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Family, friends celebrate Dorothy Stanley Page A6

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www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 112 No. 29 Two Sections

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JULY 21-27, 2021

A ‘GROUNDBREAKING MOMENT’

‘POLICE MISCONDUCT DATABASE’ NOW ACTIVE IN PENNSYLVANIA An officer’s ‘red flags’ will now be known to all police departments

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Was Michael Rosfeld fired from the University of Pittsburgh police department? Or did he resign?

Either way, what is clear is that Rosfeld, while employed by Pitt as a campus officer, was suspended by the university’s police department in December 2017 after he arrested three people following a scuffle at an Oakland bar.

There were discrepancies as to what Rosfeld said occurred on that night and what surveillance video of the incident actually showed.

“Officer Rosfeld clearly had a pattern of issues in the previous police department that he worked for,” state Rep. Austin Davis voiced during an interview with Lynne Hayes-Freeland on KDKA Radio (100.1 FM, 1020 AM) on July 15. If there had been a statewide police misconduct database three years ago when Rosfeld was hired by the East Pittsburgh Police Department, Rep. Davis said, “they most

likely would not have hired him and Antwon Rose may still be alive today.”

Today, it’s state law. Every police department in Pennsylvania must refer to a newly-created police misconduct database prior to hiring any police officer, which alerts the department of that officer’s prior incidents deemed questionable or controversial. Examples include excessive force, sexual abuse and misconduct, theft, discrimination and dishonest actions.

The legislation was signed

by Gov. Tom Wolf last year, and on July 14, the database was officially up and running.

“Police and community agree that officers with a pattern of misconduct do not make our community safer,” said state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who fought for the database.

“They should not be allowed to go from department to department.

Misconduct records need to follow those officers.”

The East Pittsburgh Police Department is no more, disbanded following the controversial police shoot-

MICHELLE KENNEY, mother of the late Antwon Rose II, speaks during a July 14 news conference announcing the implementation of Pennsylvania’s new police misconduct database. It’s something Kenney, whose son was killed by a police officer with a checkered professional background, has been wanting for years. Also pictured are Attorney General Josh Shapiro, left, and state Rep. Austin Davis. ing of Rose, who was almost 18 years old when he was gunned down by Rosfeld. It was Rosfeld’s first day on the job. Rose exited the car Rosfeld had pulled over and was running away from Rosfeld when Rosfeld shot Rose three times on June 19, 2018.

Officers with a checkered

past getting hired at a different police department is nothing new in Pennsylvania. Robert Gowans, who, like Rosfeld, is White, shot and killed Romir Talley, who was Black, while serving as a Wilkinsburg police officer in 2019. Talley’s family and supporters contend the shooting was

unjustified, while Wilkinsburg police said Talley fired a shot first at the responding officers. The shooting is still under investigation, but Gowans was able to secure a job as an officer for the Penn Hills police department in May. It’s unclear if the Penn Hills police department

was aware of the controversy surrounding Gowans when the department hired him, but when area community leaders learned of Gowans’ hiring

by Penn Hills police, it led to a backlash against Penn Hills city leaders.

SEE POLICE MISCONDUCT A2

E.A.T. Initiative empowers Pittsburgh’s Black community to eat healthy

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

African Americans know all too well the negative effects of diabetes.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Blacks are twice as likely as Whites to die from diabetes, 60 percent more likely than Whites to be diagnosed with diabetes, and 2.3 times more likely to be hospitalized for lower limb amputations than Whites.

For Claudy Pierre, known in Pittsburgh as “Chef Claudy,” the effects of diabetes really hit home. His grandmother, Marie Lucienne Dessources, had her leg amputated in 2014 due to complications from diabetes.

“She’s the strongest woman I know,” he told the New Pittsburgh Courier in an exclusive interview, June 12. Claudy’s grandmother is Haitian. “She always cooked...but a lot of the food wasn’t the most healthiest.”

Because of grandma, Claudy’s E.A.T. Initiative was born.

E.A.T. stands for Empowerment, Awareness and Training. Its goal is to not only provide healthier food options for people, primarily African Americans, but to educate people on healthy eating practices.

“Healthy eating is the catalytic piece to everything that we do,” Pierre said. “If you are healthy eating, you make better decisions, you SEE E.A.T. INITIATIVE A4

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“CHEF CLAUDY” PIERRE, second from right, founder of E.A.T. Initiative, said his grandmother was the inspiration behind starting the nonprofit organization. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.)

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‘POLICE MISCONDUCT DATABASE’ NOW ACTIVE IN PENNSYLVANIA

MICHELLE KENNEY, center, mother of the late Antwon Rose II, speaks during a press conference, July 14. She has pushed for the statewide police misconduct database for years.

An officer’s ‘red flags’ will now be known to all police departments POLICE MISCONDUCT FROM A1

Those leaders, in turn, then fired Gowans.

“We’re in a profession where there’s a lot of power that’s invested in us from the community, and every day you’re put in a position where you can help change a life, save a life or take a life,” Pittsburgh Chief of Police Scott Schubert said, standing in solidarity at the July 14 news conference with Shapiro, state Reps. Davis, Ed Gainey and Sara Innamorato, and Michelle Kenney, mother of Antwon Rose II. “It’s something you can’t take lightly, so we need to make sure we have the right people in those communities.”

Chief Schubert added that the Pittsburgh Police unquestionably “wanted to be a part of this. It’s long overdue. To be quite frank,

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this should have been done years ago. There’s no chief that’s frustrated more than when somebody retires before you can terminate them, and the lack of being able to share information with other police departments for fear of liability.

This takes that all off the table.”

The police misconduct database is not available to the public, Shapiro said.

But police departments will now be held accountable for the hiring decisions they make, especially pertaining to officers who have proverbial “red flags” on their records.

“The public can have more trust in the people who are here to protect them,” Shapiro said. “...

At a time when too many departments are shortstaffed, this is especially as important as ever, as they now look to hire more officers. We believe that this database will save lives.”

Pennsylvania’s police misconduct records were

labeled as “mostly closed” in an Associated Press report from May which investigated the records for each state. Seventeen additional states’ misconduct records were labeled as “mostly closed,” 16 states were labeled as “restricted,” and 15 states, including neighboring Ohio, were labeled as “mostly public.”

Getting to the point of having a police misconduct database become legislation in Pennsylvania, a state with a Republican-controlled House and Senate, was called “groundbreaking” by Rep. Gainey.

“Five years ago, would you have believed it?” he added.

But following the death of Rose, Rep. Davis said he and his fellow representatives were determined to “fight to change the laws” pertaining to police misconduct and overall police reform in the state. “Out SEE POLICE MISCONDUCT A3

“Any police chief who looks on that database on a new hire knows exactly what they are getting, which makes a difference in the community. We will no longer have to worry about an officer being relocated into your neighborhood when you know that he took a life in the neighborhood next to yours. ...What is important to me is that no other family has to experience this pain.”

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STATE REP. AUSTIN DAVIS, pictured speaking at the podium, July 14.

If there had been a statewide police misconduct database three years ago when Michael Rosfeld was hired by the East Pittsburgh Police Department, Rep. Austin Davis said, “they most likely would not have hired him and Antwon Rose may still be alive today.”

ANTWON ROSE II

POLICE MISCONDUCT FROM A2

of that activism came this database. It is a deposit in the bank of justice, a down payment on a more equitable and just society and better policing system for all Pennsylvanians,” said Rep. Davis, who was raised in the same Mon Valley area as Rose.

Kenney never asked to be thrust into the spotlight, never thought there would be a day that her son would be taken from her by a police officer. As she watched Rosfeld be cleared of all charges in the death of her son in March 2019, Rep. Gainey applauded Kenney

for her ability to continue fighting for police reform and accountability.

“Michelle, I don’t know how you do it,” he said to her at the news conference.

“A mom who lost a son, her activism steady talking to the A.G. (Attorney General) to make sure that something like this happens...I told Michelle before; we didn’t bury Antwon, we planted him.”

Kenney said at the news conference she was adamant that the police misconduct database would be mandatory for all police departments in the state.

“Any police chief who looks on that database on a new hire knows exact-

ly what they are getting, which makes a difference in the community,” she said. “We will no longer have to worry about an officer being relocated into your neighborhood when you know that he took a life in the neighborhood next to yours. ...What is important to me is that no other family has to experience this pain.”

“The public can have more trust in the people who are here to protect them,” Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “...At a time when too many departments are short-staffed, this is especially as important as ever, as they now look to hire more officers. We believe that this database will save lives.”

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JULY 21-27, 2021

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

E.A.T. Initiative empowers Black community to eat healthy

PICTURED ARE 8-YEAR-OLD KHLOE AND 9-YEAR-OLD AMALIA, with Mia Jennings and Adero Harrison. They were attendees of a hot meal giveaway event at the Energy Innovation Center, on Bedford Avenue, June 12.

E.A.T. INITIATIVE FROM A1

can cope better with different traumas that we’re dealing with. Even (before) the pandemic, eating was always an issue for a lot of people, especially in inner cities.”

Pierre reinforced to the Courier that “access to fresh produce and healthy food options is a basic human right.”

E.A.T. Initiative is an official nonprofit organization, and in June, it was a recipient of the Starbucks Foundation Neighborhood Grant, which awards funds to organizations that are passionate about positively impacting their

community.

Last year, Pierre and E.A.T. Initiative were awarded the PNC Bank Impact Award by Neighborhood Allies, which highlights those who address ongoing issues of injustice and racism against the Black community.

Throughout the COVID pandemic alone, Pierre estimates his group has been able to provide 100,000 hot meals for community residents.

“Our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the community,” he said.

Diabetes is a hereditary disease, but most experts agree that there are ways to lessen the chances

of being classified with type 2 diabetes: losing weight; exercising; eating healthy plant foods; and consuming foods with unsaturated fat.

For those who have diabetes, the website Healthline identifies some of the best foods to eat as: fatty fish (such as salmon and sardines), leafy greens (such as spinach and kale), avacodos, eggs, beans, broccoli and strawberries.

But it isn’t just diabetes—African Americans have to worry about high blood pressure/hypertension, and increased risk of cancer due to the numerous Black communities identified as “food

JADE SMITH of the bounce house company Jumping Jumperoo, with 9-year-old Leia. They were attendees of a hot meal giveaway event at the Energy Innovation Center, on Bedford Avenue, June 12.

(Photos by Rob Taylor Jr.) deserts,” urban areas where it’s hard to find access to healthy foods.

Whole Foods, as an example, has three locations in Allegheny County—Upper St. Clair in the South Hills, Wexford in the North Hills, and Shadyside. Upper St. Clair has a population that’s less than one percent Black. Wexford has double the Black population of Upper St. Clair, but even that makes it just 1.5 percent. And the Shadyside/East Liberty location has been embroiled in the controversy surrounding its move a few blocks to the site of the old Penn Plaza Apartments. Those apartments

were demolished, in part, to make way for Whole Foods to move there. But the controversy stemmed from the displacement of the residents at Penn Plaza, which were primarily African Americans. Overall, East Liberty has seen the largest exodus of African Americans from any neighborhood in Pittsburgh over the past decade.

Meanwhile, neighborhoods like Homewood, the Hill District, Beltzhoover, Manchester and Lincoln-Lemington, all primarily-Black areas, have no stores that consistently sell healthy foods.

In recent years, though,

there are nonprofit organizations that will temporarily set up shop in these communities and sell the healthier food choices. Pierre said his organization provides people who need access to food, calling them “Blessing Boxes,” which include fresh produce.

For those who need access to a meal or fresh produce, Pierre said he’s one phone call away— 412-499-5599.

“It’s not this big app,” Pierre told the Courier about the easy-to-use telephone number. “It’s something as simple as (making a call and saying), ‘Hey, my family’s going through it.’”

Partnership announced to expand Alzheimer’s awareness and educational outreach in region’s Black communities The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter and Black Women for Positive Change are partnering to increase awareness and education about Alzheimer’s disease

and other dementias within the Black community.

This partnership developed in response to findings from a recent virtual community forum in the Pittsburgh area, which highlighted these needs.

Research indicates that

older Black Americans are twice as likely as older non-Hispanic White Americans to develop Alzheimer’s, yet the disease is underreported in this population, leading to later diagnosis and a delay in receiving treatment and support services. Findings from a Pittsburgh community forum revealed both a lack of knowledge and stigma about Alzheimer’s, including a reluctance to openly discuss the disease, resulting in barriers to accessing care and resources within the Black community. This partnership between BW4PC and the Alzheimer’s Association aims to eliminate these barriers through community-driven programming that increases awareness about Alzheimer’s, encourages the use of support services, and champions existing community efforts to support individuals with the disease and their caregivers.

“Black Women for Positive Change intends to work with the Alzheimer’s Association to have real discussions with individuals and families, who are directly impacted

by Alzheimer’s disease,” said Diane Powell, chair of the Pittsburgh chapter of Black Women for Positive Change, in a news release. “We want to use this opportunity to foster learning and to work with key stakeholders in the community in order to address the unique challenges faced by African Americans and to increase access for patients to effective

treatment and resources.”

This collaboration will include providing educational programming on Alzheimer’s disease for members of Black Women for Positive Change to support their efforts to positively improve the lives of working- and middle-class Black Americans. The two organizations will also work together with Pittsburgh-area faith leaders to assist the efforts of their healthcare ministries in order to increase education about Alzheimer’s and help eliminate stigma within the community.

“By partnering with organizations like Black Women for Positive Change, the Association can broaden its reach and make a greater impact within the Black community in Pittsburgh,” said Sara Murphy, Vice President of Programs and Services, Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter, in a statement. “Our pursuit of health equity involves proactively developing partnerships and assessing opportunities to respond with more informed, culturally conscious resources for all communities. We are excited to partner with Black Women for Positive Change to collaborate on building Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness, education and support for our communities.”

Through this evolving partnership, the two organizations will address the health inequities as well as the disproportionate impact of Alzheimer’s on

DIANE POWELL, a member of the New Pittsburgh Courier’s “Women of Excellence” Class of 2018.

Black Americans. And that effort will center around providing increased educational and awareness programming that is guided by community need and involvement in order to address this ongoing public health crisis.

For more information on the educational programs and resources currently offered by the Alzheimer’s Association, visit the Community Resource Finder at www.alz.org/crf.

The Alzheimer’s Association leads the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Their vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.

For more information, visit www.alz.org/pa or call the 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-

3900.

Black Women for Positive Change is a national policy-focused network of predominately African American women and “Good Brothers” from states including: California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, New York, Texas and Virginia.

In 2013, the network has two primary goals: To positively contribute to ideas and methods that can strengthen and expand the American middle/working class, with an emphasis on the African American community; and to change the culture of violence in America.

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JULY 21-27, 2021

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New Horizon Theater Inc., celebrates 30th anniversary despite COVID

by Genea L. Webb For New Pittsburgh Courier

While many businesses were obliterated by the COVID-19 pandemic, New Horizon Theater Inc., found unique ways to battle through and has come out stronger to celebrate its 30-year anniversary.

“We’re excited about our 30th anniversary. This is a big one for us,” explained Joyce Meggerson-Moore, who has served as Chairperson of the Board of Directors for New Horizon Theater since 1997 when the company received its official nonprofit status.

She has volunteered with the company since its inception. “We have five events this season instead of four and we have all the clearances from all of the playwrights and their blessing to put the plays on. That’s probably a first for New Horizon. Usually, we have to get all of that one play at a time, but we were able to get all of it and are able to announce

will run, October 29-31.

“The Green Book” will be New Horizon’s Black History Month production.

Written by Calvin Ramsey, the play sheds light on a time in America when “Separate but Equal” and “Jim Crow” were the rule.

Travel and accommodations for Blacks were complex and full of uncertainties. “The Green Book” will run for 12 performances, February 4-27, 2022 (12 performances).

The theater’s annual special event is tentatively scheduled for May 7, 2022. The event will feature a one-night-only performance by a national or international individual or group.

The final play of the season, “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” will run from May 20-June 19, 2022 (12 performances). Written by Don Evans and directed by Eileen J. Morris, “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show” is a clash of values between middle-class and working-class African

JOYCE MEGGERSON-MOORE our full season and be ready to roll. We’re coming out of this pandemic strong.”

Its premier production for the 30th anniversary season, “Kings of Harlem,” written and directed by Layon Gray, is inspired by the 1939 Harlem Rens basketball team. It tells the story of seven men who overcame adversity to win more than 2,000 games throughout the segregated parts of America in the 1930s even though they were not accepted professionally or socially.

The play will run, August 20-22, in a yet-to-be-determined outdoor setting.

“The pandemic is still going on, so we want to let our audience know we are watching and planning for you and we’re being really safe about it,” Meggerson-Moore told the New Pittsburgh Courier.

The theater will be sanitizing the outdoor seating between performances and sanitizing stations will be on hand. Social distancing will also be enforced.

The rest of the 30th anniversary season’s productions are: “de Moor,” written and directed by Layon Gray, which tells the story of Sir Morein, a Black knight and his plight with King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable’s quest for the mythical Holy Grail, the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper. “de Moor”

Americans.

New Horizon Theater Inc., was started in 1992

by Elva Branson who saw the lack of Black theater in the Pittsburgh community and made it her duty to fill the void. Its mission is to bring to the Greater Pittsburgh community high-quality, cultural events reflecting the African American point of view and to provide an ongoing venue for ethnic writers and performers to further their development.

The theater’s first production, “Home” was performed at the Old Kingsley in East Liberty. The theater added another play each season and held the productions in various venues throughout Pittsburgh including Ramsey’s II, Homewood, Grey Box Theater in Lawrenceville, and East Liberty Lutheran Church Wolf Hall before branching out to four productions a year and a special annual event held in May at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, which features a national or international music artist.

“I became involved because Elva wanted to have a reception around that first play and she asked me to get the reception together and to be a part of that and then when she moved out of state about five years after it started I took over as chairperson,” recalled Meggerson-Moore, who holds a B.A. in Theater from Hen-

drix College in Arkansas.

One of New Horizon Theater’s major accomplishments has been to manage board and operations functions with an all-volunteer core. It has provided opportunities for more than 400 persons in all phases of theater production.

“As a Black, female, actress and director, it is important to tell stories of the African American experience and New Horizon Theater continues to tell those stories despite not having its own location and despite COVID-19,” explained Eileen J. Morris, artistic director of the Ensemble Theatre in Houston, who has either

directed or performed with the company over the last 21 years. “I believe in their mission and their artistic commitment to the community. Joyce has dedicated her life to New Horizon.”

During the pandemic, New Horizon Theater’s dedicated core of volunteers didn’t sit on their laurels. To keep the theater and its mission on the minds of its patrons, more than six virtual events were held. However, Meggerson-Moore estimates that $100,000 was not received from ticket sales alone during that time.

“We had a full season during the pandemic. We lost some of our people.

Once we talked to them, they said they didn’t want to go online; they prefer live theater and would be looking forward to our live productions,” Meggerson-Moore said. She anticipates that 75 percent of the audience will return during this season and 80 percent to return in the 2022-2023 season, but it still won’t be back to full capacity.

Despite the challenges, New Horizon Theater Inc., continues to forge ahead.

“New Horizon Theater has panache and style and that is due to Joyce Meggerson-Moore. She and the people behind the scenes who don’t get any credit is keeping New Horizon

Theater afloat. New Horizon Theater is in Joyce’s blood,” said Ernest McCarty, who served as the theater’s artistic director from 1994 to 2009. “It’s important that a theater company is hooked up to the community and New Horizon is. These are difficult times and strange times and New Horizon is still doing good things.

For it to last 30 years is a miracle. Thirty years of hard work and dedication is wonderful.”

(For more information on New Horizon Theater Inc., or its productions, visit www.newhorizontheater.org or call 412-4310773.)

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JULY 21-27, 2021

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY! Family, friends celebrate Dorothy Stanley (Photos by Courier photographer Dayna Delgado)

DOROTHY STANLEY, WITH STATE REP. ED GAINEY

DOROTHY STANLEY, WITH GRANDDAUGHTER TAMIKO STANLEY

DOROTHY STANLEY WAS THE STAR OF THE SHOW!

The New Pittsburgh Courier congratulates Dorothy M. Stanley on her 100th birthday! A birthday celebration took place in the parking lot across from the Ebenezer Towers in the Hill District on July 14.

Stanley was born on July 14, 1921, in Anniston, Alabama. Her family moved to Pennsylvania in 1932. She came to Pittsburgh in 1946 with her late husband.

Stanley is the mother of Cassandra, Arthur, Barbara and Ed. “Do everything in moderation, don’t overdo anything,” Cassandra Stanley told the Courier of her mother’s favorite sayings. Another of Dorothy Stanley’s favorite sayings: “Whenever things get crazy, let’s calm down, let’s sit down and

talk it out.”

Tamiko Stanley, one of Dorothy Stanley’s grandchildren, said her grandmother “represents what the Hill District” was all about. “She’s truly the definition of loving your neighbor.”

Tamiko Stanley said her grandmother has taught her that no matter the challenges or triumphs that she’s been through, “never let it interrupt your ability to always assume goodwill.”

Dorothy Stanley’s favorite Bible scripture is Psalms 103, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, Bless His Holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits...”

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JULY 21-27, 2021

Praise & Worship

Cadet Kaleah Darieth Jones graduates from the U.S. Military

91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141

www.sbtmparishpgh.com

East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 Now offering in-person services, with limited capacity and required pre-registration through the website, and virtual services!!

Worship Online on Facebook/YouTube www.ELPC.church Summer worship.......10:00 a.m.

Taize -Wednesdays.........7:00 p.m.

KALEAH DARIETH JONES

COVID vaccine clinic to be held Friday, July 23, in Hill District — walk-ins accepted WHAT: UPMC is partnering with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) and the Neighborhood Resilience Project in hosting a vaccine clinic in the Hill District— bringing COVID-19 vaccines to people where they live and where they feel most comfortable.

This clinic will offer the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, which is recommended for those 12 and older, and the onedose Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine, which is recommended for those 18 and older. Blood pressure and body mass index screenings also will be offered.

Registration is encouraged and walk-ins are welcomed. To register, call 1-833-653-0518 and ask for the URA clinic.

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ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH

Sunday Mass 10:30 A.M.

Cadet Kaleah Darieth Jones, daughter of Robert and Inika Jones of Monaca, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy on May 22, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned.

Jones graduated from Central Valley High School in 2017. While at West Point, she concentrated her studies in Management.

She was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army within the Signal Corps branch and will report to Korea for her first assignment.

The mission of the U.S. Military Academy is to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army.

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“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His BENEFITS. Who forgives all our iniquities; who heals all our diseases; Who redeems our life from destruction; who crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfies our mouth with good things; so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s?”

- Psalm 103:2-5 REV. WALKER SAYS: Measure our worldly BENEFIT package against what the Lord’s BENEFITS Blessings are.

(Rev. A. Marie Walker is servant pastor of St. John Baptist

WHO: For those in the Hill

Church.)

District and surrounding communities.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, July 23 WHERE: Shop ‘n Save plaza,

1850 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, 15219

Until We Meet Again (Author Unknown)

We think about you always, We talk about you still, You have never been forgotten, And you never will.

We hold you close within our hearts And there you will remain, To walk and guide us through our lives, Until we meet again.

Happy Birthday, Eleanor Coles, our lovely angel!

Love Always, Your Family

DOROTHY WALKER Nee Robinson - age 93 of Pittsburgh, PA but recently residing in Shaker Heights, OH. Dorothy was born in Homestead, PA, fourth of five siblings of the late Roderick Robinson I and Minnie Robinson-Walker nee Bennett.

Dorothy’s four siblings and spouses: Roderick Robinson II (Evelyne), Edith Roberts (Horace, Sr.), Rebecca Hairston (Dr. John) and Dr. David Robinson (Mattie McNeal) are all deceased. Dorothy was formerly married to Art Garrett, Pittsburgh, PA (deceased); and Eddie Mobley, East Orange, NJ (deceased). Dorothy is the widow of Deacon Eurell Walker, Pittsburgh, PA. Funeral Service held July 16th, 2021 - post view at www.grievefromhome.com (then click on Watch Funeral). Interment - The Homewood Cemetery 1599 S. Dallas Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Spriggs-Watson www.spriggswatson.com MILDRED LINDSAY Mildred Lindsay was born on July 1, 1945 in Pittsburgh, PA to Hattie Lee and McKeever Cabbagestalk. She passed away on July 14, 2021 at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital.

In 1979, after completing her education at Pittsburgh Beauty Academy, she became a co-owner of Eastern Hairlines/Eastland Barbershop located in the Garfield section of Pittsburgh, where she served a loyal clientele for more than two and one-half decades.

She is survived by 5 of her 6 children.

Charles Bruce and his wife Cheritha. Craig Bruce and his spouse April. Both brothers are from Pittsburgh, PA. Ronettia Bruce of New Jersey. Robert L. Bruce and wife Felice of Glenn Dale, Maryland. Also, Ladoria Bruce-Lee and husband Desmond of Pittsburgh, PA. Her son Michael preceded her in death.

The wake/viewing will be on Wednesday July 21, 2021 at The Lighthouse Church, 810 Fisher St. Pittsburgh, PA 15210. The funeral will also be held at the Church on Thursday July 22 at 11AM. Interment will be at the Greenwood Cemetery, 321 Kittanning Pike, Pittsburgh, PA 15215

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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

This Week In Black History A Courier Staple JULY 21

1864—Amazingly, what is now considered the first Black daily newspaper begins publishing on this day during slavery. The New Orleans Tribune was founded by wealthy Black Doctor Louis C. Roudanez and edited by a Belgium Jean-Charles Heuzean. The Tribune, however, actually followed the Daily Creole which began publication in 1856. But it was so pressured by Whites that it adopted pro-slavery positions.

The Tribune, meanwhile, would begin as a tri-weekly and become a full-fledged daily in October.

1896—The National Association of Colored Women is founded in Washington, D.C., and Mary Church Terrell is elected president. The association would establish nurseries, help orphans, and battle for a woman’s right to vote. Terrell became an activist and power broker in the nation’s capital fighting for desegregation of restaurants and helping build schools. She was born in 1863 and died in 1954.

2001—Blues legend John Lee Hooker dies. He was 83.

JULY 22

1861—President Abraham Lincoln submits the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet. The order freeing slaves, however, was not actually issued until Jan. 1, 1863. And even then, it benefited very few slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the rebellious Southern states. But the federal government at the time did not have control of the South so no slaves actually went free. In the so-called Border States where the federal government did have authority, the Proclamation did not apply. About the only slaves who benefited were those who had already escaped and fled to the Union side during the Civil War. 1939—Jane Matilda Bolin becomes the first Black female judge in America. New York City Mayor Fiorella LaGuadia appointed her a judge in the court of domestic relations.

1963—Floyd Patterson loses his heavyweight boxing title to Sonny Liston and Liston would later lose it to a young fighter by the name of Cassius Clay—later Muhammad Ali. 2001—Actor Whitman Mayo dies in Atlanta, Ga., of a heart attack. He was 71. Mayo is best known for his role as “Grady” in the popular 1970s television series “Sanford and Son.”

JULY 23

1900—The first Pan African conference took place in London, England. Blacks from throughout the world gathered to plot strategies for bringing about rights for all people of African ancestry, independence from colonialism for African countries and international Black unity. This “conference” was the precursor of all the subsequent Pan African “Congresses.” Among the most prominent names present in 1900 were African-American activist and intellectual W.E.B. DuBois and West Indian lawyer H. Sylvester Williams.

1948—The Progressive Party Convention begins in Philadelphia. The convention nominates Henry Wallace for president and he makes the strongest showing of virtually any third-party candidate in American history. More than 150 Blacks were at the convention and dozens ran for office on the Progressive Party ticket. They were attracted by the party’s call for an end to segregation, full voting rights for Blacks and universal government sponsored health insurance. The party was populated mainly by liberals and leftists. Wallace’s candidacy was even endorsed by the then relatively strong American Communist Party. The party came under vicious attack during the anti-Communist hysteria of the 1950s. But positions taken by the Progressive Party forced the Democratic Party to adopt meaningful changes in order to hold onto the Black vote.

1984—The first Black Miss America Vanessa Williams is forced to give up her crown as a result of the discovery of some sexually explicit photographs. She was replaced by the first runner-up (another African-American) Suzette Charles. Williams bounced back, however, and became a successful singer and actress.

JULY 24

1651—Anthony (or Antonio) Johnson, a free Black man who had purchased freedom for himself and his wife, is awarded 250 acres of land in North Hampton, Va. Johnson was among the first group of 20 Black indentured servants brought to America in 1619. Indentured servitude was a form of slavery which allowed the person to either work for or purchase his freedom. After becoming free, Johnson became the first wealthy Black person in America. He even purchased five indentured servants of his own. He probably picked up the name “Johnson” from his original owner but in official records from the period he is simply referred to as “Antonio the Negro.”

1802—Famed French writer Alexander Dumas is born. He was the product of a French general and a light-complexioned Black Haitian woman. Dumas would go on to become one of the world’s greatest and most prolific writers. He is best known for his classics such as “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count of Monte Cristo.” His Blackness caused him some problems in French society, but by and large his fame and the money from his books enabled him to live an extravagant lifestyle.

1904—This is the day it is believed that actor Ira Aldridge was born in Africa. He would come to America, learn English and German, and develop into one of the world’s most accomplished Shakespearean actors. He played the role of the Moor Othello on many occasions.

July 25 1916—The Black inventor of America’s first gas mask, Garrett T. Morgan, made national headlines on this day when he and a team of volunteers used his invention to rescue 32 workers trapped in a gas-filled tunnel 250 feet under Lake Erie. Morgan called his device “the Morgan safety hood and smoke protector.” But it has become known simply as the gas mask. Morgan also

invented America’s first traffic light. He was born in 1877, did most of his inventing in Cleveland, Ohio, and died in 1963.

1972—Faced with possible exposure by the media, the federal government (specifically the U.S. Public Health Service) finally acknowledges its involvement in the horrific and immoral Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. During the experiment, 399 Black men (mostly poor sharecroppers from Alabama) were led to believe they were being treated for syphilis while the doctors and nurses involved (some of them African-American) were actually fooling the men with fake medicines in order to discover the long-term effects of syphilis on the human body. The “experiment” lasted from 1932 to the time it was exposed in 1972. Finally, on May 16, 1997, President Clinton issued an official apology to the eight surviving members of the experiment saying, “The United States government did something that was wrong—deeply, profoundly, morally wrong…and clearly racist.”

JULY 26

1847—President Joseph J. Roberts declares the West African nation of Liberia an independent republic. The nation was primarily founded by former U.S. slaves returning to Africa. Roberts, himself, was born in Virginia. Three factors were behind the founding of Liberia beginning around 1821. Free Blacks were coming under increasing discrimination in America; pro-slavery forces felt the presence of free Blacks would encourage rebellion within the slave population; and friendly Whites (like those in the American Colonization Society—ACS) felt Blacks would never be treated fairly in America and should return to Africa. The ACS helped more than 13,000 Blacks return to Africa with most going to Liberia.

1926—The NAACP awards its prestigious Spingarn Medal to Carter G. Woodson for his work in Black History. Indeed, Woodson became known as the “Father of Black History.” The historian, author and journalist founded Negro History Week—the precursor to today’s Black History Month. Woodson felt knowing true Black history would be an inspiration to people of African ancestry. He once wrote: “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”

JULY 27

1919—The infamous Chicago Race Riot of 1919 begins. It would last for several days and require 6,000 National Guardsmen to put it down. The Chicago disturbance was the bloodiest of 25 race riots which took place in cities throughout the country. In Chicago, the rioting was started by White gangs harassing the large number of Blacks who had moved to the city for wartime jobs created by World War I. The White gangs invented “drive-by shooting” as they drove through Black neighborhoods firing rifles and pistols. Young Blacks formed mobs of their own and began retaliating.

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First Commonwealth names Vicki L. Fox as first D & I officer The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that First Commonwealth Bank has named Vicki L. Fox to the position of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Officer.

Fox will be based out of First Commonwealth’s office at the Union Trust Building in Downtown Pittsburgh.

“In this new role, Vicki will bring thoughtful and focused leadership to furthering First Commonwealth’s D&I work by identifying and mentoring diverse talent, keeping bank leaders abreast of emerging D&I issues, and evolving our D&I practices,” offered First Commonwealth CEO Mike Price, in a statement. “I am thrilled that Vicki accepted the opportunity to lead us forward in this new role, and I expect our progress to accelerate in the D&I space under her direction.”

Fox has held passionate, strong family ties to the development of Black business creation, as well as, the Civil Rights Movement throughout Pittsburgh’s history. In the 1920s, Fox’s maternal grand-

VICKI L. FOX

father, William A. “Woogie” Harris, was instrumental in helping bring businesses to the African American Hill District of Pittsburgh. Harris led efforts with a focus on fostering wealth and goodwill so these businesses and workers could emerge as a caring, philanthropic part of the community. More recent family ties are with Fox’s stepmother, Alma Speed Fox, a longtime activist for human and civil rights in Pittsburgh and former president of the NAACP’s Pittsburgh chapter. Alma Speed Fox has been called the mother of the Civil Rights Movement in Pittsburgh, protesting and marching for equal rights for more than 80 years.

“It was a milestone career moment for me when (CEO) Mike Price approached me about the opportunity to lead our D&I efforts,” Fox said, in a statement.

“The focus on D&I progress that First Commonwealth has started under his leadership is a reflection of a company that is serious about making a difference for minority employees and cus-

tomers and within diverse communities.

We know there is room for growth there, and it’s something that I have a vision for and cannot wait to be a part of.”

Fox most recently served as the head of First Commonwealth’s Human Resources Staffing and Employee Relations team. She joined First Commonwealth as a result of the BankPittsburgh acquisition in 2003. During her banking career, Fox has progressed through various retail and HR roles. She has also served on the Financial Services Industry Partnership, Priority Setting Committee and as their Retention & Upskilling Committee Chair for Partners4Work.

Fox also was instrumental in establishing strong connections with the fledgling BankWork$ program in Pittsburgh.

Fox and her partner, Herman Robinson, reside in Morningside.

Four steps to finding life in the valley of debt

by Amber Tucker Michigan Chronicle

Let’s discuss some of the best ways to manage credit debt. Whether it’s now or down the line, your credit score tends to play a major role in determining the terms and costs of some of the most important purchases you will make in your lifetime. That dream home you want? If trying to secure a mortgage, your credit history will be one of the main factors in the approval decision and the interest rate of the loan.

Consider this: Kelly has great credit with a score of 780. Her dream home costs $200,000 and she has a 20 percent down payment. She secures a 30-year, fixed-rate loan for $160,000 with a 3.875 percent interest rate.

Her monthly payments (excluding taxes, etc.) are about $750. On the other hand, with a score of 680, her interest rate increases to 4.125 percent, costing her an extra $25 a month or $300 a year.

100 points made a discernible difference in her interest rates and monthly payments; any lower and the payments or term of the loan may become unmanageable.

This principle also carries over to almost all other instances where you’d need to borrow money, including, purchasing a car or starting a business. Having a stellar credit history is essential to

keeping money in your pocket and not your creditors. With the framework of a multi-faceted approach, such as the one we will discuss here, anyone can take impactful steps towards climbing out of debt, having great credit, and thus potentially saving thousands of dollars through being able to secure lower interest rates on future borrowing instances – starting right now.

Step 1. Take stock of where you are It’s important to know how much of each kind of credit debt you have so you know what kind effort it will take to pay it off. Credit cards are considered what’s known as revolving debt. Assuming your account is in good standing, as soon as you pay a certain amount off, that amount is available on your account to use again. In contrast, installment debt, such as loans, involves receiving a certain amount of money, usually at only one time, and then having to repay that money according to a specific payment plan. What’s more is that some installment debt is secured or backed by collateral, things you stand to lose if your payment status falls into bad enough shape for certain loans, such as mortgages.

Another thing to consider is that creditors usually want to see your utilization ratio, how much of your revolving credit you’re actually using, fall

around 30 percent of what you have access to for them to regard your credit as “great”, as it relates to that criterion.

Finally, knowing which accounts are more behind on payments than the others will help you prioritize how to focus using your means to pay down your overall debt. For example, let’s say you have a revolving account on the verge being charged off, which means it has been sent to collections for repayment and will remain on your credit report for seven years. Let’s also say that another account of yours is only one payment behind. In this case, it might be more impactful to your score in both the short and long term to focus on bringing the more delinquent account current.

Step 2. Work with your creditors Some people view their creditors as “the enemy”. They ignore the “1-888” phone calls, avoid emails, and make every attempt to hide from the institutions they owe money to.

This is not only irresponsible, but it’s acting out of irrational fear in most cases. Believe or not, most creditors are willing to work with you. They know that sometimes things happen outside of our control that may affect our ability to make on-time payments in the expected amounts. If you get behind, many will offer payment plans based on your current circumstances to

help you get caught up. Even if you can’t make the minimum payments, always try to make a good faith payment of some amount, no matter how small. In addition to this, follow up to explain why your payment was short for that particular month. They’ll view you as more responsible for having done so.

Step 3. Stick to the plan What good is a plan if we don’t stick to it? Make it a priority in your budget to consistently execute each element of your debt repayment plan; it will serve as a guide for when life throws you off course.

Step 4. Continue to build positive momentum Once your credit use has stabilized, take meaningful steps to continue to improve your creditworthiness. If your score still isn’t as high as you’d like it to be at this point, there are still some small but positive methods you can pursue to increase your score over time. These include: • Having family member add you as an authorized user to their credit card to help rebuild your payment history.

• Applying for a secured card once your credit is fair or better to start building a

track record of positive credit history.

• Getting a credit builder loan to help establish a history of on-time payment.

The journey from high credit debt back to great creditworthiness takes dedication.

There might not be a magic wand that will quickly take your score where you want it to ultimately go. But incremental improvement that is consistent over time could make you eligible for that platinum card before you know it.

First Independence Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender

When she’s the breadwinner...

Politics can be described as a process to make others look weak, bad, or dumb to make another look strong, good, or smart.

It’s an effort to further one’s own agenda at the peril of another. Politicians are not the only people politicking. It’s a cultural phenomenon. It’s ingrained in practically every society to some degree. It’s manifested in “isms”—racism, sexism, and classism to name a few. I’d like to point out some biases towards women. There was a time women couldn’t vote or work. There was a time, women couldn’t obtain a loan or a credit card without her husband’s signature. Currently, women continue to fight for a seat at the table and earn equal wages. The average woman earns $.80 for every $1 her male counterpart earns doing the same job with the same background. These biases towards women created a cultural norm where women were overly dependent on men. Women were relegated to second-class citizens throughout the world, but also within their household.

They couldn’t vote—no voice. They couldn’t work—no income. They couldn’t get a loan without their husband’s signature—no independence. In life and in relationships, women particularly back in the day, “went along to get along.” They tolerated a lot because they felt they didn’t have better options.

Let’s fast forward to the present day. Women still have a lot to overcome, but they’ve overcome a lot. They have a voice. They have careers. They can finance themselves or obtain financing without a husband’s signature. They’re independent. They no longer have to “go along to get along.” They engage men in relationships because they want to,

not because they have to. This has created a shift in roles and influence when it comes to men and women in relationships. It’s also created confusion and controversy when the woman is the breadwinner in the family.

I solicited the help of one of my best friends and author Jamie Rucker. Jamie writes on subjects about men and spirituality. He’ll be releasing a book soon.

Jamie speaking: Society has spoken, and the verdict is in!

The Honorable Societal Judge has declared that stay-at-home fathers are no longer to be viewed as real men. Well, maybe we haven’t reached this point yet, but how close are we? The identity of today’s man is constantly under attack. In a world where women have become the breadwinners in many families, the roles women and men play in these relationships has drawn some scrutiny. This is due to the fact that men are born and reared with a natural propensity to lead and provide. What does this mean for the stay-at-home men?

Can a stay-at-home husband/father still be acknowledged as the priest of his home?

Does his lack of employment declare that he is then stripped of his rightful position as the head of his family? Can he still command respect from his wife, children, and peers?

These questions and many more are sure to be revealed as the foundational structure of the family continues to shift. What does this

mean going forward? Society is filled with people that have a healthy balance of commendatory vision that understand the importance of being open-minded. I maintain that the heart and servitude of a man must always trump his wallet. If his heart is right, respect is due.

Damon here: It’s “self-worth,” not “net worth” or “income” that defines the character of both men and women. Money is amoral. It’s neither good nor bad. It’s neither male nor female.

Money takes on the attitudes and characteristics of its beholder. If there’s an issue with a woman being the breadwinner within the family, the issue is deeper than money. It’s personal. It’s a sign of issues within the character of him or her. What is it about the man that makes him feel less than because she makes more? Why would a man feel his role as a leader of the household is threatened because she makes more? If a person’s respect for you was based on money, there was never any respect for you to begin with. For when the money goes, so does the respect. What is it about the woman that gives her an inflated sense of pride because she makes more? A woman who feels she doesn’t need a man because she has her own money or makes more money was in the relationship solely for money. Where’s the love?

I’ve talked about being equally yoked financially in a previous article. Being equal-

ly yoked financially isn’t about who makes more—the man or woman. Being equally yoked financially is about having a similar work ethic and similar vision. It’s about wanting the same things out of life. It’s about having similar goals, dreams, and priorities for your life. It’s about purposely working together to achieve a desired end. It’s about understanding when you’re married, you are one economic unit. There is no I, me, he, or she. It’s we and ours. It’s not that she makes $60,000 per year and he makes $50,000 per year or vice versa. We make $110,000 per year.

It doesn’t matter how much money a woman earns, she still desires a strong man that’s willing, able, and ready to lead, protect, provide, honor, cherish and respect her. It doesn’t matter how much a man earns, he still desires a strong woman, that’s willing, ready, and able to adore, support, uplift, respect, love, and care for him.

Times have changed. Roles have changed.

In the old days, men earned a living. Women did the domestic duties including rearing children, cooking and cleaning—which has economic value. Now that women work and have eased the burden of men being the sole earner, it’s only natural that men assist in the domestic duties and ease the burden of women being the sole person rearing the children, cooking and cleaning.

It’s often stated that a woman is a man’s helpmate. The reality is man and woman are each other’s helpmate.

(Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached @ 412216-1013 or visit his website @ www.damonmoneycoach.com)

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JEREMY DUCKWORTH

Jeremy Duckworth is helping small businesses create paths to success

by Erica Wright The Birmingham Times

(BlackPressUSA)—By the time he was in his 20s, Jeremy Duckworth was on his way to creating economic development opportunities for urban and rural communities.

Duckworth is executive director of the Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance (CARA), an organization focused on helping small businesses

become sustainable and building economic development opportunities in parts of Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma.

His experience goes back to his first business, which he started while enrolled at the University of Alabama (UA) in Tuscaloosa.

“It was a marketing business called Neighbor Foundation, and it was through Amway, [a multilevel marketing company

that sells health, beauty, and home care products],” said Duckworth, who was 20 at the time. “That taught me so much about people.”

Duckworth found that “most people are afraid of trying something new or different, and they cover it up with overaggression. … So, how do you deal with and manage that? … That is basically leadership and management, and also sales. I learned a

lot from that.”

While at UA, Duckworth started his second business, as well—Alabama Golf Greens, a company that installed golf greens in residential communities. He was 23 and assisted by two friends: Hunter Strickland and Luke Allen.

“If you wanted a putting green in your front yard, we would install it for you,” he said.

“I was making more money than a lot of the people graduating from UA, and I left [in 2006 or 2007] to focus on my business,” Duckworth added.

“I started those businesses not because I was some brilliant person [but] because my grandparents and parents were amazing people, and I had time to dream. I didn’t have to worry about tuition or where my next meal was coming from because they laid a great foundation for me, so I had time to start my businesses.”

Duckworth, now 37, was living in Tuscaloosa, with parents paying part of his tuition, when he started his first business ventures. His grandparents were also an influential part of his life and upbringing, instilling values in him.

Small-Town Guy Duckworth, an only child, was born in Taylorsville, Mississippi.

“My dad, Steven, was a field tech for a gas company back in that time, and my mom, Patricia, was a schoolteacher,” said Duckworth. “I had an extremely privileged background.

Every toy you could think of, I had it. I had a [black pickup truck] when I turned 16. … It was ridiculous how spoiled I was because I was the only child and youngest grandchild. My parents and my grandparents on both sides spoiled me.”

When Duckworth was 5, his family moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he attended Alberta Elementary School, Westlawn Middle School, and Central High School.

Duckworth played baseball in high school and was also on the debate team.

“I even went to Emory University [in Atlanta, Georgia], not for college but for debate camp,” he said. “The first time I went, my debate team won second in the overall tournament. I was really proud of that.”

After graduating from high school in 2002, Duckworth attended UA, where he majored in marketing and management and started creating his businesses.

Eye for Business While running Golf Greens for about six years, Duckworth also worked at an Alabama-based credit union as a membership representative before moving into a financial services officer role.

“I worked there for about three years,” he said. “Then I got recruited to work for a [technology] company in Mississippi, and my territory was Alabama and half of Georgia.”

While working with the tech company, Duckworth embarked on a path toward helping small businesses, especially in urban areas. He started researching Black history and learning about Black Wall Street, the moniker given to an area that thrived as the epicenter of African American business and culture, particularly on bustling Greenwood Avenue, in Tulsa, Oklahoma Black Wall Street was obliterated during the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, two days of mayhem that resulted in the destruction of numerous Black-owned homes and businesses and the deaths of hundreds of Black residents at the hands of a White mob.

Duckworth also read books like “The Road to Serfdom,” by economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek, whose work points out, among other things, the best system of economics.

He would eventually talk to a guy named Frank Woodson, executive director of Mission Alabama, a group that works to address the needs of the most vulnerable in the Greater Birmingham area by connecting businesses, government, and faith- and community-based organizations.

“When [Woodson] drew this ecosystem, I was like, ‘I want to do that. I want to build that. I want to be part of that,” said Duckworth, who then formed both a Chamber of Commerce in Fairfield and the Western Community Redevelopment Alliance (WCRA).

“We built the Fairfield Business Alliance, and that showed there were other areas that needed help as far as economic development,” said Duckworth. “We also talked to business owners in the area and [in 2017] started the WCRA, which focuses on building economic development opportunities in the western areas of Jefferson County, including Fairfield, Brighton, Lipscomb, and West Birmingham.

With the success of the WCRA, Duckworth wanted to expand.

“I was talking with a guy who was like, ‘This thing is too good to keep over in western Jefferson County. There are other people who need help.’ He told me I couldn’t call it ‘Western.’ I said, ‘You’re right.’ Then I thought of [CARA], which was launched in September 2020.”

CARA helps small businesses build economic development opportunities in Central Alabama. How so?

“We do that through best practices,” Duckworth said, explaining that participants are asked: “What do you need to get ready? How do you sell your area to a potential business? What do your economic development boards look like now?”

Once that is done, participants are taken through one of two accelerator programs: the Western Small-Business Accelerator or the Central Alabama Accelerator.

With the help of co-founders Lakami Baker, Ph.D., Lisa McKinney, and Corey Bishop, the Western Small-Business Accelerator launched a nine-month training program through which participants attend several different workshops for each phase of the program, getting hands-on help and learning best practices. The Central Alabama Accelerator is for businesses that have been around for six months.

Duckworth realizes the need to help small businesses.

“Without a foundation, people are lost,” he said.

“I think people want to do good and be good, but they don’t know what to do because no one ever taught them. I believe that without increasing capacity for businesses and people, we’re always going to be lost”—and Duckworth is doing his best through CARA to help small businesses find a path to success.

While devoting time to supporting local businesses, Duckworth also devotes time to his family.

He is married to Jennifer Elizabeth Duckworth, who runs her own business, Neighbor Foundations, and is a homeschool mom; they have three children: Alexander, 10, Carleigh, 7, and Phoenix, 5.

To learn more about the Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance, visit www.nowcara.org.

(This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.)

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

JULY 21-27, 2021

B3

The GOP watchword on Harris—attack, attack, attack

Guest Editorial

Journalist’s decision is a win for Howard Acclaimed journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones says she will not teach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill following an extended fight over tenure that made national headlines.

After months of indecision, UNC trustees held a special meeting last week to offer tenure to Hannah-Jones, key architect of the 1619 Project for The New York Times Magazine, which explored the legacy of racism.

The university had announced in April that Hannah-Jones, who won the Pulitzer Prize for her work on the 1619 Project, would join the faculty in July. She had accepted a five-year contract to join the journalism school’s faculty as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism.

Earlier in the year, Hannah-Jones’ tenure application was halted after complaints from conservatives and at least one trustee and a donor about the 1619 Project.

The school has said little about why tenure was not offered, but a prominent donor revealed he had emailed university leaders challenging her work as “highly contentious and highly controversial” before the process was halted.

Hannah-Jones announced Tuesday she would not stay on at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, choosing instead, along with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, to join the faculty of Howard University, one of the most prestigious historically Black universities in the country.

Hannah-Jones’ decision is a win for Howard University and a loss for the University of North Carolina.

The decision is also a win for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) which don’t always have the pull or the resources that predominantly white institutions have to bring in big-name faculty.

“I have been very, very thoughtful about my decision to go to an historically Black college, and what I decided is since the second grade, when I started being bused into white schools, I’ve spent my entire life proving that I belong in white spaces that were not built for Black people,” Hannah-Jones said in an appearance on “CBS This Morning” with Gayle King.

But after months of grappling with the university over her tenure, Hannah-Jones was done, she said.

“I decided I didn’t want to do that anymore,” she said. “That Black professionals should feel free and actually perhaps an obligation to go to our own institutions and bring our talents and resources to our own institutions and help to build them up as well.”

Howard University has been one of the bestknown and most esteemed HBCUs in the country since its founding in 1867. Howard boasts an alumni list that includes the likes of author Toni Morrison, actor Chadwick Boseman and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Hannah-Jones, one of the nation’s top journalists, will now bring her talents to Howard University.

(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune.)

Commentary either of these possibilities.

He’s generally gotten high poll marks and his likeability generally remains high. Barring any earth-shattering controversy, the politically cautious image of Biden is likely to remain intact.

Harris is a far different story.

This points to the second reason for targeting her. The speculation on the possibility that Biden may not be the Democrat’s presidential candidate in 2024 continues non-stop. His age and questions about possible health challenges fuel the talk about 2024.

Biden has repeatedly made clear that he intends to seek reelection and intends to serve two full terms.

This hasn’t stopped the speculation about his running again. And more importantly for the GOP, the hope that he will pack it in after one term. The GOP will exaggerate and magnify Harris’s vulnerabilities at every turn no matter how small, trivial, and just downright silly. The GOP, for instance, made much about her not touring the border and then when she did go, beat up on her for supposedly not doing anything to solve the problem. Some dredge up the old charge that her presidential bid in 2020 was largely a flop. That she was a poor campaigner and a candidate who had limited appeal to the general voting public.

The comparison is oft made to Obama. Harris unlike Obama supposedly did not stir any excitement among Black voters. The criticism from some Blacks that during her stint as California Attorney General she was too law and order, pro-police

comfy is cited. Her admirable reform record in office is ignored.

Harris certainly broke barriers in being the first female of African American and Indian ancestry to bag the vice presidency. However, the vice-presidency is still largely viewed as a ceremonial, take the back seat to power post, to the president. The other Harris vulnerability is the same one the GOP played on to tar Hillary. Strong, tough, decisive, and, yes, aggressive, are the exact qualities that voters and millions of Americans want and expect in their leaders. For many, that means the presidential office is a man’s office. Polls still show that a significant number of voters say they have reservations about a woman president.

Trump exploited that sentiment to the hilt. He was the biggest sexist, misogynist, female abuser that ever sat in the White House. But he was still seen as brash, tough, and outspoken. For many women, that seemed to mark him as having the right stuff to be President.

73 million-plus voters still thought that about him in his losing bid for reelection. Millions of those voters were women voters.

So far, the GOP’s shots at Harris haven’t done much harm. One June 2021 poll shows that her favorability rating is still high. But in the months ahead she will have the hard-up hill task of assuring millions in the general voting public that she has the experience and political savvy to handle the wheel of governing.

The GOP isn’t taking any chances on 2024. The vice president who could well be the Democrat’s candidate for President in 2024 will be under its harshest looking glare.

Their watchword on Harris will be attack and attack hard now just in case it’s her and not Biden for President in 2024.

(Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.)

Texas Democrats are getting into ‘good trouble’ (TriceEdneyWire.com) - One year after the death of the great civil rights icon John Lewis, a group of Texas Democratic lawmakers is following Lewis’s lifelong call for people to make “good trouble” and “necessary trouble” to secure equality and justice for all. Congressional Democrats should bring the same level of commitment to resisting and overturning a new wave of voting restrictions that voting rights activist Stacey Abrams has labeled “Jim Crow 2.0.”

Here’s why dozens of Texas lawmakers were in Washington, D.C. last week: Texas is the latest Republican-run state where legislators and the governor are trying to impose new voting restrictions—banning drivethrough and 24-hour early voting, restricting distribution of absentee ballots, imposing new voter ID provisions—that they hope will make it harder for Democrats to win future elections. Their voter suppression laws are aimed at Black and brown voters and others more likely to support Democratic candidates.

Republican officials are also trying to make former President Donald Trump happy by giving credibility to his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. They’re using his lies about “election fraud” and “election integrity” to justify new restrictive voting rules.

In Texas, Republicans control the state House and Senate. And hardright Gov. Gregg Abbott is eager to do Trump’s bidding. Back in May, Texas Republicans tried to push

Ben Jealous

Commentary their election bill through the House just before the close of the legislative session. Because the Texas House is required to have two-thirds of its members present to conduct official business, Democratic legislators stopped the bill from passing by walking out of the chamber.

But Gov. Abbott is so set on getting his new voting law that he ordered legislators to come back into session this month to push it through. To prevent the state’s Republicans from forcing new voting restrictions into law, more than 50 Democratic legislators left the state.

Gov. Abbott and Republican Senate leaders have threatened lawmakers with arrest to try to force them to attend the session. And he has said he will keep calling special sessions until he gets his way. That’s why the Texas legislators came to Washington, D.C. They brought an urgent message to members of Congress: the only way to protect voters from voter suppression at the state level is to pass national voting rights legislation.

The House of Representatives has previously passed the For the People Act, which would reverse many new voting restrictions and includes a

number of priorities specifically outlined by John Lewis during his lifetime, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would help prevent future voter suppression efforts from taking effect. Both are essential to protect democracy and voting rights. But right now Senate Republicans are using the filibuster to block the For the People Act, and they could do the same to the VRA. President Joe Biden has just made a strong speech in defense of voting rights. He denounced new voter suppression efforts. And he called for the Senate to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. I am grateful that President Biden has called attention to the urgent need for congressional action. Now we need him to use his leadership to get voting rights legislation through the Senate. And if Republicans continue to block it using a filibuster, he must work with Senate leaders to break through that obstruction.

John Lewis nearly died in the struggle to pass the national Voting Rights Act. He dedicated his career in Congress to defending it. I am steeling myself for the disgust I will feel when Republican officials praise him on the anniversary of his death at the same time they are undermining the cause to which he devoted his life.

Texas Democrats are honoring John Lewis by making good and necessary trouble. It is time for Democrats in Washington, and any Republicans committed more to country than party, to do the same.

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It started almost the instant that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced that California senator Kamala Harris was his VP pick in 2020. The “it” was the sniping, rumor-mongering, and flatout attacks on Harris. The knock-on her was that she was the perennial “angry Black woman.” This ancient stereotype types Black women as bossy, loud, outspoken, domineering, and emotionally high-strung.

A parade of GOP officials and candidates have snatched at that hit tag on Harris since she assumed office.

The latest being Alabama senatorial candidate Jessica Taylor who vented her spleen on Harris in a series of campaign ads. There’s the perennial charge that Harris is supposedly a poor organizer and a hard taskmaster. This made it easy for some in the press to run with stories from unnamed purported disgruntled staffers that Harris’s VP office breeds a climate that’s “toxic” and “reactionary.” This subtly reinforces the image of Harris as an ill-equipped and unfocused administrator.

The hit job on Harris is more than simply a case of the GOP playing the subtle gender and race card to pick at her. Though a strong dose of both underlays the attacks. No, Harris will be the GOP’s perennial whipping woman for two very transparent reasons. Both have one, and only, one aim. That’s to take back the White House in 2024.

The first reason Harris is a prime target is Biden. He’s a tough nut for the GOP to crack. He’s White, male, a very mature adult, from a border state, and has a lot of GOP friends in the Senate from his long tenure there. So far, he hasn’t said or done much that will give the GOP attack squad much to flail him with.

The attackers would have loads of ammunition to fire at him if he had moved to dump the filibuster or to plop more liberal Democratic friendly judges on the SCOTUS. Biden has pretty much closed the door on

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Creating God There is an ugly truth why some segments of White American society are so fierce in their defense of creationism. Simply put, that reason is White supremacy.

But without a critical examination of creationism within the context of those religious cultures that support and espouse it, one can easily overlook the racism that is at its core and the tribalistic ethos that breathed it into life.

If we peer through the mists of time to the earliest organized societies, we find that tribalism steered religious iconography for millennia. Seemingly alone and frightened in a world they did not understand, ancient humans envisioned a kindly and protective deity that would shelter them and make sense of their world. To make these protective deities relatable and easier to understand, they were given human qualities. Another word for creating a deity in one’s own human image is “anthropomorphism.” This word is derived from a combination of two Greek words: anthropos, “human” and morphe “form.” And by creating deities in the form of humans, humans were thus in the form of the gods.

Throughout human history, religious iconography often has attributed human qualities to divine beings. But this attribution varied from group to group, or more concisely, from tribe to tribe, sometimes even creating different versions of the same god. For this reason, across the globe, deities were not generically human, but were attributed qualities of the people in the tribes who worshipped them. So, gods became not only anthropomorphic, but ethnomorphic as well. For this reason, representations of the Hindu god Brahma do not resemble Brad Pitt, nor do depictions of Olorun, the creator god found in Nigerian culture, look like Charlton Heston.

By the Middle Ages, Christianity was securely the dominant religion in Europe, having eliminated the more ancient beliefs such as those held by Druids and worshippers of Isis. And with dominance comes control. God, Christ and the angels all were represented as having European features and pale skin. As far back as the late 13th century, the devil was portrayed as black in color. The writings of the monk Caesarius of the abbey of Heisterbach from that period contain references to the devil and demons as having black skin.

The Book of Genesis’ account of “In the beginning…” was transformed into a Eurocentric narrative with Adam and Eve as people with light skin giving birth to the human race. This article of faith in its European ethnomorphic form is as much a religious dogma to many Americana Christian creationists as are the Ten Commandments.

It has been, and continues to be, heresy to suggest that the darker people of the world – who many

Oscar H. Blayton

Commentary creationists believe carry the mark of Cain – were created in God’s image. This would remove people with light skin from the pinnacle of God’s divine plan, or at the very least, relegate them to sharing God’s grace with those whom Western culture enslaved and devalued.

Imagery found in The Sistine Chapel This hoarding of God’s goodness was bolstered by the fact that art, history, culture and religion all grew out of what people know best. The famous Renaissance artists Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael never articulated a saint or angel as having the appearance of an Asian or African because the historiography that informed their world view, and thus their sense of the cosmological, was constricted by their European tribe.

Anthropologists tell us that a “tribe” is, in part, a form of human social organization based on a set of smaller groups having political integration and defined by traditions of common descent, language, culture and ideology. Europeans often avoid the term “tribe” in favor of “nation” or “kingdom” when describing their social organizations and assign lesser degrees of civilization to tribal units. But a tribe by any other name is still a tribe, and tribal behavior is one defining factor when a common language, culture and ideology control it.

European tribal ethos is clouded by racism on many levels and in many ways. And when it was transported across the Atlantic Ocean, beginning in the late 15th century, it found fertile ground where it could run rampant with the genocide of the original inhabitants and the importation of enslaved labor from Africa. It was not by accident that European priests stepped off the boats with the first Spanish adventurers; and every subsequent wave of colonists brought their ethnocentric gods with them. The importation of their version of creator and the redeemer asserted their privilege to claim all that they surveyed—in the name of their god.

We should not attempt to deny the fact that religion was used to justify many forms of racist evil that landed on America’s shores as this society marched towards its present-day existence. This racism still exists in America’s DNA. So deeply is it embedded in the American ethos that, in many Black churches across this country, the image of a white Jesus is the central point of focus. And some Black churchgoers do not push back more rigorously against the common practice of depicting Adam and Eve as European-looking people with light skin, as they gave birth to the human race, despite the scientific evidence that the first humans, and the ancestors of us all, were inhabitants of Africa and had dark skin.

It is not likely that many White Americans will come to see their god as anything other than a White anthropomorphic deity, because creationism, coupled with a White Adam and Eve created in the image of their god, secures their place at the top of the hierarchy of all things. But it is important that people of good conscience conduct their lives with the understanding that this is a version of a god that tribalism, born of White supremacy, has created.

(Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia.)

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A Critical Race confession Recently, Dr. Cornel West, a philosopher and progressive activist, resigned from Harvard because he was denied a tenured position. Dr. West posted his resignation letter to his social media account for the public to read. More people are probably aware of his resignation letter than they are aware of the foreword he wrote in the 1995 book—Critical Race Theory: The key writings that formed a movement.

Dr. West stated, CRT compels us to confront the most explosive issue in American civilization: The historical centrality and complicity of law in upholding White supremacy.

Dr. West also highlighted the writings of Derrick Bell. Bell was born in the Hill District in 1930 and became the first tenured African American professor of law at Harvard Law School in 1971. Bell is considered one of the founders of CRT. In 1992 Bell published the CRT classic—Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism.

Now, if anyone bothers to look for Faces at the Bottom of the Well online, they might think the book is miscategorized because it’s under the genre, political fiction.

This might be confusing to those not familiar with CRT, but it’s perfectly normal to CRT insiders. The use of narrative or “legal storytelling,” which has historically been excluded from legal discourse, is central to CRT. Mari Matsuda, law professor and CRT scholar, called this narrative approach “outsider jurisprudence.” Matsuda stated, “This method is consciously both historical and revisionist … The desire to know history from the bottom has forced (CRT scholars) to sources often ignored: journals, poems, oral history, and stories from their own experience.”

J. Pharoah Doss

Check It Out Bell’s Faces at the Bottom of the Well is described as allegorical. In a 1993 book review, law professor Margaret M. Russell wrote that Bell’s book “conveys its author’s personal reflections in the form of quasi-confessional “chronicles,” which blend Bell’s legal and life philosophies into dialogues with a number of fictional characters … The chronicles express the frustrations and disappointments of a veteran civil rights scholar and advocate who concluded that nearly all of his well-intended litigation and policy strategies have been at least ineffectual and quite possibly counterproductive.”

Bell’s pessimism was based on three principles that were core to his thinking since the 1970s.

1). The interests of African Americans will only be promoted when they either advance or do not impede the interest of White Americans.

2). Racial progress only occurs when the interests of African Americans and White Americans align.

3). Racially progressive measures are systematically rolled back when those measures no longer serve the interest of White Americans.

Now, the controversial social critic, Stanley Crouch, published a collection of essays

in 1995 called The All-American Skin Game, or, The Decoy of Race. In this collection, Crouch told of a time he participated in a panel discussion with literary giant Ralph Ellison, Derrick Bell, and other civil rights activists from the 1960s.

Crouch remembered that Bell took the position that “there had never been a time when anything had happened in the interest of Black Americans that wasn’t the result of White people acting in their own interests.”

Infuriated by this sentiment, Crouch replied, as a supposed scholar of American law, Bell should have known that the intellectual and political engagement of African Americans had redefined every element of the social contract, expanding outward what had been a formerly restrictive vision of law and democracy.

Crouch stated Bell was caught on the panel dismissing a noble tradition of difficult accomplishment, and Bell admitted that he overstated the case.

Crouch concluded, “There it is. I accuse Bell and his ilk of being fundamentally defeatist people who accept high positions of success, then tell those below them they don’t have a chance. Pay no attention to me: The White man won’t budge for you … The case of Derrick Bell is one of selling out to hysterical alienation by so overstating the case that the issue is smudged beyond recognition.”

Today the question is: Does CRT recognized and analyze contemporary racial issues or does it permanently promote an overstated case of racism?

Please run for school board (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Critical race theory (CRT) asserts that racism is woven into the very fabric of our nation’s institutions. This is not new information for those who have studied how race affects our economy, politics, education, health care, and more. CRT is not an attempt to “blame” White America for its origins as much as it is a pedagogical approach to reality. Through critical race theory, we can see the many ways that the uneven application of laws allowed envious White people to destroy Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, colonizers to gentrify Black neighborhoods, doctors to experiment on Black people and more. CRT helps us understand how California stole parts of Mexico, Chinese people were imported here (without wives or families) to build railroads, and how our Constitution defined Black folks as fractions of people.

Attorney and Professor Derrick Bell (1930-2011) wrote about the many ways our racist gendered patriarch systematically oppressed Black people and others at the periphery. He used both legal theory and fiction to amplify his points.

Critical race theory has been taught in our nation’s colleges and universities, and especially in our law schools, for decades.

Now white legislators are passing laws in several states to outlaw the teaching of CRT because it hits too close to home.

Much of this legislation demonstrates how ignorant some of these legislators are.

It also illustrates how heated the battle for fact and knowledge is. Some think the South won the Civil War, which they describe as the war of “Northern Aggression”. Though the statues are coming down, there are still those who believe

Julianne Malveaux

News Analysis those statues were erected for heroism, not resistance to equality. And every time you see a Confederate flag flying, you must know that hose stars and bars were only added to state flags after Brown V. Board of Education became law, and white Southerners wanted to communicate their allegiance to racism.

The legislators who oppose CRT also oppose knowledge. Now, their fearlessly foolish conservative leaders are urging them to “take over” the schools by running for school boards around the country. Rich Lowry, the National Review Editor, wrote a piece, “The Point of the Anti-CRT Fight Should Be To Take Over the Schools”(https://www.nationalreview. com/2021/07/the-point-of-the-anti-crt-fightshould-be-to-take-over-the-schools/). What he means is to take over young people’s brains. Lowry is smart enough to know that the historical whitewash conservatives are attempting cannot withstand historical scrutiny. So he and his conservative minions would instead inject their ideology into our schools, using low-turnout, low-budget races to grab power.

Roland S. Martin deserves credit for lifting this. He has been looking at the damage school boards do for years. He

says, and Lowry echoes, the power school boards have. To choose book vendors. To shape the curriculum. To select teachers and trainers. The anti-CRT crowd would shut this down. But we also shut ourselves down when we get stuck at the top of the ballot. It is essential to choose a President and Vice-President, a Senator and Congressperson, and it is equally important to select a zoning commissioner or a school board member. Rich Lowry’s piece makes it clear and makes it plain.

He says that “education is too important to be left to educators.” He wants rabid (he didn’t say White, but I will) parents to run for school boards and to use their passion to lock knowledge out.

So this is my plea to woke, progressive Black folk. Please run for school board.

There are tens of thousands of Black women who have retired from education.

Would you please run for the school board?

There are young people of color who understand the flaws in the education that was delivered to them. Please run for school board. There are entrepreneurs who decry the inadequate education that so many young people bring when they apply for new jobs. Please run for school board.

Many of these posts can be won with a few hundred votes and a few thousand dollars. The right-wing has their marching orders. We need to have ours, too. We can serve our communities and our nation by standing up for knowledge. Please run for school board.

(Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. She is also President of PUSH Excel, the education arm of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

You may reach her at juliannemalveaux.com)

Civil rights leaders urge White House to get behind voting rights (TriceEdneyWire.com)— “The 21st century Jim Crow assault is real. It’s unrelenting, and we’re going to challenge it vigorously. While this broad assault against voting rights is not unprecedented, it’s taking on a new and, literally, pernicious forms. It’s no longer just about who gets to vote or making it easier for eligible voters to vote. It’s about who gets to count the vote—who gets to count whether or not your vote counted at all. It’s about moving from independent election administrators who work for the people to polarized state legislatures and partisan actors who work for political parties. To me, this is simple: This is election subversion. It’s the most dangerous threat to voting and the integrity of free and fair elections in our history.”

—President Joe Biden Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with President Biden and Vice President Harris to discuss the appalling attack on democracy that is ongoing in state legislatures across the country, as well as other issues of racial justice.

A few days later, President Biden delivered one of the most impassioned speeches of his presidency, echoing many of the themes we discussed in our meeting. He alluded to our meeting, reminding Americans of our commitment to “stay vigilant and challenge these odious laws in the courts.” I was proud that we pushed the President to address the issue, and we intend to continue pushing.

The National Urban League helped lead

Marc H. Morial

To Be Equal the meeting between the White House and a group of leaders from eight legacy Black civil rights organizations. Joining me were Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; Dr. Johnnetta Cole, National Chair and President of the National Council of Negro Women; Wade Henderson, Interim President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP; and Reverend Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network.

I was grateful for the opportunity to impress upon the President and Vice President the urgency of confronting the wave of anti-voter legislation that is surging through state legislatures. When we look at what is happening in this nation, we see an effort to impose a system of

American apartheid on our grand and glorious multicultural nation. State laws are used to suppress the vote, the filibuster process is used to obstruct Congressional oversight. the courts are used to undercut the Voting Rights Act, all to subvert the democratic process and overturn the will of the people.

We urged President Biden to put the full moral prestige and the power of the presidency behind voting rights, to help frame the debate for the American people. As a candidate, he talked about the soul of the nation. No issue cuts to the soul of the nation more than voting rights.

I was glad to hear President Biden and Vice President Harris reconfirm their determination to push for passage of the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act—two vital bills that would protect voting rights and the integrity of the elections process.

We also discussed the frustrating delay in securing passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is currently being negotiated in the Senate. Days after the meeting, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is leading the negotiations for Senate Republicans, said he hopes a police reform package is approved by the end of this month.

We look forward to continuing the discussion and holding the President and Vice President to their commitments.

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BLOOMFIELD-GARFIELD CORPORATION NOW HIRING: GARFIELD GREENZONE & SERVICE PROJECT COORDINATOR Hours: 30-35 hours per week Compensation: $20.00 per hour, with benefits The Garfield Greenzone is a place where neighbors can enjoy new walking trails, plant gardens, participate in organized or informal recreation, and preserve green space throughout arfie d for future enerations to come. The initiative also provides a pathway for non-violent offenders to avoid incarceration by diverting offenders into community service projects where they can develop landscaping skills and receive training that could lead to real jobs.

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COMMUNITY IMPACT OPERATIONS DIRECTOR UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA PITTSBURGH OFFICE The Community Impact Operations Director is a newly created position that will play a critical role in United Ways Community Impact strategy, including PA 211 Southwest. As a senior member of the Community Impact (CI) group, the Director will lead a team responsible for internal operations and aligning organizational strategy with execution. Other key responsibilities will include overseeing budgeting, fund allocation processes, tracking and reporting on outcomes, and creating effective funding proposals consistent with United Ways branding, messaging, and strategic direction.

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent with strong writing skills and experience with program management and implementation, budget management, and administrative and team leadership required.

Visit our website at https://uwswpa.org/careers/ to view job description and apply for this position. Submissions will only be accepted electronically.

The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity, serving Allegheny, Butler, Westmoreland, Fayette, and Armstrong counties.

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Provides functional support and training to Finance Division end users. Responsible for establishing and maintaining the maintenance and operator budgets as well as the headcount reconciliation for maintenance, operators, and salary positions.

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Estate of MR. NICKOLAS M. VENEZIALE, JR. , Deceased of 33 Florence Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15202, Estate No. 02-20-04067, Ms. Cheryl Asche, 33 Florence Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15202, Administrator, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of ANTOINETTE MCCANN ,Deceased of Pittsburgh, Estate No. 05128 of 2021, Anthony McCann, Adm, or to c/o Jacqueline H. Brangard, Esquire, Scolieri Law Group, P.C. 1207 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200 Bldg., Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Estate of WALTER JAMES LOWRY, Deceased of Pittsburgh, PA, Estate No. 05082 of 2021, Thelma C. Spells, Administratrix, 1533 Bidwell Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15233

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JULY HACP BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MONTHLY MEETING Due to the COVID-19 protective guidelines set forth by federal, state, and local governments, the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s Board of Commissioners will hold its monthly meeting for July on July 22, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. on a remote basis. The meeting will be held remotely, with public access to be provided online.

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THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed bids will be received in the e efie d venue obb dministration ui din outh e efie d venue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time August 3, 2021 and will be opened at the same hour in the administration building cafeteria: Window CleaningVarious Locations General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Purchasing ffice outh e efie d venue RM 349 Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: www.pghschools.org Click on Our Community; Bid Opportunities; Purchasing - under Quick Links.

The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid.

NOTICE TO BIDDERS REBID PA 18-12 IRWIN MANOR IRWIN BOROUGH – WESTMORELAND COUNTY INVITATION FOR BIDS WINDOW REPLACEMENT PROJECT GENERAL CONSTRUCTION – CONTRACT – PA 18-12-012021.1 GC Westmoreland County Housing Authority is requesting General Construction bids for the referenced project through sealed bids which will be received by the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, until August 5th at 10:00 A.M. (eastern standard time). Bids shall be deposited at the Administrative ffice of the estmore and oun ty Housing Authority, 167 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA 15601. Bids received will then be opened publicly at 154 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA. 15601.

A Pre-Bid Meeting is scheduled for July 26, 2021 at 1:30 P.M. (eastern standard time). Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended. Meeting location will be at Irwin Manor - 100 Western Ave, Irwin, PA 15642.

Electronic Bid Documents are available for downloading at www. wchaonline.com. Bidders are required to register online at the www.wchaonline.com to view bid documents. Plan holders proposing to bid shall also register their intent to submit a bid with Westmoreland County Housing Associates, Inc. via email to lindam@wchaonline. com and eriks@wchaonline.com in accordance with the bid requirements.

Westmoreland County Housing Authority, By: Michael L. Washowich, Executive Director LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT INVITATION FOR BIDS: The Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) is requesting bids from ua ified contractors for TRACTI O N ELEVATO R MODERNIZATION. CONTRACT: #ACHA-1652 TRACTION ELEVATOR MODERNIZATION LOCATIONS: Rachel Carson Hall 135 E. Second Street, Tarentum, PA 15084 & Brackenridge Hall, 887 First Avenue, Brackenridge, PA 15014 DOCUMENTS: Bid documents & specifications wi be avai ab e after July 21, 2021 on the Pittsburgh Builder’s Exchange, or the McGraw-Hill websites, and Complete Contract Documents may be obtained from the Allegheny County Housing Authority, 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA 15136, or by contacting Dean Allen, Project Manager dallen@achsng.com or 412-402-2469 FEE: No Charge for Emailed documents; NON-MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE: August 4, 2021, at 10:00AM at the ACHA Central Office, 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 BIDS DUE: 2:00 PM EST on August 16, 2021 at the ACHA Central Office, 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 Frank Aggazio Executive Director Allegheny County Housing Authority

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district

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JULY 21-27, 2021

LEGAL ADVERTISING

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Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SONNY BOY

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 a.m. on August 17, 2021 and will be read at 11:15 a.m., the same day, at Port Authority’s Heinz location (Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information for the Bid Opening), for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org) Bid Number Bid Name 1 B210657A Bicycle Racks - Coach 2 B210661 Drop Table Replacement System - SHVRC 3 B210764A Operators Supervisors & Maintenance Uniforms 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 a.m. on July 28, 2021. Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information.

Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged.

Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the ort Authority within fi e 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 deli ered unless otherwise s ecified. Costs for deli ery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing. ort uthorit of e hen ount hereb notifies a bidders that it wi affirmative insure that in re ard to an 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.

LEGAL AD FOR 2021-2022 MEETING SCHEDULE SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COMMISSION The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) has set the following meeting dates for fiscal year 2021-2022. The Commission Executive Committee meetings will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, August 30, September 27, October 25 and December 13, 2021; and January 31, February 28, March 28, April 25, May 23, and June 27, 2022.

The regular meetings of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, August 30, September 27, October 25 and December 13, 2021; and January 31, February 28, March 28, April 25, May 23, and June 27, 2022. All meetings will be held in the SPC Conference Center at Two Chatham Center, Suite 400, 112 Washington Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

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 ensurin that pro ram beneficiaries receive pub ic participation opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or economic status. Meeting facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities and the location is reachable by public transit. 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 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, soconnell@spcregion.org.

Title VI Notice to Public: The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) hereby gives public notice that it is the policy of the Commission to assure full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. Title VI and other related statutes require that no person in the United States of America shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of or be otherwise sub ected to discrimination under any program or activity for which SPC receives federa financia assistance.

Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice by SPC under Title VI has a ri ht to fi e a forma complaint with the Commission. Any such complaint must be in writing and fi ed with SPC’s Title VI Coordinator within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date of the alleged discriminatory occurrence. 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.

NOTICE TO BIDDERS REBID PA 18-10 SCOTTDALE MANOR SCOTTDALE BOROUGH – WESTMORELAND COUNTY INVITATION FOR BIDS WINDOW REPLACEMENT PROJECT •GENERAL CONSTRUCTION – CONTRACT – PA 18-10-012021.1 GC Westmoreland County Housing Authority is requesting General Construction bids for the referenced project through sealed bids which will be received by the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, until August 5th at 10:00 A.M. (eastern standard time). Bids shall be deposited at the dministrative ffice of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, 167 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA 15601.

Bids received will then be opened publicly at 154 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA. 15601.

A Pre-Bid Meeting is scheduled for July 26, 2021 at 10:30 A.M. (eastern standard time). Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended. Meeting location will be at Scottdale Manor - 20 Pearl Street Scottdale, PA 15683.

Electronic Bid Documents are available for downloading at www.wchaonline. com. Bidders are required to register online at the www.wchaonline. com to view bid documents. Plan holders proposing to bid shall also register their intent to submit a bid with Westmoreland County Housing Associates, Inc. via email to lindam@wchaonline.com and eriks@wchaonline.com in accordance with the bid requirements.

Westmoreland County Housing Authority, By: Michael L. Washowich, Executive Director

NOTICE TO BIDDERS PA 18-27 NEW STANTON MANOR INVITATION FOR BIDS COMMON AREA FLOORING REPLACEMENT PROJECT GENERAL CONSTRUCTION – CONTRACT – PA 18-27-01- 2021.1 GC Westmoreland County Housing Authority is requesting General Construction bids for the referenced project through sealed bids which will be received by the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, until August 5th at 10:00 A.M. (eastern standard time). Bids shall be deposited at the Administrative ffice of the estmore and ount Housing Authority, 167 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA 15601.

Bids received will then be opened publicly at 154 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA. 15601.

A Pre-Bid Meeting is scheduled for July 23, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. (eastern standard time). Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended.

Meeting location will be at New Stanton Manor – 510 Wentsler Avenue, New Stanton, PA. 15672 Electronic Bid Documents are available for downloading at www. wchaonline.com. Bidders are required to register online at the www.wchaonline.com to view bid documents. Plan holders proposing to bid shall also register their intent to submit a bid with Westmoreland County Housing Associates, Inc. via email to lindam@wchaonline. com and eriks@wchaonline.com in accordance with the bid requirements.

Westmoreland County Housing Authority, By: Michael L. Washowich, Executive Director

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LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR REHAB UNIT INSPECTOR REBID RFP #250-12-21-REBID The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby re uest proposa s from ua ified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): REHAB UNIT INSPECTOR REBID The documents will be available no later than July 19, 2021 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 9:00 AM August 10, 2021.

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on August 10, 2021 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Proposals may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals 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 9:00 AM on August 2, 2021. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 993 7282 2265 Passcode: 589473 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) The Housing Authority of the City of ittsbur h stron encoura es 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.

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

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Triedstone Baptist Church holding fundraiser for Rev. Kristian Mudd Triedstone Baptist Church, 18 Harriet St., Rankin, is holding a Women’s Ministry Fundraiser for Rev. Kristian Mudd, to help with medical bills and personal finances while she is recuperating from her illness.

It will be held Saturday, July 24, at 11 a.m., at the church. There will be spaghetti, salad and baked goods available. For more information, call Rev. Terri Pennybaker at 412-728-2183.

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