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APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
Hill House cuts staff amid reassessment by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
A quick perusal of the Hill House Association’s website reveals that the page containing the “Director’s Message,” from President & CEO Cheryl Hall Russell, is blank. A further search of the agency’s “staff” page gives an indication why—her name is not even there. The only name listed is that of Executive Vice President and COO Jeffrey Anderson. That’s because Cheryl Hall-Russell and
Redwood, Milliones stop URA plan to buy Hill properties
Board chairman says no services will be affected
two other senior staff have recently been let go. Speculation on the fate of the venerable institution, 1835 Centre Ave., which has served the community since its days as a settlement house for immigrants in the early 1900s, was fueled by a Facebook post from former board member William Generett, who said he was angry that “one of Pittsburgh’s most important social service and economic development organi-
zations is on the verge of collapsing and FEW people seem to care.” Before it was taken down, the April 21 post received more than 70 replies from individuals asking how they could help. Reached by phone in New Orleans where he is making a presentation, board Chairman Clyde Pickett said he could not comment on specific personnel matters, but confirmed the cuts. “We did eliminate three administrative positions, and that may be reviewed and possibly reconfigured SEE HILL HOUSE A4
by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
CLYDE PICKETT
Moriarty proclaims her innocence Local business CEO accused of various forms of fraud by Christian Morrow and Diane I. Daniels Courier Staff Writers
When governments and insurers realized more than a decade ago that providing palliative care for the indigent and elderly in their homes was more cost effective than doing so in hospitals or nursing facilities, Arlinda Dickins Moriarty saw an opportunity and capitalized on it—so much so that what started as a basement business in 2000 has grown to multiple care and health service companies employing 700 people doing business in three states under contracts worth more than $84 million in the last five years alone. But now, the U.S. Government is alleging that $1.8 million of those proceeds were obtained fraudulently via schemes that included billing Medicare for services provided to nonexistent or deceased patients, billing for care provided by phantom employees, and making her sister the “owner” of a company created to circumvent a change in state law. On April 12, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Soo Song’s office filed a 28-page lawsuit asking to freeze bank accounts belonging to Moriarty, her SEE MORIARTY A5
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The city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority planned to purchase over 220 properties at a city treasurer’s sale in the city’s Middle Hill area this Friday, April 28. But thanks to a public outcry from community members, and a letter denouncing the action signed by those such as Marimba MillionCARL REDWOOD es, Carl Redwood and other groups, the sale is off—for now. “We, the undersigned, are not in support of this landgrab that has put the Hill District, its residents, stakeholders and leadership under unjustifiable duress,” the letter MARIMBA MILLIONES SEE URA A4
Homewood’s community plan is ‘in a great position’ by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
ACCOLADES—Arlinda Moriarty, whose multi-million-dollar Moriarty Consulting Inc. is currently under federal investigation, shows off one of the many business awards her health services firm has garnered.
Despite having community plans that include guidelines for neighborhood approval of the types of development in their communities, where it can go, and who participates in the work, East Liberty and the Hill District have seen residents displaced, along with other results the community did not approve. Homewood, by comparison, is ahead SEE HOMEWOOD A4
Covestro president to Chamber: ‘Help us’ diversify supply chain by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
Covestro LLC is a new company—sort of. Until 2015, it was the Material Sciences division of Bayer. Now as an independent company, it’s not only establishing its new image and identity as a world leader in the polyurethane and polycarbonate manufacturing and supply sector, it is working to establish a corporate culture of sustainability, mentorship and diversity. And to achieve part of it—diversifying its supply chain—Covestro President Jerry MacCleary told the African American Chamber of Commerce PowerBreakfast audience he would like their help. “We have committed to developing a new culture,” he said during the April 21 event at the Rivers Club, Downtown. “The one I hope we have is vibrant,
colorful, and has people who are risk-takers, who think faster, and where everyone is treated with respect.” MacCleary said the company has made strides toward creating a more diverse future for the company. One example is its Adopt-A-School program, designed to get kids interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) early so they can drive the industry in the future. He said the program recently brought kids from Imani Christian Academy in East Hills to the company’s campus. “I got harder questions from their fifth graders than I get at town hall meetings,” he said. Another step MacCleary has taken in that direction has been the hiring of Dina Clark, who was in attendance along with the company’s entire procurement team, as its head of diversity and
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inclusion. Clark, formerly the senior director of equity and inclusion for the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh and past executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Diversity Initiative, has already developed a North American Diversity Council for the company’s entire operation. Externally, though, Covestro wants to do more, according to MacCleary. “We also need to look outside. We can’t do it ourselves,” he told the audience. “We are committed to setting up a supplier diversity program, but it’s not there yet— for one thing, we still need a website portal to make it easy—But that means an opportunity has arisen; help us set up the right system. Help us do it. With a strong collaboration and partnership, aligned with innovation SEE COVESTRO A4
HELPING EACH OTHER—Covestro President Jerry MacCleary, left, poses with Chamber President and CEO Doris Carson Williams and Board Chair Samuel Stephenson. (Photo by J.L. Martello)
Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick says
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APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
Doctor’s arrest brings attention to US female circumcisions by Jeff Karoub
Associated Press Writer
DETROIT (AP)—Zehra Patwa learned only a few years ago that during a family trip to India at age 7, she was circumcised, which is common for girls in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Patwa, 46, doesn’t remember undergoing the procedure, which is also called female genital mutilation or cutting and which has been condemned by the United Nations and outlawed in the U.S. But she doesn’t want to. “I have no desire to get that memory back. ... Psychologically, it feels like a violation, even though I don’t remember it,” said Patwa, a technology project manager from New Haven, Connecticut, who now campaigns against the centuries-old practice. The recent arrest of a Michigan doctor accused of performing the procedure on two 7-year-old girls from Patwa’s own Shiite Muslim sect, the Dawoodi Bohra, highlights how female genital mutilation is alive and well in parts of the Western world where its adherents have migrated and formed communities. Depending on the culture, female circumcisions are performed on girls of various ages and by various methods, and they are seen as a way of controlling a girl’s sexuality, maintaining her purity or even making her more fertile as she grows into adulthood. Critics, though, say it can cause complications during childbirth, make intercourse painful and eliminate any pleasure a woman can derive from sex. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala is accused of performing the procedure on two Minnesota girls that left them with scars and lacerations. Her attorney, Shannon Smith, insists that Nagarwala conducted a benign religious ritual that involved no mutilation. Prosecutors on Friday charged two other Bohras, Dr. Fakhruddin Attar and his wife, Farida Attar, with conspiracy. Fakhruddin Attar owns the Detroit-area clinic where the alleged procedures were performed in February, and investigators say the couple knew Nagarwala was doing the procedures after business hours. There are more than
Elaine Effort
CIRCUMCISED AT 7—In this December 2015 photo provided by her, Zehra Patwa poses for a picture at her home in New Haven, Conn. (Courtesy of Zehra Patwa via AP) a million Bohras in the world, most of whom live in India. No one knows how many there are in the U.S., but it’s estimated there are about 25,000 and that they have about 20 mosques and gathering places. Patwa, who is part of the activist group Speak Out on FGM, said that given its clandestine nature, it’s hard to estimate how many people perform female circumcisions in the U.S. But there are a small number in the Bohra community who are known by elders and tend to be clustered around large cities with Bohra mosques, she said. When many Bohra girls are age 6 to 8, their parents approach—or are approached by—a “secret network” of female elders about getting the girls cut. There is then an informal vetting process to make sure a request is legitimate and not an attempt to expose any activities, Patwa said. “Everybody knows somebody who has gotten their daughter cut ... but nobody wants to rat out their family members or friends,” she said. A spokesman for the Syedna, the Bohras’ religious head in Mumbai, India, could not be reached for comment. The two men vying to succeed the Syedna, his half brother and the son of a former Syedna, have different views on female circumcision. The half brother says it is time to end the practice of female circumcision. The former Syedna’s son, whom most Bohras accept as their new leader, says the tradition must continue and notes that Bohra men are also circumcised. “Men have to do it, and
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even women have to do it,” Syedna Muffadal Saifuddin said in a speech last year. The World Health Organization said the practice of removing or injuring female genital organs has no known health benefits but has been performed on roughly 200 million women and girls in 30 countries. Multiple Islamic scholars and experts say the practice is cultural, not based in religious principles. Those who don’t have their daughters circumcised are subjected to pressure, and those who do believe they are protecting the girls. Although Patwa and others describe it as a widespread practice, it’s not universally performed among the Bohra. Sahiyo, a Mumbai-based organization that campaigns against the procedure, estimates that about 80 percent of girls within the community have had it done. She said she attends a Bohra mosque near Boston, which she describes as a welcoming and largely educated and tolerant congregation, but not one in which the procedure they call “khatna” is openly discussed. “Part of my campaigning is always, ‘We have a problem within our community. We can only deal with it as a community,” she said. “We can expose it, but other people aren’t going to swoop in and help us.’” Patwa said many Bohra mosques, including hers, have sent letters to members encouraging them not to engage in khatna because it could be considered illegal. Jiwajee Bhai Bootwala belongs to the Minneapolis-area Bohra community, which he said consists of about 25 to 30 families. He said he doesn’t know of anyone involved in the practice and didn’t know about the families who went to Michigan, or if they even belong to his group. Still, he said, the news will spoil his community’s image. “The law for the country is part of your faith,” he said. “So we would never do something against the laws of the country.”
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This Week In Black History
Week of April 26-May 2 April 26 1886—The “mother of the Blues” Gertrude “Ma” Rainey is born Gertrude Pridgett in Columbus, Ga. She began her career touring with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. She was the first person to sing the Blues in minstrel shows. Rainey also coached, then young Blues singer Bessie Smith who would become more famous and celebrated than Rainer. Rainey died Dec. 22, 1939. 1994—The first all race elections take place in then White-ruled South Africa. The elections would bring an end to 300 years of White minority rule, known as apartheid, in the African nation as well as bring about the election of Nelson Mandela as the country’s first Black and democratically elected president. Mandela had spent 27 years in prison because of his leadership of the African National Congress which had led the struggle against apartheid. April 27 MA RAINEY 1903—W.E.B. DuBois’ “The Soul of Black Folks” is published. The book did much to outline and summarize progressive African-American thought and opposition to the accommodation policies of Booker T. Washington—then the nation’s foremost Black leader. DuBois argued that “the problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line” and labeled Washington’s program as one of “industrial education, conciliation of the South, and submission and silence as to civil and political rights.” A collection of DuBois’ papers are currently being placed online by the University of Massachusetts. 1903—Maggie Lena Walker becomes the first Black woman to head a bank in AmerW.E.B. DuBOIS ica. In fact, she was the first woman of any color to head a bank when she was named president of the St. Luke Bank and Trust Company in Richmond, Va. Walker was an outstanding businesswoman who took over Richmond’s Order of St. Luke when it was nearly broke and rapidly losing membership. Within a few years the Order owned a bank, a newspaper, a printing press and a three-story department store despite the active opposition of Richmond’s White business community. Walker also helped found the Lilly Black Party in part as a slap at the segregated “Lilly White” political parties of MAGGIE LENA WALKER the day. One of her mottos was “Don’t get angry, get busy.” She died Dec. 15, 1934. April 28 1967—The World Boxing Association and the New York State Athletic Commission withdraw recognition of Muhammad Ali as world heavyweight boxing champion because of his opposition to the war in Vietnam and his resulting refusal to serve in the U.S. military. One of his famous phrases during the controversial period was, “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” In addition to being stripped of his title and license to box, Ali was sentenced to five years in prison for refusing to be inducted into the military. However, four years later the U.S. Supreme Court overturned MUHAMMAD ALI the conviction and Ali was allowed to box again. April 29 1992—This was the first day of the Los Angeles riots which were sparked when a nearly all White jury acquitted four White cops in the brutal beating of Black motorist Rodney King even though the beating had been caught on tape. Two of the cops were later convicted on federal civil rights charges. The riots left at least 50 people dead, nearly 1,000 injuries and an estimated $1 billion in property damage. April 30 711 AD—Tarik the Moor invades Spain with force of 7,000 troops, routs the Visigoths and establishes Moor domination of Spain. While there remains some RODNEY KING dispute over Tarik’s race, the weight of the evidence is strong that he was a Black man. He was described in accounts of the time as having “brown skin and wooly hair.” His full name was Tarik al Gibral. The famed Rock of Gibraltar is named in his honor. 1828—Shaka, the great Zulu king and military leader, is killed. His innovative military strategies kept European imperialism at bay for years as he established Zulu dominance in large parts of Southern Africa. The Zulu nation grew to at least 250,000 with an army of over 40,000. But Shaka became increasingly dictatorial. Opposition to his dictatorship combined with jealousy led his two half-brothers to assassinate him on this day in 1828. May 1 1866—The two-day Memphis, Tenn., race riots, one of the most savage events immediately following the civil war, begins. When it was over, former Confederate soldiers, angered by the loss of the Civil War and the new status for Blacks, had killed 46 Blacks and two of their White supporters, as well as raped five Black women and torched over 90 homes, schools and churches. In support of the rebel soldiers, local police arrested hundreds of Blacks and not SHAKA the Whites who were rioting. However, the savage nature of the rioting in Memphis (and a similar disturbance in New Orleans) prompted Congress to pass radical Reconstruction to aid Blacks, a Civil Rights bill, and the 14th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing citizenship and equal protection to former slaves. 1950—Brilliant poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for her second collection, “Annie Allen,” is born on this day in Topeka, Kan. At 17, she started submitting her work to “Lights and Shadows,” the poetry column of the Chicago Defender, an African American newspaper. Brooks published her first book of poetry, “A Street in Bronzeville” (1945) with Harper and Row, after strong show of support to the publisher from author Richard Wright. Brooks died on Dec. 3, 2000 in Chicago, Ill. 1967—The “Long Hot Summer” begins. The period GWENDOLYN BROOKS between May 1 and Oct. 1, 1967 witnessed the most dramatic and destructive series of Black urban disturbances in American history. Major riots took place in 40 American cities. There were also lesser disturbances in 100 smaller towns and cities. Many felt the riots were sparked by a collective sense of frustrated hopes and a new urban generation less willing to adopt peaceful means for change. May 2 1844—Master inventor Elijah McCoy is born in Colchester, Ontario, Canada. He would become the holder of over 50 patents—most were mechanical devices, which greatly improved engines, locomotives and steamships. The superiority of his inventions led to the phrase “the real McCoy” coming to mean the mark of excellent and authenticity. McCoy was born to slaves who escaped America for a free life in Canada. His parents became successful and sent him to study engineering in Scotland when he was only 16. After the end of U.S. slavery, he settled in Ypsilanti, Mich., and began his remarkable career. 1870—One of the most ELIJAH MCCOY unsung religious leaders in American history, William Seymour, was born on this day in Centerville, La. Seymour became pastor of the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles and the catalyst for the worldwide Pentecostal movement. He not only rejected racial barriers in the church in favor of “Unity in Christ,” but he is also credited with eliminating many of the restrictions placed on women in the WILLIAM SEYMOUR church. He died of a heart attack in 1922.
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Redwood, Milliones stop URA plan to buy Hill District properties URA FROM A1
said, addressed to Mayor Peduto and Robert Rubenstein, executive director of the URA. Milliones is the executive director of the Hill District Community Development Corporation. Others in support of the letter included, among others, Urban Innovation21, Hill House Association, Hill District Ministers Alliance, and the Ebenezer Development Corporation. “The Hill District is uniquely positioned for community-driven transformation. It is the only Pittsburgh neighborhood with a comprehensive master plan, two commu-
nity benefits agreements, coordinated leadership and a critically-acclaimed business district plan and Greenprint,” the letter continued. “As such, it is both surprising and unacceptable that the city of Pittsburgh and Urban Redevelopment Authority have consorted to once again disempower hundreds of poor, working- and middleclass African American property owners by triggering an aggressive city, county and school district tax collection process upon tax-delinquent property owners.” Carl Redwood, a board member of the Hill District Consensus Group,
said it was unusual to see that high of a percentage of properties up for sale in just one part of the city. The original treasurer’s sale was going to involve roughly 330 units citywide. “The community really wasn’t consulted, and when the community did raise objections they weren’t listened to,” Redwood said. Redwood said the primary issue is “the disposition of the units—what are they going to go for and who’s going to help determine that.” The city is looking to redevelop the Bedford Dwellings housing complex, the oldest
remaining public housing development in the city. Redwood said the city will be able to use a $500,000 Neighborhood Choice grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to tear down the current 411-unit Bedford Dwellings complex and use other property in the Middle Hill to begin creating an eventual 1,200 unit “mixed income housing” development. But the letter sent to Mayor Peduto and Rubenstein insinuates that the URA could try to use the land in a way that pushes more African Americans out of the Hill District—Developing housing that could
Hill House cuts staff amid reassessment HILL HOUSE FROM A1
going forward. There was no specific funding shortfall, but of course, we are always looking for new partners and new sources of funding,” Pickett said. Pickett also said the cuts were part of a review and evaluation process to ensure the association continues its mission. “We are in the process of reassessment as we move forward to continue to serve the Hill District community and remain a pillar of the community,” said Pickett. “We are trying to make sure things are stable, and we are being hands-on and working on
that proactively.” He said nothing has changed with respect to programming. “Nothing has changed as far as services being provided. Our charter school is still there. We have a number of campus partners and we don’t want them impacted at all.” Services still being provided at the Hill House include Accelerated Support Services for Older Adults, First Source Center, Home-Delivered Meals, Senior Community Services, and EARN, a program designed to assist individuals with securing job opportunities.
of the curve. Though the Urban Redevelopment Authority only just authorized hiring a consultant to create a comprehensive community plan for the neighborhood, Homewood has already done much of the work—thanks to proac-
RASHAD BYRDSONG tive work by neighborhood agencies like Community Empowerment Association’s proactive talks with developers, and by Operation Better Block’s completion of the Homewood Cluster Vision Plan last year.
The URA only had to spend $150,000 for Texas-based Asakura Robinson to consult on the plan. By comparison, the Hill District Plan, starting from scratch, cost $250,000 almost 10 years ago. “We’ve done all the survey work for designers ahead of time—they don’t have to do it,” Jackson said. “We were originally looking at dividing up Homewood into sections that we, as a staff, could survey for our programming, and it occurred to us—why not do that for development? So we did. “We broke Homewood into nine clusters plus the business district, and we now have detailed land-use plans for all them,” Jackson said. Not just detailed plans— but plans approved by the community, because the survey was conducted doorto-door, street-by-street. Rashad Byrdsong, CEA president and CEO, said Homewood has had multiple community meetings ahead of the URA’s contract approval. “We’ve had close to 10 years to get ready for this. We have our workforce training and develop-
broad scale development that positions the Hill District community for market strength and opportunity, versus weakness and dependency.” Redwood said members of his community would not allow the URA to purchase so many properties in the Middle Hill without putting up a verbal fight. “Because of the income levels of people in Pittsburgh, Black family incomes are well below the median income for Pittsburgh,” Redwood said. “So one of the ways that Black families are targeted is by focusing on income—price them out or price them in. We need housing for Black families, but a lot of people feel like they can’t come out and say that,” Redwood said. “There’s other people that have plans for our Hill District community, and they’re not necessarily in line with our Hill District committee plans,” Redwood said. “We’re not opposed to them having plans, but they need to come through our community process in order for them to have support for their plan, because it has to align with our plan.”
Community Calendar CHERYL HALL-RUSSELL
Homewood’s community plan is ‘in a great position’
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be deemed unaffordable for many African American residents. “Therefore, instead of the city’s current approach of securing site control for the redevelopment of the Hill District, we expect that the city of Pittsburgh and URA will support the establishment of a Hill District Community Land Trust in which any tax-delinquent Hill District land pursued by public and or quasi-public agencies hence forth will be deposited,” the letter said. Redwood told the New Pittsburgh Courier that a Land Trust in the Hill District can help community residents become firsttime homebuyers, and then if they want to move, the home can be sold to another first-time homebuyer. Many of the first-time homeowners would be African American. In proposing the Hill District Community Land Trust to Mayor Peduto and Rubenstein, the letter said the Trust would “prevent displacement of low to moderate income homeowners, renters and business owners; (and) Leverage the equity of land to encourage investment of
ment, Rev. Ware’s Building United, the Homewood Brushton Comprehensive Community Organization, OBB’s plan, and we’ve already negotiated several (memorandums of understanding) with developers,” Byrdsong said.
“We’re a different animal than East Liberty. In Homewood, we were in front of the game before it got started and we have the elected officials in line. Of course, there’s no guarantee but I think we’re in a great position.”
Covestro president to Chamber: ‘Help us’ diversify supply chain COVESTRO FROM A1
and sustainability, join us on this journey.” African American Chamber President and CEO Doris Carson Williams thanked MacCleary for his presentation and said she would be delighted to help in that effort, saying she would coordinate with the procurement team and set up a seminar for chamber members on how to do business with Covestro. Williams also welcomed new members and thanked everyone who attended last month’s sales workshop,
and highlighted upcoming events including; A candidate’s forum, May 3 at the Rivers Club; The chamber’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon, May 9 at the Omni William Penn hotel with keynote speaker Michael McGarry, chairman and CEO of PPG; A June 7 sem-
ART AND MUSIC OPEN HOUSE
APRIL 27—The Community College of Allegheny County will host an Art and Music Open House, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at West Hall, directly across from the Foerster Student Services Center, 800 Ridge Avenue, North Side. Attendees can explore the Art, Music and Theatre departments, as well as the state-of-theart equipment housed in CCAC’s newly-renovated and historic West Hall. The open house will be followed by a show of student artwork in the gallery, as well as vocal, instrumental and theatrical performances by students.
CANDIDATES FORUM
APRIL 27—The Black Political Empowerment Project along with the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh, the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, the Western PA Black Political Assembly and the Pittsburgh Justice Collaborative will host a Candidates Forum beginning at 5:30 p.m at The First Unitarian Church, 605 Morewood Avenue near Ellsworth Avenue. All three mayoral candidates are expected as are all six candidates for Common Pleas court. Television personalities Lynne Hayes Freeland and Chris Moore will moderate the forum.
SILENT VIGIL AGAINST RACISM
DORIS CARSON WILLIAMS inar on “How to do Business With ALCOSAN;” And the June 16 PowerBreakfast featuring Dollar Bank President James McQuade.
APRIL 28—The YWCA Greater Pittsburgh will host its 10th annual Stand Against Racism vigil, from 11 am. to 2 p.m. outside its offices at 305 Wood Street, Downtown. This year’s focus is “Equity in positions of leadership.” The
public is welcome to join YWCA staffers and volunteers wearing T-shirts and holding signs declaring “I’m with YWCA. I Stand Against Racism.” Register online at standagainstracism.org.
IDENTITY THEFT SHRED EVENT
APRIL 29—A free shredding event is being sponsored by the Pennsylvania AARP to help residents protect themselves from identity theft by safely and securely destroying confidential documents. The event will be held at the Century III Mall lower level parking lot, in West Mif in, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is part of Operation Stop Scams.
BENEFIT GOLF OUTING
MAY 1—Lighthouse Cathedral and A For The People Institute will host a Golf Outing and Scholarship Fundraiser to benefit the children of the Wilkinsburg massacre victims, starting at 9 a.m. with a banquet to follow at 4 p.m., at Green Oak Country Club, 5701 Third St., Verona. Event includes a hole-in-one contest, lunch and dinner. For information on packages, sponsorships and donations, call 412-535-0040.
CANDIDATES FORUM
MAY 3—The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western PA will host a Candidates Forum, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Rivers Club in Oxford Center, Downtown. Mayoral, City Council District 4 and County Council candidates will attend. New Pittsburgh Courier Editor and Publisher Rod Doss will serve as moderator.
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Arlinda Moriarty proclaims her innocence against charges MORIARTY FROM A1
bank accounts belonging to Moriarty, her sister Daynelle Dickins and five of Moriarty’s companies while it continues a criminal investigation. That request was granted by U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon. She also authorized a search warrant for Moriarty’s main offices at Moriarty Consulting Services that was executed by multiple federal and state agencies. Moriarty has denied the charges, and after Bissoon rescinded the banking account freeze, Moriarty spoke exclusively with New Pittsburgh Courier reporter Diane I. Daniels. Moriarty said the accusations are untrue and that—while her company, MCI, can again conduct business—they
have damaged the company’s reputation in the industry and are costing it money. “People are bailing out of contracts because everything being reported is alleged,” Moriarty told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “The definition of alleged is doubtful, suspected or supposed.” What has been alleged in the government’s filings is that a former employee, identified only as “Witness A,” had provided information detailing MCI and related companies it said are controlled by Moriarty: •Billing PA Medicaid for services it did not provide, falsifying records to support the claim •The existence of fictitious “ghost employees”
who purportedly delivered services, and •The existence of 80 recipients who did not receive services that were billed for. Supporting filings note that MCI billed PA Medicaid for 162 hours of service provided by “Attendant W.” However, travel documents indicate Attendant W was on a cruise at the time. Other records indicate the company billed for personal assistance services, transportation and emergency response provided to recipients after the dates of their deaths. The government further notes that 16 bank accounts to which either Moriarty alone, or along with her sister are signatories, are “tainted” by funds derived from the fraud. By
extension, the government claims, payments made from those accounts on personal purchases, car loans and/or mortgages, are also tainted—meaning those assets can be attached, if need be, to pay back any judgement. Moriarty said if there was any fraud, neither she nor her sister had any part in it. “First of all, my sister is not my business partner and she does not work in the company,” Moriarty said. “Neither of us are involved with billing, payroll, staffing or anything like that. I hire billers, the people that do the payroll and billing are employees, not relatives.” She said she doesn’t have anything to do with the day-to-day operation
of MCI and its associated firms, which are there to handle specific tasks, like billing. “I am an everyday tangible CEO, I don’t directly oversee any of the things that are being pointed toward me. I am not in charge of the billers, staffers and don’t even deal directly with my caregivers, nor do I have direct contact with my consumers.” When asked how the media found out about the FBI’s plans to confiscate company records, Moriarty said she feels a consultant and staff member within her company notified them and has been sharing information with authorities. “Everything is being investigated,” she said. “I need to know if someone in
the company is committing fraud because this is where the problem is coming from. I need people to know I am innocent.” Moriarty said she has worked hard for her success and earned the expensive cars, homes and accolades that have resulted. She said she has tried to use her success to inspire people and empower women. “How can I be in the community accepting awards, being on TV, sitting on panels with the former Secretary of Labor and being a philanthropist if I was doing things I am being accused of,” she said. “My request is that when people read or hear things in the news that they be fair and to wait and find out the truth.”
Tensions rise, tempers flare at Woodland Hills board meeting
Hundreds swarmed the Woodland Hills school board meeting April 19 to protest the 5-4 vote in the affirmative to make Kevin Murray, second from right, the school’s head football coach. Murray, who also is principal, was secretly recorded making verbal threats to a Woodland Hills High School student in November 2016. The board cleared him of all charges. To get the full story, including reaction from local residents and the exclusive New Pittsburgh Courier video from inside the board meeting, visit newpittsburghcourier.com
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APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
P-NORC Poll: Black teens most active on social media apps by Errin Haines Whack
Associated Press Writer
Teenagers and their technology are inseparable, but a new poll shows Black teens are the most likely to have access to smartphones—which could explain why they’re the biggest and most frequent users of mobile-friendly social media apps Snapchat and Instagram. A survey released April 20 by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research explored teens’ social media use and its relationship to race and class. The poll found that nearly 9 in 10 Black teenagers use Snapchat, compared with just over 7 in 10 Whites. And 4 in 10 Black teens report using Snapchat almost constantly, compared with about 2 in 10 White teens. A third of Black teens say they use Instagram almost constantly, compared with about 1 in 5 White teens who responded similarly.
“They’re first-movers, in many ways,” said Amanda Lenhart, the lead researcher on the poll, whose work has focused on teenagers and social media use. “It speaks to the level of embeddedness of the technology in Black youth’s lives and their willingness to move into new platforms more quickly than their counterparts.” Overall, teens with access to a smartphone are more likely to use Instagram than those without one—80 percent compared with 37 percent. The same is true for Snapchat, 79 percent compared with 40 percent. Just 6 percent of the 13 to 17 year-olds in the study said they don’t use any of the common social media platforms. Among all teens, the poll shows three-quarters use Instagram and Snapchat, more than the two-thirds who say they use Facebook.
And while texting is still the way 9 in 10 teens send short messages, 4 in 10 also use a messaging app, such as Kik, WhatsApp, Skype or Facebook Messenger. Thirty-four percent of Black teens surveyed responded that they use three or more messaging apps, compared with 20 percent of White teens. More than 9 in 10 Black teens—95 percent—have access to a smartphone, compared with 89 percent of Whites and 86 percent of Hispanics. While this may make them savvier on social media and messenger apps, the technology could be a handicap in education or employment, especially for teens who don’t have access to other types of devices. Lower-income teens are less likely to have tablets or traditional desktop computers, which cost more and
can make tasks like writing a paper, doing homework or filling out a job application easier. The poll shows that older teens are more likely to be frequent users of Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and are also especially likely to have access to a smartphone. Hope Wright only uses her iPhone for social media —never her laptop, which she uses only for schoolwork. She said she only sends texts to friends and family. And the Wilmington, North Carolina, eighth-grader said that even when she is on Snapchat or Instagram, she’s mostly lurking and doesn’t post often. “I don’t actually want to have a lot of social media,” said Wright, 14. “I’ve heard a lot of things happen that I want to avoid. Some people use it to make friends, but I don’t. I make them in person.” The AP-NORC poll of 790 teenagers age 13-17 was conducted online and by phone Dec. 7-31, 2016.
Black Caucus analyzes civil rights in the Trump era at forum by Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor
As lawmakers, community stakeholders and activists protest against current White House policies, members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) hosted a summit on the future of civil rights under the Trump Administration. There was no shortage of blunt talk during the panel discussion, which lasted nearly two hours. White House policies on police reform, education, voting and immigration were discussed in detail. “In my humble opinion the greatest threat to civil rights is the current administration,” said Roy Austin, the former director of the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity under the Obama Administration. “In record time, the current administration has not only shown a willingness to not defend civil rights, but also an intent to violate civil rights, and at a minimum, an attempt to make it easier for others to violate civil rights.”
Austin continued: “No marginalized group…is safe from what the current administration has already done or appears to be planning to do. Everything we have fought for, and some have died for, is at risk.” Others on the panel echoed the same views on a variety of issues from the “Muslim travel ban” to police reform. President Donald Trump’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recently, ordered a review of all the police reform agreements in what will likely be the beginning of decreased federal oversight by the Department of Justice on police departments. The two-page memo was an order to review the oversight decisions by the Department of Justice during the Obama Administration. A Washington Post study in 2016 revealed that in 2015 Blacks were shot and killed by police at 2.5 times the rate of Whites. “The backstop that has been the civil rights enforcement of the federal government is no more,” said Catherine Lhamon,
the chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. On March 22, seven members of the CBC met with President Trump and handed him the report titled, “We Have A Lot To Lose: Solutions to Advance Black Families in the 21st Century.” They challenged him on issues of policing, economics, jobs and education and how federal policies impact Black communities. A week before their meeting, another Black Caucus members, Baltimore Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) met with President Trump to talk about prescription drug prices and also challenged him on the way he has repeatedly linked Black communities with mayhem and violence. Also joining the forum were Gavin Grimm, plaintiff in the transgender rights case, Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board; Ron Davis, the former Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the Department of Justice; Chief Hassan Aden, member of the steering committee for Law Enforcement Lead-
ers to Reduce Crime and Incarceration and former Chief of Police of the Greenville Police Department; Chiraag Bains, a senior fellow at Harvard Law School Criminal Justice Policy Program; and Joe Rich, the co-director of the Fair Housing and Community Development Project for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The Capitol Hill forum was hosted by Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-La.). Reps. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Al Lawson (D-Fla.) also attended. Members of the CBC have become some of the most persistent critics of President Trump since his inauguration in January. (Lauren Victoria Burke is a political analyst who speaks on politics and African American leadership. She is also a frequent contributor to the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA.com. Connect with Lauren by email at LBurke007@gmail. com and on Twitter at @LVBurke.)
LIFESTYLES New Pittsburgh Courier
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APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
www.newpittsburghcourier.com
Debbie Norrell
Lifestyles Report
Sugar sugar
Just as I was taking a sip of my sugary sweet decaf coffee, an email popped up from one of my health sites at work. The subject line said it was time for a breakup with sugar. Oh no, not the deadly sugar. It looked like a good article and the focus was to decrease your sugar intake to 25 grams or less per day. It said that sugar is toxic to our cells and it is related to a lot of health issues like diabetes, dementia, weight gain, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. They went on to say that sugar is evil and put the word evil in big black letters. Not only did they say sugar is evil, they said it is also sneaky. Wow, sneaky and evil, can it get any worse? They reminded us that sugar goes by a lot of other names like high fructose corn syrup, Agave nectar, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, dehydrated cane juice, fructose, glucose and honey. OMG! Not the honey. I know so many people that replace sugar with honey, and they think the browner the sugar the better it is for you. After reading this, I don’t think that’s the case. The article said, if sugar were a brand new item, it would be banned by the FDA because it is that addictive. Your body has two options with sugar; it can burn it for energy, or convert it to fat and store it in your fat cells. Don’t worry, everyone, there is hope. After all of the bad things that sugar can do, numerous tips were offered on how to decrease our intake and you know I have to share them with you. Here are some of the suggestions: Eat every three or four hours to keep away cravings, always read food labels, look at the grams of sugar as well as for added sugars; Make sure to get non-dairy alternatives, like almond milk, that are unsweetened; Use olive oil and vinegar for salad dressing rather than low-fat vinaigrettes, which typically have added sugar; Opt for fresh or frozen fruit, when you can, versus dried or canned; Always keep a bag of raw nuts on hand so you have something good to snack on if you get hungry; Replace granola bars with raw nuts, seeds and a little bit of dried fruit; Pick one night to be dessert night, instead of having a dessert every night; Order a plain latte and add cinnamon, cocoa or vanilla powder; And, most importantly, don’t eat when stressed or sad—instead, take a deep breath or go outside. Breathing engages relaxation, while sunlight boosts levels of serotonin, evoking feelings of happiness. The one recommendation that really surprised me was “don’t eat cereal, ever, instead choose eggs, sausage or plain full fat Greek yogurt.” I read a lot of labels, but I need to read them even more. Let’s all get down to 25 grams a day or less. (Email Debbie at debbienorrell@aol.com)
MR. ELK—Joseph Horton, Carmin Butler and Audrey L. Harris-Smith
MS. ELK—Theresa Hendricks, Corliss A. Lewis, Ms. Elk, and Regina Purvis
L Mve conquers all by Debbie Norrell Lifestyles Editor
With a theme of “Love Conquers All,” Bon Ami Temple #49 celebrated their Annual Honoring Awards Dance Banquet on March 25, at the Comfort Inn Hotel in Penn Hills. With Char Biggs making a return appearance as the emcee that sings, guests enjoyed an evening of dining, dancing and honoring entrepreneurs and members of Elkdom. One of the 2017 honorees included Tina Hinton, owner of Rough and Final Clean-
THE LADIES OF BON-AMI TEMPLE #49 (Photos by Debbie Norrell)
MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES—Char Biggs
ing. Hinton’s award was twofold; entrepreneur and community involvement. She developed her own business and is also behind 50 and Fabulous, a great group of ladies that travel the globe and host exciting events. Hinton’s profile was read by Jacqueline Graham and the award was presented by Daughter Gwendolyn Starr. In
GOOD BROTHER—Kenneth Prince with presenter Mike Ferguson.
GREETINGS—Dorothea Paniel, chairperson
the audience to support Hinton were numerous members of her family and friends. Along with Hinton, Bon Ami Temple recognized Brother Joseph Horton, past presiding exalted ruler, Northside Lodge #124, as Mr. Elk and Daughter Corliss A. Lewis, past presiding daughter ruler, Mosiwidael Temple #38, as Ms. Elk. The Good Brother and Good Daugh-
ter award were presented by Marge Wright Eubanks, past grand daughter ruler. The 2017 Good Brother was Kenneth Prince of Northside Lodge and the 2017 Good Daughter, Rosie L. Jones of Bon Ami Temple. Bon Ami is a French- English word that means “good friend.” Guests closed out the evening with dessert and dancing to DJ Ty-Ty.
WELCOME—Theresa Hendricks and Paul Cabell
ENTREPRENEUR AWARD HONOREE—Gwendolyn Starr, awardee Tina Hinton and Jacqueline Graham
ENTERTAINER New Pittsburgh Courier
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APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
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Netflix’s ‘Chewing Gum’ season 2 a must-watch
Cover To Cover
‘Jake the Fake Keeps It Real’
by Merecedes J. Howze For New Pittsburgh Courier
by Terri Schlichenmeyer For New Pittsburgh Courier
You got this. You know what’s up. You’ve been schooled and you know how things work, how it is, how it goes down. You can do it, no problem. You got this—except when, as in the new book, “Jake the Fake Keeps It Real” by Craig Robinson and Adam Mansbach, art by Keith Knight, you don’t. Jake Liston plays the piVICTORIA WATFORD is a standout ballerina for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. (Photos Courtesy Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre) ano. But he really doesn’t. He made people think he does, though, just so he could get into the Music and Art Academy, a magnet school for creative kids. His older sister, Lisa, goes there so Jake’s parents thought he should, too, but Lisa is cool, smart, beautiful, kind, and
Living Her Dream
Ballerina Victoria Watford a star with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
by Genea L. Webb For New Pittsburgh Courier
talented…and Jake is not. Actually, Jake is cool. A guy has to be cool to fake a piano recital with a simple song he knows by heart, and fool a board of admissions. But talented? He’s only talented at faking everything, and nobody gets good grades doing that. You can make friends by making things up, but you don’t get A’s. Or maybe you do: Jake’s best friend, Evan (who is talented at basketball), pointed out that grades aren’t all that important at MAA; even Mr. Allen, Jake’s homeroom teacher basically ignores them. Creativity, however? That’s very important, which means that Jake could be himself (weird, in other words) and ace all of sixth grade. And so the next day, Jake goes to school and tells everyone to call him “The Dentist,” for no reason at all. He makes eggs out of garbage and glue, and starts a fake band with no instruments. He fakes assignments, and he has a whole list of possible weirdness he could fake if he needs to fake more. Unfortunately, there was one thing that was not on the list: the end-of-year talent show. The show that every single student at MAA has to participate in. The show that Jake is not prepared to do: five minutes on a stage, performing for a huge audience. And that is something Jake could never fake… Any way you cut it, there isn’t a lot of seriousness here. Authors Robinson and Mansbach really know how to tickle a kid’s funny-bone with a story of a school full of chaos that masquerades as creativity, and a boy who takes full advantage of it. Even Jake’s teachers and friends will make your child LOL because of their totally natural but totally weird personalities. Of course, there’s a subtle lesson here, too: Jake’s experiences teach your kids that being themselves is always correct, and that everybody has something they do best. (“Jake the Fake Keeps It Real” by Craig Robinson, Adam Mansbach, art by Keith Knight, c.2017, Crown Books for Young Readers, $13.99/138 pages)
While most little girls think of Wonder Woman or Xenia Warrior Princess when they think of superheroes, Victoria Watford saw the lithe and graceful ballerina as her Superwoman. “It was really fun to see this super girly little girl with the pink tutu and the point shoes and the costumes, and also seeing the bigger girls with their beautiful costumes, point shoes and tiaras and all that fun stuff,” said Watford, a South Euclid, Ohio native who has been dancing for 17 years. When Watford hit her early teen years, her parents asked her if she wanted to dedicate her life to the rigorous regimen that becoming a ballerina required. Watford immediately answered in the affirmative. “I told them that I loved it, so they talked to my artistic
VICTORIA WATFORD director at the Cleveland School of Dance where I was taking lessons and she said, ‘she needs to be auditioning for summer intensives and going away for the summer,’” Watford recalled. “It turns out I had missed almost all of the auditions except for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. I did that audition and I got in and I came here for the summer and I fell in love! “It was so different,” Watford said. “Cleveland is so small—especially during the time that I was growing up—it wasn’t much of a city. Pittsburgh was a city and it had a huge ballet company and you could see the company members taking classes, and there were several different teachers and five classes a day. It was so different but I loved it,” she said. Watford instantly knew she had found a home in the Steel City and returned each summer for five years
of Harlem has been a very diverse company with dancers from around the world and also of many different ethnicities. It’s the notion that ballet belongs to everyone.” With five works in each independent program, audiences got to see dances from choreographers Robert Garland and Glen Tetley and music from Aretha Franklin, James Brown and Pittsburgh’s own Billy Strayhorn. Each company performed signatures from its own collection and collaborated on the mesmerizing “Black Swan Pas de Deux.” “I knew about Dance Theatre of Harlem. it was always in the back of my mind, ‘oh there’s a company of dancers who look just like me,’ but ever since the 2016-2017 season premiered, all anyone could talk about was the Dance Theatre of Harlem coming here. But it didn’t set in for me that there were going to be all these dancers around who look like me until we had our first class together,” Watford said. “I was blown away and I was like, ‘I want to spend as much time as possible with all of you.’” Watford will perform in productions like “The Nutcracker” and “Swan Lake” during the Theatre’s 20172018 season. For a complete list of upcoming Theatre events, visit www.pbt.org. Watford said she learned many valuable lessons from the Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers. “I learned that there’s so much out there and the way they dance is so beautiful and fluid,” she said. “I also learned that this—the city of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre—is my place. When they were leaving, they told me, ‘you belong here. This is great for you.’ It was like reassurance that I’m where I need to be.”
While the “Netflix and Chillers” ran to the couch for the second part of “The Get Down,” I chose to kick my weekend off binge watching the second season of Michaela Coel’s “Chewing Gum,” which was just released this month. It is the best TV show not on regular TV. The original Netflix series can easily be compared to HBO and Issa Rae’s “Insecure.” “Chewing Gum” is basically the U.K. version of “Insecure,” but not quite. Both shows hold the same quality of comedy, cleverness and Black Girl Magic. However, I’m slightly more intrigued by the awkwardness of lead character Tracey Gordon, played by Coel. Coel, who serves as writer and creator for the show, is brilliant. She’s a strange
Merecedes on…
TV shows
sensation in her quest to find herself as Tracey. Her idea of comedy is advanced and much appreciated. Coel, 29, wrote all six episodes of this season and it’s evident. In each episode, there’s a huge catastrophic problem that she manages to make entertaining. She transforms into Tracey, who is awkward, quirky, and naive. From being homeless to exploring sexuality, Coel tackles the issues of VICTORIA WATFORD all young women and makes humor the scapegoat. before joining the Pitts- times with Pittsburgh BalThe cast includes more unburgh Ballet Graduate Pro- let Theatre came when she familiar thespians like Robgram in 2014. She joined got the chance to perform ert Lonsdale, Susie Wokoma, the Pittsburgh Ballet The- with the Dance Theatre of Danielle Isaie, and Shola atre as a Corps de Ballet Harlem when it collaboratAdewusi. But, each actor is ballerina this year. ed with the Pittsburgh Balhilarious in their own way. “Victoria is a beautiful let Theatre this past March. The math is simple. For girl,” said Pittsburgh BalThe mixed-repertoire second season attempts, let Theatre artistic director program marked the Pitts“Chewing Gum” is greater Terrence Orr. “She’s a beau- burgh Ballet Theatre’s firstthan “The Get Down.” tiful dancer. We have a very known collaboration with “The Get Down” broke the diverse company—dancers another professional comInternet when Netflix refrom seven different coun- pany. Each performance leased part one in August tries at this point. I look for celebrated the diversity, 2016. But, months later, part people who are gifted in our talent and style of Ameritwo was released, and I was art form. Victoria is a new can ballet. not impressed. Questions addition from our school “When Arthur Mitchell were answered and closure and she’s just beautiful.” founded the Dance Theatre was imminent, but the series, Since joining the Pitts- of Harlem in 1969, he realwhich has a Hip-Hop base, burgh Ballet Theatre fam- ly wanted to create a way failed to keep the thrill alive. ily, Watford has performed for people to look at the As the number of songs in mainstage productions of art form of classical ballet lessened, consequently, so “The Sleeping Beauty,” “The in a new way,” said Dance did the value of the stoNutcracker,” “Beauty and Theatre of Harlem artistic ryline. It was no longer the Beast,” “Western Sym- director Virginia Johnson. about The Get Down Brothphony,” “Peter Pan,” and on “One of the things that he ers and the origin of Hiptour at the 2015 Chicago was trying to bring to this Hop, rather it was a compiDancing Festival in “Sand- art form was the idea of lation of politics and drugs. paper Ballet.” inclusion. From the very “The Get Down” got suBut her most exciting beginning, Dance Theatre per weird and lost focus of the initial attraction, Hip Hop. The worst part of it all was the cartoons. I’ve never been a fan of any TV show or movie that switched from real life to cartoons. “Space Jam” (1996) and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988), although classics in some respects, are clear examples of the distorted transition in technology with live action and animation. The recent explosion of Black culture in TV has been phenomenal. Five years ago, I struggled to find something to watch consistently. Times have changed. There’s “Chewing Gum,” “Insecure,” “Blackish,” “Underground,” “The Carmichael Show,” and Power.” I’m here for all of it! But ONE CAN SEE Victoria Watford, left, in action in the upcoming 2017-2018 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre for starters, check out “Chewseason. ing Gum.” It’s a must-watch.
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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
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‘The Josh Gibson Story’—When baseball and opera converge Opera celebrates the life of Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords superstar by C. Denise Johnson For New Pittsburgh Courier
In a truly unusual pairing, Pittsburgh Opera chose to meld two art forms into one historic work of art: Negro League Baseball and opera. Odd? Not really. The National Negro Opera Company (1941-1962) was based in Homewood, a more than significant notation in Pittsburgh’s Black music heritage. And when discussing the Negro Leagues, one must factor in Pittsburgh and the only player to meet (and surpass) the accomplishments of Babe Ruth is a son of Pittsburgh—Josh Gibson, who played with the Homestead Grays (1930-31) and Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-36). “The Summer King: The Josh Gibson Story” is the first world premiere in Pittsburgh Opera’s 78-year existence. It also benefits from 2017 marking the centennial of the slugger’s demise. Presented with the blessings of the Josh Gibson Foundation, the opera traces the life of “The Black Babe Ruth.” “The Summer King” originated as a collaboration of composer Daniel Sonenberg and librettist Daniel Nester in 2003, as part of the American Opera Projects’ “Composer and the Voice” series. The series develops and presents innovative works of opera and music theatre and engages audiences in the creative process. “The Summer King” is ready for its first performance as a full-fledged operatic work and features the talents of Alfred Walker as Josh Gibson and the internationally-acclaimed soprano Denyce Graves in her Pittsburgh Opera debut. Sean Gibson, great-grandson of the legendary catcher, gave a thumbs-up to the man who plays Josh. “I think the choice of Alfred Walker to play Josh Gibson is excellent,” he said. “I’ve met him several times, and he has said he is personally honored to be chosen for this role. He is a sports fan, so he is enthusiastic from both a historical content and the opportunity to play a true sports hero.” Graves was only vaguely familiar with the Negro Leagues beyond the Ken Burns documentary and less about Grace, Gibson’s paramour and principal supporter. It’s part of why Graves feels a sense of responsibility to the role. “I feel an ownership in portraying Grace,” she said. Her sense of ownership also comes from experience. Graves originated the role of Margaret Garner in the same-titled opera in 2005 (Garner’s real life story provided the basis for Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”). Sean Panniker shares that sense of responsibility. He portrays Pittsburgh Courier reporter Wendell Smith and he’s done his homework. “Smith’s backstory includes some meaningful issues. He pitched a shutout for West Virginia University and was scouted by the Tigers,” Panniker said. Smith ultimately changed lanes and began writing about the injustices in professional sports. Smith would stage workouts to showcase the players. He also polled Major League players, eager to test their skills against the Negro League. But, Panniker said, the team owners were less than enthused. Panniker also shared Smith’s connection to Jackie Robinson’s debut in the Majors in 1947. Robinson couldn’t stay in the same hotel with his teammates, so Smith would share his room with Robinson on
road trips. “My family and I are thrilled to have Josh Gibson recognized for his life on and off the baseball field in this non-traditional form,” Sean Gibson said. “There are very few operas about sports, and fewer with all-Black cast members in the major roles.” Additionally, the opera will raise the profile of the Josh Gibson Foundation. “We are hoping that the publicity and community awareness generated by the opera will bring attention to the foundation and our many youth programs,” said Sean, who is also executive director of CAST— Alfred Walker, Denyce Graves and Sean Pannikar star in ‘The Josh Gibson Story’ at the Benedum Center. (Photo Courtesy Pittsthe Josh Gibson Founda- burgh Opera) tion. “The Summer King: The Josh Gibson Story” will be sung in English with English subtitles projected above the stage. If you’re new to opera, think of it as a live-action music video. And you can also witness a rarity in opera: a predominately-multicultural cast with African Americans in the major roles.
“The Summer King: The Josh Gibson Story” Where: Benedum Center When: April 29, May 2, May 5, May 7 Tickets: Call 412-456-6666, www.pittsburghopera.org
(Tickets are available for its four-performance run at the Benedum Center, April 29, May 2, 5 and 7. For the May 7 show, the 3 p.m. performance will feature some sports icons in non-singing roles such as Al Oliver, Sean Casey, Charlie Batch and Franco Harris. A reception highlighting the Josh Gibson Story will be held at the August Wilson Center, May 7, from 6 to 8 pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 412-456-6666 or visit www.pittsburghopera.org.)
ALFRED WALKER AS JOSH GIBSON
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APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
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Church Circuit BIBLE SCHOOL PLANNING SESSION
APRIL 28—The Harty Bible School Alumni Association’s Spring Planning Session will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Christian Tabernacle Harty Bible School, 2601 Centre Ave., Hill District. Executive positions are open to be filled by Harty Alumni. Please share your gifts, talents, anointing, and learning with this new generation of students waiting to be led and fed by anointed leaders of Harty Bible school. Light refreshments will be available. For more information, call 412-216-5217.
LADIES AFTERNOON TEA
APRIL 29—God’s Re-Creation Christian Center, 1028 Fawcett St., McKeesport, will host a Ladies Afternoon Tea at 1:30 p.m. at Circleville Volunteer Fire Department Banquet Hall, 129 Robbins Station Rd., North Huntingdon. The theme is “Fill My Cup Lord.” It’s a time of fun, fellowship and sharing with sisters in Chris. For more information and tickets, call 724396-4542 or www.picatic.com/ GRCCLadiestea.
BRADDOCK COMMUNITY MALE CHORUS
APRIL 30—Braddock Community Male Chorus presents “Spring Fling,” a concert featuring the Chorus at 4 p.m. at Living Waters Ministry, 736 Washington St., Braddock. For more information, call 412-918-9976 or 412-8186819.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH ANNIVERSARY
APRIL 30—First Baptist Church of Bridgeville, 665 Bower Hill Rd., will observe its 114th Church Anniversary, at 11 a.m. during the worship service. Guest Preacher Rev. Anita Lovell, pastor of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Canonsburg, will be accompanied by her Praise Team and two choirs. Host pastor Rev. Tony Armstead’s theme for 2017 is “Walking in the Supernatural Favor of God.” For more information, call 412-221-6388.
FAITH CENTER HEALTH FAIR
MAY 6—Faith Center Church of God in Christ, 44 May ower St., East Liberty, presents a Community Health Fair, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be a cookout, free health screenings, and information from health professionals. The public is invited to this free community event. For more information, call 412-361-5685.
SECOND BAPTIST HEALTH FAIR
MAY 6—Second Baptist Church, 108 W. 12th Ave, Homestead, is hosting a free Health Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the church, following the Annual Sickle Cell Walk. There will be free giveaways, health education, blood pressure and other screenings. Sponsored by the Brainstorming Committee and the Nurses Ministry of Second Baptist Church. All are welcome. For more information, call 412461-8235.
YOUTH GIVING GOD PRAISE
MAY 6—Bethlehem Baptist Church, 716 Walnut St., McKeesport, invites you to Youth Giving God Praise, at 6 p.m. at the church. Youth from various area churches will be singing and performing. There will be refreshments, prizes and other surprises. For more information, call 412-316-5590.
LUNCHEON AND HAT SHOW
MAY 20—Mount Olive Baptist Church, 330 Fourth Ave., Rankin, invites you to their annual Luncheon and Hat show, “Somebody Touched Me,” at the church, from noon to 3 p.m. Donation is $20. The guest preacher is Rev. Brenda Gregg of Destiny of Faith Church in Pittsburgh. For more information, call 412627-2281.
MOUNT CARMEL SPRING REVIVAL
MAY 13—Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 90 Port Perry Rd., North Versailles, invites you to their Spring Revival, at 7 p.m. nightly. The guest preacher will be Rev. Dr Alyn E Waller, of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia. For more information, call 412-823-2841.
I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WEDNESDAYS IN JUNE— Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, 2001 Wylie Avenue, Hill District, presents “I believe in Miracles,” a four-part sermon series preached by pastor Vincent K. Campbell. The event occurs each Wednesday evening in June from 7 to 8 p.m. at the church. A free community meal will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Get plugged in each Wednesday in June for an hour of prayer. For more information, call 412-281-6583.
APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
‘Tayler’ made for success IUP freshman named Pittsburgh Promise Executive Scholar by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Tayler Kirkland, like many women, loves babies. But Kirkland loves them so much, she wants to make it a profession delivering them. “I’ve always liked biology or the human body and development, and I really want to be an obstetrician because I love babies,” Kirkland told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “It’s kind of hard to explain why I want to be that, but it’s always been one of my goals.” The 2016 Pittsburgh CAPA graduate and current Indiana University of Pennsylvania freshman was recently named a Pittsburgh Promise Executive Scholar for Giant Eagle. She is featured on a billboard along Allegheny River Blvd. The Executive Scholars program matches Promise scholars with Pittsburgh companies who have provided unprecedented support to the Promise. Among those companies are UPMC, American Eagle Outfitters, Highmark, Giant Eagle, PNC and BNY Mellon. The opportunity to be named among the scholars offers invaluable connections and relationships, which could serve as a pipeline for internships and eventual employment. Executive Scholars of the Pittsburgh Promise are chosen by academic performance in high school with a 3.5 GPA or above, commitment to community, demonstrated leadership skills and dedication to education and their field of study, ac-
cording to data provided by the Pittsburgh Promise. Forty-five students are chosen out of a field of hundreds. Kirkland, 19, has volunteered at numerous area functions. She has assisted with gardening in Homewood, and partnered with Nabhi Christian Ministries on coat drives and other positive events. “She spent many years working in the church’s outreach department, assisting children victimized or exposed to drugs, violence and other harsh environments, and volunteering at annual toys and coat drives for needy children,” said Jacque Fielder, executive director of Nabhi Christian Ministries. “Before Tayler went to college, she was a faithful member and volunteer at Nabhi Christian Ministries. Tayler has always been very serious and is a very mature and focused young adult.” “Since I was 6 years old, my mom always told us to always give back,” Kirkland said. “When I’m doing the coat drive that I do annually, a lot of the kids come up to me and say thank you, or thank you for the toys.” Kirkland, a psychology major with a minor in biolo-
ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH Crawford & Centre Ave. Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141
METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH 22 Sampsonia Street, Northside Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412-231-2554 FAX 412-231-6395 Rev. Lacy F. Richardson, Ph.D., Pastor Church School.................................9:30 A.M. Worship Service.................8:00 & 10:45 A.M. Bible Study/ Prayer Wednesday...................6:30/7:30 P.M. www.metropolitanbaptistchurch.com metropolitanbaptist2224@gmail.com
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 116 S. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206
www.cathedralofhope.com
TAYLER KIRKLAND gy, said more people her age should volunteer their time. “There’s not a lot of stuff to do in Pittsburgh for teenagers and that’s how they get in trouble, so being a part of organizations or volunteering anywhere will help with curbing violence and getting kids off the street,” she said. As a sophomore next fall, Kirkland will become a community assistant at IUP—also known as resident assistants in dormitories. In effect, she’s singing the same tune—helping other students, many who will be incoming freshmen,
by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
ZAINAB ADISA artists and writers.” “I really like the literary arts program here (at CAPA) because we’re introduced to a range of different genres and you can
Praise & Worship
Mass Sunday 9:00 A.M. & 12:00 P.M. Sunday (Gospel Choir Mass) 12:00 P.M. www.stbtmchurch.org
navigate the waters of college life. As a freshman this year, she experienced those same ups and downs. “It was kind of stressful but I got through it, the transition from high school to being on your own, doing everything on your own,” she said. Kirkland’s advice to those graduating seniors heading to college in the fall: “I would look at organizations to get involved in, because once you have a lot of friends to help you out with school and stuff…just being a part of the community in college will help you out.”
CAPA’s Zainab Adisa awarded writing scholarship Back “in the day,” as the hip kids say, Zainab Adisa’s siblings were into technology and math. But Adisa enjoyed writing. She then became a student at Pittsburgh CAPA, and the rest, as the older generation says, is history. Adisa, 17, was recently named a national Gold Medal Portfolio recipient in the 2017 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which is the nation’s longest running and most prestigious recognition and scholarship program for teens in creative writing. Adisa was one of 16 high school seniors selected for the honor out of thousands of nationwide entries. As part of the award, Adisa will be awarded a $10,000 cash scholarship. “The writing program (at CAPA) has really grown and I’ve become such a good writer,” Adisa told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “I feel like my writing has definitely come a long way.” Adisa, who will graduate June 11, said she is still choosing between American University or Susquehanna University for college. Adisa said she wants to double major in international studies and photojournalism, with a minor in Arabic or French. The portfolio that Adisa submitted to the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, which administers the awards, included creative writings in poetry, fiction, non-fiction and dramatic writing. “Our wonder and amazement at the creative output of our country’s youth —and the dedication of our extraordinary educators—never ceases, and this year is no exception,” said Virginia McEnerney, executive director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. “The young people being recognized for the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are to be celebrated for their creative and critical thinking, their bravery in telling their own stories on their own terms, and their inventiveness in recording and recreating their worlds. Watch closely, because among this…are members of the next generation of great American
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experience them all at different times,” Adisa said. “If I had to pick my favorites, I’d probably say playwriting and poetry, and I’ve started dabbling into
non-fiction.” Her writing portfolio, entitled “Who We’ve Become,” included creative writings detailing her personal experiences on race and ethnicity in America, along with the current debate of “What defines an American.” Adisa’s work will be featured in a special exhibition at The New School’s Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute’s Pratt Manhattan Gallery, opening June 2 in New York City. Adisa is also invited to be honored on stage in a special ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. “Seeing your work produced on stage is just one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced,” Adisa said. Adisa, whose extended family is from West Africa, said that “everyday conversations (with them) gives me ideas and makes me want to explore more.” And Adisa said her teachers and overall experience at CAPA have been very beneficial. “At (Pittsburgh) Dillworth (elementary), I was introduced to it, whereas CAPA was where I really gained the tools I needed to become a writer.”
Journey Worship........8:45 a.m. Sanctuary Worship........11 a.m.
New Destiny CME Church 1018 Bidwell St. Pittsburgh, PA 15233 412-231-7882 Rev. Kornelus Neal, pastor The Rt. Rev. Marvin Thomas Sr., presiding bishop Sunday School....................................9 A.M. Morning Worship Service............11:00 A.M.
To have your church included in the Praise & Worship section, contact Ashley Johnson at 412-481-8302 ext. 128 for rates.
Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community! For rate information, call 412481-8302, ext. 128.
In Memory of Kathleen A. Neely You are gone, but never forgotten; forever in our hearts. We miss you sorely. May you continue to rest in peace, our dear friend. From, Your New Pittsburgh Courier Family
We are looking to feature positive youth from our church community. You can mail their bios and photo to:
New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Fax: 412-481-1360
or email: religion@newpittsburghcourier.com
SPORTS New Pittsburgh Courier
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APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
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‘Gravekeepers’ of excellence? Let’s try a new approach, MLB
Brighton Heights youth receive Pirates uniforms
by Aubrey Bruce
For New Pittsburgh Courier
As I watched the recent 2017 MLB Jackie Robinson festivities unfold, one word came to mind. That word was gravekeeper. Gravekeeper is defined in the dictionary as a graveyard attendant. Certain people have again in 2017 acknowledged that Jackie Robinson “leaped” over the hurdle of racism and became the first Black athlete in modern American history to compete at the “professional” level as far as MLB is concerned. But technically, those like Robinson who competed in the Negro Leagues were in fact, professional because they played for pay. Hey, maybe being brownskinned didn’t AUBREY BRUCE cut the mustard as far as excellence goes. This one annual MLB event celebrating Jackie Robinson (April 15 of each year) is just like Black History month, the one month per year that past achievements and accomplishments by African Americans are profiled in the continued fight to remain historically relevant. An April 9, 2013 article written by Tyler Kepner and posted on nytimes.com stated that “only 8.5 percent of the (MLB) players on the 25-man rosters on opening day were African American. Several teams, including the World Series champion San Francisco Giants, had none. The highest percentage of African Americans playing in the majors, according to new research by Mark Armour from the Society of American Baseball Research, was 19 percent in 1986.” “I really think our history is so brilliant when it comes to African Americans,” Selig said in that article. “You think about the late 1940s, the 1950s—wow. And you look at that and you say to yourself, ‘Why did it not continue, and what could we do to make sure it does continue?’” That observation and analysis was more than four years ago and not much, if anything, has changed. Each year we continue to trot out the most astute and illustrious “gravekeepers” we can find to use the “grit” of the past to polish and preserve the tombstones of our great heroes. Black Americans did not follow the “cultural” bouncing ball of baseball and African Americans discontinued the cultural alignment that would have assisted them in indoctrinating Black youth as well. Gold teeth and hip gyrations are not a part of MLB celebrations. The NBA and the NFL have found “ghetto magic” in regards to tapping into the psyche of inner-city youth and using that insight as a brilliant marketing strategy. It is difficult, if not impossible, to market baseball successfully to urban America unless there is a cultural evolution that happens simultaneously. Baseball is a methodical game, almost like a chess game played on grass and dirt. Patience and focus are two of the principal elements. There is no dirty dancing or metal mouth images coming from within or without the dugout. Let’s fast forward to the community’s support of baseball. There are many African Americans that confuse supporting a team and rooting for a team. When an individual “roots” for a team he, she or they may buy a particular team’s merchandise, or go and purchase foodstuffs for a party. They may then gather in front of their TV and cheer for their team. When the same person “supports” a team, they may, along with their friends or co-workers, might say, “Let’s brown bag our lunch for the month of April so that we can purchase a ticket or tickets for the Pirates vs. Reds on July 4.” Now that is support. Planning two months before a game to pay hard-earned money to “attend” a game. What about real support from MLB? Instead of putting tons and tons of resources into short-lived, celebrated Jackie Robinson “Daze” in early April when many people are not very attentive or even aware of the event, why don’t they try something like this… Instead of the corny Home Run Derby during the All-Star week festivities, how about creating four games, five innings each featuring the Afro-American All-Stars vs. the Eurocentric All-Stars? And the Asian All-Stars vs. the Caribbean All-Stars? The winner of each game will meet to ultimately establish the champion. All the proceeds would benefit MLB academies all across America, Europe, the Caribbean and Asia. Make these “celebrations” mean something. As long as we continue to polish tombstones, resurrecting baseball in the inner cities will never be revived or restored.
Inside Conditions
The Pirates and DICK’S Sporting Goods hosted an event at PNC Park debuting the club’s “Future Pirates” uniform program, with the Brighton Heights Athletic Association the first-ever recipients. The “Future Pi-
rates” uniform program is a new partnership between the Pirates and DIC ’S to outfit area youth baseball and softball players with Pirates-branded uniforms for their upcoming season. This year, Brighton Heights will
be the recipient of Pirates-branded uniforms for all their 12U teams, serving approximately 120 youth, a total of 12 teams in three divisions of play. (Photos courtesy Dave Arrigo/Pittsburgh Pirates)
In Memoriam—Pittsburgh’s All-Time greats, gone but not forgotten by Bill Neal For New Pittsburgh Courier
It is, in fact, inevitable. As the folks say, “As sure as you come into this world, you’re going to leave it,” and certainly we expect it and we accept it. That being said, it does seem to be an unusual number of fallen basketball legends from Pittsburgh that have departed us, seemingly much too soon and certainly much too young. Here is a reminder of some of the greats that have gone on to join “The Ultimate Team,” where they play well above the rim forever, and can never foul out. Note: Please forgive me if I have forgotten anyone, and please notify me so that I may put them in the next issue. 1. Kenny Durrett—The Schenley Spartan legend recognized as the greatest player in Western
Pennsylvania history, and voted the greatest player in Pennsylvania Big Five history. A 6 feet 8, he could jump at center, play both power and small forward, and handle the ball like a guard. 2. “Sonny” Lewis—Nathan “Sonny” Lewis, a Schenley grad who played at Pitt and went on to Point Park college where he broke several scoring records and is recognized as Pittsburgh’s greatest vertical leaper. 3. Anthony Rivers—Garfield native out of Peabody High School, recognized as “The Greyhound.” Small in size, mighty otherwise, a Connie Hawkins League 2 time MVP and Hall of Famer. 4. Leroy Freeman—a Westinghouse graduate who was a world class accomplished artist both on and off the court. His paintings were simply outstanding. He played at Pitt and with the New Orleans Jazz. One of Pittsburgh’s all-time greats.
‘THE LEGEND’ NATHAN ‘SONNY’ LEWIS
BUSINESS New Pittsburgh Courier
Genetics or lead? B7
APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
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GOOD JOB—Stellar Awards hosts Joset Wright-Lacy, left, and Valarie J. Cofield, right, recognize Blayre IN THE FOREFRONT—Joset Wright-Lacy and Valarie J. Cofield recognize Murugan Kannan representBritton of CDI Printing with the MBE Partnership award. (Photos by Diane I. Daniels) ing KORYAK with the MBE Forerunner award.
Stellar Awards Luncheon recognizes the best in business by Diane I. Daniels For New Pittsburgh Courier
The word “stellar” is defined as pertaining to a preeminent performer. During the second annual Stellar Awards Luncheon hosted by the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council at the Fairmont Hotel, the EQT Corporation lived up to the meaning of stellar by walking away with five awards. Lance Hyde, supplier diversity manager for EQT, received the Individual Resource Partner award. And EQT won the awards for Organizational Resource Partner, Corporate Best Practice, Corporate Cornerstone and Corporate Forerunner. Thankful to be recognized for his dedication to the growth and development of Minority Businesses Enterprises (MBE), Hyde said it is necessary to work together as one team to achieve the common goal to make Pittsburgh a more inclusive region. Hyde and EQT are committed to continuing the work they must do to support and assist in the success of MBEs and to provide the time or resources to help promote the EMSDC. “We are doing what we truly believe in our hearts—doing the right work, the right way, for the right reasons,” Hyde said. From 2013 to 2015, Hyde won the organization’s Corporate Advocate of the Year award and in 2016 EQT
SERVICE ABOVE AND BEYOND—EMSDC President and CEO Valarie J. Cofield and NMSDC President Joset Wright-Lacy present Suresh Ramanathan and Ron Davis the Alexander Nichols Lifetime Achievement award with Alexander Nichols.
EQT IN THE HOUSE—Joset Wright-Lacy, left, and Valarie J. Cofield, right, thank Diana Charletta, Bradd Maddox, Blue Jenkins and Lance Hyde of the EQT Corporation for their commitment to supplier diversity.
won the Corporate Best Practice and Corporate Leadership Cornerstone awards. Suresh Ramanathan, president and CEO of Pittsburgh-based KORYAK, and Ron Davis, director of diversity and community development of Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, received the Alexander Nichols Lifetime Achievement award. The award is in recognition of their involvement with the EMSDC that goes above and beyond membership or certification status, but also their body of work exemplifying their passion for the advancement of minority businesses. They were also recognized for their longstanding dedication to the advancement of MBEs through promoting certification of MBE participation in organizations or committees that help develop MBEs, and for the number of years advocating for those businesses. Other awardees during the April 18 event were CDI Printing; MBE Partnership award, and KORYAK; MBE Forerunner award. With nearly 300 corporate executives, resource partners, and MBE suppliers in attendance, EMSDC President and CEO Valarie J. Cofield said the audience was a mix of new faces, old friends and longstanding supporters. She explained SEE STELLAR B2
Black fraternities and sororities have the economic clout to power the next Black Renaissance (NNPA)--Remember the scene from “New Jack City” when Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) told Scotty (Ice-T), “This ain’t personal; this is business?” And at the end of the movie, Scotty said to Nino, “This ‘is’ personal,” as he proceeded to give him a beatdown. Well, this article is both personal and business. It’s a call to the Alphas, Omegas, Kappas, Sigmas, Deltas, AKAs, Zetas, Thetas, Iotas, known as the “Divine Nine,” and the fraternity I was apart of back in the 1960’s at North Carolina College at Durham (now North Carolina Central University), “Groove Phi Groove.” The latent collective power within these organizations is mind-boggling. Their members are conscientious, which is demonstrated by their friendship and loyalty to one another. They rally around their members during crises; they support one another when they get married and have children; they work together, locally and nationally, on community projects across this country. They even formed a national collective organization, The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc.; the group’s stated purpose and mission is “Unanimity of thought and action as far as possible in the conduct of Greek letter collegiate fraternities and sororities, and to consider problems of mutual interest to its member organizations.” I especially like the part about “mutual interests.” I know it’s a hard question to
answer, based on our propelling his son’s individualistic and James Clingman company to unimagproprietary approach ined heights by purto solving many of chasing his coffee. In our problems, but case you didn’t know, what are the mutual Jackie Robinson interests among not went to work for a only sororities and coffee company when fraternities, but all he left baseball. Black organizations? On the personal side, Is there one thing Black folks are taking that all of us can and should do together an Ice T beatdown like Wesley Snipes rewithout compromising our various mis- ceived, only ours is an economic beatdown, sions and such? I believe there are sever- much of which we are doing to ourselves by al things we can do together, but reality not supporting one another more than we do tells me that all Black people will never presently. What could be more personal than do any one thing together. So in light of family? Again, one simple solution is for our that reality, we must come up with some- Black sororities and fraternities, compristhing that is simple yet powerful and will ing millions of members around the world, demonstrate our collective resolve, not to take this challenge personally and buy at just to the world, but to ourselves and our least one bag of David Robinson’s coffee, a children. Keep in mind I said, “Simple.” fitting tribute to his father’s legacy. By doing On the business side of things, this is a so, the world would witness a Black-owned call—a challenge—to each member of the company, operating in Africa and the U.S., abovementioned Black, proud, historic, become a billion dollar firm virtually overand venerable organizations to purchase night, all because a group of conscientious at least one bag of Sweet Unity Farms Black folks individually spent a very small Tanzanian Gourmet Coffee. The coffee is amount of money on a Black owned product. grown by family co-ops founded by Jackie A veritable, Black economic renaissance. Robinson’s son, David, twenty years ago. After accomplishing that simple goal, April 15, 2017 was the 70th anniversa- we could repeat it hundreds of times with ry of Jackie Robinson breaking the color other Black companies, thus, creating largbarrier in major league baseball; we can er firms that have so much business they break the economic barrier by collectively would have to hire more employees. In the
Blackonomics
words of the soul singing group, Atlantic Star, “Am I dreaming?” Maybe I am, but it’s a great dream, and I pray it will come true. From what I observe among our social organizations, members of sororities and fraternities are the most conscientious; therefore, I am calling on the Presidents of the Divine Nine to spread the word to their members to take this simple action step toward economic empowerment. In addition, I want all HBCU student associations, Greek Letter organizations, and individual students to insist that their cafeterias serve Sweet Unity Farms Coffee. Now that’s really a no-brainer, isn’t it? As I said, this is both personal and business, and I truly believe that our Black sororities and fraternities can make it happen. With a little bit of money from a lot of people, we can accomplish a very personal and business milestone, one that our youth can look upon as an example of Blacks utilizing our latent power rather allowing it to sit on the shelf and eventually expire. Order your coffee at www.iamoneofthemillion.com (Click on the products tab.) No excuses, y’all. If you don’t drink coffee, give it as a gift to someone who does. C’mon, let’s do this.
(James Clingman is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. His latest book, “Black Dollars Matter! Teach Your Dollars How to Make More Sense,” is available on his website, Blackonomics.com.)
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BUSINESS
APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Advertising guru earns Hall of Fame honor by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier
(NNPA)—Carol H. Williams has been quite busy. The advertising legend and owner of the agency that bears her name, Williams has created ad campaigns for Bank of America, the city of Oakland, General Motors, Pillsbury, Proctor & Gamble and many other household names. When she was notified about her nomination to the Advertising Hall of Fame, which celebrates and honors the legends who have made extraordi-
BUSINESS CALENDAR Training Event
nary contributions to the ad business, Williams kept working. “I didn’t know whether it was real or not,” she said. Williams said that you have to be able to keep life’s trials and life’s rewards in perspective. “Put it behind or in front of you and keep moving forward,” said Williams. “It was really nice and I was honored to be considered for [the Hall of Fame], but I just kept working.” Williams will be inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame (AHOF) during a ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City
APRIL 27—The Duquesne University Small Business Center presents “Before You Sign: Effective Commercial Lease Agreements,” 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Rockwell Hall Room 108, 600 Forbes Avenue, Uptown. Topics include: How to review a commercial lease; How to determine a fair rental rate per square foot; What items are included in the lease as opposed to being the tenants responsibility; What is an Estoppel Agreement, and What is a Punch List. Cost is $25. For more information, call 412-396-1633.
CAROL H. WILLIAMS on Tuesday, April 25. “There was a moment, I was stunned and then the tears came,” Williams said remembering the Hall of Fame call. “It was an unbelievable feeling; then I did my ‘spike and dance’ in the end zone. Williams becomes the first African-American female advertising executive inducted among the nearly 200 honorees in the 67-year history of the AHOF. She will also receive the “David Bell Award for Industry Service,” which recognizes recipients for their extraordinary and unique contributions and service to the advertising community and industry. “The National Newspaper Publishers Association is especially proud to salute the outstanding career achievements of Carol H. Williams,” said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. “No one has done more to impact the advertising industry with innovative genius and market penetration than the iconic Carol H. Williams.” Williams’ career started at the Leo Burnett agency, where during her 13year tenure, she became the first African American woman to serve as creative director and vice president at the company. She followed that by serving for two years as senior vice president at FCB in San Francisco, Calif. It was Williams who came up with one of the most recognized campaigns in advertising history; one she said remains a career highlight. “I think one of the most incredible experiences I had was in 1974 when my boss, Charlie Blakemore, walked up to me and said, ‘I want to ask you to write on something, but I’m afraid you’ll quit.’ I said, ‘I won’t quit,’” Williams said. At the time, the Secret deodorant brand had been failing, it was ranked No. 9 and declining, she said. “It was primarily used by women,” Williams said, so she came up with the slogan, “Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.” The Secret campaign that Williams worked on propelled the deodorant to bestseller status where it remains. Williams also used a Black woman in one of the commercials for the campaign as well as a Black announcer, which was unheard of at the time. Williams founded Carol H. Williams Advertising (CHWA) more than 25 years ago; the agency has grown into one of the largest African-American, independently-owned advertising and marketing firms in the country. CHWA’s client list has included several For-
tune 500 companies. After starting the company in her living room, CHWA now has offices in Oakland, New York and Chicago. “I can’t necessarily say that I found advertising. I think advertising found me,” Williams recalled. “I was going into pre-med, because I love humanity, and I wanted to engage and heal people, but I also loved to write and had an active imagination.” After working with the American Association of Advertising on an initiative for African-Americans, Williams developed her portfolio, landed a summer job and never looked back. Last month, during a panel discussion on gender and race in the advertising industry, Williams said that it was revealed that less than three percent of executives in the advertising business are White women and less than one percent are Black women. “It was really a discussion about the industry’s commitment to female diversity,” said Williams. “It’s quite amazing when you think about it, since the female voice is the primary voice in advertising and she’s the doorkeeper to most of the products which go into the household.” Williams continued: “Then, with the Black female, it’s even more so. She’s the head of the household for the most part; she’s the one making the money, she’s making those decisions.” The fact that women’s voices are absent at the highest levels of the advertising industry is quite interesting, Williams said. For young women, particularly Black women, who aspire to work in the advertising industry, Williams said that it’s important to check your emotions at the door. “We tend to be an extremely emotional people,” said Williams. “We are extremely creative people and that creativity is driven a lot by emotions.” Williams continued: “Inside corporate America, a great deal of decisions are made that are focused on the bottom line and on the hard business of the dollar.” Williams said that those decisions are absent of emotion. Williams said that, as a Black woman, you will run into a lot of foreign elements in the advertising business and people who have never had in-depth conversations with Black people. Williams added: “If you allow emotions to rule, rather than your intellect, you can get into highly-conflict-driven situations that can create barriers to your success.”
Stellar Awards Luncheon STELLAR FROM B1
that the Stellar Awards, a council-wide initiative, were conceived to recognize the many accomplishments of MBEs, corporate members and resource partners. “It’s an opportunity to honor the best in class and to focus on their continuous excellence.” She pointed out that the group’s core purpose is to create a sustainable opportunity and wealth for businesses in the communities in which they serve. EMSDC’s core values are to certify, develop, connect and advocate. Curt Topper, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, welcomed the attendees and provided an update on the state’s initiatives for minority business inclusion. Pleased to attend the event for a second year, he said he was inspired last year because state government often needs examples to follow because they are not always upfront and leading the way as they should. “Attendees here get it, the folks being honored and the majority-owned larger firms, you get it; you don’t have to be convinced that diversity and inclusion is important and the right thing to do for the bottom line. That’s an inspiration and I left here last year with that in mind,” Topper said.
The keynote for this year’s event was, “A Conversation with Joset Wright-Lacy.” Wright-Lacy is president of the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council. Interviewed by Cofield, she shared her insights on planned changes within the NMSDC network, how to find minority suppliers, and how minority-owned businesses should approach potential customers. Considered a seasoned business leader and strategist, Wright-Lacy is leading NMSDC on a significant redesign providing innovative and customer-driven services to its corporate members, MBEs, regional affiliates and international affiliates. Darieth Chisolm, Emmy Award-winning television personality and former WPXI anchor, served as the Mistress of Ceremonies. EMSDC, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, is an affiliate of the NMSDC. There are 23 regional councils across the country with more than 1,750 corporate members. The EMSDC certifies and connects minority-owned businesses (Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American) throughout Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware with member corporations who are committed to supplier development and want to purchase their products, services and solutions.
Job Center Workshop
APRIL 27—The African American Chamber of Commerce’s Business Institute, along with Career Link and Partners 4 Work, will host “Workforce & The American Job Center Workshop,” 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the ninth oor board room at the Koppers Building 436 Seventh Avenue, Downtown. For more information call 412392-0610.
Training Session
MAY 3—The Duquesne University Small Business Center presents “Using Quickbooks Online,” 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Rockwell Hall Room 108, 600 Forbes Avenue, Uptown. The session will include a product overview, recording transactions, generating reports, and advanced topics such as credit card payments. Cost is $49. For more information call 412-396-1633.
Financial Workshop
MAY 11—The African American Chamber of Commerce Business Institute will host a workshop with Maher Duessel President Betsy Krisher, CPA, on the practical use of financial statements for small businesses, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the ninth oor board room at the Koppers Building 436 Seventh Avenue, Downtown. Topics include financial preparedness, recordkeeping and statements of cash ow. Cost is $10 for members, $20 for non-members. Call 412-392-0610 for more information.
Invention Showcase
JUNE 13 to 15—INPEX, the country’s largest inventor showcase returns to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center with an opening night party and a rooftop Beer Garden networking event at Sienna Mercato, Downtown. Both are open to exhibitors and business attendees. For the complete schedule and to register, visit www. inpex.com.
Know of a local business professional we should feature in an upcoming Courier edition? Tell us about them! Email: newsroom@ newpittsburgh courier.com
OPINION
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
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We must continue Rev. Blackwell’s work
Guest Editorial
‘Alternative facts’ make insulting link to King For some reason, surrogates for President Donald Trump continue to use “alternative facts” to make their arguments. Last week, Jeffrey Lord, a CNN commentator and Trump surrogate, invoked the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to defend Trump’s handling of health care. Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he was still considering whether to keep funding the subsidies that reduce deductibles and co-pays for low-income people. The move could force Democrats to negotiate on repealing the Affordable Care Act given that the subsidies are crucial to the survival of the 2010 health care law in the near term. “Think of Donald Trump as the Martin Luther King of health care,” Lord told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day.” “When I was a kid, President Kennedy did not want to introduce the civil rights bill because he said it wasn’t popular and he didn’t have the votes for it. “Dr. King kept putting people in the streets in harm’s way to put the pressure on so the bill would be introduced,” the CNN political commentator added. Democratic activist Symone Sanders, who is Black, was right to immediately denounce Lord over the ridiculous comparison. “You do understand that Dr. King was marching for civil rights because people that looked like me were being beaten, dogs were being sicced on them, basic human rights were being withheld from these people merely because of the color of their skin,” she said. “So let’s not equate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize winner — to the vagina-grabbing president, Donald Trump.” It is offensive to equate Trump with King. Trump used demagoguery to get elected president in attacking immigrants and Muslims. King advocated for justice and equality for all people. Trump is proposing a $54 billion surge in U.S. military spending in his first federal budget while slashing funding from domestic programs and foreign aid. King opposed the Vietnam War and criticized the influence of the military industrial complex. Trump proposes a budget that gives tax cuts to the rich while slashing programs for low-income Americans and the poor. King championed economic equality for the poor. Finally on the issue of health care, Trump supports legislation that would repeal major parts of the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. While imperfect, the law expanded health coverage to millions of Americans who had no health coverage as well as millions who are underinsured. It also bans insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing condition and allows young adults to remain insured under their parents’ policies. Trump supported a Republican health care plan that would have resulted in 14 million people losing health care coverage in the first year alone and 24 million in all by 2026, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Last month, House Republicans leaders pulled their bill to replace the Affordable Care Act after it became clear they did not have the votes to pass it. King sought to eliminate disparities in health care. In a speech to the Medical Committee for Human Rights in 1966, King said: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” (Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)
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On Easter Weekend, one of the many groups fighting to stop the Black on Black violence in the streets, and at home, held its 7th Annual Homewood March for Peace, but without its founder, the late Rev. Eugene “Freedom” Blackwell. Reverend Blackwell, founder of the House of Manna Ministries, began the march to bring people in the Homewood and surrounding neighborhoods together in peace and harmony, so they could get to know each other as humans instead of colors, gangs, or rivals in the street war over drugs. He didn’t wait for the people to come to the church, he took the church to them on the streets. Pittsburgh, through the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Stop the Violence campaign, has more groups and organizations fighting and urging people to stop the violence than any other city. While other urban cities are ignoring the critical issue of our young men being gunned down in the streets by each other, Pittsburgh, mostly through the efforts of mothers, grandmothers, relatives and other concerned citizens, have several marches, rallies, vigils and other events to bring attention to this massive problem, which is among the top things holding Blacks back in education, business and every other challenge confronting us. Behind the efforts of Rev. Blackwell, the march had grown into one of the largest in the city, and it appears it will be around for a while even without him because the need for peace on the streets is still critical and, most of all, he made it clear that it wasn’t about him, but about the young people and the Black community as a whole.
Ulish Carter
Just Sayin’ The groups and individuals throughout Pittsburgh like Rev. Blackwell and Valerie Dixon and many, many others are the reason Pittsburgh hasn’t joined the ranks of Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, New York City, Cleveland, Los Angeles, East St. Louis and many others in becoming war zones. Speaking of war zones, I was watching a movie recently, entitled “Southside With You,” starring Tika Sumpter as Michelle Robinson and Parker Sawyers as Barack Obama. The movie dealt with their first date...well, Michelle said it wasn’t a date, but Barack said it was. It was a beautiful movie. But in one segment of the movie, he takes her to this community meeting on the South Side of Chicago in which Black people are fighting to get a recreational center so their kids would have a safe supervised place to attend while they are not in school. The movie was based in 1989 when Barack was a young law associate and Michelle a young attorney at the same firm. At this meeting the residents voiced their fears for their kids, which hasn’t changed today, and like then, none of the top community leaders were making these issues of violence and drugs a priority. However, it was a major concern for the community
people and young Obama, but somehow it didn’t become a major part of his eight years in office as president. Check the movie out, it’s a beautiful love story. But it only deals with one day. Since I am dealing with violence in the Black community, I still haven’t heard anything from President Trump about his programs that are going to “Make Black America Beautiful and Strong Again.” He said that what he’s going to do for Black people is going to be beautiful. So far, going into his first 100 days, I haven’t heard or seen anything he has done for Blacks, except the tax cuts for the rich, which will help the very, very small percentage of Blacks who are rich, but nothing for the low and middle income. He’s still talking about a health care plan that is going to be “beautiful, great, wonderful,” but no details. Dr. Anthony Hamlet, Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent, continues to impress me with his out of the box efforts to fix the many problems in the public school system. The latest headline in the Courier was “Community voices concerns about PPS Code of Student Conduct,” last week (April 19). He’s openly seeking feedback from parents, concerned citizens and students of how to best discipline students. There has to be some kind of discipline or the other 95 percent of the students will not be able to learn because of the 2 to 5 percent, which are disruptive. But 10 day out-of-school suspensions is a bit much; how is this helping the students being punished? It only set them further behind which leads to more frustration. (Ulish Carter is the former managing editor of the New Pittsburgh Courier.)
On the brink? (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Among other non-academic activities in our contemporary society, all public school children are introduced to vital, emergency life saving drills. Fire drills, lock-down drills, shelter-in-place drills and tornado drills are all common to our students, and welcomed by parents and concerned family members. If asked, most students can easily explain the purpose and intricacies of assuming the “duck and tuck” position. First, one locates a position away from glass and loose debris that can be dangerously propelled by high winds. Next, facing a wall or other solid, protective edifice, one assumes a vertical fetal position with his/her head lowered as far as possible between his/her knees. The “duck and tuck” position is employed in every public school tornado drill. Although now used almost exclusively for tornadoes, I’m old enough to remember when the primary purpose of the “duck and tuck” was as a drill for students to prepare for nuclear attack. Then, the world had fresh recollections of the destruction and devastation of such attacks. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not just historic events. I have been both places and memory of the horrors are still real. I can appreciate the serious and solemn approach world leaders, specifically American leaders, took in navigating through world events with the goal of maintaining peace. Even Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, principle
rorists turn the hatred and xenophobia that is running rampant in the United States into recruitment propaganda for an internal and external assault upon our social stability. As I write this, a megalomaniacal U.S. president has taken great enjoyment in upsetting any logical order in international relations. He, seemingly, derives genuine pleasure in offending long-standing allies and physicist in developing the atomic courting the allegiance and camarabomb, understood the monster he derie of nations that we have long unleashed upon humanity. With numbered among our historic adclarity of thought he stated, “Now versaries. We now reject the values I am become Death, the destroyer that have made our nation great and of worlds.” A Youtube video (https:// embrace the hatred and divisiveness www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zhj- that weaken us spiritually and morpHYjZpc&t=600s), was recommend- ally. ed to me as a stark refresher of Years ago, five-star General Omar what a nuclear war could mean. I Bradley predicted our current cirshudder to think that this depiction cumstance. He said, “Ours is a world could have an element of truth, yet I of nuclear giants and ethical infants. believe that in reality our fate would We know more about war than we be far worse. know about peace, more about killTruth could be stranger than fic- ing than we know about living. We tion. Specifically, through its devel- have grasped the mystery of the opment and threat of deployment of atom and rejected the Sermon on nuclear weapons, North Korea holds the Mount.” South Korea, Japan, China, and, posThe threat to our species is critisibly, parts of the United States hos- cal. Our only choice is to heed the tage to the fear of nuclear holocaust. call for active political involvement. A U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Battle Through our engagement we must Group now sails, more or less, toward demand that our current impractithe Sea of Japan on course to achieve cal and unrealistic leadership plot a what only God knows. Conflicts in more reasoned course to the future. mid-eastern Asia serve as a potential (Dr. E. Faye Williams is national president tipping-point for widening conven- of the National Congress of Black Women, tional warfare that may force us to Inc. 202/678-6788. www.nationalcongressa combative point-of-no-return. Ter- bw.org)
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Commentary
America needs—and desperately wants— comprehensive infrastructure investment (TriceEdneyWire.com)—“Our country is in dire jeopardy as long as it has within its body politic a socially and economically deprived group of citizens, whether they be actually enslaved or denied the full benefits of equality and freedom by an insidious economic and psychological slavery.”—Whitney M. Young Earlier this month, the voters of Kansas City, Mo., handily approved three ballot questions that will allow the city to borrow and invest $800 million over 20 years to improve roads, bridges, sidewalks and flood control, and to build a new animal shelter. They also approved the One City Initiative, a one-eighth-cent sales tax to fund economic development in the city’s struggling central core. Not only did large majorities vote in favor of the measures, but voter turnout was nearly double that of last year’s mayoral election. One of the most tireless—and effective—advocates for the One City Initiative has been President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City Gwendolyn Grant. In a widely-circulated guest editorial in the Kansas City Star, she argued: “An increase of one-eighth of one cent is not too much to pay to create jobs, reduce crime and spawn economic development on Kansas City’s East Side. An increase of one-eighth of one cent is not too much to manifest our commitment to creating
Marc H. Morial
To Be Equal healthy communities in the central city.” The lesson is clear: Americans want a comprehensive plan to fund urban infrastructure improvements, and they are willing to invest in their nation’s future. Urban communities were disproportionately battered by the Great Recession, and the fragile economic recovery has been slow to reach them. Several times in our history, the National Urban League has promulgated the concept of an urban Marshall Plan—modeled on the massively successful economic development initiative that lifted Europe out of poverty in the wake of World War II. Last year, we announced the development of The Main Street Marshall Plan: From Poverty to Shared Prosperity, the final version of which will be unveiled May 2 as part of our State of Black America Empowerment Summit in Washington, D.C. While critical of many of the proposals and policies of President Trump, the National Urban League
has remained cautiously optimistic about his promise to invest $1 trillion in the nation’s infrastructure, with inner cities being the major beneficiary. If the plan includes a strong jobs-building component that guarantees minority business participation and employment for workers in high-unemployment neighborhoods, we could support such a bill. Congress, however, traditionally has resisted such infrastructure proposals. Obstructionists blocked President Obama’s $50 billion “roads, rails and runways” proposal in 2010 and his American Jobs Act in 2011. They blocked his proposals for an infrastructure bank, a national high-speed rail network and the GROW AMERICA Act (Generating Renewal, Opportunity, and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America). Congress must heed the results of Kansas City’s infrastructure referenda and respond to the clear will of the American people. As my predecessor Young wrote in the New York Times Magazine in 1963, in calling for a domestic Marshall Plan, “We have the material and spiritual resources as a country to meet the challenge and accomplish the urgent task ahead. All we need is the will to act and the spirit of decency and sacrifice which abounds in our land.”
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Lessons from Fox and Bill O’Reilly (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Former Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly, the man whose lofty ratings were responsible for the growth of the network, is no longer on the air. Revelations that $13 million had been paid, either by O’Reilly or the network, to women who said they had been sexually harassed repelled millions, some of whom protested outside Fox headquarters and took to the airwaves with their complaints. But it is unlikely that protests or complaints moved Fox to separate themselves from O’Reilly. Instead, it is most likely that the network severed connection with O’Reilly because advertisers did not want to be associated with a program anchored by a man who seemed to find nothing wrong with sexual harassment. As of last week, more than 52 advertisers did not want to be connected with the O’Reilly program. They included Advil, Mercedes, BMW, Jenny Craig, Hyundai, Allstate, Lexus and H&R Block. The O’Reilly program was the highest revenue-generator in cable television, bringing in about $120 million in the first nine months of 2016. The O’Reilly Factor dominated the 8 p.m. weekday hour, drawing more viewers than any other cable network. Don’t cry for Bill O’Reilly. He is leaving Fox News with “tens of millions of
Julianne Malveaux
Commentary dollars” in a settlement. Be concerned, instead, for the women who have had to put up with his odious behavior. Be concerned for those who didn’t come forward to get paid because they were afraid for their jobs, or because they feared they would not be believed. Be concerned for the Black woman that O’Reilly allegedly called “Hot Chocolate”, grunted when he saw her, and behaved so badly that she was frightened for her safety. Why didn’t she leave? She valued her job. She didn’t know if she could find another one. An African American woman who heads a household and had, on average, just $4400 in liquid assets, (compared to $20,519 for White women). With such a tiny cushion, an African American is likely to think twice before airing a sexual harassment complaint. African American women are also less likely to be believed than White women are, at least partly because of the way the world views Black women. So, right on, to the sister who called the Fox Hot Line to report her harassment. She, and many of the other Black women who have protested the culture of sexism at Fox, need to have champions that are as vocal as the champions Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson had. Indeed, one might look at the fact that Megyn Kelley pushed Tamron Hall off her perch as the only Black woman anchor at the Today show as evidence of how much more highly valued White women are than Black women. What do we learn from this, though? We learn, especially, that advertisers are controversy-averse. They don’t want to be associated with an accused sexual harasser, especially when the accusations are persistent and are backed up with numerous settlements to women who have experienced harassment. Advertisers saw their brand tarnished, and their consumer base angered, by O’Reilly’s behavior. Too many of the companies that abandoned the O’Reilly show have increasing numbers of women in senior management, in advertising, and on their boards. While Roger Ailes, now himself dismissed from Fox for his harassing behavior, excused O’Reilly’s antics with “Bill will be Bill”, increasing numbers of women (and some men) in charge find Bill’s behavior not only odious but also illegal. Increased sensitivity to issues of sexual harassment helped make it clear that O’Reilly’s behavior was simply unacceptable. What would it take for advertisers to draw the line on racial discrimination and/ or discrimination against African American women? Racial discrimination does not cause the same repugnance that sex discrimination does. Indeed, companies that engage in widespread race discrimination might even get high fives from consumers who might like to practice racism themselves. The only way that African Americans could spark an advertiser exodus would be to either work with partners who would put their feet down strongly, or boycotting the goods and services that a discriminating company provided. But there are few African Americans who would emulate those who boycotted busses for 381 days in Montgomery during 1955 and 1956. It seems unlikely that a critical mass of African Americans would inconvenience themselves to punish a discriminator. African American leaders would do well to study the O’Reilly case and to ask what it would take for us to send as strong a signal about race discrimination as the O’Reilly dismissal did about sexual harassment. Many thought O’Reilly was invincible, but he wasn’t. Race discrimination isn’t invincible, either. We just have to decide what we want to do about it! (Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Founder of Economic Education.)
We must analyze carefully who we vote for I
received that they never a phone call Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick were involved from a respectin tainted aced friend of tions against mine, Malik Black people Bankston. He because of their had a sense demanded loyof excitement alty to the poin his voice as litical party. he said, “You Who were the must go see three giants? James Baldwin’s ‘I am Not Your Ne- Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King gro.’” Jr., and Medgar Evers (all in their A week went by and he called me 30s). Those of us who live in Pittsa second time asking me how I felt burgh, particularly the voters who about the movie. I explained that I live in the fourth district, have a had been busy, but I was going the golden opportunity to ensure that next day, and my wife and I did go. history repeats itself. The movie was all that Malik had How? stated it was and I recommended Another young Black man in the it to a number of persons. James mold of the above three is running Baldwin once again did an excel- for the Pittsburgh school board seat lent analysis of America. He demon- in district 4, the position being vastrated the divisions that still ex- cated by the retirement of Mr. Thomist in America, not just Black and as Sumpter. Like Malcolm, Martin, white, but the haves and have nots. and Medgar, the board candidate’s The movie opened with Baldwin name ironically has a “M.” His full living in Paris, and he was remark- name is James Meyers Jr. He’s in ing that the time had come for him his 30s, educated in Pittsburgh, to cease writing about the civil and has demonstrated through the rights movement in America, and to course of his young life a true sense return home and become an active of commitment, courage, conviction participant. As I watched the movie, and no political debt to any political it brought back memories of those party. I have never supported any who stood in the ranks of the civil candidate based on age, gender and rights movement. Of course there definitely not alleged experience. It were an untold number of men and is my absolute conviction that there women that are deserving of recog- comes a time in our lives, yours and nition who must go nameless, but mine, that if we are really concerned we know who they were. A vast about the Pittsburgh school board number of persons, for whatever problems, then we should take a reason, were not photographed, but back seat and assume an advisory once again we know who you are. position instead of seeking a seat at However, at the height of the civ- the table. History is replete with a il rights movement, there arose multitude of youthful persons withTHREE GIANTS, who symbolized out any prior experiences who were all of us; the known and the un- successful. If you are familiar with knowns. All three are physically de- the Bible, you know Jesus Christ, ceased, but their contributions will the Messiah, was youthful, and of never die. All three had identically course you recall that God took two the same common denominators; young men; Moses, who had probyoung Black men, commitment, lems with speech, and David, who dedication, and one of the most was the shepherd of sheep. And he significant - no ties to any political became King David. (Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a contributor to party in the present or the past. The lack of political involvement meant the New Pittsburgh Courier.)
To Tell The Truth
Joseph Kony: From Warlord to chess king Before the policy to kill or United States J. Pharoah Doss capture Joseph invaded Iraq, Kony and crush the general his Lord’s Republic debated sistance Army its justificarebellion. Prestion. Oppoident Obama nents of the stated this war demandcrystallizes the ed to know: commitment What was the of the United threat? States to help bring an end to the Any answer from war supporters brutality of Joseph Kony’s Lord’s was refuted by the claim, “Saddam Resistance Army and to pursue a fuHussein was contained.” But sup- ture of greater security and hope for porters countered: Why was he be- the people of Central Africa. ing contained if he wasn’t a threat? This time there was no debate And they added, President Bill Clin- among the general public. ton’s 1998 Iraq Liberation Act listed One writer summarized the conall of Hussein’s violations and made sensus: It could be argued that it U.S. policy to remove Hussein every nation has a responsibility from power. to stop war criminals like Joseph War opponents agreed but re- Kony, but atrocities happen with minded supporters the Iraq Liber- frequency around the world and the ation Act never called for the use U.S. Military can’t police all of them. of troops. Then it was asked: What In a time of economic crisis, inter“new” threat did the Iraqi regime vention in foreign countries may be pose to the United States? a luxury we can no longer afford. War supporters rejected the ne- But President Obama continued to cessity to prove a “new” threat. The support the effort to bring Joseph notion was an admission that Hus- Kony to justice. sein was a threat while he was “conRecently, a report stated: The intained” and it was a retreat from a ternational manhunt for Joseph moral obligation. Supporters ar- Kony has come to an end. Both gued that, since economic sanctions Uganda and the United States said punished the Iraqi people more they were withdrawing forces dedithan their rulers the United States cated to catching the warlord. had a moral obligation to change Before Donald Trump took office the regime. his transition team looked at the Iraq was invaded and afterward operation and found it of no value President George W. Bush stated because $780 million was spent he had a mission from God. Finally, and Kony was still at large. Joseph all participants in the war debate Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army is agreed, there was a difference be- responsible for killing more than tween a moral obligation and a mis- 100,000 people and forcing anothsion from God. War supporters lost er 2 million out of their homes, but more faith when the cost of Bush’s the United States and Uganda have mission became its own moral crisis. bragged to the world that their deBarack Obama campaigned to cision to withdraw is proof that you undo Bush’s errors in Iraq, but don’t necessarily have to capture while Obama was in office, he en- your enemy to beat him. That’s true for kings on a chesscountered another man on a mission from God and Obama respond- board. But Joseph Kony is a Warlord, ed like Bill Clinton in 1998. In 2010 President Obama promot- he won’t translate withdrawal as ed The Lord’s Resistance Army Dis- checkmate. (J. Pharoah Doss is a contributor to armament and Northern Uganda the New Pittsburgh Courier. He blogs at Recovery Act. This act stated it was American jpharoahdoss@blogspot.com)
Commentary
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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Charlene Crowell
Commentary
A lesson for the nation’s Education Secretary: Serve public, not private interests This year’s swearing in of a new Congress and President signaled a surge of new ideas and approaches to government. However, no elected or appointed official should ever depart from or diminish the primary role of government: service to the American people. Ours was, is and must remain a democracy that affords every citizen the opportunity to become a productive and contributing member of society. Yet in recent weeks, the Department of Education has taken a series of specific actions that depart from our creed and duty. By disregarding the needs of 40 million debt-laden student loan borrowers who collectively owe more than $1.2 trillion, it seems one of the Education Department’s top priorities is to respond to concerns of student loan servicers hired and paid with taxpayer dollars. Where is a DeVos plan to address these still-growing concerns? With more philanthropic than administrative expertise, hearing from student borrowers, higher education officials and consumer advocates would provide insightful benefits to the new Education Secretary. In 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) received 12,300 student loan complaints. Of these, the vast majority—67 percent— concerned either their lender or their servicer. Another 30 percent of student loan complaints focused on fees, billing, credit reporting, defaults and fraud. “More frequently than other issues, non-federal and federal student loan borrowers expressed their concerns relating to trouble with how payments are handled,” states CFPB’s report. “Borrowers complained of misapplied payments and inaccurate accounting of payments. Some borrowers complained of misapplication of payments and reported that payments were not applied to specific accounts, but rather applied to all accounts managed by the servicer.” Ironically, servicer complaints made many mortgage borrowers frustrated too, especially during the housing crisis. Whatever the loan financed, borrowers were pleading with servicers to act responsively and fairly. Despite minimal standards of accountability, on April 4 the National Council of Higher Education Resources (NCHER), the organization that represents student loan servicers, wrote the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House Appropriations Committee and its Education subcommittee. In part, the letter wrote, “the amount that is paid to servicers is not sufficient to cover the currently requested services or the expected services that borrowers need to begin paying their student loans.” In everyday language, that concerns sounds a lot like, ‘you don’t pay me enough to do this job’. Add to that interpretation the Trump Administration’s proposed $6 billion budget cut to the Department of Education, more money for servicers doesn’t seem likely anytime soon. Further, negotiations for new servicing contracts are expected to start this year. The NCHER letter could be interpreted as an unofficial start to those negotiations. Just one week after NCHER wrote federal lawmakers, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wrote James W. Runcie, the Chief Operating Officer for Federal Student Aid, rolling back important guidance on student loan servicing. The now retracted guidance protected borrowers in three key ways: 1. Providing borrowers access to accurate information and consistent service; 2. Regular audits of both records and complaints to be used in compliance reviews; and 3. Connecting servicer compensation to measurable actions such as payment processing time, length of response time to inquiries, and errors. By reversing steps designed to assist student loan borrowers and safeguard taxpayer investment, servicers will also have less accountability. Before the Education Department turns away from fair treatment of enforcement and loan regulation, officials should know that research and data have consistently illustrated broad borrower mistreatment at the hands of servicers. Should the Department fail to monitor itself, borrowers can still seek enforcement and protection from state officials and the CFPB. Both entities have demonstrated an interest and willingness to act on behalf of consumers, even if the Department of Education will not. CFPB is the consumer’s federal cop-on-the-beat. But it too is facing challenges as President Trump has publicly vowed a regulatory rollback in general and a haircut specifically for the CFPB. As some have maintained in public policy debates, regulation has gotten in the way of private enterprise. No one should dismiss or forget that the private sector has always been guided and motivated by profitability. In state capitols across the country and on Capitol Hill, private interests bank roll lobbyists to cut their taxes, reduce regulation, and appoint officials who will support policies that increase their respective bottom lines. For example, Robert Eitel, senior counselor to Secretary DeVos, previously served as an attorney for Bridgepoint Education, Inc., that operates multiple for-profit colleges. By contrast, the public sector, i.e. government, should be guided by the duties and obligations of public service. School children have been taught for decades that government is ‘for, by, and of the people’. That pledge should include consumer protection and fiscal accountability. The American people should never be denied or shortchanged for the sake of private entities looking for more lucrative contracts. It’s a lesson that the Education Secretary needs to learn. (Charlene Crowell is communications deputy director with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.)
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The Allegheny County Housing Authority will be accepting applications for a lottery to determine the waiting list for Housing Choice Vouchers. Applications will be accepted May 1, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. and will remain open until 4:00 p.m. May 8, 2017 on line at www. achsng.com and at 625 Stanwix Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. In addition, a lottery for the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list will also occur November 1, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. and will remain open until 4:00 p.m. November 8, 2017. No further applications will be accepted after these times and dates. All applications will be entered into a lottery, regardless of the date and time of application. Further information may be obtained at www.achsng. com. LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
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Port Authority is seeking a Maintenance Work Order Specialist to provide support and assistance with regard to troubleshooting and reporting related to Operations Maintenance Work Order Information System. Drafts, implements and audits preventive maintenance procedures to be used to inspect and maintain buses. Develops and performs complex management analyses. ob requirements include: •Two year Technical Degree in Automotive and Diesel or Associate Degree in Business or related field from an accredited school. Directly related experience may be substituted for the education on a yearfor-year basis. Minimum of five (5) years of maintenance experience with bus eets and/or heavy automotive vehicles. •Strong computer and statistical analysis skills using a computerized maintenance information system. •Effective and professional communication skills. Customer focused, well organi ed and results-oriented. •Ability to work independently. •Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows, Microsoft Word and Excel. Preferred attributes: Experience with a Work Order System Experience with SQL/Crystal Reports •Supervisory experience.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Amy Giammanco Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AGiammanco@portauthority.org EOE
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Estate of VICTORIA MARTINO, a/k/a VICTORIA L. MARTINO deceased of Mceesport No. 2148 of 2016. Tammy Tomei, Adm. or to c/o Matthew . Beam, Esq., Scolieri Law Group, 1207 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200, Pittsburgh PA 15219 Estate of ELIZABETH A FRANKE, deceased of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania No. 02-17-02159, Cynthia A. Womer, Executor, 226 Crestvue Drive, Bridgeville, PA 15017 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE FULLER, LLC,, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017
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LETTERS TESTAMENTARY
Letters Testamentary on the Estate of SHIRLEY MELNIC , Court Term NO. 021701792, late of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, deceased, having been granted to the undersigned by the Director of Dept. of Court Records, Wills/Orphans Court Diisionof Allegheny County, notice is hereby give to all persons indebted to said estate to make immediate payment, and to those having claims against the same to present them to the undersigned, duly authenticated for setlement. Executor: Sonny R. Melnick, 164 Birchwood Way, Irwin, PA 15642
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
BRENLOVE FULLER, LLC, Attorneys, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT Articles of Incorpoation were filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State with respect to a corporation which has been incorporated under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation law of 1988. The name of the corporation is: GALLAGHER CAPITAL CORPORATION
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The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office gives notice that forfeiture actions have commenced against the following seizures of the United States Currency made by the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, pursuant to 42 Pa. C.S. 6801 6802, and other laws of the Commonwealth; $333.00 on May 27, 2009, from Antonio Rutherford at 1325 Sheffield Street; $405.00 on March 17, 2009, from Carlton Ray at Itin Street; $540.00 on March 22, 2009, from Antoine Hunter at Beaver and Preble Avenues; $405.00 on October 8, 2009, from Antoine Hunter at 3128 California Avenue; $815.00 on May 27, 2009, from arrod West at 1325 Sheffield Street; $664.00 on April 16, 2009, from Guy Palmer at Rancheria and Wadlow Streets; $1,972.00 on November 24, 2009, from Brandon ohnson at Boulevard of the Allies at Hamlet Street; $405.00 on December 11, 2009, from ade Leon at Biggs Avenue and Glenrose Street; $375.00 on February 9, 2009, from Darryl Cobb at 608 Wood Street; $1,042.00 on March 21, 2009, from Grady Ingram at 14th Street and Penn Avenue; $409.00 on uly 2, 2009, from Lamar Carter at 2622 Brownsville Road; $593.00 on March 5, 2009, from Artis Walker at 3032 Arlington Avenue; $421.00 on anuary 29, 2009, from Desmond Brentley at 214 North Lexington Street; $340.00 on April 14, 2009, from Orish Walker at 427 Rosedale Street; $613.00 on November 23, 2009, from Paul Schmid at Marsonia Street at Biggs Avenue; $843.00 on uly 20, 2009, from Thomas Harris at Centre Avenue and Washington Place; $406.00 on anuary 19, 2010, from Timothy ONeal at 2303 Park Hill Drive; $620.00 on November 2, 2009, from aylyn ordan at 2330 East Hills Drive, Apartment 14; $2,983.00 on May 16, 2009, from Lonnie Hill at Friendship Avenue; $597.00 on March 2, 2010, from Ghavon Clark at Brushton Avenue at Mohler Street; $2,801.00 on October 14, 2009, from Louis endrick at 1515 Westmoreland Street; $700.00 on anuary 17, 2010, from Shay Williams at 15th and Smallman Streets; $840.00 on September 1, 2009, from David White at 5634 Mellon Street; $569.00 on September 18, 2009, from Ronald Beck at 7210 Frankstown Avenue; $580.00 on August 4, 2009, from Bennie Wilson at North Atlantic Avenue and Dearborn Street; $493.00 on September 29, 2009, from Victor Toliver at 6200 block of Broad Street; $1,312.00 on uly 23, 2009, from Vern Connors at 7449 Frankstown Avenue, Apartment 1; $625.00 on une 2, 2009 from Anthony Henry at 241 South Mathilda Street; $672.00 on February 6, 2009, from Dajuan Davis at incaid Street and North Atlantic Avenue; $1,033.00 on March 19, 2009, from Raymont Glass at 6736 Deary Street; $1,039.00 on September 9, 2009, from Howard Horsley at Erin Street and Wylie Avenue; $840.00 on April 7, 2010, from erry Coker at 300 Michigan Way; $1,230.00 on uly 18, 2009, from Omar Smith at 119 Mathews Avenue; $744.00 on April 20, 2010, from Raymond McCarthy at 1419 Arlington Avenue; $295.00 on April 20, 2010, from Darnell McCarthy at 1419 Arlington Avenue; $444.00 on December 4, 2009, from Michael Smith at 206 Reifert Street, 3rd Floor; $453.10 on May 14, 2009, from ermaine ennedy at 1508 Arlington Avenue; $900.00 on May 30, 2009, from Gary Hughes at intersection of Allen and Eureka Streets; $920.00 on uly 26, 2009, from William Hopkins at 745 Cresswell Street; $1,323.00 on February 28, 2010, from Robert ohnson at 1500 Smallman Street; $675.00 on March 16, 2009, from Brian Milkovich at 313 irk Avenue; $483.00 on April 2, 2009, from Honoray Williams, Flora Harris /or Anthony Upshaw at 2541 Chauncey Drive, Apartment 234; $925.00 on anuary 26, 2009, from Edwin Williams at 2062 Bentley Drive; $812.00 on uly 29, 2009, from Alan Nance at 543 Morgan Street; $590.00 on October 13, 2009, from Charles Lloyd at Intersection of Bedford Avenue and Watt Lane; $1,990.00 on May 28, 2010, from ames Brown r. at 715 Bucyrus Street; $479.00 on anuary 21, 2009, from Raymond Dean at 801 Allegheny Avenue; $535.00 on April 19, 2010, from Frank Merry at Liberty Avenue and Commonwealth Place; $791.00 on April 6, 2010, from ames Brown r. at 711 Loren Avenue; $753.00 on March 4, 2010, from Darnell Bonner at 3121 Ashlyn Street; $1,200.00 on anuary 22, 2010, from Darren ones at 2100 Block of Letsche Street; $533.00 on uly 8, 2009, from Greg Oneal at 1020 Sawmill Run Boulevard; $901.00 on May 29, 2009, from Bruce Cellars at 2060 Bentley Drive; $899.00 on May 20, 2010, from Byron Thomas at Route 279 South and Route 65 Ramp; $608.00 on April 1, 2010, from Christopher Snyder at 36 Cherry Street, Etna; $3,532.00 on anuary 18, 2010, from Ronald Weathers r. at North Dallas Avenue at McPherson Boulevard. Further, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office gives notice that forfeitures action have commenced against the following seizures of the United States Currency made by the Penn Hills Police Department, in Penn Hills, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, pursuant to 42 Pa. C.S. 6801 6802, and other laws of the Commonwealth; $253.00 on September 9, 2009, from Evan Cunningham at 10730 Frankstown Road; $100.00 on une 26, 2010, from Michael Millender at Eastwood Road at Frankstown Road. Any claimants to the property are hereby notified to file a claim with the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and serve a copy of the claim on the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, Asset Forfeiture Unit, at 303 Courthouse, 436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, no later than May 19, 2017. If no claim is filed on or before May 19, 2017, the property shall be summarily forfeited to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the custody of the Allegheny County District Attorney. LEGAL ADVERTISING
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NOTICE OF ACTION IN MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA CIVIL ACTION – LAW NO.: GD-17-002002
LSF9 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. Alice ones, as believed Heir and/ or Administrator to the Estate of Carlton ones, A A Carlton A. ones; anese C. ones-Stewart, as believed Heir and/ or Administrator to the Estate of Carlton ones, A A Carlton A. ones; Carlona A. Evans, as believed Heir and/ or Administrator to the Estate of Carlton ones, A A Carlton A. ones; Unknown Heirs and/ or Administrators to the Estate of Carlton ones, A A Carlton A. ones, Defendants TO: Unknown Heirs and/ or Administrators to the Estate of Carlton ones, A A Carlton A. ones, Defendants You are hereby notified that Plaintiff, LSF9 Master Participation Trust, filed an Action in Mortgage Foreclosure endorsed with a Notice to Defend, in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, docketed to No. GD-17002002, seeking to foreclose the mortgage secured by the real estate located at 1823 Flagler Street, Mckeesport, PA 15132. A copy of the Action in Mortgage Foreclosure will be sent to you upon request to the Attorney for the Plaintiff, Manley Deas ochalski LLC, P. O. Box 165028, Columbus, OH 43216-5028. Phone 614-2205611. You have been sued in court. If you wish to defend against the claims in this notice, you must take action within twenty (20) days after this publication, by entering a written appearance personally or by attorney and filing in writing with the court your defenses or objections to the claims set forth against you. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment may be entered against you by the court without further notice for any money claimed in the complaint or for any other claim or relief requested by the plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other rights important to you. YOU SHOULD TA E THIS NOTICE TO YOUR LAWYER AT ONCE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE LAWYER OR CANNOT AFFORD ONE, GO TO OR TELEPHONE THE OFFICE SET FORTH BELOW TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN GET LEGAL HELP. LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE Allegheny County Bar Association 11th Floor oppers Building 436 Seventh Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 261-5555 Allegheny County Bar Association 11th Floor oppers Building 436 Seventh Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 261-5555 LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH
Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Room 251, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on May 2, 2017, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for the following: Pittsburgh Carrick High School Roof Replacement Plumbing Construction Prime Contract - REBID Pittsburgh Liberty K-5 Playground Improvements General Construction Prime Contract Project Manual and Drawings are available for purchase on April 10, 2017 at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 Mc ean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual. We are an equal rights and opportunity school district
PROPOSALS
The Wilkinsburg School District is accepting proposals to provide contracted pupil transportation services. The Request for Proposal specifications and forms are available at the Administration Office, 718 Wallace Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. All proposals must be received by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, at the Administration Office. A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 in the Board Room in the Administration Office. The Board of School Directors reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to waive defect in form. Please contact the Board Secretary at 412-871-2104 with any questions.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for HUD 2017 Reallocation Funding for Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Re-Housing Programs. Proposals are due by 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. For more details and submission information, visit: www.alleghenycounty.us/ Human-Services/Resources/ Doing-Business/Solicitations(RFP/RFQ/RFI).aspx. Marc Cherna Director Allegheny County Department of Human Services
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HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR PARTIAL COMPREHENSIVE MODERNIZATION AT NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS REMOVAL OF ASBESTOS CONTAINING MATERIALS (ACM) REBID IFB# 300-10-17 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): PARTIAL COMPREHENSIVE MODERNIZATION AT NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS REMOVAL OF ASBESTOS CONTAINING MATERIALS (ACM) REBID IFB# 300-10-17 Rebid The documents will be available no later than April 24, 2017 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on May 12, 2017 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 May 4, 2017 10:00 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. HACP’s 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
PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY
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.
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR WINDOW REPLACEMENT AT NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS FOR VARIOUS UNITS REBID IFB# 300-09-17 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): WINDOW REPLACEMENT AT NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS FOR VARIOUS UNITS REBID IFB# 300-09-17 Rebid The documents will be available no later than April 24, 2017 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 1:00 p.m. on May 12, 2017 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 May 4, 2017 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. HACP’s 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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Electronic Proposals will be received online at the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.port authority.org). Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 AM on May 22, 2017 and will be read at 11:15 AM., the same day, at Port Authority’s Heinz location (345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 152222527), for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness. portauthority.org) B1070320 Support Vehicles-Trucks B170321A Oil Fuel & Anti-Freeze Analysis Services B170323 Substation Equipment B170324A EGR Coolers-Cummins Engines B170325A EGR Coolers-Detroit Deisel Engines B170326A Upholster Fabric No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held on each of the above items at 10:00am on May 9, 2017 in Port Authority’s Public Meeting Room (345 Sixth Avenue, Fifth Floor, Pittsburgh, PA). Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the Port Authority within 48 hours of the scheduled bid opening. These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations. Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing. Port Authority of Allegheny County hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. The Board of Port Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Sealed proposals will be received by the Municipality of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, at the Purchasing Office, Room 213 until, 10:30 A.M. prevailing time, Wednesday May 24, 2017, and will be publicly opened immediately thereafter in the Council Chambers, at the Municipal Building, 12245 Frankstown Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15235, for the furnishing of all labor and material as required for: DEMOLITIONS – Penn Hills 2017 Package Number 10 Highland View 88 173-H-66 Ridgeview 7452 173-H-7 Ridgeview 7460 173-H-6 Chaske 8184/8186 229-S-174/ 229-S-173 Pershing 8642 231-B-334 Frankstown 10743 369-C-382 ParkRidge 211 449-H-149 Leechburg 6703 633-B-221 Hamil 1025 535-A-367 This project is funded 100% with Federal Community Development Block Grant Funds. This project will be financed with assistance from HUD; and therefore, it is subject to Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, which gives preference in hiring to low and very-low income persons. Specifications may be obtained at the Administration/Purchasing Office (412)798-2121, Room 213 for a non refundable fee of $25.00. Potential bidders with hearing impairment requiring information on this project can call the State Relay Office at 1-800-654-5984 to contact the Municipality. Proposal must be on Standard Proposal Forms in the manner therein and be enclosed in a sealed envelope bearing the name and address of the bidder on the outside, addressed to the Purchasing Office and marked: “Demolitions – Penn Hills 2017 Package Number 10”. Proposal must be accompanied by a certified check drawn upon a National or State Bank and made payable without conditions to the Municipality of Penn Hills, in an amount not less than ten (10) percent of the proposal, or a Bid Bond, and be delivered to the place and hour named. The Municipality reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. Attention is called to the Federal requirements regarding employment, non-discrimination, safety and State regulations. The Municipality reserves the right to award this solicitation on an itemby-item basis or lump sum basis, whichever is in the best interest of the Municipality The Municipality reserves the right to remove any property from the demo list before actual demo takes place. By: Mohammed F. Rayan Municipal Manager
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ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1659A
NOTICE TO BIDDERS ADVERTISEMENT FOR RE-BID
Sealed Bids for CONTRACT 1659A, ANNUAL INTERCEPTOR CLEANING. CONTRACT shall be received at the office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15233, until 11:00 a.m., Prevailing Time, Tuesday, May 23, 2017, and then shall be publicly opened and read. A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held at the Authority’s Plant in the O&M Building Conference Room 106, on Thursday, May 4, 2017 at 10:.00 a.m., Prevailing Time. Attendance at this meeting is mandatory. ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities and women to submit bids on Authority Contracts or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to successful Bidders. Successful Bidders are to use minority and women’s businesses to the fullest extent possible. Contract Documents may be examined and obtained at the office of the Authority. A non-? refundable fee of $100 (no cash will be accepted) will be charged for each set of Contract Documents. Bid Security shall be furnished by providing with the Bid a Certified Check or Bid Bond in the amount of 10% of the Bid Price. Any questions regarding the Contract Documents should be directed in writing to Mr. Shawn McWilliams at shawn.mcwilliams@alcosan.org or by fax to (412)734-8716. The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informality in any bid and to accept any bid should it.be deemed in the interest of the Authority to do so. ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY Jan M. Oliver Director, Regional Conveyance
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR Document Imaging Software Support, Configuration, and Consulting Services Rebid RFP #200-13-17REBID
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Document Imaging Software Support, Configuration, and Consulting Services Rebid RFP #200-13-17REBID The documents will be available no later than April 24, 2017 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 11:00 A.M., May 12, 2017 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 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 May 4, 2017 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. HACP’s 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.
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority (WCHA) is requesting construction bids for two (2) prime contracts consisting of: General Construction (ROOFING), Mechanical Construction (FURNACE), associated with the following project: Roof & Furnace Replacement Project Located At SHANER HEIGHTS 52-72 MARLEY COURT IRWIN, PA 15642 Sealed bids will be received by Michael L. Washowich, Executive Director, until May 17, 2017 at 1:30 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time) at the office of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, 167 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA 15601, at which time they will be opened publicly. Interested respondents can obtain hard copy bid documents from the WCHA-Administration Office for a $125 fee, telephone (724) 8327248, ext. 3056 or 3021. Electronic Bid Documents are available for downloading at no cost at www. wchaonline.com . Inquiries and plan holder registration can be emailed to eriks@wchaonline.com. Plan holders shall register with WCHA via email in accordance with the bid requirements. A non-mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting will occur at the site on May 3, 2017 @ 10:00 A.M.
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR Payroll and HR Management Software Rebid RFP# 650-04-17REBID
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Payroll and HR Management Software Rebid RFP# 650-04-17REBID The documents will be available no later than April 24, 2017 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 2:00 P.M., May 12, 2017 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 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 May 4, 2017 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. HACP’s 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. 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.
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 993 – Teaching/Training Mannequins Bid 994 – Fortinet Maintenance Renewal Proposals will be received at the Purchasing Department until 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Friday, May 5, 2017. The CCAC Purchasing Department is now publishing all bids via the CCAC website at https://www. ccac.edu/Bid-RFP_Opportuni ties.aspx It will be each vendor’s 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. 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
April 20, 2017 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, May 17, 2017, and a representative of the Department of Public Works will open and read the Bids in the Gold Room, Room 410, County Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, onehalf hour later, 11:30 o’clock A.M., for the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS 2017 CAPITAL BRIDGE REPAIR CONTRACT VARIOUS BRIDGES WITHIN VARIOUS MUNICIPALITIES COUNTY PROJECT NO. AA00-2017 As a prospective bidder please note the following general Project information regarding: PreBid Information, Bidding Requirements, and Contract Conditions. See the Project Manual for detailed information, responsibilities and instructions. PREBID INFORMATION: Purchase and/or view the Project Manual and Drawings at the Office of the Contract Manager, Room 504, County Office Building, Pittsburgh, PA. The nonrefundable charge for the Proposal and a disk containing the Specifications and Drawings is $107.00 including sales tax. The Contract Manager will accept only check or money order to the “COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY” in that amount and WILL NOT ACCEPT CASH OR EXTEND CREDIT. Prospective bidders may request to have bid documents mailed. An additional fee of $16.05 including tax, for handling costs for each requested proposal must be paid in advance. The fee must be received at the Office of the Contract Manager prior to the mailing of any documents. The Department of Public Works will hold a PreBid Meeting on May 3, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 505 County Office Building. Further 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 and Proposals).” Chelsa Wagner Controller County of Allegheny
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PEOPLE
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017 B7
Genetics or lead?
One Pittsburgh mother’s quest about her son’s learning disability by Stephen Caruso Public Source
Andrea Barber’s son, Camerin, has always been “hyper,” as she puts it. From his first day of grade school, it seemed like Camerin, who is now 10, could never concentrate on what the teacher said. At first, Barber explained it away as childhood exuberance. But after he finished the first grade, Barber, 31, had a revelation about her oldest son: “He couldn’t read anything, he couldn’t write at all.” That year, Camerin was diagnosed with a learning disability and dyslexia. Four years later, Camerin is in the third grade but is reading at a first-grade level. Barber had thought her son’s condition may be genetic. But over the past year, as the rising lead levels in Pittsburgh’s water became more known to the public, Barber has suspicions about the root of Camerin’s condition. She remembers making his formula with tap water. She didn’t know that infants on formula get 40 to 60 percent of their lead exposure from tap water. Testing children for lead exposure is not required in Allegheny County. The Allegheny County Health Department has proposed universal lead testing for children, but currently, children on Medicaid are the only youth required to be tested. Still, few children on Medicaid are tested. The fact is, Barber will likely never know if Camerin’s condition is the product of bad genetic luck or a preventable toxicity in the environment. Either way, she’d have the same responsibilities. So looking forward, she wants to make sure other young, possibly single mothers like her, see the risks lead can pose to their kids—and heed the warnings. “I’ve seen a lot of stuff about lead but it never really triggered anything within me,” Barber said. “It’s kind of like one of those things that you don’t pay attention to until it happens to you. I wish more young moms, when they see stuff like that, look into it more and not just expect our city officials to take care of the problem.” Camerin is Barber’s oldest. He has two brothers: Corey, 7, and Cody, 3. As her kids were growing up, Barber and her family were mobile, moving between apartments, duplexes and homes in Stanton Heights, Penn Hills and Wilkinsburg. She’s not sure if any of the homes from before Camerin’s diagnosis had lead. But her gut and the condition of those homes tell her they may have. The experience at her last home in Larimer feeds into her hunch. In 2014, Barber started renting an old house, built
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before 1978, in Larimer. Because of its age, the landlord should have told Barber there was a risk for lead paint. But she says they never gave her the federally required notice of the risks of lead. By 2015, Barber had some concerns about carbon monoxide from a home test kit she bought. So, Allegheny County Health Department inspectors visited her home. And when they did, they also checked for lead paint. The test was positive. “There was lead everywhere, even on the outside of the house,” Barber sad. She got her boys tested, and none showed elevated lead levels. Lead in blood decreases by half after a month or two. Caring for three boys leaves her little time to dwell on it, but the discovery opened up her eyes to the possibility that lead from paint or water could have had an effect on Camerin. As the volunteer vice president at East Liberty Family Support—where she teaches families about healthy eating and lifestyles—Barber didn’t think of lead as a topic that felt important amid the “motion of life.” “I’m working three jobs. I got to pay the bills. I gotta catch up on my sleep. I gotta feed the kids. I gotta break up fights. I gotta go to school,” Barber said. So the threat of this one tiny element didn’t seem pressing. Despite those nagging doubts that lead caused her son’s condition, she says she is not going to beat herself up or point fingers. “I’ve never had the energy to try and investigate that,” Barber said. “I’ve just had the energy to try and fix what was wrong with him, and try and move forward from it.” Her first move was making sure Camerin repeated the first grade. Looking ahead, she knew her son needed those early lessons to sink in to prevent him from getting caught in a cycle of misunderstanding. “He wouldn’t have understood the work, and he
ANDREA BARBER, 31, pushes her 3-year-old son, Cody, on a swing. Her sons, Corey, 7, left, and Camerin, 10, right, play on the swings in the foreground. Andrea moved to a township northeast of Pittsburgh in August 2016 after discovering there was lead in the paint of her former house in Larimer. (Photos by Ryan Loew/PublicSource) would have been upset... and he would express that through his behavior and acting out,” Barber said. Then, she slowly started to eliminate every source of lead she possibly could. Barber and her kids moved from Larimer about a year and a half ago. Their new home is outside of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority’s coverage area. Regardless, a NSF-certified filter from the Women for a Healthy Environment initiative sits on her faucet to filter out lead. These days, Barber always carries water bottles with her when out with her kids. When either Camerin or his brothers run to a water fountain, she’ll pull them back and reach into her bag for a water bottle. “Of course they run to them every time,” Barber said. “But I try to tell them, ‘We’re going to try and stop drinking from water fountains.’”
group producing original invesIn her home, she has a ture for him,” Barber said. PublicSource (www.public- tigative and in-depth journalism wall covered in words and letters, where she plays source.org) is a nonprofit news in Pittsburgh. games with Camerin to make sure learning doesn’t end at 3 p.m. The two also frequent the library together, where Barber is trying her best to make sure her son reads as much as he can. Last summer, they went through 44 books—some starring superheroes, others Pete the Cat. Barber’s concerns about her boys and health also translate to a small business she runs. She manages health-conscious vending machines, that include SunChips, nuts and granola bars to hungry Pittsburghers. Barber plans to hand over the business— My Three Sons Vending— to her children when they are older. It’s enough that, despite the challenges Camerin faces, she can still smile when she thinks of the coming years. “I’m making a bright fu-
ANDREA BARBER, 31, reviews the word “delta” with her 10-year-old son, Camerin, emphasizing how to pronounce each of the word’s syllables. Andrea has a wall in her home that’s covered in words, letters, names and math problems, and she plays games with her sons to make sure they continue learning outside of school.
PEOPLE
B8 APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
They picked up their copy!
DANNAE ALLEN AND RON NEWTON, PENN HILLS
TY’RAE PETERSON (HILL DISTRICT), RICKEIA TUCKER (SOUTH SIDE) AND CHRISTINA BROOKS (EAST END)
CHALEE CLEMONS WITH SON, JAHLIL (LINCOLN), EDNA POLAND AND SON, DA’RON (MCKEESPORT)
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URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER PITTSBURGH CEO ESTHER BUSH
HAZELWOOD’S MONIQUE TUCKER DABBIN’ ON ‘EM