9.29.21 NPC

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America’s best weekly

COURIER EXCLUSIVE Dr. Anthony Hamlet’s exit interview Page A2

Pittsburgh Courier NEW

www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 112 No. 39 Two Sections

SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 5, 2021

thenewpittsburghcourier Published Weekly $1.00

The ‘Divine Nine’ forever entrenched at Pitt Black Greek organizations celebrate plot unveiling placed in the heart of campus by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Part of Kenyon Bonner’s job as Vice Provost of Student Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh is to ask students about why they chose to come to Pitt, and their overall student experience. One of those students’ responses, about five years ago, stunned Bonner. The student said when they were visiting Pitt as an incoming freshman, they had no idea if Pitt had historically African American fraternities and sororities on its campus. At that moment, Bonner said: “We gotta do something about this.” More than 1,000 people, mostly members of the “Divine Nine” Black Greek letter organizations, on Sept. 25 congregated at the heart of Pitt’s campus in Oakland, the Schenley Quadrangle, to watch the highly-anticipated unveiling of the Divine Nine Plot. After hearing from speakers such as Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, National Pan Hellenic Council

National President Vanetta Cheeks Reeder and Pitt Alumni President Valerie Njie, the lever was pulled and the sizable plot which was years in the making was unveiled to applause and admiration. Plots are constructed to symbolically and physically represent each Black Greek letter organization’s presence on college campuses and to give alumni and current members a location for reflection and celebration. The plot at Pitt spans roughly 50 feet in length and 10 feet in height, complete with the iconic symbol of each organization, along with flowers and names of some of the contributors that helped make the $150,000 plot come to fruition. “This is another way to make it very known to students that National Pan Hellenic Council organizations exist on this campus,” Bonner told the New Pittsburgh Courier in an exclusive interview after the unveiling. Black Greek letter organizations “represent a time that we don’t forget,” Bon-

LONGTIME MEMBERS of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.—Diana Jaden, Dr. Tiffany Lewis, Phyllis Johnson, Lafay Pinchback, Valerie Njie, Tracey Gillard. They are standing next to the plot honoring the Deltas, which is now cemented on the University of Pittsburgh campus. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.) ner added, “where we were on White college campuses and we didn’t feel welcomed. We didn’t feel like we belonged and it was hard to create that community and that cohesion,

CAPA graduate Carter Redwood plays major role on CBS show

SEE DIVINE NINE A4

‘FBI International’ airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. by Renee P. Aldrich For New Pittsburgh Courier

LONGTIME MEMBERS of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Emma Lucas Darby and Toni Kendrick, stand next to the plot honoring the AKAs, which is now cemented on the University of Pittsburgh campus. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.) NEW

Pittsburgh Courier To subscribe, call 412-481-8302 ext. 136

Carter Redwood has become a name to remember. He attended Carnegie Mellon University on a full scholarship, and at the end of his four years, he not only graduated Cum Laude, but also walked away with a wheelbarrow full of awards, including “actor of the year.” He was also the commencement speaker for the school of arts and sciences. His acting chops were established at the early age of 10 when he was approached by Mark Southers, founder and artistic director of the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, to play the role of Southers’ son in “When the Water Runs Clear,” a play written by Southers himself. This was the beginning and place where Redwood said he “got bit by the acting bug.” Almost 20 years later, Redwood finds himself on a screen that everyone can see, no cable needed—he won a role in CBS television’s new series, “FBI International,” which airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Redwood, the homegrown hero with roots in the Hill District and a Pittsburgh Public Schools graduate (CAPA, 2010), plays Andre Raines, an FBI special agent who is part of the “Fly Team.” It’s a prominent role alongside three other

CARTER REDWOOD special agents who collectively are the central cast members. The filming is currently taking place in Budapest, where Redwood is living for the next 8-9 months. In a video conversation with the New Pittsburgh Courier, he discussed this amazing opportunity, sharing the depth of his gratitude for the support

he has received during the entirety of his theatrical journey. “I have been supported from Day 1, not just by my family but by the community in Pittsburgh who were aware of my dream,” Redwood, 29, said. “It is this love and support that I do not take SEE REDWOOD A3


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