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COMMUNITY OUTRAGE State Rep. Wheatley among those angered by shooting death of 1-year-old Zykier Young Page B5
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 111 No. 36
Two Sections
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SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2020
• CONTRACT RENEWED •
PPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS GIVES ANTHONY HAMLET A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE Superintendent’s strategic plan showing promise; will stay as district leader until 2025 PPS SUPERINTENDENT ANTHONY HAMLET, ED.D.
by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Hamlet, Ed.D., while running the second-largest school district in the state, has had to deal with his share of detractors. Local television stations have plastered his face on the tube next to a series of investigations that, in ef-
fect, made him look unfit for the district’s highest position. A group of 50 local Black women, called Black Women for a Better Education, in June called for Dr. Hamlet not to receive another term as superintendent, after calling Dr. Hamlet’s first term an “abject failure.” Sala Udin, the longtime civil rights advocate and
current PPS board member, vehemently rejected the notion of Dr. Hamlet receiving another term. Udin expressed his displeasure with Dr. Hamlet in a letter he sent to media members in mid-August, saying the Black student achievement was severely lacking. But on Wednesday, Aug. 26, months before they were required to, the PPS
board got together and gave Dr. Hamlet the ultimate vote of confidence— voting 7-2 to renew his contract for another four years. Dr. Hamlet, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will be superintendent until 2025. The board members who voted to retain Dr. Hamlet were Pamela Harbin, Sylvia Wilson, Devon Taliaferro, Kevin Carter, Veronica
Edwards, Terry Kennedy and Cynthia Falls. Those who voted “no” were Udin and Patrick Gallagher, who actually wanted the board to table the vote until a later date. Dr. Hamlet’s original five-year contract expires on June 30, 2021, but now, district staff, parents, students and all affected parties know that Dr. Hamlet will be in charge for an ad-
ditional four years. Falls, in her remarks prior to her vote, said that the district has had nine superintendents in the last 30 years, and while unfortunate, the reality is that over the years, there’s been a gap in achievement between Black and White students in the district. SEE HAMLET A6
Robert W. ‘Bob’ Goode dies at 80 Son of pioneering broadcaster Mal Goode; Former Senior VP of Mellon Bank by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
His father, Malvin R. “Mal” Goode, was the first African American correspondent in the U.S. for a major TV network, ABC, so the “Goode” name is historic.
But Robert W. “Bob” Goode made sure to carve out his own path, leaving his own legacy via personal and professional accomplishments. Bob Goode, a Westinghouse High School graduate (and member of the school’s Hall of Fame), for-
mer state human relations commissioner and senior vice president at Mellon Bank, died on Aug. 18 after a 15-month battle with cancer. He was 80. “Robert was truly a scholar, husband, dad and decent human being who gave back to his commu-
nity in a positive manner,” echoed Ronald B. Saunders, president of the Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch of the Association for the Study of African Life and History, in an interview SEE GOODE B4
ROBERT W. “BOB” GOODE
NO MATTER WHAT, SUPPORTERS DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ROMIR
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A SERIES OF PROTESTS converged in Wilkinsburg, Aug. 22, to denounce racial injustice and, specifically, demand justice for Romir Talley, a 24-year-old Black male who was shot and killed by Wilkinsburg Police in December 2019. In the photo at right is Latasha Talley, Romir’s mother. Read more on Page A2. (Photos by J.L. Martello)