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AUGUST 10-16, 2022
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Blacks ‘significantly’ less likely to receive essential procedures for heart attacks by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
If you’re Black and diagnosed with a heart attack referred to as “N-STEMI,” you’re less likely to receive two essential procedures, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned.
COURIER EXCLUSIVE New research published in July in the Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that “significant differences” in initial heart attack diagnosis and treatment were found among Black and Hispanic adults compared to White adults. Researchers examined the health claims of more than 87,000 people diagnosed with non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (N-STEMI), a type of heart attack in which an artery is partially blocked and severely reduces blood flow. The investigators analyzed racial and ethnic differences in the use of two common, essential procedures: coronary angiography and percutaneous intervention (PCI). According to a release from the American Heart Association, coronary angiography is a diagnostic procedure
that uses a dye and x-rays to visualize blood flowing through the coronary arteries to determine if a blockage in one or more arteries is causing the heart attack. PCI is a minimally invasive method of threading a slim hollow tube from a blood vessel in the arm or thigh until it reaches the blockage and opening the artery by inflating a balloon at the tube’s tip. The artery may be held open with a small, permanent tube called a stent. The data came from claims made in the years 2017-2019. The data revealed that Black adults were 7 percent less likely to undergo coronary angiography and 14 percent less likely to have PCI compared to White adults in the study. “It’s pretty alarming,” Tarryn Tertulien, M.D., M.Sc., lead author of the study and a resident in internal medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, told the Courier in an exclusive interview, Aug. 2. The report studied those who had some type of insurance (private or Medicare Advantage). Those who were uninsured altogether were not part of the study. The study found that those who had lower annuSEE HEART ATTACKS A3
“These biases are very real and we just need to start addressing them.”
- Tarryn Tertulien, M.D., M.Sc.
A man of many talents Second Baptist Church in Homestead to hold memorial for beloved pastor by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Norma Jean Turner believes that it was legendary musician Fats Domino who performed on top of a police station that had all the young people flocking to her hometown of McDonald, Pa., 18 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. But she knows for sure that whomever was the headliner, it didn’t really matter, for she met the man who would play the starring role in her life for over 60 years. “That’s where I first met him,” Norma Jean Turner told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “Him” was Donald Page Turner. Originally from Wellsburg, W.Va., he came up to McDonald for the performance, and the rest, they say, is history. Donald Page Turner and
Norma Jean Turner later married in 1958 and moved to Canonsburg, where Rev. Turner pastored Mount Olive Baptist Church for five years. Then the couple moved closer to Pittsburgh, where Rev. Turner became pastor of Second Baptist Church in Homestead in 1971. He was the pastor there for 48 years until his retirement in 2019. “He loved people,” Norma Jean told the Courier of her late husband, “so that’s why he loved his job as being the pastor. He always wanted to be among them doing whatever they were doing; painting the building, washing it down, making the garden...he just loved people.” Reverend Turner passed away on May 29, at 11 a.m., according to his family, surSEE REV. TURNER A7
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THE LATE REV. DONALD TURNER, WITH WIFE, NORMA JEAN, IN THIS PHOTO FROM 2017. SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH, IN HOMESTEAD, WILL HOLD A MEMORIAL FOR REV. TURNER ON SATURDAY, AUG. 13, AT 4 P.M., AT THE CHURCH, 108 W. 12TH AVE.
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This Week In Black History
A Courier Staple •AUGUST 10
With federal charges announced, will there be justice for Breonna Taylor? by Danielle Sanders Chicago Defender
Breonna Taylor may finally get justice. On Thursday, August 4, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced federal charges against four current and former Kentucky police officers in connection with the 2020 murder of Breonna Taylor. The officers are charged with civil rights violations, conspiracy, use of excessive force, and obstruction. During the press conference, AG Garland said, the officers, lied to obtain the search warrant. The search violated civil rights laws and led to Taylor’s death. In addition, Garland believes the officers conspired to cover up the incident and mislead authorities investigating Taylor’s murder. “We allege that Ms. Taylor’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated when defendants Joshua Jaynes, Kyle Meany, and Kelly Goodlett sought a warrant to search Ms. Taylor’s home knowing that the officers lacked probable cause for the search. We allege that the defendants knew the affidavit in support of that warrant contained false and misleading information and that it omitted material information.” Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old medical technician who was killed when police enforced a “no-knock” warrant at her home. Taylor was sleeping when police raided her home while she was with her boyfriend. Taylor’s boyfriend, shot at police believing they were intruders and officers responded by firing 22 bullets, killing Breonna Taylor. The murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and others
set off a series of protests in 2020 around the world calling for police reform. Attorney for the family of Breonna Taylor, Benjamin Crump said in a statement, “Today was a huge step toward justice. We are grateful for the diligence and dedication of the FBI and the DOJ as they investigated what led to Breonna’s murder and what transpired afterward. The justice that Breonna received today would not have been possible without the efforts of Attorney General Merrick Garland or Assistant AG for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke.” Kentucky state prosecutors previously charged officer Brett Hankison with three counts of felony wanton endangerment in connection with Taylor’s murder in September 2020. He was acquitted of all charges in March. No other officer who had a role in the raid that resulted in Breonna Taylor’s death was charged until AG Garland’s announcement. The National Bar Association (NBA) President, Lonita K. Baker said in a statement, “While these charges and guilty pleas will not bring Breonna back, we hope it sends a message to all that no one is above the law. The NBA thanks Attorney General Garland, Assistant Attorney General Clarke, and their staff for their diligence for pursuing justice in Breonna’s case. Where the Commonwealth failed to act, we appreciate the federal government stepping in to ensure justice is pursued no matter the length of time,” stated NBA President Baker. Marc H. Morial, President, and CEO of the National Urban League said
in a statement, “More than two years after Breonna’s death, the officers involved in obtaining the search warrant that led to her murder were charged with a federal crime. As we celebrate this win for her family and the Louisville community, we must acknowledge the work of U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice, the FBI, and others who helped with this investigation to ensure the officers involved were held responsible. To the activists on the ground and our Louisville affiliate that mobilized every day in an effort to make the nation aware of Breonna’s story, we thank you as well.” The family of Breonna Taylor has consistently pleaded and fought for justice pushing her case into the national spotlight and appearing in protests and marches across the county. In 2020 officials in Louisville, KY agreed to a $12 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of Breonna Taylor. “On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor should have awakened in her home as usual, but tragically she did not,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “Since the founding of our nation, the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution has guaranteed that all people have a right to be secure in their homes, free from false warrants, unreasonable searches, and the use of unjustifiable and excessive force by the police. These indictments reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to preserving the integrity of the criminal justice system and to protecting the constitutional rights of every American.”
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1867—Famed Black Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge dies in Poland. Aldridge was born in New York, where he developed a love for the theater. But prejudice in America forced him to go to England to practice his craft. Despite running into racism there as well, he was able to find work. He came in for harsh criticism when paired with White female actresses. But after performing Shakespeare’s Othello, he was proclaimed “an actor of genius” by several newspapers. (Note: There is some authority that Aldridge actually died on Aug. 7.) 1981—A nationwide African American boycott of the giant Coca Cola bottling company ends after the firm reaches an agreement with Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Operation PUSH. Coke agreed to pump at least $34 million into Black businesses and increase the number of African American-owned distributorships. Critics would later charge that the beverage giant reneged on the deal and the amount of money pumped into Black businesses never came to more than $11 million.
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1868—One of the greatest White heroes of Black history dies in Washington, D.C. His name was Thaddeus Stevens. Stevens, a congressman from Pennsylvania, and Sen. Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts, led the Radical Republicans movement, which favored punishing the South for starting the Civil War and taking land from the former slave owners and giving it to the former slaves. He headed the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and he used his power at every turn to aid Blacks. Indeed, many of the pro-Black measures and legislation of the period attributed to President Abraham Lincoln were actually initiated by Stevens and Sumner. After Lincoln’s assassination, Stevens led the move to impeach President Andrew Johnson in part because Johnson, a Southerner, opposed many measures which would have benefited Blacks. More than 20,000 people (nearly half of them Black) attended his funeral in Lancaster, Pa. 1921—Accomplished writer Alex Haley is born on this day in Ithaca, N.Y. Haley is best known for co-writing the “Autobiography of Malcolm X” and for “Roots”—a history of a Black family during slavery, which became a major television series during the 1970s. Haley died in February 1992. 1965—The largest, longest and possibly most destructive Black riot of the turbulent 1960s begins in Los Angeles, Calif. The Watts Rebellion lasted six days, caused between $35 million and $50 million in damage while leaving 34 people dead, more than 1,000 injured and nearly 4,000 arrested. It took place during a “long hot summer” when similar riots were taking place throughout the country.
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1890—This is generally considered the day that the systematic and nominally legal exclusion of Blacks from the political life of the South began. It was the day that the Mississippi Constitutional Convention began. Barred by the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution from excluding Blacks by race, the convention instead adopted a host of strategies including literacy or so-called “Education Tests” specifically designed to prevent Blacks from voting. The tests required reading and interpreting the Constitution. Blacks would be given difficult passages to interpret while Whites were either exempted or given easy passages. Soon, most Southern states adopted the so-called Mississippi Plan to exclude Blacks from voting. The racist plan was effective. In one Mississippi County, for example, there were 30,000 Blacks but only 175 were eligible to vote. Most aspects of the Mississippi Plan were not overturned until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. 1922—Ophelia Devore Mitchell—the founding mother of African-American modeling—is born on this day in Edgefield, S.C. Her family would move to New York during the 1930s, where she entered the Vogue School of Modeling at 17. She excelled at modeling, as well as in academics mastering Latin, German and French. She modeled professionally for several years before opening her own modeling school in 1946. Her aim was to overcome stereotypes and negative portrayals of Black women. She wrote a fashion column for the Pittsburgh Courier, started her own line of cosmetics and eventually helped found the Columbus Times newspaper in Georgia. In 2004, she was formally recognized by the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion and Arts Exchange for her contributions to the industry.
•AUGUST 13 1881—The
first
African-American
nursing school opens at Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga. 1892—The Afro-American newspaper is founded. The first edition is published in Baltimore, Md., by John H. Murphy Sr. At its height, the newspaper chain would publish papers in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Richmond, Virginia and Newark, N.J. It continues to publish today in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. 1906—The “Brownsville Affair” takes place. Angry Black soldiers, who had been subjected to intense racial discrimination and insults, are accused of sneaking into Brownsville, Texas, and killing a local White bartender and wounding a police officer. Although the evidence was weak, President Theodore Roosevelt sided with Brownsville Whites and ordered 167 of the Black soldiers dishonorably discharged for a “conspiracy of silence” because they either denied involvement in the shootings or refused to say who was involved. However, 66 years later (as a result of the findings of a book) the Army opened a new investigation which cleared the accused soldiers and reversed the 1906 dishonorably discharges.
•AUGUST 14
1862—President Abraham Lincoln (for the first time) meets with a group of prominent Blacks to discuss the Civil War and public policy. But before the meeting was over, he would anger those gathered. Although an outspoken opponent of the expansion of slavery, Lincoln suggested that it would be best for America and Blacks if African Americans were to emigrate to Africa or Central America. Nevertheless, a Littlemore than a month later on Sept. 22 he would issue the Emancipation Proclamation technically freeing all slaves in the rebellious Southern states. 1883—Ernest E. Just is born in Charleston, S.C. Just would become one of the nation’s most prominent biologists conducting pioneering research in cell division. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Dartmouth University in 1907 and would go on to establish the Zoology Department at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Just would die in 1941. 1959—Modern basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson is born on this day in Lansing, Mich.
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1975—In another of those highly publicized “trials of the century,” which frequently grip national attention, 20-year-old Joan Little is found not guilty of murder after she stabbed a White jailer who had entered her cell in Beaufort County, N.C., to sexually assault her. The trial had been moved to Raleigh because of widespread racial prejudice in the Eastern North Carolina area where the incident actually took place. 1979—President Jimmy Carter forces the resignation of United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young after he angered Jewish groups by meeting with representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The resignation created stormy relations between Blacks and the generally uncompromising pro-Israel lobby in the United States.
•AUGUST 16
1922—Author and investigative reporter Louis E. Lomax is born in Valdosta, Ga. Little is known today, but in the 1960s Lomax was one of the most prominent Black journalists in America. He was renowned for his coverage of the Civil Rights Movement and his investigative reporting. He died mysteriously in an automobile accident near Santa Rosa, N.M., on July 30, 1970. One urban legend is that his car was forced off the road by persons working for the FBI because he was completing a book which would show that the assassination of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was part of a government plot. This urban legend is often repeated, but there has been little concrete evidence offered to support it. Lomax’ best known books are “Negro Revolt” and “To Kill a Black Man.”
THE COURIER ISN’T JUST A NEWSPAPER. IT’S BLACK HISTORY.. HISTORY
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Blacks ‘significantly’ less likely to receive essential procedures for heart attacks HEART ATTACKS FROM A1
al incomes within each racial and ethnic group were less likely to receive coronary angiography. With that information, “We expect that the association we found between race and ethnicity and N-STEMI treatment would be even more profound in people without insurance,” Dr. Tertulien said. Dr. Tertulien said that historically, studies have shown that African Americans receive, as a whole, lesser treatment than Whites in a number of medical fac-
tions, as she performs a lot of studies in health equity. But even she thought that in today’s world, “contemporary data” would show that treatment has become nearly equal for all ethnicities. At least in this study, that wasn’t the case. “I would say this data was a little surprising in the sense that there’s a lot more awareness of these disparities, and my thinking was, I would see less disparities,” Dr. Tertulien told the Courier. “But the fact that we were able to see these disparities persistent in contemporary data...it’s something we re-
ally need to address in the future.” Dr. Tertulien said the study did not examine the eventual health outcomes of the African Americans or Hispanics who didn’t receive the procedures. However, “based on what we see clinically,” she said, “if one does not obtain the treatment in a timely manner, it can have consequences such as abnormal heart rates or even heart failure in the long term.” African Americans are 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic Whites, ac-
Mosby adds Penn American Water board duties Sabrina Saunders Mosby has been elected to Pennsylvania American Water’s board of directors, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned. Mosby is president and CEO of Vibrant Pittsburgh—the central resource for workforce diversity and inclusion for the region’s employers. “We are thrilled to bring Sabrina’s experience in workforce devel-
opment and passion for diversity and inclusion to Pennsylvania American Water’s board of directors,” said company President Mike Doran. Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state. Mosby is also a former recipient of the Courier’s “Fab 40 under 40” award.
SABRINA SAUNDERS MOSBY
cording to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And although African American adults are 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, they are less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to have their blood pressure under control. For African American women, the CDC says they are nearly 60 percent more likely to have high blood pressure compared to non-Hispanic White women. “Physicians have three essential responsibilities,” said senior study author Jared W. Magnani, M.D., M.Sc., an associate professor of med-
icine at the University of Pittsburgh, in a release provided to the Courier. “First, they must practice medicine that is blind to race and ethnicity, providing the same standard of care regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or other social factors. Second, they must understand how patients’ life experiences— due to structural factors, racism, financial obstacles and other social determinants—may influence risk factors, access to care and how serious their condition is at presentation. Third, they must be aware of their personal biases, which may
influence their ability to provide equitable care.” Dr. Tertulien said the responsibility isn’t solely on Black and Hispanic patients to demand to their physician that they have coronary angiography and PCI. But, “patients should be aware of the kind of treatments that are expected” for things like N-STEMI, she told the Courier. “It’s a structural issue from a health care system, provider standpoint, to recognize that we all have these biases...these biases are very real and we just need to start addressing them.”
PBMF Vann Media Awards Dinner is back, in-person It’s been a few years, but the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation announced on Aug. 3 that the organization will hold its annual Vann Media Awards Dinner as an in-person event, Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. The event begins at 6 p.m. The theme of the evening will recognize the Black press and coverage of Africana people through the lens of the African diaspora. “Now more than ever, it is in-
cumbent to note journalism that goes beyond the surface—and biased rhetoric—in telling stories of the human condition across the globe,” Ervin Dyer, Ph.D., Vann Media Awards Dinner Committee Chair, said in a release provided to the New Pittsburgh Courier. In 1988, the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation established the Robert L. Vann Media Awards to honor excellence in journalism coverage of the African American community. The awards
program was named in honor of the late Robert L. Vann, legendary publisher of the Pittsburgh Courier, to recognize his personal commitment to journalism and to creating a voice for the Black community. Tickets for the dinner may be purchased until August 22 at pbmf.org. Tickets are $25 each for students, $50 for PBMF members and $60 for non-menbers.
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Boys & Girls Club teams with Michigan State Head Coach Mel Tucker on first-ever NFT series; All proceeds plus resale royalties go to kids’ charity (EAST LANSING, MI – Aug. 5)—NFTs for charity are the gift that keeps on giving thanks to the digital and authenticated features of NFTs, and the first case study in the country is NFTuck™, the NFT (non-fungible token) series from Michigan State Football Head Coach Mel Tucker. Coach Tuck teamed up with the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan and the more than 21,000 youth and families they serve to create a first-ofits-kind fan experience NFT for a good cause. All proceeds plus royalties on resales of the NFTs go to the Boys & Girls Club. “NFTs are the future of giving for coaches, athletes and celebrities because of the ability to reach fans anywhere in the world, but also because of the resale royalties that create a revenue stream for charities into the future,” said Shawn Wilson, President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, in a release. “Coach Tucker is modeling what the entrepreneurial spirit looks like – in sports,
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY HEAD COACH MEL TUCKER
business or life – and we are immensely grateful that he brought his past experiences with Boys & Girls Clubs to our community and is doing it in a way that our kids can learn from and so can other charities across the country.” The NFTuck assets feature exclusive experiences, digital images and anima-
tions, and limited-edition coins. (www.SpartyNFT. com) The NFTuck series included three different NFTs for Spartan fans to choose from: the Bowl Championship Ring NFT, Tuck Shoe NFT, and Tuck Coin NFT. Each of the NFTs will be available in extremely limited quantities on the NFT exchange
Rarible, perfect for the MSU fan looking for an exclusive collectible or gift. (Rarible.com/NFTuck) “NFTs are the wave of the future for my student-athletes and for brand marketing overall, but they’re also the perfect vehicle for building a giving legacy,” said Coach Tucker, who joined the Spartans as head coach in 2020. “I could auction off a signed piece of memorabilia for charity one time, but with this NFT series, it’s not only authenticated and attached to VIP access and experiences, but every time the NFT sells, the Boys & Girls Club gets another gift from the resale royalties. That’s powerful and shows the way for how I want my student-athletes to live life as leaders and achievers, but also with a spirt for community.” In addition to the Bowl Championship Ring NFT, the Tuck Shoe NFT and Limited Edition and oneof-one Tuck Coin NFT, NFTuck collectors will get exclusive perks such as access to Coach Tucker (@ Coach_mtucker) in-season via private video/chat channels exclusive only to NFT holders and on-field access to practice during the 2022 season. NFTuck is a first-in-thenation NFT drop for a coach and team and MSU is working to build an inhouse NFT Program for Spartan football that will be a student-athlete-first platform and unique among all NFT and NIL programs in Division 1 athletics, including the ability for student-athletes to do charitable tie-ins and giving. NFTs are digital contracts that use blockchains – the same technology behind digital currencies – to prove ownership of a particular digital asset, like an image or a GIF. That means collectors of the NFTucks will be the only owners of these digital keepsakes and can show them off or trade them on all major NFT exchanges. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan serves 21,000 kids, families and entrepreneurs through 11 Clubs focused on providing them with the economic, cultural and social capital needed to become career, startup and homeowner ready. Founded in 1926, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan has 95 years of experience in youth development.
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Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship partners with CalU for college prep program California University of Pennsylvania partnered with Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship (PHCSE) to provide a college preparation program for students in grades 6-8, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned. The first PennWest Academy for College and Career Prep was held, June 21-23. Seventeen students from PHCSE took academic courses as well as programs to develop their leadership skills and physical and mental wellness.
Seeking opportunities to help students explore potential career pathways. The four-day academy concluded with students and their families attending New Student Orientation at California, which provided an opportunity to learn more about the first-year college experience, admissions requirements and the financial aid process. “We seek opportunities to help our students explore potential career pathways and opportunities,” said Dr. Wayne Jones, CEO of PHCSE, who earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management in 2008 and his M.B.A in 2010, both from
JOHN CRAIG, instructor in California’s UAVS program, demonstrates drone operation to Dai’Liyon Watson, a ninth grader at Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship during the PennWest Academy for Career Prep program. California. He is a member of the school’s Alumni Association Board of Directors. “Exposing them to a university setting will encourage and motivate them to do what is necessary to remain on the right track to get accepted to college or obtain a scholarship, if that is a path they choose.” The academy aligns with Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education’s mission to provide access to quality public higher education, said Anthony Mauro, vice president for Devel-
opment and California campus administrator, in a statement. “This is a pilot program that we hope to be able to expand here and on the other PennWest campuses,” Mauro said. “It’s important for us to provide this opportunity for children, who oftentimes just need a seed to be planted for their futures.”
STUDENTS OF PENN HILLS CHARTER SCHOOL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP participate in a quiz during a session of the PennWest Academy for College and Career Prep.
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HEALTH
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Take Charge Of Your Health Today. Be Informed. Be Involved.
Precision medicine and chronic kidney disease Precision medicine is unique in that it safeguards both individuals and communities. Precision medicine’s mission is to move away from a one-sizefits-all approach and towards personalized healthcare. One of the cornerstones of precision medicine is genetics and genetics are highly individual. We all possess our own unique genetic blueprint that can inform our health decisions. Such information can serve as a user manual when it comes to understanding our own health and what choices to make to optimize it. One such example relates to chronic kidney disease (CKD). When a patient discovers that they have the APOL1 genetic variation that increases the risk of CKD, they can prioritize lowering their blood pressure. This kind of health information empow-
ers and equips individuals in a way that the one-size-fits-all approach has never been able to accomplish. While genetics is a key factor in precision medicine, it is not the only one. Precision medicine considers social determinants of health, environments, and exposures. Our communities are our contexts. Understanding what happens in our communities and how those things affect health and wellness is squarely within the realm of precision medicine. More than anything, precision medicine offers a glimpse at a future where our neighbors are well-supported and receiving care and treatment that is made for them. In recent years, social determinants of health have garnered recognition for their incredible ability to predict and
CARLOS T. CARTER affect health outcomes. Social determinants of health include the following categories: education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, social and community context, and economic stability. Preci-
sion medicine asks the right questions with social determinants of health in mind. Does this person have access to quality health information? What is the air quality or water quality like in this person’s home? Does this person have robust social supports? These questions are examples of how precision medicine and its reliance on the social determinants of health analyzes the whole person and their whole situation. CKD serves as an excellent example of how precision medicine is going to address community-based needs. CKD disproportionately affects the Black community. Its root causes are not only genetic—they are social. Diabetes and high blood pressure, both risk factors for the development of CKD, are triggered in part by lack of access to
nutritious food. Because Black communities are more likely to be situated in food deserts, it is often difficult or impossible to sustain a nutritious diet leading to higher rates of CKD-causing conditions. Precision medicine does not ignore that reality. Instead, it centers and elevates it. Our hope is that precision medicine will usher in an era of healthcare representation for all. One-size-fits-all approaches based on standards that have historically excluded the Black community will no longer be the default. This great promise of precision medicine is emphasized by its recognition of oppression, injustice, and inequality as factors of health. (Carlos T. Carter is President & CEO, Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh)
Fighting chronic kidney disease disparities with genetic know-how More than any other group, Black people suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) and are more likely to develop kidney failure, according to the American Kidney Fund. Based on the most recent U.S. data about end-stage CKD, there were 5,855 cases per million for Black people vs 1,704 cases per million for White people (Harvard Health). Kidneys are important organs that keep a person healthy. They come in pairs, with one kidney on each side near the spine and below the rib cage. Kidneys, which are each about the size of a fist, clean blood, keep bones in good shape, make red blood cells, and help to control blood pressure among other tasks. High blood pressure makes kidneys work harder When a person has uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood vessels can be weakened or damaged. That damage increases the risk of heart attack and stroke—and forces the person’s kidneys to work harder. Over time, overworked kidneys can’t do their job well and may eventually fail. For White people, kidney function typically declines naturally as age increases, especially at 60+ years. But for Black people, the leading cause of kidney failure isn’t age. It’s having diabetes or high blood pressure. Not only do Black people have higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure than white people, but also less access to health insurance and medical treatment due to systemic racism. To complicate matters, CKD is known as a “silent killer” because patients often show no outward symptoms. All of these factors can result in delayed diagnosis of and treatment for CKD. In some cases, by the time a doctor discovers a Black patient has CKD, the disease is already advanced. A genetic discovery In addition to social determinants of health and structural racism, genetics
and biology play a role in CKD. In 2010, researchers found a variation in a gene named APOL1 that increases the risk of developing CKD. The risk rises if an individual with a certain APOL1 variant also has high blood pressure While every person has the APOL1 gene, not everyone has the variation. However, people with African ancestry have the
DR. PHILIP E. EMPEY
DR. MYLYNDA MASSART
the APOL1 gene variation,” says Dr. Mylynda Massart, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and co-investigator. “Some of the participants will know right away and that information will be shared with their doctors. The rest will know at the end of the testing period at a 6-month follow-up visit.” All participants will be
the APOL1 variation. With that information, patients know their chances of developing chronic CKD are high. “Will that knowledge cause patients and their doctors to act differently than if they didn’t know? “Will they be more likely to engage in evidence-based, preventative behaviors? “Will their doctors be more aggressive with
monitored and data will be collected at regular intervals throughout the study. This will include surveys, blood pressure monitoring, and electronic health record data analysis. GUARDD-US will fundamentally help researchers better understand how to close the gap between what patients know and what patients do. This is known as “implementation science,” with the ultimate goal of improving the health of our Black population and decreasing the burden of advanced kidney disease. “In this example,” Dr. Empey explains, “Black patients with high blood pressure will enroll in GUARDD-US and, through a blood test, some will learn they also have
treatment on their behalf? That’s what GUARDD-US can tell us.” Even more important to Dr. Empey personally is the hope that GUARDDUS’s genetic information will improve individual outcomes in a group of people who continue to suffer from large disparities and structural racism in healthcare. “What I hope shines through from this study is that at Pitt, we’re passionate about inclusivity. As health care providers, we want to improve everyone’s health, but especially the health of individuals who’ve been historically underserved by the medical community. GUARDD-US is a step toward advancing precision medicine to all patients.”
GETTY IMAGES variation more than any other group. Why? Like the sickle cell gene, which helped to protect African ancestors from malaria, the APOL1 variation helped to protect against African sleeping sickness. Sharing geneticknowledge with GUARDD-US In an upcoming study at the University of Pittsburgh and other sites across the U.S., the APOL1 genetic variation may help to empower Black patients and their clinicians to safeguard their health. The study is named GUARDDUS. “The GUARDD-US study at Pitt will focus on Black patients who have high blood pressure—and their doctors,” explains Dr. Philip E. Empey, Associate
Professor, Pharmacy and Therapeutics, at the University of Pittsburgh and study investigator. “GUARDD-US will use genetic testing to identify which patients have the APOL1 variation and whether that knowledge has an impact on high blood pressure and kidney health treatment,” he adds. If GUARDD-US participants and their health care providers are aware they carry the APOL1 variation, will they use that information to make positive changes that may improve their individual outcomes? “That’s what we want to find out,” Dr. Empey says. Those changes may include helping a participant lower blood pressure
by taking medications as directed, CKD screening, eating healthier foods, and exercising. “By treating high blood pressure with all the tools available, a person may lessen the impact of CKD,” notes Dr. Empey. GUARDD-US, which is part of a larger study supported by the National Institute of Health, will use a community-engaged approach to enroll up to 350 Pittsburgh patients of African ancestry. The participants must have high blood pressure and no existing CKD. They’ll be enrolled at community health centers, primary care facilities, and other locations. “A special blood test will be given to participants to identify which people have
Precision medicine helps personalize healthcare patient by patient In Pittsburgh, healthcare providers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC have teamed up via The Institute for Precision Medicine to advance the science of personalized medicine. The goal is to collaborate to advance re-
search, education, and implementation of precision medicine to improve the health of our population. This approach is called “precision medicine.” It allows providers to consider more than just a patient’s symptoms. Instead, re-
searchers and providers study the patient’s genetics, family history, and how and where they live to assess environmental influences like social determinants of health. The information is then used to better understand why
certain individuals get certain diseases and what treatment will work best for each individual patient. The goal is better preventative care and therapeutic treatment for everyone. Active research and clini-
cal implementation at Pitt and UPMC are applying precision medicine to deliver personalized care for diseases, such as breast cancer, chronic kidney disease, and vascular issues, as well as diagnosing newborn illness in the NICU.
Learn more about precision medicine research and clinical implementation by visiting ipm.pitt. edu.
RELIGION/METRO
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
“O come, let us WORSHIP and BOW down; let us KNEEL before the Lord our Maker.” - Psalm 95:6 REV. WALKER SAYS: The Word of God—1Peter
AUGUST 10-16, 2022
Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH 91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Sunday Mass 11 AM
5:6—HUMBLE YOURSELVES therefore under
Rev. Thomas J. Burke- Pastor
the MIGHTY Hand of GOD, that He may exalt
Rev. David H. TaylorSenior Parochial Vicar.
you in due time. Try it!!!
A7
Rev. C. Matthew HawkinsParochial Vicar
www.sbtmparishpgh.com
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Patrice Fowler-Searcy and Rev. Heather Schoenewolf Pastors 412-441-3800
Worship in person or Online on Facebook/YouTube www.ELPC.church Summer Worship.......10:00 a.m. Taize -Wednesdays.........7:00 p.m.
Second Baptist Church in Homestead to hold memorial for beloved pastor REV. TURNER FROM A1
rounded by his wife and three children. Reverend Turner’s funeral service was held, June 18, at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, in Florida. His burial with military honors occurred on June 20 at Florida National Cemetery. Reverend Turner served in the U.S. Armed Forces from July 23, 1954 to July 12, 1957. He was a paratrooper and attained the rank of sergeant in the U.S. Army. This Saturday, Aug. 13, Second Baptist Church in Homestead will have its own memorial service for their beloved pastor, begin-
ships are now awarded each year to high school seniors, college students, trade school students and college graduates. Reverend Turner didn’t forget about the elementary and middle schoolers; he recognized their achievements in church at the end of the school year. Reverend Turner also founded the Birthday Program at Second Baptist, where senior citizens at the church would be recognized and receive a monetary gift on their big day. In the late ‘70s, Rev. Turner led a structural expansion and renovation of the church, providing an educational wing, pas-
Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community!
LOVING FAMILY (FILE PHOTO FROM 2013)—From left: Gabriele Randall, granddaughter; Norma Jean Turner, wife; Caleb Randall, grandson; Rev. Donald P. Turner, and Nicole Randall, daughter. tor’s study room, additional restrooms, new facade, and remodeled kitchen. A working benevolent fund was started under Rev. Turner’s leadership that contributes to missionary work in the local community and abroad. From UPMC Children’s Hospital, to the Sickle Cell Foundation and the Salvation Army, Second Baptist Church has made contributions to constructive organizations. Norma Jean Turner told the Courier of how much Rev. Turner enjoyed going to church-based conferences across the country. Not surprising for a man who loved the people, who loved interacting with the people. Throughout the decades, Rev. Turner sat on Homestead Borough Council, was president of the Homestead Parking Authority, moderator of the Allegheny Union Baptist Associaning at 4 p.m. The church is located at 108 W. 12th Ave. Reverend Turner’s wife and three children (Stephen Craig, Dawn Nicole, Kristyn Page) will attend the memorial. “What I would love people to remember most about (Rev. Turner) is his extreme generosity,” voiced his first daughter, (Dawn) Nicole Randall. “How he spent his life giving not only to Second Baptist but to the community at-large. His jovial spirit...you’re always laughing or being uplifted in his presence. He spent his whole life serving others.” Reverend Turner founded “Teens for Christ,” a group of young men and women who study God’s Word, and travel around the Pittsburgh region singing. Also under Rev. Turner’s leadership, the church’s Scholarship Committee was formed, and scholar-
tion, discussion leader for the Lott Carey Youth Seminar, and chaplain committee member at the former UPMC Braddock Hospital. On July 27, 2013, Homestead Borough honored Rev. Turner’s dedication to the Homestead area by renaming the 100 block of West 12th Ave. in Homestead, “Turner’s Place.” In an obituary sent exclusively to the Courier, Rev. Turner’s family said that he was known as a “dynamic” preacher and teacher, but “singing was never one of his many gifts. Once in a while, he would be graciously given the opportunity by the male chorus to hold the lead microphone, to the worry of his family.” In addition to his wife and three children, Rev. Turner is survived by four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, two sisters and a host of nieces and nephews.
(Dawn) Nicole Randall, his daughter, told the Courier that her father always taught her that “love is sacrificial.” “He always taught it through scripture, but the idea is...if there’s no sacrifice behind that love, then it’s not really love,” Randall said. “If someone’s not willing to do without so that you can have, or if someone is not willing to sacrifice time, or energy, or a talent or gift...if there’s no sacrifice attached to the love, then it’s just words. He (Rev. Turner) lived a life of that, and that is my measuring stick when people say they love me, and that’s what I try to give to the people that I love.” Randall added: “It’s one of the things I build my life around, and I hope my kids also build their lives around it. The idea of sacrifice.”
For rate information, call 412-4818302, ext. 128. We want to feature positive youth from our Pittsburgh church community. Please mail their bio and photo to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or email us: religion@newpittsburghcourier. com
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SPORTS
A8 AUGUST 10-16, 2022
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Banfield Street — A gathering of lifelong friends
THESE ARE THE CHILDREN that were raised by the village that Maya Angelou spoke of.
PENN HILLS DEPUTY MAYOR FRANK PECORA (far left) and Councilmen Mark Brodnick (far right) presented the Penn Hills group with a proclamation from the Mayor’s office. Also in the photo, left to right, are Bill Neal, Dwayne Rideout and Brandon Thomas.
It is in fact true that you can always go home again. That’s exactly what 25 or so original residents of Banfield Street in Penn Hills did. A return to that slice of Heaven located in the seemingly perpetual shade of Penn Hills that produced some of the finest and most accomplished individuals in the history of the municipality. An event that was 25 years in the making that was scripted and put into play by collective members of the group who real-
ized it was the right time and the right place. Certainly that feeling is made most apparent by the growth of the families that blossomed from the original OG’s! Children, grandchildren and a cross-section of relatives and friends were introduced to the wonderful memory of life and times growing up a part of the Banfield community. As I stated once before, I will ask for your acceptance of the achievements without names for fear of
leaving someone accidentally out. That being said, our humility supersedes the need. But I imagine,
if you will, the following from one street in Penn Hills...a military veter-
an, martial arts master, schoolteachers, ordained ministers, college and pro athletes, police officer, corrections officer, community leaders, Hall-of-Famers, record-holders, corporate executives, sports writer, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and a list of accomplishments that would run all the way down the length of Frankstown Avenue. (That’s an inner circle tip. You know if you know.) All in all, the mission was extremely successful and a grand time was
BRANDON THOMAS
had by all, with the exception of the loved ones lost, those dearly departed. We know they smile down on the effort and on us. God bless them all. We want to take this opportunity to thank Senator Jay Costa for the presentation of a proclamation from his office, Penn Hills Mayor Pauline Calabrese, the current residents of Banfield Street, the Elite Corvette Club of Pittsburgh and all the contributors to this massive effort to reunite
persons covering 10-plus states. We take great pride in our beginning, our growth and development and we humbly thank God for the wonderful parents and tutelage we were blessed to receive throughout the years. We shout out loud and proud during the process we never, ever thought that we were better than anyone else. In fact we recognize THAT WE WERE SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT!
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The Black conservative conundrum J. Pharoah Doss Page B4
BUSINESS New Pittsburgh Courier
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AUGUST 10-16, 2022
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PROPERTY IS POWER You closed on your home: Do you or your lender own it? You were able to find a house and successfully close on it, so congratulations on becoming a homeowner! Then, you pause for a second and think: does your lender own your house? Some people believe that if they only put 20 percent down on a house, the lender actually owns the other 80 percent. Does this mean that your lender still owns a large portion of your house? This is not the case, but there are some caveats that you need to keep in mind. Your Name Is on The Title First, you are the one who owns the house. Your name is on the title, so you assume all of the benefits of owning the home. For example, if your home goes up in value between now and when you sell your home, you alone benefit from the capital appreciation of your hoe. Your lender isn’t suddenly entitled to more money just because your home is more valuable. You are the owner of your hoe, and your lender’s name should not be one anywhere on the title. You Are Under a Legal Obligation to Pay Back Your Loan Even though you own your home, your lender still has an important legal interest in your home. You are under a legal obligation to pay back
ANTHONY O. KELLUM
your lender, and your lender can start legal proceedings if you do if you do not pay back your loan. For example, if you fall behind on your mortgage payments, your lender can take legal action to repossess your house. This is called foreclosure, and you can be forcefully stripped of the title of your house. Stay on top of your mortgage payments to prevent this from happening. After The Mortgage Is Paid Off After the mortgage is paid off, your lender can no longer start the foreclosure process because you do not owe any additional money. ON the other hand, other entities could foreclose on you if you do not pay your bills. For example, the government could take your hoe if you do not pay your real estate taxes from time to time. The laws vary from state to state; so try to familiarize yourself with the laws in your area.
Where does your money go? by Sherri Kolade For New Pittsburgh Courier
(Michigan Chronicle)— It’s halfway through the year, how’s your money holding up? According to Forbes, it’s not looking too good for an estimated two-thirds of Americans who are running through their savings to stay afloat. Americans have racked up roughly $2.5 trillion in extra savings during the pandemic, Forbes noted. During a time when many non-essential workers worked from home, costs like daycare, transportation, lunch orders and other expenses plummeted. Not to mention gas prices dipped to low prices. Yet today, it’s a different story. Those rainy-day funds have shrunk quite significantly as more and more people are using
their stashed cash “to deal with the worst inflation in over 40 years,” the article noted, also mentioning another problem—growing consumer debt. This debt is at a whopping $266 billion which has tracked from the fourth quarter of
12-month hike since December 1981, nearly 40 years ago. NBC News reported that financial experts note that inflation is caused by three main factors: quickly rising labor costs, high energy prices and interest rates.
To be the most financially prepared, people should revisit their cash position. last year to the first quarter of 2022. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from May 2021 to May 2022 the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased by 8.6 percent—the largest
“Each one pushes the cost of everyday consumer goods higher, and it will take a complex set of forces to return to pre-pandemic normal,” according to the article. The article went on to that, according to Jayson Lusk, a professor
and the head of agricultural economics at Purdue University, that with many leaving their jobs, many from lower-wage fields, the increasing cost of labor is a notable result. LaTrice McClendon, community president, Community Market Executive of Detroit for Huntington National Bank, said that the rise in gas prices and groceries makes it clear that inflation is “real” and poses a financial risk for people in Michigan—unless they take proper precautions. “There are ways to mitigate the risks during interesting times like this,” she said and went on to provide tips to do just that. To be the most financially prepared, people should revisit their cash position. “As goods and services SEE MONEY B2
Strategic money moves for young adults (NewsUSA)—For young adults starting out, money management can be a challenge. You may be navigating rent, car payments, monthly bills, food and also student loans. Many young adults are looking to refinance student loans to combine multiple debts, maximize interest rates, bring down monthly payments, or pay off faster. There are many benefits to refinancing and many options for lenders that offer
refinancing. Refinancing your student loans lets you take advantage of the best prices as rates change. Lantern, a loan comparison platform operated by digital personal finance company SoFi, lets you compare rates and find a plan that works for you. When looking to refinance student loans, borrowers should compare lenders and rates to find the best option for their situation. A few tips for anyone
looking to refinance this year: – Use filters when comparing online. Make a smart decision on refinancing your student loans by comparing multiple options side- byside using filter on financing options based on lowest or highest payment, lowest or highest APR, and lowest or highest term. The right refinancing strategy can help young adults save thousands of dollars over time. – Find advice, useful tips
and information through curated financial articles and calculators, comparisons of lenders and products by expert journalists and reviews from others who have used these services to refinance student loans. You’ll also find financial recommendations based on your financial interests and current financial situation. Financially savvy young adults also are leading the way in adopting cryptocur-
rency as a way to generate income streams and invest in the future. The NFT marketplace is a growing opportunity, and those who are early adopters are exploring, collecting, and minting NFTs for profit. NFTs are bought in sold in trading platforms much like you would buy and trade crypto or stocks. Some bonus features of the NFT marketplace that appeal to young adults include the convenience of not have
to connect to, or withdraw from, a bank account. The NFT marketplace allows users to pay for products via cryptocurrency without additional fees. The FTX exchange is connected to multiple cryptocurrency markets including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. Keep these smart strategies in mind to make the most of your money now and to enjoy greater savings and profits in the future.
‘Plastic can smother you’ We have all at one time been warned about the pitfalls and dangers of playing with plastic. Our parents would scold us profusely if they saw us doing what we considered were amusing acts such as making masks out of plastic bags. I can still recall my mother’s stern warning—“Don’t play with plastic! Plastic can smother you!” It’s hard to envision something so seemingly innocent as plastic that is primarily used to protect and to preserve food, necessities and other valuables can literally take your life away. We often refer to credit cards as plastic. Like its namesake, figuratively speaking, Don’t play with credit cards! Credit cards can smother you! I have a son who is in college. Recently, my wife called both he and I into the room. She had just gotten the mail. She held up a piece of mail that came in for my son. The mail was from a large, nationally known retail department store. My wife said the mail looked and felt like a credit card from this retail store. If you’re a regular reader of my column, you can imagine how big my eyes got upon hearing this. I asked him, “did you apply for a credit card?” He said, “Yes, I was shopping and they offered me a discount if I applied for a credit card.” I responded, “you do realize I’m that guy in the newspaper and all over social media screaming from the top of my lungs about the traps, pitfalls, and dangers of using credit.” I was once asked by a journalist from a London based newspaper, “what should parents teach their children about credit cards?” I stated that parents should put a “Mr. Yuck” sticker on them because credit cards are hazardous to your wealth. After I calmed down from my initial shock. I figured this could be a teachable moment. I asked him, what do you know about credit cards. He said, “honestly I just applied so
that I could get the discount. I don’t know a whole lot about them.” I said in short, this department store is trying to lure you in with a discount in an effort to make you a long-term, loyal customer. They offer you a 10 percent discount then charge you 25 percent interest on the items you purchased if you don’t pay the bill in full, which most people don’t. The average college student graduates from college owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt and tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt. I said your mom and I are making decisions and sacrifices on your behalf so that you don’t end up like the average college student. There are some reasons various financial pundits justify the use of credit cards. However, the risks tend to outweigh the rewards. Plus, justifying a debt instrument that charges upwards of 18 percent interest is unjustifiable to me. As a result I tend to publicly speak negatively about credit cards. Its wide acceptance by merchants in the United States and abroad can alleviate the risk associated with carrying large sums of cash. Carrying large sums of cash can subject you to theft and/or loss. If you misplaced, lost or had a wallet full of cash stolen from you, your chances of recovering your money are slim. However, if you misplaced, lost, or had a wallet full of credit cards stolen, you can report the lost cards to your credit card issuer. As long as you follow the correct reporting procedures, you would be liable for a maximum of $50. In the event of purchasing defective merchandise, as long as you properly follow the
correct reporting procedure, you can withhold payment for the defective merchandise until an agreement has been worked out. If you purchase defective merchandise with cash, check, or a debit card it can take months before you’re reimbursed. Some merchants make it harder to rent a car, book a flight and/or reserve a hotel room without a credit card. In most cases a debit card can be used instead of a credit card. When a credit card is used for shopping sprees, unplanned purchases, emergencies and/or as a supplement to your income, credit cards can wreak havoc on your finances, literally smothering you in a pile of escalating bills and a mountain of debt. This often leads to mental health and marital problems that can accentuate the smothering hold the misuse of plastic inflicts on its user. Credit card companies have been very effective in persuading the general public that by owning credit cards you are a part of a privileged group. People boast and brag about having premium, gold, platinum, and black cards. It’s viewed by many people as a status symbol. In truth having a credit card with no limit only proves one thing — the person with no limit has the ability to go deeper into debt than a person who has a limit. Because of effective marketing and consumer ignorance—instead of using credit cards only when absolutely necessary, then paying it off immediately, millions of people are getting caught up in the glitz and glamour of purchasing items they would not think to purchase if they were using cash. This
has resulted in Americans owing more than $840 billion on credit cards with the average household having up to 4 credit cards with an average balance of $6,500 accruing at an average annual percentage rate of 18 percent. Given the fact the average consumer has the tendency to make the minimum payment on their credit card while at the same time continuing to make new purchases, it can take up to 40-plus years before the credit cards are paid off. While the general public is running up credit card balances for a myriad of reasons, credit card issuers and merchants are reaping huge profits. Merchants know from statistical data that people will generally spend 30 percent more when using a credit card vs. paying cash. As a result, merchants are willing to pay card issuers between 1-6 percent merchant discount fees on every transaction a credit card is used for. This charge to the merchant is generally passed off to the consumer by way of higher prices. Credit card issuers generate revenue three different ways with credit cards—merchant discounts fees, interest paid on the balance and various fees such as member fees, late fees, cash advance fees, and over the limit fees. Be mindful in how you use your credit cards. Purchases you make with plastic that are seemingly innocent can literally take your financial life away. Don’t play with plastic! Plastic can smother you! Here’s a financial guardrail I teach regarding credit cards: Never carry more than 2 credit cards with a $2,000 credit limit each. Never allow the credit card balance to be more than 30 percent of the limit. Therefore, you’ll never have a balance higher than $600 on either card at any given time. (Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached at 412216-1013 or visit his website @ www.damonmoneycoach.com)
BUSINESS
B2 AUGUST 10-16, 2022
Apply for Medicare online by Josh Grant For New Pittsburgh Courier
You can apply for Medicare online even if you are not ready to start your retirement benefits. Applying online is quick and easy. There are no forms to sign, and we usually do not require additional documentation. We’ll process your application and contact you if we need more information. Knowing when to apply for Medicare is very important! You must apply during your limited initial enrollment period. If you’re eligible for Medicare at age 65, your initial enrollment period begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after that date. If you miss your initial enrollment period, you may have to pay a higher monthly premium. Visit www. ssa.gov/benefits/medicare to apply for Medicare and find other important information. If you were unable to enroll or disenroll in Medicare because you could not reach us by phone after January 1, 2022, you will be granted additional time, through December 30, 2022. This additional time applies to the 2022 General Enrollment Period, Initial Enrollment Period, and Special Enrollment Period. Some people who receive Medicare benefits may qualify for Extra Help with their Medicare prescription drug plan costs, including the monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and co-payments. To qualify for Extra Help, you must receive Medicare, have limited resources and income, and reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. Read our publication Understanding the
Extra Help with Your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for more information at www.ssa. gov/pubs/EN-05-10508. pdf. The Medicare website has answers to your questions and other helpful resources including: • What does Medicare cover? Find out at www.medicare.gov/ what-medicare-covers. • Where do I find forms to file a Medicare appeal? Visit w w w. m e d i c a r e . g o v / claims-appeals/howdo-i-file-an-appeal for more. • How can I let someone else talk to Medicare on my behalf? Learn more at www.medicare. gov/claims-appeals/filean-appeal/can-someone-file-an-appeal-forme. • What do Medicare health and prescription drug plans cost in my area, and what services do they offer? Check out www.medicare.gov/ plan-compare. • Which doctors, health care providers, and suppliers participate in Medicare? See w w w. m e d i c a r e . g o v / forms-help-resources/find-compare-doctors-hospitals-other-providers for the answers. • Where can I learn more about a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D) and enroll? Visit www.medicare.gov/ drug-coverage-part-d/ how-to-get-prescription-drug-coverage. • Where can I find a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy in my area? Find the answers at www. medicare.gov/medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans. Please share these helpful resources with friends and family today. (Josh Grant is Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh.)
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Diversifying American media ownership must become a national priority by Jim Winston and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. For New Pittsburgh Courier
(BlackPressUSA)—Thus far, 2022 has been a year of multiple socioeconomic and political challenges for all Americans across the nation. Yet for African Americans and other communities of color, this year represents both challenges and opportunities from a business ownership perspective. In particular, for Black-owned media businesses there is a growing sense of resilience even in the face of continued profound racial disparities and societal inequities. The communications and media industry in America especially should be one of the leading industries that adopts the “good business” sense to embrace the values and benefits of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). This is not about charity or benevolence. Diversity is objectively good for business. The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) are working together to encourage the media and advertising industries to become more proactive and committed to diversity from the C-suites to the decision-making managers. But more needs to be done to increase and to enhance the ownership of media businesses by African Americans and other minorities. Economic equity in media requires equal access to investment capital, technical advances in communications infrastructure, and inclusion in other industry innovations. As increased changes in the racial demographics of the nation continue to accelerate in the United States, American media must be more representative of the growing diversity of the nation. It is noteworthy, therefore,
JIM WINSTON is President and CEO of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) headquartered in Washington, D.C. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), also headquartered in D.C.
that one of the recently announced major media mergers has Standard General, a minority-owned firm, pending regulatory reviews and approvals by the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission, acquiring TEGNA, a company owning 64 television stations around the country. Soo Kim, a successful Asian American business leader, who serves as Standard General’s founding and managing partner, emphasized “We’re open to explor-
ership of American media businesses will continue to be viewed as a strategic forecast for the future economic wellbeing of the nation. We intend to raise our voices in support of the positive economic and social-equity consequences of diversifying American media. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights has pointed out, “Access to the media by the broadest sector of society is crucial to ensuring that diverse viewpoints are presented to the American people, but ra-
Economic equity in media requires equal access to investment capital, technical advances in communications infrastructure, and inclusion in other industry innovations. ing new partnership models to get diverse viewpoints and perspectives on the air and to make sure people have the resources to do it.” We agree with this sentiment as multiracial own-
cial and gender disparities in media ownership dating back to the beginning of the civil rights era continue to persist.” Again, overcoming these disparities should be a national media industry pri-
ority. “At a time when more people, particularly Black people, are distrustful of the media, diversity in media ownership,” the Leadership Conference argues, “has become more important than ever for the functioning of our democracy. Diversity in ownership is part of that solution.” We agree with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ position on this issue. Lastly, as our nation prepares for the upcoming Midterm Elections in November, there are many who are predicating low overall voter turnout. Millions of dollars will be spent on Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) campaigns. Those who desire to increase GOTV among African- Americans and other communities of color will have to engage Black owned media as the “Trusted Voice” of Black America in order to increase voter turnout.
(Jim Winston is President and CEO of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) headquartered in Washington, DC. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) headquartered in Washington, DC.)
Where does your money go? MONEY FROM B1
“As goods and services have increased in cost, it is important to have strong cash flow and access to cash, if you need additional funds to cover higher expenses,” McClendon said. “One way in which you can access cash is to leverage assets, such as the equity in your home or your taxable investment portfolio. Even though interest rates have risen in the past few months, they are still low by historical standards. Your community bank can help you evaluate your personal balance sheet to determine the best course of action.” McClendon added that “many people” are concerned
ing stocks when the market is low,” McClendon said. “If you have enough cash or cash flow for the next 12 to 18 months, you should feel confident that you can ride out the current market volatility.” McClendon said that now is a great time to re-evaluate your investments to determine if the current mix of securities (cash, stocks, bonds) continues to meet your goals and objectives. “Engage a financial advisor, if you don’t already have one, to prepare a financial plan for you,” she said. “It will help you determine if your investments are in alignment with your short, intermediate and long-term goals. A great advisor can also make oth-
LATRICE MCCLENDON about the decline in their investment portfolios since the beginning of the year. Is the current state of the financial markets keeping you up at night? “Fear is a powerful motivator and can lead us to make rash decisions, such as sell-
er suggestions that will help you enhance and protect your wealth.” Connecting with a local bank or financial advisor can provide those prepared financially with the confidence you need to feel financially secure
in uncertain times. For those not on the best financial footing, they should give their financial portfolio a once over. Centuryss.com wrote in an article, Second Half of the Year Day—Time for a Financial Check, that the pandemic has notably been tough for everyone, and starting to get on track of finances is the starting point among other steps: • Review your current budget. • Review your goals. • Be mindful of debt. • Remember unanticipated expenses. • Maximize tax savings. • Don’t forget retirement or savings accounts (pour as much money as possible into them and invest). Moneyfit.org agrees and says a budget is everything. “Following a budget increases the likelihood that I’ll take care of my financial priorities first, such as housing, food, savings and transportation,” according to the article, which adds living within a budget allows for avoiding excessive debt, establishing regular investing habits in preparation for retirement, feeling in control of finances, making more than monthly minimum payments to credit accounts, credit cards, mortgage auto loans and more. “Budgets are simply plans for how you would prefer to spend your money. Most budgets align to a monthly plan for simplicity’s sake, but you can create a weekly budget, a twice-a-month budget, a quarterly budget, or an annual budget,” the article noted. “When budgeting your income and expenses, make sure to prioritize your critical wants below your survival needs but above your lifestyle choices. Like the case of housing
KENJI LEMON under survival needs, calling a vehicle a critical want does not justify getting into a loan you can hardly afford or which exceeds your ability to pay.” Businessman Kenji Lemon, owner of Detroit-based One Stop Property Maintenance LLC, pays himself first. Lemon told the Michigan Chronicle previously that he started his company in 2006 and he had a particular vision in mind: build wealth for self and his community. “For a long time I’ve been focused on being prepared for the future,” Lemon said. “I’ve seen what happens to family members that don’t have savings for health issues or a nest egg for life post-retire-
ment. That’s made me anxious to not repeat those decisions,” he said. “When I was in my teens my focus was on chasing skirts and trying to get rich. In my 20’s I started thinking more about retirement, social security and how I could take advantage of every program to increase the amount of money I had in my nest egg. “It wasn’t until I had my first child that I took seriously the notion that I needed to think about what resources and funds I could leave for the next generation to work with,” Lemon said. “Since then, I’ve worked to improve the foundation that my kids will be able to work from.”
OPINION
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Guest Editorial
Is marriage important to Black families? We live in a changing world, and one truth of this situation is that yesterday is not quite like today! Regarding marriage, many people have the goal of finding a prince or princess charming, someone with whom they can live their lives for the duration of their existence on Earth. Sometimes people find that special someone, but very often they don’t. Marriage, occasionally called matrimony, wedlock, or just plain getting hitched, is important because it establishes rights and obligations between people. It unites families and their respective resources. There was a time when marriage was not about love, per se; it was about the uniting of kingdoms, dynasties and more. The idea of people falling in love was sometimes a collateral benefit. Marriage tends to provide economic well-being; it is true that, for the most part, families where there are two partners raising children fare better economically and socially than those headed by single persons. Unfortunately, today, many Black communities are faced with a plethora of single parent households and generally, this circumstance has tragic economic consequences. One thing that exacerbates this situation is trends in popular culture, especially the more negative aspects of hip hop music, to express divisive sentiments about marriage. There was a time in years past when popular music was about love and romance. Today, that idea appears to be rare; love and marriage does not seem to be the goal of the post-millennial cohort. Currently, when the music is not focused on people dissing or killing each other, the emphasis tends to be on sex, on the physical aspect of life and not on love. The latter idea can be seen among men AND women; yet it is certain that families with both parents are in a better position to raise successful offspring if the partners have adopted positive values. Nowadays, as previously stated, a growing number of young Blacks don’t see marriage as an asset. In addition to the negative influences of popular culture, this might be due to the trend away from spirituality that has become the hallmark of our society. Marriage has traditionally been connected with religion. As the world appears to be devolving into materialism, there seems to be an attendant exodus from churches. Now, it must be understood that there is a difference between “religion” and “spirituality.” Organized religion comes with rules and regulations that must be followed in order for a person to remain in good standing with an organized religious institution. It may or may not embody a wide range of spiritual values. The focus on rules and not on spirituality may be chasing some people away from religion and the institution of marriage. While there is the trend where marriage is not valued, it is also true that there is a basic yearning for connection with a “soul mate” even among the most jaded of individuals. For that reason, it is doubtful that marriage will ever actually go out of style. One of the most important ingredients needed when looking for a partner is that values are aligned. If people are not equally yoked, the marriage is doomed to failure. Yet there is a tendency among many younger people to place value on money and superficial appearances at the expense of basic compatibility. Recently, there was an online conversation among men and women who seemed to agree that men should dominate women and that women who are educated are detrimental to families. The people in question felt that women should be subservient and allow men to control the life of families. The latter may fit some situations, after all, one size does not fit all. But as we evolve as human beings, we will find that each partner must bring something important to a union that adds value to it. One more thing; because of an imbalance in numbers between males and females in Black communities, a movement is afoot advocating polygamous unions wherein men partner with multiple women. These unions are not always successful, however, for a number of reasons. The most important of these is that balance is necessary, and that tends to happen best when two individuals who realize their own worth come together. With that said, the question remains: is marriage important to Black families? Whether you think it is or not, families united by marriage will tend to fare better than those without; and this could have great benefits for the success of Black communities as a whole. A Luta Continua.
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Never too early (TriceEdneyWire.com)—I would find it difficult to believe my readers haven’t received admonitions about timeliness during their lives. We’ve all heard “Early to bed early to rise…?” Accordingly, the first requirement of successful employment is to “show up to work on time.” My military friends have even explained to me that, “If you are just on time, you’re late!” As I write this, a lack of time looms large in front of us all. We are less than 100 days from midterm elections and we don’t have time to waste! We must consider the ramifications of the coming election before it’s too late. It’s been said more times than necessary, but I will say it once more, “The outcomes of the next election will determine the future of our personal rights and exactly how ‘real’ our “democracy” is. We don’t have the luxury of equivocation. We cannot spend time debating the duplicities of our adversaries or the severity of potential outcomes. The threats we face have been presented dramatically and we must respond accordingly. We cannot view our circumstance myopically or selfishly. The threat to any freedom is an ultimate threat to all freedoms. The autonomy of women to make independent health and reproductive decisions is under increasing risk. Against the majority opinion of Americans, the Supreme Court’s rejection of Roe threw the issue of reproductive rights back to indi-
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Commentary vidual states, of which many immediately established draconian, absolute restrictions against medically supervised abortions. Under the premise of recognizing personal rights traditionally enumerated in the Constitution, the validity of Roe was rejected. Although Justice Alito, who wrote the majority decision, expressed that it had limited applicability to Roe, Clarence Thomas opened the door to reexamining SCOTUS decisions that related to unenumerated rights. Decisions which he (Thomas) identified as deserving additional review are contraception, marriage equality, and LGBTQ rights. That thought process actually opens other personal rights which are not “deeply rooted in history” to judicial review. Extremist Republicans, who constitute the majority or most outspoken of their party, have telegraphed and sometimes bull-horned their desired outcomes for the future of the nation. The “deeply rooted in history” criterion affords subjective judgments limited only by SCOTUS’ willingness to entertain challenges to established law. Their targets could be any unenumerated right. Those additionally include:
voting rights (both women and Blacks); school integration; interracial marriage; and any right adjudicated after an undetermined date designated as “post-deeply rooted history.” I make no claims of this happening, but we potentially stand at the mercy of radical reactionaries. More frequently than ever, I hear television commentators suggest that the 2022 mid-terms have the potential to be the last fair elections of our nation. Republican efforts to erode public confidence in election integrity support that assessment. I do not question the autocratic intent of the ‘new Republican party,’ I reject and resist it. With little subtlety, they have shown their willingness to control our society with a dystopian authority of law or the suggestion of violence. Our imperative is to be proactive. Waiting to react is too great a risk. Consequently, our only viable and legal option is to vote—with a purpose. We must recognize and resist real threats to our existence and those of our progeny. We can no longer sacrifice the good for the perfect, but must select and support candidates who are not dedicated to authoritarian principles. We must act in concert with like-minded individuals and groups and use that strength to spread the message of resistance. We must start now—it’s never too early!
(Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. is a minister, a UN Peace Ambassador, and President of the Dick Gregory Society.)
Kansas voters turn out to preserve abortion rights (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Red flags are flying for democracy and democratic values. We need to pay attention to the threats—and also to signs that we can work together to preserve our freedoms. This summer’s primary elections are making it clear that our rights and freedoms are threatened by the rising power of extremists within the Republican Party. Consider the August 2 primaries in Arizona. President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the state sent many Arizona supporters of former President Donald Trump down a deep hole of lies and conspiracy theories about the election. They engineered a ridiculous “audit” that stirred up election-deniers from across the country but failed to undermine Biden’s victory. Responsible Republicans defended the election and its outcome, but on August 2, they were outvoted by Trump’s troops. Mark Finchem, who claims against all evidence that the election was stolen from Trump, won the nomination to be secretary of state. He has called for the 2020 election to be decertified. He wants to get rid of early voting and restrict voting by mail—and give legislators the power to override voters. Finchem, who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, is a member of the Oath Keepers, the far-right group whose members were involved in planning and leading the assault. A state Republican consultant told The Atlantic, “I would absolutely expect Finchem to both bend the meaning of laws and throw up roadblocks to the normal election procedures.” Arizona Republicans have also nominated Blake Masters for the U.S. Senate. Masters’ campaign was backed and funded by far-right billionaire Peter Thiel, who has
Ben Jealous
Commentary openly said he no longer believes in democracy. Masters has blamed gun violence on “Black people.” His campaign has generated excitement among the White nationalist crowd that was energized by Trump. The governor’s primary is close, but as I wrote this column the day after the election, it appeared that Trump endorsee Kari Lake will win the Republican nomination. Lake, an election conspiracy advocate, calls president Biden “illegitimate” and has said that if she wins, she will instruct the attorney general to seize all voting equipment in the state. Arizona is also home to politicians who openly embrace White nationalists, including Rep. Paul Gosar and state Sen. Wendy Rogers, who both won their primaries. Other extremists have picked up Republican nominations this summer, including election conspiracy theorist Doug Mastriano, who has campaigned with QAnon activists in his bid for governor of Pennsylvania; Trumpist election denier Dan Cox for governor of Maryland; Confederate sympathizer Michael Peroutka for attorney general of Maryland, who has said laws passed by the state legislature are illegitimate because in his eyes, legislators broke God’s law by embracing marriage equality; and Big Lie promoter Kristina Karamo for secretary of state in Michigan. The list goes on—too many to name in a single column. This is bad news. In a political
system dominated by two political parties, it is dangerous to have one party taken over by the kind of truth-rejecting, voter-suppressing, authoritarianism-embracing people who are still driven by the same lies and rage that fueled the Jan. 6 attack on our country. But Trumpists aren’t winning all their races. We have seen examples of courageous Republicans standing up to the Trump mob. And voters in Kansas gave us another big bright spot-on Aug. 2, when they rejected an anti-choice referendum by more than 20 points. After the Supreme Court’s hardright majority overturned Roe v. Wade, anti-choice legislators have rushed to pass more extreme anti-abortion bills targeting health care workers and even friends and family who help someone needing abortion care. Those bills represent the wishes of powerful religious-right groups that have a lot of influence in the Republican Party, but they don’t represent the public, which overwhelmingly supports access to abortion. Given a choice about whether to strip abortion-rights protections out of the state constitution and give legislators a green light to pass a ban, Kansas voters overwhelmingly voted no. That victory for privacy, freedom, and bodily autonomy was driven by huge voter turnout and the organizers who worked to achieve it. It is a promising sign that many Americans can be motivated to vote this year by the Supreme Court’s harmful embrace of a restrictive and regressive social agenda. Let’s make it so.
(Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.)
Monkeypox, COVID, and your vote Well, Monkeypox is the latest distraction, right after Covid. As serious as both of these are in the pandemic arena, they both can be distractions from many of the everyday issues so many of us contend with like food, housing, employment, and health care. But in the midst of all these, let us not forget that how we vote has much to do with the quality of life we experience in all the areas mentioned here and many more. We are only about 90 days away from the Midterm elections in this nation which take place the first Tuesday in November. It is no accident that we are not seeing much, if any, local media discussion other than our own. Unfortunately, we don’t have many choices. While the Democrats under President Biden have not delivered on Voting Rights, The George Floyd Act, or John Lewis; Biden and the Democratic control of both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate remain better alternatives than the Republican Trump-supporting candidates
John E. Warren
Commentary running for office in just about all states. We must start a Voter Registration drive right here where we live. This effort must become as important to us as putting food on the table and a roof over our heads. Let us not forget what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his famous “Give Us The Ballot” speech on May 17, 1957: Give us the ballot, and we will no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights; Give us the ballot, and we will transform the salient misdeeds of bloodthirsty mobs into the calculated good deeds of orderly citizens; Give us the ballot and we will fill
our legislative halls with men of goodwill and send to the sacred halls of Congress men who will not sin a “Southern Manifesto” because of their devotion to a manifesto of justice; Give us the ballot and we will place judges on the benches of the South who will do justly and love mercy, and we will place at the head of southern states governors who will have felt not only the tang of the human, but the glow of the divine ....” Well, we have been given the ballot for more than 50 years and many of us appear to have forgotten what price we paid for the right to vote; a right that many are seeking to suppress or eliminate. Yes, let’s deal with Monkeypox, Covid, Hate Crimes, and everything else they are throwing at us today, but above all, let’s get registered and prepare to VOTE.
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The Harambee II Black Arts Festival, in fact and fiction Thirty years ago, in August 1992, the 9th Annual Harambee II Black Arts Festival closed out with “The Queen of the Blues,” the legendary Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine. Everybody was rocking, wall-to-wall, at the outdoor concert on Homewood Avenue. Even some church folks, of African American heritage, “threw down” and danced the “down home” Boogie-woogie, in the street. That was the last Harambee II festival. Over the years, Harambee II has become shrouded in mystery, rumors, and fiction. Persistently, Harambee II veterans have argued, over the years, that the real story of the festival must be told to stamp out this confusion. I was with the festival from its inception until its close. And what follows is a very modest contribution, a summery of some key points in the history of the festival. Sister Jamel Cross initiated the festival in 1983 in memory of Dale “Brother Bub” Shelton, a community activist who had been shot and killed. The first festival was not held until 1984. The name “Harambee” happened by chance. One Saturday afternoon in ‘83, Jamel held a planning meeting at Homewood CCAC with Tamanikah Howze and me. By chance, Jamel pulled in Brother Tyrone an African drummer (who played briefly with Max Roach in the 1970s). This was the one and only Harambe II meeting Tyrone attended. Several possible names were tossed around for the festival, including the Pittsburgh Black Arts Festival and the Homewood Black Arts Festival. Tyrone said, “Hey, What about Harambee II?” Immediately, everybody said, “That’s it.” Why? Because, earlier, the first, very popular, Harambee Black Arts Festival had been held in Homewood in the years 1968 through 1971. Those dates are from the late Hakim Ali (nee, Earl Jones) director of the first Harambee Festival. Harambee II was not affiliated with any arts festival in Homewood that came before it or came after it. Contrary to fiction, there has not been a contin-
Fred Logan
Commentary uous annual Black arts festival, by any name, in Homewood over the past 50-odd years. From 1968 until 1971, the owner of the now long-gone Gabby’s Barber Shop at Homewood and Kelly had several carnivals with roulette wheels, pony rides for children and similar activities. This ended five or so years before Harambee II. The Swahili word Harambee, “pulling together” was not a magic word behind the success of Harambee II. The success of Harambee II was based squarely on the year-around work and planning that went into each festival. The Black community also gave the festival indispensable support vital to its success. All over Pittsburgh, all over the United States, all over the world all kinds of successful arts and cultural festivals are held year-end-and-year-out. The success or failure of any festival is a direct product of the quality of the work and planning that goes into it. What happened to Harambee II? One key factor to its success was its location smack-dab-in-themiddle of the Black community. It was absolutely free. It brought into the middle of the Black community world renowned artists, activists and writers, including Hugh Masekela, Roy Ayers, August Wilson, the Rev. Herbert Daughtry, and Dr. Maulana Karenga. But the festival rapidly outgrew its cherished location. And nowhere in Pittsburgh was there a site in a predominately Black enclave that could accommodate the Harambee II audience. The number of people at the festival was open to debate. One Sunday afternoon in 1991, I looked up and down Homewood Avenue and guessed that 5,000 people were at the festival. Former Pittsburgh NAACP president Harvey Adams, replied in Harvey Adams-style, “Hell no, at least 20,000 people are here right now.” I left it at that. The festival was located north-to-south on Homewood from Bennett Street to Hamilton Avenue, and east-to-west on Kelly Street from Sterrett Street to Lang Avenue. Kelly was only partially closed. Frankstown, Bennett and Hamilton are the major east to west traffic thoroughfares in Homewood. The festival could not expand and block Bennett or Hamilton and cause a major traffic night mare in the east end of the city. Consider this; several years before Harambee II, the city of Pittsburgh brought Ella Fitzgerald to Point State Park for a free concert one year, and Ray Charles the next. Reportedly, both concerts drew almost 100,000 people. Reportedly both events were close to chaos. The city conceded. Pittsburgh does not have the capacity of a New York City Central Park. It never again attempted a free mega-star concert. Last, the Harambee II Festival was direct conscious resistance to the rise of right-wing racist reaction in that era when Ronald Reagan was in the White House—Trumping 30 years before Donald Trump. The festival was part and parcel of Black struggles in the 1980s, the era of the US anti-apartheid movement, the MLK Day struggle, the Pittsburgh Black struggles against illegal drugs, the formation of the National Black United Front (NBUF) and the National Black Independent Political Party (NBIPP) and many, many more. The people who anchored Harambee II were active in those struggles. The Festival was a direct product of those struggles. Without those Black struggles, no Harambee II Black Arts Festival in the Black community.
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The Black conservative conundrum A few months ago, Sunny Hostin, a Black host on The View, said she didn’t understand Black Republicans and that a Black Republican was an oxymoron. Nichole Hanna-Jones made a similar declaration during the Trump/Biden presidential race after Joe Biden told a Black on-air-personality “If you’re for Trump. Then you ain’t Black.” Hanna-Jones tweeted, in the midst of the Biden backlash from conservatives, “There is a difference between being politically Black and being racially Black. We all know this and should stop pretending that we don’t.” When other Black people asked Hanna-Jones what she meant, she replied, “If you don’t understand the difference between being/designated a certain race and taking up a particular set of racial politics, I am not going to educate you.” Hanna-Jones’s choice of words was an education in itself. Racially Black is to be designated or characterized in a certain way. Therefore, being designated Black in America means being “characterized” by a racist White society, and Black Republicans/ conservatives embrace a “certain way” of being Black that is acceptable to White racists. Distinguished political scientist Ronald W. Walters once listed how Black conservatives make themselves acceptable within a racist White society. 1). Accommodates the existing political arrangement. 2). Has loyalty to national norms. 3). Is opposed to America’s enemies. 4). Denies the integrity of Black culture. 5). Denies the capability of Black leadership. 6). Denies the integrity of Black interests. Of course, this is a list of stereotypes filled with personal contempt, but there is a historical explanation behind this animus. During the 1964 presidential race,
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Check It Out the biggest issue for Blacks was whether the new president would sign and enforce civil rights legislation. The Democratic candidate promised to pass a civil rights bill, but Barry Goldwater, the Republican candidate also known as the father of modern conservatism, was opposed to the idea. In the 1950s, the Republican Presidential candidate received between 30 and 40 percent of the Black vote. In 1964, over 90 percent of Blacks voted for the Democratic candidate. Ever since then, the term Republican and conservative became synonymous with anti-civil rights and anti-Black. Therefore, to be politically Black means to be against everything the Republican Party and conservatives promote on principle. For Hanna-Jones and the progressive Black intelligentsia, being politically Black is the essence of Black identity. Since the essence of conservatism is to conserve, politically Black people don’t understand how any Black person could be a Republican or a conservative because Black people have nothing to conserve in a racist White society. However, when the Supreme Court recently overturned Roe v. Wade, The View’s Sunny Hostin, the same person that said a Black Republican was an oxymoron, declared she didn’t believe in abortion, not even exceptions for incest or rape, because of her religious
beliefs. Hostin’s co-hosts were shocked. But was it a shock because a politically Black person didn’t reject the Republican/conservative position on principle, or was it a shock because a Black person was willing to conserve a traditional value? Hanna-Jones wants us to stop pretending there’s no distinction between racially Black and politically Black, but it’s more important for the progressive Black intelligentsia to stop pretending there’s not a segment of the Black population that is socially conservative and sides with the party that reflects their values. Stephen L. Carter pointed out a fact that was silently known since the Civil Rights Movement in his 1991 book Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby. Carter stated apart from political issues relating directly to race, Black Americans tend to be more conservative than the nation as a whole, consistent survey results show that Black people are significantly more likely than White people to take what we call the conservative position. During the second term of the nation’s first Black president, Angela K. Lewis published Conservatism in the Black Community: To the Right and Misunderstood. Lewis wrote, “There is this overarching belief that African-Americans are extremely liberal and support ideas like unlimited welfare assistance and open lifestyles. This characterization is incorrect.” Lewis stated she found when African-Americans talked about conservatism, they rarely mentioned politics, instead, they discussed morals and values. Black conservatives aren’t rare, Black Republicans are an anomaly, but they’re not oxymorons.
Bill Russell was a champion and hero (TriceEdneyWire.com)—When Bill Russell passed away this weekend at the age of 88, America lost not only a champion but a hero, a star who lit the way for others to follow. Bill Russell supported Muhammad Ali when he resisted the draft on religious grounds. He stood with me as we opened PUSH in Chicago in 1971. Russell followed in the footsteps of baseball’s Jackie Robinson, whom he admired and emulated. Russell was, without a doubt, not just one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but surely the greatest champion of team sports generally. He transformed the game of basketball as much with his intelligence as with his phenomenal athletic skills. Although a California high school star in Oakland, California, he received only one college offer—from the University of San Francisco, a small Jesuit school. He proceeded to lead them to a stunning 55 straight victories and two national championships. He then helped the U.S. team win an Olympic gold medal in the 1956 Olympic Games. Drafted by the St. Louis Hawks, he was traded immediately to the Boston Celtics. In a 13-year career, he led the Celtics to 11 national championships, and was named an NBA All-Star 12 times, and Most Valuable Player five times. He succeeded the legendary Red Auerbach as the Celtics coach, becoming the first Black coach of an American professional athletic team. He silenced the legions of doubters by winning two NBA titles as a player-coach. Russell excelled not in individual statistics but in making his team better. He made defense—blocked shots, steals, defensive rebounds—his forte, his outlet passes triggering the Celtics lethal fast break. Boston unveiled a statue of Russell in its City Hall Plaza in 2013 (Russell agreed to allow it only in exchange for an official pledge to
Jesse Jackson Sr.
Commentary fund a program to mentor youth). The inscription is testament to his philosophy: “The most important measure of how good a game I’d played was how much better I’d made my teammates play.” Russell averaged a stunning 22 rebounds a game over the course of his career, but individual statistics didn’t impress him. “I determined early in my career,” he said, “the most important statistic in basketball is the final score.” That understanding of what is important made him not simply a champion but a hero. People raise champions on their shoulders. A hero raises people on his or her shoulders. Russell was a leader, using his stature to lift others, even at great risk to himself. He was born in Monroe, Louisiana, in 1934 into the violence of the apartheid South (between 1888 and 1936 there were 4,673 lynchings in the South—389 in Louisiana, 10 in the years around Russell’s birth from 1933 to 1935). When he was 9, his family moved to Oakland, California, where he grew up living in public housing. He led the Celtics in an era when Boston was torn apart by racial hatred. The fans that cheered Russell on the basketball court didn’t want him to live in their neighborhood. In the 1960s, vandals broke into his house in the Boston suburbs, scrawling venom on the wall, leaving feces in his bed. Russell once called Boston a “flea market of racism,” but he was not intimidated. As a young star in 1958, he challenged the NBA for using a quota system to
limit the number of Black players on each team. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr to protest segregation and joined him for the famous 1963 March on Washington. When Medgar Evers was assassinated in Jackson, Mississippi, Russell agreed to run a youth basketball camp in the city, bringing White and Black children together. Ignoring death threats, he went through with the plan. When a restaurant in the South refused to serve the Black players on the Celtics, Russell refused to play in the game. As NBA Commissioner Adam Silver summarized in a statement: “At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps. Through the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.” Russell was a favorite of those who played with and against him. He was known for his biting wit and famed for his iconic laugh—a high-pitched cackle that could lift a room. When the greatest big men of basketball—Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, David Robinson, Alonzo Mourning—gathered to honor him, he pointed his finger at each one, and, in a stage whisper, told them “I would kick your a___.” The room exploded in laughter and joy, for a man who led on and off the court, a champion and a hero. He will be missed. When champions win, people put them on their shoulders. Bill was a hero, people rode his shoulders. He used his voice on and off the court. He is an example for athletes of this generation of the strengths they can have on and off the court.
Despite the attacks, let’s vote Part of our role as legislators is to help increase access to opportunities for those we are elected to represent. Act 77 of 2019 did just that. It was a bipartisan bill that expanded access to the ballot by moving the Commonwealth on a path towards normalizing no-excuse mail-in voting. Simply put, Act 77 provides voters with the opportunity to have more options to cast a ballot. We live in a 24/7 world, yet we have often been stuck in a 9-to-5 form of government. Government’s role is not to force citizens to adapt their lives to government. Instead, we should figure out how to leverage government to improve their quality of life. This includes not expecting the majority of Pennsylvania’s 8.7 million+ registered voters to cast a ballot on two specific days of the year or else risk not having their voice heard in this process called democracy. And wouldn’t you know it? Many of the same people who voted for Act 77 have publicly discredited that same piece of legislation.
Aerion Abney
Commentary Fast forward, however, to last week when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court validated mail-in voting as safe, legal and…CONSTITUTIONAL! The onslaught of COVID-19 changed life as we know it. One of those changes has been a tremendous uptick in mail-in/absentee ballot requests for those unwilling to risk exposure to the virus. Being forced to choose between your health or casting a ballot is a false choice. But let’s think from another practical perspective. More people voting by mail means fewer people waiting in long lines to vote on Election Day. That means less stress put on our volunteer poll workers to manage those long lines.
Voting by mail also gives voters an opportunity to see who or what is on their ballot and have time to do their own research on a candidate(s) or issue(s) before making a selection. The alternative is to show up on Election Day and see names for a down-ballot race for school board or borough council for the first time, for example, and have no clue who they are or what they stand for. In fact, many of those kinds of positions are won by just a few votes and can have a bigger impact on citizens’ everyday quality of life than the U.S. president ever will. Any efforts to continue this race to nowhere by appealing this court decision is a terrible use of time, energy, and taxpayer dollars. Instead, let’s talk about making a plan to vote and creating positive voting experiences. Most of all, let’s talk about getting out and making our voices heard on Nov. 8th. (Aerion Abney is the state representative for the 19th Legislative District in Allegheny County.)
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PROJECT ENGINEER ELECTRICAL Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Project Engineer – Electrical to be responsible for managing design and construction of electrical projects on Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s systems, facilities, buildings, tunnels, subways, and light rail transit system. Ensures projects adhere to the scope, budget, and schedule as well as interfaces with consultants and contractors. Provides engineering and technical assistance in the maintenance and operation of various electrical systems including SCADA, power distribution, lighting, networking, HVAC systems, fire protection, safety, and related equipment. Essential Functions: · Performs all project management functions necessary to implement the design, construction, and closeout of funded capital projects within established scope, schedule, budget, and quality metrics. Provides assistance to Pittsburgh Regional Transit personnel on electrical issues and activities pertaining to all capital projects. Provides support for state of good repair programs related to systems, facilities, buildings, tunnels, subways, and light rail transit system. · Responsible to review drawings, specifications, and contract provisions for compliance with PRT requirements and standards in the preparation of construction and procurement documents. Reviews and coordinates drawings and specifications of electrical systems to include SCADA, power distribution, lighting, networking, HVAC systems, escalators, elevators, fire protection, safety, and related equipment in consideration of the impacts related to operational facilities, systems, and infrastructure. · Maintains overview of the electrical systems placed in the PRT operations to determine the adequacy and effectiveness of electrical engineering designs. Investigates and reports on problems that have to do with electrical systems and subsystems, their related user needs and requirements. Job requirements include: · BS Degree, Major in Electrical Engineering, or related engineering field from an accredited school. · Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in project oversight, including design and construction of job-related work · Valid driver’s license in any state or commonwealth with ability to obtain PA driver’s license within sixty (60) days of employment. · Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows. · Effective and professional communication skills. Preferred attributes: · Experience in design and/or construction of electrical equipment in facilities and/or public infrastructure and systems. · Registered Professional Engineer (PE) or Engineer-in-Training (FE) actively pursuing Professional Engi n eer ing lic ens u re i n th e Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. · Demonstrated ability in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Senior Project Engineer to be responsible for managing engineering and construction activities related to Pittsburgh Regional Transit structures, facilities, buildings, bridges, tunnels, subways, roadways, bus-ways, light rail transit system, and related infrastructure. Ensures projects adhere to the scope, budget, and schedule as well as interfaces with consultants, contractors, community and internal and external stakeholder representatives. Ensure all phases of the project are performed in accordance with Quality Control and Quality Assurance procedures and achieve the needs of PRT’s operation and maintenance functions. Essential Functions: · Responsible to direct project activities necessary to implement the design, construction, and turnover of assigned capital projects within budget, scope and schedule in a quality manner. Directs project activities to ensure work is performed to acceptable levels in areas, such as: · Ensuring Contract Documents meet intended needs of Pittsburgh Regional Transit and outside agency requirements and standards. · Constructability and cost-effectiveness. · Coordination of activities, including railroad, utility, real estate, environmental, community, municipal, governmental agencies, PRT operation and maintenance, training, and turnover. · Minimizing impacts to PRT operations and maintenance functions and maintain the safety of the public and PRT employees. · Timely completion of the work within budget and complying with contract requirements. · Compliance with applicable codes. · Site staging, mobilization, accessibility, and sequence of construction and safety. Job requirements include: · BS Degree, Major in Civil Engineering or related engineering field from an accredited school. · Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in managing projects, including design and construction of job-related work. · Professional and effective communication skills. · Valid PA driver’s license. · Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows. Preferred attributes: · Registered Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the ability to obtain such registration through reciprocity within one year of appointment or Certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP) from nationally recognized registration entity.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Alex Kumnik Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AKumnik@portauthority.org EOE WOMEN’S CENTER & SHELTER OF GREATER PITTSBURGH (WC&S) is a comprehensive domestic violence program hiring a wide variety of positions right now. If you’re energized by survivor-centered advocacy, go to wcscanhelp.org to learn more and apply. Competitive wages, comprehensive benefits package, and a supportive environment! SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking an ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION LEARNING SUPPORT TEACHER Deadline 4:00 PM, August 16, 2022 Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org FT POLICE OFFICERS Penn Hills Municipality is looking to hire FT Police Officers, Act 120 not required to apply. Please visit https://pennhillspa.gov/employment/ for more info. FULL-TIME COMMUNITY COORDINATOR Three Rivers Waterkeeper is hiring a full-time Community Coordinator to work with Pittsburgh communities impacted by water quality issues. Learn more at http://3rwk.org/Apply.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Alex Kumnik Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AKumnik@portauthority.org EOE ROBOTICS ENGINEER Carnegie Mellon University, The Robotics Institute seeks Robotics Engineer in Pittsburgh, PA to work in the research, design, development & testing of components & systems level software for robotics applications for use in multiple sectors. Duties incl: developing soft real-time software for robotic applications, including embedded soft real-time systems for sensor-based autonomous robotics; developing, integrating, testing sensor processing pipeline; calibrating sensors; building new tools for software communication & middleware, diagnostic, logging & data analysis; creating, adapting, integrating & maintaining development tools & infrastructure for robotic systems; developing, documenting & directing software system testing, troubleshooting & verification procedures for robotic systems; prototyping proof-of-concept solutions using scripting languages, & developing & performing simulations; developing simulation infrastructures that support realistic physics & graphical rendering; modeling various robotic systems, incl vehicles, multi-joint robots & custom robots, in simulation; providing support to various project groups with their simulation needs; communicating technical information to specialists & non-specialists. Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in robotics engineering or mechanical engineering. One year of robotics, systems software, or other relevant engineering experience. Experience must incl: C++; Python or Matlab; and Linux. Must have knowledge of: algorithms for sensor-based robotics; robotic manipulation; sensor calibration; computer vision; and simulation. Travel required about 3-5 trips per year, about 1-5 days per trip to conduct field testing of robots. Apply online to Job# 2018365: https://cmu.wd5.myworkdayjobs. com/CMU
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES
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BUSINESS SYSTEMS ANALYST Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Business Systems Analyst to serves as the primary liaison between the business customers, IT: Enterprise Software, software developers and/or suppliers of third-party developed applications to gather business requirements, identify and evaluate off-the-shelf sol uti ons, communi cates and discusses with IT management, and documents in DevOps so that software developers can then transfer into code resulting in a working application to suit business customer’s needs. Works with IT management and third-party suppliers to evaluate off-the-shelf solutions, identify technology related software issues and follows through to conclusion. Provides day to day support, training and assi sts i n the creati on of documentation. Essential Functions: • Serves as the primary liaison to gather business requirements between the business customer, IT Management, and software developers to identify solutions to customer requests and/or issues. Manages user stories, initial testing prior to business user testing, and closure of completed tasks in DevOps using Agile methodology • Serve as customer support for software usage: Guide customers with functional support and assist with navigating software. Resolve help desk tickets related to application software. Provide system instruction for report generation and system functionality and also assist in the creation of documentation. • Serve as technical analyst of software: Analyze application error and message logs, and work to resolve issues. Job requirements include: • Two-year technical school/Associate Degree in Computer Science, Information Science or technology related field from an accredited school with five (5) years relevant experience in web-based software application using SQL OR • BS Degree in Computer Science, Information Science or a technology related field from an accredited school or related field with three (3) years relevant experience in web-based software applications using SQL. • Related experience may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis. • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. • Ability to quickly understand, retain and apply large amounts of new information. • Ability to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment. • Great organizational skills. • Experience in monitoring and adhering to procedures and policies. • Excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner. • Excellent customer service and problem resolution skills. • Professional and effective communication skills. • Exemplary attention to detail. • Ability to be flexible and adapt to change. • Valid PA driver’s license. Preferred attributes: • Prior project implementation experience. • Good understanding of a web based EAM or ERP application. • Experience with large, complex application deployments. • Working knowledge and practical use of Agile development principles. • Experience with SQL script development.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION Department Overview: The Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (MWDBE) Program provides maximum opportunities for Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged business enterprises (MBEs, WBEs and DBEs) to participate in county contracts. The department certifies business enterprises as disadvantaged (per Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 49: Parts 23 & 26) and provide services and resources to help them grow their business.
ASSISTANT MANAGER OF RAIL PROJECT PLANNING Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking an Assistant Manager of Rail Project Planning to oversee the planning of all Way Department rail work and provide technical assistance to support repair and maintenance of the (PRT) Rail Right of Ways. Essential Functions: • Provide guidance and technical expertise to junior members of staff. • Demonstrate both written and verbal communication skills to develop plans, and specifications effectively and that they are well understood. • Addressing design issues. • Overseeing installations of Crossings, Switches and Frogs. • Participates in the development and tracking of Capital Projects for the Way Department. • Coordinates with other assistant managers of Way Department to resolve work related issued. • Acts as a liaison between the Department and other groups (such as O CC, Techni cal Support , Procurement, Facilities, Operations, LRT Systems & Power and others) to obtain information, purchase parts, materials or equipment, or request assistance for any rail related projects. Job requirements include: • High School Diploma or GED. • Associates Degree or Technical Degree in Engineering or directly related field from an accredited school. Experience in directly related field may be substituted for education. • Minimum of five (5) years of experience in rail and rail/track maintenance. • M inim um of t wo ( 2) year s of supervisory experience in rail and rail/track maintenance. • Effective and Professional communication skills. • Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows and Microsoft Word. Preferred attributes: • Degree in a technical field.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Deborah Slocum Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 DSlocum@portauthority.org EOE
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Office Clerk Greeting clients; Answers the telephone, responds to inquiries, or routes phone calls and takes messages for office staff; Operates office machines such as photocopies and scanners; Performs data entry; Scans documents into document control system; Completes other administrative tasks as necessary. Must be proficient in Microsoft Windows and Office Suite. Certification Analyst Performs analysis and investigative work in the certification process. This includes the desk and field audits that verify businesses meet the criteria set forth in the certification process regulations; Creates certification reports; Uses due diligence to make certification recommendations; Reviews business documentation and performs size analysis for continued certification eligibility; Attends and hosts meetings, workshops, counseling sessions and outreach events; Performs other duties as necessary. Contract Compliance Specialist The Contract Compliance Specialist will monitor contracts to ensure that MWDBEs are provided the maximum opportunity to obtain and perform on county contracts while in compliance with Allegheny County’s goals. The specialist will also provide outreach and technical assistance to the business community. In addition, the Contract Compliance Specialist will review and vet prime contractors’ MWDBE inclusion plans for various types of contracts (i.e., construction, services, supplies, etc.). The specialist will monitor MWDBE commitments and utilization through contract completion, address, and monitor MWDBE concerns and assist in conflict resolution if necessary. Residency: Must become a resident of Allegheny County within one (1) year of appointment. Veterans’ Preference: Will be awarded to eligible candidates.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Alex Kumnik Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AKumnik@portauthority.org EOE
Applicants must possess and maintain a valid Pennsylvania Dr iver ’s License throughout employment. Please see career page for further information and eligibility requirements at: www.alleghenycounty.us/careers TICKETING AND EVENT COORDINATOR PITTSBURGH ARTS & LECTURES is hiring a TICKETING and EVENT COORDINATOR. Join a dynamic, fun, and friendly literary arts organization presenting essential voices of our time. Tessituraand ticketing experience is required. Salary is $35,000-40,000, plus full healthcare coverage, generous paid time off, and a 25% match for a 403b retirement plan. Apply at pittsburghlectures.org/careers
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CONTRACT SPECIALIST – PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Contract Specialist – Professional Services to actively strategize and facilitate the development of Requests for Proposals (RFP). Provide end user department with services, guidance, coordination and consultation to identify procurement objectives and methodologies based upon policy and procedures to secure professional service agreements and provide contract administration support for such agreements. To assist Pittsburgh Regional Transit in preparing for and responding to various State, Local, and Federal Audits. Provide support to the Manager of Contract Administration – Professional Services. Essential Functions: Oversees, implement, and prepares RFP solicitations according to procedures mandated by the State, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), or other agencies; including, but not limited to: · Coordinates the internal review process for the routing and approval of RFPs and contracts · Schedule, coordinate, and conducts pre-proposal meetings; prepares and distributes records of pre-proposal meetings to interested parties. · Facilitating the receipt of RFP questions, review, and prepare responses to requests for clarification. · Budget coordination, boilerplate development, scope of work development and RFP preparation. · Performing as the Port Authority’s designated contact for the proposal solicitation process. · Directing the activities of the Evaluation Committees and the RFP Evaluation process. Job requirements include: · Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or related field from an accredited school. Contract Administration experience may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis. · Minimum of five (5) years’ contract administration experience procuring capital and non-capital contracts including preparing request for proposals, bid documents, negotiations, administering awards, contracts and preparing requisitions. · Experience utilizing a Purchasing/ Inventory software system with regard to purchase orders and bid processes. · Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills with the ability to work well in a team environment. · Strong organizational, time management, multi-tasking capacities, detail oriented with accurate mathematical calculations, and the ability to work with minimum supervision. · Demonstrated ability in the use of Microsoft Windows, Word and Excel. Superior ability to work with technology. Preferred attributes: · BA/BS degree in contract management or procurement field from an accredited school. · Electronic procurement experience in PeopleSoft / Oracle. · Contract management or related certification. · Valid PA driver’s license.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Telecommunications Specialist to process incoming telephone and radio calls, dispatching the appropriate police, fire, and emergency medical services units, as needed. To monitor activities throughout Pittsburgh Regional Transit subway stations ensuring the safety of employees, property, and the general public.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Amy Giammanco Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AGiammanco@portauthority.org EOE LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
Estate of MAX F. ROSARIUS, JR. of Beaver, Pennsylvania, File No. 04-22-00254 of 2022, PNC Bank, National Association, c/o Paul J.Palko, Vice President, 300 Fifth Avenue, 31st floor, Mail Locator PT-PTWR-31-1, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 or to Christopher F. Farrell, Esquire, Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, P.C., 625 Liberty Avenue, 5th Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-3152 Estate of MR. ROBERT JOSEPH KUTRUFIS, Deceased of 24 Hattman Drive, Coraopolis,PA 15108, Estate No. 02-22-04932, Mr. Brian E. Kutrufis, Executor, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of BARBARA HYDE, deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 022204087. John M. Branch, 1120 Hodgkiss St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 appointed Administrator June 23, 2022 or Peter B. Lewis, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Attorney for Estate. Estate of WILLIAM L. THOMPSON, deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 022204086. Gail Spencer, 740 Anaheim Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 appointed Executrix June 23, 2022 or Peter B. Lewis, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Attorney for Estate.
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Essential Functions: ·Observe monitors throughout the subway stations ensuring that no unusual or threatening acts are taking place against Pittsburgh Regional Transit employees, property, and the general public. ·Process incoming calls from the public via emergency and non-emergency telephone lines. ·Make response decisions regarding police, fire, and emergency medical services, dispatching appropriate agency. ·Follow proper procedures and techniques in communicating with transit/local police, emergency medical services, and fire departments. ·Answer the emergency patron phones located in the subway, as required. Job requirements include: ·High School Diploma or GED. ·Minimum of one (1) year experience within the emergency response/security services field. · Professional and effective communication skills. ·Obtain and maintain CLEAN (Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network) certification within 90 working days. ·Must be willing to successfully complete the course required for APCO Certification (basic telecommunications training) and other courses, as assigned by supervisor. · Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows. · Must be able to work extended shifts, as needed. · This is a Safety-Sensitive position subject to all testing provisions under the Drug and Alcohol Policy, including random drug and alcohol testing. The person selected for this position may be required to be tested prior to being awarded the job.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS Public Notice
Public Notice
NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS August 10, 2022 City of Pittsburgh – Office of Management and Budget 414 Grant Street Room 501 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-255-2211 This notice shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Pittsburgh. REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS (1) – MTW, SECTION 8 PBV & HOME PROJECT On or about Monday, August 29, 2022, the City of Pittsburgh will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to release Federal funds under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 as amended for the real estate project described below. Cedarwood Homes is a new construction, senior-housing development comprised of forty-six (46) residential units across 11 townhouse buildings located at the intersection of Broadhead Fording Road and Village Road in the Fairywood Neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh, PA15205. The units are income and rent restricted as follows: five (5) units affordable at or below 20% Area Median Income (AMI), nineteen (19) units affordable at or below 50% AMI, fifteen (15) at or below 60% AMI, and seven (7) unrestricted, market rate units. Tryko Partners is the Developer of this project. Funding sources include the following approximate amounts: $1,851,338 first mortgage from Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, an anticipated $2,225,000 second mortgage Construction Cost Relief Program (CCRP) loan from PHFA, $2,160,000 third mortgage gap financing loan from the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP), $1,412,368 fourth mortgage Rental Gap Program (RGP) loan from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA), $11,596,322.00 Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity, $579,816 anticipated in additional LIHTC equity, $6,214 inanticipated energy rebates, and $561 in developer equity. The URA’s RGP loan will be sourced with $1,412,368 from HOME 2021. HACP’s $2,160,000 gap financing loan will be sourced with Moving to Work (MTW) funds under the 1937 Act as modified by the 1996 and 1999 Consolidated Appropriations Act in addition to providing twenty-four (24) Section 8 Project Based Vouchers (PBV) as part of the Section 8 PBV program under the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 as modified by the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 to support the units’ affordability. The total estimated cost of the development is $19,831,619. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (2) – MTW, SECTION 8 PBV & HOME PROJECT
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Glenn Huetter Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 GHuetter@portauthority.org EOE
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The City of Pittsburgh has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR). The ERR will be made available to the public for review either electronically or by U.S. mail. Please submit your request by U.S. mail to City of Pittsburgh, Office of Management and Budget, 414 Grant St, City County Building Room 501, Pittsburgh, Pa 15219 or by email to Whitney.Finnstrom@pittsburghpa.gov. PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to: Whitney Finnstrom City of Pittsburgh, 414 Grant Street, Room 501 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 255-2211 OR Whitney.Finnstrom@pittsburghpa.gov All comments received by Friday, August 26, 2022 will be considered by the City of Pittsburgh prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice (Request for Release of Funds 1 or Finding of No Significant Impact 2) they are addressing. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The City of Pittsburgh certifies to HUD that Ed Gainey in his capacity as Mayor, City of Pittsburgh, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh to use development funds. OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Pittsburgh certification for a period of fifteen (15) days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Pittsburgh; (b) the City of Pittsburgh has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to the HUD Field Office of Public Housing in Pittsburgh at PittsburghPIH.ER@hud.gov regarding MTW and Section 8 PBV funds or to the HUD Field Office of Community Planning and Development in Pittsburgh at Phillip.E.McKeough@hud.gov /(412) 644-5846 regarding HUD HOME funds. Potential objectors should contact the HUD Field Office of Public Housing or Community Planning and Development in Pittsburgh via email or phone as given above to verify the actual last day of the objection period. Ed Gainey Mayor City of Pittsburgh
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ADVERTISEMENT Proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 on the following: RFP 3132 – Internet Service Provider – Office of College Services RFP 3133 - Metro Ethernet Connectivity Options Due date: 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 Any proposals received after this deadline will be considered as a “late bid” and will be returned unopened to the offerer. Proposals may require Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds, and Surety as dictated by the specifications. No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The Community College of Allegheny County is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/Disadvantaged owned businesses. For more information, contact Michael Cvetic at mcvetic@ccac.edu. THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time August 23, 2022 and will be opened at the same hour in the administration building cafeteria: ROCK SALT & ICE MELT General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Purchasing Office, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, 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. WE ARE AN EQUAL RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time August 23, 2022 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 Office, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, 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. WE ARE AN EQUAL RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUEST FOR BIDS AUTO INSURANCE The Westmoreland County Housing Authority (WCHA) is requesting bids for auto insurance for its fleet of vehicles. Sealed bids will be received by Michael L. Washowich, Executive Director, until Monday, September 12, 2022, at 10:00 A.M. (Eastern Standard Time) at the office of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, 167 South Greengate Road, Greensburg, PA 15601, at which time they will be opened publicly. Interested respondents can obtain hard copy bid documents from the WCHA administration office at the address listed above. Electronic bid documents can be obtained by emailing Rachel Fritz at rachelf@wchaonline.com. Perspective bidders shall register with WCHA via email in accordance with the bid requirements.
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Bids/Proposals
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ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1771 FURNISH & DELIVER TEFLON TUBING FOR INDUSTRIAL WASTE SAMPLING Sealed Bids for CONTRACT NO. 1771 – Furnish & Deliver Teflon Tubing for Industrial Waste Sampling shall be received at the Engineering Department office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15233, until 11:00 A.M., Prevailing Time, Wednesday, September 7, 2022 and then shall be publicly opened and read. ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities and wom en t o s ubmi t b i d s o n Authority Contracts or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to successful Bidders. Successful Bidders are to use minority and women’s businesses to the fullest extent possible. Documents pertaining to the submission of Bids are available at the Engineering office of the Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. Bid Security shall be furnished by providing with the Bid a Certified Check or Bid Bond in the amount of Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00). Contract documents must be obtained directly from ALCOSAN to qualify as an eligible bidder. Any questions regarding the Technical Specifications should be directed to Benjamin J. Heilman, Contract Supervisor, ALCOSAN, via email at benjamin.heilman@alcosan.org Any questions regarding obtaining the Contract Documents should be directed to Kathleen P. Uniatowski, ALCOSAN, via email at contract.clerks@alcosan.org. The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informality in any bid and to accept any bid should it be deemed in the interest of the Authority to do so.
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR TREE SERVICE AND SHRUB REMOVAL AUTHORITY WIDE IFB#300-16-22 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR COMBUSTION AND HOT WATER SERVICES REBID IFB #300-04-22-REBID The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):
Tree Service and Shrub Removal Authority Wide IFB#300-16-22
Combustion and Hot Water Services Rebid IFB #300-04-22-REBID
The documents will be available no later than August 15 2022 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 AM on August 30, 2022 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 AM on August 30, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
The documents will be available no later than August 15, 2022 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 9:00 AM on August 30, 2022 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on August 30, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY Benjamin Heilman Contract Supervisor ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1774 The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority is soliciting Bids for CONTRACT NO. 1774 – Furnish and Deliver Incinerator Bed Sand. Proposals will be received until 11:00 A.M., Prevailing Time, Thursday, September 8, 2022 at the office of the Authority and then shall be publicly opened and read via Microsoft Teams Meeting. Contact Kathleen P. Uniatowski for Invitation to Bid Opening Teams Meeting at Kathleen.Uniatowski@alcosan.org . ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities and women to submit bids on Authority Proposals or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to the successful bidders. Successful Bidders are to use minority or women’s businesses to the fullest extent possible. Bid Security is required and shall be furnished by providing with the Bid a Certified Check or Bid Bond in the amount of $2,500.00. To Obtain Contract Documents s e n d r e q u e s t t o K a t h l e e n P. Uniatowski via email at contract.clerks@alcosan.org . Any questions regarding the Technical Aspects of the Project should be directed to Benjamin J. Heilman, Contract Supervisor at Benjamin.Heilman@alcosan.org or 412-734-6204. The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals, to waive any informality in any Proposal and to accept any Proposal should it be deemed in the interest of the Authority to do so. ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY Benjamin J. Heilman Contract Supervisor
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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 August 18, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/86507738963?pwd=M25Yci8yL 1RmejJuZjYzUTY2VU1jdz09 Meeting ID: 865 0773 8963 Passcode: 355663 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
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
AUGUST 10-16, 2022
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A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on August 18, 2022 at 9:00 AM. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/88912153470?pwd=YzUraz JBalZYYzdUYlI5RHBYSWJrZz09 Meeting ID: 889 1215 3470 Passcode: 740884 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
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AUGUST 10-16, 2022
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
2022
JOSIAH CHALMERS, SERVICE MINISTRY
CATARA MOORE, LEADERSHIP AWARD
DARNELL DREWERY AND ORLANA DARKINS DREWERY receiving a proclamation from Melvin Hubbard El. The 2022 SHYNE Awards were presented during a ceremony at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Aug. 7. The SHYNE Awards Foundation is a non-profit organization that recognizes the positive achievements of teens in the Pittsburgh region. Young adults, ages 13 through 19, were recognized for their achievements in: the arts, academics, community service, entrepreneurship, service in ministry, science, overcoming obstacles, leadership, STEM and youth group participation. The annual awards ceremony included guest appearances by local celebrities, entertainment acts and more. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)
SKYLAR MORAN, RENAISSANCE AWARD
CHEO STEVENSON, STEM AWARD
SRI NIHAL TAMMANA, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD
KYLIE EDWARDS, ARTS AWARD
COMMUNITEA CAFE, ILLUMINATION AWARD
RUTH’S WAY INC., YOUTH GROUP AWARD
MYCA HOPKINS, ACADEMICS AWARD