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VOL. 107, NO. 6
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FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
Is dog’s life more important than Black man’s life? Aren honored but Kelley Jr. not forgotten by Christian Morrow BRUCE KELLEY JR.
Courier Staff Writer
As a helicopter hovered above the police procession making its way through the five streets and one bridge closed for the occasion, the words penned days earlier by Tracy Jennings on Facebook proved prophetic: “It’s going to be a weeks long disturbing memorial for this dog…money raised and collected from all over the country, streets blocked off—the flags are already at half staff,” she wrote. “Then there is the Black Wilkinsburg family who more than likely struggle to bury their son.” The next day, during a Feb. 3 Alliance for Police Accountability meeting, Mae Chandler confirmed that funeral arrangements for her nephew Bruce Kelley Jr., shot to death by Port Authority of Allegheny County police officers after he fatally stabbed police dog Aren, remained unsettled because, the family didn’t have the money. “I think taking a life over a dog is the worst thing I can ever hear in my life. To kill my nephew be-
BRUCE KELLEY SR.
HOUNDED—Bruce Kelly Jr., captured here on a security camera, tries to wave police away with his knife just minutes before he stabbed an attacking police dog and was immediately shot 12 times. (Courtesy of YouTube/Black Lives Matter Pittsburgh) cause he killed a dog, it’s not right,” she said. “And they’re having a funeral for the dog, and my sister has to try and get enough donations to try to bury her son.” Jennings and Chandler weren’t the only ones upset by the notion that a dog’s life is more important than the life of a Black man.
Jivani Turner, 82, of Churchill, called the New Pittsburgh Courier to ‘vent,’ saying she had to turn (the local news coverage of the procession on) her television off. “It’s sick, the streets blocked, the helicopter. It’s absolutely sick. I hope someSEE QUESTIONS A4
by Ashley Johnson
Juvenile lifers now eligible for parole by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
In July of 2007, collegebound Jehru Donaldson was sitting in his father’s Oldsmobile in front of a North Side home waiting for his girlfriend’s nephews, whom he had promised to take to a Pirates baseball game. But he didn’t get to the game or to college, because as he waited, 17-year-old
Courier to celebrate city’s young movers and shakers
twin brothers Devon and Jovon Knox decided they wanted to steal his car. When he resisted and tried to drive off, they shot him. In 2009, 18-year-old mother-to-be Shavaughn Wallace was also sitting in her car on the North Side when 18-year-old Lamon Street opened fire on some rival gang members. He killed Wallace and her unborn child in the attempt. The Knox bothers and
Street received life sentences for their crimes. At the time, a life sentence in Pennsylvania meant exactly that—life, with no parole, even for juvenile offenders. But not anymore. Three years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life sentences for juveniles were unconstitutional, except for those found to be “irreparably corrupt” or “permanently incorrigible.”
On Jan. 25, it made that ruling retroactive, meaning Street, the Knox twins and more than 400 other lifers sentenced as juveniles in Pennsylvania—the highest number in the country— may be eligible for parole. The majority of these inmates, more than 300, come from Philadelphia. Fifty, including the Knoxes and Street were sentenced in AlSEE LIFERS A4
Hill House Association revamping programming for job placement by Samson X. Horne For New Pittsburgh Courier
The nonprofit that funds social and community development programs in the Hill District has restructured its workforce development arm. After cutting programming that was underperforming and refocusing needs of individuals in the community, the Hill House Association says it has strengthened its positive impact for jobseekers in the Pittsburgh area. “Once we redefined our focus, we were able to develop strategic alliances with partners and restructure for longevity,” said Cheryl Hall-Russell, executive director of Hill House Association. Located at the Blakey Center on Wylie Avenue in the Hill District, the Hill House SEE HILL HOUSE A4
stream media. On Thursday, March 10, Courier Staff Writer at the Fairmont Hotel in Recognizing those downtown Pittsburgh, the uniquely talented African New Pittsburgh Courier American movers and will add 40 new names to shakers who are under the its elite list of recipients at the 2016 age of 40 FAB 40 and active Awards Reparticipants ception, in the upwhich will building of commence at their com6 p.m. munities, “This year whether it we have an be in the outstanding board room list of young or their people under neighborBRANDON HUDSON the age of 40 hoods, is the premise for which the FAB from a variety of different 40 award was established. professions,” said Rod Doss, It uplifts young Black pro- editor and publisher of the fessionals, while dispelling New Pittsburgh Courier. the negative image that is SEE COURIER A4 often depicted by main-
City Council hearing on Byrdsong’s CBA plan set by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
OPENING DOORS TO EMPLOYMENT—Hill House’s First Source Center Manager Donald McKeever and Director Sharnay Hearn helping residents to find jobs. (Photo by J.L. Martello)
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Community Empowerment Association President and CEO Rashad Byrdsong told the New Pittsburgh Courier he has received a letter confirming that Pittsburgh city council will hold a public meeting to be followed by a post agenda legislative meeting on his proposal to create a citywide Community Benefits Agreement. “This ordinance or law will
set in place contractual binding agreements that require community participation— at all tables—when it comes to planning for the use of development dollars,” he said. The public hearing is scheduled for March 8 at 1:30 p.m. to gauge public support for enacting a Community Benefits Ordinance for the City of Pittsburgh. The singular legislation Byrdsong envisions would cover the entire city, and en-
Ulish Carter asks
Is dog’s life more important than a man’s? Opinion A6
SEE CBA A4
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This Week In Black History
FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
INTERNATIONAL
More sex abuse by UN troops alleged in C. African Republic PARFAIT ONANGA-ANYANGA (AP Photo/File)
by Edith M. Lederer Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS (AP)—A human rights group alleged Thursday that at least eight women and girls were raped or sexually exploited by U.N. peacekeepers late last year in Central African Republic, and the world body announced that more than 100 troops would be sent home. Human Rights Watch said a 14-year-old and an 18-year-old alleged that peacekeepers gang-raped them near the airport in Bambari, the country’s second-largest city. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic said later Thursday it had identified seven new possible victims in Bambari in cases that Human Rights Watch brought to its attention. The U.N. said the soldiers implicated in the cases are from the Republic of Congo and Congo. The mission said 120 soldiers from the Republic of Congo who were deployed to Bambari from Sept. 17 to Dec. 14 will be repatriated after an investigation is carried out. In the meantime, it said, they will be confined to barracks. A fact-finding expert sent to Bambari found “sufficient initial evidence” that five alleged victims were
Elaine Effort
minors and had been sexually abused, and that one adult had been sexually exploited, the mission said. The expert was unable to interview the seventh alleged victim. One allegation by Human Rights Watch had been previously reported and is currently under investigation, the mission said. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the U.N. envoy for Central African Republic who traveled to Bambari on Thursday, expressed outrage and shame at the latest allegations, saying it is “a double crime” to attack vulnerable women and children that peacekeepers were sent to protect. The new cases highlight concerns about peacekeeper abuse beyond the chaotic country’s capital. The U.N. mission in Central African Republic tweeted that there have been 13 cases of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers in Bambari since September 2014. The U.N. has been unable to explain why so many rapes and other sexual abuse by peacekeepers have been alleged in Central African Republic, which has been gripped by deadly violence between Christians and Muslims since late 2013. Thousands of U.N. and other peacekeepers have been in the country since then.
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On Friday, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Anthony Banbury came close to tears as he described four new child sex abuse cases in the country involving U.N. troops and police from Bangladesh, Congo, Niger and Senegal. It was the first time the world body had publicly named countries whose U.N. personnel are accused, as part of a new policy. For all of 2015, Banbury said, there are likely to be 22 confirmed allegations of sexual abuse or exploitation in the U.N.’s peacekeeping mission in CAR, though that may rise as a result of Thursday’s allegations. Human Rights Watch said it documented the latest eight cases of sexual exploitation and abuse during research in Bambari from Jan. 16-30. The organization said the temporary deployment of Republic of Congo peacekeepers to protect the city’s airport corresponds with most of the cases. The group quoted a 14year-old saying that in November, two armed peacekeepers attacked her as she walked by the base at the airport. “They pulled me into the tall grass and one held my arms while the other one pinned down my legs and raped me,” she was quoted as saying. “The soldier holding my arms tried to hold my mouth, but I was still able to scream. Because of that they had to run away before the second soldier could rape me.” An 18-year-old was quoted as saying that when she visited the Republic of Congo troops’ base near the airport seeking food or money, three armed peacekeepers forced her into the bush and gang-raped her. “They said if I resisted they would kill me.”
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Week of 10-16 February 10 1854—Educator Joseph Charles Price is born on this day in Elizabeth City, N.C. Largely unknown today, Price was a world-renowned scholar who founded North Carolina’s Livingstone University. He was also a powerful preacher and orator who raised funds to advance AfricanAmerican education throughout the nation. His basic educational theory was “educate the whole person”—hands, head and heart. 1927—Opera singer Leontyne Price is born Mary Violet Leontyne Price in Laurel, Miss. She first achieved international fame when she was selected to play “Bess” during the European tour of the George Gershwin Broadway production of “Porgy and Bess.” She became a sensation in Europe signing contracts to sing in just about every European language. She made her debut at the LEONTYNE PRICE Metropolitan Opera House in New York City in 1961. 1989—Ron Brown was elected chairman of the Democratic Party becoming the first African-American to head one of the two major political parties. 1992—Renowned author Alex Haley dies. He was also a biographer and scriptwriter. Haley is perhaps best known for the novel “Roots,” which became a major television series and for the “Autobiography of Malcolm X.” Haley was born Aug. 11, 1921 in Ithaca, N.Y. 1992—Heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was convicted in Indianapolis of the rape of beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington. February 11 1644—Eleven Blacks confront the ruling Council of New Netherlands (later New York) with a petition demanding their freedom. This was probably the first legal protest action by Blacks in American history. The petition is granted and the Blacks are freed because they had worked off the terms of their indentured servant contracts which ALEX HALEY were usually for seven years. But these Blacks had worked for up to 18 years. Shortly after this victory, however, no more Blacks were allowed such contracts but were instead treated as slaves for life. 1990—Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is released from prison on Robben Island after 27 years. He had been jailed for his militant activities against the then White-ruled South African government and its system of rule known as Apartheid. Mandela would go on to become the first Black and first democratically elected president of South Africa (19941999). He enabled a peaceful transition to Black majority rule. Mandela was one of the most respected and admired men in the world. In South Africa, he was known as “Madiba”—an honorary title given to elders in his tribe. February 12 1793—Congress passes the first Fugitive Slave Law. The law made it easier for a slave owner to re-take control of a slave who had escaped to freedom. Blacks and their supporters were outraged because the 1793 law only required the “word” of a White man before a magistrate to declare any Black person a run away slave and have him or her arrested and placed in bondage. Under the law even Blacks who had earned their freedom or had never been slaves were placed in danger. NELSON MANDELA 1900—Legendary poet James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) writes the lyrics to the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as part of a birthday tribute to Abraham Lincoln. In time, the song would become the Black National Anthem. 1909—The NAACP is formally founded by a group of 60 progressive Blacks and Whites in New York City. The organization, originally called the National Negro Committee, was the outgrowth of the Niagara Movement, which met in Niagara, N.Y., in 1905. The NAACP would go on to become, and remains, the nation’s largest civil rights organization. 1930—The infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment is funded. More than 400 Black men from rural parts of Georgia and Alabama are lured into the program with the promise that they would be treated for syphilis. But the program was actually designed to study the effects of untreated syphilis on the body. Thus, the men were given fake anti-syphilis medicines as their diseases advanced. The unethical “experiment” went on for 40 years as most of the men gradually died. A reporter exposed the study TUSKEGEE EXPERIMENT in 1972. Several government agencies, including the U.S. Public Health Service and Center for Disease Control, were involved. On behalf of the nation, President Clinton apologized to Charlie Pollard and other surviving members of the racist experiment in 1997. February 13 1635—The nation’s first public school is established in Boston, Mass. It was called the Boston Latin School. Blacks could not attend. 1907—Wendell P. Dabney establishes the groundbreaking Black newspaper known as The Union, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The paper’s motto was “For no people can become great without being united, for in union there is strength.” February 14 1760—The great religious leader Richard Allen is born in slavery in Philadelphia, Pa. After being required to sit in the back of a White church, Allen would go on to help found and become the first active bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Today, the church, one of the largest predominantly Black denominations in America, has more than 1 million members in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Africa. Allen died in 1831. 1817—February 14, 1817 is the most likely birth date of abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass. Douglass purchased his freedom in 1845 and went on to become the most influential Black leader of his day. He did most of his work while living in RICHARD ALLEN Rochester, N.Y. But after the Civil War, he moved to Washington, D.C. 1867—One of the nation’s most distinguished institutions of higher learning, Morehouse College, was founded on this day in Augusta, Ga., as the Augusta Institute. It moved to Atlanta in 1879 and became the Atlanta Baptist Seminary. It became “Morehouse” in 1913. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. graduated from Morehouse. 1936—The National Negro Congress is organized on this day at a meeting in Chicago, Ill., attended by over 800 delegates representing nearly 500 Black organizations. A. Phillip Randolph, head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, is elected president. One of the congress’ chief aims was to generate national support for the “New Deal” legislation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Chicago Defender described the congress as “the most ambitious effort for bringing together members of the Race on any single issue.” Up until this time, most Black voters were Republicans. But the National Negro Congress and Roosevelt’s social betterment programs led to a massive African-American switch to the Democratic Party. February 15 1804—The New Jersey legislature passes a law leading to the gradual elimination of slavery in the state. However, the process was so gradual that there were still slaves in New Jersey right up to the start of the Civil War in 1860. 1851—In an extraordinary bold move for the times, a group of Black and White abolitionists invade a Boston courtroom and forcibly free a fugitive slave before he could be sent back to the South. Shadrach Minkins was hidden from slave catchers and he later fled to Canada. 1961—A group of U.S. Blacks and African nationalists disrupt a session of the United Nations to protest the slaying of Patrice Lumumba in the Congo. Lumumba was one of Africa’s bright and shining stars. But his nationalism and socialism frightened some Western nations. It is widely believed that Belgium intelligence and America’s CIA arranged the killing of Lumumba. 1965—Great singer and Jazz pianist Nat King Cole dies of lung cancer in Santa Monica, Calif. He was only 45. Cole was the first Black entertainer with his own radio program and later he became the first with a nationally televised TV variety show. February 16 1923—The “Empress of the Blues” Bessie Smith makes her first recording—“Downhearted Blues”—which immediately sells over 800,000 copies for Columbia Records and over 2,000,000 copies by the end of the year. Those were astoundNAT KING COLE ing numbers for those days. The Chattanooga, Tenn., born Smith used her sweeping and powerful voice to sing songs of Black culture and real life such as “Nobody Knows You When You Are Down And Out,” “St. Louis Blues,” “Give Me A Pig Foot And A Bottle Of Beer” and the controversial “Give Me A Reefer And A Gang Of Gin.” She died in an automobile accident in 1937 in Clarksdale, Miss. Early reports that her death was caused by Mississippi medical personnel who refused to treat her because she was Black may not be true.
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FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
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Study explores how Black men find success in college by Errin Haines Whack Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Wanda, a senior at Pennsylvania’s Lafayette College and one of two Black computer science majors in his class, says at times he has felt pressure to succeed not just for himself, but for his entire race. “I realized if I fail, in some ways, it means that people might take that as either confirmation that other Black students will fail, or as a sign that they might fail,” said the 21-year-old from Arlington, Va. For Black students—especially men— at many mainstream colleges, these pressures, racial slights and other negative interactions can push them to transfer or even drop out. A new study in the Harvard Educational Review is highlighting how some Black male college students are overcoming those challenges, and the reasons for their success. Shaun Harper, a professor and executive director of the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education at the University of Pennsylvania, surveyed more than 140 students at 30 predominantly White public and private colleges. Among his findings: While high-achieving Black male students aren’t immune from racial stereotypes, they have found a way to push back against them—often through taking on confidence-building campus leadership roles that can change perceptions of them among their white peers and faculty. “White students get to be students and learn; students of color have to deal with racial stress,” Harper said in an interview. “As they become more skillful at not internalizing low expectation, it frees them up
STUDENT LEADERS—Students at the University of Missouri protested this fall amid concerns about the administration’s handling of racial issues. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo.File) from this distraction.” Columbia University psychology and education professor Derald Wing Sue has researched the stress-producing slights and insensitivities tinged with bigotry, or microaggressions, cited in Harper’s study. He said the positive responses outlined in his research are a kind of social activism that gives Black men a feeling that they have the ability to impact their environment. “A person who is able to be involved in leadership, who speaks out on behalf of change, it really gives them a sense that the locus of control is within them, not
others,” Sue said. “When a microaggression occurs, it assails your racial identity. It tells you that you are a lesser being, that you are impotent, that you don’t belong here.” Many of the Black male students surveyed got their start as campus leaders through involvement in predominantly Black organizations before taking on such roles in more mainstream school groups. As they became involved on their campuses, they said, their days were more structured, they were more focused and their grades improved.
“They would find people in these (mainstream) organizations to be study buddies with, to share notes with,” Harper explained. “It put them in the company of others who were also succeeding academically.” In his four years at Lafayette, a small, private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania, Wanda has served as a resident assistant and president of the computer science and anime clubs. He said he took the leadership roles, in part, to help break down stereotypes. “It gave me a sort of way ... to influence and talk to others,” Wanda said. Recently, Wanda questioned an exchange he viewed as a racial slight: a White dorm resident’s dismissal of a rap song he was listening to. As an underclassman, Wanda said he doubts he would’ve challenged the comment. The study challenges White students and leaders at these institutions to confront their biases, so that the responsibility for dispelling myths doesn’t fall entirely on Black male students. Harper said universities have a role in disrupting environments that perpetuate racial bias, and that this is the most important takeaway from his study. Gary Gordon, a math professor at Lafayette who mentors minority students, recalled a class discussion where race became part of the conversation and he caught himself resisting the urge to ask the lone Black student in the class to speak for her race. “She was used to that, but I felt terrible,” he said. “I don’t think I do that so much anymore.”
Chicago officer sues estate of teen he shot, claiming trauma
by Michael Tarm and Jayson Keyser Associated Press Writers
CHICAGO (AP)—A White Chicago police officer who fatally shot a Black 19-year-old college student and accidentally killed a neighbor has filed a lawsuit against the teenager’s estate, arguing the shooting left him traumatized. The highly unusual suit was filed Feb. 5 in the middle of the city’s effort to grapple with serious questions about the future of its police force. Those questions include the adequacy of its system for investigating police shootings and how to win back public trust after several cases of alleged misconduct. The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a wide-ranging civil rights investigation, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel has promised a major overhaul of the Police Department and steps to heal its fraught relationship with Black residents. The timing and unusual nature of the suit by officer Robert Rialmo, who is seeking $10 million in damages, could complicate the department’s efforts to demonstrate more sensitivity toward the community in how police shootings are handled. His attorney, Joel Brodsky, said it was important in the charged atmosphere to send a message that police are “not targets for assaults” and “suffer damage like anybody else.” The teen’s father, Antonio LeGrier, filed a wrongful death lawsuit days after the Dec. 26 shooting, saying his son, Quintonio, was not armed with a weapon and was not a threat. His attorney, Basileios Foutris, was incredulous at what he called the officer’s “temerity” in suing the grieving family of the person he shot. “That’s a new low even for the Chicago Police Department,” he said. “First you shoot them, then you sue them.”
COP SUES VICTIM—Quintonio LeGrier was a Northern Illinois University student and a 2013 grad of Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep. (Family Photo) The lawsuit provides the officer’s first public account of how he says the shooting happened, offering details that differ with the family’s version. It says Rialmo, who was responding to a domestic disturbance call with another officer, opened fire after Quintonio LeGrier swung a bat at the officer’s head at close range. A downstairs neighbor, 55-year-old Bettie Jones, was standing nearby and was shot and killed by accident. She was not part of the domestic dispute. “The fact that LeGrier’s actions had forced Officer Rialmo to end LeGrier’s life and to accidentally take the innocent life of Bettie Jones has caused, and will continue
to cause, Officer Rialmo to suffer extreme emotional trauma,” the filing says. When arriving at the scene around 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 26, Rialmo rang the doorbell of the two-story apartment building. Jones answered and directed them to the upstairs apartment. As Rialmo stepped through the doorway, he heard someone “charging down the stairway,” the suit says. It describes the teen coming down the stairs with a baseball bat in hand and says LeGrier “cocked” the bat “and took a full swing at Officer Rialmo’s head, missing it by inches” when the two were around 4 feet apart. The officer then backed away with his weapon still holstered, according to the
(Errin Haines Whack covers urban affairs for The Associated Press. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/emarvelous.)
suit, while repeatedly shouting at LeGrier to drop the bat. But the suit says LeGrier kept advancing and swung the bat again. Only when LeGrier cocked the bat again from 3 or 4 feet away, did the officer pull out his 9 mm handgun and open fire, the filing says. As he began firing, Rialmo did not see or hear Jones behind LeGrier, the suit says. It says one of the bullets went through LeGrier’s body and struck Jones, killing her. An autopsy determined that LeGrier suffered six bullet wounds. Lawyers for Antonio LeGrier and for Jones have provided accounts that differ from Rialmo’s. They say the evidence indicates the officer was 20 or 30 feet away when he fired, calling into question Rialmo’s contention that he feared for his life. Foutris also questions why the teen would attack the officer since he was the one who called 911. The father of the Northern Illinois University student also made a 911 call. “If you’re calling multiple times for help are you going to charge a police officer and try to hit him with a bat? That’s ridiculous,” Foutris said. County prosecutors have asked the FBI to investigate the shooting. A Police Department spokesman refused to comment on the officer’s lawsuit. Such a lawsuit by an officer is extraordinarily unusual, said Phil Turner, a former federal prosecutor and current defense attorney who is not connected to the case. He questioned whether a judge would give it any merit and said it appeared intended to intimidate LeGrier’s family. He said he had never heard of an officer blaming his shooting victim for causing trauma. “That is a known part of the job,” Turner said of policing’s emotional toll.
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FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
Community Calendar Black Veterans Celebration FEB. 13—Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum Trust Inc. will host the 6th Annual African-American Heritage Celebration “Black Veterans with Success: Their History and Commitment to Excellence” at 1 p.m. at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Gettysburg Room, 4141 Fifth Ave., Oakland. The afternoon will feature guest panelists who will exemplify ways that success can be achieved as they share their stories. All military and veterans are encouraged to attend. This event is free to the public. For more information, call 412-6214253.
Heart Month Screenings FEB. 14—The UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute and the American Heart Association will host Heart Month Screenings from 11:30 a.m. at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, 271 Paulson Ave., East Liberty. During February, in recognition of Heart Month and National Wear Red Day, these organizations will host events to raise awareness for the fight against cardiovascular disease in women. There will be blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose screenings and an Ask the Expert session. For more information, visit www.upmc.com/checkyourheart.
Community Benefits Preparatory Workshop FEB. 20—The Community Empowerment Association and the Eastern Regional Neighborhood Council will host the Community Benefits Workshop Series on Community Economic Development from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Community Empowerment Association, 7120 Kelly St., Homewood. The series will take place every Saturday and include workshops on homebuyer education, financial education, budget and credit counseling, foreclosure prevention, and small business and entrepreneurs. Registration is requested and space is limited. For more information, call 412-371-3689 ext. 44.
Transit Fare Proposal Hearing FEB. 24—Port Authority of Allegheny County will host a Public Hearing on its Transit Fare Proposal from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, Downtown. The board is considering a policy that would replace the current multi-zone system with a single zone that would cost all riders $2.50 with a ConnectCard, regardless of their destination; eliminate the free Downtown zone; instate a 25 cent surcharge for riders paying with cash; and more. The hearing will also take place from 3:300-6 p.m. and on March 8 at Alumni Hall in Oakland. Speakers are required to register. For more information, call 412-566-5187.
Symposium/Gala FEB. 25—Stop the ViolencePittsburgh will host Pittsburgh’s Black Honors Symposium & Gala at 7 p.m. at the Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. This event will honor a few of the African Americans who have made contributions to the Pittsburgh community since 1755. The evening’s honorees are Alma Speed Fox, retired Judge J. Warren Watson, Mark Brentley, Roger Humphries, Rev. Victor Grigsby, Ralph Proctor, Valerie McDonald Roberts and Bishop Loran Mann. Reservations are required. For more information, email bmarshallproductions@yahoo.com.
Painting with a Purpose FEB. 26—Naomi’s Place Housing Inc. will host Painting with a Purpose from 7-9 p.m. at Painting with a Twist, 2525 Monroeville Blvd., Monroeville. Reservations are required. For more information, visit www.paintingwithatwist.com.
Celebration Dinner FEB. 27—Classic Events! will host its 5th Annual Black History Celebration Dinner at 5 p.m. at Hosanna House, 807 Wallace Ave., Wilkinsburg. The dinner with the theme, “Salute to the Black Church,” highlights the historical and significant contributions the Black church holds within the community. There will also be a tribute to those who lost their lives in the Emanuel AME Church shooting in South Carolina. For more information, call Ralph Watson at 412-7232414 or email yourclassicevent@gmail.com. (To have items listed on Community Calendar, send information at least two weeks in advance to: 315 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219; Fax: 412-481-1360 or email: newsroom@newpittsburghcourier.com.)
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“All of them contribute to the uplift of this community and possess the promise of better things to come. Please join us as we salute their many endeavors.” FAB 40 recipients are selected from nominations made by Courier readers and members of the community. This year’s reception, which will encompass a delicious menu, great entertainment and a variety of notable officials, will feature WPXI-TV Reporter Brandon Hudson as the emcee. What makes this
even more special is that Hudson is also a former FAB 40 recipient. Hudson, who mentioned that the FAB 40 award was the first award he received after moving to Pittsburgh years prior, said he is honored to be taking part in this year’s program and feels like he has come full circle. “I still remember walking in to work that day, going into my mailbox at work and opening the (selection) letter and being very happy about it,” he said. “This award was very meaningful to me because a lot of times, especially in media, we
Questions and outrage CONTINUED FROM A1
body is doing something for Mr. Kelley because he should have a larger and better funeral than this dog,” she said. “It’s a slap in the face to all Black people. I’m 82, and they put a dog on me and I had a knife, I’d kill him too.” Kelley and his father, Bruce Kelley Sr., were drinking at a gazebo on Port Authority in Wilkinsburg when approached by two officers. A fight involving all four ensued during which the senior Kelley was pepper sprayed and an attempt was made to Taser his son. But leads could not penetrate his coat and both men managed to flee. The officers called for backup, which arrived—and included Aren and his handler Brian O’Malley—in time for a second encounter with the Kelleys about 17 minutes later. Again officers deployed a Taser and again it failed. Kelley Jr., brandishing a folding knife, can be seen on surveillance tape continuing to walk away from, now 10 officers, occasionally spinning around to wave the knife. Not long after they vanish from the camera’s view, O’Malley reportedly yelled that he would release the dog if Kelley did not stop. Kelley allegedly responded that if he did, “I’m killing that f__ing dog.” O’Malley let Aren off the chain and after Kelley fatally stabbed him, he and another officer fired 12 shots—hitting Kelley 10 times. He was 37 years old. It is still unclear whether the officers who shot Kelley did so in response to him stabbing the dog or to any threatening move he made towards them. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephane Zappala said he doesn’t know either, and is investigating whether deadly force was justified in an incident that escalated to a fatality from
a summary offense. During a Feb. 4 news conference, Zappala said officers followed the continuum of force protocols from pepper spray to Taser all the way to releasing the dog—the last step before using deadly force. “Could we have done something short of taking a human life? I feel like we need to have that discussion,” he said. “This is not about a dog. This discussion is about police training, policies and procedures.” Tim Stevens, chair and CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project, thinks there needs to be more than just a discussion. In a Feb. 5 letter sent to Zappala and other local political, police and civil rights leaders, Stevens questioned how someone isolated and surrounded by 10 officers is a threat to any of them or the pubic. “Why was not another approach taken, including just ‘waiting out’ Mr. Kelley and just letting him continue walking into the woods,” Stevens wrote. “It is important to know that Bruce Kelley Jr., in the initial moment that led to police action, was merely drinking in public, He was not causing harm to anyone. Such a ‘crime’ should not lead to one’s death.” Additionally, FBI special Agent Gregory Heeb said the bureau is aware of Zappala’s investigation and is “monitoring” the case. As for Kelley Sr., he is scheduled for a hearing on assault charges later this month. Services for his son were held Monday at Apostolic Christian Temple, 164 W. Wylie Ave., in his native Washington, Pa. Donations can be made to the family in lieu of flowers. Arrangements are being handled by Cremation and Funeral Care, 3287 Washington Rd., McMurray.
come in and out of people’s lives and we don’t know how much of a difference we’re making or if anyone notices, so to be able to have gotten that letter I got (truly meant a lot).” Like Hudson, Olivia Benson Gallina, a 2013 FAB 40 recipient, said the honor meant something special to her as well. “Personally, it was just, in a big sense, so wonderful to just be recognized for my work. But in a community sense, it was so fantastic to be around 39 other people who are goaloriented, focused and giving back to the Pittsburgh community,” she said. The distinguished 2016 recipients are: Aerion A. Abney, POISE Foundation; Baron Batch, Studio AM and former Pittsburgh Steeler; Jessica N. Brown, 5A Elite Youth Empowerment; Nathaniel M. Brown, 5A Elite Youth Empowerment; Corey Bruckner, office of Mayor William Peduto; Brian R. Burley, Aesynt; Lakeisha Byrd, Communion LLC; Melisa ChipangilaCampbell, Bank of New York Mellon; Don Charlton, Jazz.co; Jason Flowers, Laurel Highlands Council, Boy Scouts of America; Dr. Tyra Good, Chatham University; Michelyn Hood, the Pittsburgh Spot; Teresa Renee Hunt, Truth2RenewHearts Enterprises LLC; Regina D. Hutson, Pittsburgh Public Schools; Thomas Jamison,
Dream Cream Ice Cream; Wayman R. Jones Jr., Mini of Pittsburgh; Kevion Latham, Fort McIntosh Wealth Advisors; Devon M. Lyons, Beyond Phenom LLC; Kevin McNair, 1Nation Mentoring; Kyshira S. Moffett, MBA, University of Pittsburgh; Kheir Mugwaneza, Northern Area Multi-Service Center; James Murphy, FedEx Ground; Njaimeh Njie, Pop Up Premieres; Riean K. Norman, Chevron USA; Brigette Bethea Patterson, Pittsburgh Public Schools; Cheyenne L. Patterson, Shuman Juvenile Detention Center; Olivia T. Payne, The Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh; Brandon E. Phillips, Pittsburgh Public Schools; Leigh Solomon Pugliano, Straightforward Consulting; Regina L. Scott, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Allegheny County; Yasmin Shaheed, Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh; Lola Sims, Lolasims PR; Eric A. Smith, CREW Productions LLC; M. Shernell Smith, Carnegie Mellon University; Shakita Trigg, FedEx Ground; Diamonte Walker, Hill Community Development Corporation; Thomas Wallace, Penn Hills YMCA; Anthony Williams, Attack Theatre; LaKeisha Wolf, Ujamaa Collective; and Sossena C. Wood, University of Pittsburgh. When asked why awards like the FAB 40 are impor-
tant, Hudson said, “One thing I was always taught growing up was, in any business, in order to be succeed, you have to be two to three times better than your White counterparts, or any other counterpart for that matter. I think a lot of times people in the Black community may not get that recognition that they think they deserve or are seeking, but I think the FAB 40, and other awards like it, goes a long way into helping people boost their morale and says, ‘Hey, you know what? Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re doing a great job.’” As for advice for the new group of honorees, Gallina said, “Wear it like a badge of honor. You’re not just a FAB 40 one-time, you’re a FAB 40 for the rest of your life and beyond, so use this as an opportunity to make movements forward or comebacks; just always recognize that you are apart of something great and really just count that. Really count the excellence that this award promotes and the excellence in the community. Both say this award should be used as a motivator, not only for continued success, but to excel to even greater heights. (Tickets for the FAB 40 Reception are $75 and can purchased by visiting www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com.)
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legheny County. In its decision, however, the Supreme Court ruling did not include any procedural requirements, meaning it will be left to the state appellate courts to sort out when and in what order parole hearings are granted. But in some cases, the process to resentence these inmates is already underway. Shortly after the 2012 Supreme Court ruling, the state Superior Court granted separate appeals to the Knox brothers and remanded their cases to Common Pleas Judge Donna Jo McDaniel for reconsideration. In October, she ordered Devon to serve 35 years to life. She resentenced Lovon to 25 years to life. Jay Donaldson, who honors his son’s memory through the PROMISE group he founded to end neighborhood violence, and mentor and strengthen community youth, said the hearing was a tough experience. “It wasn’t easy going though it again, but it was necessary. I got to read a letter from my other son, and tell them about PROMISE. I think they shouldn’t ever be let out, but 35 to life is a pretty damn good sentence,” he said. “I know some people will say some of these guys will be getting off the hook. But I say, at least I have some closure. There are families out there that never found their shooters.” Beyond an inmate’s age, other sentencing considerations could include time incarcerated, conduct while in prison, criminal history, the nature of the homicide (first or second degree), was the juvenile the actual killer or an accomplice, etc. For instance, after his arrest for Wallace’s murder, but prior to his conviction, Street and 25 other members of the Brighton
Place Crips were convicted on federal racketeering charges. And because all of these crimes left victims, their families will have the right to appear at any hearings and oppose parole or potential release. Jennifer Storm, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Office of the Victim Advocate said in a Jan. 25 email that her office was informing victims’ families of the high court ruling. “OVA has been continuously updating our affected victims, who include families and loved ones of those murdered in Pennsylvania,” she said. “We are currently working hard to inform and empower our victims about today’s ruling and will ensure their voices are heard during any possible parole considerations that may result from today’s decision.” In a related action just one day after the court ruling, President Barack Obama issued an executive order limiting the time juveniles in the federal penitentiary system may be kept in solitary confinement, saying the practice is overused and has the potential for devastating psychological consequences. “How can we subject prisoners to unnecessary solitary confinement, knowing its effects, and then expect them to return to our communities as whole people?” This eliminates the punitive use of isolation for all “low-level” non-violent crimes, and reduces the number of consecutive days one can be held in isolation to 60, from 365. Acknowledging that because juveniles, and some adults fear for their safety, will intentionally commit offense so they can be put in isolation. The administrations guidelines say such isolation should be the “least restrictive setting necessary.”
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First Source Center aims to prepare individuals in the community to compete for placement in the workforce. “We addressed weaknesses in First Source Center and focused on the overall person as opposed to just putting people to work,” said Hall-Russell. Previously, the program got “caught up” in focusing too much on placement jobs that didn’t affect the community as needed; they concluded that individuals in the community “needed careers that would stabilize their families as opposed to a job,” she said. Last October, Hall-Russell hired Sharnay Hearn, a Hill District native, as the new director of First Source Center and charged her with the responsibility of rebranding the program. Hearn said she doesn’t feel pressured to perform a certain way in her neighborhood, or that people have unrealistic expectations. “It’s rewarding to work with people I know. It’s humbling to advocate on their behalf from past personal relationships,” Hearn said. “Those that need help come in and we’re both relieved that we can trust one-another.
The 27-year old is changing the narrative in the neighborhood that watched her grow up by bringing more to the program than typical résumé writing and mock interviews. Hearn uses her background from working as City of Pittsburgh Community Affairs Liaison to assist with community and corporate relations; programming now includes the City of Pittsburgh assisting with placement of administrative positions ranging from $28,000-$42,000 per year, and pre-screening of applicants for employers that request large placements. Counselors for family and other stress-related issues are available and GED testing for entry-level candidates are also available. Programming is now geared toward making career placements in the civil services industry in Pittsburgh to combat the well documented lack of diversity in the fire and police departments, entry into the emergency medical services field, and an increase in the amount of individuals gaining middle-class employment. “When you see a system that doesn’t work for you, you have to infiltrate that
system,” Hearn said. The goal for the program is to assist at least 100 participants, placing 20 into City of Pittsburgh Public Safety positions. Despite the fiscal year starting in July and the program restarting last October, Hearn said the program is on target. “I’m elated to get exposure to EMS program, especially for the younger generation of African Americans that might not want a four year college degree and can give one to one-and-a-half years to gain a nationally recognized certification in a longstanding career,” said De’Netta Benjamin, chief program officer at the Hill House Association. She reminisced on Pittsburgh’s history of the Freedom House Initiative as the model for emergency services. “To have a career that’s viable and also originated in the African American community speaks volumes,” Benjamin said. A grant of $300,000 over the next three years from the Helping Families Thrive division of United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania provides funding for the program that includes written and verbal preparation for civil service
testing. Jordana Stephens, senior program manager of Helping Families Thrive, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, said that the division goes through a “detailed and lengthy process” before choosing programs to assist with funding. “(First Source Center) is creative and different, and we feel (the programming) will make an impact,” Stephens said. Helping Families Thrive is not only expecting the programming to lead to the employment of African Americans in civil service positions, but also to obtain livable wages and competitive jobs—something that isn’t happening much now, she said. “It’s a win-win,” said Stephens. Homewood resident, Walter Morgan said that he experienced discrimination based off of his criminal past when he applied to a job at the beginning of the year. “They basically told me I had the job, then they told me I didn’t. When I called back to ask them why, the lady told me she didn’t have to tell me,” Morgan said. Morgan, 50, said that he was told to go to the Hill House because they
“wanted to help applicants become productive members of society.” In a month’s time, Morgan has received feedback on how to “better showcase” his résumé, help with job leads, and assistance “mapping out a plan for success.” He said that the staff is “personally involved” with helping him attain his career goals and feels uplifted. “We don’t shy away from those that others might view is difficult to place for employment. That’s not how we flow,” said Hall-Russell.
CBA hearing CONTINUED FROM A1
sure that any development planned for Black and distressed communities includes: •Affordable housing; •Workforce development and training; •Incubating small businesses; •First source hiring; •MWDBE professional contracts and monitoring to ensure participation goals and compliance; and •Participation in a Growth Fund to be directed toward future youth and economic initiatives within a given development area.
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
METRO
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Support for Gainey at re-election breakfast
PACKED HOUSE—The gym was filled with supporters, (Photos by J.L. Martello)
Sanders hearing on council seat postponed THE GAINEY MEN—Ed Gainey speaking as his son 6-year old Darius Gainey stands by his dad.
by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
On Feb. 6, hundreds gathered at the Community Empowerment Association, in Homewood, for the Re-election Kick-Off event of State Representative Ed Gainey, hosted by Vernard Alexander.
Gainey is seeking re-election to Pennsylvania’s 24th legislative district. The event was well-attended by many public officials, community leaders and residents of Gainey’s district.
LADIES SHOW THEIR SUPPORT—From left: daughter Mariah Howze, 19, daughter Alexa Gainey, 8, and wife Michelle Gainey, talked about how Ed is a family man and a good man.
BILL PEDUTO Mayor
RICH FITZGERALD County Executive
MIKE DOYLE Congressman
JAY COSTA State Senator
Senior Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Joseph James has rescheduled a hearing for Corry Sanders, who is seeking to take the McKeesport Council seat he won in November despite a 1993 felony drug conviction that District Attorney Stephan Zappala said makes him ineligible to serve. James rescheduled the hearing for Feb. 24, after Sanders’ attorney was unable to appear at the original Feb. 5 hearing. As reported in the Jan. 6 New Pittsburgh Courier, Zappala sent a letter to McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko and the council saying that if Sanders was allowed to take the seat he won in the November election, he would seek to have him removed. James noted that Sanders had missed a deadline to answer a petition seeking his removal filed by Zappala two days later. Attorney Robert Sprecht, filling in for Sanders’ lawyer, said he’d filed the response by the end of the day.
Sanders pleaded no contest to felony drug charges in 1993 and was sentenced to serve six to 15 years, which he did—six years in the state penitentiary and nine more on parole. Last month he filed a pardon request with the state. And though Gary Tuma,
spokesman for Pardon Board Chair and Lt. Governor Michael Stack, said it would likely take three years for his appeal to be heard, Sanders said there may be some “surprises” coming. Everything is moving forward. We’re working the channels, meeting people,
and I’m very optimistic that the governor will see it soon,” he said. “But it’s all good. I’m blessed. No one expected this. I’ve come way further than anyone thought I would. So I’m keeping it positive—because God has the last word.”
SANDERS SUPPORTERS (Photo supplied)
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FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
Guest Commentary
Don’t get me wrong, but abolish Black History Month by Michael Coard, Esquire Black History Month should be abolished, claim many Whites. They say it’s nothing more than some reverse racism entitlement nonsense that gives credit to a whiney race of shiftless people who have always received much more than they have ever given to this country. Moreover, Black History Month, they complain, is unfair to White ethnics whose ancestors came here through Ellis Island and were subjected to harsh discrimination. But instead of complaining, they say, they simply fought through it, pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps, and in just a few generations, became educated and successful—living the American Dream. They said they didn’t need no damn English, Irish, Italian, German, Polish, or other history month. So they want to abolish Black History Month right here and right now. And I agree with their conclusion—but certainly not with their reasoning. Why and how did African Americans get Black History Month? Its foundation was laid when Carter G. Woodson—later recognized as the “Father of Black History”— was a student at Harvard University, where, in 1912, he became the first person of enslaved parents to receive a Ph.D. from that elite Ivy League school. During a lecture one day, one of his White professors, Edward Channing, stated: “The Negro had no history.” This contention was widespread at the time throughout America’s educational system. But on that day, hearing it from the mouth of an instructor at America’s leading university, Woodson was propelled to do something about it. So after expanding his extensive research, he connected with four Black men. And on Sept. 9, 1915, in Chicago following inspiration from that city’s national celebration of the 50th anniversary of emancipation, which highlighted the impressive progress of Blacks since their enslavement, those five founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. ASNLH was renamed the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History in 1972 and later became the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, whose mission is to “promote, research, preserve, interpret and disseminate information about Black life, history and culture to the global community.” To that end, among several other enlightening projects throughout the decade, Woodson and ASNLH publicly announced Negro History Week in 1925, with the inaugural celebration in February 1926. Although many believe that Woodson and ASNLH chose February because President Abe Lincoln and abolitionist Frederick Douglass were born in that month, that’s only part of the reason. The complete reason is what he described as tradition. He recognized that ever since Lincoln’s assassination in 1865 and Douglass’ death in 1895, Black folks had begun commemorating the work, and as a result the birthday, of those two great men. Accordingly, in order to reap the benefits of a pre-existing Negro issue-related popularity, Woodson decided to merge into what was already a celebratory and prideful time for African-Americans. It went from Negro History Week to Black History Week in 1972 and then Black History Month in 1976. A little known fact about Negro History Week, as noted by ASALH, is that Woodson “never viewed Black history as a one week affair. He pressed for schools to use Negro History Week to demonstrate what students learned all year. It was in this sense that Blacks would learn of their past on a daily basis that he looked forward to the time when an annual celebration would no longer be necessary.” Also, he “believed that Black history was too important to America and the world to be crammed into a limited time frame. He spoke of a shift from Negro History Week to Negro History Year.” That’s precisely why I say abolish Black History Month. It’s much “too important” to be “crammed into a limited time frame.” It requires a year’s worth of official recognition every year. Why? Because it’s American history and it’s world history. Unlike White ethnics who voluntarily came here with bootstraps to pull up, Black folks were kidnapped, shackled and dragged here bootless beginning in 1619 in Jamestown, Va., when they were enslaved and forced to toil for more than three centuries to build this country. Therefore, Black History Month should be abolished. However, the great contributions of Blacks in America and throughout the world must be infused, as Edward Robinson proclaimed, into everything that is taught about American history and world history. The words from David Walker’s Appeal, written in 1829, and the words of Christopher James Perry Sr., founder of the Tribune in 1884, are the inspiration for my “Freedom’s Journal” columns. In order to honor that pivotal nationalist abolitionist and that pioneering newspaper giant, as well as to inspire today’s Tribune readers, each column ends with Walker and Perry’s combined quote- along with my inserted voice- as follows: I ask all Blacks “to procure a copy of this…(weekly column) for it is designed… particularly for them” so they can “make progress…against (racist) injustice.” (Michael Coard, Esquire, can be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.) (Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
Founded 1910
Rod Doss
Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher
Allison Palm
Eric Gaines
Office Manager
Advertising Manager
Ulish Carter
Ashley Johnson Associate Editor
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
OPINION
Managing Editor
Jeff Marion Circulation Consultant
John H. Sengstacke Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)
Is dog’s life more important than a man’s? A recent incident involving a dog and a Black man is bringing back some terrifying memories for Black folks. We all remember the dogs being used doing the Civil Rights Movement, if you don’t you need to read about it, and we remember reading about the dogs being used to track down runaway slaves during the slavery era. The recent incident involves a Black man who apparently was drinking alcohol in public that led to a confrontation with the Port Authority Police. Apparently after not being able to subdue the man the two officers called for backup. Now it’s not clear, but either before or after the call for backup the dog was ordered to attack one of the men after police weren’t able to bring him down with a Taser because his coat was too heavy. What about the face or head? Sorry, getting ahead of myself. I saw a video of seven or more police officers walking behind the man which had to have been before the dog was sent in. My first question is why seven or more trained police officers with Tasers, night sticks or billy clubs, and guns couldn’t take down one man who didn’t have a gun? Why did they even need a dog? Now let’s deal with the dog, why are we training dogs to attack people in the first place? And when does a dog’s life become more important than a human life? Unfortunately our society is becoming more and more loving when it comes to animals and less when it comes to Black lives, especially cats and dogs that are considered to be a part of the family and are treated as family. We see a human being starving on the streets or in need, and don’t lift a hand to help but we stand firm when it comes to helping animals. I’m not knocking animal lovers. Growing up in a rural area my family owned dogs, cats, mules, cows, chickens, and hogs. But as much as we loved the animals we never put them on equal terms with humans. But there are a growing number of people in this country that do. When the police sent the dog after the man, and the man defended himself by killing the dog, the police re-
shooting should be only at a last resort. It has gotten to the point where the news media are doing features on dogs and cats yet kids are being gunned down in the streets and nothing is said. Just another Black male is dead. There needs to be a probe because a man and a dog are dead unnecessarily. acted in the same manner as if that Changing the subject, congratuladog was a human. They shot the man tion goes out to Tim Stevens and his 12 times. Black & White Reunion for the work Now the dog is being celebrated as it has done to help White, Black and a hero, with thousands of taxpayers’ Asians work together in Pittsburgh dollars being spent in the honoring as well as the fight for women equaland the burial of the dog, while ity. They celebrated their 18th year friends and family are trying to with a very impressive turnout of 500 scrap up enough money to bury the or more in the snowstorm. man. The brothers and sisters from the Having a dog attack a man should Sin City Bikers Club also are to be be completely outlawed in the first congratulated on doing another outplace unless that man is attacking standing job of bringing their commuanother person. It’s not like a dog at- nity together to try to solve some of tacks with his feet, he attacks with the problems by serving a delicious his teeth and that can be extremely meal to the people as they discussed dangerous to the person being atsolutions to the problems. tacked. He can rip him apart or kill After watching the Iowa election him. results and the speeches afterwards, This should be alarming to the gen- nothing has changed. Ted Cruz eral public not just because the dog won the GOP with 27.7 percent of was killed and the man shot 12 times the vote, followed closely by Donald but the question needs to be asked, Trump, 24.3 percent and Marco why all these police officers couldn’t Rubio with 23.1 percent. Ben Carbring down one man? What are they son finished fourth with 9.3 percent, being taught at the academy? I would well ahead of the rest of the pack think that they are trained the way but wasn’t even mentioned by most our military is trained and that is commentators in the national hand-to-hand combat, how to shoot a media. gun, and how to bring a combatant The big surprise was the Demoperson down. cratic vote with Bernie Sanders All these police officers were walknearly tying Hillary Clinton with ing behind the man why didn’t some- 49.6 to her 49.9. Bernie has a whole one simply shoot the man in the legs lot of great ideas, but I don’t see him or arms. I don’t accept this crap that winning a general election. Just like they are trained to kill. Why? If your the super conservatives on the GOP life is in danger, yes, shoot to kill. But side, can they win a general election? they were walking behind the man. Now they go to New Hampshire, Not running. Walking. If they wanted South Carolina, and Nevada. to stop him, without the dog, and Is there a reason why only one of without killing him shoot him in the the early states has Blacks or Latinos leg or legs, or three or four of them in them? How is this a test of real should have attacked him to subdue electability? South Carolina is the him. only early state with Black people If shoot to kill is the only thing they and their White population still supare taught, then they need to be reports the Confederate flag. It took a trained, because human life is the massacre for them to take it down, most precious thing on the face of but it’s still in their hearts. this earth. Nothing is more precious, (Ulish Carter is the managing editor of the and that includes any animal. So New Pittsburgh Courier.)
Ulish Carter
Just Sayin’
The water crisis in Flint is a man-made disaster (NNPA)—Something is definitely rotten in the state of Michigan. And it’s not just the lead-poisoned water coming from the corroded pipes undergirding Flint’s public water system. The rottenness goes to the very core of an attitude of managerial expediency unfettered by moral leadership. Contrary to widespread belief, Flint Michigan’s water woes are not the result of decades’ long neglect of critical infrastructure investments— although that is certainly a contributing factor. The blame for Flint’s water problems lay squarely with a legacy policy choices dating back decades. The fact that towns like Flint, Michigan are currently facing critical fiscal crises is the result of successive generations of corrupt and incompetent local elected leadership. But the immediate cause of the water crisis in particular stems from current Michigan Governor’s attempt to rectify fiscal mismanagement through authoritarian, anti-democratic governance policies. Snyder’s policy of usurping local governmental authorities and placing economically depressed towns like Flint under the sole control unelected ‘emergency managers’ is the proximate cause of the Flint crisis. The philosophy behind Snyder’s policy choices seems to be that governments should be ‘run more like a business.’ Under Snyder’s dubious management-oriented philosophy, principlecentered leadership often takes a backseat to expedient tactics. In Flint this policy regime has tragically backfired. The absence of moral discernment has caused a crisis from which the citizens of Flint as well as for Michigan taxpayers are unlikely to escape any time soon. Let’s be clear. The situation in Flint was not an act of nature, or an accident, or a mistake. It is a manmade environmental disaster. It was entirely foreseeable and entirely preventable. Potentially thousands of children may have suffered permanent neurological injuries due to elevated levels of lead in their blood—elevated levels caused by drinking and bathing in contaminated water that was falsely declared safe by officials who were appointed by and report directly to the Governor—a two-term Governor at the end of a term-limited run who may feel he no longer has to be accountable to the Michigan voters. But what has elevated this crisis
Armstrong Williams
Commentary from mere tragedy to the heights of diabolical absurdity was the Snyder administration’s year-long denial— despite an abundance of objective evidence to the contrary—that there was even a problem to begin with. When Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech professor, MacArthur Genius grant-recipient, and worldrenowned expert on water quality declared the brown sludge coming from faucets in Flint to be toxic waste, the Snyder administration dismissed him as a quack. When local pediatrician Dr. Mona Hannah-Attisha, alarmed that children were showing up at her practice with skin rashes and thinning hair, alerted political leaders that blood lead concentrations in children were 2 to 3 times normal levels, Snyder called her findings inconclusive, and vigorously denied that the elevated lead levels were caused by the city’s drinking water. When an EPA memo describing dangerously high levels of lead in Flint’s drinking water was leaked to the media, the Snyder administration lambasted the memo’s author as a “rogue employee.” The level of official misconduct here is beyond ludicrous. In fact, if it weren’t staring us right in the face, we would have difficulty conceiving of such ribald villainy on the part of our elected officials. The situation in Flint is a humanitarian debacle of world-class dimensions. If Al Qaeda or ISIS had intentionally poisoned the drinking water of over 100,000 Americans, it would be considered a national security crisis. We would immediately mobilize the military and hunt down the culprits without prejudice. The crisis in Flint cannot be characterized as anything else but an intentional act of sabotage. Flint is not the only city in which Snyder’s autocratic, myopic and niggardly policies have wrought havoc. Snyder’s regime has gone about systemically disenfranchising largely Democratic, majority Black towns under the guise of ‘emergency management.’ Flint, with a population
that is 57 percent African-American, joins Pontiac, Detroit, Highland Park, Benton Harbor and several other localities targeted politically by the Snyder administration. This seems to be part of a deliberate policy to isolate and quell his political adversaries under the dubious pretense of imposing ‘fiscal discipline.’ It is unavoidably apparent that the Snyder administration’s policies have had profligate social and financial costs. The Flint catastrophe could likely have been prevented by treating the water for a mere $100 per day (a small price to pay for precaution), but some estimates now place the long term cost of remediation at $1.5 billion or more, as pipes corroded by river water continue to leach lead into the Flint water supply. In the full light of day, Snyder’s policies seem to be motivated more by a desire to usurp the political power of the electorate, than by a genuine desire to help economically depressed localities manage their finances. The toxic ideology that governments should be run like businesses needs to be challenged vigorously and soon, because the policy regime that led to the crisis in Michigan is far from an isolated case. Governors in Wisconsin, Kansas, Maine and Florida are implementing similar neo-liberal policies in efforts to enforce fiscal discipline on localities within their states. Many more environmental and infrastructural disasters of the sort we are witnessing in Flint are sure to follow if the dogma of market fundamentalism continues to infect the policy realm. In the case of Flint, Michigan, the villains are easy to spot. They are the politicians who caused the fiscal crisis in the first place, and the politicians who caused a humanitarian crisis in a badly-conceived attempt to alleviate the fiscal challenge. The major lesson here is that suspending the democratic process in the interests of managerial expediency usually turns out badly. The fanciful notion that a strong dictator is more effective at governing than a ‘weak’ democratic process is a theory that was considered and discarded at the founding of our nation. (Armstrong Williams is the manager/sole owner of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and executive editor of American CurrentSee online Magazine. Follow Armstrong Williams on Twitter @arightside.)
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Black quarterbacks Behind Flint water horror, are still held to a a corrosive cynicism Jesse Jackson Sr. different standard (GEORGE CURRY MEDIA)—Despite Cam Newton leading the Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 record during the regular reason and two playoff victories en route to his being selected the NFL’s Most Valuable Player and six Black QBs playing in the Super Bowl, Black quarterbacks are still routinely subjected to a double-standard by fans and the media. In a game an error-filled game in which neither star quarterback played particularly well, Newton’s team lost Sunday to the Denver Broncos 2410. Even so, he had a stellar season by all accounts: throwing for 3,837 yards, including a league-high of 35 touchdowns, and running 636 yards, accounting for 10 more TDs. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro and received 48 of the 50 votes cast for league MVP. The undisputed leader of his team was clearly having fun on the field all year—at least until Sunday—and wasn’t shy about showing it. And that’s a breath of fresh air in the NFL—which some say stands for No Fun League. Not only does Newton have at least five different dances, he races to end zone stands after scoring and flips the ball to a smiling, grateful kid. Similar criticism is never leveled at quarterback Aaron Rodgers who performs the Lambeau Leap in the end zone stands after scoring a touchdown. While other teams are penalized for excessive celebrating, the NFL exempts Green Bay players from being disciplined for jumping in the stands after scoring. But officials are quick to penalize Black players. Although African Americans comprise 65 percent of the NFL, they receive 91 percent of the unsportsmanlike conduct penalties assessed after touchdowns, according to a 2012 study titled, “The Hubris Penalty: Biased Responses to ‘Celebration’ Displays of Black Football Players.”
George E. Curry
Commentary The authors, Robert Livingston and Erika V. Hall, noted of the celebrations, “This challenges Whites’ perceptions that they are and should be in charge. These perceptions and feelings often operate at an implicit or subconscious level. However, it is the Black player who ends up getting blamed, rather than Whites’ implicit bias. “What is clear, however, both in our data and in many real-world scenarios, is that it’s perfectly fine for White males to show a lack of humility. People not only tolerate it, they often celebrate it.” Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a case in point. Rodger’s patented post-touchdown championship belt celebration is not only tolerated, it has allowed him to laugh all the way to the bank when he films commercials for State Farm Insurance featuring the Discount Double Check. Whites’ implicit bias may also account for Black quarterbacks being roughly twice as likely as White QBs to be benched, according to a study by Brian Volz, an economist at Assumption College. The abstract of the study provides this summary: “This study examines data from the 2001 to 2009 National Football League (NFL) seasons to determine whether Black quarterbacks face discrimination. When controlling for injury, age, experience, performance, team investment, backup quality, and bye weeks, Black quarterbacks are found to be 1.98-2.46 times more likely to be benched... When White quarterbacks are benched, the team improves by more than when Black quarterbacks are benched.” Because the effervescent Newton seems to be having so much fun on the field, many underestimate how hard he has worked to reach the top of his profession. “Cam Newton didn’t just stumble into becoming the NFL’s best player,” Associated Press sports writer Steve Reed observed. “Sure, he has all the physical attributes any quarterback could ask for—he’s 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds of muscle with a strong arm and wide receiver speed. He even has a million-dollar smile and the confidence of a player who has always been a winner. “But those in the Panthers organization say what people don’t see is what Newton has done behind the scenes to improve as a pro quarterback. “‘People see him smiling, giving footballs away and dancing, but what they don’t see is that throughout the workweek the guy is just a machine,’ center Ryan Kalil said. “‘He’s incredible with the time he puts in.’” The off-field behavior of Newton and other Black quarterbacks is, like so many other things, is viewed through different lenses. According to a story on ESPN.com, “On Dec. 30, Cam announced the birth of his first child, the boy he named Chosen. The mother, Kia Proctor, was described by Newton as his ‘longtime girlfriend.’ The announcement, made six days after the boy was born, hit the front page of the local papers (of course) and occasioned another finger-wagging letter to The Charlotte Observer (of course.) Patricia Broderick of Mooresville expressed her disappointment in Newton and suggested he marry the mother of his child. ‘Congratulations would be in order,’ she wrote, ‘if he had been man enough to marry the mother of his child and make a home.’ “Well, of course she said that. Tom Brady can have a child out of wedlock—and leave the actress/mother for a supermodel before the baby was born—and not be blamed for the systemic deterioration of the American family and the scourge of fatherless households. For Newton, it was yet another lens through which to view him, as if maturity, greed and race weren’t enough.” (George E. Curry is President and CEO of George Curry Media, LLC. He is the former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA. He can be reached through his Web site, georgecurry.com.)
(GEORGE C U R R Y MEDIA)—The basic story of the poisoning of the children of Flint, Mich., through the water they drink is now pretty well known, but as more details come out, it keeps getting worse. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, after passing a big tax cut for the rich and corporations upon coming into office, had to find cuts to make up for the lost revenue. In Flint and other cities, he essentially nullified democratic elections, deposed elected mayors and city councils and installed his own agents with virtually dictatorial powers. The “emergency manager” of Flint decided that the city could save money by discontinuing its water supply from Lake Huron and instead drawing it from the toxic Flint River. He then failed to treat the new water with additives needed to keep the city’s old pipes from leaching lead. When people objected to the brown, smelly water filled with particles that was coming out of the taps, the governor’s men reassured them the water was safe. All of Flint’s children were exposed to water with elevated levels of lead. Now we learn that General Motors complained to state officials that the water was corroding their auto parts. So the governor’s team gave GM its own hook up back to the water from Lake Huron—while still insisting to the residents of Flint that the water was safe for their children to drink. State officials also acted promptly to respond to the bad water for one other constituency: state employees in Flint’s state office building. Even as it was reassuring residents that the water was safe to drink, Flint officials arranged for coolers of purified water to be set up on all the floors of the office building. Flint’s residents—disproportionately Black and low income—were seen as disposable. And they are not alone. The national statistics on lead poisoning, as Kevin Drum of Mother Jones details, show that AfricanAmericans were poisoned at three times the rate of Whites until recent times. And, of course, low-income people are poisoned at higher rates than the more affluent; poor, urban African-Americans and Latinos suffer the highest rates of all. Drum notes that while White children were severely afflicted in the postwar lead epidemic, it produced
“nothing less than a carnage among Black kids.” He argues that before lead was brought under control in the late 1980s, virtually an entire generation of urban Black teenagers was at risk of lower IQs, more behavior problems in school, higher rates of violent behavior. This, of course, reinforced already vicious racial stereotypes of AfricanAmericans, and of the poor. The only hope in Flint is that the children’s exposure was limited in time and intensity, but even that is grasping at straws. And as Flint resident and documentary filmmaker Michael Moore points out, this isn’t just a crisis of water. Flint’s residents now see the value of their homes wiped out and their hopes for jobs dashed. Few would consider buying a home in Flint now. Few employers will want to set up shop there or expand there. The governor’s men have wreaked untold economic damage on the residents of Flint on top of the threat to their health. The lessons of Flint are plain. Those who scorn government are the wrong people to elect to head it. Government capacity to enforce health and safety, to police environmental poisons and water safety, is essential to the security of our children. As America gets more and more unequal, the cynical, unstated assumption that there are some who are simply disposable, who don’t deserve decent services, is likely to spread. But Flint may end up showing something else as well. That cynicism is more corrosive than the toxic water coming from the Flint River. People aren’t going to put up with it. They aren’t going to adjust quietly to the decline of basic services. The Flint calamity was exposed because the poorest residents objected time and again, despite the reassurances issued by authorities. The failure of the governor’s local dictator and of the state officials themselves is now apparent. Yet, the reaction to the calamity still seems in slow motion. It is time for the federal government to step in. Investigations should lead to indictments. Federal resources should be mobilized to rectify the water in Flint immediately, and to provide the city with a real plan for renovation and revival.
Commentary
(Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is founder and president of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition. You can keep up with his work at www.rainbowpush.org)
Casualties of underestimation On May 1, struggle and 2003 President J. Pharoah Doss implied Isis George W. Bush had no capacity donned a flight to launch major suit, boarded a attacks beyond Lockheed S-3 the region. Explaining Viking aircraft, counterterrorlanded on the ism strategy a USS Abraham former defense Lincoln, posed strategist said, for photographs, and became the first sitting “Denying the perception of strength is president to arrive on an aircraft car- important. If you can counter their narrative and call these guys jokers…In rier by plane. The theatrics were prelude to a tele- general that kind of thing is helpful.” Then on June 24 Secretary of State vised address about the Iraq war. Bush stood at a podium behind a ban- John Kerry said the administration ner that read: Mission Accomplished. was “surprised” when Isis captured Bush said, “My fellow Americans major Mosul, Iraq. combat operations in Iraq have ended. Then in November 2015 Obama In the battle of Iraq, the United States gave another interview. and our Allies have prevailed.” Once again the world watched and The world watched and the enemy the enemy listened. listened. Obama stated that US strategy Bush’s remarks were made six against Isis has “contained them”. weeks after the US led invasion of The next day coordinated terrorist atIraq and American casualties stood at tacks occurred in Paris. There were 139 dead and 542 wounded. 130 people killed, 368 were injured, A month after “Mission Accom- and Isis claimed responsibility. plished Day” the US led coalition In December 2015 Nigerian Presiforces met small scale resistance in dent Muhammadu Buhari announced Iraq. Bush responded right before the Nigeria has “technically won the war” fourth of July. He said, “There are against Boko Haram. (Boko Haram is some who feel … The conditions are described as the world’s deadliest tersuch that they can attack us there. ror group.) Buhari praised the reorMy answer is: Bring ’em on.” ganized Nigerian Military who reThe next month on Aug. 7 the first ceived training from the British, the car bombing of the occupation oc- Americans, and the French. curred at the Jordanian embassy, on Buhari stated Boko Haram could no Aug. 19 a truck bomb at UN head- longer launch “conventional attacks” quarters killed 21 and top UN envoy and was reduced to fighting with imSergio Vieira de Mello, and on Aug. 29 provised explosive devices. a car bomb killed an influential cleric He continued, “A key priority of the and 84 others. government now is to rebuild…and By November the estimated insur- help all displaced people return to gency strength in Iraq was 15,000. their homes.” (In six years Boko By the end of Bush’s presidency the Haram destroyed more than 1,000 2007 estimated insurgency strength schools and displaced more than 1.5 in Iraq was 70,000, and American ca- million people.) sualties were over 3,000 dead and 675 One month later Boko Haram rewere wounded per month. grouped and launched a conventional In a January 2014 interview Presi- attack on another village. They firedent Barak Obama was asked about bombed huts and slaughtered over an al-Qaeda affiliated force. Obama eighty people. replied, “The analogy we use around The assault lasted hours. here sometimes…Is if a JV team puts Afterwards witnesses spoke of bullet on Laker uniforms, that doesn’t make riddled bodies lying in the streets. them Kobe Byrant.” One man escaped and hid behind a The interviewer responded, “But that tree. Like the world he watched and JV team just took over Fallujah.” (Four he listened to children scream as the days before the interview the Islamic underestimated enemy burned them State captured the city and raised its alive. (J. Pharoah Doss is a contributor to the New flag over government buildings.) Obama said he understood then dis- Pittsburgh Courier. He blogs at jpharoahmissed the conquest as a local power doss@blogspot.com)
Commentary
FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
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Julianne Malveaux
Commentary
My head says Hillary, my heart says Bernie (NNPA)—I am looking forward to Nov. 8, 2016, and to voting for Hillary Rodham Clinton to lead these United States. I am so extremely excited that a woman of character, experience, and discernment can lead our nation. Even as I look forward to the November vote, I am fully enjoying the path to November. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has provided tone and texture to this race. He has forced Senator Clinton to hone her positions on health care, Wall Street and income inequality. He came so amazingly close to toppling her in Iowa that it gave me Post Dramatic Stress Syndrome. She didn’t make my drama hers, though. She has managed, with stoic dignity, to stake her claim for this presidency. My head is with Secretary Hilary Clinton, but my heart is with Sen. Bernie Sanders. I realize that he has promised everything and hasn’t shared how he might pay for much of it—free tuition, universal health care, or Wall Street reform. Still, his energetic bluster has been a galvanizing factor in a race that might otherwise have been seen as a cakewalk or a coronation. Hillary needs to be pushed as hard as Sen. Sanders can push her. And even though Sanders says he does not care about her “damn e-mails,” the e-mail conversation has to remind Sen. Clinton that she has to figure out ways to restore trust among those who support her positions but look askance at the ways she has been too frequently presented. There is an element of sexism in this. Hillary Clinton has been on the national stage for several decades, from the time when her husband, was elected governor of Arkansas in the 1980s. As First Lady, she had to juggle her smarts and her secondary role, blundering as she tried to offer clarity around health care, soaring as she provided rhetorical leadership on women and children’s issues. And since the Clintons left the White House, she has been nimble and focused as a Senator, managing to make friends in both political parties, and managing to provide solid international leadership as Secretary of State. Were she a man, would she be judged as harshly because some find her “unlikeable”? Would her every facial expression be parsed? Would opponents feel free to comment on her marital business? Thrice-married Donald Trump has spoken of Bill Clinton’s fidelity, but it is documented that he was a big time philanderer. Carly Fiorina says she would have left her husband if he’d cheated like Bill, but we don’t know that, do we? What we know is that Hillary’s gender is a double-edged sword. I cringe whenever she says, “I am woman,” or “the only woman,” or some reference to her clear self-evident gender. But I also cringe when the gender-bashers seem incapable of interpreting her words and her work fairly. That’s not why I’ll vote for Hillary, though. I’ll vote for her because she is a center-left moderate (Bernie Sanders is not in charge of who gets to be a progressive, and I really don’t care as much about labels as about outcomes) who will pragmatically work toward social and economic justice. She isn’t perfect and may, indeed, be fundamentally flawed (as most politicians are), but she has been a consistent advocate for the least and the left out—for children and for elders. Is she weak on Wall Street reform? Absolutely. But as Bernie Sanders pushes her, she gets stronger. A year ago, many predicted this race as a dynastic smack down, with Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton winning primaries toe-to-toe. Who would have thought that an unhinged demagogue, Donald Trump, would suck much of the air out of the Republican space, leaving babbling bumblers to confuse adhominum ignorance with issues? The collective performance of the Republican team could not equal that of either Sanders or Clinton, but those R’s keep slogging on. To what end? Do we really want a President who will trash talk Putin, Mexico and the United Nations? Do we want sons of immigrants who so vilely disrespect their ancestors that they’d offer punitive possibilities for citizenship? I’m not really torn between my head and my heart. I’m simply enjoying the excitement of Bernie Sanders, and the way he has galvanized young people, especially, to become politically engaged. I am hoping that his commitment to the process is such that he will encourage his supporters to remain involved, even after Hillary wins the Democratic nomination. And I’m sad that a woman who might knock it out of the park can also be kicked to the curb if this campaign becomes corrosive. Congressman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a sorority sister (Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, of course), and a fierce legislator. She stuck by Hilary Clinton in 2008 even after thenSenator Barack Obama entered the Presidential race and earned the endorsement and support of many “mainstream” African Americans. Stephanie and Hillary had “heart” with each other. As a woman, Hillary can’t out shout Bernie without appearing shrill. She can’t out-snide him without appearing b*tchy. But she can out heart him if she channels Stephanie’s energy. Stephanie Tubbs Jones was in it to win it. (Julianne Malveaux is an author, economist and Founder of Economic Education.)
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FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
New Pittsburgh Courier
MLK writing, leadership winners B3
Panera-Covelli
LIFESTYLES FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
www.newpittsburghcourier.com
Let Freedom Sing! concerts B2
Ninth annual
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Debbie Norrell
Lifestyles Report
Never before If you have been reading the “Lifestyles Report” you know that I’m on a mission to do something that I’ve never done before each month. One month down and 11 to go. The first event was great. I have been to the venue before—the Byham Theater—and I have seen a version of “Swan Lake,” but never like Dada Masilo’s “Swan Lake.” There was only one show scheduled on Jan. 30 and I was just under the wire in making my “never before” event for the first month. Earlier in the month, I saw an ad in the City Paper for this performance. The Black man in the tutu is what caught my eye. I thought to myself, this looks interesting. My friend Carol Adams knew of my mission to do something I had not done each month and she said she wanted to join me, so we went together. Not only did we see a unique and humorous performance, we met Dada Masilo during the after performance Q and A. What a treat. Masilo was born in Soweto, South Africa, in 1985 and began dancing at age 10. “Swan Lake” is the first ballet she saw at age 12 and she says she loved Tchaikovsky’s music and the tutus. She hoped to be in it one day, but that didn’t happen, so in 2010 she created her own version. She said she wanted it to be more realistic and not a fairy tale. In 2008, Masilo was awarded the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance. Three commissions from the National Arts Festival resulted in her adaptations of “Romeo and Juliet,” “Carmen’ and “Swan Lake.” The majority of the dancers in her version are from Johannesburg and all but two were people of color. African music is fused into this version and vocals and a sassy narrator who gave us a detailed overview of what was going to happen during the performance and definitions of ballet moves. It was delightful. Masilo’s version focused on the issue of homophobia in society and how people think that different is bad. She said her version is not about Black, White, pure or evil. It is about freedom of expression and the right to choose who you are and how you live your life, regardless of sexual orientation. My suggestion to you when you see ads about things that are different is to find a way to go. There is so much going on in Pittsburgh that you don’t have to go to the same old place and do the same old thing. Get out of your comfort zone. Find some places to wear all those pretty clothes that are in your closet. For February I think I might attend a jazz brunch; I’m not sure this will fulfill the “never before” criteria, but I’m sure it will be fun. Who says I have to limit myself to just one thing per month. I am going to start searching for consignment stores in the tri-state area. Read the “Lifestyles Report” for my new favorites. (Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com)
African Diversity Awards 2016
ARTS AND CULTURE AWARD—UJAMAA Collective’s Celeta Hickman, George Toto and LaKeisha Wolf
by Debbie Norrell Courier Staff Writer
The Union of African
Communities in South Western Pennsylvania (UACSWPA) held their African Diversity Awards
PERSON OF THE YEAR—Robert O. Agbede with Benedict Killang
ARTS AND CULTURE AWARD—Sylvester Omeje, Eli Kihiona and Lincoln Ward
Gala on Jan. 16, at the Sheraton Station Square. The evening promoted African cultural heritage while honoring individuals, businesses and organizations. Benedict Killang, UACSWPA’s executive director, said the Diversity Award Gala is the first of its kind to recognize all those who made a difference in our member communities and region. Before awards were presented, the large crowd enjoyed a music performance by Jemiriye Adeniji and a dance performance by Wacongo Dance Company. The 2016 African Diversity Awards were presented to:
HUMANITARIAN AWARD—Father Carmen D’Amico
BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE—Jemiriye Adeniji
•Robert O. Agbede, president and CEO Chester Engineers—Person of the Year •Bill Peduto, mayor of the City of Pittsburgh—Welcoming Pittsburgh Initiative Award •Father Carmen D’Amico, co-founder of Acculturation for Justice Access & Peace Outreach—(AJAPO) Humanitarian Award •Kadiatou Conte-Forte, artistic director of Balafon West African Dance Ensemble—Arts and Culture Award •Yinka Aganga-Williams, PhD—Acculturation for Justice Access & Peace Outreach HUMANITARIAN AWARD—Luke Hingson of WELCOMING PITTSBURGH INITIATIVE AWARD—Betty Cruz, Special Initiatives Of- (AJAPO) Humanitarian Award the Brother’s Brother Foundation fice of the Mayor; Mayor Bill Peduto; and Benedict Killang. •Kanmas Educational Support Center Inc.— Education Award •Rufus Idris, executive director of CEED—Entrepreneurship and Economic Development •Elie Kihonia, founder of Afrika Yetu and UMOJA African Arts Company— Arts and Culture Award •Cameroon Community—Africa Community of the Year Award •UJAMAA Collective—Arts and Culture Award •The Community College of Allegheny County—Education Award •University of Pittsburgh Medical Center—Corporate Award •Brother’s Brother Foundation—Humanitarian Award •African Studies Program University of Pittsburgh—EduARTS AND CULTURE AWARD—Balafon West African Dance Ensemble (Photos by Debbie Norrell) cation Award
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RELIGION
FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Praise & Worship
Church Circuit
HILLCREST SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
Absalom Jones Day
FEB. 12—The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh will host its 2016 Absalom Jones Day Celebration at Trinity Cathedral, 328 Sixth Ave., Downtown. The theme is “Race to Reconciliation: Prayer.” The two-day event, which will be held Feb. 12-13 to celebrate Absalom Jones, the first African American to be ordained to the priesthood of the Episcopal Church, will include a WORD War Movement and a Holy Eucharist with Bishop McConnell and Rev. Randy Callendar. Registration is requested. For more information, visit www. episcopalpgh.org/ajd
2340 Wylie Ave., Pgh., PA 15219 412-391-4334 412-566-8787
“Be Encouraged”
Elder Christopher C. Thompson Power Hour Sabbath...............8:15 A.M. Sabbath School........................9:00 A.M. Divine Worship......................11:00 A.M. AYS One Hour Before Sunset Prayer Meeting Wednesday......7:30 P.M.
ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH Crawford & Centre Ave. Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Mass Sunday 9:00 A.M. & Noon Sunday (Gospel Choir Mass) Noon www.stbtmchurch.org
METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH 22 Sampsonia Street, Northside Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412-231-2554 FAX 412-231-6395 Rev. Lacy F. Richardson, Ph.D., Pastor
VANESSA GERMAN, spoken word artist and evening’s emcee.
BRENDA TATE introducing the emcee.
Ninth annual Let Freedom Sing! concerts
Church School.................................9:30 A.M. Worship Service.................8:00 & 10:45 A.M. Bible Study/ Prayer Wednesday...................6:30/7:30 P.M.
FEB. 13—CSSS will host the Kingdom Sons & Daughters Valentine’s Ball at the Georgetown Centre, 526 E. Bruceton Rd., Pittsburgh. Ladies are asked to wear their best dress or gown and gentlemen should sport their best suit or tuxedo. This will be a night full of fun, food, laughs and dancing. Reservations are required. For more information, email Vivian Queen at tigerpride1246@gmail. com.
SIXTH MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH 6556 Shetland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (412) 441-7839 9:00 a.m. 10:15 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
Kick Boxing
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 116 S. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206
www.cathedralofhope.com
Journey Worship........8:45 a.m. Sanctuary Worship.......11 a.m.
Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community
FEB. 12—The Center for Urban Biblical Ministry, 7418 Penn Ave., Point Breeze, will host a Bowling Party from 9 p.m.-12 a.m. at Swissvale Lanes, 7518 Dickson St., Swissvale. Registration is requested. For more information, call 412-247-9010 or email clovelace@cubm. org.
Valentine’s Ball
www.metropolitanbaptistchurch.com metropolitanbaptist2224@gmail.com
Church School Worship Service Wednesday Night Bible Study
Bowling Party
THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS FELLOWSHIP CHOIR (Photos by J. L. Martello) The Ninth Annual Let Freedom Sing! concerts celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., two different days at two different sites. The sites were Ebenezer Baptist Church, in the Hill District and Franklin Regional High School, in Murrysville. The concerts, held last month, featured acclaimed visual and performance artist Vanessa German, The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh, and the MLK Festival Choir--comprised of combined high school, community and church choirs from city and suburbs. In addition, the concert featured the Family and Friends Choir under the direction of Parrish Davenport. One of the concerts even featured re-
nowned jazz vocalist Etta Cox. All donations benefited the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the Westmoreland County Food Bank. Collaborating again on the Let Freedom Sing! concerts were co-artistic directors Rev. Dr. Herbert V.R.P. Jones, director of The Pittsburgh Gospel Choir, and Kris Rust, director of choirs, Franklin Regional High School. More than a dozen musical selections are woven with the stirring performance of German, an award-winning artist. Let Freedom Sing! brought the city and suburbs together, blending performers and audience members of varied ages, races and creeds to realize King’s dream.
“This concert series empowers all of us to come together through music and find unity and love in the face of segregation, economic injustice, and racial tension,” said Rust. “Unity and love are ideas that Dr. King stressed in his work and we lift up these ideas in our singing.” The MLK Festival Choir is made up of singers from the Family & Friends Choir, Franklin Regional High School Chorus, Greater Pittsburgh Universal Unitarian Churches, the Lemington Chorale, The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh CAPA High School. The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh, under the direction of Rev. Jones, co-artistic director of Let Freedom Sing!, is acclaimed
for its inspirational performances of American Gospel music throughout Western Pennsylvania. Through its engagement of singers of all ages, races, and ethnicities, the chorale serves and cultivates diverse choir membership and audiences by infusing an appreciation of gospel music, including new works and arrangements. Founded in 2007 as The Pittsburgh Gospel Choir, the chorale was the first regional ensemble dedicated to the genre. The photos pictured above were taken at the Let Freedom Sing! concert held at Ebenezer Baptist on Jan. 16. On the celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 18, the concert was held at Franklin Regional High School
FEB. 13—Brown Chapel AME Church, 1400 Boyle St., North Side, will host a Kick Boxing Class at 10 a.m. Every Saturday, instructor Melodye Gay will teach the fundamentals of kick boxing. Guests are encouraged to bring a mat or towel, bottled water and a friend or two. Registration is requested. For more information, call Julia Smith at 412-417-2139.
Urban League Sunday
FEB. 14—The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh will host its Urban League Sunday from 4-6 p.m. at Wesley Center AMEZ Church, 2701 Centre Ave., Hill District. The evening’s special guests will be Rev. B. DeNeice Welch of Bidwell Presbyterian Church and the Pittsburgh Combined Male Choir, under the direction of Rev. Deryck Tines. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.ulpgh.org.
Scholarship Tea
FEB. 20—The Allegheny Union Baptist Association’s Congress of Education will host its annual William A. Arvin Scholarship Tea at 12 p.m. at Morningstar Baptist Church, 307 Shaw Ave., Clairton, Pa. The theme is “The Music From The Word.” For more information, email Susie Gibson at susiegibson. sg@gmail.com.
For rate information, call 412-4818302, ext. 128. We are looking to feature
Concert series
THE COMBINED CHOIRS
FEB. 21—Shadyside Presbyterian Church, 5121 Westminster Place, Oakland, will host its Music in a Great Space Concert Series at 3 p.m. The event will feature Chatham Baroque performing Antonio Vivaldi’s “Stabat Mater” and a piece from Johann Sebastian Bach. For more information, call 412-682-4300 or visit www. shadysidepres.org.
Spiritual Lecture
FEB. 26—Salaam Aliakum will host “The Guide to Spiritual Development” from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Homewood-Brushton YMCA, 7140 Bennett St., Homewood. The lecture, given by Abdul Hakeem Saalih, will include topics, such as: What is spiritual development, and its benefits and extent; what is the path to spiritual development and how it’s identified; obstacles to achieving spiritual development; and more. There will also be a question and answer session. For more information, email saalih2000@yahoo.com.
our positive youth in the church communities. You can e-mail, fax or mail their bios and photo to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Fax: 412-481-1360 email: egaines@newpittsburghcourier.com
GUESTS AT A PACKED EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH ENJOYING THE CONCERT
(To have items listed on the Church Circuit, send information at least two weeks in advance to: 315 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219; Fax: 412-481-1360 or e-mail: newsroom@newpittsburghcourier.com.)
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
PEOPLE
FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
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Panera-Covelli MLK writing, leadership winners Covelli Enterprises, the nation’s largest franchisee of Panera Bread restaurants, announced the winners of its Fourth Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Contest and Leadership Award honorees in partnership with the Jeron X. Grayson Community Center. The review committee read 45 entries from high school students throughout the Pittsburgh region, selecting an essay called, “An Open Letter,” written by Daviona Clemmons, a soph-
CONTEST WINNER DAVIONA CLEMONS
K. CHASE PATTERSON
HONOREE DENAY CLEMONS
HONOREE TERRELL COLEMAN
HONOREE DAMON PETERS
HONOREE RASHAWN EDMUNDSON
omore at University Preparatory Academy, as the first place winner in the writing contest. “The committee found it challenging to select only three winners in each category,” said K. Chase Patterson of Corporate Diversity Associates, who organized the event. Sam Covelli, president of Covelli Enterprises, said he is happy that his company sponsors the Martin Luther King contests because it is important to maintain awareness of the issues for which the civil rights leader devoted his life. “We have accomplished much since Dr. King’s death, and so many of those great strides are a result of the same type of passion and energy that we see in these honorees. We believe that their work will serve as an inspiration to their classmates, parents, teach-
ers and communities,” Covelli said. The awards presentations and reading took place Jan. 16, during a breakfast reception at the Jeron X. Grayson Community Center, located at 1852 Enoch St., in the Hill District. Winners of the writing contest received cash prizes ranging from $125 to $500 and Panera Bread gift cards.
WINNERS: 1st Place: Daviona Clemons, 10th Grade, University Preparatory Academy— “An Open Letter” 2nd Place: Johnté Jackson-Thomas, 8th Grade, Falk Laboratory—”The Time is Always Right to do What is Right” 3rd Place: Frank Smart, 10th Grade, University Preparatory Academy—”Where Has the Time Gone?”
LEADERSHIP AWARD HONOREES: Amir Hutchins—11th Grade—University Prep.; Rashawn Edmundson—12th Grade—Barack Obama Academy; Damon Peters—University Prep.; Terrell Coleman—6th Grade—University Prep.; and Denay Clemons—9th Grade—University Prep
ENTERTAINER New Pittsburgh Courier
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FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
www.newpittsburghcourier.com
Cover To Cover
‘NFL Confidential’
Bounce TV to premiere original series ‘Saints & Sinners’
ATLANTA/PRNewswire/—Following the success of scripted comedy series, Bounce TV—the nation’s first and only broadcast television network by Terri Schlichenmeyer designed for African AmerFor New Pittsburgh Courier ican (AA) audiences and TV’s fastest-growing AA Three points! That’s all network—is expanding into your team needs to win. Can they make it? You’re doing your part: you’re wearing your lucky shirt and hat. A stuffed mascot is nearby, the team logo hangs on the wall and you had coffee this morning in the official team mug. You’re doing everything you can for a win but, as in the new book, “NFL Confidential” by Johnny Anonymous, other forces are afield. Johnny Anonymous came to football later than most boys. Looking to fill a void after his mother died, he joined his high school team as a freshman. Neither he nor his father knew a thing about football, but Anonymous learned quickly, just as he learned that he had talent for the game.
first season of “Saints & Sinners” will be seen Sunday nights at 9 p.m. (ET), starting March 6. The show is currently in production in and around Atlanta. Greater Hope Baptist Church is the heartbeat of Cypress, Ga., a southern town outside Atlanta which
VANESSA BELL CALLOWAY an hour-long drama with evolved into a city over the “Saints & Sinners,” which years. The church began will center around the pur- as a 10-member congregasuit of power, intertwined tion when the Civil Rights with deceit, greed, corrup- Movement was at its height tion and murder—all set and being young, Black and against the backdrop of a alone at night was a hazard large southern church. of circumstance. As times Bounce TV announced the changed, the congregation leading cast of the series grew and so did its influence “Back in high school, and that the eight-episode in Cypress. When a violent football was fun,” he says. But in college, “it was a full-time job.” College ball was serious, both mentally and physically; it was also where Anonymous began to understand what football would do to his brain and body. He suffered injuries playing college ball and he considered quitting, but going pro was a chance to “make a…ton of money.” He was cut from his first pro team, through no fault of his own. He started as third-string at his second team and soon decided that standing on the sidelines was an easy way to make a living—but then his teammates started getting injured. They were out. Anonymous was in, at least for awhile. He tried to bring fun back into the game. He tried to remember that it was a game, “not World War III,” and he endured hassle from his coach and from fans. He repeatedly lost, then found, GLORIA REUBEN the anger that made him good at playing offense, and he ate constantly to maintain the weight the coaches unofficially said he had to have. He hurt everywhere, often, until his teammates returned from their injuries and Anonymous stepped back because that’s what players do. “… this isn’t a fairy tale,” he says. “This isn’t a Hollywood story. This isn’t a happy ending. This is the NFL.” There’s a reason why author Johnny Anonymous has changed “Names, timeline, details, the usual” in this book. “Go ahead, try” to figure out who he is. I’m sure the League would like to know, too, because “NFL Confidential” is TNT on paper. So… truth? Or just a good story? You’ll have your theories but either way, I think you’ll love this book. For die-hard fans of the ol’ pigskin, “NFL Confidential” is a big win.
CAST—Not in order: Vanessa Bell Calloway, Clifton Powell, Gloria Reuben, Keith Robinson, Christian Keyes, Richard Lawson, Jasmine Burke and more are featured in Bounce TV’s first original dramatic series, ‘Saints & Sinners.’ murder rocks the community, the church that holds the secrets of the entire town is at risk of imploding. For it seems at Greater Hope, only God and the Devil can tell the difference between a saint and a sinner. “Saints & Sinners” cast announced are: •Vanessa Bell Calloway (“Shameless,” “Coming to America”) as Lady Ella, a beauty queen with a business mind and the power behind the throne as Pastor Evan Johnson’s wife. •Clifton Powell (“What Love Got To Do With It,” “Ray,” “Murder in the First” and many more) plays Rex Fisher, a ruthless local loan shark with his hand in many of the dealings in town. •Gloria Reuben (“Mr. Robot,” “ER”) as the Mayor of Cypress Pamela Clayborne, a hard-nosed former prosecutor whose secrets are catching up to her. •Keith Robinson (“Dreamgirls,” “Are We There Yet?”) portrays Miles Calloway, a former R&B star, one hit wonder, now serving as the minister of music at Greater Hope. •Christian Keyes (“Mistresses,” “Let’s Stay Together”) as Levi, the prodigal son who returns to his hometown after a successful run on Wall Street. •Richard Lawson (“Numb3rs,” “Wag the Dog”) plays the beloved Pastor Evan Johnson who is harboring many dark doings from his faithful believers. •Jasmine Burke (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Army Wives”) as Dr. Christie Johnson, the daughter and only living child of Pastor and Mrs. Johnson, who tends to local patients but has her own private issues. •JD Williams (“The Wire,” “The Good Wife”) portrays Jabari, Levi’s cousin who also works for Rex and is torn between family and business. • Afemo Omilami (“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “Forrest Gump”) as Detective St. Charles. Saints & Sinners is being produced in partnership with Swirl Film’s Eric Tomosunas (Undershepard, 35 and Ticking). Bounce TV is the only
emerging broadcast network, also known as a “multicast” network, producing original scripted series. The network’s three originally-produced sitcoms Mann & Wife (First Season), In The Cut (First Season) and Family Time (Third Season) all set network records for viewership in 2015. Bounce TV is the fast-
programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more. Bounce TV has grown to be available in more than 93.5 million homes across the United States and 93 percent of all AA television homes, including all of the top AA television markets. Among
RICHARD LAWSON est-growing AA network on television and airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage. The network features a
the founders of Bounce TV are iconic American figures Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young.
CLIFTON POWELL
Young Pgh DJ encourages youth through his career
(“NFL Confidential: True Confessions from the Gutter of Football” by Johnny Anonymous, c.2016, Dey St., $26.99/$33.50 Canada, 241 pages.)
DJ BRICKZ
by Paige Mitchell For New Pittsburgh Courier
Local Pittsburgh DJ, DJ Brickz aka Rich Burton Jr. is not your average DJ on the 1’s and 2’s. He has a particularly unique style because he commits much of his professional services to helping advance the community and being a role model for our youth. “It’s very important to create a positive impact because we live in a time where there’s so much negativity in life. I want to make a change I want to give my people a reason to smile, to live life freely and enjoy their time here on earth,” Brickz said. He dedicates his time to engaging with the youth, and DJing events for companies and organizations that are about the children. “I may not have the millions or thousands of dollars to donate to an organization, but I do volunteer my services to organizations that do. I love kids! Anything I can do to help build a stronger upcoming generation, I’m down! In 2016, Pittsburgh has to do a better job of cracking down on violence. We lost too many young men and women the past few years with 2015 being one of the worst. This year I would like to work with interested college and high
school students as interns, to teach them the basics of being a DJ and doing radio. Anyway, I can help the city youth stay off the streets and have fun, I am all for it,” Brickz said. When Brickz is not busy DJing events and gatherings, he is doing radio. He and his team has created his own smart phone application entitled, Elevated Worldwide, The Home of Pittsburgh’s Finest DJs and “The Josh Pray Comedy Morning Show,” on Mixlr. The online radio station is for the hip hop culture and the Elevation station. He developed his application to create a fun and easy way to listen to DJ Brickz 24/7. “My career officially took off very young once I met DJ Cam at a party that we did together he liked what he heard and he invited me to be a part of his DJ team, Hitsquad DJs, he said. Brickz doesn’t have to have a full-time job on the side because his popularity throughout the Pittsburgh area has allowed him to DJ full-time. “I would like to thank those who helped my career get to where it is now, but if you want to make it in life you have to take that extra step and really do what you have to do. I would also ask that you tune in to the radio station,” he said.
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MICHAEL B. JORDAN
Michael B. Jordan wins big at NAACP Image Awards LOS ANGELES (AP)—It was a total knockout for Michael B. Jordan at the NAACP Image Awards in a ceremony that took several jabs at Hollywood for the lack of racial diversity. The star of the boxing drama, “Creed,” was honored Feb. 5 as both, the Entertainer of the Year and Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, for his role as Apollo Creed’s son. “I used to sneak into the Image Awards, and now I’m standing here as the entertainer of the year, which is mind-blowing,” he said. “Straight Outta Compton,” which tells the story of the pioneering rap group N.W.A., picked up the Outstanding Motion Picture prize. “I want to thank the NAACP for this because without you riding for us for the last 100 years, we would not be standing here,” director F. Gary Gray said. Image Awards host Anthony Anderson kicked off the ceremony by invoking N.W.A. for a rap about the lack of racial diversity at other awards shows. The “black-ish” star donned a gold chain and a baseball cap with the words “Nominees With Attitude” to sing about such snubs as “Beasts of No Nation” and Jordan at the Academy Awards. “Listen, y’all, I don’t mean to sound cocky, but the movie’s called ‘Creed,’ not ‘Rocky,’ “ he rapped. Anderson later joked during his opening monologue that he didn’t want the Academy Awards to go overboard in response to the #OscarsSoWhite controversy by honoring a movie like “Madea Goes Trick or Treating in Compton” as best picture or handing out Kevin Harts instead of Oscars. “Hollywood needs to know that this is what diversity is supposed to look like,” a more serious Anderson told the crowd at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. When he walked on stage to present “Creed” as an outstanding motion picture contender, Sylvester Stallone was surprised to be greeted warmly by the audience. “I certainly didn’t expect that,” said the “Rocky” star, who failed to recognize Jordan and “Creed” filmmaker Ryan Coogler in his acceptance speech at last month’s Golden Globes. He later returned to the stage to thank them and apologized on Twitter. Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee were among this year’s Image Awards attendees who said they won’t attend this year’s Oscar ceremony after a second year of mostly White nominees. Despite several comments—both mocking and thoughtful—about the lack of racial diversity in Hollywood, it was mostly show business as usual for the 47th Image Awards, which are presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
TERRENCE HOWARD
TARAJI P. HENSON
People to honor people of color in entertainment. “black-ish” swept the TV comedy categories with Anderson winning the award for Outstanding Actor, while the show was selected as outstanding comedy series and his co-star Tracee Ellis Ross was honored as outstanding actress. On the TV drama side, “Empire” dominated with wins for Outstanding Drama Series, Actor and Actress for Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. “We don’t need to ask for acceptance from anyone,” Henson said. “We are enough.” Sanaa Lathan was awarded the trophy for Best Actress in a Motion Picture for her role as a terrorized lobbyist in “The Perfect Guy.” John Legend received the NAACP President’s Award, which recognizes those who have achieved career suc-
cess and public service. In his speech, the singer-songwriter lauded activists who fight for social justice. “Despite the daunting problems, I am hopeful that our generation will demand and achieve radical change in our lifetime,” said Legend after he performed “All of Me.” For the first time, the NAACP Chairman’s Award, which honors distinguished public service, was presented to eight recipients, including pastor Jamal Bryant, “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett and the activist group Concerned Student Collective 1950 at the University of Missouri, Columbia. The winners joined together on stage with their fists raised in the air. “I think Hollywood should take notes from this awards show,” said “Scandal” actor Guillermo Diaz on the red carpet before the show.
WILL AND JADA SMITH
FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
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Earth, Wind & Fire founder dead at 74 NEW YORK (AP)—Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White, whose horndriven band sold more than 90 million albums and made hits like “September,” ‘’Shining Star” and “Boogie Wonderland,” died Feb. 3 at his home in Los Angeles, his brother, Verdine White said. Maurice White, who was 74, suffered from Parkinson’s Disease and had retreated from the public even as the band he founded kept performing. “My brother, hero and best friend, Maurice White, passed away peacefully last night in his sleep,” Verdine White, also a member of the band, told The Associated Press on Feb. 4. “While the world has lost another great musician and legend, our family asks that our privacy is respected as we start what will be a very difficult and life changing transition in our lives. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.” Earth, Wind & Fire, a nine-piece band featuring the two White brothers, singer Philip Bailey and the distinctive horn section, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. The band’s most successful period started with the 1975 album, “That’s The Way of The World,” and continued through the rest of the decade. Other hits included, “Serpentine Fire,” “That’s the Way of the World” and a cover of the Beatles’ “Got to Get You Into My Life.” Chris Rock tweeted his condolences Feb. 4 with a photo of Maurice White and the lyrics, “You can’t hide love.” Nile Rogers called Maurice White “one of the most amazing innovators of all time” on the social media platform, while Diane Warren said “this world just got a lot less soulful.” Maurice White publicly revealed he had Parkin-
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ARTS & CULTURE
MAURICE WHITE son’s at the time of the band’s Hall of Fame induction, but he had shown symptoms of the neurological disease back in the 1980s. He stopped touring with the band in 1995 because of weariness from the road combined with his health problems. Maurice White said in an interview with The Associated Press in 2000 that he wanted the band’s music to inspire instead of just entertain. “That was the whole objective, to try to inspire young people to believe in themselves and to follow through on their ideas,” he said. “We’ve touched so many people with these songs.” A former session drummer, Maurice White founded the band Salty Peppers in the Chicago area in the late 1960s and had some modest success in the Midwest. After relocating to Los An-
geles and ditching all of the band members except Verdine White, he renamed the outfit Earth, Wind & Fire after the three elements in his astrological chart. Bailey’s bright falsetto defined many of Earth, Wind & Fire’s hits. “We experienced pure magic together,” Bailey said during the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, standing next to Maurice White. The band’s early sound was jazzy, but evolved into an exuberant, horn-driven mix of jazz, funk, gospel and Big Band music. Their appeal wasn’t just on records but on stage, their concerts a whirl of dancing, fog machines, multi-colored lights and glittery costumes. Earth, Wind & Fire performed everywhere from the Super Bowl to the White House. Maurice White also had a substantial side career producing other artists, includ-
ing Barbra Streisand and Cher. In the 1970s, he cowrote and coproduced the Emotions’ No. 1 hit “Best of My Love.” Maurice White was born in Memphis in 1941, the son of a doctor and grandson of a New Orleans piano player. He showed musical gifts at an early age, studying at the Chicago Conservancy. During the 1960s, he backed Muddy Waters, the Impressions and others and worked as a session drummer in Chicago. The band performed in the movie, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and had hits with the ballad “After the Love Has Gone,” “All ‘n’ All,” “’Let’s Groove” and “Fall in Love With Me.” The band took a four-year hiatus in the 1980s and then returned, its primary success then on the road. “We live in a negative society,” Maurice White told Newsweek at the height of the band’s success. “Most people can’t see beauty and love. I see our music as medicine.” His memoir, “Keep Your Head to the Sky: My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire,” is scheduled to be released Sept. 13 by Amistad. The book features a forward by Steve Harvey and an afterword by David Foster. Earth, Wind & Fire are to be honored at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 15. (AP Entertainment Writers Nekesa Mumbi Moody and Derrik J. Lang contributed to this report.)
February Thursday 11 Jelani Cobb Carnegie Mellon University presents its Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration featuring Jelani Cobb at 4:30 p.m. at Carnegie Mellon University, Porter Hall 100, 5000 Forbes Ave., Oakland. New York Staff Writer Jelani Cobb will present “The Half Life of Freedom: Race and Justice in America Today.” Cobb is also an associate professor of history and the director of the Africana Studies Institute at the University of Connecticut. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.cmu.edu.
Friday 12 Jazz at Andys Andys Wine Bar at the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel presents Jazz at Andys from 5-12 a.m. at 510 Market St., Downtown. The evening will feature its Vinyl Fridays Happy Hour with DJ Malls spinning the vinyl from 5-7:30. Following the happy hour, there will be a musical performance by Kenia. It is open to the public. For more information, visit www.andyswinebar.com.
Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra MCG Jazz presents Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at 9:30 p.m. at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, 1815 Metropolitan St., Manchester. This Grammy Award-winning orchestra, led by pianist, composer and director, brings together big band jazz, the culture of Latin music and the virtuosity of 18 of the world’s most accomplished solo musicians. Reservations are required. For more information, call 412-3220800 or visit www.mcgjazz.org.
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theatricality. The production will run through Feb. 14. For more information, call 412-431-0773 or visit www.newhorizontheater.org.
Sunday 14 Second Sunday Jazz Andys Wine Bar at the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel presents Second Sunday Jazz from 7-10 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel, 510 Market St., Downtown. The second Sunday of every month, Andys will feature a special guest. The evening’s guest will be Maria Becoates-Bey. For more information, visit www.andyswinebar.com.
Monday 15 Black History Month Exhibit Citiparks presents its “A History on Film: A Tribute to African American Contribution to Film” Black History Month Exhibit weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the City-County Building, Lobby, 414 Grant St., Downtown. Through Feb. 29, the exhibit will depict the evolution of the roles that Black actors and actresses have played from the 1910s to present day. It will salute the first African Americans to win Oscar and Emmy Awards. For more information, call 412-255-8983.
Tuesday 16 JazzLive The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents JazzLive at 5 p.m. at the Backstage Bar at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave., Cultural District. Every Tuesday, guests can enjoy a free live jazz series that showcases some of the region’s finest jazz musicians. Pianist, composer and educator Joe Sheehan will be the featured entertainer. For more information, call 412-456-6666 or visit www.trustarts.org.
Wednesday 17
The Ballad of Emmett Till
Wednesday Night Live
New Horizon Theater Inc. presents “The Ballad of Emmett Till” at 7:30 p.m. at The Falk School/ University of Pittsburgh, 4060 Allequippa St., Oakland. “The Ballad of Emmett Till,” written by Ifa Bayeza and directed by Dr. Lundeana M. Thomas, captures the powerful truths at the heart of the story of Emmett Till and creates a soaring work of music, brilliant poetry and
The Rivers Club presents its Wednesday Night Live Jazz Supper Club from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Rivers Club, One Oxford Centre, 301 Grant St., Downtown. Every Wednesday, the Rivers Club will host local jazz artists along with a Jimmy G’s Jazz Buffett. The attire requested is business casual. Reservations are requested. For more information, call 412-391-5227 or www.riversclub.weebly.com.
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Preventing financial infidelity in your relationship The hack of Ashley Madison’s website several months ago revealed more about extra-marital affairs than the participants surely wanted. But there are far-less-obvious forms of infidelity that also can be damaging to a relationship; one of which is financial infidelity. The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants advises you on how to identify the causes of financial infidelity and how to prevent it in your relationship. What is financial infidelity? Financial infidelity is the violation of an assumed or stated contract between couples about spending, saving, and investing. Some of the more obvious examples of financial infidelity are accumulating credit card debt, withdrawing assets from a joint account, or excessive gambling—all while keeping them a secret from a partner. Lessobvious examples include making risky investment decisions without consulting a partner, or even hiding expensive purchases from a spouse because he or she may disapprove. Sometimes the intention is not so much to deceive, but perhaps keep the peace at home. To avoid financial infidelity there must be sufficient transparency via open and honest communication about the financial decisions that impact your relationship. Root causes There are many reasons why financial transparency can be hard to achieve. For example, couples may not agree on how to spend money. One spouse may have more expensive taste, while the other prefers to save money. This can also be true if one spouse makes more than the other and feels a sense of entitlement toward their assets. Spouses may also feel a lack of independence if they are required to coordinate every purchase. Inheritances, second marriages, and other unique family situations can further complicate matters. Financial management It is important for couples to determine what they want their shared financial life to look like. The earlier this is agreed upon, the easier it will be to achieve. Some couples may decide to keep separate bank accounts and have an additional joint account for shared expenses; others may decide to keep one joint account for everything. Either way, it is important that both parties know and agree on what is going in and out of these accounts. Many couples choose to employ a segregation of duties when it comes to managing household finances. One spouse may take complete responsibility for paying the bills and balancing the checkbook, in which case the other spouse may lose touch with the couple’s financial picture over time. This can lead to financial infidelity if the spouse who is making the spending decisions does not consider what is best for both. One way to alleviate this risk is to make sure both parties are aware of what is going on. Having open conversations about how much is being spent is both necessary and critical. It is important that the intention that fuels household decisions is always in the best interest of both parties. If both parties are involved in bill paying, there is less of a chance for a dispute later. Investing The line between right and wrong for investing decisions is not as clearly defined. Each person may have different goals and SEE PREVENTING C2
BUSINESS FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
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Yearlong activities fosters Blackonomics involvement for all Black dollars James Clingman
by Diane I. Daniels
According to Tamare P. Piersaint, founder and director of L’Union Fait La Force— For New Pittsburgh Courier Haiti in Pittsburgh as part of celebrating Attention artists, entrepreneurs, enter- Pittsburgh’s heritage, and connection to tainers and residents of the Pittsburgh Haiti, L’Union Fait La Force—Haiti in metropolitan area. The year 2016 is sched- Pittsburgh, has partnered with Pierre to uled to be filled with activities for different highlight the many facets of Haiti. Excited about the opportunity, Pierre says that over levels of participation. Activities range the course of the yearlong celebration he from the yearlong city-wide celeand L’Union Fait La Force which bration honoring the 200 anmeans unity equals strength will niversary of the incorporation offer city residents “A Taste of of the City of Pittsburgh to Haiti,” with activities highthe Minority, Women, and lighting Haitian culture, cuiDisadvantaged Business sine, and fashion. Enterprise Governmental The National League of Committee Conference. Cities, the largest conference “For the Black commuof mayors and city officials will nity these activities and gather in Pittsburgh in events mean more November. As part of than just getting inthe Light up Night fesvolved by attendtivities, honored ing,” said Vernard guests will be recogAlexander the nized as they take owner of the Mipart of the celebration. nority NetworkA final culmination ing Exchange and of the Bicentennewly elected nial will occur president of the on First Night Homewood Pittsburgh on Brushton BusiDec. 31. ness AssociaA list of activtion. “It is about ities and ways being actively for businesses involved and reand organizasponding to the tions to get inRequests for volved can be Proposals, calls obtained by for artists and visiting the for organizawebsite at tions to submit proposals. SHOWING THE WAY—Dr. Renee Galloway is set to assist en- www.pgh200.It also means trepreneurs set goals to participate in Pittsburgh’s yearlong activi- com or by logging on to any s u p p o r t i n g ties. of its social one an others media sites. businesses and forming collaborations.” February 18 is the deadline for local and Last month Mayor William Peduto unveiled planned events, outlined ways for in- regional entrepreneurs and early-stage volvement and introduced the volunteer Bi- businesses to submit BetaBurgh applicacentennial Commission challenged to foster tions to apply for grants to receive up to enthusiasm and diversity towards the $10,000. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is sponsoring BetaBurgh, a new iniPittsburgh Bicentennial Program. tiative that will invest in in“It is an honor to celebrate novative ideas from the the rich history and legacy startup, entrepreneur, and of the City of Pittsburgh small business communities with the Bicentennial anin Pittsburgh. The program, niversary. The 200th anPDP officials describe as creniversary is an opportunity ating an opportunity to test for the city, region and world and launch products and to celebrate all that makes services within the DownPittsburgh and Pittstown marketplace. A Reburghers extraordinary, quest for Proposals that enbridging the past and the fucourages small businesses to ture,” he said. establish a stronger connecHe noted that he and Andy tion to a potential customer Masich, President and CEO of base by using Downtown as the Senator John Heinz History Center, chairman of the LET THE CELEBRATION a test bed for their product commission have been work- BEGIN—Mayor Peduto unveil- or idea has been released. ing collaboratively during the ing planned events for Pitts- Applicants are asked to activate a Downtown space, anypast year to create synergistic burgh’s Bicentennial birthday. thing from engaging pedesand memorable events in trians through interactive tools, programs, recognition of the notable anniversary. Signature events marking the anniver- devices, or technology, or by implementing a sary will begin March 18 the actual date of new, creative physical infrastructure in the the signing of the City of Pittsburgh incor- space itself that will also advance their busiporation papers. July 9 a parade and fire- ness concept or demonstrate new technology works at Point State Park will occur. or products. “We are looking forward to supporting inMichelangelo’s Tailoring and Tuxedos owned by Bouaze Pierre, a resident of Pitts- novation in our region and seeing how new burgh with roots in Haiti has been invited SEE YEARLONG C2 to participate in the parade.
don’t make sense (GEORGE CURRY MEDIA)—Bernie Sanders raised $20 million with the average donation being just $27. What is wrong with Black folks? For decades, conscious Black leaders have cajoled, encouraged, admonished, and begged us to raise money among ourselves, a small amount from a lot of people, you know, the way Marcus Garvey did, which we love to brag about but never emulate. What we have done instead is raise a lot of Cain about our collective economic predicament. Why do we cloak ourselves in Garvey’s legacy of rallying millions of Black people and raising millions of dollars from Black folks but do not pick up where he left off by pooling some of our tremendous annual income to help our own people? A massive pool of Black dollars could leverage reciprocity from politicians and from the marketplace. If we were as serious about action as we are about our rhetoric, many of our problems would be solved in a “New York minute,” as they say. But it seems we’d rather just call radio talk shows and voice complaints about what the White man won’t let us do, or what he’s doing to us, or how corrupt his elections are, how we should pack up and leave (with no money, at that), and a myriad of other Black economic and political woes. We sign online petitions in support of some cause or another; we send letters to our representatives in D.C.; we do our obligatory marches and demonstrations; we celebrate historical events and fawn over memorials of fallen Black heroes. Some of that is fine, but if those actions are not backed up by economic muscle, they will not advance us one iota. If Bernie Sanders can raise $20 million in $27 increments, why can’t we do the same thing? I’ll tell you why; Black dollars don’t make any sense. We are so focused on the current political prospects of this candidate or that one, and we have lost complete sight of what is really important and vital to our future: economic empowerment. Sometimes I think Black folks have lost our everloving minds, well some of us at least. On the other hand, I am proud to be a member of the One Million Conscious Black Voters and Contributors (OMCBV&C), a group of folks from 35 states who are not just talking about pooling resources but are actually doing it. Together, we have made a real difference in the lives of various Black folks; we have supported Black radio by buying advertisements and sponsoring individual shows, in addition to just listening and calling in. We support Black-owned businesses by buying their products and services, and we are committed to a collective approach to obtaining reciprocity in the public policy arena by voting as an unwavering bloc. We are dedicated to one another and to our collective goals and objectives, and we will not break ranks simply to please some politician, nor will we succumb to their attempts to buy us off. Our funding pool is from the “work of our own hands,” as Martin Delany taught us. Our resolve is built SEE DOLLARS C2
After 40 years of fair credit laws, racial discrimination continues Each year observances and events offered in recognition of Black History Month offer opportunities for people of all colors and locales to reflect on the unique experiences of Blacks both past and present. Many of the annual observances chronicle progress since the passage of laws adopted years ago to ensure that Black citizens and others of color would enjoy all freedoms and benefits that come with citizenship. Yet in recent months, too many headlines have illustrated how multiple forms of injustice still plague Black America. Whether from Ferguson to Flint or Chicago to Cleveland, the barrage of assaults remind us how far our journey towards justice has yet to go. And when it comes to credit and financing, racial disparities remain despite a 42year old federal law guaranteeing fair treatment in lending. Four decades ought to be long enough for businesses and corporations to accept and comply with the law of the land. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) of 1974 requires financial institutions to ‘‘make credit equally available to all creditworthy customers without regard to sex or marital status.’’ It is illegal for ‘‘any creditor to discriminate against any applicant with respect to any aspect of a credit transaction on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex or marital status, or age.” The above language seems clear and yet, just a few days ago another financing arm of a major auto manufacturer reached a
multi-million dollar olated the ECOA by settlement with the Charlene Crowell charging Latino and Consumer FinanBlack borrowers cial Protection Buhigher interest rates reau CFPB) and the on motorcycle fiDepartment of Jusnancing. The bank tice for its failure to settled the claim by treat consumers of paying $395,000. color fairly. Months later in Toyota Motor July, Honda Finance Credit agreed to pay Corporation agreed $21.9 million in restitution to thousands of to pay $24 million on similar violations. Black, Asian-Americans and Pacific IsIn September, Ohio-based Fifth Third lander borrowers. These borrowers paid Bank agreed to pay $18 million and cooperhigher interest rates than White borrowers ate with an independent administrator apfor their auto loans due to the lender allow- pointed to identify affected borrowers and ing dealers to mark up a borrower’s interest distribute restitution. rate for compensation. Toyota Credit also The largest of the recent cases came two agreed to change its pricing and compensa- years earlier when in 2013 Ally Bank tion system to significantly reduce the agreed to pay $98 million in civil penalties dealer’s ability to manipulate the interest and restitution. This enforcement action rate. found that approximately 100,000 Black “No consumer should be forced to pay borrowers, 125,000 Latino borrowers, and more money for a loan because of their race 10,000 Asian/Pacific Islander borrowers or national origin,” said U.S. Attorney paid higher rates for their auto loans than Eileen M. Decker of the Central District of similarly situated White borrowers. Even California. “This settlement resolves our more troubling, just one year later Ally paid claims by providing compensation for af- an additional $38 million to borrowers for fected consumers and seeking to ensure discrimination that occurred after the inithat future loans funded by Toyota reflect tial settlement. equal terms.” Despite progress resulting from these reToyota is only the latest perpetrator, ex- cent enforcement actions, discrimination in tending a series of actions by law enforce- the market remains, says Chris Kukla, a ment to address discrimination in auto senior vice present with the Center for Relending. sponsible Lending. Last May, Evergreen Bank Group, based “The terms of the settlement continue to in Oak Brook, IL settled charges that it vi- move in the right direction,” noted Kukla.
Commentary
“However, dealer discretion to mark up interest rates remains an unfair and hidden practice with continued potential for discrimination. The only effective way to completely eliminate the discriminatory impact and the unfairness of hidden dealer interest rate markups is to end the practice altogether.” At $1 trillion, auto lending is the thirdlargest source of consumer debt, behind that of mortgages and student loans. CRL has also determined through survey research that even though Black and Latino consumers make more of an effort to negotiate auto interest rates than others, they still wind up paying higher rates. “Law enforcement must continue to vigilantly and swiftly act when they uncover discriminatory or unfair lending as they have done with other enforcement actions,” continued Kukla. “The recent news that Ally paid an additional $38 million in restitution to compensate borrowers harmed after Ally’s settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Justice shows that the issue of discrimination due to car dealer interest rate markup is real and needs to end.” Here’s hoping this Black History Month fair-minded people of all races and ethnicities will better understand that the struggle for justice must continue. (Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.)
C2 FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
BUSINESS
Yearlong activities fosters Filthy rich and involvement for all dangerous, Part 2 CONTINUED FROM C1
products and services may interact with and enhance the Downtown environment,” points out Jeremy Waldrup, President and CEO of the PDP. “The entrepreneurial community in Pittsburgh is incredibly creative and inventive and we are looking forward to seeing some exciting proposals.” BetaBurgh is financially supported by the BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania with technical assistance provided by Innovation Works, AlphaLab and AlphaLab Gear, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and Thrill Mill. The BetaBurgh RFP is available online at www.BetaBurgh.com. Initial projects and participants are expected to be unveiled during the PDP’s Annual Meeting on March 15. PDP is also one of a multi-sector group of civic leaders instrumental in organizing to bring the Re:NEW Festival, a month-long celebration of creative reuse, transformation and sustainability to the region. The first time Pittsburgh as well as United States event is scheduled for Sept. 9 through Oct. 9. According to Re:NEW Festival officials, as Pittsburgh experiences a resurgence, the collaborative new festival reflects the city’s forward thinking arts and culture, creative industries, and sustainable technologies. A key pillar of the Re:NEW Festival is the North American premiere of Drap-Art, the International Festival of Recycling Art, held annually in Barcelona. The international exhibition is geared to set the stage for dynamic programming, including art exhibits within conventional galleries and alternative urban spaces, immersive public art, tours of reclaimed industrial sites, markets of upcycled goods, films, performances,
and environmental trade expos that showcase the festival’s themes of creative recycling and transformation. Cultural tourists, industry professionals, artists and regional residents are expected to attend the monthlong festivities. For more information and to apply, visit renewfestival.com. “Making Your Business Everyone’s Business” is the theme for the Thursday March 3, 8 a.m. MWDBE Governmental Committee Conference. The 15th annual forum will be held in the River’s Casino Main Ballroom. The group is also celebrating the committee’s 20-year anniversary. “Attendees can expect a day filled with honoring our founders, presentations from experts on strategic marketing strategies for upcoming projects, networking with governmental agency executives, food and other festive activities,” says group spokesperson Kim Evans. For more information or to register contact the group at mwdbegovpgh@gmail.com. Other upcoming business activities include the Feb. 27 Seeds of Unity Vison Board and Business Goal Setting workshop at 10 a.m. at the St. Benedict the Moor Center, 2900 Bedford Avenue. Dr. Renee Galloway, CPC – author, mentor and speaker is the facilitator. For more information and to register contact the group at seedsofunity3600@gmail.com President and CEO of Moriarty Consultants, Inc. is the keynote speaker for the March 11, 8 a.m. Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University Women Business Leaders Breakfast Series. Her topic is Knocking Down Barriers to Build a Business. The event will take place in the James Laughlin Music Hall. For more information or to register contact the group at www.chatham.edu/cwe.
Preventing financial infidelity CONTINUED FROM C1
ideas about how to reach goals. One spouse may not share identical risk preferences. When it comes to identifying appropriate asset allocation or changing a portfolio, it is important that both parties are consulted. Debt Couples often enter into relationships with acquired assets or debt. Couples need to be open and honest about their complete financial pictures. They should discuss whether assets will be held jointly or kept separately, as well as agree on a plan to pay off any debt. It is also a good idea for
individuals to share their credit reports with their spouses. They need to openly discuss past debt, future goals, and what it means to be financially independent, together. Then couples should set a budget and ground rules that each person can abide by. Consult Your Local CPA Want more great advice on financial issues? Turn to your local CPA. He or she can offer practical advice to help you make smart financial choices. If you don’t have a CPA, you can easily locate one online using the PICPA’s free, online CPA Locator service.
by Harry C. Alford NNPA News Wire Columnist
(NNPA)—Yes, the new Progressive Movement is in full form and they are not taking any “prisoners.” Move On.org, ACORN and others are basically a memory. When the Obama Administration moved into the White House, just a block away from the beautiful U.S. Chamber of Commerce building, we immediately saw that times for conciliation were not to be. Chaos with no exceptions. Groups using tactics that were close to military. They camped out in some of the prominent parks in Washington, D.C. nonstop with the blessings of the White House. These hot heads would arrive with ladders and scale the walls of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce giving the impression of an attack—an attack on corporate America. They would press themselves against the windows on the fourth floor offices and make noise. Marches throughout downtown D.C. made this fine city look like some third world uprising. They had the contact information on all board members of the Chamber and would send e-mails, letters and phone calls demanding us to resign from the board. They would harass the neighborhoods of some of our board members causing them to hire security service to protect their families and property. It was hooligan! My organization had a pretty good relationship with the Washington Post. But suddenly this major publication turned on me personally. While I was in Paris on some important business meetings, a bombshell hit us. There was a very derogatory article about me, Harry C. Alford, and the NBCC. It claimed we have sinisterly teamed with fossil fuels companies to destroy our land, kill the children and spread blight throughout the entire world. It was on the front page, in bold print above the first fold. What brought this change? Why was it so vicious? The answer was this. Multi–billionaire Jeff Bezos had just bought the Post and is an avid Climate Change activist with a hatred for traditional energy companies. He also owns Amazon.com. I decided to find out who this new monster attacking us and all others who are pro-business and free market loving. I found the greatest explanation written by John B. Judis and published in the National Journal: “There is no single group that dominates the Democrats’ informal network, but the one that has the greatest reach, due to the power of its purse, is the Democracy Alliance. It was founded in 2005 by Rob Stein, a venture capitalist
who had worked for master political operative Ron Brown at the Democratic National Committee and Commerce Department.” Stein went on a mission to grow the Democracy Alliance into a powerful infrastructure to promote their ideas of Income Redistribution, Climate Change, Federal Government Saturation, and Organized Labor Power. He won the confidence of billionaires such as financier George Soros, insurance tycoon Peter Lewis and labor leader Andy Stern among others. He assembled more than 75 individual donors. This group, Democracy Alliance, would pick about 25 groups for its donors to fund. Over the next decade, they would put over $500 million into these progressive organizations. You can accurately refer to these donors as the “Billion Dollar Club” who want to change our nation upside down. Many have their money through inheritance with a good portion coming from the 1960’s style of street activism. The few Republicans have left and the extremist continue to join in. Their ideal politicians are Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. Who are their funded organizations? Big Labor: SEIU, AFT, CWA, AFL-CIO. Centralized Services: American Bridge, Media Matters, ProgressNow, Catalist, CEL and CMD. Think Tanks: Center for American Progress, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Center for Community Change, Demos and SiX. Issue Activists: Common Cause, Color of Change, League of Conservation Voters, Energy Action Coalition, Fair Share and American Sustainable Business Council and at least 172 other groups. The above is what all this chaos is about. They want to shake up our wonderful Constitution (doesn’t that remind you of something?) and bring confusion to us and power and more money to them. I would bet money that “Black Lives Matter” is tied into this. They don’t like big business but yet their money comes from the fruits of big business. They want to dictate salaries, lifestyles and culture and want to blend in all ethnicities and form a super culture that adopts their hideous view of Pollyanna for the masses under their control. This is far from freedom and is, in effect, un-Godly, anti-American and scary to say the least. It is troubling that Black America is easily manipulated by such ilk. We take the “Hype” and are quick to serve like volunteer slaves. It is time for us to recognize this surge and make it clear to them. Keep your money and get out of our way.
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on the shoulders of those strong elders who have made their transitions. We are organized and well on our way to becoming the largest group of conscious Black people in this nation. Most importantly we are about action, not rhetoric. We are willing to make the requisite sacrifices necessary to reach our goals of economic and political empowerment, and we have demonstrated that willingness through our actions. Let’s face it: Black folks have little or no chance of achieving the many things we discuss unless we are organized and prepared to utilize our collective leverage to obtain reciprocity from the system in which we find ourselves. When are we going to follow through on the solutions we put forth in our conversations? As I wrote some time ago, “What is the result of our rhetoric?” Politically and economically, we are in last place. Are we so complacent about our position in this nation that it has caused us to be paralyzed, frozen in our
tracks, even at the thought of moving forward? Raising Cain instead of, or at least in addition to raising money to help ourselves, is a hopeless strategy for empowerment. Imagine one million conscious Black people pooling our money to fund the Harvest Institute or the political campaign of a candidate we “decided” would run. Our schools, museums, media, financial institutions, conferences, businesses, co-ops, movements, foundations, endowments, and any other Black-owned entity could all be funded by a committed group of conscious Black folks. Bernie did it; what’s holding us back? As the old saying goes, “There’s nothing between us but air and opportunity.” Go to www.iamoneofthemillion.co m and let’s start taking care of ourselves. We can start with $27 each. (Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. He can be reached through his website, blackonomics.com.)
BUSINESS CALENDAR
Women Business Leaders Breakfast
FEB. 12—The Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University will host its Women Business Leaders Breakfast Series from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at Chatham University, James Laughlin Music Hall, Woodland Road, Shadyside. The topic of the session is “Mobile Business on the Move” and will feature speakers Kim Schultz of Vantastic Mobile Grooming, Jackee Ging of Style Truck, Michelle Pendel of Farm Truck Foods and Sara Lechman of Miss Meatball. The breakfast series features prominent regional women business leaders presenting a variety of progressive business topics that are essential for women in business. Registration is required. For more information, visit www.chatham.edu/cwe/networkin g/breakfastseries.
Advancing Entrepreneurship in the Mon Valley FEB. 18—The University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence and the University Center for Social and Urban Research, and the Small Business Development Center will host the Advancing Entrepreneurship in the Mon Valley Workshop Series from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library of Homestead, 510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall. This workshop, titled “The First Step: Mechanics of Starting a Small Business,” is designed for individuals who have never operated their own business or who want to take it from their garage to a storefront Attendees will learn the necessary steps to start a new business and how to avoid some common pitfalls. Registration is requested. For more information, call 412-624-3095 or email iee@innovation.pitt.edu.
Lunch and Learn Series FEB. 18—The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host its Lunch & Learn Series at 12:15 p.m. at the Downtown & Business Branch, 612 Smithfield St., Downtown. The topic will be “Resources for Black Business Success.” Judith Kirby, a lender relations specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Pittsburgh District Office will explain how qualifying African American entrepreneurs and small business owners can use the SBA to develop and grow their business. She will also discuss how to access the agency’s training workshops, one-on-one counseling services, and technical assistance and loan programs. Space is limited. For more information, call 412-281-7141 or visit www.carnegielibrary.org.
PowerBreakfast Meeting FEB. 19—The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania will host its PowerBreakfast Meeting from 7:30-9:00 a.m. at One Oxford Centre. 301 Grant St., Downtown. The guest speaker will be the Honorable Dennis Davin, secretary of the Pa. Department of Community and Economic Development. He will discuss his imprint for helping to spur development in the region. Reservations are requested. For more information, call 412-392-0610 or email information@aaccwp.com.
Supply Chain Program FEB. 25—The Business Institute of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania will host its Supply Chain Program workshop from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Koppers Building, 436 Seventh Ave., Downtown. This workshop on Supply Chain Management will teach how to significantly grow both the revenue and profitability of one’s small or midsized business. Attendees will learn what a supply chain is, the concept of integrated supply chain, developing a framework to identify and understand the links of one’s supply chain, and more. Registration is requested by Feb. 23 and a box lunch will be provided. For more information, call 412-392-0610 or email information@aaccwp.com.
Pension Workshop MARCH 3—The Small Business Council, along with the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber, will host “The Pension Time Bomb: Is Your Business Prepared?” at 8 a.m. at the Pittsburgh Marriott North, 100 Cranberry Woods Dr., Cranberry. This session, presented by Pa. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and state Representative John McGinnis, will teach attendees how unfunded $8 billion municipal and $50 billion state pension liabilities will affect one’s business, and what one can do about it. Registration is required. For more information, call Eileen Anderson at 412-342-1606.
New Pittsburgh Courier
SPORTS
C3
FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
www.newpittsburghcourier.com
Inside Conditions…Desertion by Aubrey Bruce For New Pittsburgh Courier
THE MVP—Denver Broncos’ Von Miller holds the Lombardi Trophy after the NFL Super Bowl 50 football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Feb. 7, in Santa Clara, Calif. The Broncos won 2410. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Super Bowl 50 roundup SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP)—If this was the final game of his magnificent career, what a Super way to go out for Peyton Manning. He can thank Von Miller and the Broncos’ swarming, big-play defense for his second NFL championship. Adding that ring to his five MVP awards, Manning certainly can be satisfied and comfortable in retirement should Sunday’s 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers be his finale. He wasn’t the star—game MVP Miller seemingly was everywhere on every Carolina play—but Manning really hasn’t been the headliner in this injuryshortened season. Super Bowl 50: Reaction to Broncos 24-10 win over Panthers Emulating his Broncos boss, John Elway, the 39-year-old Manning can ride off with the Lombardi Trophy after leading Denver to its third NFL title, first since 1999— when Elway was the quarterback. “I’ll take some time to reflect,” Manning said when asked if Super Bowl 50 will be the end of his NFL career. “I got a couple priorities first. I’m going to go kiss my wife and my kids.…I’m going to drink a lot of Budweiser tonight. Take care of those things first.” Super Bowl 50: Coldplay, Beyonce halftime show review Denver’s suffocating defense kept Cam Newton jittery all day. Despite wearing gold shoes before the golden Super Bowl, Newton couldn’t finish off a dynamic season in which he was the league’s MVP. Denver’s top-ranked defense, the one that ran roughshod over Tom Brady in the NFC championship, simply wouldn’t let Newton get comfortable. Newton was sacked six times—receiver Ted Ginn Jr., went down once on an aborted trick play—and if Miller wasn’t torturing him, DeMarcus Ware was. Ware had two of the seven sacks, the most ever by one team in the Super Bowl. “I’m so proud of my guys,” Super Bowl
MVP Miller said, clutching the silver Lombardi Trophy. “It’s been every last one of you guys in the locker room that’s gotten us to this moment right here.” Miller really was everywhere—and he did a bit of everything. He created Denver’s first touchdown by zooming past right tackle Mike Remmers and breaking in on Newton to rip the football away from the QB, who was honored as the regular-season MVP on Saturday night. The fumble bounced into the end zone, where defensive end Malik Jackson landed on it to put the Broncos ahead 10-0 about 8½ minutes into the game.With 4 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Miller set up Denver’s only other TD, too. Again, he got past Remmers and, as the offensive lineman grabbed a fistful of his white jersey, Miller reached out with his left hand to grab Newton’s right arm as the quarterback brought the ball back to throw. This one was recovered by safety T.J. Ward at the Carolina 4, and soon thereafter, C.J. Anderson’s 2-yard run sealed the victory for Denver (15-4). Earlier, Miller laid a big hit on Newton near the sideline. He also shared a thirddown sack with Derek Wolfe to get Denver the ball back at the end of the third quarter. Super Bowl 50: Everything you need to know And, showing his versatility, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Miller even made plays in pass coverage, dropping back to force an incompletion from Newton to Jerricho Cotchery at one point. Carolina’s potent offense, which led the league with 500 points, was held to its fewest points of the year, and Denver set an ignominious mark with 194 yards gained, the fewest for a Super Bowl winner. So what: The Broncos (15-4) are champions, and Manning is the first quarterback to win Super Bowls with two franchises, Indianapolis in 2007 was the other
Overtime by Bill Neal For New Pittsburgh Courier
SPECIAL FIVE STAR EDITION ~ THE “50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY” SUPER BOWL “TOP 10 THINGS” :10—Coming to you live from the Super Bowl in the Bay area. No, I am not, but for a minute you thought I was…yes, you did, oh you did so. (Look, just between me, you and the wall, you know Mr. Doss and the Courier “ain’t” sending me to the Super Bowl…the super market maybe to get some ice for the party…but not the Super Bowl! :09—Hey, great national anthem by Lady Ga Ga and really good job with showcasing the Super Bowl MVP’s. Terry, Franco, Lynn and Hines, way to represent. :08—Yeah, I know every day is Black History Day, but let’s celebrate this occasion by saluting Cam “Dab” Newton on being the second Black quarterback to lead a team to the Super Bowl. Name the first…name him…c’mon…c’mon…you know this…almost there…okay, Doug Williams out of Grambling University and the Washington Redskins. “Hoo-Rah!” :07—It’s too early to call and I don’t think it will stand all night, but I
BILL NEAL think “Cam” and the boys are a little tight and you can’t be tight against Denver’s #1 ranked “D.” The 2nd quarter should change things. :06—Speaking of things changing…some things never do, here’s a sidebar question. What would you rather be…now be careful here. This might be a little tricky…would you rather be a police dog, or would you rather be a Black man in America? I know, right? Those police dogs get treated pretty good…dead or alive. I’m just sayin’!!! :05—I’m holding tight. I keep Carolina 34-21 like I said. :04—While the game takes a slow moment, let me take you back to some great moments. “The way we do.” Terry to Swann two of the greatest catches ever.
Terry to Stallworth over the shoulder. Franco running crazy. The Steel Curtain, greatest of all time Greene, White, Greenwood and Holmes. Wagner, J.T., Blount, Shell, Lambert, Russell and Ham. Webster and the legendary “O-Line” and of course it ain’t a party without Grossman, Bleier, Myron and The Terrible Towel. C’mon Man!!!!! :03—Can we get Halle Berry in a Super Bowl commercial? I’m just askin’. Oh please, don’t act like you weren’t thinking it! :02—HALFTIME SHOW…you betcha! As I thought “Cold Play” live down to the hype and then Bruno Mars and “Lady B” saved the day. M.J., Prince, Bruce Springsteen, don’t worry, you still rule. I mean look, if it rains when you sing Purple Rain…you rule. :01—Just relax. I did the hard work for ya. Now here’s your Top 10 Super Bowl commercials. Just shut up! #10 Coke Cola “The Hulk,” #9 Steve Harvey “T-Mobile,” #8 Kevin Hart-desparate dad, #7 The wiener dogs, #6 Hyundai “with the talking bears,” #5 Buick “The Catch,” #4 Budlite – Amy and Seth, #3 Amazon Echo, #2 Snickers “Marilyn Monroe,” #1 “Seal” Super Bowl Babies ~ GAME OVER ~
Hey boys’ and girls.’ The NFL held Super Bowl 50 this past Sunday and the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10. Okay, okay I am preaching to the choir because that being said I fully realize that a significant percentage of the human population living or deceased knows this unless they are according to current United States Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie “[boys’ and girls’ living] in a bubble.” However what isn’t so clear is how a Denver Broncos defense, “the legion of swoon,” disturbed, diluted and dissolved a Carolina Panthers offense that had been annihilating some of the NFL’s top defenses on a weekly basis, considering the fact that Carolina finished the 2015 regular season with a 15-1 record. Case in point; in week 15 of the NFL 2015 season, when the Denver Broncos traveled to oxygen rich Heinz Field to face the postseason chasing Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger completed 40 of 55 passes for 380 YDS, 3 TD,’s. Couple that with the fact that the Broncos starting QB Peyton Manning who despite having a foot injury as well as facing arm strength “questions” was sidelined with an injury. However, his replacement Brock Osweiler threw a few fireballs at the Steelers secondary but in the end Pittsburgh prevailed. When the Steelers traveled to Denver to face the Broncos in the AFC Divisional round of the 2015 playoffs
the Broncos won by the score of 26-23. However even with Manning back under center, Ben Roethlisberger again torched the so-called “number 1” Broncos defense completing 24 of 37 passes, for 339 YDS, and if not for a fumble by Steelers substitute running back Fitzgerald Toussaint with the Steelers driving toward the end zone possibly for the tying or winning score, Denver QB Peyton Manning may not have had the horse to ride off into the sunset of Super Bowl 50. The offensive line of the Carolina Panthers looked to be and were “quite offensive.” The Broncos defensive line and linebackers were running amuck unchecked for almost the entire game. They were eating up the Panthers QB Cam Newton on such a regular basis, I coined the nickname “fig Newton” for him after I received several texts from one of my buddies seated on press row asking me the question, “has the Carolina O-line given up on protecting “Cam-Cam?” The Uniform Code of Military Justice defines desertion as: “[anyone that] quits his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service. The Carolina Offense looked as if they tucked their tails between their legs and just gave up and quit. Also Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator, Wade Phillips appeared as if he was a disciple of master illusionist Harry Houdini playing a cat and mouse game with the Carolina offense that looked like it was
a cage match between a Bengal Tiger and a Gerbil. The media is all up in arms concerning the fact that Cam Newton stormed out of the postgame interview. Wouldn’t you have taken a hike and been supremely “pissed off” after your offensive line played as if they were a bunch of girls armed with ribbons and short miniskirts? Cam Newton’s OLine deserted him. Throughout the 2015 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to piece together a patchwork offense beginning with their starting QB, first, second and even third string running backs, injuries and suspensions at wide receiver and a plethora of offensive line injuries. But you know what, they fought down to the final gun of the season. Cam Newton did not bail out on his team, his offensive line did not have the heart, soul or the guts to compete in Super Bowl 50 because they seemed to have lost their “heart” after a strip sack of Cam Newton by Broncos linebacker resulted in the Broncos and the game’s first touchdown. Also the offensive play calling of Carolina at times seemed sort of “conciliatory.” There were times when the Panthers would split 3 wide receivers to the left of right and then run a play inside. Now generally when a team lines up triple or double receivers to either side the purpose should be; to lessen the possibility of one of the receivers from being contacted or jammed within the 5 yard limit. (Aubrey Bruce can be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.co m or 412-583-6741. Follow him on Twitter@ultrascribe.)
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT POSITIONS Northside Leadership Conference
This non-profit community-based organization representing the 14 neighborhoods of Pittsburghʼs Northside is seeking creative and experienced candidates for: -Real Estate Project Manager A minimum of 2 Yrs experience in community development, Real Estate Development, or related field is required. Full position descriptions and requirements can be found at www.pittsburghnorthside.com. Resumes and cover letters must be submitted by February 22, 2016 via email only to resumes@pittsburghnorthside.com.
DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL OPERATIONS-POWER
POWER offers a full range of gender-responsive, trauma-informed treatment and support services just for women. We are seeking an experienced Director of Clinical Operations who is responsible for overseeing all of POWERʼs treatment and support and services and for developing and implementing the organizationʼs programs and lines of business. Successful candidates will have an LCSW, or MBA with at least 3 years in non-profit administration. POWER values diversity and is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug Free Workplace. Please visit our website power-recovery.com to apply.
COORDINATOR/INSTRUCTIONAL BARBER SCHOOL
Temporary full-time with benefits for one year. Requires a Barber teaching license. High proficiency with MS Office (Access, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word) required. Located at the Homewood-Brushton Center. For more details and to apply, visit http://apptrkr.com/751399; apply to “Coordinator/Instructional Barber School” posting. Community College of Allegheny County. EOE
TV RESEARCH ANALYST
WPXI-TV is seeking to fill a full-time entry-level position for a detail oriented individual to provide relevant research data, analysis and support to its local and national advertising teams. Requirements include advanced skills in Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel, good math and writing skills, and strong organizational skills. Experience working in media marketing, market research or sales support is preferred. Qualified candidates should send resumes to Rose Eppich via email at reppich@wpxi.com or by mail to 4145 Evergreen Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15214. No phone calls please. WPXI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128 or 129
DEAN OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS
California University of Pennsylvania seeks to hire a Dean of Undergraduate Admissions who has responsibility for providing strategic and innovative leadership in all facets of institutional initiatives related to student search, recruitment and admissions with a goal of increasing enrollments of first-year, transfer, adult, continuing education, non-degree and international students at the undergraduate level for all programs. A masterʼs degree and at least seven (7) years of progressive experience in the Admissions field are required. For a detailed job description, position requirements and instructions for application, visit www.calu.edu; click on Employment, then Staff Positions. All applicants must apply online. Integrity, Civility and Responsibility are the official core values of California University of Pennsylvania. Cal U is M/F/V/D/AA/EEO.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES Health Care
HOSPITALIST
University of Pittsburgh Physicians seeks multiple Hospitalists to work throughout Pennsylvania. Requirements: Medical degree; completion of a 3 yr. Internal Medicine residency; valid PA medical license.Apply by visiting http://careers.upmc.com and enter 2088144PS in the ʻsearch keyword/Job IDʼ field. EOE M/F/V/D
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
ADVERTISEMENT
Sealed bid proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 (412.237.3020) on the following items: Bid Proposal No. 958 HP Network Switches and Cisco Transceivers Proposals will be received at the Purchasing Department until 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at which time they will be publicly opened. Any proposals received after this deadline will be considered as a “late bid” and will be returned unopened to the offerer. The CCAC Purchasing Department is now publishing all bids via the CCAC website at h t t p s : / / w w w. c c a c . e d u / B i d RFP_Opportunities.aspx It will be each vendorʼs responsibility to monitor the bid activity within the given website (“Bid and RFP Opportunities”) and ensure compliance with all applicable bid documents inclusive of any issued addenda. Failure to incorporate any applicable addenda in the final submittal may result in the rejection of your bid. Proposals may require Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds, and Surety as dictated by the specifications. No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The Community College of Allegheny County is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/Disadvantaged owned businesses.
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PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE MUNICIPALITY OF PENN HILLS, PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS (HOME) PROGRAMS
Notice is hereby given that the Municipality of Penn Hills, Allegheny County, PA will hold a public hearing on Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 7:00 PM, prevailing time, in the Council Chambers located at the Municipal Building,12245 Frankstown Road, Penn Hills, PA 15235. The Municipal Building and Council Chambers are accessible to persons with physical disabilities. If special arrangements need to be made for residents to accommodate them in order to participate in the public hearing, please call Mr. Chris Blackwell, Director, Department of Planning and Economic Development, at (412) 798-2128, or 711 for the hearing impaired, to make arrangements. The purpose of this public hearing is to discuss the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Programs through the Allegheny County HOME Consortium, and the housing, community development, and economic development needs of the Municipality of Penn Hills, PA. This information will be utilized by the Municipality in its preparation of the FY 2016 Annual Action Plan. The Municipality of Penn Hills anticipates that it will receive CDBG entitlement grant in the amount of approximately $604,000.00, estimating $45,000.00 in CDBG program income, and an allocation of approximately $84,000 in HOME funds for FY 2016. The HOME funding level is contingent upon the determination of allocations from the Allegheny County HOME Consortium for FY 2016. In order to receive these funds, the Municipality of Penn Hills must prepare a One Year Annual Action Plan for the use of the CDBG funds. At least 70% of the CDBG funds must benefit low- and moderate-income persons living in the Municipality. The Municipality will be preparing its CDBG application and it intends to afford residents, local agencies, and interested parties the opportunity to become involved in the planning process. The following types of activities may be eligible for funding under the CDBG program: Acquisition of property; disposition costs; improvements to public facilities, including the removal of architectural barriers; demolition and environmental clean-up; public services that are new or a quantifiable increase in the level of service; interim assistance; relocation payments for persons displaced as a result of a CDBG activity; rehabilitation of houses; code enforcement; special economic development activities; special activities undertaken by a community based development organization; home ownership assistance for purchase; planning; environmental; program administration; audit; and other miscellaneous activities. If the Municipality would undertake an activity that would result in the displacement of families or individuals, then the Municipality would utilize its policy for minimizing such displacement. Furthermore, the Municipality is responsible for replacing all low- and moderate-income housing units that may be demolished or converted as a result of CDBG funds. All interested residents are encouraged to attend this public hearing and they will be given the opportunity to present oral or written testimony concerning the needs of the Municipality of Penn Hills and the use of CDBG and HOME funds to address those needs over the next year. Written comments may be addressed to Mr. Chris Blackwell, Director, Department of Planning and Economic Development, 12245 Frankstown Road, Penn Hills, PA 15235, (412) 798-2126, or 711 for the hearing impaired. LEGAL ADVERTISING
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Bids/Proposals
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Sealed bid proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 (412.237.3020) on the following items: RFP 3078 – Procurement of Solution to Enhance Cellular Coverage at West Hills Center A MANDATORY pre-proposal meeting and site visitation will be held onsite beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 18, 2016. The assembly point will be the front of the south entrance to West Hills Center (around left side of complex as you proceed up driveway), 1000 McKee Road, Oakdale, PA 15071. Proposals will be received at the Purchasing Department until Friday, February 26, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. Any proposals received after this deadline will be considered as “late” and will be returned unopened to the offerer. The CCAC Purchasing Department is now publishing all bids via the CCAC website at h t t p s : / / w w w. c c a c . e d u / B i d RFP_Opportunities.aspx. It will be each vendorʼs responsibility to monitor the bid activity within the given website (“Bid and RFP Opportunities”) and ensure compliance with all applicable bid documents inclusive of any issued addenda. Failure to incorporate any applicable addenda in the final submittal may result in the rejection of your bid. Proposals may require Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds, and Surety as dictated by the specifications. No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The Community College of Allegheny County is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/Disadvantaged owned businesses.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA January 28, 2016
The Office of the County Controller of Allegheny County, Room 104, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, will receive separate and sealed Bids until 11:00 A.M. prevailing local time, WEDNESDAY, February 24, 2016, and a representative of the Department of Public Works will open and read the Bids in the Gold Room, Room 410, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, onehalf hour later, 11:30 oʼclock A.M., for the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS South Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements Project, Township of South Park and Municipality of Bethel Park COUNTY PROJECT NO. 5065-0004 PREBID INFORMATION: Purchase and/or view the Proposal, Specifications and Drawings at the Office of the Contract Manager, Room 504, County Office Building, Pittsburgh, PA. The nonrefundable charge for the Proposal and disc containing the Specifications and Drawings is $ 107.00 including sales tax. Bid documents may be mailed for an additional fee of $16.05 including sales tax. The Contract Manager will accept only check or money order to the “COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY.” The Department of Public Works will hold a PreBid Meeting on February 11, 2016 at 1:00 P.M. in Room 505 County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., Pgh., Pa. 15219. Details of this project, Bidding Requirements and Contract Conditions are available on the Allegheny County internet website (www.alleghenycounty.us; click on “Departments,” click on “Public Works” then click on “Bids & Proposals)” and are also available on the Pennsylvania Purchasing Group/PAPG website (www.PAbidsystem.com; click on “bid opportunities;” then click on “Allegheny County-Dept. of Public Works-open documents” – then register if necessary). Chelsa Wagner Controller County of Allegheny
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NOTICE TO BIDDERS MUNICIPALITY OF PENN HILLS ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Sealed Proposals will be received by the Municipality of Penn Hills, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania until 10:30 A.M., on March 10, 2016 to be publicly opened and read immediately thereafter for the following project: WILLIAM MCKINLEY SENIOR CENTER UFAS IMPROVEMENTS The Project includes improvements to the William McKinley Senior Center to meet Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) requirements. The project consists of the installation of a new concrete sidewalk ramp, demolition and reinstallation of a concrete sidewalk ramp, installation of an asphalt sidewalk ramp, installation of new handrails, milling and regrading the parking lot in the handicap spaces, line striping of the handicap spaces and loading areas, installation of ADA detectable warning surfaces, and a door threshold modification at the front entrances to the building. All Proposals must be in the hands of Chris Blackwell, Director, Department of Planning and Economic Development, Municipality of Penn Hills, 12245 Frankstown Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15235, by 10:30 A.M., prevailing time on, March 10, 2016. Proposals shall be delivered in a sealed envelope and clearly marked on the outside with the words “WILLIAM MCKINLEY SENIOR CENTER UFAS IMPROVEMENTS.” Copies of Drawings, Specifications, Instructions to Bidders, General Conditions, Forms of Proposals and Agreement are on file and open to public inspection at the Penn Hills Purchasing Office, located at 12245 Frankstown Road, Second Floor, Room 213, Pittsburgh, PA 15235 where sets of said documents may be obtained upon payment of $50.00 per set. No refund will be made for the return of any documents. Davis-Bacon wage rates are required to be paid on this project. There will be a mandatory pre-bid meeting on February 16, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. at the William McKinley Senior Center, Center Avenue & 17th Street, Verona, PA 15147. Proposals must be submitted on the forms provided by the Municipality of Penn Hills. Proposals to receive consideration must be accompanied by a Certified Check or Bidderʼs Bond from a Surety Company authorized to do business in Pennsylvania, made to the order of the Municipality of Penn Hills in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the Proposal as a guarantee that, if the Proposal is accepted, the successful Bidder will enter into an Agreement within 15 days after Notice of the Award of the Contract. The Proposals must be made to the Municipality of Penn Hills, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and shall remain firm for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days. No Bidder may withdraw his Proposal during the one hundred twenty (120) day period without forfeiting his Bid guarantee. Performance, Maintenance, and Labor and Material Payment Bonds, along with Public Liability and Property Damage Certificates of Insurance in the amounts specified, as well as Certificates of Workmanʼs Compensation must be filed with the executed Agreement upon acceptance of the Proposal from the successful Bidder. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals, or any part thereof, for any reason, and also reserves the right to waive any informality therein. Chris Blackwell Director, Department of Planning and Economic Development America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219
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ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/ Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations: Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication
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INVITATION FOR BIDS
The URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY of Pittsburgh will receive bids from qualified contractors for clearing and grubbing, selective demolition, erosion and sedimentation control, earthwork, and revegetation for a proposed development located at Miller and Reed Streets in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and all work incidental thereto required to complete Miller/Reed Homes, Site Preparation Contract No. 1 until 10:00 a.m. prevailing time on Thursday, the 25th day of February, 2016, at its office, 11th floor, 200 Ross Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, at which time all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud in the Conference Room on the 11th floor. Contract documents will be available on Wednesday, February 10, 2016, in the Engineering and Construction Department, 11th Floor, 200 Ross Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, upon a non-refundable payment of FIFTY DOLLARS ($50.00) made payable to the URA of Pittsburgh. CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ONLY. Contract documents will not be mailed. A certified check or bank draft payable to the order of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, negotiable U.S. Government Bonds (at par value), or a satisfactory bid bond, executed by the Bidder and an acceptable surety in a dollar amount equal to 5% of the total bid, shall be submitted. Each bid submittal must include the Bid, Noncollusion Affidavit of Prime Bidder, Bid Bond, Statement of Bidders Qualifications, and Certification of Minority and Womenʼs Participation with Exhibits. Wages paid on this project shall not be less than the minimum wages determined by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry as set forth in the contract documents. Compliance is required with the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act of 1961, P.L. 987, No. 442; Title VI and other applicable provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Department of Labor Equal Opportunity Clause (41 CFR 60 -1.4); Executive Order 11625 (Utilization of Minority Business Enterprise); Executive Order 12138 (Utilization of Female Business Enterprise); in compliance with the Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and the URAʼs MBE/WBE Program, which sets forth goals of 18 percent Minority and 7 percent Female Business Enterprise. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements. The Contractor must assure that applicants and employees are not discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religious creed, handicap, ancestry, national origin, age or sex. The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh requires that all bidders complete and submit Certification of Minority and Womenʼs Participation with Exhibits. The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informality in the bidding. Bids may be held by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days from the date of opening of bids for the purpose of reviewing the bids prior to awarding the Contract. URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF PITTSBURGH Robert Rubinstein Acting Executive Director February 3, 2016
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA February 4, 2016
The Office of the County Controller of Allegheny County, Room 104, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, will receive separate and sealed Bids until 11:00 A.M. prevailing local time, WEDNESDAY, March 2, 2016, and a representative of the Department of Public Works will open and read the Bids in the Gold Room, Room 410, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, onehalf hour later, 11:30 oʼclock A.M., for the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Camp Meeting Road, Bell Acres Borough COUNTY PROJECT NO. 1104-0001 PREBID INFORMATION: Purchase and/or view the Proposal, Specifications and Drawings at the Office of the Contract Manager, Room 504, County Office Building, Pittsburgh, PA. The nonrefundable charge for the Proposal and disc containing the Specifications and Drawings is $ 107.00 including sales tax. Bid documents may be mailed for an additional fee of $16.05 including sales tax. The Contract Manager will accept only check or money order to the “COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY.” The Department of Public Works will hold a PreBid Meeting on February 18, 2016 at 1:30 P.M. in Room 505 County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., Pgh., Pa. 15219. Details of this project, Bidding Requirements and Contract Conditions are available on the Allegheny County internet website (www.alleghenycounty.us; click on “Departments,” click on “Public Works” then click on “Bids & Proposals)” and are also available on the Pennsylvania Purchasing Group/PAPG website (www.PAbidsystem.com; click on “bid opportunities;” then click on “Allegheny County-Dept. of Public Works-open documents” – then register if necessary). Chelsa Wagner Controller County of Allegheny
ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) FOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AGENT RFQ #2016-07
Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation (ARMDC), the nonprofit real estate development instrumentality of The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP), hereby request responses from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Property Management Agent RFQ #2016-07 The documents will be available no later than January 31, 2016 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 2:00 P.M., February 26, 2016 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp.org A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 200 Ross Street, 9th Fl. Board Room Pittsburgh, PA 15219 February 16, 2016 11:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACPʼs has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) FOR TAX CREDIT QUALITY CONTROL CONSULTANT RFQ #2016-08
Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation (ARMDC), the nonprofit real estate development instrumentality of The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP), hereby request responses from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Tax Credit Quality Control Consultant RFQ #0216-08 The documents will be available no later than January 31, 2016 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 2:00 P.M., February 26, 2016 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp.org A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 200 Ross Street, 9th Fl. Board Room Pittsburgh, PA 15219 February 16, 2015 1:00 P.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACPʼs has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
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Bids/Proposals
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INVITATION FOR BIDS
The URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY of Pittsburgh will receive bids from qualified contractors for a three year period for the operation and maintenance of an irrigated, 0.64 acre landscape area on Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) property at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Shady Avenue in East Liberty and all work incidental thereto required to complete ELTC Landscape Operations and Maintenance Contract No. 1 until 10:00 a.m. prevailing time on Wednesday, February 24, 2016, at its office, 11th floor, 200 Ross Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, at which time all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud in the Conference Room on the 11th floor. Contract documents will be available on Thursday February 11, 2016., in the Engineering and Construction Department, 11th Floor, 200 Ross Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, upon a non-refundable payment of TWENTY ($20.00) DOLLARS made payable to the URA of Pittsburgh. CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ONLY. Contract documents will not be mailed. A pre-bid meeting will be held on Tuesday February 16, 2016, at 2:00 PM. Interested parties shall meet at the corner of Penn and Shady Avenues. A certified check or bank draft payable to the order of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, negotiable U.S. Government Bonds (at par value), or a satisfactory bid bond, executed by the Bidder and an acceptable surety in a dollar amount equal to 5% of the total bid, shall be submitted. Each bid submittal must include the Bid, Noncollusion Affidavit of Prime Bidder, Bid Bond, Statement of Bidders Qualifications, and Certification of Minority and Womenʼs Participation with Exhibits. Wages paid on this project shall not be less than the minimum wages determined by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry as set forth in the contract documents. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements. The Contractor must assure that applicants and employees are not discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religious creed, handicap, ancestry, national origin, age or sex. The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh requires that all bidders complete and submit Certification of Minority and Womenʼs Participation with Exhibits. The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informality in the bidding. Bids may be held by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days from the date of opening of bids for the purpose of reviewing the bids prior to awarding the Contract. URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF PITTSBURGH Robert Rubinstein Acting Executive Director February 10, 2016
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH
Sealed bids will be received in the Office Of The Chief Operations Officer, Room 251, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2016 and will be opened at the same hour for the purchase of the following equipment and supplies: PACKAGING MATERIALS General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Office of the Purchasing Agent, Service Center, 1305 Muriel Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. The bid documents are available on the School Districtʼs Purchasing web site at: http://www.pghboe.net/pps/site/ default.asp Click on Bid Opportunities under Quick Links. The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid. Leon Webb Purchasing Agent We are an equal rights and opportunity school district
To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128 or 129
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR RHVAC REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE REBID IFB# 300-06-16 Rebid
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): RHVAC REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE REBID IFB# 300-06-16 Rebid The documents will be available no later than February 1, 2016 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. on February 19, 2016 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, at which time they will be opened and read aloud. Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org. Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116 Opt 1 A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Dept. 100 Ross Street 2nd. Fl. Ste. 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Thursday, February 11, 2016 2:00 P.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACPʼs has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
NOTICE TO BIDDERS ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority (WCHA) and itʼs Non-Profit – Westmoreland Non Profit Housing Corporation is requesting bids for: VACANT UNIT PREPARATION MAINTENANCE & CONSTRUCTION RELATED SERVICES LOCATED AT WCHA & WNPHC VARIOUS RENTAL HOUSING SITES - WESTMORELAND COUNTY Sealed bids will be received by Michael L. Washowich, Executive Director, until February 25, 2016, at 10:00 A.M. (Eastern Standard Time) at the administration office of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, 154 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA 15601, at which time they will be opened publicly. A nonmandatory pre-bid meeting will occur on February 12, 2016 at 10:00 am. For additional bid requirements, location of pre-bid meeting and associated documents bidders shall visit www.wchaonline.com. Bid documents can be obtained from the WCHA – Administration Office and free examination of said documents is available at the administrative office of the WCHA. Michael L. Washowich, Executive Director Westmoreland County Housing Authority
Look for our red box WHOLE FOODS MARKET 5880 CENTRE AVE AMTRACK STATION LIBERTY AVE & GRANT ST CITY COUNTY BUILDING 420 GRANT ST CCAC—HOMEWOOD BRANCH HOMEWOOD & BRUSHTON AVE YMCA 11817 FRANKSTOWN RD EAST LIBERTY EBA EAST BUSWAY KINGSLEY ASSOCIATION 6435 FRANKSTOWN AVE. WILKINSBURG EBA EAST BUSWAY
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INVITATION TO BID WASHINGTON COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Washington County Housing Authority will receive separate, sealed bids for three (3) individual prime contracts with the Authority. They are identified as follows: PROJECT #1 MAKE-UP AIR UNITS REPLACEMENT Nathan Goff, Jr. Apartments North Charleroi, PA PROJECT #2 ROOF REPLACEMENT California Terrace California, PA PROJECT #3 RESTROOM & KITCHEN RENOVATIONS Valley View Terrace Community Building Canonsburg, PA A certified check or bank draft payable to the Washington County Housing Authority, a US Government Bond or satisfactory Bid Bond executed by the Bidder and acceptable sureties in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the bid shall be submitted with each bid. All bid packages must be received no later than 10:00AM/EST ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016 at the Washington County Housing Authority, 100 Crumrine Tower, Franklin Street, Washington, PA 15301 at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Bids will be held by the Housing Authority for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days prior to contract award. Pre-Bid Meetings will be held as follows: PROJECT #1 - MAKE-UP AIR UNITS: 9:00AM/EST ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 PROJECT SITE PROJECT #2 - ROOF REPLACEMENT: 11:00 AM/EST ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 PROJECT SITE PROJECT #3 - RESTROOM & KITCHEN RENOVATIONS 1:30PM/EST ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 PROJECT SITE Plans, specifications and contract documents may be examined at the following location: The Builders Exchange 1813 North Franklin Street Pittsburgh, PA 15233 or obtained through the office of the Architect, Shaeffer & Madama, Inc., 57 Fourteenth Street, Wheeling, WV 26003 upon receipt of a One Hundred Dollar ($100) deposit per project. Any unsuccessful Bidder, upon returning the complete set to the Architect within ten (10) days following the bid opening in good, reusable condition, will be refunded their deposit less postage. Non-bidders will not receive a refund. The work to be performed under this contract is a Section 3 Project under provisions of the Housing & Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended, and must, to the greatest extent feasible, provide opportunities for training and employment for lower-income residents of the project and contracts for work in connection with the project be awarded to business concerns which are located in, or owned by, Washington County residents. Particular attention is directed to requirements of Executive Order 11246, 11625 and 12138, as well as Section 3 requirements, as set forth in the Specifications The Washington County Housing Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids or waive any informality in the bidding. STEPHEN K. HALL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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On Sale Wednesdays WESTERN AREA: CRAFTON BEVERAGE CRAFTON/INGRAM SHOPPING CENTER GIANT EAGLE CRAFTON/INGRAM SHOPPING CENTER SHEETZ #353 5400 CAMPBELL’S RUN RD SHOP N’ SAVE #1686 2103 NOBLESTOWN RD SAFRANS SUPER MKT 429 WALNUT ST GIANT EAGLE #74 PARKWAY CENTER MALL
100 WILLIAM MARKS DR GIANT EAGLE 1356 HOFFMAN BLVD BP GAS STATION LYSLE & WALNUT DS FOODMART 929 UNION ST RITE AID PHARMACY 725 LYSLE BLVD CHARLIE’S CORNER STORE 500 LOCUST ST NEIGHBORHOOD DOLLAR 333 5TH AVE GIANT EAGLE #38 1901 MURRAY AVE JACK’S E 8TH AVE
SOUTHERN AREA: EASTERN AREA: KEN’S 216 BELTZHOOVER AVE NELSON’S 92 SYLVANIA AVE GIANT EAGLE #61 2021 WHARTON AVE COGO’S 2400 EAST CARSON ST COGO’S 925 EAST CARSON ST DAILY MART 1125 ARLINGTON AVE SHOP N SAVE CARRICK SOUTH EASTERN AREA: SUPER STOP 403 KENMAWR AVE CARL’S CAFE 337 FIFTH AVE COMET NEWS 540 BRADDOCK AVE PUFFS DISCOUNT TOBACCO 1722 GREENSBUR AVE A-PLUS SUNOCO 7403 WASHINGTON ST COGO’S 1050 BRINTON RD COGO’S 2003 S BRADDOCK AVE EDGEWOOD EXPRESS 253 EDGEWOOD AVE BRAD EXPRESS 1101 S BRADDOCK AVE GIANT EAGLE #619 1705 S. BRADDOCK AVE CVS 7406 CHURCH ST HANINI MARKET 1105 SWISSVALE AVE DUKE’S SUNOCO 825 DUQUESNE BLVD 7-11 818 N. DUQUESNE BLVD GIANT EAGLE #6379 420 EAST WATERFRONT DR GIANT EAGLE—MCKEESPORT 3812 O’NEILL BLVD J & S FOOD MART 625 W GRANT AVE RITE AID PHARMACY
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KINGSLEY ASSOCIATION 6435 FRANKSTOWN AVE.
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New Pittsburgh Courier
BLACK HISTORY MONTH D FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
www.newpittsburghcourier.com
NEED Workforce Diversity Fair creating Black history “The greatest public program the government can provide minorities is a job.” PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY by Michael Rose For New Pittsburgh Courier
NEED (the Negro Educational Emergency Drive) recently celebrated its 10th annual Workforce Diversity Fair for local employers and college students to determine if there were internship opportunities for the summer. President John F. Kennedy once said the greatest public program the government can provide minorities is a job. For 53 years, beginning the year of his assassination, NEED has supported more than 23,000 deserving young people by providing nearly $25.7 million in scholarships. NEED’s vision is to unlock the power of education by helping youth meet their highest potential and enhance their quality of life, thereby strengthening the Pittsburgh regional economy. Pittsburgh is seen by some to be a very nepotistic city where connections are everything. Many African Americans in Pittsburgh do not have the privilege of being born into families that can provide connections to jobs that can lead to meaningful careers. That can help explain why minority job opportunities are limited. Marcia M. Sturdivant, president and CEO of NEED, said this is why these fairs are so important for minorities. “Many of our students do not have the networking opportunities that some other students may have and we want to give every student the opportunity to learn about job opportunities open to them.” Sturdivant touts the fact that all internships are paid. So far there are more than 22,000 alumni students of the Workforce Diversity Fair. “We have the best and brightest students that this region has to offer,” she said. “If you are from
Pittsburgh, an African American who has graduated from college, 9-10 times you were a recipient of NEED.”
CAR RENTAL SERVICE—Kendric Moore, of Verona, left, speaking with BJ Wise and Jill Thomas of Enterprise Car Rental. (Photos by J.L. Martello)
GIANT EAGLE—Kendre Crawford-Blue and Teona Ringgold speaking with Ronelle Robinson about jobs opportunities at Giant Eagle.
AIRPORT SERVICE—Michele Johnson of the Allegheny County Airport speaks with Brandon McClung about the business development internship.
CITY GOVERNMENT—Brandon Nelson talking to Janelle Smith, far left, and Amanda Neatrour about opportunities in the City of Pittsburgh.
Without NEED, she said, many of these individuals would not have the opportunity to pursue higher education, complete higher education, move on to become employed and add to the regional economy. Many of the students who go through the Workforce Diversity Fair end up being full-time employees of the company they interned for. They begin to be an asset to organizations not just in terms of diversity but also in terms of being good, solid employees and motivated bright minority students that can add to their organization’s wealth and livelihood. Employers always look for well-rounded students. They don’t just want students who have a strong academic background, but also have work experience to show their aptitude in a particular career. While most students at the fair were juniors and seniors, one student keen to getting a leg up on the rest in experience and connections was sophomore Kendre Crawford-Blue. Crawford-Blue said she is currently in between majors at Penn State University, but describes herself as “trying to get my foot in the door” in the rehabilitation and human services fields. When asked what a sophomore was doing looking for internships so many years before being eligible to being able to work in her field, she replied, “I think it’s very important because it’s like if you don’t have experience in your field and then you go out into the real world then you’re just stuck. I go to a big school and trying to get an internship is very competitive. Internships are very scarce.”
CITY GOVERNMENT—Rieko Copeland, right, speaking with Amanda Neatrour about opportunities in the City of Pittsburgh.
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‘Let My People Go’ created, performed by CAPA for Black History Month BLACK HISTORY MONTH
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
AUSET FULLARD playing Rosa Parks
LISA PICKETT Producer
JEREMIAH HARDY reciting a poem
MILS JAMES Director
DeSHAWNA GLENN plays teacher Harieth Tubman.
CORO hosts Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
CORO CENTER FOR CIVIC LEADERSHIP PITTSBURGH hosted its Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards at the Doubletree Hotel and Suites, 1 Bigelow Square, Downtown recently. The evening celebrated nine role models in values-based leadership, and included live music and a silent auction. Finalists were: Jan Glick, Tracey McCants Lewis, Penny Semaia, Alka Patel, La’Tasha Mayes, and LaTrenda Leonard Sherrill. Groups were: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, and Ridgeway Capital. Above photos one of the winners LaTasha Mayes in white with members of the New Voices Pittsburgh organization. (Photos by J.L. Martello)
FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
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FAMILY SUPPORT—Barbara Griffin, Kira Mukogosi, and honoree Joan Mukogosi.
NOMINEES—From left: Alka A. Patel, Tracey Lewis, Penny Semaia, and LaTrenda Leonard Sherrill.
HONOREES—From left: Joan Mukogosi, distinguished organizational leadership award honoree is Community Kitchen Pittsburgh are Jennifer Flannagan, Jan S. Glick, and LaTasha Mayes.
TRACEY LEWIS, in the middle, with Duquesne University law students who came out to support her.
COMMUNITY KITCHEN PITTSBURGH was the Distinguished Organizational Leadership Award honoree.
‘Let My People Go’ created, performed by CAPA for Black History Month
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FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
ADIA BOYD reciting a poem.
MIA MITCHELL acting out a scene.
NA-TIYEA TURNER singing ‘Amazing Grace.’
CAMERON KEY acting out a scene. (Photos by J.L. Martello)
Black History Events Bone Marrow Drive
town@carnegielibrary.org.
FEB. 11—The NAACP and the Duquesne University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs will host a Be the Match Bone Marrow Drive from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Duquesne University Union, 600 Forbes Ave., Uptown. For more information, call Amber Satterwhite at 412-396-1117 or email satterwhitea@duq.edu.
Book Release/Stage Reading
Black History Month Reading/Book Signing FEB. 13—The African American Program at the Senator John Heinz History Center presents a Black History Month Reading, Discussion and Book Signing with Yolanda Covington-Ward from 1-3 p.m. at the Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., Strip District. Yolanda Covington-Ward is the author of “Gesture and Power: Religion, Nationalism, and Everyday Performance in Congo.” She will examine her book and review common themes from the Center’s “From Slavery to Freedom” exhibition. For more information, call Caroline Fitzgerald at 412-454-6373 or ccfitzgerald@heinzhistorycenter.org.
What’s in Your Genes? FEB. 13—The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Western Pa. Genealogical Society will host “What’s in Your Genes?: DNA Testing Made Simple for Heritage Seekers” from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Carnegie Library, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. This Black History Month celebration event features guest lecturer Michael Williams as he explains how genetic testing can reveal invaluable information about family heritage and health histories. For more information, call 412-622-3154.
Interactive Storytelling FEB. 13—The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host “Lois Toni McClendon presents Interactive Storytelling” from 10:15-11:15 a.m. at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Downtown & Business Branch, 612 Smithfield St., Downtown. Storyteller and Interplay leader, Lois McClendon, will explore original stories of the African American tradition. Participants will engage in fun and relaxing games using music, movement, voice and storymaking. This is an event for all ages. For more information, call 412-281-7141 or email down-
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
FEB. 18—Dessie Bey will host the Book Release and Stage Reading of “Know Thyself: An African American Poetic Journey” from 79 p.m. at Point Park University, Ballroom, 201 Wood St., Downtown. Local poets and Point Park students will lend their voices to read poetry by well-known, recognized and local poets. There will also be a performance of a stage play written by Shabaka Perkins as well as an appearance by the Mt. Ararat Baptist Church Male Chorus, vocalists Jacquea Mae and Sydnie Dané, and saxophone interludes by James “Doc” Wilson. For more information, call Dessie Bey at 412-464-0321 or email dbonpointpub@gmail.com.
Black Love Day FEB. 22—The Black Student Union of Duquesne University will host Black Love Day at 5 p.m. at the Duquesne University Union, Africa Room, 600 Forbes Ave., Uptown. This Black History Month event will include dinner and a special guest. Registration is requested. For more information, call call Amber Satterwhite at 412-396-1117 or email satterwhitea@duq.edu.
Black History Month Celebration FEB. 26—The Rachel Randall Education Department of Pentecostal Temple COGIC, 6300 East Liberty Blvd., East Liberty, will host its annual Black History Month Celebration at 6 p.m. The Theme will be “Celebration of the Family.” During the weekend-long event, there will be a Family Movie Night with a showing of “War Room,” followed by an evening that will focus on celebrating families on Feb. 28. There will also be a special presentation to honor those couples that have been married more than 50 years. For more information, call 412-361-7000.
Black History Celebration FEB. 28—Jerusalem Baptist Church, 123 Steuben St., West End, will host its Black History Celebration at 11 a.m. The event will include a reception, program and soul food fellowship. African attire is optional. For more information, call 412-921-0822.
“Let My People Go” produced by Pittsburgh CAPA teacher, Lisa Pickett , directed by CAPA
alumnus, Mils James, and Choreographed by CAPA dance teacher, Greer Reed, and CAPA alumnus,
Mils James, was performed by CAPA students, Feb. 4-5, in observance of Black History Month..
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
FEBRUARY 10-16, 2016
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
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Pgh celebrates Black History Month with tribute to Blacks in film An exhibit celebrating Black History Month is on display in the grand lobby of the City-County Building in downtown Pittsburgh. It can be viewed through Monday, Feb. 29, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. “A History on Film: A Tribute to African American Contribution to Film” hon-
ors the achievements of 20 individuals with Pittsburgh roots. The City-County Building lobby serves as the setting for an eclectic collection of photographs honoring individuals who have left a lasting legacy here in western Pennsylvania as well as throughout the world. The
city’s 2016 Black History Month exhibit showcases numerous actors and actresses in addition to recognizing the contributions of writers, producers and directors. The exhibit is presented by Citiparks and sponsored by WAMO 100. The Black History Month
display will showcase the following 20 individuals with Pittsburgh roots: Jonathan Adams—actor; Rusty Cundieff—actor/director; Billy Eckstine—musician/actor; Jamie Hall— actor; Nathan James—actor; Billy Jenkins—actor; Cherie J o h n s o n — actress/writer/producer;
HONOREES WITH CITY OFFICIALS—From left: City Councilman Corey O’Connor; honoree Nathan James, actor; honoree Kimmarie Johnson-Nwede, actress, producer and entrepreneur; mayor Bill Peduto; honoree Rasheed Jihad, producer; honoree Najaa Young, writer, producer and director; and Jim Griffin, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. (Photos by J.L. Martello)
FAMILY SUPPORT—The Johnson family supporting honoree Kimmarie Johnson-Nwede, far right. From left: father Frank Johnson, brother Gregg Johnson, son Cameron Nwede and Johnson-Nwede.
Kimmarie JohnsonNwede—actress/producer; Tiaunte Kelly—actor/director/producer; Carmel Macklin—actress; Mercury Morris—athlete/actor; Njaimeh Njie— producer; Bill Nunn—actor; David Pendleton—actor; Billy Porter— actor; Vivian Reed—actress; Lamman Rucker—actor;
Jarvia Udosen—actress; Darcel Wynne— actress/dancer; and Najaa Young—writer/director/producer. For more information on the exhibit, call Citiparks at 412-255-8983 or visit www.Citiparks.net. (Information courtesy of Citiparks.)
HONOREE—Barbara James with her son, honoree Nathan James.
FAMILY SUPPORT—Ayodiji Young, Najaa Young, Inshirah Jihad, Maliha Reed and Rasheed Jihad
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