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MARK CLAYTON SOUTHERS Tree-cutting business taking off Page A6
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Operation Better Block celebrated for 50 years of service in Homewood by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
As Jerome Jackson describes it, people can’t believe their eyes when they see this completely renovated house that is now theirs. “Everything in it is new, from the floor to the walls to the appliances...and they love it,” Jackson told the New Pittsburgh Courier. To those who have been in Pittsburgh for generations, they know the work that Operation Better Block does for the Homewood community. They’re not surprised that Jackson, who’s served as OBB’s executive director for 11 years, has presented the keys to seven different African American families who now call Homewood home. A house that had some $200,000 in renovations done to it, sold to the family for no more than $60,000. “They can’t believe the house that they’re getting for the price that they’re getting it for,” Jackson said. “It’s exciting to see (the excitement) from families and children.” Operation Better Block’s homeownership program has taken off higher than Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson. Thanks to the organization, homes in the area are being rehabbed and more African Americans who are classified as
low-income are now being called homeowners. The homeownership program is one of many programs OBB has done over its 51 years of service. The organization plans to rehab and sell 12 to 15 houses per year in the future. On Saturday, July 31, the organization officially held its 50th Anniversary Celebration at Westinghouse Park, which was canceled last year due to the pandemic. “Homewood is not what we see on the news. That is a very small fraction of our neighborhood,” Jackson told the Courier. “We have great residents that really work hard to bring the neighborhood back, worked hard to keep the neighborhood just in the condition that it was in so that no one would come in and tear it down. We have residents that stayed when they could have left. I want people to know that Homewood’s a community like everywhere else. We have residents that love their neighborhood and love the kids in the neighborhood just like every other neighborhood.” You have to go all the way back to 1969, when residents of Homewood-Brushton created Forever Action Together Inc., (FAT) to stimulate the political, educational, social and economic life of the community. That year, the Housing Committee of FAT was in-
JEROME JACKSON, left, executive director of Operation Better Block, receives a proclamation declaring July 31, 2021, as “Operation Better Block 50th Anniversary Day” in the City of Pittsburgh from Mayor Bill Peduto. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.) spired by an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that detailed a summer youth program in New York City that encouraged self-help to overcome neighborhood blight and deterioration. The Housing Committee’s Carrie Wash-
ington and Beverly Frazier traveled to New York City and returned with a modified program model that was supported by a panel of advisors from the community and the Pittsburgh area. In 1970, Operation Bet-
ter Block Inc., was born with support from the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE), foundations, and local businesses. In 1971, OBB was incorporated, with James
Givner as its founding executive director and Carrie Washington as assistant director. At the 50th Anniversary Celebration, everyone from the current mayor, SEE OBB A2
‘Sneakerball’ helps fund positive mentorship for Pittsburgh’s Black teens by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
More than 400 people attended the third-annual “Sneakerball” on July 31 in Homestead, an event where adults wear formal attire...but rock their best pair of sneakers, which gives the event its unique touch. But it’s where the proceeds from ticket sales go that is the real story. The Sneakerball is the primary fundraiser for 1 Nation Mentoring, a group founded by three friends, all Black males, who are determined to be a positive influence on young African American teens in Pittsburgh. Kevin McNair, Lloyd Cheatom and Sam Morant were all Heinz Fellows eight years ago. As a Heinz Fellow, they were part of 10 African American males who went to schools in the Pittsburgh Public
Schools district to help the students get graduation-ready. But when the two-year fellowship ended in 2015, McNair told the New Pittsburgh Courier that the mentorship had to continue. That’s how 1 Nation Mentoring came to be. “We knew we had a connection with the kids,” McNair told the Courier in an exclusive interview, Aug. 2. “Some of the kids didn’t understand how the education system was helping them get to their goals. Our program centers around the kids learning to be their best selves, (complete with) character development skills, people skills and other skills you need to be successful.” Between McNair, Cheatom and Morant, they’ve mentored thousands of students within the walls of Westinghouse High School, Pittsburgh Obama SEE SNEAKERBALL A4
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KEVIN MCNAIR, SAM MORANT AND LLOYD CHEATOM are the co-founders of 1 Nation Mentoring. They are shown in this photo with host Brian Burley, far right, at the third-annual “Sneakerball,” held at This is Red Agency, on E. 9th Ave., Homestead. (Photo by Dayna Delgado)
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Operation Better Block celebrated for 50 years of service in Homewood OBB FROM A1
Bill Peduto, to the Democratic mayoral nominee, Rep. Ed Gainey, was there. Everyone from City Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess (whose district includes Homewood), to UPMC representatives dishing out the COVID-19 vaccine to all who needed them. There was face-painting, music, food, informational vendors, and free Opera-
OBB has is its “Bridge to Benefits” initiative, where Homewood residents can get assistance with utilities, rent, taxes, and help with transferring home titles. And let’s not forget about the Junior Green Corps program, where high school students help beautify the Homewood community by maintaining vacant lots, growing gardens, etc.
ON THE SWINGS—LAILA TAYLOR, WINDY TAYLOR tion Better Block T-shirts that read, “I love Homewood block by block.” “Homewood is the best place to be if you’re trying to start a family. We have nice houses here,” Jackson told the Courier. Gina McMillan, Operation Better Block’s operations manager, said another important program
Brandon Walker, 18, said being part of the program has helped teach him “how to help your community and get people on their feet.” He said it shows that by supporting one person, that can start a chain reaction and then it helps somebody else. Walker and Trayvon Crosby, also 18, provide healthy food to Homewood
OPERATION BETTER BLOCK JUNIOR GREEN CORPS MEMBERS—Front row: Ny’Jai Chapman, 16; Lynda Johnson, 15. Top row: Ny’Ela Chapman, 16; Hayly Hoch, co-manager of the Junior Green Corps. (Photos by Rob Taylor Jr.) via a farmer’s market on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bible Center Church, 717 N. Homewood Ave. Jackson, who wants to see Operation Better Block and Homewood thrive for another 50 years, said the Junior Green Corps program gives students the ability to see Homewood as “their own.” “As they continue to do projects, plant flowers, etc., they start to see the beauty in their neighborhood,” Jackson told the Courier, “the beauty in what they do...and then they learn to love what they do.”
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TRAYVON CROSBY, 18, BRANDON WALKER, 18. They are part of Operation Better Block’s Junior Green Corps program.
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The Heinz Endowments launches ‘Pittsburgh’s Cultural Treasures’ Open call to area’s Black organizations—some grants to be awarded upwards of $1 million The Heinz Endowments recently announced the launch of Pittsburgh’s Cultural Treasures, the southwestern Pennsylvania program that is part of America’s Cultural Treasures, a national initiative by the Ford Foundation to boost support to arts groups and cultural organizations representing communities of color across the U.S. The Heinz Endowments is among 10 regional foundation partners in seven cities selected by Ford to join the initiative, providing each region with $5 million in funds to develop regional Cultural Treasures programs. The Endowments is matching funding with an additional $5 million, creating Pittsburgh’s Cultural Treasures to expand support for cultural organizations in southwestern Pennsylvania. The first cycle of grants to arts and culture organizations in the Pittsburgh region is scheduled to begin later this year. “We do not take lightly this generous opportunity to make a transformative impact on our region’s cultural landscape,” said Grant Oliphant, President of the Endowments, in a statement to the New Pittsburgh Courier. “Our staff has been working collaboratively with our partners in the community and the field to develop a program celebrating organizations that too often have not received the attention that they deserve and the investment so urgently needed for sustaining and expanding their work.” The Ford Foundation unveiled plans for the initiative in the fall of 2020, not only to address extensive financial hardships and funding shortfalls of many Black, Latinx, Asian, Native American and other cultural groups, exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to provide the incentive for more significant investment in a diverse range of organizations. The Pittsburgh’s Cultural Treasures program will run three to five years and initially will focus on Black cultural organizations, representing the largest community of color in the region. The Endowments will explore ways to expand the work to other arts and cultural groups of color in the future. The program is designed to elevate the contributions and accomplishments of Black-led organizations in the Pittsburgh region, to recognize their perseverance and to affirm their self-determined strategies for success. The $10 million program —with $5 million from the Endowments as well as $5 million from Ford— will be used for significant immediate and long-term operating support. While the exact amounts of the grants have not yet been determined, some of the awards to a select group of organizations are expected to range from $500,000 to $1 million. The multi-year duration is intended to enable the organizations not only to survive the recent economic downturn due to the pandemic but also to flourish in the future. The Endowments is working with regional cultural and community leaders and funding colleagues to select the first grant recipients, which are expected to be announced by the end of the year. They will be Black-led cultural anchors
that have demonstrated a commitment to Black people, arts and culture over a significant period time, made important cultural contributions to the region, and have been recognized as authorities in the field by both philanthropy and by the communities they represent. A steering committee of local and national cultural leaders also is assisting Endowments staff in determining how the initiative can invest in other ways in the cultural organizations. This will include providing capacity-building resources and other support recommended by the organizations receiving grants through the program, allowing them to determine what they need most to effectively reach their goals. Some funding also will be set aside to respond to new ideas in the arts and culture community that emerge as a result of what participating artists, organizations and stakeholders have learned through the program. Currently, the plan for allocating the initiative’s funds is for $5 million to go toward large one-time grants and $3 million to capacity-building support, with the remainder used for one-time special opportunity awards and to cover administrative expenses. “It is a well-documented fact that the funding community has been guilty of giving disproportionately lower levels of funding to BIPOC (Black/Indigenous/ People of Color) organizations—and the funding that does exist has been traditionally focused on project or short-term support,” Endowments Creativity Vice President Janet Sarbaugh said. “For organizations to not just survive but thrive and prosper, they need longer-term investments and deeper, less episodic relationships with foundations and other donors.” Also, of particular concern to Endowments staff has been ensuring that the local program encourages community engagement and ownership. The Cultural Treasures’ funds are housed at the Pittsburgh-based POISE Foundation, America’s oldest Black community foundation, which also is a partner in designing and managing the program. Southwestern Pennsylvania residents can go to the nomination form on the Endowments’ website to recommend organizations and institutions that they consider to be cultural treasures. This nomination process is meant to promote and celebrate “cultural treasures” as defined by those most affected by them in neighborhoods throughout the region. Having community members involved in this way also helps to ensure that the definition of “cultural treasures” is not developed solely by foundation staff guiding the effort. “Critical components of equity include self-determination, self-identification and having a voice during the process,” said Mark Lewis, POISE Foundation President and CEO. “Too often members of the Black community are asked to respond to events or circumstances after the fact. Engaging local residents and organizations during this process affords them a sense of ownership and equity in determining what they view as cultural treasures. I applaud the
Endowments and the team for recognizing the importance of this inclusion.” Not all the institutions and organizations identified as cultural treasures will receive monetary support through the Cultural Treasures program. But they will be plotted on a digital map created by CJAM Consulting that will serve as an ongoing reference tool for the region. CJAM, a New York-based, minority/women-owned
firm, is helping the Endowments to structure and coordinate the initiative. The full extent of the Cultural Treasures’ work and potential is still being determined as Endowments staff plans to gather additional input on how the initiative can be shaped through a series of different roundtable discussions with Black media, audiences that attend Black arts and cultural presentations throughout the region, and
local and national funders that have a history of funding Black-led organizations as their primary mission and scope of work. “We’re not really interested in presenting a program that everyone has to just take or leave,” Endowments Arts & Culture Program Officer Shaunda McDill said. “We want to work with our colleagues and the community through an iterative process that is likely to evolve over time
in response to the needs of the organizations we are trying to support.”
To nominate a Black organization, or for more info, visit www.heinz.org
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‘Sneakerball’ helps fund positive mentorship for Pittsburgh’s Black teens SNEAKERBALL FROM A1
and Brashear High School, along with students from neighboring school districts. One of the students mentored by 1 Nation Mentoring was Aaron Thomas, who graduat-
world.” Thomas said that he’s adopted a “we can” attitude, because then, “one’s outlook on any situation will become more positive. As a result, it will empower you to give your 100 percent effort, in
Nation helped me develop my leadership abilities by showing me I can be successful and still be myself. Your image doesn’t determine your success. They also taught me communication is a key to resolving prob-
to present yourself. The way you dress, the way you approach your peers, etc. True leadership is setting an example.” McNair told the Courier he was meant to be an EVERETTE REGAN (PHOTO BY DAYNA DELGADO)
1 NATION MENTORING CO-FOUNDERS LLYOD CHEATOM, SAM MORANT AND KEVIN MCNAIR with Paige Mitchell, the organization’s public relations specialist, at the “Sneakerball,” July 31. (Photo by Dayna Delgado) ed from Obama in 2016. He has since graduated from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work. He described 1 Nation Mentoring in a brochure obtained by the Courier as “empowering. 1 Nation helped me realize that it’s not about what you know but who you know. Creating reciprocal, positive relationships can take you further than a certificate, license, or degree can. Networking is one of the greatest wonders of the
which you will attain the results you demand.” “1 Nation has helped me realize that you can get much more out of life if you think before you move,” said an unabashed Latel Williams, a 2018 Brashear graduate who was mentored by the men of 1 Nation Mentoring. “Focusing on the actions you take now to create a better future, I wanted to be a part of 1 Nation because they gave me second-chance opportunities inside the classroom that the teachers wouldn’t. 1
lems. True leadership is inspiring and can instill hope in others without trying to manipulate them.” Jamar Boatwright, who graduated from Brashear in 2015, said that “brotherhood” is the best word to describe 1 Nation Mentoring. “1 Nation matured me into a man and helped keep me focused on my responsibilities. They also helped me become more open-minded. I saw the impact they were making and there aren’t many Black people that are willing to educate/mentor the youth. 1 Nation has helped me develop my leadership qualities by demonstrating how
AARON THOMAS was mentored by 1 Nation Mentoring.
“1 Nation helped me realize that it’s not about what you know but who you know. Creating reciprocal, positive relationships can take you further than a certificate, license, or degree can. Networking is one of the greatest wonders of the world.” AARON THOMAS example-setter for others. The Charlotte, N.C., native had attended an
JAMAR BOATWRIGHT was mentored by 1 Nation Mentoring.
NAOMI RITTER, SAMANTHA BLACK (PHOTO BY DAYNA DELGADO)
HBCU, Winston-Salem State University (in North Carolina) for a time, but he then turned to his uncle, the Rev. Glenn Grayson Sr., pastor of Wesley Center AME Zion Church in the Hill District, who helped him enroll at Slippery Rock University. McNair came to the Pittsburgh area in 2009 for school and graduated from Slippery Rock in 2011 with a degree in non-profit management and business. Similar to what Rev. Grayson would say to younger people, McNair, now 34 years old, tells youth to “be true to themselves. We all have special skills and talents, and often we are
inspired by things we see and hear,” but “when we are confident in who we really are...that shows true growth.” As a new school year begins soon, this time with students present, 1 Nation Mentoring will have its base office at Brashear. McNair said he teaches a class at the school, too. Throughout the upcoming school year, much of the money raised by the Sneakerball goes towards college tours for the high schoolers, SAT prep courses, Internet access for some students, and other basic needs that a student may have. 1 Nation Mentoring also holds food and clothing drives. 1 Nation Mentoring does receive funding from the city’s philanthropic organizations, but “we don’t want to be reliant” on them, McNair said. The hundreds that turned out for the Sneakerball shows that African Americans in Pittsburgh will find ways to help fund causes that are doing positive things for the Black community. “We truly appreciate them (the attendees) because it’s not about us. It’s about how we can create an amazing environment (the Sneakerball) that spotlights our people’s own talents, what Pittsburgh has to offer. It shows the importance of unity.”
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NAOMI RITTER, right, with an Sneakerball attendee.
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Mark Clayton Southers parlayed his love of trees into a lucrative business during the pandemic
‘THE TREE SQUAD’ BEGAN LAST YEAR, AND IT’S PAYING OFF
MARK CLAYTON SOUTHERS, founder of The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, has a love that few people know about—tree-cutting.
by Genea L. Webb For New Pittsburgh Courier
Mark Clayton Southers’ love for trees sustained his mind, body and theater company during the coronavirus pandemic. The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company founder and producing Artistic & Executive Director always enjoyed cutting down trees with his father as a child. So, in the midst of the pandemic, Southers traded in his pen for a chainsaw and started “The Tree Squad” with his son, nephew and brother. “I started it last year after my mother received an astronomical estimate to cut down four trees in her yard. We cut down her trees and it didn’t cost her a penny,” recalled Southers, an avid arborist. He traveled to Ohio and purchased a used bucket truck and began cutting trees for other people. He even enlisted the help of some of the actors in his Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company. “The Tree Squad has helped me with my bouts of depression,” revealed
Southers, who suffered a horrific traffic accident on May 11, 2015. That day, he was driving and his wife was in the passenger seat, when Southers had a coughing fit and blacked out. His Chevrolet Suburban crossed the double yellow lines and hit the side of a school bus, which only had the driver as its passenger. Southers was in a medically-induced coma for two weeks. Overall, he spent four months in the hospital. His hip was shattered due to the accident. “Depression comes on you like a thief in the night and it sits on you,” Southers said. “Cutting trees has been freeing for me. When I’m in that bucket truck cutting trees, I don’t need my legs. I forget about my injuries when I’m sitting up there. But when I get to walk, it’s like Groundhog Day.” Southers said the Tree Squad cuts trees three to four days a week and books appointments with a twoweek time frame. “That way I can still work on plays. I don’t want to book out too far in advance and then I have a production I’m working on, but I have to cut trees,” he said. Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre recently debuted its third film at the Heinz History Center. The film is called, “Cyril.” A little about the film: When the newly formed Forensic Science Channel interviews forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht, not only does he provide de-
tailed insight into some of America’s most brutal and provocative cases—Jon Benet Ramsey, JFK, and O.J. Simpson to name a few—but new information emerges centered around murders that very rarely, if ever, make the headlines. The film stars Dr. Cyril Wecht, David Whalen and Sam Lothard. “It is my hope that people learn something from the movie about how forensics works and I hope they enjoy it,” said the world-renowned forensic pathologist, Dr. Wecht, who portrays himself in the movie.
to a 75-seat space at 542 Penn Avenue in Downtown’s Cultural District in 2005. In 2011, the theater moved again in October into the Penthouse at 937 Liberty Avenue. Last year, the theatre moved to 819 Penn Avenue. Its first production of the season will be held in February 2022. “We are hoping we can do that with COVID still around and the new variant,” Southers said. The theater is committed to developing and showcasing the works of local playwrights from master storytellers like August Wilson and George S. Kaufman
Mark Clayton Southers: “Depression comes on you like a thief in the night and it sits on you. Cutting trees has been freeing for me.” Southers plans to submit “Cyril” to some film festivals and see how it does. The film is currently more than two hours long and Southers and his crew are still working to pare it down to about two hours. “The film was wonderful. People will really enjoy it,” said film attendee and Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre supporter, Cheryl Long. Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company was founded by Southers in 2003. It started as the resident company of Garfield’s Penn Theater and moved
MARK CLAYTON SOUTHERS
to promising new talent. Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company seeks to nurture a racially and culturally diverse community of playwrights, directors, actors and technical specialists to hone their craft and to network creative opportunities. In the meantime, Southers is keeping busy with The Tree Squad. “People should book us,” Southers told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “We don’t gouge you like other companies, and we enjoy doing the work.”
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Highmark Health invests in Pittsburgh’s young talent with ‘Straight to Business’ program Local high school graduates will earn bachelor’s degrees tuition-free while working full-time
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Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH 91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Sunday Mass 10:30 A.M. www.sbtmparishpgh.com
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 Now offering in-person services, with limited capacity and required pre-registration through the website, and virtual services!! Worship Online on Facebook/YouTube www.ELPC.church Summer worship.......10:00 a.m. Taize -Wednesdays.........7:00 p.m.
MEMBERS OF THE NEW COHORT OF RECENT PITTSBURGH-AREA HIGH SCHOOL GRADS taking place in Highmark’s “Straight to Business” initiative.
Highmark Health on July 21 announced a new talent pipeline program which aims to create a positive economic impact by making education and employment more accessible to diverse communities. The program, “Straight to Business,” will launch with a group of 10 high school graduates who will be gainfully employed at Highmark Health while obtaining bachelor’s degrees, tuition-free. In partnership with Gallup, Purdue University Global, and local educational partners, this is a unique program that will nurture young talent and build a future of diverse leadership at Highmark Health. The students accepted to the program will begin onboarding with a 9-week immersion experience at Highmark Health this summer. Their first semester at Purdue Global will begin in the fall of 2021, where they will be earning degrees in health administration or business. “With Straight to Business, Highmark Health is investing in its community and developing future leaders, with no student debt upon graduation. This sets them on a path to a bright future as dynamic leaders that reflect the diversity of Highmark Health’s customers, members and patients,” said Larry Kleinman, EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer, Highmark Health, in a statement to the New Pittsburgh Courier. “Straight
to Business is one of many steps Highmark Health is taking to level the playing field and develop talent at all skill levels.” In the Pittsburgh region, there are significant challenges for diverse students to access affordable education, higher than normal rates of unemployment for diverse youth, and substantial underrepresentation of minority groups among professionals who work in the health care field. As a Gallup Change and Transformation Award winner for two consecutive years, Highmark Health is proud to be a leader in addressing these issues with two nationally recognized organizations. “Highmark Health is a very bold American corporate citizen,” said Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO, Gallup. “Today marks the first day in the history of America that a US company has hired a cohort of promising future diverse leaders straight from high school—straight to business – including a fully paid college degree on the job. This fixes old broken hiring systems through early identification of high-potential leaders and accelerated development.” Highmark Health is dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition process for the students as they learn the ins and outs of the working world. As part of the program, students will receive a dedicated Program Manager to guide them through benefits, finances,
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transportation, and other needs. In addition, they will receive personal laptops for their studies at Purdue Global. “Our partnership with Gallup and the Straight to Business initiative is important to Purdue Global, and we are excited to now join forces with Highmark Health,” said Jeffrey Buck, Purdue Global vice president and dean of the School of Business & Information Technology., in a statement “This collaboration draws on the distinctive
strengths and core values shared by the respective organizations. Most importantly, it provides a real benefit to young people by reimagining the traditional pathway for accessing the benefits that result from work experience and post-secondary education.” Highmark Health partnered with community organizations such as Imani Christian Academy, Crossroads Foundation, Fund for Advancement of Minorities through Education (FAME), Urban Pathways
Charter School, Negro Emergency Educational Drive (NEED), Westinghouse High School, Nazareth Prep, City Charter High School, Pittsburgh Promise, and the Neighborhood Academy to identify Associates for the inaugural Straight to Business cohort.
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CLOSING THE WAGE GAP FOR BLACK WORKERS will not happen overnight. While there are advances occurring in the wage gap for African Americans, the progress is slow.
How the racial wage gap affects Black communities by Megan Kirk Michigan Chronicle
Overworked and underpaid is a truism African Americans have lived with since their time in America. Beginning with free labor, Black workers have been responsible for building ornate structures like the White House, Harvard Law School and Georgetown University. Even Wall Street derives its name from slaves. On the backs of Black bodies, America’s economic infrastructure was built with no room for the builder. As generations have lived and died, the Black workforce continues to be a cycle of more work and less pay. Despite earning less than almost all demographics, Black workers also display an unyielding loyalty to their workplace. Easily building tenure, paychecks for Black employees rarely reflect the experience and skill set. A 2020 study conducted by Michigan State University economists suggests that since the 1980s, wages for
Black employees have fallen when compared to that of their White counterparts. In the study, the author finds Black men earned roughly 20 percent less in recent years than 40 years ago in Michigan. Black women are found to earn 15 percent less. “Forty years ago, Black workers earned more in Michigan than in any other state,” says Charles Ballard, author of the study and MSU economics professor. “Since then, in much of the country, Black workers’ earnings at least kept up with inflation, but White workers’ earnings grew faster.” Michigan leads the nation in the decline of earnings for Black workers. The study conducted by Ballard and MSU colleague John Goddeeris, takes its data from the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this time, Black workers in Michigan were paid more than Black workers across the state. Now, the wage gap may be too large to close. “If the trends of the last 40 years continue, the answer
MICHIGAN LEADS ALL STATES in the decline in earnings for Black workers, driven in part by the collapse of middle-class manufacturing jobs. (Shutterstock) is never. The first thing that would have to happen is that the trends of the last 40 years would have to stop, and then reverse themselves. Even if that were to happen right away, I think, unfortunately, that it would take many decades for the earnings of Black workers to achieve parity with the earnings of White workers in Michigan,” says Ballard. The pay gap hits Black women two-fold. Gender and race both play a role in de-
termining the pay scale for African American women. March commemorates Equal Pay Day. The day marks how many additional days a woman works to make the same as a man. For African Americans, equal pay has yet to come and may be long-awaited. Making less than all demographics, Black women will need more than one day to catch up to the pay rates of White women and other counterparts. “Forty years ago, the medi-
an Black woman in Michigan was actually paid more than her White counterpart, but Black workers in Michigan have lost a lot of ground since then, and their earnings have fallen below the earnings of Black workers in some other states,” says Ballard. “The earnings of Black workers have fallen relative to the earnings of White workers in many parts of the country in the last 40 years, but the relative losses have been faster in Michigan than anywhere else.” The Coronavirus helped to unearth a lot of truths surrounding businesses, economic stability and financial disparities for communities of color. The federal government is stepping in to try and bridge the wage gap. In January, members of Congress reintroduced the Paycheck Fairness Act. This legislation, together with the Equal Pay Act of 1963, will help to close the gender wage gap for not only women, but women of color. “For America’s working women, particularly women
of color, decades of economic insecurity and pay inequality have been made even worse by the ongoing Coronavirus crisis,” said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. “Equal work deserves equal pay, and with the re-introduction of Chair Rosa DeLauro’s Paycheck Fairness Act, Congressional Democrats will once again work in a bipartisan way to secure justice for working women, advance progress for families and strengthen the foundations of our communities and our nation. This legislation is a key step in Democrats’ efforts to unleash the full economic power of women in our country so that we can Build Back Better and ensure.” Closing the wage gap for Black workers will not happen overnight. While there are advances occurring in the wage gap for African Americans, the progress is slow. Deliberate planning and initiatives targeting Black pay can help bring communities of color up to par with their business equals.
Nine things you can do with money As adolescents we often hear our parents say “money doesn’t grow on trees.” As parents we echo the same words to our children. That’s truly the only money advice we receive from our parents. It’s the only money advice we give to our children. We generally hear those words in response to being asked countless times—can I have some money? Money doesn’t grow on trees is a short sarcastic way of saying I don’t have any more money to give you. There’s a finite amount of money within my control. I can’t pick money from a tree like we pick apples from the tree. In this article, I’ll delve into how money is created and what are some things that we can do with money. Before I dive into that, I’d like to share a couple of memes that I recently shared on Facebook detailing what you CANNOT do with money. What money can buy: A bed but not sleep. A clock but not time. A book but not knowledge. A position but not respect. Medicine but not health. Amusements but not happiness. Acquaintance but not friendship. Obedience but not faithfulness. A house but not a home. Things money can’t buy: Manners, morals, respect, character, common sense, trust, patience, class, integrity, love. Those two memes force you to reflect and conclude that money and/of itself cannot purchase the things that we value the most. Money is simply a tool to facilitate things we need, want and desire. Below are things we can do with money. Work: It’s true. Money doesn’t grow on trees. How is money created? Work creates money. Money is earned. You work, you reap an income. Your income is what allows you to get money and buy all the things you want to buy and do all the things that you want to do. It allows you to purchase the
things you need, want and desire. Your income is your most powerful wealth-building tool. The Bible says, “You don’t work, you don’t eat.” Over time, your goal should be to transition from “earned income” to passive and portfolio income. Spend: When we exchange our hardearned dollars for something we value, we’re saying that we value that something more than we value the money we’re exchanging for that something. Very few of us have a problem with spending money. I read about non-spenders. I have yet to meet any of them personally. Controlling one’s spending is a learned behavior that we all have to develop in order to get ahead financially. Most of us love to spend money. Spending money allows us to purchase the things we need, want and desire. It allows us to have fun. Waste: When we buy things we don’t need, oftentimes with money we don’t have, we’re in effect wasting money. Consider all the stuff and clutter you have piled up somewhere in your home, garage, or storage unit. Stuff you haven’t seen, worn or used in years. Stuff you forgot you had. Just think all that stuff and clutter used to be money. A good rule of thumb to use before we go out and purchase things on a whim is to give yourself a 24-48 hour cooling off period. You want to buy because you have buying fever. If after 24-48 hours, after the buyer fever cools off, only then do you buy. Doing this will allow you to see now before it turns into clutter—that it might be something that you can do without. Pay Bills: This is my definition of “adult-
ing.” Only when we’re responsible to pay bills do we begin to understand that money doesn’t grow on trees. It’s a part of life. Key here is not to get overextended. You have to act responsibly and only take on bills and expenses that you can reasonably afford. In other words, you have to “act your wage.” Save: Saving is defined as money you’re setting aside now to accumulate and use later. If you’re stashing money away to be used within the next five years, you’re saving money. It’s imperative that we develop a saver’s mentality. It’s OK to pay bills, spend money, have fun—but not at the expense of not saving money. With so many things tugging at our money, we have to make savings a priority in order to save. You make it a priority by giving it a mission. Your mission can be whatever you decide. For example, you’re saving for emergencies, vacation, furniture, car, house. You name it. By giving it a mission you’re able to give it a dollar amount needed to save and a time frame needed to accumulate. Invest: Investing is akin to saving but with a longer time horizon and greater amount to accumulate. When you’re investing money, your mindset should be, you’re not going to access or spend down this money within the next five or more years. Investing is generally reserved for saving for college, retirement, paying for a house with cash, and wealth-building. In order to transition from earned income to passive and portfolio income, strategic long-term investing has to be a part of your overall financial planning process.
Give: Giving is more than likely a part of your life. Outside of reasonable, faith-based giving—it’s important to know that every gift is a sacrifice. When you give, you lose the opportunity to do for yourself. Therefore, it’s important that you have a solid foundation built—debt-free, emergency fund, actively saving for children’s college and retirement before you go willy-nilly with giving. It’s also important for you to ensure that when you give, you’re giving a hand-up, not a hand-out. Pay Taxes: It’s been said there’s only two certainties in life. Death and taxes. If I were to ask, what’s your single largest expense, most would say their house. Taxes are the single largest expense we pay. Look at the year-to-date tax withholding on your paystub. That’s just federal, state and local taxes. Then there’s sales tax on practically everything we purchase and property taxes to name a few. You have to use legal ways to keep Uncle Sam out of your pockets. Tax favored, tax advantage and tax free retirement and college savings account come to mind. Borrower: Cost of goods and services has been drastically inflated because of loans. Instead of asking “how much does it cost,” we’ve been trained to ask, “how much does it cost per month?” When you borrow money, you steal from your future self. We’ve been taught by institutions who lend us money to use credit wisely. These are the same institutions who earn more on the interest we pay to them than they earn on their investments in the stock market. Borrowing creates debt. Debt is an enemy to wealth-building. I encourage you to use credit only when absolutely necessary.
(Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached at www.damonmoneycoach.com)
BUSINESS
B2 AUGUST 4-10, 2021
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING well-paying jobs, the natural gas and oil industry, directly and indirectly, contributed an estimated $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2019, representing 7.9 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product.
Study reinforces a brighter economic outlook when America leads world in energy production by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier
(NNPA NEWSWIRE)—According to a new study, America’s natural gas and oil industry will need to serve as a vital driver of the nation’s post-pandemic economic recovery. The industry counts as critical to every sector of the U.S. economy and supports millions of jobs across all 50 states, according to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers that compiles the latest available government data. The 134-page study, which explores the economic impact of the oil and natural gas industry, revealed that the business supported 11.3 million jobs and contributed nearly $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2019. The study authors reported that the impacts are the result of three channels: • Direct impacts from the employment and production within the oil and natural gas industry. • Indirect impacts through the industry’s purchases of intermediate and capital goods from a variety of other U.S. industries. • Induced impacts from the person-
al purchases of employees and business owners both within the oil and natural gas industry and its supply chain, as well as from the personal spending by shareholders out of the dividends received from oil and natural gas companies. In addition to supporting well-paying jobs, the natural gas and oil industry, directly and indirectly, contributed an estimated $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2019, representing 7.9 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. Researchers found through wages, taxes, capital investments, and support to other industries, the economic impact extends beyond traditional natural gas and oil-producing states. “Every state in the nation has a stake in continued access to U.S. natural gas and oil reserves, which are critical for the nation’s economic recovery,” the study authors wrote. In short, as the nation continues to recover from the pandemic and the economic downturn that resulted, the natural gas and oil industry will serve as an engine for long-term growth. “The industry continues to create good-paying jobs and deliver reliable American energy to enterprises, including
healthcare, retail, manufacturing, education, and more, in communities across the nation,” researchers concluded. According to the findings, in 2019, the natural gas and oil sector directly and indirectly: • Supported more than 11.3 million total jobs or 5.6 percent of total U.S. employment. • Generated an additional 3.5 jobs elsewhere in the U.S. economy for each direct job in the U.S. natural gas and oil industry. • Produced $892.7 billion in labor income, or 6.8 percent of the U.S. national labor income. • Supported nearly $1.7 trillion to U.S. gross domestic product, accounting for 7.9 percent of the national total. The U.S. Energy Information Administration noted that global oil and liquid fuels consumption is expected to surpass 2019 levels in 2022, as economic activity and travel patterns normalize. “This represents an opportunity for the U.S. to meet the world’s rising demand for affordable, reliable fuels with homegrown natural gas and oil,” American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers wrote in an email. “That said, America’s economic outlook
depends on federal and state policy proposals that incentivize resource development, modernize energy infrastructure and streamline burdensome regulations,” Sommers maintained. “The nation’s hard-fought energy security and GDP growth are at stake, even as the natural gas and oil industry continues to drive the nation’s post-pandemic recovery.” Sommers continued: “As America’s economy comes back, the natural gas and oil industry will serve as the foundation for long-term growth and prosperity. “Every state across the country—both blue states and red states—rely on American energy to fuel each sector of the economy and support millions of U.S. jobs. “This study reinforces that America’s economic outlook is brighter when we are leading the world in energy production, and it serves as a reminder of what’s at stake if policymakers restrict access to affordable, reliable energy and make us more dependent on foreign sources.”
(Stacy M. Brown is NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent.)
The death of Kay DeBow Alford leaves a void in Black business empowerment (NNPA NEWSWIRE)—The National Black Chamber of Commerce announced this week the death of its co-founder Kay DeBow Alford on July 19, 2021. Highly focused, efficient and determined, Kay was the linchpin of the Chamber, defining multitasking to its highest degree. Kay, as she was affectionately known, was named Kayanne at birth on December 12, 1957, to the parents of Charles DeBow Jr. and Aurelia Jane Stuart in Indianapolis, Indiana. She seemed to be born for business leadership, coming from a family that were known educators and entrepreneurs. Kay’s father, Charles DeBow Jr. was one of the first four Tuskegee Airmen, serving in World War II. Kay’s maternal family were the Stuarts, who were entrepreneurs, owning several successful businesses in the greater Indianapolis area. A graduate of Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, she received her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She began her professional career at Colgate-Palmolive in Detroit, Michigan. It was in Detroit on June 8, 1980, Kay met husband-to-be Harry Cicero Alford Jr. After a short courtship Kay and Harry were married on October 31, 1980. The Alfords made their home in Indianapolis. Kay pursued government work and at the height of that work she became the Director of Marketing for the Hoosier State Lottery in Indiana. The couple also became entrepreneurs owning several video stores and private ventures.
THE NATIONAL BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE announced this week the death of its co-founder Kay DeBow Alford on July 19, 2021. Through their business experiences, Kay and Harry early on realized there was a need for a national connection. When Kay DeBow Alford and her husband Harry left Indianapolis, Indiana and moved to Washington, D.C. in September 1994, they had already founded the National Black Chamber of Commerce on May 23, 1993. They had begun locally to fill the void of a Black business organization by founding the Hoosier Minority Chamber of Commerce in Indianapolis which evolved into the NBCC. The NBCC was crafted from the empowerment principles of Booker T. Washington, the business acumen of Congressman Parren Mitchell, and enforced by
the father of affirmative Action Arthur Fletcher. Kay and Harry Alford took the business mission to new heights. The organization, comprised of chapters throughout the United States expanded its reach internationally to France, Mexico, England, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Kenya, and Ghana. Kay coordinated and singlehandedly organized and produced the national and international conventions and conferences. She helped guide the NBCC, assuring its participation in business discussions on Capitol Hill and their interaction with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Officers and members were saddened by Kay’s death and sent along messages:
“Kay was the backbone of the National Black Chamber, the mother and driving force behind the great accomplishments of the NBCC. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her and who benefitted from her tireless drive to make the nation better for all Black business owners,” said Chairman of the NBCC and President/CEO of the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce. “We will continue her legacy to fight for the improvement of African American communities throughout the Black Diaspora.” John E. Harmon Sr., Founder, President and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ) remembered Kay by saying,
“words, although spoken softly, were at times, penetrating, yet nurturing and impactful.” “Her commitment to attaining the best for Blacks was the cornerstone of her advocacy. I am grateful for the moments we shared together and her investment in my development as a Chamber Executive which has led to huge dividends for many and will never be forgotten.” “The business community lost one of its champions with the passing of Kay DeBow Alford. Co-founder of the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) with her husband, Harry Alford, she was the power behind the scenes of the many accomplishments of the NBCC,” said Dorothy R. Leavell, who served as a Board member and previous Chairman of the Board of the NBCC. As serious and fierce as she was in the business arena, she was equally invested in her family. A devoted wife to Harry Jr. of forty-one years and the mother of twins, Harry III and Thomas, both successful sportsmen and businessmen. Her most recent pride was being the grandma to Tatum and Archer. Her abounding love stretched out to her brothers, Charles Henry DeBow III and William Weir DeBow; sister, Natalie Jane; nephew Jonathon C. DeBow and countless nieces and nephews. Services will culminate with burial in Shreveport, Louisiana. Services are entrusted to the Winnfield Funeral Home, Shreveport, La.
OPINION
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
AUGUST 4-10, 2021
B3
Spirit of the Olympics
Guest Editorial
Teacher diversity is essential More than a third of Pennsylvania’s students are children of color, and just 6 percent of their educators are teachers of color. To address that, a group of educators, administrators and education advocates urged districts this week to consider using part of their American Rescue Plan funds to diversify the ranks of teachers. “The American Rescue Plan for Education offers an incredible opportunity for schools and districts to invest in education diversity efforts, as school leaders can use these funds to recruit and hire educators of color and mentor students of color as they consider becoming educators,” said Tanya Garcia, Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary of Higher Education. “The Pennsylvania Department of Education is working with educators and partners across the commonwealth to support this work and the development of competencies needed to provide culturally relevant and sustaining instruction.” This is a critical time because the number of minority students is growing faster than the number of minority teachers in our state. Research shows that students behave better, learn more and are more likely to stay in school and go to college when they have teachers they can identify with. All students of color need such role models, and they need teachers who understand their background. Aaron Walton, president of Cheyney University, the nation’s first historically Black university, suggested school communities put more funds towards partnership programs between institutions of higher education and school districts. Cheyney stepped up with its “Aspire to Educate” program last summer, a five-week summer program for high school students to learn about careers in education. Twenty-one students participated in the program in 2020, according to Walton, and 19 of them chose to matriculate and continue their education at the Delaware County university. Walton advocated for districts across the state to use their federal stimulus money because programs like this require “additional resources and funding to enable institutions like Cheyney University to host and sustain them ... the American Relief Plan dollars give us another opportunity to collaborate and invest in teacher diversity.” Research shows the benefits of diversity among the teaching ranks. Having at least one Black teacher early on reduces a Black student’s likelihood of dropping out and increases Black students’ likelihood of going to college. Yet—across Pennsylvania, 1,500 schools and 184 school systems do not employ a single teacher of color. Teacher diversity matters in every school system.All students benefit from increased teacher diversity,” said Sharif El-Mekki, CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development and a former teacher said. “They are better prepared to participate as informed and engaged citizens in an inclusive national civic culture and increasingly complex world.” We must recognize that student outcomes have to do with more than standardized test scores. If children have a teacher or two they can identify with, that can make a true difference in their lives. It can be the difference between life and death, when every student feels included and able to succeed. The School District of Philadelphia is also making plans to use American Rescue Plan funds to reinvest in its leader residency program that addresses teacher diversity, according to Larisa Shambaugh, Chief Talent Officer for the School District of Philadelphia. The goal, said Shambaugh, “is to provide those who already work with our students and who are already committed to our community with a clear pathway to becoming a teacher.” “We know that there is much more that we must do to have our educator demographics better reflect our student demographics,” said Shambaugh. We agree with the many educators and administrators who came together this week that much more needs to be done so that teacher demographics reflect student demographics in order to promote better outcomes in every community—but especially communities of color. (Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)
Founded 1910
Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Allison Palm
Rob Taylor Jr.
Jeff Marion
Office Manager
Managing Editor
Circulation Consultant
John. H. Sengstacke
Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—With few exceptions, every four years citizens of the world revel in the pomp, ceremonies, and athletic excellence of the Olympic Games. Something in the human spirit admires the competition of the games and, for that moment in time, the emergence of the best athletes. Like many this year, my attention has been primarily focused on gymnastics. I admire the grace, skill, and agility of gymnasts, and the long-term perseverance required to develop their craft to the level of world competition. I have nieces who are fledgling gymnasts and I know the extent of commitment required for them to compete at the local and state levels. I know of the hours they spend in practice each day while also managing their schoolwork and household responsibilities. I can attest that this is no small or insignificant task. It tests the full measure of their physical and emotional strength. My exposure to their gymnastic experience gives me a degree of insight into the challenge of maintaining the personal “balance” required to compete with regularity. That insight is why I condemn the criticism directed at Simone Biles for prioritizing her mental health ahead of competing in the Tokyo Olympics. I have read that she has been criticized for a lack of “toughness.” Some criticism questions her patriotism and commitment to the country that she is supposed to represent. She has been
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Commentary accused of being self-centered and self-indulgent. These unjust critiques are of the same ilk as those used to deride and degrade tennis star, Naomi Osaka. Both of these young women have chosen their mental well-being over the expectations for their athletic performance. This choice is just as important as if they had pulled a muscle or broken a bone. (This may not be true for Simone as she has been known to compete with broken toes.) Their concern for personal mental health and well-being may be a newly expressed reason, but the expected “right” of the external control of “our” performance is nothing new. It harkens back to the control exercised throughout our existence in this nation—from slavery through the Civil Rights Era until today. When Colin Kaepernick took a knee, he was disparaged as lacking a sense of patriotism. He was called a “bastard” by the sitting president. He was accused of being an ingrate who was priv-
ileged to be allowed to make the huge sums of money he made for playing a game. His placing principles over dollars was inconsistent with the mindset of those who criticized him. Prospering silently while others suffer under the oppression of systemic racism was not in Colin’s “playbook.” His critics could only focus on money, but his principles caused him to focus on the injustice occurring daily in his community. And who can forget Fox Media personality (not newscaster), Laura Ingraham, telling Lebron James to “shut up and dribble.” I have always believed that telling someone to “shut up” was among the greatest insults one could give another human being. It is tantamount to telling someone he or she is worthless. It is unacceptable to think that Lebron would sit in silence while the socalled leader of the free world practiced the vilest racism. At the peril of their careers and lifestyles, Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Jim Brown, John Carlos, Tommie Smith, and others have ignored the demand for them to “shut up and perform” or “go along to get along.” Each of them demonstrated their steadfast belief in a purpose higher than just existing as a well-paid, but muted entertainers. They and we are more than performers. Like the spirit of the Olympiad, we will exercise our right to express the full measure of our talents.
(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women.)
Vernon Jordan on Whitney M. Young Jr.: One visionary warrior pays tribute to another (TriceEdneyWire.com)—This Saturday, July 31st, we remember and celebrate Whitney Moore Young Jr., on the centennial of his birth. Young served at the helm of the National Urban League during the turbulent decade from 1961 to 1971, overseeing the greatest expansion of scope and mission our organization has seen in more than a century. As the activism of the Civil Rights Movement expanded from the courts to mass-action non-violent demonstrations in the streets of both southern and northern communities, Young forcefully and publicly projected the League’s tenets of social work and civil rights as never before. During our Equal Opportunity Dinner in November of 2019, the National Urban League honored three other former leaders—Vernon Jordan, John Jacob and Hugh Price—with the “Visionary Warriors” award for their years of unwavering leadership. Vernon Jordan, due to illness, was unable to attend, but shared prepared remarks in which he paid tribute to Whitney Young. We lost Jordan in March of this year. In honor of these giants of civil rights, we commemorate Young’s centennial year by sharing Jordan’s tribute. Good evening. It is an honor to be here, to be alongside two great leaders of the Urban League, my successor John Jacob, and his successor, Hugh Price. Of course, I, too, was a successor. And so tonight I’d like to thank my predecessor, the great Whitney Young, for this award—and dedicate it to him. You see, I would not be here without Whitney. He was my mentor and guardian, my inspiration and dear
Marc H. Morial
To Be Equal friend. And for about as long as I knew him, he was trying to recruit me for the Urban League. I remember many years ago, in 1966, he gave me a ride from LaGuardia Airport and asked me to come work for him. But I was not ready to leave the South. A few years later, in 1969, he asked me about becoming his deputy—and then rescinded the offer! He said I was more suited to a different job—one he was not ready to vacate anytime soon. And not long after that, when I was offered the job as the Executive Director of the United Negro College Fund, I sought out his wise counsel. And he encouraged me to accept. So I moved to Manhattan, into the office just below his, and soon he became my greatest advisor and ally in this city, showing me the way forward as only he could. I learned so much from him. His loss was tragic, and his impact was tremendous. Of course, his impact was not limited to me alone. In his near decade of leadership, he transformed the Urban League and had a profound impact. He was the original “Visionary” for this institution—imagining what it would be and could become for Black people in this country. And he pushed that vision
closer to reality. He also was an original “Warrior,” a soldier in the army for civil rights … alongside so many whom we still celebrate and others we have nearly forgotten. And he set the standard for what it means to combine the two—to be a “voice for the voiceless,” and to fight tirelessly towards a vision of equality. Indeed, 48 years ago, almost to the day, at my first Equal Opportunity Day Dinner, as the designated Executive Director, I reflected on the incredible impact of Whitney Young. And I will say tonight what I said then, because it remains true, almost half a century later: “Whitney has left us the instrumentality for change, an agency with a proven record of effectiveness, a vehicle with the blueprint for getting the job done. Thus, we have a charge to keep, a constituency to serve, a people to lead.” I am grateful to John and Hugh and Marc for being such stewards of the Urban League of this living legacy of Whitney Young. And today, its work would not be more vital—for families and communities across the country. We still have our charge to keep, our constituency to serve, our people to lead. And we must continue to live by Whitney’s example. So, before I go, perhaps even more than this award, I want to thank Whitney for the honor of a lifetime—the best job I’ve ever had. It has been an honor to be a soldier in Whitney’s army, a warrior for a vision we must all keep fighting for. Thank you.
Pandemic problems of food insecurity are not over Dr. John E. Warren for New Pittsburgh Courier
There are still families and individuals in our community who do not have enough to eat each day. While some food distribution has slowed down, the needs are still present. Many of those providing the distribution of food say they are running into a shortage of volunteers to handle the process. We are also still confronted with the issue of school being out, but not hunger. We still have high unemployment in our high risk communities. And, now we are faced with a new virus at the same time that many continue to resist getting vaccinated even though there is no cost other than their time to get the shot. This paper does not want our communities of color, in particular, to be misled. Many of those among us who have not taken the vaccine by choice are in some of the most high risk jobs. We saw the impact of the COVID-19
virus on those persons in round one of this virus. So what can we do now? We can continue testing, get the vaccine, and wear a mask, regardless of what the governmental agencies are saying about the safety of going without one. We can be mindful that the infection rate among those who have been vaccinated exists, but, so far, has not been fatal even - though there have been some hospitalizations. We can talk to those around and among us who are vaccine resistant. If they don’t take the vaccine, then we should limit our
contact with them for our own safety and the safety of others even though we have been vaccinated. We must give very serious personal thought about our children and their return to schools. No one will care about them as much as you, the parent. It cannot be enough to say that we have reduced the number of children in a classroom to 17 or 18 when in the past that number has been 30 or more. If the class is cut in size, then who is teaching the second group; and are they getting the same level of instruction and not being parked with
an adult as a babysitter with no skills? Let us not forget the food insecurity of our children at school even though a number of schools are now preparing backpacks to go home with our children for weekend meals. The problems of the pandemic continue and food insecurity is only one of them. We can do much to help each other if we just make a decision to personally get involved in helping others. What are you doing?
(Dr. John E. Warren is Publisher, The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint)
Letter to the Editor Police Misconduct Database is great news Dear Editor: In response to your July 21-27 article “’Police Misconduct Database’ Now Active in Pennsylvania”—this is great news, and hopefully other states will follow,
and share data. But there is still the possibility that a police department will hire one of these “black listed” police officers. Even with a Police Misconduct Database, East
Pittsburgh still may have hired Michael Rosfeld. The public must remain vigilant. Janice C. Brehm Wilmerding, Pa.
B4 AUGUST 4-10, 2021
Rep. Cori Bush is my shero (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO) was once homeless. She wrote movingly (https://time. com/6085841/cori-bush-homelessness-crisis/) about sleeping with her babies in her car, with no place to go, nowhere to wash except a McDonald’s restroom, nowhere to exhale. She was homeless and working, and among a group that has coined the term “unhoused” to convey the pain of living without a home, belongings stuffed into garbage bags, hot food an elusive possibility. Imagine that, and imagine that with infants, one just six months old, another not much older. Bush has come a long way from her unhoused days, but she hasn’t forgotten them. That’s why she has spent several nights sleeping on the Capitol steps, joined by fellow members of Congress, Ayanna Pressley, AOC, and others. She is sleeping outside because nothing is going on inside. The eviction moratorium expired on July 31 without Congressional action, and as many as eleven million people may get eviction notices in the next few days unless Congress acts. Typically, Congress does not convene in August. They are on vacation, or they are back in their districts holding constituent meetings. Truth be told, they are mostly on vacation, and Washington DC turns dead. Cori Bush says she could not imagine taking a holiday break while people are sleeping in the streets while Congress has taken no action. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the House leadership went home to enjoy their break. Cori Bush and her colleagues are raising issues that have been ignored as we are “recovering” from the economic impact of COVID and its mutations. One in four Floridians and South Carolinians are behind on their rent. Black folks are four times more likely to owe rent than Whites are. Elderly Americans are disproportionately vulnerable to evictions —they, too, are running behind on their rent. And Congressional leaders have gone home. Congressional leadership is Democratic, which is a frustrating aspect of the Democratic Party approach to economic justice. Speaker Pelosi might say that she did not move to extend the moratorium because she did not think it would pass. But why not try and force people to put their cards on the table. Are you in favor of mass evictions, or are you prepared to support fellow citizens who run the risk of going unhoused because the eviction moratorium has run out? Members of Congress, regardless of party, have unhoused people in their districts. It would be interesting to put them on record about their willingness to help some people who have suffered because of COVID and its after-
Julianne Malveaux
News Analysis math. Notably, economic growth in the second quarter of this year was a high 6.5 percent. That might suggest that relief is not needed for people at the bottom. Robust economic growth, though, has shown the uneven nature of economic recovery. Unemployment rates have dropped, but faster for Whites than for Black and brown people. People are working, and wages have increased some, but the federal minimum wage is as low as it has been for the past decade, and there are no signs that it will rise soon. While cobbling together an infrastructure bill, Congress is still struggling to pass a budget bill that includes increasing the federal minimum wage. These are challenges that must be dealt with in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, however, a simple piece of legislation to extend the eviction moratorium until the end of the year could provide relief for millions. Few members of Congress have had the experience that Congresswoman Cori Bush has. Certainly, some have experienced poverty, public assistance, and even public housing. But I’m not aware of another, besides Bush, who has had to sleep in her car with her babies. If others have had such experiences, they’ve not spoken of them because, in our individualistic economy, poverty is an embarrassment, a personal failure. But poverty is not personal; it’s political. Or predatory capitalistic system was designed to generate poverty and inequality. It was designed to create a housing shortage that pushes rents up and people out. It was intended to trigger gentrification that has transformed many “hoods” into hot spots. Predatory capitalism was not designed to allow people to thrive. Cori Bush has gone from being unhoused to working in the House of Representatives. She has not forgotten the days she slept in her car. How can her colleagues forget the millions at risk, running home instead of taking care of the business they were elected to handle. She is a warrior for justice, a courageous champion. She is, indeed, my hero! (Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. Juliannemalveaux.com)
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Rating of Black-White relations at new low—is pessimism warranted? Recently, USA Today’s Mike Freeman interviewed tennis superstar Serena Williams. At the end, Freeman asked Williams if she felt optimistic about the future of race relations in America. Freeman asked because the current Gallup poll revealed positive ratings of relations between Black and Whites in the United States were at their lowest point in the 21st century. Williams replied, “Is that a trick question?” Freedman responded, “No, I’m not trying to trick you.” Williams said, “I’m answering your question.” Freeman didn’t intend to be tricky, but that’s the nature of Black-White relations in America. In 1990, The Christian Science Monitor ran a story by Burns W. Roper called, Race Relations in America: Despite some well-publicized hate crimes and episodes of tension, racial harmony is growing. Roper stated the greatest contribution of public opinion polls is that it allows us to assess the validity of “common knowledge,” and with respect to race relations in America, the polls revealed how wrong “common knowledge” is. From what is said in the news media today, we would think the state of race relations in America had deteriorated to a post-war low. But that is far from the truth. A few years later, events such as the Rodney King beating, the acquittal of the White police officers that assaulted King, the L.A. riots, the beating of White trucker Reginald Denny by four Black men, and the O.J. Simpson not guilty verdict, caused public opinion to drastically change. In October 1995 a Gallup poll revealed 68 percent of Americans said Black-White
J. Pharoah Doss
Check It Out relations would always be a problem in the United States. How long did that pessimistic view last? In 2001, Gallup reported 70 percent of U.S. adults rated Black-White relations positively. Between 2001 and 2011 the racially charged events that intensified the previous decade didn’t repeat. Instead, in 2008, the United States elected its first Black president, and by 2013, Gallup revealed that 70 percent of U.S. adults still rated Black-White relations positively. Things intensified in 2014 after a White police officer shot and killed an unarmed Black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, which led to riots and national recognition of a movement called Black Lives Matter. That same year Ta-Nehisi Coates published “A Case for Reparations,” and the national discourse concerning race shifted from praising the Black presidency and progress to questioning what America owes Black people for slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination, and redlining. The 2015 Gallup poll revealed the positive rating of Black-White relations dropped from 70 percent to 47 percent. In the early 1990s the racially charged events that took place made the public pessimistic about Black-White race relations, but optimism grew with each year past the
midpoint of that decade. Post-2015, history didn’t have the opportunity to repeat due to the racially charged presidency of Donald Trump, the racially charged national discourse that ensued from 2016 to 2020, the national riots that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the January 6, 2021, invasion of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters after Trump lost re-election. Freeman followed his interview with Serena Williams with an editorial in the USA Today and apologized to Williams. He wrote, “I’m the idiot, Serena, my bad. With her response, Williams was indeed answering the question. She was saying no, sorry, but I’m not optimistic about future race relations in the country.” Freeman added, “There was another poignant moment when Williams said, ‘America was built on something very old. Trying to change it in one generation is very optimistic.’ In many ways, this is the very definition of systemic racism.” Other news outlets were just as over-thetop as Freeman when they reported on the recent Gallup poll and emphasized the fact that in 2001, 70 percent of U.S. adults rated Black-White relations positively, but, in 2021, the rate has dramatically decreased to 42 percent. However, if the recent Gallup poll is compared to the 2015 poll, and not the poll taken at the turn of the century, the percentage points dropped from 47 to 42. That’s a one-point drop per year over the last five years. That’s actually a reason for optimism considering the anomaly of Trump and the racially charged events that followed.
Whitewashing history and suppressing voters go hand in hand (TriceEdneyWire.com—There’s been a lot of news about the Democratic legislators in Texas who fled the state to prevent Republicans from pushing through sweeping new voter suppression laws. Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened to have them arrested to force them to attend a special session of the state legislature. Now it turns out that voter suppression is not the only “special” project Abbott has in mind. He and his fellow Republicans are pushing a far-reaching “memory law” that would limit teaching about racism and civil rights. Abbott already signed a bill last month restricting how racism can be taught in Texas schools. But he and other Republicans in the state don’t think it went far enough. The Republican-dominated state-Senate has voted to strip a requirement that White supremacy be taught as morally wrong. Also on the chopping block: requirements that students learn about civil rights activists Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. It’s not just Texas. Just as Republicans are pushing a wave of voter registration laws around the country, they are also pushing laws to restrict teaching about racism in our history, culture, and institutions. CNN’s Julian Zelizer recently noted that such laws downplay injustices in our history and lead to teaching “propaganda rather than history.” Here’s a good example: Texas Lt. Gov.
Ben Jealous
Commentary Dan Patrick said the new legislation is meant to keep students from being “indoctrinated” by the “ridiculous leftist narrative that America and our Constitution are rooted in racism.” If Patrick really believes it is a “ridiculous” idea that racism was embedded in our Constitution from the start, he has already put on his own ideological blinders. And he wants to force them onto teachers and students. Some of these state memory laws specifically ban teaching that causes “discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or sex.” As educators have noted, that’s a recipe for erasing and whitewashing history. “Teachers in high schools cannot exclude the possibility that the history of slavery, lynchings and voter suppression will make some non-Black students uncomfortable,” history professor Timothy Snyder wrote in the New York Times Magazine. Those laws give power to White students and parents to censor honest
teaching of history. “It is not exactly unusual for White people in America to express the view that they are being treated unfairly; now such an opinion could bring history classes to a halt.” Snyder also explained how new state “memory laws” are connected to voter suppression. “In most cases, the new American memory laws have been passed by state legislatures that, in the same session, have passed laws designed to make voting more difficult,” he wrote. “The memory management enables the voter suppression.” “The history of denying Black people the vote is shameful,” he explained. “This means that it is less likely to be taught where teachers are mandated to protect young people from feeling shame. The history of denying Black people the vote involves law and society. This means that it is less likely to be taught where teachers are mandated to tell students that racism is only personal prejudice.” As I wrote in The Nation, far-right attempts to suppress honest teaching about racism is meant to “convince a segment of White voters that they should fear and fight our emerging multiracial and multiethnic democratic society” and to “help far-right politicians take and hold power, no matter the cost to our democracy.” That’s also what voter suppression bills are designed to do. We cannot tolerate either of these assaults on democracy. (Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way.)
The movement for justice will not be deterred The right-wing majority on the Supreme Court just undercut the Voting Rights Act again. Having gutted the section that required pre-approval of state voting laws to protect the rights of minorities to vote in Shelby v. Holder, Republican-appointed justices now have castrated the backup clause — Section 2 — which bans racial discrimination in election practices in Brnovich v. DNC. The result will open the floodgates even further to the wave of partisan laws that Republicans are pushing in states across the country to suppress the votes of African Americans and other people of color. The right-wing justices continue their assault on the meaning and power of the Voting Rights Act, a triumph of the civil rights movement that Justice Elena Kagan, writing in dissent, noted represents the “best in America.” The reaction against the civil rights movement continues. Every movement for equal justice under the law in this country has been met with a brutal reaction. When reformers tried to limit the spread of slavery into new states coming into the republic, the slave states seceded, launching the Civil War, the deadliest war in American history. After losing the war, when the federal government began reconstruction to free the slaves and guarantee equal political and economic rights to all, the reaction was brutal, with lynching and terrorism —led by the Ku Klux Klan and others —spreading to suppress the newly freed slaves. In
Jesse Jackson Sr.
Commentary the end, segregation—America’s version of apartheid—spread through the South and the hope of the civil rights amendments was crushed. Now, after the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act and the election of Barack Obama, the reaction has been fierce. Across the country, Republican legislators have sought to make it harder for African Americans and other people of color to vote. The long lines that mark inner-city voting sites are a graphic demonstration of the success of those efforts, for many people can’t take the hours off from work to cast a ballot. In each era, the lawless reaction—and blatant violations of the Constitution—have been ratified by disgraceful decisions in the Supreme Court. The court ratified segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson, inventing the doctrine of separate but equal—a concept that existed only in the judge’s imaginations, not in the realities of any of the former slave states. Voter suppression following the civil rights
movement was ratified in Shelby v. Holder and now in Brnovich vs. the DNC, that have essentially gutted the Voting Rights Act, the crown jewel of the civil rights movement. The so-called “conservative” justices on the Supreme Court are rewriting the laws passed by Congress to serve their own partisan purposes. Now the excuse is to limit voter fraud, even though there is no evidence of such fraud other than in the ravings of partisan politicians. This struggle will continue. Clearly, Republicans across the country have decided that rather than seeking to win the votes of African Americans and other peoples of color, they would rather pass measures to suppress their vote—from discriminatory changes in voting practices, to gerrymandering of districts, to (most dangerously) empowering Republican legislatures to overturn the results of an election. Once more people of conscience must stand up and organize to protect the right to vote and to counter those who would suppress it. Once more, right-wing justices have written another shameful chapter of judicial ignominy that must simply be overturned. Once more Congress must act to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to counter the brazen efforts of the court’s right wing to neuter it. Once more, those standing in the way of equality under the law will find that the movement for justice will not be deterred.
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SOFTWARE ENG. CLOUD POSITION Aurora Innovation, Inc. seeks Software Eng. Cloud in Pittsburgh, PA responsible for Software development working on distributed systems. Mail resume to Mary Ellen Mahoney, 280 N. Bernardo Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE POSITION OF POLICE OFFICER - ALTOONA POLICE DEPARTMENT Applications for Police Officer with the City of Altoona can be obtained from the Human Resources Department of City Hall Monday through Friday between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30. For additional information and application requirements, please visit the “Employment Opportunities” Quick Link on the City’s website at www.altoonapa.gov. Completed applications must be received in the Human Resources Department no later than Noon on Friday, September 10, 2021. Human Resources Department 1301 12th Street, Suite 301 Altoona, PA 16601 The City of Altoona is an Equal Opportunity Employer
BIOTECHNOLOGY SCIENCE & ENGINEERING ADVISOR POSITION TeleTracking Technologies, Inc. seeks a Biotechnology Science & Engineering Advisor to the CoCEOs & President in Pittsburgh, PA to oversee highly prioritized projects and programs. Req. MS + 2 or BS + 5 yrs exp. To apply must mail resume to: TeleTracking Technologies, Inc., Attn: Lindsey Pistner, 336 Fourth Ave., Floor 2, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Must reference Job Title & Code: 000001. EOE. SYSTEMS ANALYST, EXPERT PPG industries, Inc. seeks Systems Analyst, Expert in Pittsburgh, PA responsible for participating in apps development, maintenance, & enhancement w/ respect to IT projects. Specific duties incl. creating new sftwr apps or enhancing & maintaining existing sftwr apps used at PPG to collect & analyze color data, textural data, & metadata during product formulation, product mfg, & product performance assessment. Apply at ppg.com MULTIPLE OPENINGS PRODUCT MANAGER, LANGUAGE ACQUISITION POSITION Duolingo, Inc. has multiple openings for Product Manager, Language Acquisition in its Pittsburgh, PA location responsible for managing all aspects of product development for online and mobile language acquisition software. Apply to jobs@duolingo.com and reference job #210728. EXPERIENCED BOX OFFICE LEAD POSITION Pittsburgh Public Theater is seeking an experienced Box Office Lead. Working closely with the entire box office team, the Lead Associate assists the Box Office Manager with daily operations including: maintaining a high level of customer service via phone, email, and in person utilizing the Tessitura ticketing system, serving as shift supervisor as needed, assisting in training, and offering additional support as needed with special events, etc. This position is full-time hourly ($15.15) with benefits. For a full job description, visit ppt.org/employment. Please submit cover letter and resume to ajones@ppt.org. EXPERIENCED BOX OFFICE MANAGER POSITION Pittsburgh Public Theater is seeking an experienced Box Office Manager. This position serves as the primary Tessitura expert for the organization and is responsible for overseeing daily operations of the Box Office including full and part-time staff hiring, training and management, management of all operations related to ticket sales and customer service, and the Box Office budget. This position is full-time salaried ($45-50K) with benefits. Advanced Tessitura experience required. For a full job description, visit ppt.org/employment. Please submit cover letter and resume to ajones@ppt.org. WILKINSBURG CLERK/SECRETARY – MANAGER’S OFFICE The Borough of Wilkinsburg is accepting applications for the position of Clerk/Secretary. This position is open to Wilkinsburg residents only. Clerk/Secretary is a full-time union (SEIU) position with benefits. Compensation is $20.94 per hour. Position description and employment application are available at Wilkinsburgpa.gov/ about-wilkinsburg/jobs or email info@wilkinsburgpa.gov, or mail to 605 Ross Ave, Wilkinsburg PA 15221 or in person at administrative offices from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Accepting applications through August 13, 2021. John Antinori Borough Manager SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT Is seeking a CERTIFIED SCHOOL NURSE A complete job description and how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org Deadline: 4:00 p.m. August 9, 2021, or until position is filled EOE
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Estate of MARGARET MASSIMINO A/K/A MARGARET E. MASSIMINO, Deceased of Bridgeville Rocks, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-05321, Paul Massimino, Executor, 663 Gregg Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of GENEVIEVE CLARK CATON, No. 022105052 Date of Death: 06/08/2021 PNC Bank, National Association Attn: Sharon L Whitney, VP 300 Fifth Ave, FL 31 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 And/or: Heidi Rai Stewart, Esq. Houston Harbaugh Three Gateway Center, 22nd Floor 401 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222 NOTICE In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Orphans Court Division. Estate of SHIRLEY M. WILLIAMS, deceased. Case No. 02-11-00642. Notice is hereby given that on July 1, 2021, a petition was filed by Keanna Holliday to terminate the interests of the heirs and devisees of Shirley M. Williams, deceased, in the real estate located at 1352 Ridgway St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 and to determine that fee simple title is in Keanna Holliday. If no objections to the Petition are filed within thirty (30) days, Keanna Holliday will seek an Order of Court adjudging that Decedent’s title to said real estate lies in her.
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ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES PUBLIC MEETING NEEDS BASED PLAN AND BUDGET The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) is preparing its 2022-23 Needs Based Plan and Budget. Funding awarded to DHS through the Needs Based Plan and Budget process supports programs and services for children, youth and families across the entire continuum – from Family Centers and out of school time to foster and kinship care, and many more. There will be a virtual public meeting to talk about DHS’s proposed plan and collect public comments Monday, August 9th at 1 p.m. For more information on how to participate, visit https://www.alleghenycounty.us/ Human-Services/News-Events/ Meetings-Hearings/Community. aspx Allegheny County DHS makes reasonable efforts to accommodate people with disabilities or limited English proficiency. The virtual public meeting will feature live transcription as well as live American Sign Language Interpretation. Erin Dalton Director Allegheny County Department of Human Services LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
WESTMORELAND COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY 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 Wednesday, September 1, 2021 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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ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1745 The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority is soliciting Bids for CONTRACT NO. 1745 Uniform Rental Services, for which Proposals will be received until 11:00 A.M., Prevailing Time, Wednesday, September 1, 2021 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 bidder. 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 $3,000.00. To Obtain Contract Documents send request to Kathleen 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 OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on September 7, 2021, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for: Pittsburgh Grandview PreK-5 Window/Curtainwall Replacement and Masonry Restoration General, Mechanical, Electrical, and Asbestos Abatement Primes Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on August 2, 2021 at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
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PUBLIC NOTICE FOR OPEN AND CLOSING LIPH HIGHRISES CLOSING OF WAITING LISTS Effective Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 12:00 p.m., the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) will close the waiting lists for the following Low Income Public Housing Site: • Northview Heights High Rise - (1 and 2 bedroom) – Currently, the 1-bedroom waiting list is open only to persons/families that require the features of a wheelchair accessible unit. No pre-applications will be accepted for these waiting lists after the closing date and time. Pre-applications for these waiting lists can only be obtained from the HACP web site (www.hacp.org), by emailing a request to Occupancy@hacp.org or by calling 412-456-5030. Site selection charts for these waiting lists can only be obtained by emailing a request to Occupancy@hacp.org or by calling 412-456-5030.Completed pre-applications with site selection chart can only be submitted using one of the following methods: *Email to: Occupancy@hacp.org *Fax to: 412-456-5182 *Mail to: HACP Occupancy Department, 100 Ross Street, 4th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 *Utilize the document drop box located at: HACP Occupancy Department, 100 Ross Street, 4th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. No pre-applications will be accepted for these waiting lists after the closing date and time. Public Notice will be provided when the HACP determines to re-open specific waiting lists. OPENING OF WAITING LISTS Effective at the start of the business day Monday, August 16, 2021, the HACP will open the waiting lists for the following Low Income Public Housing Sites: •Caliguiri High Rise •Gualtieri Manor •Murray Towers •Carrick Regency •Frank Mazza Pavilion •Pennsylvania Bidwell - (1 bedroom) •Finello Pavilion •Morse Gardens •Pressley Street High Rise - (1 bedroom) These units require the head of household, spouse or co-head of household to be at least 62 years of age or disabled. Pre-applications with a site selection chart for these waiting lists can only be obtained from the HACP web site (www.hacp.org), by emailing a request to Occupancy@hacp.org or by calling 412-456-5030. Completed pre-applications with site selection chart can only be submitted using one of the following methods: *Email to: Occupancy@hacp.org *Fax to: 412-456-5182 *Mail to: HACP Occupancy Department, 100 Ross Street, 4th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 *Utilize the document drop box located at: HACP Occupancy Department, 100 Ross Street, 4th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Position on the waiting list/s will be determined based upon bedroom size needed, preference, and Sequence Date/Time (the date and time of receipt of your pre-application). For information about obtaining a pre-application for the HACP Low Income Public Housing Program, please contact the Occupancy Department at 412-456-5030; TDD: 412-201-5384 or visit our website at www.hacp.org. The Housing Authority of the City Of Pittsburgh Occupancy Department 100 Ross Street – 4th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219
PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY Electronic Proposals will be received online at the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org). Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 a.m. on August 17, 2021 and will be read at 11:15 a.m., the same day, at Port Authority’s Heinz location (Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information for the Bid Opening), for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org) 1 2 3
Bid Number B210657A B210661 B210764A
Bid Name Bicycle Racks - Coach Drop Table Replacement System - SHVRC Operators Supervisors & Maintenance Uniforms
No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held via tele-conference on each of the above items at 10:00 a.m. on July 28, 2021. Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the Port Authority within five (5) business days of the scheduled bid opening. These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations. Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing. Port Authority of Allegheny County hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. The Board of Port Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
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Bids/Proposals
Bids/Proposals
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFBs) FOR DIRECT OPPORTUNITIES CENTER REHAB PROJECT AMP-39 HACP CONTRACT NO. 600-25-21 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH will receive sealed bids for the Direct Opportunities Center Rehabilitation Project, AMP-39 The construction work is estimated to begin in December of 2021. Bid Documents will be available on or about Monday, August 2, 2021 and may be obtained from the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s webpage, www.hacp.org. Bidders may register on the website and download the bid documents free of charge. Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement A Virtual Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Tuesday August 10, 2021 at 10:15am virtually at the following link: Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95003056319?pwd=eE9oMVZsVTd6U1pHUHlyS0huSU9RQT09 Meeting ID: 950 0305 6319 Passcode: 519442 One tap mobile +13126266799,,95003056319#,,,,*519442# US (Chicago) +19292056099,,95003056319#,,,,*519442# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) Meeting ID: 950 0305 6319 Passcode: 519442 Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abgMfoukRE An In-Person Pre-Bid Site Visit will be held on Tuesday Aug 10, 2021 at 2:00pm and 3:00 p.m.: Direct Opportunites Center, 1205 Liverpool Street, Pittsburgh PA 15233 Bidders shall come prepared to review all aspects of the construction site necessary to prepare a bid. Bids will be received at: The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on September 9, 2021 at the HACP Procurement Department, 100 Ross Street, Suite 200, Pittsburgh PA 15219 Attn: Kim Detrick, Chief Procurement Officer. Due to COVID, the bid opening on September 9, 2021 at 10:00AM will be conducted virtually via Zoom. Zoom link: https://zoom. us/j/93279648797?pwd=S21VS2c1S1FFSkJnQmVHV3BYNUJmQT09 Copies of bid documents are not available for in person pickup. Bid Documents, including the Bid Forms, Project Manual, and Drawings, may be obtained from the Business Opportunities Section of the HACP website, www.hacp.org. Prospective Bidders may register as a vendor on the website and download the documents free of charge. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person on September 9, 2021 from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on September 9, 2021. Bids may still be submitted electronically at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/fB3o1uRV6C26ARXznk1d and can still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH reserves the right to waive any informality in, or reject any and all bids. No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the opening of bids without the consent of the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally Assisted Construction Contracts. The Contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sexual preference, handicap or national origin. HACP has revised its website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFP documentation. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH STRONGLY ENCOURAGES CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement at (412) 456-5116 Opt 1.
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
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Courier named among the best Black newspapers in America
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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The New Pittsburgh Courier is among the top three African American newspapers in America, according to a presentation of the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s “Messenger Awards,” held virtually, June 24. The NNPA is the official organization of the Black Press. It is composed of nearly 200 African American newspapers or online media outlets, including the Courier, and the Courier’s parent newspaper, the Michigan Chronicle, both owned by Detroit-based Real Times Media. The Courier placed third in the John Russwurm Pinna-
cle Award, which recognizes a publication as the top Black newspaper in the country. Second place went to the Houston Forward Times, and first place went to the St. Louis American. In addition to the third-place Pinnacle Award, the Courier won six awards throughout the ceremony, based off entries from the year 2020: - First Place, best overall website, www.newpittsburghcourier.com. - First Place, best newsletter. - Second Place, best business section, specifically for a story written by Diane I.
Daniels and Rob Taylor Jr. on the Hill District Federal Credit Union. - Second Place, best newspaper layout and design, credited to Courier graphic designer Warren King, managing editor Rob Taylor Jr. and editor and publisher, Rod Doss. - Third Place, best original photography, for a photo by managing editor Rob Taylor Jr. of a Pittsburgh Black girl holding a sign during the George Floyd protests that read, “Stop Killing Us.” (Photo at right) - Third Place, best entertainment section.
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THE NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER STAFF—Front row: Stephan Broadus, assistant to the publisher; Rod Doss, editor and publisher; Allison Palm, office manager. Top row: Warren King, graphic designer; Ashley Johnson, advertising coordinator; Rob Taylor Jr., managing editor.