systems Analyst position (w/ability to telecommute w/appropriate telecommuting sys.; remote worksite must be w/in commuting distance of Pittsburgh, PA for weekly trips to corp. office) to be responsible for understanding bus. req’s & translating them into new apps or changes to existing apps. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J205026”. SENIOR BUSINESS SOLUTIONS CONSULTANT HM Health Solutions Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA has work-at-home Senior Business Solutions Consultant position (w/ability to telecommute w/ appropriate telecommuting sys.; remote worksite must be w/in commuting distance of Pittsburgh, PA for weekly trips to corp. office) responsible for delivering value to customers thru client-facing advisory & delivery service in support of HM Health Solutions & Health Plan product offerings & capabilities. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J205098”. GROUP LEADER, OPTICAL MONOMER CASTING PLATFORM PPG industries, Inc. seeks Group Leader, Optical Monomer Casting P l a t f o r m i n M o n r o e v i l l e , PA responsible for initiating, directing & supporting dvlpmnt of new tech. utilized in production of optical grade monomers & coatings used in manufacture of eyeglass lenses. Apply online at ppg.com TRANSPORTATION PLANNER/ PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PROFESSIONAL Assists with the development, implementation, financial analysis, and administration of transportation programs within the Transportation Program Development Department. Bachelor’s degree in Planning, Public Administration, or other closely related field. Over 5 years of experience in planning, public administration or transportation planning preferred. Details at www.spcregion.org. EEO/AA/M/F/Vet/ Disability Employer. CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE PHYSICIAN University of Pittsburgh Physicians seeks a Critical Care Medicine Physician to diagnose and treat a wide variety of clinical problems representing the extreme of human disease and work as a member of a coordinated care team, either as the primary care provider or a consultant. Must have a medical degree; have completed a residency in Internal Medicine; have completed fellowship in Critical Care Medicine; be Board certified or eligible for certification in Critical Care Medicine; and have valid PA medical license. Apply by following these steps; visit http://careers.upmc.com and enter 220001KV in the “Search Keyword/Job ID” field and click Go. EOE/Disability/Veteran.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Glenn Huetter Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 GHuetter@portauthority.org EOE CLIENT PROGRAM MANAGER HM Health Solutions Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-at-home Client Program Manager position (w/ability to telecommute w/appropriate telecommuting sys.; remote worksite must be w/in commuting distance of Pittsburgh, PA for weekly trips to corp. office) responsible for planning, initiating, & managing IT projects. Must be able & willing to travel domestically to client locations up to 80%. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J204219”.
GATEWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES The Gateway School District in Monroevi l l e, PA i s accepti ng applications for the positions listed above. For a complete job description, and how to apply, please visit our website at: www.gatewayk12.org – Departments/Services - Human Resources/ Personnel – Employment Opportunities Gateway School District is an Equal Rights and Opportunity Employer.
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ASSISTANT HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL The GATEWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT in Monroeville, PA is accepting applications for the positions listed above. For a complete job description, and how to apply, please visit our website at www.gatewayk12.org • Human Resources/Personnel Tab • Employment Opportunities. Gateway School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer. SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking an Elementary School Assistant Principal: Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org Deadline 4:00 PM May 10, 2022 EOE SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking a High School Substitute Counselor: Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org Deadline 4:00 PM May 6, 2022 EOE
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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 webmaster@newpittsburghcourier.com
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MAY 4-10, 2022
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER