April 24-30 Digital Edition

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Mel Blount Youth Home Celebrity Roast

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August Wilson Community Day

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Mark Henderson named Pitt’s new Chief Information Officer and Vice Chancellor

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

MARK D. HENDERSON

For Mark D. Henderson, it’s a return to Pittsburgh, of sorts.

His career journey landed him in Pittsburgh more than 30 years ago, working for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation as a Network Installation Team Leader. In that role, he was responsible for the implementation of components of Westinghouse’s global data communications network, and managed budgets in support of network implementations.

He left Pittsburgh in 1986, climbing the professional ladder with positions

“This is a demanding role, and Mark is a perfect match.”

PATRICK GALLAGHER Pitt Chancellor at General Electric, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Maryland, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Today, 33 years later, Henderson is back in Pittsburgh, in one of the most high-profile positions one could have—

Two women honored for their work with children, families

Chief Information Officer and Vice Chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh.

The university made the announcement April 18. Henderson will begin in his new position in June.

According to the press announcement, Henderson will bring his 30 years of experience in higher education and private sector information technology to advance the academic, business and research missions across Pitt’s five campuses.

“This is a demanding role, and Mark is a perfect match,” Pitt Chancellor PatSEE HENDERSON B5

Lee, other legislators push package of police reform bills

by Christian Morrow and J.L. Martello

by Christian Morrow

Courier Staff Writers

Courier Staff Writer

Blue flags, 4,693 of them.

That is how many flags volunteers placed along Grant Street in Pittsburgh on April 10, each flag representing a child that was hurt by abuse or neglect in Pennsylvania last year.

There were an additional 40 children who did not survive last year as a result of child abuse. The flags placed Downtown in honor of them were Black flags.

But for those children who did survive, they did so because dedicated people helped them with emergency childcare, or family support, or legal, medical and psychological services.

People like Kristen Glass, a social worker at Jeremiah’s Place in Larimer, and Dr. Mary Carrasco, executive director of A Child’s Place, which has offices in Pittsburgh as well as Beaver, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Both women were honored for their work by the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance as part of its inaugural Blue Ribbon Champions for Safe Kids

Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus have announced a package of five bills designed to change police accountability and oversight in the wake of last month’s “not guilty” verdict for former East Pittsburgh police Officer Michael Rosfeld, who stood trial for killing Antwon Rose II as he fled SUMMER LEE JAKE WHEATLEY from a traffic stop.

But as state Rep. Summer unarmed person fleeing is Lee, D-North Braddock, not a good enough reason said during a Facebook to kill somebody.”

The second bill, to be inLive post after returning home from Harrisburg troduced by state Rep. BriApril 17, this is just the an Sims, D-Philadelphia, first step in getting “Justice would require the Attorney General to appoint a spefor Antwon.”

“If you believe that Black cial prosecutor to investilives matter, that Antwon’s gate police use of excessive because life mattered, then call your force/shootings state rep, call your senator, district attorneys rarely and tell them to get behind charge officers they must rely on to make cases. this package,” she said.

The first bill, which will be SEE LEE A7 introduced by her and state

KRISTEN GLASS AND DR. MARY CARRASCO were honored for their efforts in keeping children safe and away from abusive situations, at One Oxford Centre, April 10. (Photo by J.L. Martello) event at One Oxford Centre, which also remembered the victims of child abuse with ceremony and song which included Pittsburgh CAPA stu-

dents and kids from Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pa. April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month.

Joining alliance Pres-

ident and CEO Angela Liddle were a number of state and local officials including Second Lady of SEE HONORED A6

Rep. Ed Gainey, D-Larimer, would set tighter standards for when, and under what circumstances, police can use deadly force.

“Effectuating an arrest is not a good enough reason for a police officer to kill a person,” said Rep. Lee. “An

Pirates honor Courier with Most Valuable Diverse Business Partner Award

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Both the New Pittsburgh Courier and the Pittsburgh Pirates have been stalwarts in our region.

Both entities have been in existence well over 100 years, have attained national acclaim for championships or national awards, and make diversity a priority.

Legendary Pittsburgh Courier sportswriter Wendell Smith played a vital role in empowering then-Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey to sign Jackie Robinson to a contract with the Dodgers in 1946. Of course, the rest is history, as Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier on April 15, 1947.

Twenty-four years later, on Sept.

1, 1971, the Pirates made history by having the first all-Black and Latino starting lineup for a ma-

jor league game. It occurred at Three Rivers Stadium, against the San Francisco Giants, which featured a starting lineup of African Americans Rennie Stennett, Gene Clines, Willie Stargell, Dave Cash, Al Oliver and Dock Ellis. Latino starters were Roberto Clemente, Manny Sanguillen and Jackie Hernandez.

“It wasn’t maybe as big as Jackie Robinson breaking into the major leagues (in 1947), but it should be up there as far as baseball history is concerned. I think it’s a day that really should be celebrated,” Oliver told Fox Sports in 2016.

The Courier and the Pirates were on the same team Friday evening, April 19, as the Pirates honored the Courier with its 2019 Most Valuable Diverse Business Partner Award. Team President Frank Coonelly presented the award to Courier Editor and Pub-

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lisher Rod Doss in an onfield ceremony prior to the game against, ironically, the Giants.

The Diverse Business Partner program began in Major League Baseball in 1998, as then-commissioner Bud Selig encouraged teams to increase its partnerships and business activities with diverse owned businesses.

The Pirates had an off-day on April 15, the date known as “Jackie Robinson Day” across MLB. On that day, all teams in action wear No. 42 in honor of Robinson (the Pirates wore No. 42 on April 16 in Detroit when COURIER EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ROD DOSS, center, celebrates receiving the they played the Tigers).

Most Valuable Diverse Business Partner Award given to the Courier by Pirates PresThe Pirates didn’t return ident Frank Coonelly. Also pictured is Pirates Community Relations Representative Joel Gray, left. (Photo by William McBride) SEE COURIER A8

Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick says

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This Week In Black History

NEGOTIATING A PRICE—Nelly Navarro sits with her kids, Nerianny and Luis, in a beauty salon where she came to consult how much money she could get for her hair, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 2. Navarro said she needs the $100 to travel to Colombia where she’s planning to move. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

In Venezuela, women sell hair as another way to get by

by Fabiola Sanchez Associated Press Writer

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)—Valery Díaz covered her eyes and held her breath before looking in a hair salon mirror to see herself without much of the long dark hair that used to frame her face.

The 16-year-old student was paid $100 for the shorn hair, money she’ll use to help her family and buy a cellphone at a time when Venezuela’s sharp economic decline has led to shortages of food and medicine, and hyperinflation has made salaries nearly worthless.

Increasing numbers of women in poor neighborhoods are selling their hair for use in wigs and extensions as the demands of daily survival force them to abandon the kind of selfcare long an obsession with a country known globally for its success in beauty pageants. Seven Miss Universe winners have been Venezuelans, as have six Miss Worlds.

Some women are washing their hair with dishwashing liquid because they can’t afford to buy shampoo that costs more than the minimum monthly salary, now equivalent to just a few dollars. Many have to adapt to make personal care products last longer, with no sign of an end to a crisis that has pushed more than 3 million Venezuelans —one-tenth of the population—to leave the country in recent years.

Díaz gazed silently at the mirror and attempted a positive spin on the loss of locks that she had worn since she was a young child.

She described herself as feeling “light” and said it had been hard to maintain her flowing hair in the past.

“There are times when you go two or three weeks without washing your hair,” she said, alluding to frequent water shortages in past weeks, caused by nationwide blackouts that

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WAITING FOR CUSTOMERS—Manicurist Maria Trinidad Tobar waits for customers at a beauty salon in Caracas, Venezuela. Tobar said Venezuelan women no longer prioritize getting made up, but instead focus on buying food in a country where the IMF predicts hyperinflation will reach 10 million percent this year. (AP Photo) shut off water pumps.

Her mother, Yeny Gómez, laughed nervously and tried to buoy her daughter’s spirits.

“You don’t notice it,” Gómez, a 43-year-old teacher, said of the drastic haircut.

Despite sacrificing her hair, Díaz said she still tries to buy cosmetics, using money she earns from making and selling bracelets.

But Gómez said she hasn’t

never been worse and she’s had to adapt to maintain her salon on one of the steep hills of Catia, a Caracas district. About a year ago, Merchani said, she started to do barter deals with her clients, getting food in exchange for hair stylings, manicures and pedicures.

Local shops that sell beauty products are also reinventing themselves to stay afloat. International

SELLING FOR CASH—Ana Pacheco looks at her hair as she poses for a photo in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, April 2. Pacheco said she loves her long hair but doesn’t have the money to take care of it properly, and has decided to sell it for cash to buy food for her three children. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) bought lipstick or any other cosmetics for more than a year because she’s saving whatever money she earns to get food for her and her two daughters. Beauty care has become secondary for most Venezuelans, she said.

Carmen Merchani, a 49-year-old hairdresser, knows that well. After decades of cutting and styling hair, she said things have

cosmetics brands have disappeared from storefronts, replaced by cheaper goods from China as well as locally made products that use honey and other ingredients.

Díaz said she still dreams of becoming a Miss Venezuela someday, when “my hair grows again.”

(Fabiola Sanchez on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fisanchezn)

Week of April 24-30 April 24 1867—The first national meeting of the Ku Klux Klan is held at the Maxwell House in Nashville, Tenn.

The White supremacist organization and its various offshoots would go on to launch a wave of terror, which would result in death and injury to thousands of African Americans over the years. The Klan would remain the nation’s most powerful anti-Black terrorist organization for the next 70 years. The first chapter, however, was actually formed a year earlier in Pulaski, Tenn. Most of the early Klan members were former soldiers of the defeated Confederate Army from the Civil War. The group’s initial aim was to spread fear among Blacks and prevent them KU KLUX KLAN from voting. But as the organization grew, it expanded into anti-Jewish, anti-Catholic and anti-foreigner activities. The first grand wizard was Nathan Bedford Forest.

1944—The United Negro College Fund is incorporated. Over the years, the fundraising activities of the UNCF would result in thousands of college educations for African-Americans.

1944—Whites only political primaries are declared unconstitutional. In a case known as Smith v. Allwright, the United States Supreme Court ruled that a “Whites only” primary law, which excluded Blacks from voting, was a violation of the 15th Amendment and was thus unconstitutional. Such laws had been common throughout the South.

April 25 1918—Jazz singing legend Ella Fitzgerald is born in Newport News, Va. Orphaned at an early age, Fitzgerald was literally living in the streets when she was discovELLA FITZGERALD ered in Harlem, N.Y., by bandleader Chick Webb. Despite never having received formal vocal training, musical experts often compared her techniques and vocal range to that of a conservatory trained singer. One of the ultimate compliments to her abilities was given by the great song writer Ira Gershwin who said, “I didn’t realize our songs were so good until I heard Ella sing them.” Fitzgerald died at the age of 79 on June 15, 1997.

1943—Tuskegee Institute President Frederick Patterson writes his famous letter (published in the Pittsburgh Courier) urging the presidents of the nation’s predominantly Black colleges and universities to “pool their small resources and make an appeal to the national conscience” in order to produce more scholarship funds for the education of Black students. One year later the United Negro College Fund is incorporated with 27-member colleges.

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.

GERTRUDE MA RAINEY 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 NELSON MANDELA had led the struggle against apartheid.

April 27 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 W.E.B. DuBOIS one of “industrial education, conciliation of the South, and submission and silence as to civil and political rights.” A collection of DuBois’ papers is currently being placed online by the University of Massachusetts.

1903—Maggie Lena Walker becomes the first Black woman to head a bank in America. 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.

MAGGIE LENA WALKER 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 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 MUHAMMAD ALI 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 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 RODNEY KING troops, routs the Visigoths and establishes Moor domination of Spain. While there remains some 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 more than 40,000. But Shaka became increasingly dictatorial. Opposition to his dictatorship SHAKA combined with jealousy led his two half-brothers to assassinate him on this day in 1828.

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EXPRESSING OUTRAGE—Neighborhood residents gather to protest against an order for a music store to stop playing popular music heard outside. Similar cultural battles are happening across the country due to gentrification. PHOTO: HU News Service Video

After protests, D.C. music store wins against gentrification threat

by Victoria M. Walker For New Pittsburgh Courier

(Triceedneywire.com)—The first implication that something wasn’t quite right on the corner of Florida Avenue and 7th Street N.W. was the eerie silence that punctuated the ordinarily bustling corner in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in Northwest Washington.

The second indication came in a tweet.

“I’m not a fan of gogo, but the dudes down at Metro PCS on Georgia have stopped playing their music. Apparently, the new [White] neighbors were complaining about the “noise,” Howard University student Julien Broomfield wrote on Twitter along with the hashtag #DontMuteDC on April 7.

The MetroPCS store in Shaw had gone silent and, according to its owner, had been ordered to stop playing go-go music outside of the store or face lawsuits.

Owner Donald Campbell’s store offers phone services and also plays and sells go-go music—the booming, percussive sound native to D.C.—since opening 24 years ago. He says traffic to his store has been steady through the years.

DCist reported that Campbell said the report came from a resident who lives in the luxury apartment development, The Shay, that opened in 2015. The building, built by JBG Smith and now owned by Gates Hudson, offers luxury apartments and retail spaces.

“There really hasn’t been a significant change up until they began bothering us about the speakers, but I guess they want to dictate what we can and cannot play,” Campbell explained. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve seen mostly.”

The concierge who answered the phone on April 8 said, “No thank you. We’re not going to be able to answer any of your questions,” in response to questioning.

Moments before, the building released a statement on Facebook.

‘I can only imagine how native D.C. residents feel’ When Broomfield, a Howard University senior, realized she could no longer hear the go-go music playing from the store, she took to social media. “I’ve only been here five years, I can only imagine how native D.C. residents feel,” she said addressing her reason for tweeting.

Her original Twitter thread gained public attention from media outlets, citizens and D.C. Councilmembers. Her thread also sparked a series of protests starting with one on April 9 led by Kymone Freeman, Co-Founder of We Act Radio.

Freeman said he was inspired to organize the rally because he feels this is bigger than just the music.

“What we’re addressing here today is that gentrification is indeed cultural genocide. Them taking that speaker may be a small thing to some people, but it’s actually a very large piece in a big puzzle,” he said.

Reaction to the news of the silencing of the MetroPCS store reverberated quickly through D.C. and the country. By April 8, #DontMuteDC was trending in the District. Protesters demonstrated in the parking lot across from the MetroPCS for days, playing go-go music. A larger demonstration on 14th Street NW on April 9 brought out D.C. celebrities such as Wale, whose early music drew inspiration from go-go. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and Ward 1 councilwoman Brianne Nadeau wrote to T-Mobile, which owns MetroPCS. ‘She Has Arrived’: Gentrification in Shaw The noise complaints highlight ongoing, and for some, painful changes in the neighborhood. And The Shay, the apartment building Campbell said complaints stemmed from, rests squarely in the middle.

The apartment is located on what used to be a flea market where neighborhood residents gathered and sold goods. Today, apartments in the building can cost as much as $3,200 a month. Just 19 units in both buildings at the Shay are designated as affordable units.

The apartment building came under fire previously for advertising apartments with a billboard that featured a White

woman gazing down on the neighborhood —seemingly at residents who couldn’t afford to live there even if they wanted to—proclaiming “she has arrived.”

As the city grows, the District has experienced the highest “intensity of gentrification” of any city in the nation, according to a study by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. The study also found that 20,000 African American residents were displaced from the city between 2000 and 2013. According to the Washington Post, Shaw’s demographics shifted from 70 percent Black in 1970 to just 30 percent in 2010.

Just blocks away from the store on U Street lies what was once known as “Black Broadway,” where pianist Duke Ellington and Dr. Charles Drew would congregate. “[Segregation] kept us all in the same community and patronizing our own businesses. We learned to produce and provide everything we needed, and because of that, the community flourished,” B. Doyle Mitchell Jr., whose grandfather founded Industrial Bank in 1934, told Washingtonian in 2017.

The birth of go-go in D.C. Shaw suffered extensive damage after the 1968 riots that racked the city following the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. A report by the Washington Post said that businesses along the corridor where the MetroPCS is currently were hit heavily by the riots, with 200 of the 250 businesses in the area hit. Much of Black Broadway was also destroyed.

One block away from the store is, ironically, Chuck Brown Way—named after the father of go-go music.

“Go-go is D.C.’s indigenous music,” Howard University professor Natalie Hopkinson, author of the 2012 book Go-Go Live: The Musical Life and Death of the Chocolate City, told Complex in 2017.

“It came about in the years after the Civil Rights Movement, when D.C. was devastated by the fires of the riots in 1968 that burned Black communities. It’s the art form that emerged from the void created by White flight and Black middle-class flight.”

Go-go, a percussive subgenre of music with roots in funk, has withstood the test of time. When the District was called the “murder capital” of the country, when crack cocaine flooded the streets, when “go-gos” were shut down throughout the city, one could count on Campbell’s store to play the music.

‘The music will go on’ Despite changing demographics in the city, go-go is still the official sound of Black D.C., and the music does not seem to bother many of the other businesses surrounding the MetroPCS. The manager at the CVS Pharmacy across the street, Betrece Jackson, says the store and their customers actually enjoy the music. “It doesn’t bother us over here at CVS; the customers actually love it.” She also added, “The issue is the neighborhood is changing, and the new people that are coming into the neighborhood may be the ones that are complaining. The music is fine with me. D.C. is the city of go-go!”

Gabriela Briones, the business manager of Halfsmoke which is across the street, said, “This is directly impacting the community by removing a staple. Taking away their music is like taking the culture out of D.C. and removing it from Shaw’s history.”

The store has received support throughout the region. “People are coming in here shaking our hands and waving at us. The people of D.C. have been very supportive. We’re appreciative,” Campbell says.

Even the CEO of T-Mobile weighed in.

“The music will go on, and our dealer will work with the neighbors to compromise volume,” John Legere said April 10 on Twitter.

“They’ve earned their right to play it,” Briones added. “Everyone knows Metro PCS is where you can hear the go-go music and even go get go-go CD’s. There was definitely a better way to handle this situation, especially if you’re trying to move into the city.”

(Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Howard University News Service)

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AUGUST WILSON COMMUNITY DAY 2019

JAY WHITE, with daughter, Kimora, from Beltzhoover.

STACIAWA ABBOTT, holding an August Wilson shirt.

AMBER BENJAMIN, right, among those in attendance at August Wilson Community Day, April 20.

A day of fun, educational experiences August Wilson Community Day, a day full of fun, yet educational experiences, centered on the African American existence and the late, great playwright, August Wilson.

This year’s event occurred on Saturday, April 20, at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, featuring local vendors such as Grandma Jones Catering, artisans, performers, and actor Wali Jamal, who performed “How I Learned What I Learned,” Wilson’s final work before his death. Completed in 2003, “How I Learned What I Learned” is a solo monologue, a biographical story of Wilson’s life experiences and victories as a Black man in America.

Courier photographer J.L. Martello captured the event in pictures.

MORGAN OVERTON, a local artist, poses with some of her work.

TIFFANY KINNEY, SKIP BOYKON

WALI JAMAL signs autographs for the youth. He performed during August Wilson Community Day, April 20. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)

ALTON MERRELL AND IMPACT perform at August Wilson Community Day.

THE WOMEN pictured here all agreed: August Wilson Community Day was another successful event.

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Teresa says: Unleash your voice, sis! You are victorious!

by Teresa Renee Hunt For New Pittsburgh Courier

“Can’t nobody take my pride, can’t nobody hold me down, oh no, I got to keep on movin’!”

Although these lyrics are a throwback from Puff & Mase, the words ring true for me today, and I encourage you to let them sing for you, too.

As April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I dedicate this article to my beautiful sisters who are standing tall and triumphant, despite what they’ve endured. Not only are you surviving, but you are thriving! You continue to overcome the odds that were stacked against you from the moment you were sexually assaulted. Yes, you recognize that some-

one’s selfish ambition and disregard for your personal space was a violent blow against you, but you refuse to walk around as a victim.

Certainly, the assault has brought about mental opposition, and at times, caused you to question your virtuous position. Nevertheless, you keep on moving!

Like me, you’ve undoubtedly experienced the often-overlooked side effects of trauma. Moreover, the fear of victim shaming may have kept you silent for some time. No more, sis! It’s time to let your story be heard. The fact is, you’ve made it! You are still here. This means, you are an overcomer. You are victorious! You are strong.

You are resilient! Because of this, you have a message of motivation to share, and

TERESA RENEE HUNT

you have a testimony that needs to be told. Whether or not you decide to report your perpetrator is your choice, however, don’t let the sexual assault experience steal your voice!

For years, fourteen to be exact, my lips were sealed.

That is, until I released my first book in 2015, entitled, “Positioned To Be Found: How To Prepare Yourself For Marriage Right Now.” The entire first chapter of the book is about the experience. I was on a quest to speak out, empower others, and walk uprightly as a woman who is healed. I am still committed to this cause and will forever be.

In order to save others from the torment of their untold story, and for the sake of my sanity, I decided to break the silence. Immediately after, freedom and peace swept through my life like the strong winds of a tropical storm, and I welcomed the high-level waters of my newly found liberty. It was much better than the rivers I cried since the age of 16 as I journeyed through life with a smile and a “beautiful” disguise.

Like many victims, after the rape, regretfully, I chose to protect his identity at the expense of mine. Today, however, I am grateful to have stepped into my calling

and purpose as a teacher, encourager, minister, entrepreneur, wife, and mother.

I am a woman of power! I know my identity and I am grateful that what I’ve experienced does not dictate who I am. I never thought I’d say this, but the pain I went through helped shape me into the person I am today, and I believe the same is true for you. It’s an amazing phenomenon that God will take the very thing that was meant to harm you and work it out for your good!

Sis, your voice matters.

Your story matters. You are more than what you’ve gone through! You are not a sexual assault victim; you are a woman who is victorious! Go on with your powerful self. Keep on moving forward. Unleash your voice and share your message of triumph because, “Can’t nobody hold you down.”

You are a perseverant woman full of power and purpose. Share your journey and your victories. The world needs to hear your story!

(Teresa Renee Hunt is a Pittsburgh-based Life-Makeover Strategist, Motivational Speaker, Book Coach, and Educator who empowers her audience to live with intention, make purposeful decisions, and overcome personal hindrances so they can experience the reality of their dreams.

Follow her on Facebook by searching “Teresa Renee Hunt” or at teresareneehunt.com.)

Like many victims, after the rape, regretfully, I chose to protect his identity at the expense of mine. Today, however, I am grateful to have stepped into my calling and purpose as a teacher, encourager, minister, entrepreneur, wife, and mother. I am a woman of power! I know my identity an am rateful that hat ve e perienced does not dictate who I am.

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Dr. Mary Carrasco, Kristen Glass honored for their work with children, families

KRISTEN GLASS HONORED FROM A1

Pennsylvania Gisele Fetterman, state Human Services Secretary Cathy Utz, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, County Department of Human Services Director Marc Cherna, and Miss Pennsylvania, Kayla Repasky.

“No child should ever be neglected or abused,” said Liddle. “And it is our responsibility to work together as a community to ensure that every child living in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment that is free of abuse and neglect.”

Carrasco explained that A Child’s Place provides a child-friendly, safe and neutral space where law enforcement, Child Protective Services and medical professionals can interview children and investigate alleged child abuse.

Allegheny County Department of Human Services operates a 24-hour ChildLine for reporting suspected abuse at 412-473-2000 or 1-800-932-0313. Callers will be asked to provide: the child’s name; the child’s address; the child’s age; the name of the primary caregiver; and a description of

the concerns that prompted the call. Suspected abuse reports can be made anonymously.

“If you think a child isn’t safe, you don’t have to investigate that,” Liddle said in an interview on KDKA-TV. “You don’t have to be 100 percent right. There are paid professionals who are trained to investigate the safety and well-being of kids.”

Jeremiah’s Place is a different kind of agency—it is the region’s only crisis nursery, providing emergency 24-hour, or even care for several days, to infants and children when parents, for whatever reason, cannot. Sometimes, it might be a single mother having another child with no one to watch her small children while she is in the hospital.

Other times it may involve a domestic violence situation.

Glass said to receive an award for her work is humbling, but also inspiring.

“This inspires me to continue to do the work and get the word out because it shows me there are even more people out there doing this work and who are passionate about helping

KRISTEN GLASS, DR. MARY CARRASCO children and serving the community,” she told the New Pittsburgh Courier.

“A lot of times, we’re the only option for a safe place for families to leave their children. I think the planting of the flags is really important because provides perspective for people who maybe don’t have a clear understanding of how many children suffer from abuse and whose lives are lost.”

Lisa Perry, executive director of Jeremiah’s Place, said Glass’ work is “impeccable, the way she is able to connect with families to give them a sense of dignity in the midst of seeking help.”

Sometimes, a mother or family member may be apprehensive about coming to an agency for assistance. But “Kristen has a way of honoring who they are,” Perry told the Courier. “That’s a really unique gift. She’s young but she is light years older in terms of how she approaches things.

I’m honored to have her on staff here.”

Jeremiah’s Place, which has been in existence since 2014, serves children from birth to 6 years old. Perry

JULIE STRICKLAND-GILLIARD, ANGELA LIDDLE, GISELE FETTERMAN

said families contact the agency at 412-924-0726 with emergent crisis situations. Oftentimes, “our moms (or grandparents), they get overwhelmed and they don’t have any added supports, so we can watch a child for a few hours, a

DR. MARY CARRASCO few days, give the mother a chance to take a deep breath and step away from it a little bit,” Perry said.

Jeremiah’s Place is holding an open house on Thursday, April 25 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., at 6435 Frankstown Ave., for the community to

tour their facility and learn more about their programs.

Perry said Jeremiah’s Place has assisted 830 children from 526 families since the agency’s inception.

“Oftentimes you don’t know you need us until you need us,” Perry said.

JULIE STRICKLAND-GILLIARD, KRISTEN GLASS, GISELE FETTERMAN

ONE PROUD FATHER—Dr. Michael Glass embraces his daughter, Kristen, upon receiving honors for her work with children and families, during an event held at One Oxford Centre, April 10. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)

“No child should ever be neglected or abused, and it is our responsibility to work together as a community to ensure that every child living in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment that is free of abuse and neglect.”

ANGELA LIDDLE

PA FAMILY SUPPORT ALLIANCE PRESIDENT AND CEO

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS Allegheny County 24-hour ChildLine: 1-800-932-0313 Jeremiah’s Place: 412-924-0726

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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

APRIL 24-30, 2019 A7

Lee, other legislators push package of police reform bills LEE FROM A1

The third, being introduced by Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Philadelphia, would create a database repository for incidents of police misconduct so that municipalities and small police forces can know about issues before they hire an officer.

The fourth, to be introduced by Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Philadelphia, would remove a police officer’s ability to have arbitration settle disciplinary conduct disputes.

Finally, Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Hill District, will introduce legislation creating a state police review commission that would require police to get another level of licensing contingent on implicit bias and other training not currently required.

Together, Rep. Lee told the New Pittsburgh Courier on April 23, the legislation is designed to make police more accountable, but it is only one step. It has to be kept in the pub-

lic’s mind.

“A lot of times, people get voted to go to Harrisburg and do things, and then you don’t hear of anything,” she said. “I’ve introduced several bills, and none have even been assigned to a committee. That’s why we need the public’s help.”

Representative Sims introduced his legislation during the last House session, and it went nowhere.

So, Rep. Lee said the first step is to pressure Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, R-McCandless, to bring the bills up so they can be assigned to a committee.

“He controls every bill.

He needs to be bombarded with calls and emails to move the package,” she said. “If he does it will be assigned to a committee— likely the Judiciary Committee. I sit on that. Its chairman is Rob Kauffman serving Franklin County.

He doesn’t have to bring it up for a vote if he doesn’t wish to, either. We need

A night with Jazzmeia Horn

GRAMMY-NOMINATED JAZZ SINGER JAZZMEIA HORN performed at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, April 19.

(Photos by J.L. Martello)

JAZZMEIA HORN, with AWAAC President and CEO Janis Burley Wilson.

NICOLE MITCHELL and Calvin Gantt were among the many that attended the show.

people to pressure him and their representatives to get it voted out of committee and onto the floor for a vote.”

Representative Lee and her fellow legislators have scheduled a rally for April 30 ahead of the legislation’s formal introduction. Brandi Fisher, executive director of the Alliance for Police Accountability, is coordinating the travel arrangements and will have five buses leaving for Harrisburg that morning.

Anyone who wants a seat can text J4A to 38470, or contact Fisher at 412-2568449.

“Join us and show your strength and power. We have to hold our representatives accountable,” Fisher said. “Remember, for each one of us there are 60,000 of you—that we need to hear from. Send letters, send emails and continue to demand justice. This is something that we can do.”

STATE REP. SUMMER LEE

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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Pirates honor Courier with Most Valuable Diverse Business Partner Award

THE COURIER TEAM—From left: Rob Taylor Jr., Aubrey Bruce, Bill Neal, Pirates Community Relations Representative Joel Gray, Jeff Marion, Debbie Norrell, Ashley Johnson, Brian Cook Jr., Brian Cook Sr., Jan Oliver and Rod Doss. The Courier was honored by the Pirates prior to the April 19 game against the San Francisco Giants. (Photos by Courier photographer William McBride) HONORED FROM A1

home until April 19; thus, they decided to hold a ceremony to celebrate Jackie Robinson’s legacy by honoring the Courier, followed by hosting the Courier staff in the Pirates Charities Suite to watch what was a 4-1 win in a game delayed 85 minutes by rain.

“It is the Pirates’ sincere pleasure to join Major League Baseball in the recognition of Rod Doss and the New Pittsburgh Courier for their longstanding commitment and support of the African American community in our city,” said Patricia Salerno, senior vice president of community and public affairs for the Pirates. “The Pirates and the Courier share a storied history. We are proud to call them our partner, and look forward to an even stronger relationship in the years to come.”

Courier sports columnist Aubrey Bruce said the Pirates honoring the Courier “brought me to near tears.”

Bruce has been covering the Pirates for the Courier since the late ‘70s.

He said his memories of the 1979 “We Are Family” Pirates were some of the best times.

“Pittsburgh really was family, because the city got over having a predominantly-Black team,” Bruce said. “Back in the early ‘70s when you would go Downtown and mention the Pirates, the reaction would be lukewarm because of all the Black players. Stennett, Cash, Oliver, Stargell.

And the thing about it was, Pittsburgh wasn’t as accepting of a predominantly-Black baseball team. But I think by 1979 they had gotten used to it, they just wanted to win, they didn’t care what color you were at that point.”

“It was an honor for the Courier to be recognized by an organization such as the Pirates,” said Courier Editor and Publisher Rod Doss. “We both have deep roots in Pittsburgh, and we are proud to support the Pirates, and appreciative of the support the Pirates have shown the Courier over all the IN THE DUGOUT—Holding the baseball at left is Jeff Marion, with Aubrey Bruce, Bill Neal and Rob Taylor Jr. also seated. Holding the Courier print edition with the white shirt is Brian Cook Sr., joined by his son, Brian Cook Jr. years.”

COURIER EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ROD DOSS, PIRATES PRESIDENT FRANK COONELLY

JEFF MARION, BILL NEAL, BRIAN COOK JR., BRIAN COOK SR.

THE ONE, THE ONLY—Pirates President Frank Coonelly shakes hands with the one, the only…Courier Lifestyles Editor Debbie Norrell.

COURIER EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ROD DOSS, PIRATES PRESIDENT FRANK COONELLY

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

APRIL 24-30, 2019

They Are Our Future

THE AWARDEES—Standing are Kellen Gilbert, Kirk Gilbert, and Joseph Lofton III. Seated are Rev. Dionne J.L. Edmonds, Brettney F. Duck, Natasha Jones and Amber Farr.

The Young, Gifted and Black Awards 2019 was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Downtown, April 13. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)

The Young, Gifted and Black Awards 2019 The Young, Gifted and Black Awards continues to recognize and applaud young adults who have

exemplified outstanding passion and service in their career and for their community. The Young,

Gifted and Black Programme was founded by Dr. Arzella Stewart-McCauley.

NATASHA JONES

MAJOR CANADY’S AWARD is accepted by his parents.

JOSEPH LOFTON III

REV. DIONNE J.L. EDMONDS

AMBER FARR

DR. ARZELLA STEWARTMCCAULEY

BRETTNEY F. DUCK

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LIFESTYLES New Pittsburgh Courier

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APRIL 24-30, 2019

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Debbie Norrell

Lifestyles Report Car shopping I thought shopping for my next car was going to be fun. It took me months to make up my mind about what I wanted and on a Saturday morning I headed to the dealership. When I walked in they asked me if I had an appointment. I have bought a lot of cars in my lifetime and never made an appointment, I just showed up at the dealership and thought someone would be happy to help me.

Fortunately someone was able to assist me. I had a list of what I was looking for and my list only included “certified pre-owned” but somehow we ended up in the new car department. I was told that the reason for this was this would allow me to see and get in the cars as all the used cars were locked.

OK, I went for it. We looked around and finally decided to go for a test drive. When we came to the stop light the car shut off. I was shocked.

I asked the salesman if the car was supposed to do that. I was told it was.

What a big turn off.

I noticed this in a rental car that I was in recently and if you’ve shopped for a new car in the past few years, you’ve probably seen automakers touting new stop/start systems that can help save a little gas money. The concept is simple enough—if you’re stopped at a red light or train crossing, you don’t need the engine; if the engine isn’t running, you’re not wasting any energy. But what’s really going on? Autoweek says as the name implies, automatic stop/start shuts off the engine instead of it idling at a stop and then rapidly restarts the engine when you want to drive away. If you do a lot of stop-and-go driving, you’re reducing emissions and saving fuel by not idling for extended periods. More important to the automakers, adding stop/start tech increases Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) figures, helping offset all those big SUVs being sold.

Automatic stop/start systems do present engineering challenges.

The electric starter that was designed to fire your engine a few times a day now has to start the same engine every time the car comes to a full stop. Obviously, a starter that was designed for 50,000 start cycles can’t suddenly be responsible for 500K start cycles, so automakers have phased in special starters to better handle the stress. I asked a friend of mine that has a new car if it has this feature and he said yes.

I think this would drive me crazy. There were so many new features on the car that I felt totally out of touch. The only thing that I might like is the backup camera. Needless to say I left the dealership in my 2010 Honda and felt like I was getting back into an old slipper. My six cylinder Accord felt good and it seemed to be glad that I was keeping it for a while longer. I know I am.

(Email Debbie at debbienorrell@aol.com.)

STEELER HALL OF FAMERS (Photos by Debbie Norrell)

Mel Blount Youth Home All-Star Celebrity Roast 2019

by Debbie Norrell Lifestyles Editor

Back in the day they called him the “big snack,” he wore number 98 and says his favorite food

HEADING TO THE STAGE—Mel and TiAnda Blount

LATORIA LEWIS AND CASEY HAMPTON

is oxtails but he will eat just about anything.

On April 5 at Heinz Field, the 21st Mel Blount Youth Home All-Star Celebrity Roast was held and on the spit to be roasted was Casey Hampton. Hampton spent 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was picked in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft.

Hampton was selected for the Pro Bowl five times.

Hundreds enjoyed a great night that featured rubbing elbows with the stars of the Steelers, great auction items, The Tubby Daniels Band featuring Anita Levels and a delightful meal. This year’s master of ceremonies was former Steeler Ryan Clark, now an analyst for ESPN. Bob Pompeani, KDKA–TV sports director, introduced him.

Mel Blount said the roast is the lifeblood for their programs, as it allows THE MAN OF THE HOUR—Casey Hampton them to help so many children through Hampton is beloved by the men who played their youth leadership initiative. “Towith him and those who know him.” Blount night we are honoring a man who in my also thanked his wife TiAnda and her team opinion was the best man in the middle for all of the hard work in making this a for the Steelers since Joe Greene. Casey great evening year after year.

This year’s chief roasters were Chris Hoke, Aaron Smith, John Mitchell and Brett Keisel, who went after Hampton’s love of food. It was said that he was so fat he sweats butter and if you cut him he would bleed gravy. Hampton took it all in stride and laughed and cried. He said the Steelers were like his brothers and Coach John Mitchell was like a father. The evening closed with a special presentation with Mel Blount Youth Home residents and an art presentation from artist August Vernon to Hampton.

The Mel Blount Youth Home was started in 1989 with a mission of working with SHARING HIS MEL BLOUNT YOUTH HOME young people, making them productive citiSTORY—John Griffin zens in society.

HIS LIST WAS LONG—Coach John Mitchell

ENJOYING THE VIP RECEPTION—Kali Oliver, John Williams, Jibri Blount, Joshua Williams and Rayven Vanzeg

SHARING A FEW WORDS BEFORE THE ROAST—Jim Rooney and Mel Blount

MASTER OF CEREMONIES—Ryan Clark

RELIGION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

APRIL 24-30, 2019 A11

Palm Sunday Concert at Morning Star Baptist Church, Clairton

Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH Crawford & Centre Ave. Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Mass Sunday 10:00 A.M. www.stbtmchurch.org

East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 116 S. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206

www.cathedralofhope.com Worship on Sunday: Journey Worship........8:45 a.m.

Sanctuary Worship........11 a.m.

Taize Prayer Service (Wed.) 7 p.m.

by Jacquelyn McDonald For New Pittsburgh Courier

The April 14 Palm Sunday Concert held at Morning Star Baptist Church in Clairton marked the beginning of the local community’s Holy Week Fellowship and Revival themed, “Calvary Covers It All.” The annual Christian Celebration that commemorates the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is a continued tradition envisioned by Patriarch Pastor William C. Callaway

of the Mount Olive Baptist Church more than 34 years ago. According to facilitator Bishop Thelma Mitchell, pastor of the Living Waters Church, 11 different pastors among six different churches and their congregations have preached and shared in the services.

Bishop Kenneth Anderson, known for his unique Pentecostal-styled keyboard expertise, directed the inspiring singers composed of choir members from all of the participating

churches. The Spirit of God reigned as those in attendance clapped and praised God from the first selection offered, “My Worship Is For Real,” to the last, “He Rose.”

Master of Ceremony and veteran musician, Pastor Melvin Brown of Gethsemane Church Of God In Christ, added an extra delight to the occasion with his spontaneous solo medley of traditional lyrics. The Easter celebration Benediction was offered by host Pastor John Knight.

Curious about Quakerism?

You Are Welcome at our Meetings for Worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Pittsburgh Friends Meeting 4836 Ellsworth Avenue http://www.quaker.org/legacy/pghpamm

Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community!

For rate information, call 412481-8302, ext.

128.

PARTICIPATING CLAIRTON PASTORS—Rev. John Knight, Rev. William Callaway, Bishop Thelma Mitchell, Rev. Melvin Brown, Bishop Kenneth Anderson. (Photos by Courier photographer Jacquelyn McDonald)

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEXT CHURCH EVENT! We want to place your event in our Church Circuit weekly calendar!

Send info to:

THE MEMBERS OF MORNING STAR BAPTIST CHURCH, CLAIRTON

Church Circuit TRIEDSTONE RESURRECTION PRAISE

APRIL 28—Triedstone Baptist Church in Rankin, 18 Harriet St., is holding its Resurrection Praise, “He is Risen,” at 3 p.m. Reverend Nathaniel Pennybaker is senior pastor. For more information, call 412-271-3000.

PENTECOSTAL MOTHER’S DAY PRAYER BREAKFAST

MAY 11—Pentecostal Temple COGIC will hold its Mother’s Day Prayer Breakfast, “Power of Prayer,” at 9 a.m. at the Wyndham University Center in Oakland. First Lady, Evangelist Barbara Mann will be the guest speaker. For more information, call 412-361-7000 or 412-371-6268.

BETHLEHEM BAPTIST USHER MINISTRY

MAY 18-19—The Bethlehem Baptist Church Usher Ministry, in McKeesport, will be celebrating their annual days on Saturday, May 18 at 2 p.m., where there will be a Hat Show & Luncheon. The Rev. Helen Jackson will be the commentator. The Hat Show & Luncheon is free to attend. Then, on Sunday, May 19, at 11 a.m., Rev. Beverly Jackson will be the guest preacher. The church is located at 716 Walnut St. Rev. Earlene Coleman is the host pastor. For more information, call 412-664-7272.

ANTIOCH WOMEN’S DAY

MAY 19—Antioch Baptist Church, 332, Elizabeth Street, Sewickley, will celebrate its annual Women’s Day at 10:45 a.m. Guest speaker will be Rev. Diane Wells of Mount Zion Baptist Church, Library. Dinner will be served after service. The theme this year is, “When Women Trust God,” taken from Esther 4:15–17.

All are welcome.

REV. MELVIN BROWN

To place your event in our Church Circuit weekly calendar, Send info to: New Pittsburgh Courier, 315 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh PA 15219 - or Email us! religion@newpittsburghcourier.com

New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh PA 15219 Or Email us! religion@ newpittsburgh courier.com

The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.

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APRIL 24-30, 2019

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

BUSINESS New Pittsburgh Courier

J. Pharoah Doss on how gang violence claims innocent lives Forum B6

APRIL 24-30, 2019

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Classifieds

Find what you need from jobs to cars to housing B4-B5

B

5 reasons why autonomous cars aren’t coming anytime soon

by Tom Krisher Associated Press Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP)—In the world of autonomous vehicles, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Silicon Valley are bustling hubs of development and testing. But ask those involved in self-driving vehicles when we might actually see them carrying passengers in every city, and you’ll get an almost universal answer: Not anytime soon.

An optimistic assessment is 10 years.

Many others say decades as researchers try to conquer a number of obstacles. The

vehicles themselves will debut in limited, well-mapped areas within cities and spread outward.

The fatal crash in Arizona involving an Uber autonomous vehicle in March of 2018 slowed progress, largely because it hurt the public’s perception of the safety of vehicles. Companies slowed research to be more careful. Google’s Waymo, for instance, decided not to launch a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in the Phoenix area and will rely on human backup drivers to ferry passengers, at least for now.

Here are the problems that researchers must overcome to start giving rides without humans behind the wheel: SNOW AND WEATHER When it’s heavy enough to cover the pavement, snow blocks the view of lane lines that vehicle cameras use to find their way. Researchers so far haven’t figured out a way around this. That’s why much of the testing is done in warm-weather climates such as Arizona and California.

Heavy snow, rain, fog and sandstorms can obstruct the view of cameras. Light beams sent out by laser sensors can

bounce off snowflakes and think they are obstacles. Radar can see through the weather, but it doesn’t show the shape of an object needed for computers to figure out what it is.

“It’s like losing part of your vision,” says Raj Rajkumar, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

Researchers are working on laser sensors that use a different light beam wavelength to see through snowflakes, said SEE AUTONOMOUS B2

How debt ‘solutions’ could dig you in deeper debt

by Liz Weston For New Pittsburgh Courier

PLURIA MARSHALL JR.

Nexstar sued by minority-owned Marshall Broadcasting Group for sabotage efforts HOUSTON—Since sellas a buyer, believing that ing three television stations the FCC would look favorto Marshall Broadcasting “It has become clear that our only value to Nex- ably upon MBG’s status as Group (MBG) in 2014, Nex- star was diversity optics at the FCC. Ever since the a minority-owned business. star Broadcasting Inc. (NexWhile the FCC was led to star) has actively worked to deal was signed, Nexstar has gone to great lengths believe that the sale would undermine MBG and its stathe commission’s to constantly interfere, undercut our authority and further tions, according to the lawobjective of increasing ethsuit in the Supreme Court sabotage our business, with little regard for the nic diversity in ownership of of the State of New York this broadcast stations, as soon as morning. The suit seeks to agreements in place with us or the FCC.” the arrangement was inked make MBG whole from NexPLURIA MARSHALL JR. Nexstar sought to sabotage star’s disingenuous and damand undermine MBG’s operMBG President and CEO ations to decrease its worth. aging actions—bringing to light Nexstar’s effort to sab“It has become clear that (KPEJ-TV, KMSS-TV, KLJB-TV) to MBG. otage MBG’s business and our only value to Nexstar eventually buy back the stations for pen- Nexstar was forced to sell the stations was diversity optics at the FCC,” said due to Federal Communications Commisnies on the dollar.

SEE NEXSTAR B2 In 2014 Nexstar sold three stations sion (FCC) regulations and chose MBG

Americans are slipping ever deeper into hock. To cope, many people turn to debt consolidation loans, cash-out mortgage refinancing and retirement plan loans that promise relief but could leave them worse off.

Paying off high-rate debt such as credit cards with lower-rate loans may seem like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, many of these loans have hidden costs and drawbacks. And consolidation by itself can’t fix the problems that led to the debt in the first place. In fact, such loans can make matters worse if borrowers feel freed up to spend more.

“Consolidating debt seems to create the psychological effect of making you feel like you’ve zeroed it out,” says Moira Somers, financial psychologist and author of “Advice That Sticks.” “Then (borrowers) just start spending up again, until there is no more wiggle room.”

DEBT LEVELS ARE HITTING NEW HIGHS Statistics show U.S. households are taking on record levels of debt. Overall household debt, including mortgages, student loans and credit cards, hit a new high of $13.54 trillion at the end of 2018, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Credit card balances have returned to their 2008 peak, and serious delinquencies—accounts at least 90 days overdue— are on the rise.

Meanwhile, personal loans, which are often used to consolidate other debt, have become the fastest-growing type of debt, according to credit bureau Experian. One in 10 American adults now has a personal loan, and the total outstanding personal loan debt hit a record $291 billion in 2018.

Cash-out mortgage refinancing has also made a comeback. With this type of loan, borrowers pay off their existing mortgage with a larger one and get the difference in cash. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reports that cash-out borrowers represented 83 percent of all conventional refinance loans made in the fourth quarter of last year, the highest share since the third quarter of 2007. Forty percent of those who cashed out their equity used the money to pay SEE SOLUTIONS B2

Lawsuit cites appalling lack of diversity in radio and TV ownership

by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—Free Press, the Massachusetts-based nonpartisan organization that fights for the right to connect and communicate along with several allies, filed a reply brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Friday, April 12, challenging the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal and relaxation of several of its broadcast-ownership rules that limit media consolidation.

Free Press and its allies argue that under the administration of President Donald Trump, the FCC has, among other things, acted to exclude minorities from equal access to broadcast and media licenses and has used absurdly stringent qualifications requirements to keep minorities out of the licensing process.

In filing the lawsuit, Free Press officials said they’re seeking to increase the quantity, quality and responsiveness of local news on TV, radio and in newspapers, particularly for racial minorities and women.

In the reply brief, Common Cause, the Communications Workers of America, Free Press,

the Media Mobilizing Project, the Prometheus Radio Project and the United Church of Christ Office of Communication, Inc., reject claims by FCC lawyers and broadcasters that the groups lack legal standing to bring this case against the agency.

According to a news release, the groups state that the FCC has failed to meet its statutory obligation to promote race and gender diversity in broadcast-media ownership.

This failure is reflected in data showing that women and people

of color are woefully underrepresented among broadcast-license holders—exacerbated by agency policies that carelessly promote further broadcast-ownership consolidation, and by the agency’s failure to consider how consolidation affects ownership opportunities for women and people of color, the organizations stated in the release.

At the end of 2018, the FCC began another of its congressionally mandated rulemaking processes to determine whether the remaining broadcast-ownership

regulations are “necessary in the public interest.”

In previous reviews of its rules, the agency failed to properly investigate or address the lack of ownership diversity, even though the Third Circuit ordered it to do so in three previous decisions, Free Press and its allies noted in the release.

The groups argued that the FCC’s obligation necessitates collecting accurate data about ownership among women and people of color.

Without this information, it’s

impossible for the agency to make any claims about the impact its deregulatory agenda will have on ownership diversity, the group’s said.

“The FCC tries to have it both ways, claiming it has addressed race [and] gender ownership diversity yet insisting it cannot,” the court filings state.

“Neither is true: The FCC must heed its obligation to at minimum do no harm to race [and] gender diversity by apprising itself of knowable facts.”

Free Press Policy Manager Dana Floberg said Congress put broadcast-ownership limits in place for a reason: to promote a diversity of choices among local stations.

“We sued the FCC for turning its back on this core principle, placing station ownership in too few hands and denying too many of us broadcast media that serve community needs,” Floberg said.

“The FCC has repeatedly failed to foster a media system that reflects our nation’s diversity,” she said.

On several occasions, the court has told the agency that it can’t bless further media consolidaSEE LAWSUIT B2

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BUSINESS

APRIL 24-30, 2019

Nexstar sued by Marshall Broadcasting Group NEXSTAR FROM B1

MBG president and CEO Pluria Marshall Jr. “Ever since the deal was signed, Nexstar has gone to great lengths to constantly interfere, undercut our authority and sabotage our business, with little regard for the agreements in place with us or the FCC.” Despite the FCC’s mandate to make the public airwaves available to all citizens without regard for “race, color, religion, national origin, or sex,” the U.S. broadcast industry suffers from a pitiable shortage of minority owners. As of today, only 12 out of 1,400 full-power, commercial TV stations are Black-owned

—less than one percent.

Since MBG owns three of the 12 stations, Nexstar’s efforts to push MBG out of business would remove 25 percent of the Black-owned stations on the air today.

“Nexstar’s bait and switch flies in the face of the FCC’s quest for diversity in ownership. If allowed to go unchecked, it could affect ALL minority owned businesses in the telecommunications space,” said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). “This behavior is a road map on how to use minority-owned businesses for companies’ own gain and squash diverse pro-

gramming once the ink on MBG’s ability to operate its its debt without Nexstar’s the deal is dry,” continued stations independently by: guarantee. Only after MBG Chavis. “Failing to act will •Consistently interfering threatened litigation did embolden companies to go in MBG’s sales and oper- Nexstar abide by its conafter the handful of remain- ations in defiance of FCC tractual obligations. ing minority-owned stations directives and commitment In addition to explaining and scare away prospective to Congress for diverse pro- how Nexstar undermined minority owners.” gramming.

MBG, the lawsuit outlines During negotiations, the •Overcharging for its MBG’s efforts to work in FCC expressed concerns stations at the outset, pre- good faith with Nexstar to that the transaction would senting MBG with a price try and resolve the behavleave Nexstar with too tag of $58.6 million for the iors in question and create a much influence over the same stations and assets strong and prosperous partMBG assets. As such the that it intended to sell to nership between the two deal was only approved another potential buyer for companies. The filing makes clear that the commitment after Nexstar stated that only $42.3 million.

“MBG shall maintain full •Trying to drive MBG out to resolving the issues was control, supervision and di- of business by attempting not mutual. As such, MBG rection of” the stations, in- to cause MBG to default on decided that the only approcluding the stations’ “man- its credit facility. As part of priate recourse was through agement, programming, obtaining FCC approval, the legal system.

The case is Marshall finances, editorial policies, Nexstar agreed to guaranpersonnel, facilities and tee MBG’s credit facility for Broadcasting Group, Inc. v. compliance with the FCC five years. Nexstar, howev- Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. Rules and Regulations.” er, attempted to withdraw and is filed in the Supreme Contrary to these provi- its guarantee after three Court of the State of New sions, and the FCC’s re- and a half years. Nexstar York, New York County.

SOURCE Marshall Broadcastobligation to promote com- quirements, Nexstar has knew that MBG was in ing Group continuously hampered no position to refinance petition, diversity and localism in media ownership.

Not only has the agency failed to meet this obligation, but it has also failed to adequately measure diversity in ownership among its license holders,” she said.

Floberg continued: “The resulting media consolidation has left us with far less of the local news and information communiTrump-appointed leader, Mick Mulvaney ties need to stay informed. by Charlene Crowell as acting CFPB director, turned an about “To meet the needs of For New Pittsburgh Courier face on our military families by halting its communities of color and America’s 1.29 million member-strong, use of its supervisory powers to fulfill its low-income families, the FCC must nurture owner- all-volunteer military includes men and mandate of MLA enforcement.

CFPB’s new Director Kathleen ship diversity, not let giant women from all 50 states, according to the companies like Nexstar U.S. Council on Foreign Relations. Regard- Kraninger made it clear that she supports and Sinclair devour even less of race or ethnicity, each made a choice the same policies and practices begun unand swore an oath to protect our nation. der her predecessor in a March 8 letter to more local stations.”

Together, they wear our nation’s uniforms Ranking Members of the Senate Armed and carry our flag on assignments and de- Services Committee and the Committee ployments in times of both peace and war. on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, I’d like to believe that our entire nation re- Further in a recent Capitol Hill hearing, spects and appreciates their sacrificing ser- Director Kraninger went even further, adthing out, it’s shared space, vice that takes them away from families, our vising, as reported by POLITICO, Director and it’s socially unaccept- stateside, and deployments. Further, while Kraninger went even further, claiming able” to block traffic, Rand- these brave men and women protect us, the that Congress via legislation should pronation should also protect them—including vide CFPB with appropriate authority. er said.

Confused? You’re not alone.

Humans also make eye the clutches of predatory lending.

It was that kind of perspective that led to Last October, a bipartisan group of 33 states contact with other drivers to make sure they’re look- strong bipartisan enactment in 2006 of the attorneys general (AGs) wrote then Acting ing in the right direction, Military Lending Act (MLA), a reform that CFPB Director Mulvaney following his ansomething still being devel- was strongly supported by the Department nouncement that the Bureau would no lonoped for autonomous vehi- of Defense. At the time, DoD warned how ger ensure that lenders would comply with severe financial stress diminished “military MLA as part of its supervisory examinations. cles.

“We are perplexed by reports indicatAdd to that the antag- readiness.” Years later with the creation of onism that some feel to- the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ing that the CFPB has determined that it ward robots. People have (CFPB), MLA enforcement was assigned to needs further statutory authority in order reportedly been harassing the new agency along with other laws, and to conduct examinations for MLA violaWaymo’s autonomous test MLA was updated to include the phrase, tions,” wrote the AGs. “We are disappointvehicles near Phoenix. The “shall be enforced by the CFPB.” That kind ed to learn that CFPB did not consult the Arizona Republic reported of language eliminates discretion or inter- Defense Department in developing its new in December that police is pretation, thereby ensuring appropriate examination policy, even though Congress specified that the Defense Department—not suburban Chandler have actions when warranted.

For years, CFPB’s enforcement levied the CFPB—is the primary federal agency documented at least 21 cases in the past two years, fines against businesses that broke con- responsible for interpreting the MLA.” The officials signing the letter to Mulincluding a man waiving a sumer finance laws and made consumers gun at a Waymo van and financially whole with proportional resti- vaney represent states as far west as Alaska people who slashed tires tution. From July 2011 through Septem- and Hawaii, to as far east as Massachusetts and threw rocks. One Jeep ber 2017, CFPB’s Office of Servicemember and New York, and southward to Missisforced the vans off the road Affairs delivered $130 million of financial sippi and North Carolina. Together, these relief as a result of actions taken on 91,482 state officers understood and embraced that six times. military complaints filed. In just one lend- when it comes to consumer finance, predatoLEFT TURNS Deciding when to turn left ing area—payday loans—CFPB projected ry lenders make no partisan distinction.

“There’s no utility in arguing the fine in front of oncoming traf- that servicemembers saved $35 million questionable difference between enforcefic without a green arrow every year as a result of MLA rules.

Justification for continued aggressive ment and supervision,” said Scott Astrais one of the more difficult tasks for human drivers enforcement is attested to in CFPB’s own da, the Center for Responsible Lending’s and one that causes many reports. From 2016 to 2017, CFPB record- Federal Advocacy Director. “The bottom crashes. Autonomous vehi- ed a 47 percet increase in the number of line is that consumers—especially those cles have the same trouble. servicemember complaints. The following serving in the military—need their govWaymo CEO John Krafcik year, 2017 to 2018, the number of com- ernment’s protection against those who would exploit their personal finances and said in an interview last plaints were still rising at 12 percent.

According to the Pentagon, military at the same time, jeopardize their military year that his company’s vehicles are still encounter- members can and do lose security clear- service and careers. Our nation should ing occasional problems at ances and/or less than satisfactory dis- protect them with just as much dedication charges each year. Every discharged sol- as they give to protect all of us.” intersections.

(Charlene Crowell is the Center for Responsi“I think the things that dier’s separation costs the government an ble Lending’s deputy director of communications. humans have challenges estimated $58,000.

Despite this abundance of complaints She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiwith, we’re challenged with as well,” he said. “So some- and warranted enforcement, CFPB’s first blelending.org.) times unprotected lefts are super challenging for a human, sometimes they’re super challenging for us.”

CONSUMER better option if borrowers are offered lowSOLUTIONS FROM B1 ACCEPTANCE er interest rates and can get out of debt The fatal Uber crash near bills or other debts. faster. Unfortunately, scams and decepRISKS CAN Phoenix last year did more tive marketing abound, Standaert says.

OUTWEIGH REWARDS than push the pause button Cash-out refinancing and other home Unwary borrowers could wind up paying on testing. It also rattled consumers who someday equity borrowing are often aggressively high fees or higher interest rates and end will be asked to ride in marketed as good ways to cope with debt, up owing more in the long run.

Often, the best solution isn’t a loan at but the drawbacks can be significant, says self-driving vehicles.

Surveys taken after the Diane Standaert, an executive vice pres- all, says financial literacy expert Barbara Uber crash showed that ident with the Center for Responsible O’Neill, a professor at Rutgers Universidrivers are reluctant to Lending , a nonprofit that fights predatory ty. Cutting expenses and boosting income, give up control to a com- lending. The loans drain away equity that perhaps with a side job, can help people puter. One by AAA in otherwise could be used to build wealth or make extra payments to reduce their debts.

If that isn’t possible, Standaert suggests callMarch found 71 percent of cover emergencies. Relief is often tempopeople are afraid to ride rary, since many continue to rack up debt. ing your credit card companies to ask if they in fully self-driving vehi- And the loans turn unsecured debt, which offer hardship programs that could reduce could be wiped out in bankruptcy, into se- your payments. Nonprofit credit counselors, cles.

Autonomous vehicle com- cured debt that not only can’t be erased such as those affiliated with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, have debt panies are showing test but could cost borrowers their homes.

“That is incredibly dangerous,” Stan- management plans that can lower interest passengers information on screens about where the ve- daert says. “It puts your house at risk of rates on burdensome credit card debt. Truly overwhelmed borrowers should consult with hicles are headed and what foreclosure.”

Retirement plan loans pose hazards as a bankruptcy attorney, preferably before they its sensors are seeing. The more people ride, the more well. If you don’t pay the money back on start skipping payments, O’Neill says.

“That’s a sign of distress, and you need they trust the vehicles, says time, the balance turns into a withdrawal that triggers penalties and taxes—plus to take action before you get to that point,” Waymo’s Krafcik.

“After they become more you lose all the future tax-deferred re- O’Neill says.

(This column was provided to The Associated and more confident they turns that money could have earned. One rarely look at the screens, study found 86 percent of the people who Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. and they’re on their phones left their jobs with outstanding 401(k) Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of “Your Credit or relaxing or sleeping,” he loans wound up defaulting on the debt.

An unsecured personal loan could be a Score.”) said.

Lack of diversity cited LAWSUIT FROM B1

tion without first examining how such consolidation impacts ownership opportunities for women and people of color.

The FCC responded by further weakening its rules with zero concern about the appalling lack of diversity in ownership, Floberg said.

“That FCC attorneys would attempt to deny the legal standing of groups representing the interests of people the agency was created to serve is an alarming measure of just how far the agency has strayed from its public-interest mandate,” Floberg said.

“The FCC has a statutory

CFPB denies duty to enforce Military Lending Act despite support from DoD and Congress

Autonomous cars AUTONOMOUS FROM B1

Greg McGuire, director of the MCity autonomous vehicle testing lab at the University of Michigan.

Software also is being developed so vehicles can differentiate between real obstacles and snowflakes, rain, fog, and other conditions.

But many companies are still trying to master the difficult task of driving on a clear day with steady traction.

“Once we are able to have a system reliably perform in those, then we’ll start working toward expanding to those more challenging conditions,” said Noah Zych, Uber’s head of system safety for self-driving cars.

In some limited areas that have been mapped in three dimensions, the cars can function in light snow and rain.

PAVEMENT LINES AND CURBS Across the globe, roadway marking lines are different, or they may not even exist. Lane lines aren’t standardized, so vehicles have to learn how to drive differently in each city.

Sometimes there aren’t any curbs to help vehicles judge lane width.

For instance, in Pittsburgh’s industrial “Strip District,” where many self-driving vehicles are tested, the city draws lines across the narrow lanes to mark where vehicles should stop for stop signs.

Sometimes the lines are so far back and buildings are so close to the street that autonomous cars can’t see traffic on the cross street if they stop at the line. One workaround is to program vehicles to stop for the line and creep forward.

“Is it better to do a double stop?” asked Pete Rander, president of Argo AI, an autonomous vehicle company in which Ford has invested heavily. “Since intersections vary, it’s not that easy.”

DEALING WITH HUMAN DRIVERS For many years, autonomous vehicles will have to deal with humans who don’t always play by the rules. They double-park or walk in front of cars. Recently in Pittsburgh, an Argo backup driver had to take over when his car stopped during a right turn, blocking an intersection when it couldn’t immediately decide whether to go around a double-parked delivery truck.

“Even if the car might eventually figure some-

Debt ‘solutions’ could bring more problems

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

BUSINESS CALENDAR Sales Tax Webinar

APRIL 24—The Chatham Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship will present Sales Tax After June 2018 #Game Changer, 12 to 1 p.m., online.

The session covers the Supreme Court ruling expanding states’ ability to levy sales tax on out-of-state purchasers, and what that means for small businesses. The session is free, but registration is required. Call Anne Flynn Schlicht at 412-365-1448 for more information.

Sales Workshop

APRIL 26—The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center will present Sales Boot Camp, 9:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m., 108 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh 15282. This full day training session presented by Scot Teachout of Peak Performance covers: getting past gatekeepers to decision makers; presentations skills; cold calling; getting the asking price; getting past objections; post-sale retention, and more. Cost $399. For more information, call 412-396-6233.

Investor Psychology Class (2 of 2)

APRIL 30—Ken Kaszak will present the second of two free seminars on biases that affect our purchasing habits and investment decisions at the Carnegie Library Hill District branch. 6 to 7 p.m. Learn to recognize these biases and how to counter them.

Two-Day QuickBooks Workshop

MAY 15 & 22—The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center will host a two-day workshop, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., 108 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh 15282. A representative from Dennis Piper and Associates will walk attendees through all the features and capabilities of QuickBooks software.

Cost for both days is $49. For more information call 412396-1633.

PR Networking & Breakfast Seminar

MAY 10—The Chatham Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship will host Are You Ready for the Spotlight? What “PR” is—What it isn’t, 7:30 to 9 a.m., at the James Laughlin Music Center, Chatham University Shadyside Campus.

Breakfast will be followed by a panel discussion with Caroline Callaway, president and founder of Bolt Public Relations. Topics to be covered include: What to do before launching a PR campaign; How to choose the right PR partner; Brand success stories and how to measure the effectiveness of a PR strategy, and more. Cost $25.

Entrepreneurs Conference

JUNE 6—The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center will host its 21st Annual Entrepreneurs Growth and Networking Conference, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Duquesne Union, 4th oor 00 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, 15282. The event features dozens of workshops, a Business Building Tradeshow, and leaders in technology, marketing, management and more. Cost is $139 and includes breakfast and lunch.

Early registrants can save $50. For more information call 412-396-1633.

Workshop

JUNE 20—The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center presents First Step: Business Startup Essentials, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. 108 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh 15282. The workshop covers several topics, including: Business structure and formation; Fictitious name registration; insurance; employee relations; financing options; taxation requirements and more. Cost: $25. For more information call 412-396-1633.

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

APRIL 24-30, 2019

B3

Hate crime surge continues with racially motivated burning of Black churches

Guest Commentary

Reparations talk can’t be just political posturing

by John N. Mitchell One after another, Democratic presidential candidates strode across a Manhattan stage at the annual National Action Network conference and proclaimed that if they were elected president they would convene a study on reparations for the descendants of slaves.

From Bernie Sanders to Kamala Harris to Beto O’Rourke to Cory Booker, at least 12 candidates articulated their positions on a first step to address 250 years of slavery, 90 years of Jim Crow, 60 years of separate but equal and 35 years of racist housing policy.

Let’s be clear: Reparations is not just about the compensation for the enslavement of the deceased by the dead; it’s far more. It’s about the lasting effects of the degradation of a people by multiple institutions—slavery being the most nefarious—that have left African Americans with a median net worth of $8 in Boston and disproportionately displaced by gentrification in cities like Philadelphia.

None of these maladies will go away if Black people simply work harder, as some suggest.

The Institute for Policy Studies has estimated that the average Black family would have to work for 228 years to accumulate the same amount of wealth as the average white family.

Much of this conversation is spurred by Rep. Sheila Johnson Lee’s (D-Texas) push for the creation of a commission to study reparations proposals (House Resolution 40).

It comes at a time when the nation has responded to the election of its first African-American president with the election of his antithesis, Donald Trump, a political divider of the races the likes of which we haven’t seen since George Wallace in the 1960s. In a nation that so precariously walks the line of racial inequality and disenfranchisement, this is a very bad time to take two steps forward and a giant one back to that never-identified moment when Trump claims America stopped being great.

Unfortunately, the reparations conversation is nothing more than a trial balloon for too many Americans. It has been floated before, back in 1989 when former Democratic Michigan Congressman John Conyers first introduced H.R. 40.

And each time it comes up, so do the questions: Where will the money come from? How will it be determined who gets it? If payment comes from a tax, will the tax be just on white people?

Is LeBron James going to be compensated differently than a homeless person? And what about the Africans who sold other other Africans into slavery? On and on it goes, and the questions are usually random and whimsical, a dead giveaway that the subject matter isn’t being taken as seriously as it should be.

Listen closely to those who oppose them and it’s clear that many either don’t have the appetite to resolve what has resulted—good for some and bad for others—from more than two centuries of slavery, or they simply don’t believe that all that free labor has anything to do with the entrenched differences we see today in education levels, earning power and the overall differences in quality of life that exist between Blacks and whites.

That the subject has come up again so early in the race for the White House is convenient for Democratic candidates.

We are 19 months away from the 2020 election and they know if they say the right things now the question of where they stand on reparations will go away as it has in the past.

This is why Sanders, recognizing the importance of the Black vote and how important it was to say the right thing in front of Rev. Al Sharpton, reversed his stance against reparations earlier this year when he said, “I think there are better ways to do that than just writing out a check.”

Writing a check may not be the answer, but it may be part of it. I don’t know what recompense should be for something that has been tearing at the fabric of this nation like its original sin. Who does? But just bringing out the concept and trotting it around to see what the response is like only serves to deepen a longstanding wound.

(John N. Mitchell has worked as a journalist for more than a quarter century. He can be reached at jmitchell@phillytrib.com and Tweet at @freejohnmitchel.)

Founded 1910

Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Allison Palm

Rob Taylor Jr.

Jeff Marion

Office Manager

Managing Editor

Circulation Consultant

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

(TriceEdneyWire.com) — “A lot of people want to make it a hate thing.

Well, we don’t represent hate. We represent love. Togetherness. Peace.

Long suffering. Hope. That’s what we’re here today to say, not just to our community, but to our country.

Be strong.”—Rev. Gerald Toussaint, pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, one of three Louisiana churches burned down over 10 days this month.

Though they were more than 100 years old, Greater Union Baptist Church, St. Mary Baptist Church and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, were nowhere near as grand and ancient as Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Tourists never flocked to admire them. The flames that burned them to charred ruins were not observed in horror by an international television audience.

But burn they did, all within a span of 10 days. And unlike the fire that damaged Notre Dame, the fires that consumed them were deliberately set by someone motivated by racial hatred, according to authorities.

In response to billionaires pledging to fund the rebuilding of Notre Dame, activists were inspired to raise money for the Louisiana churches—contributions can be made through GoFundMe. The arsons are part of an ongoing spike in hate crimes that began in 2015, fueled by racist rhetoric throughout the Presidential campaign that continued into the first year of the current administration.

The destruction of Black churches, the spiritual and cultural heart of many Black communities, has long been a tactic of White suprema-

Marc H. Morial

To Be Equal cist terrorists, predating the Civil War. Churches were the gathering places for civil rights activists in the 1950s and 1960s. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963, which killed four young girls gathered for worship, marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement and galvanized support for he Civil Rights Act of 1964.

At the end of last year, the FBI reported that hate crime reports increased 17 percent in from 2016 to 2017, the third consecutive year reports have risen. Of the more than 7,100 hate crimes reported in 2017, nearly three out of five were motivated by race and ethnicity.

That’s not the only sign that violent racial and ethnic hatred are on the rise. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports a nearly 50 percent increase in the number of White nationalist groups in the U.S. in just a single year, from 100 chapters in 2017 to 148 in 2018.

The Anti-Defamation League reports a 182 percent increase in incidents of the distribution of White supremacist propaganda, and an increase in the number of rallies and demonstrations by White supremacy groups, from 76 in 2017 to 91 in 2018.

The number of terrorist attacks in the United States by far-right actors,

including White supremacists, quadrupled between 2016 and 2017, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee convened a hearing last week on the rise of White nationalism. Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, testified, “The violence that erupted in Charlottesville in 2017 was a wake-up call that demonstrated that racial violence continues to stand as a threat to our democracy and presents a danger to vulnerable communities.”

She called on the FBI to redouble its efforts to fight racist extremism. She called on Congress to “encourage the use of existing laws to investigate and prosecute acts of hate violence to the full extent of the law and oppose efforts to create new legislation that risks the further criminalization of communities of color.” She called on social media companies to terminate “purveyors of hate who violate those terms by promoting and inciting violence.”

Unfortunately, her expert testimony was overshadowed by right-wing activist Candace Owens’ absurd and baseless assertion that the “Southern Strategy”—the electoral strategy to increase political support among White voters in the South by appealing to racism—was a “myth.”

Owens’ presence at the hearing is evidence in itself that appealing to racism, or at least the fantasy that racism isn’t a threat—remains a political strategy.

The threat is real, and it is growing. Elected and community leaders across the ideological spectrum need to confront it for the crisis that it is.

Rules favor them—not us!

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—The much anticipated and long-awaited Mueller Report has been handled in an unbelievable way. We first received 4 pages of a 22-month study that told us nothing truthfully. Atty. General William Barr led us to believe everybody had been “picking on the poor innocent President.” The 4 pages gave Trump the opportunity to continue his mantra that the report totally exonerated him when it clearly did not. A few days before that Trump was throwing flames at the Mueller team. There’s no doubt the Department of Justice and the White House are doing everything they can to discredit the Mueller Report, so Barr hooked up a report to try to confuse Americans.

Before the press conference, Rep. Maxine Waters had characterized the AG as having proved himself to be a lackey and a sycophant. Then came Barr’s press conference proving her to be right. All laws, precedents and common courtesies were broken denying lawmakers and the public what we have the right to know—the truth. One wondered why we couldn’t get Mr. Mueller’s findings from Mueller rather than having Atty. General Barr telling us what the report said.

I must add that the report was meted out in different versions at different times. The White House saw it before Congress!

Before Dick Gregory made his transition, he warned us about this

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary chaos. I didn’t see clearly what he meant until Barr delivered his interpretation of what the Mueller Report actually said. Barr’s version compared with what came next once the redacted report went public, is mind boggling. What Barr reported has no relationship to what the Mueller Report actually said.

We now know, and understand, why some on the Mueller team were concerned, even offended by earlier versions of their report. The report does not exonerate Trump! It specifically says he did many things that would endeavor to obstruct justice such as trying to get his staff to commit illegal acts, but they refused. In essence, Mr. Mueller turned the matter over to Congress to act on the findings in the report.

Barr has shown himself to be a puppet of Trump, and no concern for the American people. He leaves me as well as many others with no confidence in the Department of Justice. In Barr’s going into Trump’s head and describing how angry and frustrated he was and used that as

an excuse for his doing and saying the awful things he did. One of the more egregious ones being, “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” What sane person would say such a thing! Do you think a person of color could go into court after shooting somebody and use the Angry and Frustrated Defense that Barr offered for Trump’s behavior?

We know the answer to that. We have a sick person leading our nation who knows nothing but name-calling, exclusion of non-White people and punishment of all who disagree with him.

The report presented to us by Barr is reason to understand that it is up to us to deal with the systematic process of being wounded by circumstance. A brilliant group I know has developed a program that focuses on healing and prevention.

Our whole society is wounded when the system on which we’re expected to depend favors certain people over others. This country cannot seem to overcome its horrible history of unequal treatment of people of color and the underserved. We must take heed when a talented group of people who look like us come up with a system for healing our wounds.

By request tscott@strategiclifesolutionsgroup.com will provide you with more information on the study.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is president of the National Congress of Black Women.)

Classroom culture clashes

by Barbara D. Parks-Lee (NNPA)—When cultures clash in the classroom, students, teachers, administrators, parents, and the community at large all suffer. Education, or lack, thereof, can have a ripple effect on every facet of society.

Not only are communities of color affected but also areas not considered “minority.” PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is an equal possibility.

Children whose culture and realities are devalued are often, as Gloria Ladson Billings so aptly expressed, “considered as deficient White children.” (1999) The children she described may become drop-outs, push-outs, or disaffected trouble makers. These disaffected students often feel disrespected, misunderstood, and devoid of hope. Some of them are test-weary and content lacking.

When they are continually designated at “below basic” on standardized tests and their culture not understood by teachers and test makers, their behaviors are almost self-fulfilling prophesies. Often these students suffer from PTSD as painful and as debilitating as any combat soldier.

They encounter the vagaries of the results of having little affluence and no influence, of physical and/or emotional abuse, and poor educational

opportunities offered by a revolving door of new, career-change, or culturally unaware teachers getting their OJT (on the job training), student loans abated, masters degrees, and housing allowances before moving on to the suburbs or to becoming the next national “expert” authors and speakers on educating the urban, rural, or culturally different child.

These are the children whose apparent apathy and less than “perfect” behaviors encourage a revolving door of teachers who have the inability to relate to students of different socio-economic or racial differences. In these cases, no one is the winner, even though neophyte teachers may gain some financial benefits, for these teachers, too suffer the PTSD resulting from not knowing how to teach diverse students and the daily chaos of classroom disorder, disrespect, and disaffectedness.

Lowered expectations may cause challenges for administrators also, for they face scrutiny about how their schools function on many levels, from standardized test results to efficient use of budget to how many expulsions and suspensions their students receive.

They must also contend with trying to find substitutes or replacements for teachers who are absent for whatever reason. Their teachers often are faced with coverage, which saps the enthusiasm and energy of

those forced to babysit some other teacher’s class. In addition, many states are trying to meet the dictates of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Common Core Curriculum standards with inadequate funding and training for teachers and administrators in how to implement these mandated legislative programs. In the last few years, there has also been an emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) schools.

Parents suffer when their children are disaffected and under-educated.

Their children who are suspended or expelled are left to get into difficulties with the law and court systems.

Further, drop-outs and push-outs often cannot get jobs and become economic drains on not only their families but also on the community at large.

So, in answer to the question when cultures clash in the classroom, who suffers, we all do! Poorly educated students make for a society that alienates its young, one that is unable to retain skilled and experienced teachers, and a country frustrated with unemployment, under-employment, and an ever-growing culture of violence, fear, and intolerance. Court systems and privatized prisons, along with mortuaries, result when the classrooms act as prep schools for these expensive alternatives.

CLASSIFIED New Pittsburgh Courier

B4

APRIL 24-30, 2019

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

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EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

We are looking for a fast paced Temp to Perm EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT that can hit the ground running. Work well in self-directed environment, with minimal instruction needed, and take accountability for decisions and outcomes. If you have the right work ethic, your salary and benefits package will be competitive. Email your resume and cover letter with salary requirements to jpolehna@mykellyservices.info

UNIVERSITY PSYCHOLOGIST/ COUNSELOR

California University of Pennsylvania seeks to hire a Psychologist/ Counselor for university students; this is a tenure-track faculty appointment in the campus Wellness Center. For a detailed job description, position requirements and instructions for application, visit www.calu.edu; click on Employment near the bottom of the page, then Faculty Positions. All applicants must apply online. “Don’t settle for someone else’s vision of your life. Build your career at California University of Pennsylvania.”

Integrity, Civility and Responsibility are the official core values of California University of Pennsylvania, an Equal Opportunity Employer.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MILITARY & VETERANS RECRUITMENT AND COORDINATION

California University of Pennsylvania seeks to hire a full-time assistant director to manage and recruit students from a military-focused territory including in-state and out-of-state military bases. For a detailed job description, position requirements and instructions for application, visit www.calu.edu; click on Employment near the bottom of the page, then Staff Positions. All applicants must apply online. “Don’t settle for someone else’s vision of your life. Build your career at California University of Pennsylvania.”

Integrity, Civility and Responsibility are the official core values of California University of Pennsylvania, an Equal Opportunity Employer.

MENS PROGRAM INTERVENTION SPECIALIST

Mens Program Intervention Specialist employment position available at the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. Job Summary: Provides group facilitation with men who batter, schedules and conducts intakes, returns phone calls, & completes accurate and timely data entry. Consistent/scheduled exibility in work schedule days evenings, weekends as needed. ualifications Bachelor’s Degree (or Masters) in social work, counseling education or related field. Act 33/34 & FBI Clearances required.

Please send cover letter & resume

by May 1, 2019 to Rhonda Fleming: flemingr@wcspittsburgh.org. For additional information regarding this position, please visit our website www.wcspittsburgh.org and find this job posting under the “Who We Are” menu.

DERMATOLOGIST/ DERMATOPATHOLOGIST

University of Pittsburgh Physicians seeks a Dermatologist/Dermatopathologist to work in Pittsburgh (Allegheny County), PA. Provide clinical care to patients requiring diagnostic dermatopathology services and related care. Assess, diagnose, and provide treatment recommendations for diseases and abnormalities affecting the skin, hair, and nails. Conduct research, and supervise and teach medical students, residents and fellows in the areas of dermatology/dermatopathology.

Supervise physician assistants and medical assistant professionals (7).

Must have a M.D. or foreign equivalent; must have completed an internship in Internal Medicine; a residency in Dermatology; and fellowship in Dermatopathology; must be Board certified or Board eligible for certification in Dermatology and Dermatopathology; and must have a valid PA medical license or eligibility for licensure and DEA certificate.

Apply by following these steps; visit http://careers.upmc.com and enter 190000EE in the “Search Keyword/ ob D field and click o. EOE Disability/Veteran.

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SONNY BOY

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) is currently in the process of changing its Agency Plan (5-year plans) in conjunction with the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act. Changes to the Agency Plan, once approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will guide the ACHA in serving the needs of low-income and very low-income families during the 5-year period beginning October 1, 2019.

The proposed changes to the Agency Plan and all supporting documents will be available for review and inspection by the public at the principal office of AC A located at 625 Stanwix Street, 12th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

A public hearing has been scheduled to present the changed Agency Plan and to allow public participation: DATE: Friday, June 21, 2019 TIME: 10:15 A.M. PLACE: Allegheny County Housing Authority Central Office 625 Stanwix Street, 12th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Prior to the public hearings, general public comments can be directed in writing to: Frank Aggazio, Executive Director, Allegheny County Housing Authority, 625 Stanwix Street, 12th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Frank Aggazio, Executive Director

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NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS

April 24, 2019 City of Pittsburgh-Office of anagement and Budget 200 Ross Street 2nd Floor Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219 412-255-2211 This notice shall satisfy procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Pittsburgh.

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS On or about May 10, 2019 the City of Pittsburgh will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to release federal funds under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 as amended for a real estate project. The project consists of stabilizing and remediating the former Larimer School located at 540 Larimer Avenue in the Larimer neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh. The Larimer neighborhood is a recipient of a federal Choice Neighborhood Initiative grant.

The proposed reuse of the school building is 35 residential units and an adjoining commercial space(s). The scope of the stabilization is to allow the entire property to maintain structural stability and weather tightness until the building can be developed. This work includes but, is not limited to replacing areas of the roofs, other roof repairs, parapet repair, masonry repair, selective demolition, protecting existing windows and doors. The scope of the remediation includes but, is not limited to the removal of asbestos, lead-based paint and other hazardous materials.

The federal funding sources of the proposed activities include Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Grant funds, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s Moving to Work funds. The projected project cost is $2.7M. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The City of Pittsburgh has determined that the pro ect will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental eview ecord (E ) on file at 00 oss Street ND Floor Pittsburgh Pa. 15219 and may be examined or copied weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to: Gerald Cafardi City of Pittsburgh, 200 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 255-2211 All comments received by May 9, 2019, will be considered by the City of Pittsburgh prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds.

Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The City of Pittsburgh certifies to UD that illiam Peduto in his capacity as Mayor, City of Pittsburgh, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. UD s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Urban Redevelopment Authority to use development funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Pittsburgh certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Pittsburgh; (b) the City of Pittsburgh has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by UD regulations at CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the pro ect is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Planning and Development Division The Moorhead Federal Building iberty ve. th floor Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222 Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

William Peduto Mayor City of Pittsburgh

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ATTENTION

If you worked at Atlas Insulation, Carnegie, PA in the 1960s and 1970s, or McConway & Torley, Pittsburgh, PA in the 1970s, please contact Asbestos Investigator Sherry Day at (734) 8785236 or email sherry@SLDinvestigations.com.

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Letters Testamentary on the Estate of ELEANOR M. YACKO, Court Term No. 021902193, late of Penn Hills, Allegheny County, deceased, having been granted to the undersigned by the Director of Dept. of Court Records, Wills/Orphans Court Division of Allegheny County, notice is hereby given 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 settlement. Robert J. DiSilvestro, Executor, 105 William Penney Way, St. Johns, FL 32259, or to Cathy L. Brannigan, Esq., 15 Duff Rd., Suite 6C, Pittsburgh, PA 15235.

Letters Testamentary on the Estate of Emma J. Castaphney, Court Term No. 021902535, late of City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, deceased, having been granted to the undersigned by the Director of Dept. of Courts Records, Wills/Orphans Court Division of Allegheny County, notice is hereby given 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 settlement. Rosa V. Baynes, Executrix, 2815 Stayton St., Pittsburgh, PA 15212, or to Cathy L. Brannigan, ESQ., 15 Duff Rd., Suite 6C, Pittsburgh, PA 15235.

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STADIUM AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH Statement of Net Positions December 31, 2018

Assets Cash and cash equivalents Capital assets, net of accumulated depreciation Restricted assets Other assets Total assets Liabilities and Net Position Liabilities Net position: Investment in capital assets, net of related debt Restricted for capital activity and debt service Unrestricted Total net position Total Liabilities and net position

$ 3,214,640 48,500,064 7,307,681 4,484,862 $ 63,507,247 $ 49,772,851 25,538,165 7,264,338 (19,018,107) 13,784,396 $ 63,507,247

Statement of Revenues, Expenses and Changes in Net Postion For the Year Ended December 31, 2018 Revenues: Parking $ 7,119,900 Gold 1 Garage $ 3,205,097 Interest 149,295 Total revenues 10,474,292 Expenses: Salary reimbursement $47,566 Administrative $61,683 Operations and development 2,406,020 Gold 1 Garage 1,401,090 Insurance $64,813 Interest 940,380 Amortization and depreciation 1,450,807 Total expenses 6,372,359 Excess of revenues over expenses $ 4,101,933 Non-Operating Revenue (Expenses): Capital transferred (to) from the Sports and Exhibition Authority (366,890) Development Funds (116,533) Total Non-Operating Revenues, net (483,423) Change in Net Position, December 31, 2018 3,618,510 Net Position Beginning of year 10,165,884 Net Position End of Year $ 13,781,392 LEGAL ADVERTISING

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Estate of MS. BERNICE S. MILLER, Deceased, of 4800 Shamrogue Court, Allison Park, PA 15101. Estate No. 021902064. Ms. Nancy Miller of 4800 Shamrogue Court, Allision Park, PA, 15101, Administrator c/o Max C. Feldman, Attorney At Law, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108.

Estate of Jack Howard Backus, Deceased of Pitcairn, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

No. 02-19-01950. Thomas J. Backus, Executor, 2971 Haberlein Rd., Gibsonia, PA 15044 or to Clayton S. Morrow, Atty; Morrow & Artim, P.C., 304 Ross St., 7th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Estate of RICHARD A. BUZZELL, SR. Deceased of Pittsburgh, PA No. 02038 of 2017.

Stephen M. Buzzell, Sr., Extr., c/o Robert C. Watson, Esq., 15604 Starlite St., Clermont, FL 34714 Estate of OWEN F. MEYER, Deceased of Borough of Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No. 02-19-02250, Regina A. Barker, Administrator, 8800 Dorchester Road, Unit 1202, North Charleston, SC 29420 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty;, BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of SARA J. MUNGER, Deceased of Borough of Whitehall, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. No. 02-19-02310 Edward James Ruane, Sr., Executor, 441 Saratoga Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of ANN K. MALESKI, Deceased, of Borough of Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania No. 02-19-02417 Carol Ann DePaul, Executor, 168 Firwood Drive, Bridgeville, PA 15017 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017

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NOTICE OF TRUST TERMINATION

Advertising Trust Termination due to the death of Jean D McKenney on July 1, 2018.

Her address was 700 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243.

The purpose of this notice is to Advertise the Trust established under the Fourth Restating Amendment dated 10/19/2011 of the Revocable Trust dated 4/18/2000.

Claims against said Trust may be filed as follows and sent to: PNC Bank, National Association Attn: Sharon L Whitney, VP 300 Fifth Ave, FL 31 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 And/or: Charles J Vater, Esq. Tucker Arensberg PC 1500 One PPG Place Pittsburgh, PA 15222

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY PUBLIC NOTICE This is a re-advertisement of a procurement issued in November 2018.

The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) is accepting Letters of Interest and Statements of ualifications from Professional Technical Training and Development Firms who wish to be considered for the following: Mechanic Technical Training Program Project No. M-2019. nterested firms shall submit eight (8) bound paper copies and one electronic copy (CD or memory stick) in a sealed envelope plainly marked: tatement of ualifications for Mechanic Technical Training Program Project No. M-2019 Allegheny County Sanitary Authorit 3300 Preble Avenue Admin Annex, Room 105 Pittsburgh, PA 15233 Attention: Suzanne Thomas All submittals must be received no later than 2:00 PM on May 10, 2019 at the offices of A COSAN. Please allow time to process through security. If the documents are sent via courier, it is Consultant’s responsibility to ensure the documents have been received. Late submittals will not be considered and will be returned unopened. Late submittals will not be considered and will be returned unopened. Additional information and instructions may be obtained by visiting http://www.alcosan.org/ BusinessOpportunities/RFQs RFPs/tabid/182/Default.aspx or by emailing Suzanne.thomas@alcosan. org. All questions should be submitted, in writing, to Ms. Thomas.

ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities, disadvantaged and women’s business enterprises to submit qualification statements or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to the selected Firm. The Firm selected shall be required to utilize minority, disadvantaged, and women’s business enterprises to the fullest extent possible. The goals of the ALCOSAN’s Minority and Women Business Policy are listed on the ALCOSAN Douglas A. Jackson, PE Director of Operations and Maintenance

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DOCUMENT 00030-AA ADVERTISEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR NORTHVIEW BUILDING #74 UPGRADES IN NORHVIEW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY HACP CONTRACT NO. 600-10-19-G,E

Separate and sealed Proposals will be received at the Allegheny County Airport Authority, Pittsburgh International Airport, Landside Terminal, 4th Floor Mezz, P.O. Box 12370, Pittsburgh, PA 15231-0370 until 1:00 P.M. prevailing local time, MAY 22, 2019, and bids will be publicly opened and read by the Airport Authority in Conference Room A, Pittsburgh International Airport, Landside Terminal, 4th Floor Mezz, P.O. Box 12370, Pittsburgh, PA 15231-0370, one half hour later, for the following: PROJECT NUMBER 59G1-18 (GENERAL) PROJECT NUMBER 59E1-18 (ELECTRICAL) EDS RECAP AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ELECTRICAL PROJECT 59E1-18 – The Electrical bidder shall be required to request an application to purchase bidding documents. No Electrical bidding documents will be sold without a completed and Authority approved application. The application must be obtained by calling 412-472-3779 or 412-4755578 or 412-472-3543 or by e-mail to: vculbreath@flypittsburgh.com or gmiller@flypittsburgh.com or msimmeth@flypittsburgh.com and requesting an application. The Electrical bidding documents must be purchased in person and under the terms set forth in the application package. NO MAIL REQUESTS FOR ELECTRICAL BIDDING DOCUMENTS WILL BE HONORED. The Allegheny County Airport Authority reserves the right to refuse sale of the Electrical Bid Documents until it receives an acceptable application for purchase. The Electrical Bidding Documents will not be made available to advertisers.

A pre-bid conference will be held in Conference Room A, Fourth Floor, in the Landside Building, Pittsburgh International Airport, at 2:30 p.m., on MAY 2, 2019.

Attention is called to the fact that not less than the minimum salaries and wages as determined by the General Wage Determinations issued under the Davis-Bacon and related Acts must be paid on these projects.

Proposals must be made on the Authority’s form and in accordance with the Plans and Specifications and the “Instructions to Bidders”’.

The non-refundable charge for the Bid Documents and a Disk containing the Plans and Specifications is $150.00; mailing (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ELECTRICAL BIDDERS) can be arranged for an additional $75.00 charge.

This project has DBE participation goals; DBE firms must be certified with the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program) (PAUCP). Firms must be certified prior to award of contract. A searchable database of DBE firms can be found on the PAUCP web site: http://www. paucp.com The Airport Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids or waive any informalities in the bidding.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of sixty [60] days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

To view a complete advertisement, which is also included in the bidding documents visit www.flypittsburgh. com under doing business with us – business opportunities or call 412-472-3779 or 412-472-5578 or 412-472-3543.

Christina A. Cassotis Chief Executive Officer ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY

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THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH will receive sealed bids for the Northview Heights Building #74 Upgrades, in Northview Heights (AMP-09).

The construction work is estimated to begin in August 2019.

Bid Documents will be available on or about Monday, April 22, 2019 and may be obtained from the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s webpage, www.hacp.org. Bidders may register on the website and download the bid documents free of charge. Electronic versions of the Bid Documents, including bid forms, project manual, and drawings can be picked up in person, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement A Pre-Bid Conference and Site Visit will be held on Thursday, May 2, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.: GYMNASIUM, in the basement of Northview Heights High Rise 533 Mt. Pleasant Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15214 A site visit will be conducted thereafter. Bidders shall come prepared to review all aspects of the construction site necessary to prepare a bid.

Bids will be received at: HACP Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Attn: Mr. Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement/ Chief Contracting Officer until 11:00 a.m. May 23, 2019 at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH reserves the right to waive any informality in, or reject any and all bids.

No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the opening of bids without the consent of the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally Assisted Construction Contracts. The Contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sexual preference, handicap or national origin.

HACP has revised its website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFP documentation.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH STRONGLY ENCOURAGES CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement at (412) 456-5116 Opt 1.

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.

America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 140 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations: Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication

APRIL 24-30, 2019

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SONNY BOY

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OFFICIAL BID NOTICE TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR

OFFICIAL BID NOTICE TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR

PROPEL SCHOOLS INTERIOR SCHOOL BUILDING PAINTING

Sealed Bids will be received by the Township of Upper St. Clair, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania until 9:00 A.M., Tuesday, June 11, 2019, and the Bids will be publicly opened and read thereafter in the Training Room in the Township Building at the same address for the following: TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR – FACILITIES WINDOW REPLACEMENT Please refer to www.twpusc.org/ Business/Procurement & Bid Information, for details regarding specifications and Bidding requirements. /s/ Matthew R. Serakowski Township Manager

OFFICIAL BID NOTICE TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR

Sealed Bids will be received by the Township of Upper St. Clair, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania until 9:00 A.M., Tuesday, May 21, 2019, and the Bids will be publicly opened and read thereafter in the Training Room in the Township Building at the same address for the following: TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR PERIMETER TRAIL PROJECT Please refer to www.twpusc.org/ Business/Procurement & Bid Information, for details regarding specifications and Bidding requirements. /s/ Matthew R. Serakowski Township Manager

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL THE PITTSBURGH WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT

SEPARATE and SEALED BIDS for the following solicitation, will be received by the Office of Procurement, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, 1200 Penn Ave., Second Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, until 2:00 PM Prevailing Time, May 22, 2019.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) 2019 WASHOUT MANHOLE DISCONNECTION EVALUATION PROJECT PWSA PROJECT NO. 2019-325-108-0 The purpose of this project is to establish an inventory of all washouts in the water system and develop recommendations for their disconnection.

All bids must be submitted in accordance with the solicitation that can be obtained by sending an e-mail to procurement@pgh2o.com. There will be no charge for the solicitation, as it will be sent via e-mail. All questions relating to the solicitation itself shall be to Thoryn Simpson, Senior Contract Specialist, via e-mail: tsimpson@pgh2o.com, no later than May 15, 2019. All questions should be submitted electronically via email. No questions will be answered by phone.

All Bidders interested in submitting a bid in response to this solicitation are required to attend a MANDATORY Pre-Bid Meeting to be held on May 1, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. Prevailing Time in the Authority’s conference room located at 1200 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA. The purpose of this meeting is to give an overview of the contract requirements and to allow Bidders to ask questions. The individual responsible for overseeing the successful completion of the Project, such as the Bidder’s project executive or project manager for the Owner’s Project must be in attendance at the mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting.

The Contractor must assure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, color, religion, sexual preference, sex, or national origin.

The bidders will be required to submit the package of certifications included with the contract documents relating to Equal Employment Opportunity.

The Authority reserves the right to withhold the award of the Contract for a period of 90 days after the opening of the bids.

The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, and to waive any informality or minor irregularity in any bid or bids. The Authority also retains the right to investigate the qualifications of bidders prior to any award and to award contracts only to contractors who, in the sole judgment of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, are qualified and equipped to properly execute the specified work.

ROBERT A. WEIMAR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THE PITTSBURGH WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY

Sealed Bids will be received by the Township of Upper St. Clair, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania until 9:00 A.M., Tuesday, June 11, 2019, and the Bids will be publicly opened and read thereafter in the Training Room in the Township Building at the same address for the following: THE TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR – COMMUNITY & RECREATION CENTER INTERIOR POOL RE-PLASTER Please refer to www.twpusc.org/ Business/Procurement & Bid Information, for details regarding specifications and Bidding requirements. /s/ Matthew R. Serakowski Township Manager

Propel Schools is now accepting bids for Interior School Buidling Painting at our Propel Homestead, Propel East, and Propel Hazelwood locations. Please visit www. propelschools.org and click on ‘Contact Us’ then ‘Contracting Opportunities’ for bid documents

PROPEL SCHOOLS CARPET REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION

Propel Schools is now accepting bids for Carpet Removal and Installation at our Propel Andrew Street High School and Propel Pitcairn locations. Please visit www. propelschools.org and click on ‘Contact Us’ then ‘Contracting Opportunities’ for bid documents.

Mark Henderson named Pitt’s new Chief Information Officer and Vice Chancellor HENDERSON FROM A1

rick Gallagher said in the announcement. “He has an exceptional record of partnering with institutional stakeholders to push the innovation envelope and move ideas into action. I look forward to his arrival and the opportunity to support his success at the University of Pittsburgh.”

“I want to thank Chancellor Gallagher for the opportunity to help further Pitt’s mission as a top research and educational institution,” Henderson said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to building upon the hard work of the CSSD (Computing Services and Systems Development) staff to strengthen the IT structure and services to best fulfill the teaching, research and service endeavors of Pitt’s students, faculty and staff.”

As CIO, Henderson will oversee an office that includes nearly 250 full-time positions and 150 student positions that manage Pitt’s network infrastructure, 24/7 operations center and data warehouse that enables administrators to access a consistent set of key data points for strategic assessment and planning, among other functions and services. His leadership duties will also include overseeing the university’s CSSD. Henderson comes back to Pittsburgh from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he was chief information officer since 2014. There, he created and leveraged technologies to fulfill

the university’s strategic plan, implemented efficiency initiatives and partnered IT staff with faculty members to improve support and also win research grants from government-based and private grant institutions.

Prior to arriving at the University of Illinois, Henderson was the interim vice president and chief information officer for information technology services at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. At Case Western, Henderson transformed the IT department, abandoning traditional IT organizational models in favor of a “Design, Build, Run” model, supported by processes that allow agility in serving the university’s needs, according to Henderson’s bio on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign website.

His other roles in higher education include serving as the interim vice president and chief information officer at the University of Maryland and the director of infrastructure services at the University of Cincinnati.

Private sector appointments include General Electric—where he worked as a leader in Global Shops IT Operations and Global Network Operations—as well as Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, his first professional job out of college after earning a bachelor of science degree in business administration with a concentration in information systems from nearby Xavier University in Cincinnati in 1982.

Coming next week in the Courier…

Courier photographer J.L. Martello captured the Easter Sunday services at Church of the Holy Cross in Homewood. See the entire array of photos in our May 1 edition!

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APRIL 24-30, 2019

Who gains when democracy is destroyed?

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Democracy is defined as the government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Who are the people who support our contemporary status quo? And how, in marginalizing the will of the people, is democracy destroyed?

The long-anticipated Mueller report is a scathing expose’ of at least ten ways the man who calls himself the President of the United States bent or broke the rules and actively interfered in an investigation of his wrongdoings. The Attorney General who auditioned for his role by sending a memo that indicated that a sitting President could not be charged by the In-Justice Department edited, obfuscated, and then prevaricated about the many ways Mr. 45 simply did the wrong thing. His wrongdoings ranged from perjury (which he often couched as “I don’t remember”) to intimidation, to near, if not outright collusion. After the release of the Mueller Report, many Democrats have called for investigation or impeachment, but few Republicans have raised their voices to censure the rogue they selected as their leader.

As of this writing, Utah Senator Mitt Romney (R) has been the most vocal detractor of Mr. 45, but he was that before the Mueller Report was issued. George Conway, the bold husband of the equally fearless Kelleyanne Conway, has called for 45’s impeachment even as his spouse maintains her position as the 45 handmaiden. I don’t even want to wonder what their pillow talk sounds like, but George Conway gets mad props for speaking his truth even as he sleeps with the devil.

Why are so many so silent, though? These are people who say they love democracy, but their truth is that they love it only when it works for them. So, while they cringe privately, they cower publicly, understanding full well that they work for a racist, crook, and tyrant who will suppress democracy at any cost. What do they gain?

Most importantly they gain the courts. While Senate Majority Leader, the Tennessee Turtle

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary Mitch McConnell built a wall between President Barack Obama’s constitutional right to appoint judges by blocking appointment whenever he could, most notably a Supreme Court appointment that should have gone to Merrick Garland, he has never met an inexperienced Republican ideologue that he would not rush to confirm.

Lifetime appointments to 39-year-olds (consider Florida’s Robert J. Luck) who have practiced law less than a decade but proven their worth with harsh partisan positions will have an impact on public policy for decades. If McConnell rules the Senate and 45 stays in office, so many of our rights will be eroded, including voting rights, the right to choose, labor rights and more.

Voting rights are on the chopping block in jurisdiction after jurisdiction. The judicial repeal of the Voting Rights Act with the reversal of Section 5 has been a setback, but aggressive state legislatures who have sought to restrict the right to vote have posed an equally challenging problem. In Florida, despite a successful initiative to restore the rights of convicted felons, the legislature has attempted to reverse the will of the people by imposing financial requirements to these returning citizens. There will undoubtedly be a court challenge, but will it be resolved in time to have 1.4 million people participate in the 2020 Florida election? In Tennessee, the state legislature proposes to impose fines on organizations that register voters who make minor mistakes on their registration forms, mistakes as insignificant as middle initial or hyphen. Republican state legislatures are passing new rules to restrict the vote in anticipation of a 2020 surge of new voters. Florida and Tennessee aren’t the only states that would suppress the vote. But voter suppression is what Mr. 45’s sycophants gain when they fail to call him out on his perfidy.

Those who support 45 gain profit maximization opportunities—he is the triumph of predatory capitalism.

From a tax cut that disproportionately advantages the wealthy, to a massive corporate tax cut that places a tax burden on the rest of the economy, 45’s economic policies have been an unapologetic transfer of income from people at the bottom to people at the top. While he talked populist trash to White folks who had racial issues, he offered public policy that contributed nothing to his core constituency. Meanwhile, through his appointments to, as an example, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CPFB), he eroded consumer rights. Instead of draining the swamp, he fed his personal alligators the raw meat of consumer protection; shredding the many ways CFPB protected the little people.

Supporting Mr. 45 also supports the triumph of White supremacy. After Heather Heyer was killed in Charlottesville by a now-convicted White supremacist, our nation’s leader opined that there are “good people on both sides.” His rhetoric is a signal to racists that it’s okay to attack those who have been historically marginalized in our nation. While we are in the middle of a cultural realignment, with pointed questions being raised about the corrosiveness of confederate culture, we have a national leader who disgustingly cleaves to the past and elevates White supremacy. Republicans who fail to censure an out of control president often do so because while they abhor his behavior, they embrace his white supremacist enthusiasm.

Democracy dies when tyrants prevail, and when we have seen a prevaricator, a provocateur, a philistine, and a panderer occupy the Oval Office.

Why? Because predatory capitalists gain from the elevation of a braggadocious tyrant who, while feeding their bottom line, is behaviorally uncontrollable. We have attempted to impose democracy all over the world. Why are we willing to support its demise in these United States?

(Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist.)

FORUM

I openly support Turahn Jenkins for Allegheny County DA. What about you?

A number Hate.” of years ago Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick That elecI adopted tion took place the slogan, about 40 years “You can’t ago and not get ahead to much has public office changed. If a if you fail to Black male or run.” About female with 50 years ago the ability it became a and courage to realization of mine that sophisti- run without the endorsement, the cated voting was the fastest way elected Black officials cry out, “I to achieve a large measure of can’t openly support them!” I will equality. However, it has become always remember the all-powerful apparent to me that there were U.S. Congressman Rev. Clayton and still are a number of im- Powell Jr., he was not the Demopediments that make it difficult cratic Party’s candidate, he was to achieve the degree of voting the PEOPLE’S CANDIDATE and sophistication that Blacks have proved it. failed to obtain.

The two most asked questions The late Harvey Adams and I that I receive are, No. 1: What is would converse on many occasions wrong with us Black persons? And about issues that took a toll on No. 2: How do we as a people dethe lives of Blacks across America, velop the strength to do that which but particularly across Allegheny is right?

County (UP SOUTH). A simple My direct answer to those people question, “What is wrong with us?” is, you can attend and graduate I can hear Harvey’s standard an- from the most prestigious instiswer: “Slavery.” tutes of higher learning anywhere He would say Blacks are the only in the world, but the final solution Americans that were slaves in is there has to be something speAmerica, and the residues of slav- cial in a person to perform WHAT ery has transcended generations IS RIGHT. after generations, none more deadWhy am I voting for Turahn Jenly than “Self Hate.” kins for Allegheny County District Attorney Byrd R. Brown’s cam- Attorney? It’s easy for me. Turahn paign for mayor of Pittsburgh Jenkins possesses all of the followwould always surface, a Black man ing qualities: Bright, bold, Black, who was the most qualified person concerned, committed, courageous, to ever run for the position and a determined, dedicated, educated, number of prominent colored per- earnest, fearless, finisher, gentlesons were effective in defeating man, gifted, humble, and honest. him, they loved the Democratic That is his BIO. (Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a contributor Party more than they did Black people, a perfect example of “Self to the New Pittsburgh Courier.)

To Tell The Truth

Gang rivals ÷ gang rivals = Victims like 7-year-old Heaven Sutton Black Amerpolice didn’t icans have a J. Pharoah Doss want to waste saying about resources on the crimiBlack crime nal justice victims. system.

It So, in a 21st goes: There’s century “Black no justice, on Black” conit’s just-us. text, the sayHere’s the ing: There’s no saying in an justice, it’s just equation: us, applies to Double standards + racial dispar- Black victims of homicides. ities = systemic racism.

According to the Washington But gang-related murders in cit- Post over half of the homicides in ies like Chicago just don’t add up. America’s 50 largest cities went These are division problems: gang unsolved over the past 10 years, rivals ÷ gang rivals = Victims like but in city zones where there were 7-year old Heaven Sutton. more than eight homicides the arIn 2012 Ashake Banks operated rest rate was less than 30 percent. a candy stand in her front yard. The Washington Post also reported Banks’ daughter, Heaven, helped an arrest was made for 63 percent her mother at the stand. Banks of White homicide victims, but alsaid the candy stand wasn’t just most all the low-arrest zones were a source of extra income, it was low-income areas with Black resia way to protect the block from dents. street violence. The candy stand In Chicago, 74 percent of homiwas a magnet that kept the chil- cides tracked over the past 10 years dren in one place instead of wan- went unsolved. Between 2007 and dering off into dangerous parts of 2017 there were 5,534 homicides the neighborhood. in Chicago and only 26 percent of Unfortunately, two gunmen spot- these homicides resulted in an arted a rival gang member on the rest. In 2012 Jerrell Dorsey, one of same block as the candy stand and the 26 percent actually arrested, started shooting. When the smoke was charged with the murder of cleared Banks’ 15-year-old son 7-year-old Heaven Sutton. found his little sister Heaven on Dorsey finally went to trial last the ground—unconscious. week after seven years. (Dorsey’s She had been shot. first lawyer stepped away from Banks and her son gathered tow- the case which prolonged the proels and tried to stop the bleeding. ceedings.) Dorsey was convicted Heaven was rushed to the hospital, and faces a minimum of 45 years but was pronounced dead an hour in prison. later.

But the prosecution almost didn’t Now, the term “Black-on-Black secure the conviction. crime” has become antiquated Back in 2012 two rival gang memover the years because a new bers told the authorities they saw generation said “Black-on-Black Dorsey with a gun and one said crime” is a myth because other they saw him fire, but both backracial groups also kill their own tracked their statements during members. But this is a defense the trial. The one that picked against conservative claims that Dorsey out of a police lineup de“Black-on-Black crime” is a by- nied implicating Dorsey at all. product of a dysfunctional Black In closing, the prosecutor told the culture. jury the witnesses backtracked The problem is the new gener- to avoid retaliation for cooperatation is defending Black culture ing with the police. But Dorsey’s while ignoring the facts on the defense attorney explained to the ground. Comparing criminal ac- jury, “That’s what gangbangers do tivity between racial groups may to other gangbangers. They finger equalize dysfunction and dilute them for these crimes the other stigma (a negative + a negative = person may not have committed. a positive), but the term “Black- They’re not good guys on the stand. on-Black crime” originated during These are bad guys.”

And these bad guys target justthe 1960’s after statistics revealed a disparity of Black victims were us.

(J. Pharoah Doss is a contributor to the unassisted by the police when the perpetrator was also Black. The New Pittsburgh Courier.)

Check It Out

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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Raynard Jackson

Commentary The Mueller Report: Blacks better be careful As I always say, “Weak people take strong positions on weak issues.”

Exhibit A for this is the recently released Mueller report.

Democrats have lost their damned minds over this report. They didn’t get the result they wanted, an indictment of President Trump, so they figured if they keep investigating, they will come up with something they can use to remove Trump from office.

Mueller’s report was very clear, on both the accusations of collusion and obstruction, there was NOT sufficient evidence to bring charges in either circumstance! Period. End of sentence.

Was there unflattering information about Trump and his aides in the report? Yes. Did Trump and some of his aides walk up to the line between legal and illegal? Yes. But, in our system of justice either you violated the law or you didn’t; and Mueller clearly concluded that Trump and his aides did not cross the line.

So, legally Trump and his aides are in the clear; politically is where the problem is—for Democrats, especially Black Democrats.

Let’s get one thing straight, Democrats don’t have the guts to actually file articles of impeachment against President Trump after Mueller has clearly stated there is not sufficient evidence for him to bring any charges.

Now radical liberal Democrat members of Congress like Maxine Waters and Al Green are running over each other demanding that the president be impeached.

Hmmm, do you really want to go down that road?

Let me paint a picture for you to consider.

Jussie Smollett, the actor who concocted a fake story about being assaulted in Chicago, had all charges dismissed against him. Legally, like Trump, he is in the clear.

In all probability, the U.S. Department of Justice is going to file federal charges against Smollett for mail fraud because he mailed a fake letter threatening himself but made it seem as though the letter was mailed by someone else.

I can guarantee as clear as day that Waters and Green will be the first to claim that the Justice Department is only doing it because Smollett is Black, with absolutely no evidence to support their claim.

But wait. Let me make sure I understand.

Mueller found insufficient evidence to bring forward charges of collusion and obstruction against Trump; but Democrats say to hell with Mueller, we want impeachment.

But, if and when something similar happens to a Black, then it is racist? I am through. I have a headache!

The one takeaway for me in the Mueller report that no one seems to be talking about is how the report made clear that in America we have two systems of justice. One for the rich and well connected—Jussie Smollett and Hillary Clinton; and one for regular people like Pookie and LaQueesha.

Russian intelligence knew how corrupt and vulnerable the Clintons were to their intelligence operations. They knew the Clinton’s loyalty was to money, not America.

Every country, let me repeat, EVERY country that has the means, spy and interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

I laid this out in a column I wrote two years ago titled, “Russia is Winning the War for American Minds.”

Americans, for the first time in history, have had a front row seat to a psychological operations campaign live and in living color; in real time. This, indeed, is unprecedented.

So, to radical Black liberals, you better be careful! You didn’t like the results of the Mueller report, so you want to treat Trump as though he was indicted.

When this happens to someone Black, remember you started it!

In liberalism, intent is more important than results. As a matter of fact, that is the sole basis of liberalism not results.

So, when white folks hold you to the same standard, please spare me your cries of racism!

Democrats are in the process of ensuring the reelection of Donald Trump as president. They have provided absolutely no serious vision of where they want to take America.

They have offered nothing but grandiose platitudes to the American people, especially to Blacks; reparations, DC statehood, etc.

Have you noticed that not one Democrat candidate for president has mentioned anything about the killings going on in Chicago?

Or the stagnant wages of the Black worker despite the phenomenal Trump economy for Blacks?

They have spent more time talking about amnesty for the upwards of 30 million illegals because they are too ignorant to realize that when you increase cheap labor into the marketplace wages go down!

The reason Democrats are obsessing about the Mueller report is because they have nothing of any substance by way of policy to offer the American people.

The reaction by radical Black liberals to the Mueller report should serve as a cautionary tale for the Black community.

There will be a “Black” version of Donald Trump and he will be subjected to the same treatment as our current president. When it happens just admit that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander; and it has nothing to do with race!

(Raynard Jackson is a Pulitzer Prize nominated columnist and founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF).