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Pittsburgh Courier NEW
Kelley Jr. shooting ‘unjustified’
VOL. 107, NO. 7
Published Weekly
Four Sections
$1.00
FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
Bruce Kelley Sr. held on $300k straight bond
BRUCE KELLEY SR.
by Christian Morrow CALLING OUT POLICE BRUTALITY AND CORRUPTION—A coalition of justice advocates call for charges against police officers and a district magistrate in two recent incidents. (Photos by J.L. Martello)
APA addresses Kelley death, Matakovich firing, calls for Ravenstahl resignation by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
Joined by representatives of the Christian and Muslim faith communities, and the Black Political Empowerment Project, the Alliance for Police Accountability called for filing criminal charges against officers involved in the shooting of Bruce Kelley Jr. after he had fatally stabbed an attacking police dog. The group also wants charges refiled against an officer who beat 19-year-old Gabriel Despres on the North Side and an ethics investigation of the magistrate who dismissed the charges Feb.1. During a press conference in Wilkinsburg, APA President Brandi Fisher said the shooting of Kelley. by Port Authority of Allegheny County canine officer Brian O’Malley was unjustified. “District Attorney Steven Zappala is weighing whether the shooting was justified. It is our position that the killing of Bruce Kelley Jr. was not,” she said, Feb. 11. “Police officers can use deadly force in defense of other people or themselves. There was no one who needed defending
REV. ALONZO MURPHY
CONNIE KELLEY
BRANDI FISHER
VICTOR MUHAMMAD
in this case. Though it may be understandable that officer O’Malley felt compelled to shoot Mr. Kelley after seeing his dog being stabbed, it is not just. Or legal, and we are hoping Mr. Zappala comes to the same conclusion after reviewing the facts.” Kelley’s aunt, Connie Kelley, and Minister Victor Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque 22 in Wilkinsburg were more direct in their views of the shooting. “I don’t know if the police did right thing by protocol, but I know my nephew is dead and he shouldn’t be,” she said. “He was someone’s son, nephew, cousin, and they snuffed his life out without care or thought to what they were doing. They put that dog on him, he did what he would do naturally, and they did what they naturally do—kill people.” Minister Muhammad called it murder. “Charges need to be filed because (Kelley) was not just killed, he was murdered. It went from a professional operation to a crime of passion,” he said. “The streets were shut down for a dog before the young man went unnoticed unrecogSEE APA A4
45 cents: A community under siege closed businesses, Homewood may not be For New Pittsburgh Courier the ideal place for a prospective homeowner (Part 1 of a 3 part series) to explore when shopA shell for a handgun ping for a new home. sells for around of 45 cents However, the few new apiece. Unfortunately, in housing developments some communities in seem to have done well Pittsburgh, that is the as far as occupancy is value placed on the lives of concerned. Their proxmany of the African Amerimity to the Martin icans who were murder Luther King East victims in these communiBusway may be an atties. In 2014, there were traction for those who 71 homicides in Allegheny commute to work DownCounty, and of those, 68 town or for households were African Americans. who have children in However, this three-part schools outside of their series will focus on Homewood, a community located VACANT HOUSES—Some of the vacant row houses on Hamilton Ave between Collier neighborhoods. In spite of the many in the Eastern section of and Braddock Streets. (Photo by Phillip Martin) seemingly negative asthe city where many of pects Homewood may be these occurred. According percent of the residents live below the facing, many of its residents and busito Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, ness owners are willing to stay the Homewood has a population of 6,442 res- poverty line, although 40 percent of these residents own their own homes. course as this community holds a special idents of which 95 percent are African Considering that Homewood has some place in their hearts with hopes of a American, and it has seen a steady deof the lowest property values in the city, brighter tomorrow. Also, Homewood cline of its population since 1940. In the this statistic may be misleading. Plagued past 10 years alone, 30 percent of the SEE CENTS A4 with vacant lots, abandoned houses and people have moved elsewhere. Forty-five
by Phillip Martin
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
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Courier Staff Writer
Though media and community attention has focused on the shooting death of Bruce Kelley Jr., who was shot 12 times
“It’s a practice they use against Blacks and poor people all the time. Poor people can’t afford attorneys, let alone a $300,000 bond.” BRANDI FISHER by Port Authority police after stabbing a dog they had set on him, his father—with whom he had been drinking at a gazebo near the Wilkinsburg station of the East Busway minutes before—has literally been out of sight since the Jan. 31, held on aggravated assault charges in the AlSEE KELLEY A4
Record decline in state prison population by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
When Gov. Tom Wolf took office last January, one of the first things he did was announce that he was retaining Corbett appointee John Wetzel as Secretary of Corrections, primarily for his achievements in reducing prison populations and recidivism rates. Last month, that faith was rewarded as both Wolf and Wetzel were able to announce the largest single-year reduction in state prison populations in 40 years. The total population drop of 842 in 2015 is larger than the total drop of 756 from 2014 SEE PRISON A4
URA to revamp MWBE office by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
Since Chuck Powell retired in October, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh has been without a director to oversee the authority’s outreach to minority contractors and developers and to monitor contract compliance with minority participation goals. During its Feb. 11 board meeting, the authority moved to see what it needs to create a responsive Minority- and Women-
George Curry says
All eyes on the Black vote Forum A7
SEE URA A5
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This Week In Black History
FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
INTERNATIONAL
Afghans skirt strict rules to find love on social media
ONLINE ROMANCE—In this Monday, Feb. 8, Photo, Afghan civil activist Hadi Sadiqi chats on Facebook with his wife Maleka Yawari, at his office in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Rahmat Gul/Associated Press)
by Lynne O’Donnell Associated Press Writer
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)—Afghan civil activist Hadi Sadiqi had long been using social media to share news, commentary and his own musings on politics when he got into a heated exchange with another member of his Facebook forum. Sadiqi and Maleka Yawari took their argument offline, and soon their exchanges grew more personal, with articles and opinion pieces giving way to photographs, love letters—and eventually wedding vows. “Turns out we’re both from the same district in Ghazni province, but we’d never met or even heard of each other,” Sadiqi said. That’s not unusual in Afghanistan, a deeply conservative country where women are still largely confined to the home and arranged marriages are the norm. Fifteen years after the overthrow of the Taliban, women are still killed by relatives over alleged sexual indiscretions—in what are known as “honor killings”—and unmarried lovers can be stoned to death by their neighbors. But social media is allowing more and more young people to safely meet outside society’s strict confines. Sadiqi says the families were surprised by the secret romance—conducted on Facebook as he was living in Kabul and Yawari was completing an economics degree in neighboring Kazakhstan. “But they agreed immediately, and a year ago we got married,” he said. The trend is mainly limited to the urban middle class. Only 10 to 20 percent of Afghans have access to the Internet, according to Roshan, the country’s top tele-
com provider. But Afghanistan is currently rolling out a 3G network, and as smartphones become more affordable, Internet access is projected to rise, including in remote areas of the mostly rural country. Although coverage is limited, there are no official restrictions on the Internet in Afghanistan, making it an outlier in a region where governments closely monitor and restrict access. Neighboring Pakistan recently lifted a three-year ban on YouTube after Google created a special version for the country. Beijing’s draconian “great firewall of China” has been in place for more than a decade, and Iran blocks Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Facebook is widely used in Afghanistan, while WhatsApp, Viber, Skype and Instagram are also popular. Kabul-based media consultant Ben Bruges said Afghanistan has seen a “big generational change,” with youth using technology their parents don’t understand to “escape the traditional conservative confines.” “It might be possible for more young people to talk to each other online than would be possible in their daily lives, given the restrictions on the genders talking to each other in Afghanistan,” he said. Maqsood Akbari, a doctor from the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, agrees. He courted his wife secretly on social media after meeting her in a library in 2008. “Finding a suitable marriage partner in this conservative society is a real challenge,” he said. “The Internet provides a level of safety and security, protecting a couple’s social dignity and providing a precious way for young people to meet each other.”
South African police captain arrested in fatal beatings JOHANNESBURG (AP)—A police captain in South Africa faces murder charges for allegedly helping four farmers beat two suspected thieves to death in a case that ignited racial tension in a rural town. Capt. Hendrick Jacobus
Elaine Effort
Prinsloo, who is White, was called to the scene of the beating in the town of Parys in the Free State province, police said in a statement Thursday. Instead of rescuing the two Black men being beaten, he joined the White
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farmers in the assault. Prinsloo, whose alleged involvement was reported by a witness, appeared in court and was released on $315 bail on Thursday. He and the four farmers, also out on bail, are due in court on Friday. When the farmers appeared in court on suspicion of murder in January, police had to keep apart groups of White farmers and Black protesters taunting each other outside the courthouse. The two men who were beaten to death had a gun when they assaulted and tried to rob one of the White farmers on his property, according to the farmers. The farmer managed to escape and the other farmers then came to his aid and searched for the attackers, according to the police statement.
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Week of Feb. 11-17 February 17 1902—Opera legend Marian Anderson is born in Philadelphia, Pa. Her tremendous operatic talent was revealed at 17 when she was entered into a New York Philharmonic competition and placed first among 299 entrants. Despite her fame she suffered from racist rejection. On Easter Sunday 1939, she performed an open air recital at the Lincoln Memorial because the all White Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow her to sing at Washington, D.C.’s Constitution Hall. (NOTE: Throughout her life Anderson gave her birth as Feb. 17, 1902. However, newly discovered evidence suggests she was actually born Feb. 27, 1897.) She died April 8, 1993. 1942—Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton is born. The Panthers MARIAN ANDERSON were perhaps the most militant Black organization of the 1960s. At its height, it had thousands of members in several major cities. But it was also the target of massive operations by the FBI and local police departments. Dozens of Panthers would be killed, often under suspicious circumstances. A little known fact, however, is that throughout it all Newton, an illiterate high school dropout, taught himself to read and in 1980 earned a PhD in social philosophy from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His dissertation was entitled “War Against the Panthers—A Study of Repression in America.” Newton was found shot to death on an Oakland, Calif., street in 1989. HUEY P. NEWTON on right 1963—Perhaps the greatest player to ever dribble a basketball, Michael Jordan, was born on this day in Brooklyn, N.Y. However, his family moved and he played high school basketball in Wilmington, N.C. 1982—The nation’s greatest Jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk dies. Born in Rocky Mount, N.C., Monk moved with his family to New York City when he was four. His classic work was “Round Midnight.” 2006—African-American skater Shani Davis wins the men’s 1,000-meter speed-skating race in Turin, Italy. He thus became the first Black person to win an individual gold medal in the history of the Winter Olympics. THELONIOUS MONK February 18 1688—The first formal protest against slavery is conducted by a group of Quakers in Germantown, Pa. They denounced slavery and the slave trade. The Quakers were perhaps the only religious group in America that never compromised and consistently opposed slavery. 1913—the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was incorporated at Howard University. 1931—Author Toni Morrison is born Chloe Anthony Wofford in Lorain, Ohio. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1993 for her novel “Beloved.” February 19 1919—The “first” Pan African Congress is held bringing together prominent blacks from throughout the world to chart a proTONI MORRISON gram for Black unity and betterment. African-American scholar and activist W.E.B. DuBois was the chief organizer. The gathering was held in Paris, France and drew 57 distinguished delegates including 16 from the United States, 14 from Africa and others from the Caribbean, South America and Europe. (The 1919 Congress is considered by many the “first” but another such Congress had been organized in 1900.) 1940—Smokey Robinson is born William Robinson in Detroit, Mich. He formed “The Miracles” in 1955 while still in high school. With his voice and poetry of song, Robinson led The Miracles as the group became one of the all-time best record sellers for Barry Gordy’s Motown music empire. 1942—The Tuskegee Airmen are activated for service in World War II. The all-Black pursuit squadron, later desigSMOKEY ROBINSON and nated 99th Fighter Squadron, was organized and trained at BARRY GORDY Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The squadron served with honors in Europe. During the war, the nearly 1,000 pilots who had been trained flew 15,000 sorties, destroyed 1,000 German aircraft and earned more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses. February 20 1895—The great Black leader Frederick Douglass dies at 78 in Washington, D.C. Douglass was the foremost Black abolitionist struggling to end slavery in the mid1800s. He used his great oratory skills and his abilities as a newspaper publisher on behalf of freedom and justice for Blacks. Most of his early work emanated from the Rochester, N.Y., area. But after the Civil War he moved to Washington, D.C. Douglass was the nation’s foremost THE TUESKEGEE AIRMEN Black leader for nearly 40 years. 1927—Actor Sidney Poitier is born in Miami, Fla., and grows up on Cat Island in the Bahamas. However, by the early 1950s, he was establishing a career in movies. Indeed, it can be said that Poitier was the first Black actor to make it in mainstream movie roles without having to play stereotypical and often demeaning “Black roles.” 1963—Basketball great Charles Barkley is born on this day in Leeds, Ala. February 21 1933—Song stylist and activist Nina Simone is born Eunice Waymon in Tryon, N.C. She was a child prodigy who was playing the piano by age 4. She had numerous songs to her credit but one of the most memorable was “Mississippi Goddam” which was composed as a protest against the terrorist bombing of a Black church in Birmingham, Ala., which resulted in the deaths of four little Black girls. Simone, often referred to as the High Priestess of Soul, died in France on April 21, 2003. 1965—The most prominent Black nationalist of the 20th century, Malcolm X, is assassinated on this day in Harlem, N.Y.’s Audubon Ballroom while giving a speech which was to issue a call for Black unity. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Neb., on May 19, 1925, he graduated at the top of his high school class but had his dream of becoming a lawyer crushed when a teacher told him that was “not realistic for a Nigger.” He gradually drifted into the underworlds of first Boston and then New York where he became a drug dealer and gangster known as “Detroit Red.” He was friends with comedian and upcoming star Redd Foxx who at the time was known as “Chicago Red.” Malcolm was arrested and jailed for robbery at age 20. While in prison he converted to the Nation of Islam and after his release in 1952, he became the leading force building the group into a MALCOM X major national organization. He was a brilliant orator and organizer as well as a fierce opponent of racism, imperialism and the non-violent approach to combating the nation’s evils. But disagreements with Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad led to a split. He then formed the Organization for Afro-American Unity. However, 11 months after his split with the Nation of Islam he was assassinated. Many in the Black community felt the New York City police and the FBI played a role in his death. But three man associated with the Nation of Islam were tried and convicted of his murder. February 22 1950—Basketball legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving is born in Roosevelt, N.Y. He was the most dominant NBA player of his era. The former Philadelphia 76’er was 6’7”, 210 pounds. February 23 1868—Dr. W.E.B. DuBois is born William Edward Burghardt DuBois in Great Barrington, Mass. DuBois can easily qualify as Black America’s leading scholar and intellectual of the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was also an educator and social activist fighting tirelessly against racial injustice and U.S. imperialism. He started the NAACP’s influential “Crisis” magazine. He organized what many consider the W.E.B. DUBOIS First Pan African Congress. (Actually, it was the second. The first took place in 1900.) However, in his later years DuBois became increasingly frustrated with American racism, injustice and hypocritical brand of democracy. He turned to socialism around 1927 and despaired of the NAACP’s legalistic approach to obtaining rights for Blacks. He nevertheless authored several influential books including “The Souls of Black Folks.” He coined the phrase ‘talented tenth” to describe what he believed would have to be a class of educated and skilled Blacks who would have to lead the race out of its oppression. DuBois finally went into self-imposed exile in the West African nation of Ghana saying, “In my own country for nearly a century I have been nothing but a Nigger.” He died in Ghana’s capital, Accra, on Aug. 27, 1963. He was 95.
Showdown brewing over naming Scalia’s successor NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
NATIONAL
by George E. Curry George Curry Media
WASHINGTON—President Obama will select a nominee to succeed the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia despite fierce opposition by Republican leaders who prefer the seat be left vacant for nearly a year so that it can be filled by the next president. Obama said in a statement on Feb. 13, “I plan to fulfill my constitutional responsibilities to nominate a successor in due time. There will be plenty of time for me to do so, and for the Senate to fulfill its responsibility to give that person a fair hearing and a timely vote. These are responsibilities that I take seriously, as should everyone. They’re bigger than any one party. They are about our democracy.” Scalia, one of the most conservative members of the court, died of an apparent heart attack over the weekend while on a hunting trip in Texas. He was part of the 5-4 conservative majority on the nation’s highest court. Were he to be replaced by a moderate or liberal jurist, that would shift the balance of the court, something Republicans had pledged to fight against. Under the constitution, the president has an obligation to appoint the Supreme Court justice, who must then be confirmed by the Senate. However, conservatives who normally boast of being strict adherents of the U.S. Constitution, are altering that stance in a presidential election year. Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who had already pledged to block any Obama nominations prior to Scalia’s death, urged President Obama not to submit a nominee and said if Obama does, the Senate will not act on the nomination prior to the expiration of Obama’s term next January. “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,” McConnell said in a statement. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.” Democrats countered that the American people made their voice heard in the last two presidential elections, voting Obama into office in 2008 and re-electing by a wide margin in 2012. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (DNev.) issued a statement saying, “The President can and should send the Senate a nominee right away. With so many important issues pending before the Supreme Court, the Senate has a responsibility to fill vacancies as soon as possible. It would be unprecedented in recent history for the Supreme Court to go a year with a vacant seat. Failing to fill this vacancy would be a shameful abdication of one of the Senate’s most essential Constitutional responsibilities.” And the record appears to support Reid. Writing on the Supreme Court site Scotusblog, Amy Howe observed, “The historical record does not reveal any instances since at least 1900 of the president failing to nominate and/or the Senate failing to confirm a nominee in a presidential election year because of the impending election.”
DEAD AT 79—In this Oct., 15, 2006, file photo, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia speaks at the ACLU Membership Conference in Washington. (AP Photo/Chris Greenberg, File)
LORETTA LYNCH (AP Photo/File)
ERIC HOLDER (AP Photo/File)
KAMALA HARRIS (AP Photo/File) Ironically, McConnell and every other Republican voted on Feb. 2, 1988 to confirm Ronald Reagan’s Supreme Court appointment in his last year in office, which was also an election year. The Senate, then under Democratic-control, voted 97-0, with three absent, to confirm Anthony M. Kennedy. Kennedy was supported by 51 Democrats and 46 Republicans. Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued a statement Saturday saying, “The fact of the matter is that it’s been standard practice over the last 80 years to not confirm Supreme Court nominees during a presidential election year.” However, Grassley was also among those voting for Kennedy in the 1988 election year. As conservative as Scalia was, he was not as far to the right as justice Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, according to the Judicial Common Space project, which measures the ideology of Supreme Court Jus-
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tices from 1953-2000. Because of a progressive Black voice on the Supreme Court, some Obama supporters have urged him to nominate a Black woman—either Attorney General Loretta Lynch or California Attorney General Kamala Harris, a Howard University graduate—to fill that vacancy. Former U.S. Attorney General H. Holder, among others, has also mentioned as a possibility. However, at the beginning of this week, the leading candidate appeared to be Sri Srinivasan, a judge on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, a popular stepping stone to the Supreme Court. The son of immigrants from India, he clerked for conservative appeals court Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson and Sandra Day O’Connor, a frequent swing voter on the Supreme Court. Srinivasa, 48, former chief deputy to the U.S. solicitor general, was confirmed for his present position by the Senate by a vote of 97-0 in 2013, a fact Obama hopes will make his nomination more difficult to oppose. A ruling in at least a six major court cases may be postponed until a new justice is seated. The cases involve: Whether universities can use race as a factor in admissions (Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin); Whether states can change how voting districts are drawn based on total population or the number of eligible voters (Evenwel v. Abbott and Harris v. Arizona Ind. Redistricting); Whether unions can collect fees from nonunion workers to use for collective bargaining (Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association); Whether states can impose strict medical regulations on abortion clinics that may cause many of them to close (Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole); Whether religious nonprofit groups can be required to provide employees with birth control that conflicts with their religious beliefs (Zubik v. Burwell); and Whether the federal government can defer deportation of undocumented immigrants and give them legal protection. Although some of the cases have already been argued, they will be re-argued, if court precedent is followed. The threat to sideline any Obama nomination to the Supreme Court follows a Republican slowdown of judicial appointments already underway. According to a Brookings Institution study in September, “Senate Republicans’ aggressive slowdown in judicial confirmations so far in 2015—and what is likely to be a continued slowdown through 2016— are contrary to the confirmation records in the final two years of the other two-term presidencies since 1961—Ronald Reagan, William Clinton, and George W. Bush.” And the obstruction is not limited to judges. According to an investigation by Politico, “New data compiled by the Congressional Research Service and obtained by POLITICO found that the Senate in 2015 confirmed the lowest number of civilian nominations—including judges and diplomatic ambassadors—for the first session of a Congress in nearly 30 years.”
Report: Blacks choose low-wage college majors
by Nigel Roberts NewsOne
The good news is that African Americans are graduating from college at a historically high rate. According to new research, however, they are choosing majors at the low end of the pay scale, PBS.org reports. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that Blacks are over-represented in service fields,
cated Blacks have less wealth to pass on to their children. “The low-paying majors that African Americans are concentrated in are of high social value but low economic value,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the Georgetown Center and coauthor of the report, in a statement accompanying the report. The decision to enter a service-oriented field often stems from Blacks having
“The low-paying majors that African Americans are concentrated in are of high social value but low economic value.” ANTHONY P. CARNEVALE such as education and social work. Early childhood education, which pays about $38,000 a year, is one of the most common majors for Black students with a bachelor’s degree. By contrast, African Americans represent a small percentage of those earning degrees in the highest-paying majors. They comprise just 8 percent of engineers and 5 percent of computer science majors, who earn a median salary of $65,000. There are long-term economic consequences for those career choices. According to PBS.org, there’s a $4 million gap in lifetime earnings between an early childhood educator and a petroleum engineer. Overall, Black college graduates have less savings and disposable income than their White peers. That also means that college edu-
strong community-based values, PBS.org states. Those career fields are associated with improving conditions in poor communities. As PBS.org notes, African Americans represent just 12 percent of the U.S. population, but 20 percent of all community organizers. Another factor is the type of colleges that African American’s attend. The report says that most Blacks graduate from two-year colleges or open-admission four-year universities, according to PBS.org. Most of those institutions offer a limited number of majors and lack resources. To reverse the trend, the researchers advise steering Black students toward STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and business careers, which can incorporate a commitment to community service.
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FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
METRO
APA addresses Kelley death, Matakovich firing, calls for Ravenstahl resignation CONTINUED FROM A1
nized and his funeral was a flash in the pan. We will not rest until justice comes to Black people in Pittsburgh.” Fisher and several other speakers called on legislators to enact laws eliminating the use of dogs on people, noting that had O’Malley not released his dog Aren, both he and Kelley would still be alive. Both Mel Packer from Pittsburghers for Public Transit and Rev. Alonzo Murphy of the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network called for an end to the use of attack dogs. “As an African American man I remember pictures of Selma, dogs attacking marchers. We are still using that tactic today as an excuse to carry out police brutality,” said Rev. Murphy. “We have to look deeper into corruption, deeper into the injustice and say there is a better way to handle things. I’m saying we do not have to be treated like animals.” Packer called for the Port Authority to hold a public hearing on its police train-
TIM STEVENS ing and tactics, including the use of dogs. “Given its history, using police dogs to attack people is simply terror, particu-
larly against African Americans,” he said. “It is inhuman for the dog and the person being attacked. But it’s part of national pattern
SANDRA ROSEFIELD Animal Activist
MEL PACKER
where people, particularly people of color are killed in encounters with police.” As for Pittsburgh Police Officer Stephen Matakovich, who’s violent arrest of an intoxicated Despres outside Heinz Field was caught by a surveillance camera, Fisher agrees with Zappala that charges should be refiled, and with Pittsburgh Police Chief
Cameron McLay who has ordered Matakovich terminated. “This is clear case of police brutality and corruption. Support push to have him fired and urge the district attorney to refile charges immediately,” she said. “We also urge Mr. Zappala open an investigation into, and review of, every case where officer Matakovich
has filed a police report. Because he is a proven liar and we now have proof, without a doubt, that he falsifies his reports. There could be innocent people unjustly with a criminal record, on parole or probation—or even worse—incarcerated behind the acts of this corrupt police officer.” Fisher also said she would be filing a complaint with the judicial board of review against magisterial District Judge Robert Ravenstahl, who dismissed assault charges against Matakovich even though an expert testified his use of force was excessive and that his incident report did not match what is recorded on video. “It is our position that he should be removed from the bench and should not be presiding over anymore cases.” As of this writing, Zappala spokesman Mike Manko said he doesn’t have a timeline for the refiling of the Matakovich charges or the disposition of the Kelley shooting investigation. (J.L. Martello contributed to this story.)
45 Cents: Homewood a community under siege CONTINUED FROM A1
boasts of having a campus of Community College of Allegheny County, the African American Music Institute, Alma Ellery Health Center, social service organizations and churches, all of which have brought hope and much needed services to the community. This series will focus on what community members, business people, police and public officials have to say about how they will contribute to making this community a more livable place. There are interviews and comments by school students, teachers and administrators who have been affected by the violence taking place in Homewood. Family members who have been adversely affected by these murders will allow readers an understanding of how they are coping with the loss of a loved one after their story is perhaps no longer considered newsworthy. According to the Pittsburgh Police Zone 5 crime report provided by the Zone 5 Community Resource Officer Michael Gay, there have been a total 95 robberies (66 arrests), 19 rapes (three arrests), 299 drug violations (366 arrests), 63 prostitution violations (74 arrests), 137 aggravated assaults (105 arrests) and 24 homicides in 2014 in Homewood. Why the homicide rate is so high for a community with such a small population has yet to be determined; however, it may be due to the drug and gang activity that has plagued the community since the early 1980s.
BUSINESS DISTRICT—Some of the shuttered businesses on Homewood. State Sen. Jay Costa, 43rd District Forest Hills, and state Rep. Ed Gainey, 24th Legislative District, at a meeting on Feb, 5, 2015, at the Homewood Library attempted to assure the community members in attendance that they were not being forgotten as there has been noticeable construction projects in other parts of the city. They said plans for development projects in Homewood are in the works. Costa said, “We are committed to bringing
Bruce Kelley held on $300k straight bond CONTINUED FROM A1
legheny County Jail on a straight $300,000 bond. A straight bond means the offender, or his family must post not just 10 percent, but the entire amount to get him released on bail pending trial. Few wealthy White families can do that. Poor Black ones certainly can’t. So Kelley sits in jail until his preliminary hearing. He could not even attend his son’s funeral. Brandi Fisher, president of the Alliance for Police Accountability, said the exorbitant bond is an outrage, but sadly, it is one that is used as a punitive measure against poor and Black defendants all the time. “It’s a practice they use against Blacks and poor people all the time. Poor people can’t afford attorneys, let alone a $300,000
bond,” she said. “The criminal justice system is repressive to say the least, and it’s by design. It’s incarceration without a trial or parole.” Port Authority police tried to arrest the Kelleys around 3 p.m., Jan 31 because they were drinking on PAT property. The intoxicated men did not want to be arrested. A brawl ensued, involving Tasers and pepper spray. Both men escaped, but were relocated. Kelley Sr. was taken into custody. His son died in a hail of bullets because he killed a dog. Kelley Sr.’s attorney is Blaine Jones, neither his office nor the District Attorney could say which magistrate or judge issued the $300,000 bond on Kelly. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18.
new development to the Homewood neighborhood. We are working with the [Mayor Bill Peduto’s] office and the businesses to do just that,” he said. When asked what those plans might look like, the senator directed the question to Rep. Gainey who said, “I am working with the mayor’s office as well as some of the grassroots community organizations in Homewood to bring two new housing developments to the area.” However, when pressed for more specifics, Gainey said he did not have that information available and only that he wanted to ensure that those organizations he was working with would have their concerns addressed. Doc Holiday, 75, a former Homewood resident who now lives in Penn Hills said, “It takes more than housing to rebuild a neighborhood. It takes businesses.” When asked what was being done about the crime that seems rampant in the neighborhood, Gainey said he, the police and the mayor’s office has worked diligently to clean up the area around North Braddock and Hamilton avenues, which is a known hangout for drug dealers and prostitutes. Gainey said, “there was a concentrated effort to sweep the area, make arrests [49], which resulted in removing much of the problem. This also led to threats being received to shoot police officers if they came back.” When informed that the area was again infested
with more of the same, he said, “they are working diligently to solve the
problem.” Zinna Scott, 69, of Homewood, said, “I raised my
children here. What happens is when children grow up, they leave the community and the older folks left simply die off, and this is all that is left behind. There used to be little kids running and playing around here all the time. Not so much now, though,” Scott said. She said she has no plans of leaving the neighborhood although there were three separate shooting incidents last year across the street from her Rosedale Street home Gainey noted a crime near Shuman’s Market, located on the corners of Frankstown and Homewood Avenues, where a man was shot in the face in front of the store and said it was a trouble spot in the neighborhood. “We are aware of what’s going on near this store,” he said. “There are young people going in and out of the store all the time. We know what’s going on.” However, he did not elaborate on what, if anything, was being done. Gainey left the meeting before it was over. Part 2: Neighborhood police, students, educators and businesspersons weigh in. Part 3: Victims and those they left behind
Record decline in state prison population CONTINUED FROM A1
and Department of Correction’s (DOC) 2015 population of 49,914 is the lowest that it has been since March 2009. “With fewer people coming into the system, fewer people returning to the system, and a continued level of smart and fair parole releases, our population is declining and we continue to move in the right direction,” said Wolf. “It costs about $41,000 to incarcerate an offender per year in the state prison system. We need to make sure that we are spending these taxpayer dollars on those offenders who require that level of incarceration and not wasting money that could be used for education or job creation, which will both ultimately keep more people out of prison.” Wetzel thanked the governor for continuing to support his reform efforts, which over a two-year span, have reduced the prison population by 1,598. “For years, we have said that offenders require treatment more so than a lengthy, expensive stay in the state prison system. Finally, offenders are getting the treatment they need at a more-appropriate level of the criminal justice system,” he said. “This ensures appropriate treatment and saves the expensive state prison space for the more violent offenders—those that truly should be separated from society.” Wetzel concedes that some of the reduction is due to diverting short-term misdemeanor offenders—with sentences of a year or less—to county jails and group facilities. But as he told the Courier in a 2014 meeting, returning these offenders to their “home” facilities leads to better outcomes and lower recidivism because they are closer to family and support mechanisms. With these efforts showing increasing
success, the DOC has announced a funding solicitation totaling $1.5 million for county government candidates to divert “short min” inmates—those whose minimum sentence dates are one year or less from their admission date to the DOC—from state incarceration. As good as that news is, Wolf is not resting on his laurels. On Feb. 16, he signed the Criminal History Sealing Expansion Bill into law, which is designed to further reduce recidivism, relieve the pardon system, and provide ex-offenders greater opportunity to join the workforce by giving ex-offenders a clean slate. “This law is a commonsense, positive and unprecedented step to help Pennsylvanians with minor or dated criminal records have a fighting chance at opportunities for gainful employment,” he said. “Too many first-time and low-level offenders are serving their time and unable to improve their lives after leaving the system because they have a criminal record. And, they are too likely then to return to the system. We must do everything we can to break this cycle; it is robbing too many of their lives and it is costing taxpayers far too much.” The law amends the criminal code to allow individuals who have served their punishment and remained free of arrest or prosecution for seven to ten years, for nonviolent misdemeanors, to petition the court for their record to be sealed from public view. Currently, 27 states allow some misdemeanor and even felony convictions to be expunged or sealed. Though the newly signed law allows certain criminal records to be sealed, law enforcement and state licensing agencies can still access those records they will no longer be an impediment for employment or housing.
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
METRO
FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
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URA to revamp MWBE office CONTINUED FROM A1
owned Business Enterprise office when directors voted unanimously to hire a consultant to redesign its racial equity protocols. “This restructuring will introduce new policies that reflect the evolution of Minority and Women Business Enterprise and compliance programs that are taking shape nationally,” said Executive Director Robert Rubinstein. “The ultimate goal is to ensure there is equity in contracting opportunities with the URA.” The board authorized $50,000 as part of a grant application and subsequent agreement with the Heinz Endowments to fund a study that would produce recommendations on restructuring the authority’s Division of Community and Diversity Affairs. The first phase of the evaluation would involve hiring a consultant to conduct interviews with MWBEs, large construction, real estate, architecture and engineering firms in the region, then review best practices from across the country, identify successful hiring practices from around the state, then make recommendations. Following that, the authority will enact a set of policies to reflect the mission and vision of the restructured MWBE and Compliance programs. It will also create a new position for a staff member to oversee the programs. “This is probably the most important work we have to do as a city,” said board chair Kevin Acklin. “We have small companies that can’t get a seat at the table, and we know there are bigger firms doing work in Atlanta and around the country that can’t get into
this market. There’s a lot we can do better in this area.” Doubtless, one question to resolve will be how the oversight duties of this reconstituted Division of Community and Diversity Affairs—and its director— mesh with the computer network developed for Mayor Bill Peduto’s office that will monitor minority inclusion and contract compliance for every city department and authority. In other business, the board also approved giving temporary site control over several city-owned properties to three different development groups all planning to apply for the upcoming round of Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The first involves 17 North Side properties that will be used in conjunction with existing housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh properties for the first phase in renovating the Allegheny Dwellings public housing community. This phase calls for 80 mixed-income rental units. The second project involves just one property, the former Morningside School, which developer a.m. Rodriguez Associates Inc. plans to convert into 46 affordable senior housing units. The project will also include the addition of a senior center. Lastly, 11 properties on Kelly Street, Frankstown Avenue and Forrest Way, all in Homewood, would be used by Allegheny Housing Rehabilitation Corporation for the first phase of its Kelly Hamilton scatteredsite development. The bulk of the work will involve gut rehabs of existing properties, but will also include construction of nine new units for a total of 57 affordable housing units.
Community Calendar Service Awards Dinner FEB. 18—The Boy Scouts of America Laurel Highlands Council will host the Whitney M. Young Jr. 27th Annual Service Awards Dinner at 6 p.m. at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel, 300 W. Station Square Dr., Station Square. The evening will feature keynote speaker James M. Bailey, “Scoutmaster J,” of Greenway Archer and an awards presentation honoring Covelli Enterprises, K. Chase Patterson and Hugo Lopez, PhD. For more information, call Jason Flowers at 724-472-7923 or email Jason.flowers@scouting.org.
Lunch & Learn FEB. 19—Macedonia FACE will host a Lunch & Learn seminar from 12-2 p.m. at the Hill House, Conference Rooms A&B, 1835 Centre Ave., Hill District. In observance of National Black HIV Awareness Day, the topic will be HIV education and the impact of stigma on the Black community. For more information, call Lisa Dukes-Garner at 412-281-2573 or visit www.macedoniaface.org.
Community Benefits Preparatory Workshop FEB. 20—The Community Empowerment Association and the Eastern Regional Neighborhood Council will host the Community Benefits Workshop Series on Community Economic Development from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Community Empowerment Association, 7120 Kelly St., Homewood. The series will take place every Saturday and include workshops on homebuyer education, financial education, budget and credit counseling, foreclosure prevention, and small business and entrepreneurs. Registration is requested and space is limited. For more information, call 412-371-3689 ext. 44.
Monthly Gathering FEB. 20—Grandmothers of Pearls will host its Monthly Gathering from 3:30-6 p.m. at the Homewood Center, 7321 Frankstown Ave., Homewood. To attend, one must be a grandmother of greater and wear a pearl necklace—real or costume. If one does not have pearls to wear, a set will be loaned out. The afternoon will include entertainment, informa-
tional and inspirational speakers, and entertainment. Guests are asked to wear African garb in observance of Black History Month. For more information, email Donna Bundy Ford at donna4ord@yahoo.com or visit www.grandmothersofpearls.org .
Transit Fare Proposal Hearing FEB. 24—Port Authority of Allegheny County will host a Public Hearing on its Transit Fare Proposal from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, Downtown. The board is considering a policy that would replace the current multi-zone system with a single zone that would cost all riders $2.50 with a ConnectCard, regardless of their destination; eliminate the free Downtown zone; instate a 25 cent surcharge for riders paying with cash; and more. The hearing will also take place from 3:300-6 p.m. and on March 8 at Alumni Hall in Oakland. Speakers are required to register. For more information, call 412-566-5187.
Symposium/Gala FEB. 25—Stop the ViolencePittsburgh will host Pittsburgh’s Black Honors Symposium & Gala at 7 p.m. at the Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. This event will honor a few of the African Americans who have made contributions to the Pittsburgh community since 1755. The evening’s honorees are Alma Speed Fox, retired Judge J. Warren Watson, Mark Brentley, Roger Humphries, Rev. Victor Grigsby, Ralph Proctor, Valerie McDonald Roberts and Bishop Loran Mann. Reservations are required. For more information, email bmarshallproductions@yahoo.com.
Painting with a Purpose FEB. 26—Naomi’s Place Housing Inc. will host Painting with a Purpose from 7-9 p.m. at Painting with a Twist, 2525 Monroeville Blvd., Monroeville. Reservations are required. For more information, visit www.paintingwithatwist.com. (To have items listed on Community Calendar, send information at least two weeks in advance to: 315 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219; Fax: 412-481-1360 or email: newsroom@newpittsburghcourier.com.)
WOODRUFF SPEAKS AT DUQUESNE—Judge Dwayne Woodruff was the guest speaker at a recent event hosted by the Black Law Student Association at Duquesne University. He gave them bits of wisdom on how to navigate and elevate in the legal field. He is a 1988 graduate of Duquesne School of Law. Pictured above, Judge Woodruff, seated behind table, with students. (Photo supplied)
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FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
OPINION
Bill Clinton’s drug laws fill jails?
Guest Editorial
Pa. lawmakers derelict in duty Pennsylvania lawmakers are returning to the Capitol without a state budget. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf delivered a budget proposal Feb. 9 for the fiscal year beginning July 1. But he and the Republican-controlled Legislature are still at odds over billions in the current fiscal year. There are questions over whether Wolf has the legal authority to spend money above the amounts he allowed in December appropriations bill he signed. The state budget situation is shameful and a reflection of the fact our state government lacks GOP lawmakers willing to compromise. While Republican state legislators attempt to blame Wolf for the budget stalemate, most Pennsylvania voters are not fooled. A new Franklin and Marshall College poll found more than half of the voters (52 percent) believe the General Assembly is most to blame for the stalemate with almost a third (32 percent) blaming Wolf. The poll of 732 registered voters was conducted between Jan. 18 and Jan. 31 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. The protracted budget battle has exacerbated the state’s fiscal problems. According to a new report from the state Independent Fiscal Office, Pennsylvania faces an estimated deficit of nearly $2 billion in fiscal 2016-17 as costs for pensions, medical assistance and long-term living outpace revenue growth. Several nonprofits and social service providers that endured six months without state aid last year are worried about continued gridlock. Many nonprofits took out loans and lines of credit and now face interest charges. They curtailed services and laid off workers to get by before receiving payments under the partial budget. There are serious questions as to whether these nonprofits can survive a second year under these same conditions. Yet Republicans lawmakers, representing narrow interests, are continuing to push Wolf to retreat on his campaign promise of reversing cuts in state education aid under the Corbett era rejected by the majority of Pennsylvania voters.
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
Founded 1910
Rod Doss
Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher
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Ulish Carter
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Managing Editor
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John H. Sengstacke Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)
After the Democratic debate one of the many cable stations was talking to some of the few Black commentators to get their reactions, which led to some confusion around drug laws passed during the Bill Clinton administration. And there was some confusion around Bernie Sanders Civil Rights Movement involvement as well. First the President Bill Clinton issue. The Sanders supporters and some Blacks appear to be trying to make Clinton out as the bad guy for signing the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which offered states billions in funding for new prisons—but only if they adopted “truth in sentencing laws” that would reduce prisoners’ eligibility for parole. The law also established mandatory life-sentences for people convicted of a third violent felony, among other punitive measures. By the end of the Clinton presidency, the number of people in America’s prisons rose by nearly 60 percent, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. The drug law Clinton signed into law, which is filling the jails with Black people today, was supported by just about every Black leader and responsible person throughout the Black communities then because they were sick and tired of the Black on Black violence which was plaguing our cities and the massive drug addictions destroying our children lives because of drugs flowing in our streets. Something had to be done to stop or at least slow it down. We all thought tougher laws would do that. So Clinton was doing what we all thought was right. But with all these arrests nothing happened to the drug flow. It just kept on flowing. When one pusher was arrested or killed two more sprung up in his place. This has become a mystery, but my answer is simple. It wasn’t properly enforced. You can’t stop the flow of drugs by taking out the people at the bottom, or even the middle. You must go after the people at the top, and they are not Black, and they are not poor.
Ulish Carter
Just Sayin’
obviously this is not working. It’s not even putting a dent in the drug trade, and even more critical it’s not stopping the mass murders in the streets, which is almost always connected to drugs. I didn’t hear any plan or concern coming from the Republican debate. The Sanders issue was that Congressman John Lewis, who was active in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in the South as a member of the Congress of Racial Equality better known as CORE, said he never saw Bernie Sanders who says he was active in the movement. Well, the reason he didn’t see him is because Lewis was fighting with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and others in the South while Sanders was working with the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee better known as SNCC in the North. The two didn’t cross each other’s path partly because this would have put one in the other’s territory. Lewis was wrong to make public statements like he did without checking out the facts first. He owes Sanders an apology. I understand he supports Hillary Clinton, but let’s be fair and honest. Sanders held his own in the debate and actually I believe the debate was a tie. They both would be good presidents but I’m not convinced Sanders can win a national election. But he has forced the Democratic Party to address issues of concern by Progressives, which was being overlooked before. On the Republican side Donald Trump won New Hampshire with a solid 35 percent with John Kasich coming in second with 16 percent followed by Ted Cruz with 11.7 percent, Jeb Bush with 11 percent and Marco Rubio with 10.6. Chris Christie was only able to pick up 7.4 percent after beating up on Rubio. This led to Christie dropping out. Ben Carson fell way back with only 2.3 percent. If he doesn’t do well in South Carolina look for him to pull out. Can you imagine a Trump vs. Sanders for president? Conservative vs. Progressive?
So what we got instead of curtailing the drugs and violence on the streets was more violence, more murders, because like the Middle East when a dictator is killed, 10 or more people spring up to replace him, battling among themselves. The people caught in the middle and hurt the most are the people in the community. But we all know they don’t manufacture drugs in the Black community so it’s coming in from someplace else. And we all know that Blacks are not traveling oversees to get it. It’s manufactured overseas, as well as this country by White Americans, it’s controlled by White Americans, and the largest market is White America, yet the jails are filled with Black Americans. White Americans are making billions, no trillions of dollars from drugs and are paying off police departments, politicians and anyone else they need to, to keep the drugs flowing, and the money coming in. Is this President Clinton’s fault? No. We all didn’t understand the power of big money. But I hate to tell these bright young commentators who know it all, the jails were filled with Black people before the War on Drugs, just not as many. And many of the Blacks in jail need to be there. Lord knows we don’t want many of them back on the streets. What needs to be done is the complete decriminalization of marijuana, and partial decriminalization of other illegal drugs. Only sellers would be prosecuted. And police departments as well as the federal agencies are reorganized and refocused and retrained to go after the men at the top of the drug chain, not the bottom and middle just to say (Ulish Carter is the managing editor of the they made an arrest or arrests, because New Pittsburgh Courier.)
Why do politicians treat addiction differently in the suburbs? (NNPA)—Nick Cocchi would like to be the sheriff of Hampden County, an Eastern Massachusetts county of half a million people. Springfield, Massachusetts, a city that is about 22 percent African American, is the county seat. Eastern Massachusetts (and indeed, much of New England) is experiencing the devastating fallout from the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that deaths from heroin overdoses have quadrupled in the past decade, and that heroin use has doubled among Whites. Thus, it is entirely appropriate that Mr. Cocchi’s candidate website includes a page that talks about opioid abuse in Hampden County. Far less appropriate, and indeed, repugnant, was a statement that Cocchi made when he testified at a November hearing before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse. According to Victoria Kim, a writer for The Fix, a newspaper that reports on addiction and recovery issues, Cocchi said as part of his testimony, “What was once the heroin junkie in the dark innercity back alley has now become brother, sister, mom, dad, son and daughter. It’s hit suburbia U.S.A.” Should the issue of addiction be treated more compassionately and humanely now that it has “hit suburbia U.S.A.?” Wasn’t that “heroin junkie in the dark inner-city back alley” somebody’s brother, sister, mother, dad, son or daughter? This is why it is so important to lift up the Black Lives Matter movement. Cocchi has, implicitly, said that he values the person in suburbia U.S.A. more than the person in the inner city. And his characterization of the
Julianne Malveaux
Commentary inner-city drug abuser as someone in a back alley reeks of his biases. Bishop Talbert Swan II, the President of the Springfield NAACP and pastor of Spirit of Hope Church of God in Christ, strongly objected to the racially coded language that Cocchi used to talk about the problem of addiction. He is not the only person who has noticed the increasingly humane way addiction is being managed as the epidemic devastates the White community, in contrast to the way addiction has been managed in the past (consider the language around the crack epidemic) or even now, when African Americans are addicts. Even Cocchi’s use of is term “junkie” lacks humanity. To call someone a “junkie” is far less humane than calling them an addict. Before voters support Cocchi in his quest for sheriff, they might push him to get some sensitivity training. They might also ask if he would treat the inner city addict differently than he would treat one from a Hampden suburb. The larger question, though, is why there is such sudden empathy for addicts, an empathy that was utterly lacking when the increase in crack addiction devastated the African American community, and when zero tolerance policies and mandatory drug
sentencing placed people who were seriously ill behind bars for decades. Addiction, after all, is more an illness than a crime. In Gloucester, a city about 40 miles north from Boston, heroin and opioid addicts who voluntarily turn themselves in at the police station are provided with treatment services, and not charged with any crime. The program has gotten national attention. Some addicts from outside Massachusetts have come to Gloucester because they can’t find affordable drug treatment where they live. Imagine that there were such a program for crack addicts when the inhumane “war on drugs” was little more than a war on Black people. Even as I applaud the new empathy toward addicts, I mourn the years that so many have spent behind bars, denied of the kinds of “innovative” treatment options available in Gloucester Irreparable damage was done to the African American community, especially the inner city community, because of the draconian and racist “War on Drugs.” Now, because the face of addiction has changed, so has public policy, and treatment options are preferred to incarceration options. Even as today’s addicts are being treated more humanely, where is the compassion for the addicts of two decades ago, many who remain incarcerated? President Obama’s efforts to pardon nonviolent drug offenders are a step in the right direction toward repairing individual lives. Is there a step our nation might take to repair the lives of these individuals and their communities? (Julianne Malveaux is an author, economist and Founder of Economic Education.)
A musical shining star is dimmed (GEORGE CURRY MEDIA)—Every man has a place In his heart there’s a space And the world can’t erase his fantasies Take a ride in the sky On our ship, fantasize All your dreams will come true right away And we will live together Until the twelfth of never Our voices will ring forever, as one— “Fantasy,” Earth, Wind & Fire In an era of pop music defined by rock star excess, one group was “into healthy food, meditation, taking vitamins, reading philosophical books, being students of life.” Maurice White, who died recently at 74, was only 30 when Earth Wind & Fire released its first album in 1971 young, but a decade older than his band mates and his brother and cofounder, Verdine. “We really looked up to Maurice,” Verdine White said. “He had done a lot more things than we had. Maurice
was interested in establishing a credibility of a different morality about musicians and their lifestyles.” By 1971, Maurice White was an experienced studio drummer, having played throughout the 1960s on the records of Etta James, Muddy Waters, the Dells, the Impressions and other artists signed to Chess Records. At the AffroArts Theater, a cultural hub for the late-1960s Black consciousness movement in Chicago, former Sun Ra Arkestra former trumpeter Phil Cohran introduced White to the kalimba—an African thumb piano that would feature prominently in Earth Wind and Fire’s signature sound. Trained as jazz musicians, the band fused soul, funk, gospel, blues, and rock in a style both unique and uplifting. “We were coming out of a decade of experimentation, mind expansion and cosmic awareness,” Maurice White said “I wanted our music to convey messages of universal love and harmony without force-feeding listeners’ spiritual content.”
“Being joyful and positive was the whole objective of our group.” Parkinson’s disease forced White to stop touring with Earth, Wind & Fire in 1995 but he remained a major force as a producer and composer for pop, jazz and dance artists, film and the stage. White’s influence on American music is so pervasive, hardly an artist in the last five decades has not been touched in some way by his genius. Innovators like White not only break down barriers and open new doors, they create entirely new structures and invite the rest of the world in. “The light is he, shining on you and me,” White’s brothers wrote. His work was infused with light—“shining bright to see what you can truly be” in “Shining Star,” or “chasin’ the clouds away” in “September.” Illuminating, life-giving, guiding the way - just like White himself. (Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.)
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
All eyes on the Black vote (GEORGE CURRY MEDIA)—Now that we have gotten the first two political anomalies out of the way en route to electing a new presidentmostly White Iowa and New Hampshire—the primaries and caucuses are moving to states that are more representative of a diverse America and the outcomes will be heavily influenced by the Black vote. Black voters will make up half or nearly half of all Democratic voters in North Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana. Super Tuesday, March 1, has also been billed as the SEC Primary. Six southern states—Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia— will hold a primary or caucus that day. More than half of all African Americans live in the South and they will play a crucial role in determining whether Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders gets the Democratic nomination and whether a Democrat or a Republican succeeds Barack Obama, the first Black U.S. president. In its report, “50 Years of the Voting Rights Act: The State of Race in Politics,” the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies pointed out, “Turnout among Black Southerners exceeded that of their White counterparts in four of the twelve presidential elections since 1965, and nationwide Black turnout clearly exceeded White turnout in presidential elections in 2012 and perhaps in 2008.” Black political clout will not be limited to the South. “Deconstructing exit poll data from 2012, AfricanAmerican voters accounted for Obama’s entire margin of victory in seven states: Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia,” according to the Cook Political Report. “Without these states’ 112 electoral votes, Obama would have lost decisively. African-Americans also accounted for almost all of Obama’s margin in Wisconsin. All of these states, except Maryland, will be crucial 2016 battlegrounds.” The Black vote will also be important in determining whether Blacks gain a stronger foothold in elective politics.
George E. Curry
Commentary The Joint Center report noted, “Based on the most recent data, African Americans are 12.5 percent of the citizen voting age population, but they make up a smaller share of the U.S. House (10 percent), state legislatures (8.5 percent), city councils (5.7 percent), and the U.S. Senate (2 percent).” That same pattern holds true for other people of color. “Latinos make up 11 percent of the citizen voting age population, but they are a smaller share of the U.S. House (7 percent), state legislatures (5 percent), the U.S. Senate (4 percent), and city councils (3.3 percent),” the report stated. “Asian Americans are 3.8 percent of the citizen voting age population but a smaller share of the U.S. House (2 percent),state legislatures (2 percent), the U.S. Senate (1 percent), and city councils (0.4 percent).” Because Blacks vote at a higher rate than Latinos at this point and are more diverse geographically, the major attention is being paid to them. The contest between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton is an intense one, splitting families, pitting friends against one another and, unfortunately, are characterized by attacks that misrepresent the record of the opposing side. Firmly lined up in the Clinton camp are most members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who through the CBC PAC, endorsed her candidacy. She is also supported by many other Black elected officials, former Attorney General Eric Holder, and Lucy McBath, whose son, Jordan Davis, was killed in Florida in 2013 for allegedly playing his music too loud. In the Sanders corner are entertainer and longtime civil rights activist Harry Belafonte, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., Professor Cornell West, former NAACP President Benjamin Jealous and writer TaNehesi Coates. In endorsing Clinton, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) said in response to a reporter’s question, “I never saw him. I never met him [Sanders]. “I was chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee for three years, from 1963 to 1966,” Lewis said. “I was involved with the sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, the march from Selma to Montgomery [Alabama] and directed [the] voter education project for six years. But I met Hillary Clinton. I met President [Bill] Clinton.” Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is being attacked for policies of her husband that expanded the incarceration rate of African Americans, especially Black males. Michelle Alexander, the author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, wrote an article for the Nation magazine under the headline, “Why Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Deserve the Black Vote.” Each side needs to step back and acknowledge that both Sanders and Clinton have excellent records on civil rights—each consistently earns an A on the NAACP Legislative Report Card. And yes, both have longtime ties to the Civil Rights Movement. Frankly, I am tired of hearing each of them say how much better Blacks would be under a Sanders or Clinton administration without offering any evidence. Without a doubt, either would be infinitely better than anyone running for president on the Republican side. And each Democratic candidate, in his and her own way, have acknowledged as much. Rather than continuing a mindless debate about who is the real progressive in the race, let each of them offer detailed proposals that show that Black Lives Matter. So, far when the subject of race has come up, neither has been particularly impressive. They tend to focus their remarks on reforming the criminal justice system—which is extremely important—but our problems extend beyond the prison pipeline. After they detail their specific proposals, Black voters will determine who is the real progressive. (George E. Curry is President and CEO of George Curry Media, LLC. He is the former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA. He can be reached through his Web site, georgecurry.com.)
FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
FORUM
My God is awesome Every Sunday press man but I am in atten- Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick forget you can’t dance at New fool God. Destiny C.M.E. The church of Church and yesteryear was last Sunday the a beacon of minister, Rev. hope, a house of Mario Murphy refuge, a sheldelivered a stirter from any ring sermon, kind of storm which was a rethat life would minder of how awesome our God is bring, but today’s church has changed, and has been since the beginning. He in fact too many of us, the members, spoke about God’s presence even have changed and not necessarily for when we were in the bowels of the the better. slave ships crossing the great oceans. As I walk, ride, or drive through We were reminded that in our darkest our neighborhoods they cry out for hours God was a beacon of light that help. The eastern part of Pittsburgh illuminated a path to occupy the East Liberty and Homewood in comWhite House. There is no question parison to other parts of Pittsburgh that we have come a mighty long way are a perfect example of the tale of and as we look around our homes, two cities. It has always been an communities, churches, and schools it overwhelming concern of mine that is apparent that we have some serious there are a staggering number of problems. It is my personal conviction Black churches on the Northside, that too many of us who truly believe Hill District, East Liberty and in the God are dragging our feet and Homewood and in the midst of these are failing to put the necessary effort religious institutions there is masin doing his bidding. What are his bid- sive unemployment, drug problems, dings? the roaring of guns, overall crime Let us start with his greatest com- and almost a complete absence of mandment Love. We must be reborn Black-owned businesses. by loving our neighbors, adults and Yes God is good and all powerful, but youths, our families and last but not effort on our part is required. For exleast ourselves. Those of us who at- ample: if your gas bill is overdue and tend church and occupy a position you just pray everyday and make abmust focus on what would God re- solutely no attempt to seek out some quire of you before you humble your- money your gas will be cut off. self to a position you may occupy. Too Yes, we as Christians must be born many become confused and worship again, but it is my absolute belief that man first and Almighty God second. non-believers would do well to seek There are those of us who walk God. (Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a weekly contributhrough the community and church with chest puffed out trying to im- tor to the Forum page.)
To Tell The Truth
Delaware apologized for slavery, but is it moral to accept? Back Story: the color line. Harmon Carey, J. Pharoah Doss It was also the head of problem of the Delaware’s 21st century Afro-American and it’s the Historical Sociproblem of our ety, made two century. For requests to the centuries each governor’s ofgeneration fice for a formal made strides to apology for better this naslavery. tion by abolishing the prejudice pracHe was ignored. tices of their predecessors but all of Carey made a third request right those efforts have been in vain. after the 2015 South Carolina church Abolishing the institution of slavery, shooting (A White man killed Blacks ending segregation, creating laws to at a prayer meeting which led to a de- dismantle discrimination have backmand to remove the confederate flag fired and produced the worst from of from state grounds.) Carey said, “I oppression in American history which thought one way for us to respond— is institutional racism. ‘us’ meaning Delawareans—was for The state officially apologizes for igour governor to issue an official apol- noring the requests of Harmon Carey. ogy for slavery.” And I officially state institutional This time the governor’s office racism is the permanent problem of replied they were “open to having dis- the color line, it’s the result of unaccussions about the request.” cepted progress, its America’s future This year, to coincide with sin that baptizes blacks before they’re Delaware’s celebration of Black His- born. And this administration will tory Month, the governor signed an of- continue to apologize for past prejuficial apology for Delaware’s role in dice every time they’re requested so slavery and Jim Crow. no one feels ignored. The resolution stated: Delaware This administration will make every today is impacted by the lasting symbolic gesture within our power to legacy of slavery, including ongoing boost the morale of all victims that tension between races and the exis- suffer from the legacy of slavery, sepatence of institutional racism. rate but equal, discrimination, which The governor said, “It’s essential currently manifests itself in instituthat we … recognize the everlasting tional racism.” damage of those sins … Being Black Moral acceptability: The problem is in Delaware and being Black in Amer- when the present governor stated, ica means your likelihood of prosper- “Being Black in America means…” ity and success is less than if you are No one can make that claim, not White.” even The President. Future story: Suppose next cenIt implies a universal existence eastury Harmon Carey’s descendents ily characterized and the governor’s make a request for the governor of depiction is unacceptable. He stated Delaware to apologize on behalf of Black means less likely to prosper and the state for ignoring Harmon succeed. It’s a belief the fictitious govCarey’s two requests for a formal ernor expresses in the future, but the slavery apology. future governor surrenders to the perCarey’s descendents issue a state- manence of institutional racism and ment to the press. They say, “We ac- the incapability of Blacks to hurdle knowledge the state of Delaware the obstacle because progress is regranted Harmon Carey’s third re- jected over the years by the developquest in 2016, but the state shouldn’t ing culture of complaint. have ignored his two requests in the That future is inevitable if slavery first place. By doing so the state en- apologies such as this are accepted begaged in blatant institutional racism.” cause there is no symbolic remedy for The governor doesn’t feel obligated the past this will instill the legacy of to redress a slight from the previous slavery in the next generation causing century but his aides suggest it might the impotence of individuality and have a placebo effect. that is immoral. (J. Pharoah Doss is a contributor to the New The governor apologizes. He says, “W.E.B. Dubois said the Pittsburgh Courier. He blogs at jpharoahproblem of the 20th century will be doss@blogspot.com)
Commentary
Letters to the editor for publication The New Pittsburgh Courier welcomes all responsible viewpoints for publication. All letters should be typewritten and contain writer’s address and phone number for verification. All letters will be edited for clarity and length. Address all letters to: Letters to the Editor New Pittsburgh Courier 315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219
You may fax your letter to 412-481-1360, or via e-mail to letters@newpittsburghcourier.com.
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Louis Ward
Commentary
America must stand up to disrespect to U.S. Presidency (NNPA)—Recently, retired Lt. Col Ralph Peters and Stacey Dash, both contributors on Fox News shows, blatantly disrespected President Obama on different news shows on national television. Lt. Col. Peters called our president a “total p**sy,” and actress Stacey Dash blurted “our president doesn’t give a sh*t about terrorism.” Bill Slieve, senior vice president of programming for both networks, announced, “Earlier today, Fox contributors Lt. Col. Ralph Peters and Stacey Dash made comments on different programs that were completely inappropriate and unacceptable for our air.” Thanks for the acknowledgement, but the damage has been done. And for me, it wasn’t enough that the contributors were suspended for two weeks. They should have been fired permanently. First, it was bumper stickers, then road signs and memorabilia disrespecting President Obama, now it’s lawmakers, news commentators, and even candidates seeking the Republican nomination for president being discourteous to my president, your president and our president on national television and radio. America, when will we stand up to those who disrespect for Barack Obama, the first African American President of United States? Freedom of speech is a constitutional right in America, but defamation of character and disrespect is not. We must speak out against impertinence to the United States presidency. When the presidency is disrespected at home, it sows seeds for foreign countries to disrespect our president as well. Look at what China and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel said to and about our president. When he was first elected in 2008 on the platform for “Change in America,” television screens across the nation showed people, representing different ethnic groups, crying because an African American had been elected President. Most anticipated a new day with a better life for African Americans in the most powerful country in the world. A new time for all people of America to come together to make America, not only the most powerful country in the world, but the greatest country in the world, where people will be able to live in harmony and, hopefully, achieve prosperity on economic and social levels. For a short while the future of America looked bright. The dream of Dr. King, Jr. was realized, and racism seemed to be put on hold. Unfortunately, there’s always a small group of individuals within the American populace with a hidden agenda, an agenda for evil, wickedness, and the pursuit of fairness, equality and justice for just a few Americans. As soon as Barack Obama won the election, a group of individuals huddled together and vowed to thwart his agenda for change in America. Let’s not be naïve, America, you know exactly who I am talking about. Many of those individuals are in office today. But that’s politics! And we all know politics is a nasty business. In 2009, when President Obama was addressing Congress, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson shouted: “You lie!” This kind of behavior is reprehensible. I don’t ever recall anyone calling the President of the United States a liar while he addressed Congress. Why does it happen now, and why to President Obama? Can it be because he’s an African American? My take on it is yes! Despite the small group’s endeavor to continue to belittle President Obama, now in his last year, he’s still continues to make great accomplishments for the people he was overwhelmingly elected twice to represent. At the end of the day, America, you may not like the man, but you have to respect the Office of the President of the United States. It deserves our respect, our loyalty and our support. We must stand up America and demand that it receives as much. What actions can I truly expect from writing this column? My prerogative as a writer is to raise the consciousness. Prayerfully, many will step up and hold anyone accountable who chooses to disrespect the United States presidency. If one person stands up, and agrees to say something or do something about the disrespect of our president, I have made a difference. We must not accept the disrespect against our president any longer. Stand up, say something and do something about it, now! Stand up America! Demand respect for President Barack Obama, and the Office of the President of the United States of America. (Louis C. Ward is a photojournalist, community activist and contributing writer to The Orlando Times. You can find more of his work at www.orlando-times.com.)
Capitol Hill Buzz: GOP lawmaker lashes out at Beyoncé video
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FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
WASHINGTON (AP)— Beyoncé’s new video “Formation” is “pro-Black Panther” and “anti-cop,” says a Republican congressman, who argued last week that it perpetuates a lie about the August 2014 shooting in Missouri of an unarmed Black man by a White police officer. “Beyoncé may be a gifted entertainer, but no one should really care what she thinks about any serious issue confronting our nation,” New York Rep. Pete King said in a statement he posted on his Facebook page. King condemned the video released by the
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Grammy-winning singer ahead of her world tour and her performance during halftime of Feb.7’s Super Bowl. He also complained about the mainstream media’s acceptance of the video and her Super Bowl appearance. Beyoncé’s publicist had no immediate response to an email request for comment. In the video, Beyoncé is seen atop a police cruiser and there are references to the Black Lives Matter movement. King also complained that the video makes the “ritualistic reference to Michael Brown and Ferguson, Mo., by fea-
BEYONCE (AP Photo/File) turing a scene of innocent people with their hands
raised high above their heads in surrender.”
King dismissed the notion that Brown was murdered by police as he was attempting to surrender and said this “fable” was thoroughly discredited. “In simple language it was and is a lie from beginning to end,” the congressman said, arguing that Brown was a criminal who had robbed a convenience store and the officer, Darren Wilson, was exonerated by the local prosecutor and President Barack Obama’s Justice Department. “Yet the big lie continues by Black Lives Matter, by pandering politicians and now by Beyoncé, who gets
star billing at the Super Bowl,” said King, who added that his father proudly served in the New York Police Department for more than 30 years.Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, in an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” criticized Beyonce’s halftime show and references to the Black Panthers. Dancers with the singer had afros and black berets, reminiscent of the 1960s group. “I thought it was really outrageous that she used it as a platform to attack police officers, who are the people who protect her and protect us,” Giuliani said.
Texas A&M president decries reports of racial harassment COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP)—Texas A&M University is still trying to determine which students may have shouted a racial slur and referenced the Confederate flag to a group of Black and Latino high school students touring the campus. About 60 students from a southwest Dallas charter school reported they were taunted by students on campus during a visit on Feb. 9. Two Black high school students said they were approached by a White A&M student wearing Confederate flag earrings, state Sen. Royce West said Feb. 11. Others in the tour group said they heard White A&M students telling them to “Go back where you came from,’’ and using an anti-Black slur, said West, who said he was contacted by university officials. The Dallas Democrat called for the possible expulsion of any students involved in the incident, and said he wanted to see action from the university’s leadership next week.
Texas A&M’s leaders “have political capital with me,’’ said West, the vice chairman of the Texas Senate’s higher education committee. “If you’re not going to tolerate this type of behavior, then you’ve got to
scene, he said. Young said on Feb. 12 that racism needed to be addressed broadly at Texas A&M, where the student body is 3.4 percent Black, and elsewhere. One element of that discussion, he said, was addressing the
If you’re not going to tolerate this type of behavior, then you’ve got to make a statement. This gang of students that participated in this should be disciplined accordingly.’ STATE SEN. ROYCE WEST make a statement,’’ West said. “This gang of students that participated in this should be disciplined accordingly.’’ No video or audio of the incident has emerged yet, complicating efforts to find out who said what, University President Michael K. Young said Feb. 12. A counselor from the tour group appears to have called the police, and a campus officer did investigate at the
meaning of the Confederate flag for White students who might not get the connections it has for many people to slavery and discrimination. “If this event serves as an occasion to kind of galvanize the community even more to expand and deepen their efforts on that, I’m absolutely delighted to do that, because that’s what has to happen,’’ Young said.
Joshua Lewis, a Texas A&M student who serves on the university’s Black Student Alliance Council, said he’s never had racial slurs directed at him, though other students have told him they have had them. Subtler forms of racial insensitivity are more common, he said, like other students assuming he is a scholarship athlete because he’s Black. Lewis said he was encouraged by strong statements this week from Young and campus leaders, but wanted to do more to improve campus dialogue and awareness of race. “No one’s going to have a reset button to change these ideologies,’’ Lewis said. “But we have to start thinking of creative ways to not only get students from diverse backgrounds who want to come to the school, but be at the school and then stay at the school.’’ Texas A&M is one of the state’s biggest and most prestigious universities and is about 90 miles outside of Houston. The university adminis-
tration response so far has drawn praise. Dena Marks, associate director of the Southwest Regional Office of the Anti-Defamation League, told The (BryanCollege Station) Eagle of her satisfaction with “what
they’ve done already to, number one, immediately recognize that perhaps there is a problem and, number two, to express that if there is a problem, this sort of thing should not be tolerated.’’
Harvard faculty member named Wellesley’s 1st Black president
WELLESLEY, Mass. (AP)—Wellesley College has named a Harvard Medical School faculty member as its next president. Doctor Paula Johnson will also be Wellesley’s first Black president. The Massachusetts women’s college of 2,400 students announced the decision on Feb. 11 after an eight-month search to replace President H. Kim Bottomly, who is stepping down in the summer. Johnson is on Harvard’s faculty and serves as chief of the Division of Women’s Health at the medical school and Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The chair of Wellesley’s board of trustees said in a statement that Johnson has spent her career improving the health and lives of women. Johnson says in the statement that she sees the role as a capstone to her career. She will be Wellesley’s 14th president.
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Growing In God
FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
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Debbie Norrell
Lifestyles Report
Straight from the Internet I have become a big fan of Facebook. This social media site has allowed me to keep in touch with friends near and far. I have been able to see pictures of weddings, parties, anniversaries, new homes and new cars, all via Facebook. This site has allowed us to share in each other’s joys and sorrows. Recently, I saw this note on Facebook: Forty days, forty items on a printed note with a black trash bag attached to it. The note read: Wednesday February 10 is the first day of Lent. I have a challenge for you. Each day of Lent remove one item from your closet that you no longer wear or need and put it into this trash bag. At the end of the forty days, donate these items to a place that can share them with someone who can really use them. Many replied with what a good idea this was and I too agreed, and went right home and started on my 40 items. It is not too late for you to get started. After all, it seems like the older we get the more stuff we accumulate like we are getting ready to audition for an episode of “Hoarders.” I could see this note being handed out at churches or at luncheon. Here are some good places to donate gently used items. We all know the usual places: Goodwill, Salvation Army, The Red White and Blue, and Saint Vincent DePaul, but here is another place that actually helps women who are trying to get a new start in their life—Dress for Success Pittsburgh. Your generous donations to Dress for Success Pittsburgh provide the means necessary to fund their Suiting Program, Career Development Workshops, Professional Women’s Group (PWG) and Elevate Program. Let’s be honest, our closets are filled with clothes that we do not wear. When I bring home something new I try to remove an item from my closet and donate it or give it away. Frankly, when I’m buying something new I’m thinking what I can get rid of? If I can’t think of something I will wait to buy that new item. Have you found that you frequently buy things that are very similar? The same color scheme and the same basic style. I frequently go shopping to remind myself of what I already have in the closet. If you are going to do a major purge it is better to have a friend come over and help you to purge. And, if possible, make sure it is a friend who does not wear the same size. She might want to start trying on your outfits and then when you see them on her you will want to keep them. During this purge you should clear out the closet entirely and then try on each item. If the garment does not fit it goes to the donate pile. Stop holding on to things waiting to lose weight. When you lose the weight then get something new for your new body. Forty days forty items. Go! (Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com)
BEAUTIFUL, BROWN, BOLD
BEAUTIFUL, BROWN, BOLD
Beautiful, Brown, Bold by Debbie Norrell Courier Staff Writer
Candace King Williams had a vision to bring together 100 beautiful, brown, bold women. Some, she says, who were never made to feel pretty, some who never got to experience true sisterhood and some who needed to have their accomplishments celebrated. On Jan. 31, the vision came to life on a beautiful warm sunny day. The women gathered at 7:30 a.m. at the Paul Blakely Center for makeup and hair to prepare for the Beautiful, Brown, Bold (BBB) photo shoot. The first photo shoot was at Freedom Corner and the New Pittsburgh Courier was there. Williams said she wanted to make a bold statement that 100 Black women could gather without hate or jealousy to celebrate each other. When the BBB announcement was made, nearly 400 submissions poured in. Williams said reading each submission was life changing. She found herself, laughing, crying, praying and cheering for women she had never met. She said the process was emotionally draining because after a while a theme developed— a theme of pain among our women. A theme of women raised by single parents or being single parents themselves. A theme of cancer. A theme of pain from gun vio-
who believed in the project from the moment that Williams shared the vision. Williams said her assistant project m a n a g e r, Danielle Jackson, played a major part in making the project happen. As did the 100 women who came together to make it work. The plan is to present the photos and the THE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND THE VISION- stories to politiARY—From left: Dajia Thomas, Deon W. cians, community leaders and Smalley and Candace King Williams. supporters at lence. A theme of molestation and/or rape. A theme of teenage pregnancy. And what also developed were stories of triumph, resilience, loving again and stories of courage. “One thing is for sure, after being surrounded by such love and support, I know that God lead me to the right women for the project,” Williams said. The project was funded through love. The Hill House Association and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh sponsored the project with the building and student photographers. Transportation was provided by Terri Baltimore
the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in June. The hope for BBB will be that this under
represented group will get the support and resources that they need and deserve.
BEAUTIFUL, BROWN, BOLD
BEAUTIFUL, BROWN, BOLD
BEAUTIFUL, BROWN, BOLD
BEAUTIFUL, BROWN, BOLD
BEAUTIFUL, BROWN, BOLD
BEAUTIFUL, BROWN, BOLD
FIRST STOP FREEDOM CORNER (Photos by Debbie Norrell)
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RELIGION
FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Praise & Worship HILLCREST SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH 2340 Wylie Ave., Pgh., PA 15219 412-391-4334 412-566-8787
“Be Encouraged”
Elder Christopher C. Thompson Power Hour Sabbath...............8:15 A.M. Sabbath School........................9:00 A.M. Divine Worship......................11:00 A.M. AYS One Hour Before Sunset Prayer Meeting Wednesday......7:30 P.M.
ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH Crawford & Centre Ave. Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141
ANNIVERSARY COMMITTEE (Photos by Jackie McDonald)
Mass Sunday 9:00 A.M. & Noon Sunday (Gospel Choir Mass) Noon www.stbtmchurch.org
METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH 22 Sampsonia Street, Northside Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412-231-2554 FAX 412-231-6395 Rev. Lacy F. Richardson, Ph.D., Pastor Church School.................................9:30 A.M. Worship Service.................8:00 & 10:45 A.M. Bible Study/ Prayer Wednesday...................6:30/7:30 P.M.
The Growing In God Non-Denominational Church recently held it’s First Anniversary Celebration at it’s newest location, the St Coleman’s School
Building in Turtle Creek, Pa. Though the vision for this Ministry was inspired in the heart of it’s founder and pastor, Rev. Beverly Jack-
son, in October 2011, the first worship service was held on Feb. 1, 2015 at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel at the Waterfront in Munhall, Pa.
There were 22 people in attendance and the sermon was entitled, “A Nevertheless Attitude,” drawn from II Corinthians 5 and Hebrews 11 in the Holy Bible.
Now, one year late, through the preaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ the ministry has grown in numbers with extensive adult and youth ministries.
Growing In God Non-Denominational Church’s celebration
www.metropolitanbaptistchurch.com metropolitanbaptist2224@gmail.com
SIXTH MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH 6556 Shetland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (412) 441-7839 Church School Worship Service Wednesday Night Bible Study
9:00 a.m. 10:15 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 116 S. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206
REV. BEVERLY JACKSON, senior pastor
www.cathedralofhope.com
ROBIN WHITE, emcee and worship leader
Journey Worship........8:45 a.m. Sanctuary Worship.......11 a.m.
Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community For rate information, call 412-4818302, ext. 128. We are looking to feature
REV. BEVERLY JACKSON WITH HUSBAND, ERNEST.
CONGRATULATIONS—Rev. Beverly Jackson, center, is congratulated for her work in building the church.
Church Circuit IN ATTENDANCE—Rev. Prudence Harris, senior pastor of Christian Chapel AME Church, in Penn Hills, left, with Rev. Eileen Smith, senior pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, in West Newton, Pa.
Scholarship Tea
FEB. 20—The Allegheny Union Baptist Association’s Congress of Education will host its annual William A. Arvin Scholarship Tea at 12 p.m. at Morningstar Baptist Church, 307 Shaw Ave., Clairton, Pa. The theme is “The Music from The Word.” For more information, email Susie Gibson at susiegibson.sg@gmail.com.
Music in a Great Space
our positive youth in the church communities. You can e-mail, fax or mail their bios and photo to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Fax: 412-481-1360 email: egaines@newpittsburghcourier.com
FEB. 21—Shadyside Presbyterian Church, 5121 Westminster Place, Oakland, will host its Music in a Great Space Concert Series at 3 p.m. The event will feature Chatham Baroque performing Antonio Vivaldi’s “Stabat Mater” and a piece from Johann Sebastian Bach. For more information, call 412-682-4300 or visit www.shadysidepres.org.
Black History Month Celebration
FEB. 26—The Rachel Randall Education Department of Pentecostal Temple COGIC, 6300 East Liberty Blvd., East Liberty, will host its annual Black History Month Celebration at 6 p.m. The Theme will be “Celebration of the Family.” The evening will feature a Family Movie Night with a showing of “War Room.” Also on Feb. 28, there will be an event focusing on families. It will include a special presentation that will honor those couples of the church who have
been married for more than 50 years. For more information, call 412-361-7000.
Spiritual Lecture
FEB. 26—Salaam Aliakum will host “The Guide to Spiritual Development” from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Homewood-Brushton YMCA, 7140 Bennett St., Homewood. The lecture, given by Abdul Hakeem Saalih, will include topics, such as: What is spiritual development, and its benefits and extent; what is the path to spiritual development and how it’s identified; obstacles to achieving spiritual development; and more. There will also be a question and answer session. For more information, email saalih2000@ yahoo.com.
Friendship Luncheon
FEB. 27—New Birth Baptist Church, 406 W. Grant St., Duquesne, will host its Friendship Luncheon from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The last Saturday of the month, members of New Birth invite the community from the tri-state area to a delicious lunch, a clothing giveaway for the needy and an enlightening discussion. For more information, call 412-466-2229.
Black History/ Legacy Luncheon
FEB. 27—Park Place AME Church, 215 E. Tenth Ave., Homestead, will host its 11th Annual Black History and Legacy Luncheon at 11 a.m. at the Comfort Inn Conference Center, 699 Rodi Rd.,
Penn Hills. The theme is “An Extraordinary History and Incredible Future.” This event is to celebrate the African American heritage and the recognize their contributions to the nation and world. The keynote speaker will be Rev. Dr. Eric Brown and Darieth Chisolm will serve as the mistress of ceremonies. Reservations are required. For more information, call Evelyn Franklin at 412-464-9732 or email gigfranklin@aol.com.
Black History Celebration
FEB. 28—Jerusalem Baptist Church, 123 Steuben St., West End, will host its Black History Celebration at 11 a.m. The event will include a reception, program and soul food fellowship. African attire is optional. For more information, call 412-921-0822.
Night-Prayer Meeting
ONGOING—Macedonia Baptist Church, 17 Cochran St., Duquesne, will host its NightPrayer Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Every Wednesday, Macedonia invites people to fellowship, learn and pray. Bible Study will follow the night-prayer at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 412-466-7422.
(To have items listed on the Church Circuit, send information at least two weeks in advance to: 315 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219; Fax: 412-481-1360 or e-mail: newsroom@newpittsburghcourier.com.)
PEOPLE
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
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ʻDance for Life’...Etiquette training for girls DANCE COUPLE—Emir Johnson and Adina Martin
LOVELY COUPLE—Jocelynn Johnson and Azzer Carpenter
FAMILY SUPPORT—From left: Jayden Inge, Lea Edmonds, Jordan Inge and Karl Edmonds.
ENJOYING THE EVENING—From left: Montana Pierce, Micah Pierce and Sophina Pietropaolo.
MOTHERS—From left: Deborah Williams, Kacrina Bingham, Frances Bawser and Sabrina Parsons.
DANCE COUPLE—Karron Taylor Jr. and Shaundale Carpenter
FOUR GENERATIONS—From left: Jessica Mcbroom, Dorothy Lee, Janyia McBroom and Cassandra Sloan.
THE PROPER ETIQUETTE—A Second Chance, Gwen’s Girls and Three Rivers Youth came together to present a formal affair for Pittsburgh area youth. Many of the youth are in the foster care system. The event, “Dance for Life,” took place Feb. 6 at the Rhonda D. Wright Family Center in Homewood. For several weeks, 27 young girls went through a variety of activities, including etiquette training, which led up to their debut at the “Dance for Life.” Twenty-seven young men were selected to greet and escort the young ladies. This was a first and unforgettable moment for many of these youth. Pictured above are four of the young ladies who enjoyed the dance. From left: Janyia McBroom, Kaylynn Hogan, Jacquelin Shepard and Shaneek Carson. (Photos by J. L. Martello)
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FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
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Cover To Cover
‘The Parker Sisters’ by Terri Schlichenmeyer For New Pittsburgh Courier
Your neighbors said they’d keep an eye on your house for you this summer. They’d get the mail in, and grab the newspaper while you were on vacation. They’d do everything for you—and, as in the new book “The Parker Sisters” by Lucy Maddox, you should be glad if they watch your children, too. Along the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland, Thomas McCreary “earned a reputation” as slave catcher, did jail time in 1849 for kidnapping, and was mistrusted by many, Black and white. Still, he’d managed to find work as a mail carrier in both states, which may’ve given him opportunity to observe the comings-and-goings of Elizabeth and Rachel Parker, two free Black children. Elizabeth, somewhere
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Up Close and in Person
‘Tyler Perry’s Madea on the Run’ comes to Pgh. by Jacalyn Barbour For New Pittsburgh Courier
around 10 years old, was a headstrong, “difficult” child who’d left (or been kicked out of) her family’s home years before and had worked and lived with a series of white families. The latest was near-destitute; Maddox hypothesizes that Elizabeth’s presence in the Donnelly household may have been on purpose, so that McCreary might have an easier chance to snatch her. Two weeks later, Elizabeth’s older sister, Rachel, was taken in broad daylight, right in front of the family who employed her. Rachel’s abduction, says Maddox, probably made neighbors notice that Elizabeth, who was already on her way to a slave auction in Baltimore, was gone. The man who employed Rachel, Joseph Miller, was outraged over her kidnapping. There had been similar trouble before nearby; the Federal government and individual states had long argued over the laws governing escaped slaves, free Blacks, and slave catchers who generally lied about both. Miller and his neighbors sprang into action and, says Maddox, “Within 24 hours, the abductions of the Parker sisters would no longer be local matters.” Neither would they be resolved happily or quickly. Says author Lucy Maddox, Rachel and Elizabeth spent months in jail, while their legal status and identities were resolved. In the meantime, one man lost his life and another got off “scot-free.” I’m normally not a fan of books that offers dozens of names to keep track of, but that profuseness somehow works in “The Parker Sisters.” That may be because Maddox explains in detail the significance of what happened by telling the history behind the laws that made this event possible (and illegal). Readers will appreciate the story’s movement between North and South, and the clarity of explanation, even on the smallest of details. There are some big surprise (“The Parker Sisters: A Border Kidnapping” by Lucy Maddox, c.2016, Temple University Press, $28.50/higher in Canada. 256 pages.)
As Black History Month draws to a close, a Black man who has made quite a bit of history himself will return to the Pittsburgh stage, after six years. And fans across Western Pennsylvania, and the tri-state area are making plans to see one of “the hardest working men in show business” —up-close and in person. Tyler Perry—writer, producer, actor, entrepreneur, and founder of Tyler Perry Studios, brings his latest signature-brand, stage play, “Madea on the Run,” to the Benedum Center for three shows—Friday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. Since March 2015, Perry and his team of actors have played to sold-out crowds across the U.S.—during limited weekend performances; and due to the number of requests received from other cities, Perry decided to extend the schedule. The tour focuses on re-connecting with the fans who have supported his stage plays, TV shows, and movies. “I am back out there now because I’ve…missed the audience,” Perry said, after performing at King’s Theatre, in Brooklyn, NY. “So it’s certainly not about money, at this point. It’s about going back and saying, ‘Hey, how are you? I’m still here.’” “And, I think if a lot of other artists had done that their careers could have gone differently—had they stayed in touch. There are people who have just been amazingly talented, but they left the audience.” Washington County resident, John Campbell, a Perry aficionada, did not hesitate to buy tickets so that he could take his mother, Karen, to the play. “I support Mr. Perry because he is a testament to what hard work and perseverance will do,” Campbell said. “His stories have heart and soul, while incorporating life’s lessons and God’s love. He lets you know that the human spirit can survive and thrive, if your thirst is great enough, and you believe in yourself.” City of Pittsburgh resident Kebra Weaver says she appreciates “Perry’s creative genius” and notes: “I’m excited about MADEA’s exploits and her conflict resolution strategies.” She and her husband have also bought their tickets to attend.
The stage play features Perry, who plays Mabel Simmons, a.k.a. MADEA— the 60-something, full-figured, street-smart matriarch who is hiding out from local authorities, while staying with close friend, Betty Ann Murphy, a.k.a. Aunt BAM, played by Cassi Davis, “House of Payne.” MADEA pretends to be a “Florence Nightingale” to BAM who is recovering from hip surgery. While at home with her good friend, MADEA helps BAM’s family deal with life’s problems—Perry delivering an uplifting, inspirational, positive message as only he can—mixing comedy, music, and Biblical principles. Besides headliners Perry and Davis, the cast includes the talented Rhonda Davis, Tony Hightower, David Stewart Jr., Maurice Lauchner, LaToya London, Tasha Page-Lockhart, Claudette Ortiz, and Dorsey Levens, former NFL player. Playing to a broad spectrum of ages and cultural backgrounds, “Tyler Perry’s Madea on the Run” presents an entertainment experience appealing to Christians and non-Christians alike “who just want to have a good time and laugh,” said Perry. “It’s fun for me. The connection I get with the audience is better than I get in film or television ‘cause I see them… from the stage. That’s my research.” The prolific writer/producer/actor spends his weekdays creating new storylines and directing filming at the Tyler Perry Studios, located in southwest Atlanta, which Perry founded in 2006, and officially unveiled in 2008, as a 200,000 square foot studio. Expanding over 60 acres, the development houses five sound stages dedicated to Black actors who have influenced Perry’s career, a post-production area, back lot named 34th Street, private screening room, 400seat theater, commissary, chapel, gymnasium, and designated spaces for hosting events. Currently, Perry is writing and directing the overwhelmingly successful drama: “The Haves and the Have Nots,” a weekly TV series aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN launched in 2011, while working on his latest movie: “Boo! A Madea Halloween”—set for October 2016 release and to be distributed by Lionsgate. Besides “The Haves and the Have Nots,” Perry has helped bolster OWN’s rat-
Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Life and Love,” was published in 2006 and made the New York Times Best Seller list. The new book “is about inspiration and…the things that have happened in life. It’s a little bit of business; a little bit of soul-searching; a little bit of family,” Perry said. “It’s a little bit of everything—kind of like a soup of all different things that can help lift and encourage you.” If you ask any one of his fans, it sounds a lot like what draws them to Perry—a man whose “rags to riches” story has enabled him to write, produce, and act in a way that encourages and uplifts millions with a touch of humor.
MADEA ings with other original productions, including: “If Loving You is Wrong,” “Love Thy Neighbor,” and “For Better or For Worse.” “I saw a lot of what (Oprah) was dealing with, and I knew that I could help her and…would have time to build more of my brand, if I didn’t do it right away,” Perry said. “So, this was…a push…to…help her and to bring whatever I could to (OWN)— and allow it to be all that it’s become.” Last fall, the 46 yearold entrepreneur announced he had recently purchased the historic, Fort McPherson U.S. Army Base, which closed in 2011, for the future home of the Tyler Perry Studios. The new site includes 330 acres not far from the present studios. “I am so excited about it because of the number of jobs it’s going to bring, number one, and number two, that a network has to be a part of that,” Per-
ry said. “So, as far as career goals, right now, this studio is the next five years. My utter focus (is) to get it from where it is now to (become) a major player, and taking from that, then we’ll go into the network.” Perry has also set aside time to work on a new book entitled: “Higher is Waiting.” His first book, “Don’t
TYLER PERRY
(Tickets for “Tyler Perry’s Madea on the Run” are available at the Theater Square Box Office; Dorsey’s Records, 7614 Frankstown Ave., or 412-731-6607; or group sales: 412-242-4167. Online purchases: www.trustarts. org. Charge by phone: 412-4566666. Ticket prices may vary by performance and seating location, ranging from $46.25 to $71.25, plus applicable service charges.) (Editor’s Note: Part of this article is based upon an interview with Tyler Perry conducted by WBLS-NYC Media Personality, on Jan. 8).
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February Thursday 18 Film Screening The University of Pittsburgh presents a Film Screening of “Wylie Avenue Days” from 3-5 p.m. at the University of Pittsburgh Hillman Library, Thornburgh Room, 3960 Forbes Ave., Oakland. As part of its K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month programming, Pitt will show this documentary that explores life in the Hill District throughout the 1930s and ‘40s, which includes jazz clubs, Negro League baseball teams, businesses and social life. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 412- 648-3330.
Friday 19 Jazz at Andys Andys Wine Bar at the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel presents Jazz at Andys from 5-12 a.m. at 510 Market St., Downtown. The evening will feature its Vinyl Fridays Happy Hour with DJ Malls spinning the vinyl from 5-7:30. Following the happy hour, there will be a musical performance by Anqwnique Wingfield. It is open to the public. For more information, visit www.andyswinebar.com.
STARS AND WRITERS TOGETHER—Paige Mitchell, left, on the set with hosts and writers of “The Real.” (Photo supplied by “The Real”)
Courier writer appears on ‘The Real’
‘You Belong to Me’ Gwen’s Girls in collaboration with Prime Stage Theatre Company presents “You Belong to Me” at 6:30 p.m. at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. In observance of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, this production brings the drama of teen dating violence to the front of the stage. It will offer the warning signs, where to turn for help and how to find positive role models. There will be a reception, followed by a discussion forum, moderated by WPXI’s Brittny McGraw immediately after the play. This is free and open to the public, but registration is required. For more information, call Megan Roppo at 412-904-4239 ext. 20 or visit www.gwensgirls.org.
Saturday 20 The Jazz at Andys Andys Wine Bar at the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel presents Jazz at Andys from 8 p.m.-12 a.m. at 510 Market St., Downtown. The evening will feature a musical performance by local legend, Etta Cox. It is open to the public. For more information, visit www.andyswinebar.com.
Sunday 21 Idia’Dega Exhibit Casey Droege presents Idia’Dega at The Residence at 310-312 Sampsonia Way, North Side. This is a multimedia eco-fashion exhibition of solo and collaborative work with OMWA: Olorgesailie Maasai Women Artisans of Kenya. Also, on Feb. 25 there will be a panel discussion entitled, “Pittsburgh Design Inspiration” from 7-8:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.idiadega.com.
Monday 22 Black History Month Exhibit Citiparks presents its “A History on Film: A Tribute to African American Contribution to Film” Black History Month Exhibit weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the City-County Building, Lobby, 414 Grant St., Downtown. Through Feb. 29, the exhibit will depict the evolution of the roles that Black actors and actresses have played from the 1910s to present day. It will salute the first African Americans to win Oscar and Emmy Awards. For more information, call 412-255-8983.
Tuesday 23 George Lewis The University of Pittsburgh presents George Lewis in Residence at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, 650 Schenley Dr., Oakland. As a part of Pitt’s Year of the Humanities in the University, George Lewis, a pioneering composer, musicologist and trombonist who is known for his electronic music and computer-based multimedia installations, will be on hand for several events that will run through Feb. 27. On this night, there will be a panel discussion at 6 p.m. on “Sounding New Socialities.” Other events include a lecture, live performance and a concert featuring his compositions. Locations and times vary. For more information, call 412-624-7529 or visit www.music.pitt.edu/tickets
“THE REAL” GUESTS (Paige Mitchell is on the right.) (Courier writer Paige Mitchell reflects on her invitation to Los Angeles to appear on “The Real” national TV talk show.) Recently, I, Paige Mitchell, a reporter for the New Pittsburgh Courier, was flown to Los Angeles to be a part of “The Real’s” Official Blogger Day. “The Real” is a hour-long daytime talk show that airs on national television Monday-Friday and features segments of girl talk, fun topics and appearances from celebrity guests. During a normal evening on the couch in my living room, watching one of my favorite television shows, I received an email from “The Real’s” publicity coordinator, Amanda Arcangel, extending an invitation to appear on the show. I remember being in total shock, to the point that I kept reading the email over and over. I wanted to be certain that I wasn’t seeing things or misreading the email. I couldn’t believe my eyes, but they weren’t deceiving me. Literally one week later, I was headed to L.A. on a plane. I made many connections, and it was the opportunity of a lifetime delivered
straight to me from God. I had a great experience. It was such a blessing. The hosts, producers and everyone of “The Real” were incredible. The show is hosted by Tamar Braxton, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Loni Love, Jeanie Mai and Adrienne Bailon on FOX television stations, with a rebroadcast
on cable network BET. The show is produced by Telepictures Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. Unlike other talk shows, these five fearless, funny and confident women are keeping it “real” on “The Real” daily; they’re letting their guard down and invit-
PAIGE MITCHELL
ing viewers into their lives, careers and juicy secrets. The show first aired in July 2013 and has been a hit since. Recently, it held its first “The Real Blogger Day,” Feb. 9, where a variety of different bloggers/writers were invited to the show. The bloggers/writers were able to enjoy VIP seating, behind the scene access, on set “Girl Chat” with hosts, as well as conduct interviews, enjoy breakfast and lunch and receive gifts from “The Real.” About 20 media bloggers and writers attended from popular media outlets such as, Perez Hilton, Kontrol Magazine, The Shade Room, Baller Alert, Too Fab, The Peak, KMW Exclusive, and, of course, the New Pittsburgh Courier. I was the only media representative from Pittsburgh. The writers were ma-
jority Black, while all participants were within the same age bracket—20-30. I had the opportunity to engage in “Girl Chat” and interviews with the women of “The Real,” chatting all about love, dating, being single, marriage, social media, and careers. Host Mowry-Housley, best known for her role on the series “Sister, Sister,” said, “People are actually asking people out on dates now, just by text alone. Don’t be afraid to just pick up the phone and actually call and talk to somebody.” Fashion mogul Mai said, “Paige looked beautiful. She came to the show super cute. We enjoyed all the bloggers and writers, and appreciate them coming. You guys looked great, and good luck to you all.” “The Real” is currently in the midst of their second season.
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JUSTIN LONESOME
Pittsburgh Musical Theater opens season with ‘Saturday Night Fever’ by Genea L. Webb For New Pittsburgh Courier
Pittsburgh Musical Theater newcomer Justin Lonesome grew up listening to music by Kool & the Gang, the Bee Gees and Motown. “My mom introduced me to a lot of different kinds of music,” said Lonesome who hails from Baltimore, but moved to Pittsburgh to attend Point Park University’s theater program in 2007. “She was a part of the tail-end of the disco scene she was in there getting down with everybody. We used to get down at Christmas time and any time.” When Lonesome learned that Pittsburgh Musical Theater was putting on its own rendition of “Saturday Night Fever,” he knew he had to be a part of the cast. “What got me first of all was the music,” said Lonesome, 27, who is a part of the ensemble. “The dancing also got me. When I was a kid we used to get down at Christmas time and any time. The audition was so much fun. The dancing in the show is amazing! We are dancing! Oh we are dancing! The choreography was great. It’s electrifying sometimes! I haven’t been in a musical dancing in a long time so I was excited to get into a musical dancing and challenging myself. We are adding as much tone as we can in the show. The show is really special.” Lonesome said he has to work on a completely different language to tell a story with his body and that’s where the challenge comes in. “We are creating a true disco and party environment to tell the story,” Lonesome said. “We are out there killing it.” “Saturday Night Fever” is the adaptation of the 1970s classic film that starred John Travolta and made household names of the Gibb brothers. It tells the story of Tony Manero, a talented street-wise Brooklynbased kid who spends his weekends at the local discotheque and attempts to escape his hum-drum life as a worker in a paint store through dancing. In an effort to make
the show more family-friendly, many of the film’s darker elements including references to racial conflict, drug abuse and violence were eliminated from the plot. “This really is a coming of age story. You have a young man who is surrounded by people who may not be the best for him but he loves them. They are for all intents and purposes his brothers,” explained Lonesome who has worked with Ewan McGregor on “American Pastoral” in 2015 and “Love the Coopers,” which was in movie theaters in December. “He’s got to be one way with them but he meets this girl and she makes him want to be completely different. He starts to look at his life and he sees that the one thing he really loves is dancing. There are tons of different themes like different kinds of love that people can relate to in this musical.” “Saturday Night Fever” is the premiere production in Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s 2015-2016 season of Magnificent Movie Musicals. The Theater’s officials hope “Saturday Night Fever” and the other musicals in the season will allow audiences to sing, rejoice, boogie and relive some of their favorite movie moments. “Saturday Night Fever” is directed by Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s Executive Artistic Director, Colleen Doyno. It will run at the Byham Theater through Feb. 21. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.pittsburghmsicals.com or calling 412539-0900. “They are doing something really special at Pittsburgh Musical Theater,” Lonesome said. “I think what people are really attracted to the community of PMT. They do a good job of getting professional actors and getting college kids in shows. They do a great job. It’s a great place. I love it. I really do.” Pittsburgh Musical Theater opened in 1990 as a professional theater company. Since its inception, the company has grown with educational programs offered by the Richard E. Rauh Conservatory of Musical Theater, which offers musical theater classes to young eager students taught by professional performers.
Brandy releases ‘Beggin & Pleadin’ Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress Brandy released a behind the scenes video from her in the studio recording her newly released single,
“Beggin & Pleadin.” With her latest song, Brandy is back with a fresh and exciting sound, which she pegged “trap-blues,” with an official video to come later
BRANDY (Photo by Kat Morgan)
this year. Brandy is set to release new music later this year and is currently starring in BET’s newest sitcom, “Zoe Ever After.”
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Commentary
Debt collectors preying on America’s working poor Courts reward unsubstantiated claims Despite consensus by economists that the economic recovery is well underway, many of America’s working poor, under-employed and unemployed people continue to struggle financially. Adding insult to injury, these financially vulnerable households face debt collectors who harass and sue them on incomplete and/or inaccurate information. In many cases, consumers are harassed for bills they do not owe by firms they have never heard of. The financial strain on families is compounded by court judgments that favor debt collectors without first determining the validity of the claims. The growth of this seemingly irrational system is the focus of recent research. Both the Human Rights Watch, a global nongovernmental human rights organization and co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, and the Alliance for a Just Society, a national network of racial, social and economic justice organizations, recently released reports chronicling this disturbing financial trend. Rubber Stamp Justice, the title of the HRW report, is so-named because judges often act as “little more than a rubber stamp” in debt collection claims brought into local courts. Researchers found that courts routinely award default judgments, without the consumer present, in an alarmingly large number of cases—as many as tens of thousands a year. For example, Encore Capital Group, the largest debt
collector in the country has often filed between 245,000 and 470,000 new lawsuits in a single year, HRW found. Additionally in 2014, Encore and one of its closest competitors, Portfolio Recovery Associates, together collected more than $1 billion through hundreds of thousands of lawsuits. “When debt [collector] lawsuits result in unjust and financially disastrous outcomes for poor families, the courts’ own failures and shortcomings are often directly responsible,” states the HRW report. “Fundamental problems with debt [collector] lawsuits often come to light only after the companies have already won judgments they were never entitled to, in courts that never asked them to present any meaningful evidence in support of their claims.” HRW also notes how several states have created “judgeless courtrooms” where charged consumers are often forced to participate in unsupervised discussions with debt buyers and their attorneys. Although intended to provide an open forum for compromise, many consumers wind up forfeiting their rights for a future court hearing. To remedy this untenable situation, HRW advocates legislation to limit the interest rates added to debts after the original creditor, often a credit card company, sells old debt to a debt collector. “Federal law can and should recognize that debt [collectors] are not in the same posiSEE DEBT C2
LUXURY AUTOMOBILES—Thomas A. Moorehead is CEO and President of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Sterling, and also owns the BMWMini dealership in Sterling as well as Harley Davidson Washington, DC. Photo by André Chung
Moorehead ‘Rolls’ into the world of ultra-luxury by Eric Easter Urban News Service
STERLING, Va.—The world’s first African-American Rolls Royce car dealer got there through hard work and perseverance, but only after disappointing his family. Thomas Moorehead’s parents thought the key to respectability was a Ph.D. Both teachers, they lived by an old-school axiom that the one thing you never can take away from a man is an education. Yet, with just a few credits and a dissertation to go, Moorehead abandoned his doctoral program, and his parent’s wishes, for an uncertain shot at learning the automobile business from the bottom up. It was a leap of faith, an offer from a fraternity brother and mentor, James Bradley of Bradley Automotive Group, who promised to make Moorehead a millionaire in five years—if he took the risk. But it wasn’t the promise that attracted Moorehead: “Teaching was a
guarantee of a long career, but I always had a passion for business,” he says. His road to success required two years of apprenticeship with Bradley, the mortgaging of his home and the depletion of his savings to enter a training program, then eventually owning his first dealership, selling Buicks in Omaha, Neb. Moorehead built a strong reputation as someone dedicated to customer service, an essential value of the Rolls Royce brand. That reputation, and his sales record as owner of Sterling BMW in Virginia, sparked an invitation from Rolls Royce Motor Cars to join the exclusive club of only 33 dealers and 130 dealerships around the globe, an opportunity he accepted without hesitation. The new store, Rolls Royce Motor Cars of Sterling, is the sole Rolls Royce dealership in greater Washington, D.C. and covers much of the midAtlantic—from Virginia to southern Pennsylvania. It sits just across from Sterling BMW and Mini, his other
successful dealership, a fact that fills him with immense pride. “These are the best cars in the world, and I’m honored to be able to bring them to my customers,” Moorehead says as he looks across the lot. His dealerships thrive in one of the region’s wealthiest communities, filled with prosperous government contractors, newly minted millionaires from tech start-ups and the Washington Redskins’ nearby training facility. But the opulence that Moorehead markets is a long way from his roots in Monroe, Louisiana, a town of 38,000 with a historic poverty rate twice the already poor state’s average. During his youth, Monroe Colored High was the sole choice for Black students in that segregated city. It was a time when, according to Moorehead, families like his could “offer you their good name, but not money.” That upbringing drives a sense of humility that led Moorehead to keep SEE MOOREHEAD C2
Hope through education CCAC Homewood-Brushton Center helps community develop skill sets by Diane I. Daniels For New Pittsburgh Courier
At the age of 34 Dr. Vladimir St. Surin has experienced quite a bit of good and bad in his lifetime. Wanting to show by example that most life situations can be overcome he says his position as Assistant Dean of the Community College of Allegheny County Homewood-Brushton Center provides him the opportunity to do just that. Concerned about the violence occurring around the Center he says he is striving to reach out to youth and young adults in the area to show them that there is hope. “I’m from Brooklyn, N.Y. I know what it is like to grow up in a single headed household with negativity surrounding you.” In June of 2008 he said his younger brother Darcy, a former Robert Morris University student was killed one day before starting a summer camp job. As a way to spread the word about the interesting and state of the art educational and training services available within the Center Surin has been networking and reaching out to the community spreading the word. “I’m striving to build relationships, building trust and learning what the community is interested in, what services they need.” February 13 the Community Empowerment Association hosted a community conversation and meet and greet introducing Surin. “The Community College Homewood Center has been underuti-
OH WHAT A STAFF—Vladimir St. Surin, DSc, Assistant Dean of the CCAC Homewood-Brushton Center shares time with student and staff. Samson Abram, Pamela Moore and Keith Ptomey. (Photos by Diane I. Daniels) lized in the East End. The rebuilding of the Black Community infrastructure depends on our ability in developing educational skill sets in supporting the technological advancement of our community,” says Rashad Byrdsong, CEA CEO and founder. An advocate for inclusion and fair treatment he pointed out that a strong educational and vocational base provides the necessary tools to compete in the broader
market place. “With major economic development occurring in our community generating jobs, businesses and potential opportunities, we as a community have to be involved and engaged. We have to stop the growing economic divide between low-income communities and the more affluent communities and create greater economic growth and opportunities for our community.” County Executive Rich Fitzger-
ald also on hand during the event concurred with Surin and Byrdsong that the Homewood Center is a great asset to Homewood and the area. “ Located at 701 North Homewood Ave., Surin describes the two story 32,000 square foot facility as housing state of the art classrooms, a learning resource center, a reading lab, two fully equipped computer labs, two e-learning rooms, a video conferencing presentation
room and a state of the art science lab for anatomy and physiology, chemistry and microbiology courses. The facility has the capability to accommodate 800 to 900 students per semester. He outlined that the HomewoodBrushton Center, an extension to the Allegheny campus offers access to over 155 academic programs across six diverse program categories inclusive of business, science, technology, engineering and math, health, arts and humanities, education and the social and behavioral sciences. Student services are comprised of career planning, financial aid, job placement assistance, libraries, personal and career counseling, supportive services for individuals with disabilities, student success coaches, transfer assistance, tutoring and veterans and international student support services. “People don’t realize that the Community College system provides the same amenities as most four year colleges and universities.” He pointed out that the college offers an array of student life and extracurricular activities. The former Director of Student Life at the Allegheny campus said that intercollegiate and intramural athletics for both men and women provide opportunities for students to enhance their overall experience at the college by encouraging lifelong wellness, sportsmanship and academics. Sports include men and women’s basketball, SEE CCAC C2
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baseball, cross country, golf and bowling. “Playing these sports lets a person use their athletic ability and transfer into a four-year school and gain their fouryear degree and even masters and PhDs.” For people interested in enhancing their skill level in creative ways, Surin explained that CCAC offers certificate
provides free transportation to CCAC’s West Hills Center for lab course, local classes for courses that do not require specific labs or equipment, preparation courses for union exams, individual tutoring, a student success coach, job search and internship assistance. With the goal to give the Homewood Center its own identity Surin explained
Robert Morris University he obtained a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Communication Media Productions his Master’s Degree in Communication and Information Systems and a Doctorate of Science in Information Systems and Communications. Grateful for his life experiences, Surin says he enjoys the opportunities he has received at CCAC. “I love
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Advancing Entrepreneurship in the Mon Valley FEB. 18—The University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence and the University Center for Social and Urban Research, and the Small Business Development Center will host the Advancing Entrepreneurship in the Mon Valley Workshop Series from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library of Homestead, 510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall. This workshop, titled “The First Step: Mechanics of Starting a Small Business,” is designed for individuals who have never operated their own business or who want to take it from their garage to a storefront Attendees will learn the necessary steps to start a new business and how to avoid some common pitfalls. Registration is requested. For more information, call 412-624-3095 or email iee@innovation.pitt.edu.
Lunch and Learn Series
SHARING OF INFORMATION—During the CEA Community Conversation and Meet and Greet, Vladimir St. Surin, DSc, Assistant Dean of the CCAC Homewood-Brushton Center, Rashad Byrdsong, CEA CEO and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald educate the audience on a neighborhood jewel. (Photos by Diane I. Daniels) and diploma programs as well as continuing education classes. It also offers free classes for senior citizens. One project offered by the College that Surin, Byrdsong and Fitzgerald agree is a great benefit is the East/West Project. “There is going to be a need for a lot of infrastructure work,” said Byrdsong with Fitzgerald pointing out the need for bridge painters and brick layers which will require basic trade skills. Skills Surin says is offered through the Project. He described it as being designed to help students prepare for high-demand jobs in Heating and Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Welding Technology. The East/West Project
that through his networking and communicating with organization leaders like Byrdsong and Julie MotleyWilliams interim branch executive director of the Homewood YMCA also present at the meet and greet he has hopes based on the needs of the community for the Center to offer programs specific to them. “I am looking at designing business management, entrepreneurship, social work and criminology certificate programs, and bringing the barber program back,” he outlined. The son of Haitian parents Surin considers his self a first generation Haitian American. He was born and raised in Brooklyn and resided in Haiti for five years. A graduated of
working with the staff and students. Being the assistant dean, I wear many hats. At times, I’m a counselor, a facilitator, a boss, and a “Dr. Phil.” But that is what makes the job great, there’s never a mundane moment.” Excited that his work allows him to potentially crate positive affects in the community, Surin says he wants to demonstrate to the youth and young adults of the community that education and exposure is key. I hope to show by example. At the age of 34 I have three degrees and now assistant dean of a college. If I, a person who grew up in Brooklyn can do it they can too. I am blessed to have this position.”
Debt collectors preying on working poor CONTINUED FROM C1
tion as original creditors— they are seeking to appreciate an investment in bad debt, not to recoup money they have lent under agreedupon contractual terms,” states the HRW report. Similarly, the Alliance for Justice’s report, Unfair, Deceptive & Abusive: Debt Collectors Profit from Aggressive Tactics, ranks specific consumer concerns, notes the related regulatory role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and offers recommendations for both rulemaking and legislative action. “Consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau suggest that unfair, deceptive and abusive tactics are prevalent in the debt collection industry,” states the Alliance report. In 2014, 130,000 consumer debt collection lawsuits were filed in just one county— Cook County, Illinois. A year earlier in 2013, the Alliance report states that one debt collector, PRA Group, Inc., simultaneously pursued 1.5 million individual accounts. Top consumer debt collection concerns filed with the CFPB between November 2013 and August 2015 were: •Demands to pay a debt the affected consumer(s) believes is not owed; •Frequent or repeated calls about the same alleged debt; and •Failure to provide documentation to verify the debt. Enacted in 1978, the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act was designed to eliminate abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection practices. It applies only to the collection of debt incurred by a consumer for personal, family, or household purposes. This consumer-oriented federal law calls for debt collectors to provide consumers with certain basic information such as the amount of the debt and the name of the creditor to
whom the debt is owed. Less well-known, however is the law’s requirement that debt collectors must give consumers a 30-day notice to dispute the debt before it is assumed as valid. Additional information on FDCPA is available on the Federal Trade Commission web, and on CFPB’s web. These two agencies also share enforcement duties for this law. The Alliance for a Just Society offers several statelevel recommendations; but has just one for Congress: “close loopholes in existing law that leave consumers vulnerable to unfair, deceptive or abusive debt collec-
tion activities.” Among the multiple CFPB rulemaking recommendations, the advocacy group supports penalties that are “sufficient to act as a meaningful deterrent against future violations” and a halt to abusive practices related to medical debt. “These recent reports affirm the urgent need for state and federal courts, legislators and regulators to address these abusive practices,” said Lisa Stifler, a senior policy counsel who leads the Center for Responsible Lending’s work on debt collection. “When people are being wrongly pursued for debts they do not owe, it is time for action and reforms.”
Moorehead ‘Rolls’ into ultra-luxury CONTINUED FROM C1
his own name off the dealership’s logo. “I always say the boss is the customer, not me. I don’t get caught up in having my name on the door,” he explains. “Actually, most customers who come in think I’m just another salesman, and that’s fine with me.” In a world where demanding buyers have been known to add millions of dollars’ worth of custom details to their cars to reflect their personalities (furlined shoe-holders, built-in picnic baskets, crystal cufflink holders), Moorehead’s low-key manner is a studied contrast—a contrast he believes helps him sell more cars. “I can talk about the features of the cars all day but, ultimately, people are buying good service.” At age 71, Moorehead still relies on the daily advice of mentors, who include Hall of Fame home-run great (now car dealer) Hank Aaron and former National Urban League president John Jacob. He calls them “instrumental” in shaping his business’s success. “They marked their careers by quietly getting the job
done, but also being the best at what they do.” While giving a tour of his office, Moorehead seems slightly embarrassed as he points to pictures of himself with presidents Obama and Clinton and an array of famous business leaders. That changes when he points out two items of which he’s most proud. The Laurel Wreath Award, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity’s highest honor for lifetime achievement. And then something much less distinct: a small cardboard sign that lists more than a dozen vendors who, he says, have contributed to his achievements—architects, decorators, contractors, cleaning-service owners and even the guy who printed the sign. All are African Americans, and fraternity brothers, people for whom he has paid forward the gift that Bradley gave him. “This is really what it’s all about, bringing other people up and giving something back.” (For more information on Thomas Moorehead’s philanthropic efforts go to www.themooreheadfoundation.org.)
FEB. 18— The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host its Lunch & Learn Series at 12:15 p.m. at the Downtown & Business Branch, 612 Smithfield St., Downtown. The topic will be “Resources for Black Business Success.” Judith Kirby, a lender relations specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Pittsburgh District Office will explain how qualifying African American entrepreneurs and small business owners can use the SBA to develop and grow their business. She will also discuss how to access the agency’s training workshops, one-on-one counseling services, and technical assistance and loan programs. Space is limited. For more information, call 412-2817141 or visit www.carnegielibrary.org.
PowerBreakfast Meeting FEB. 19—The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania will host its PowerBreakfast Meeting from 7:30-9:00 a.m. at One Oxford Centre. 301 Grant St., Downtown. The guest speaker will be the Honorable Dennis Davin, secretary of the Pa. Department of Community and Economic Development. He will discuss his imprint for helping to spur development in the region. Reservations are requested. For more information, call 412-392-0610 or email information@aaccwp.com.
Supply Chain Program FEB. 25—The Business Institute of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania will host its Supply Chain Program workshop from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Koppers Building, 436 Seventh Ave., Downtown. This workshop on Supply Chain Management will teach how to significantly grow both the revenue and profitability of one’s small or midsized business. Attendees will learn what a supply chain is, the concept of integrated supply chain, developing a framework to identify and understand the links of one’s supply chain, and more. Registration is requested by Feb. 23 and a box lunch will be provided. For more information, call 412-392-0610 or email information@aaccwp.com.
Advancing Entrepreneurship in the Mon Valley FEB. 25—The University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence and the University Center for Social and Urban Research, and the Small Business Development Center will host the Advancing Entrepreneurship in the Mon Valley Workshop Series from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library of Homestead, 510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall. This workshop, titled “The Second Step: Developing a Business Plan,” will help individuals develop a business plan, a tool successful business owners use to guide their businesses’ growth. Registration is requested. For more information, call 412-624-3095 or email iee@innovation.pitt.edu.
MyBusiness Growth MARCH 2—The Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University will host its MyBusiness Growth Series at 9 a.m. ay Chatham University, Woodland Rd., Shadyside. The topic is “Getting and closing the sale.” Facilitator Mj Callaway, sales retention expert, MjC & Company and Rock More Sales, will provide strategies for sales success, utilizing the skills that she’s honed to close more than $14 million a year in front-end contracts for a national company as well as her extensive speaking and consulting experience. Registration is required. For more information, visit www.chatham.edu/cwe
New Pittsburgh Courier
SPORTS
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www.newpittsburghcourier.com
GIRLS CHAMPIONS CELEBRATE—The Colfax Girls won their second straight City League Middle School Championship with a 40-32 overtime win over Obama Academy. (Photos by William McBride)
SAYON BENNETT of U-Prep, a smooth 7th grader scored 13 points, to lead U-Prep to a 50-32 win over South Hills in the middle school championship game.
City League Middle School championships U-Prep wins Boys Championship, Coffax takes Girls Championship EMMA WAITE (35) of Colfax drives the lane against Aaliyah Davis of Obama Academy. Waite scored 16 points to lead Colfax to a 40-32 overtime win.
DASHON CRUSE (5) of U-Prep makes a move on Amald Pack of South Hills. Cruse chipped in with 8 points in the U Prep win.
SOFIA NORTH (42) of Colfax drives on Alya Sledge of Obama Academy in the middle school championship game. North scored 15 points to help Colfax to the 40-32 overtime win.
BOYS MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAMPIONS—The U-Prep boys celebrate after winning the middle school championship game over South Hills by the score of 50-32.
ALYA SLEDGE of Obama Academy was the high scorer for the Lady Eagles in the middle school championship game.
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FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
SPORTS
In many ways it became like father…like son Mel Blount’s son to play for Duquesne
his name evokes memories of a bygone era when the Steelers were respected and feared throughout the Na-
their route, the NFL created a Mel Blount Rule to forbid it. Khadil Blount’s parents
For New Pittsburgh Courier
by Aubrey Bruce For New Pittsburgh Courier
KHALID BLOUNT tional Football League. Mel Blount is considered one of the best cornerbacks to have ever played in the NFL. His physical style of play made him one of the most feared defensive backs in the game and because of his dominance the league was forced to change the pass coverage rule. Because of his success at bumping pass receivers off
TIANDA AND MEL BLOUNT
taught him and his siblings that sports could teach them values they couldn’t learn anywhere else, but they had to keep their grades up if they wanted to participate. This is the Blount’s fourth son who has gone on the play collegiately, as the oldest Norris Blount played football at Baylor and had a cup of coffee in the NFL, Akil just finished his senior season playing linebacker at Florida A&M and played in the NFLPA Bowl, and Jibri, a 6-6, 230-pound small forward in basketball, is playing at Cleveland State University. The biggest of the bunch is the baby brother Khadil, a 6foot-1, 313-pounder with the hope that his high school and college experiences will carry him to the NFL. National Letter of intent Day is a day that has college coaches across the country waiting for their phones to ring or watching a fax machine for a letter from a star high school football player to come across, committing to play at their university. Khalid Blount made his official announcement on Wednesday Febru-
Overtime by Bill Neal For New Pittsburgh Courier
A VERY SPECIAL “FIVE STAR SPECIAL EDITION FOR THE WORLD—“THE LEGEND OF MASTER JACQUET BAZEMORE”…TOP 10 STYLE! :10—United States Marine Corps Special Forces. Two-time Vietnam veteran. “Hoo-Rah!!!” :09—Trained and sparred with Muhammad Ali, the greatest of all time. :08—I was privileged to be with Master Bazemore at Ali’s training camp at Deer Lake, PA when he was preparing for his second fight with Leon Spinks. Ali…already aware of Jacquet’s superior martial arts talent asked him to do something special to impress the crowd. He went outside, returned a few minutes with a “Red Brick” and with one karate strike, broke the brick in half. Ali then screamed at his main man, “See Bundini, I told ya, I told ya, he’s amazing Bundini!” :07—A true martial arts legend. The owner of ten black belts in ten different martial arts styles!!! :06—“Run to Glory!” Bazemore united the martial arts community across Western PA and led the run in the streets from Wilkinsburg to the Mayor’s office Downtown Pittsburgh where then City Councilman William Bill Robinson proclaimed it Jacquet Bazemore Day. :05—A special guest at the World Kick Boxing Championship in Cincinnati where he received a 10 minute standing ovation by the crowd of 15,000 plus. It was truly amazing.
nique nose tackle or a ‘zero shade’ nose, Blount has rare strength and superior quickness and without the benefit of another ‘Blount Rule’ maybe close to impos-
sible to block. No matter. Father and son are cut from similar defensive molds as big, bruising and punishing defenders.
Inside Conditions…The future is now
by Smokin’ Jim Frazier Father and son were never any closer than last week, when, Khalid Blount, the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers and NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount, announced that he is headed to Forbes Avenue next season to play for coach Jerry Schmitt and the Duquesne Dukes. Duquesne plans to play him at nose guard and defensive tackle. Blount transferred from The Linsly School in Wheeling, W.Va., after his freshman season and became a Washington High School Prexie. His parents, Mel and TiAnda, and his high school coach Mike Bosnic, supports his decision. “What’s scary is he has so much potential and rare strength,” said coach Bosnic. “He is a hard worker and he puts in the time in the classroom.” Under Bosnic, a former lineman at Pitt, the line play continues to be a strength and his coaching specialty. Being the son of Mel Blount can be a blessing and a curse. Expectations always have been over the top for Khalid. In this town, the very mention of
ary 3, at Washington High, with his parents at his side. He chose Duquesne over Robert Morris, Duke and New Hampshire. A projected three-tech-
JACQUET BASEMORE, RIGHT, WITH BILL NEAL :04—If you were there…you know. East Hills Park, home of the famous Connie Hawkins Summer Basketball League, it wasn’t enough that he stuck a six inch knitting needle through his neck and hung a basket of sand from it and swung it around…then proceeded to bust up twenty-two inch cinder blocks with his head…he then had the great Dave Weston run over his body with a jeep while he laid at center court. You can shake your head if you want, if you were there, you know! :03—Ladies and gentlemen…the former World Heavyweight Kick Boxing
Champion!!! “Baze” would say…“Keep your left up!” :02—Recently inducted into the National Karate Hall of Fame with the likes of Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Billy Blanks. :01—And most importantly, the absolutely nicest man in the world. Jacquet would do anything, for anybody, anytime and anywhere. “My Brother”…you are loved and you will be missed forevermore. You were also The Greatest of all time!!! BAZEMORE PASSED RECENTLY. :00—Life over, soul forever! “What ya gonna do champ? Win Bundini…win.” ~ GAME OVER ~
The year is 2016 and the Pirates are playing the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series. First baseman Josh Bell was called up from Indianapolis right after the All-Star break and has been terrorizing big league pitchers since his arrival to the big time. And you know what, he has only made 2 errors in more than three months in the big leagues. Pirates manager Clint hurdle does not have to replace him in the seventh inning like he did his predecessor Pedro Alvarez. Okay this may be playing a bit of fantasy baseball but the MLB website had this to say about Josh Bell. “Ever since the Pirates drafted and managed to sign, surprisingly, Bell in the second round of the 2011 Draft, few questioned whether he had the bat to get to the big leagues. The questions came when trying to figure out where Bell would fit, given the crowded outfield picture in Pittsburgh. That began to be answered when Bell moved to first base last fall at instructs and the Arizona Fall League. Bell has completely shaken off a 2012 knee injury that forced him to miss nearly all of his first full season of pro ball, and the switch-hitter made it to Double-A in 2014 before his 21st birthday. Bell has the ability to consistently barrel up
AUBREY BRUCE balls from both sides of the plate with a smooth swing and an advanced approach. He is expected to continue growing into his power, and as he matures, his extra-base ability will develop into home run pop. He’s an average runner with a strong throwing arm, tools that were more handy when he was a corner outfielder. He has a ways to go defensively at his new position, but he’s a solid athlete with outstanding makeup, and the Pirates expect him to adjust to his new surroundings with an eye on the big league job in 2016.” A Pirates infield with Bell at 1st base possibly sharing time with infielder Sean Rodriguez, may be far more solid than when the “streaky” Pedro Alvarez played that position for Pittsburgh. Jung Ho Dung is back patrolling the “hot corner.” Jordy Mercer is as usual “smooth as glass” at shortstop. Josh
“the fireball” Harrison replaces the almost irreplaceable Neil Walker at second base without missing a beat. Pittsburgh still has the best outfield in baseball. Starling Marte in left, Andrew McCutchen in center and Gregory Polanco in right still gives hitter little or no chance to get on base or advance when one of the “three Amigos” catches the ball on the fly. One of the question marks is whether the starting rotation will add one or two quality starters in order for Pittsburgh to compete with their NL Central Division rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. Except for a long reliever or two, the relief corps of Pittsburgh seems to still have a solid core with Mark Melancon, Tony Watson and Jared Hughes coming out of the bullpen. Don’t forget The NL Central sent not one, not two, but three teams to the postseason in 2015. And the Milwaukee Brewers the lone MLB Central team that failed to make the playoffs, had the Pirates number for most of the 2015 season, competing against the Pirates as if every game was a playoff game. In 2016 playing in the ultra-competitive NL Central, the Pirates must play every game as if it were the postseason. (Aubrey Bruce can be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com or 412-583-6741. Follow him on Twutter@ultrascribe.)
New Pittsburgh Courier
CLASSIFIED FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT POSITIONS Northside Leadership Conference
This non-profit community-based organization representing the 14 neighborhoods of Pittsburghʼs Northside is seeking creative and experienced candidates for: -Real Estate Project Manager A minimum of 2 Yrs experience in community development, Real Estate Development, or related field is required. Full position descriptions and requirements can be found at www.pittsburghnorthside.com. Resumes and cover letters must be submitted by February 22, 2016 via email only to resumes@pittsburghnorthside.com.
TV RESEARCH ANALYST
WPXI-TV is seeking to fill a full-time entry-level position for a detail oriented individual to provide relevant research data, analysis and support to its local and national advertising teams. Requirements include advanced skills in Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel, good math and writing skills, and strong organizational skills. Experience working in media marketing, market research or sales support is preferred. Qualified candidates should send resumes to Rose Eppich via email at reppich@wpxi.com or by mail to 4145 Evergreen Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15214. No phone calls please. WPXI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL OPERATIONS-POWER
POWER offers a full range of gender-responsive, trauma-informed treatment and support services just for women. We are seeking an experienced Director of Clinical Operations who is responsible for overseeing all of POWERʼs treatment and support and services and for developing and implementing the organizationʼs programs and lines of business. Successful candidates will have an LCSW, or MBA with at least 3 years in non-profit administration. POWER values diversity and is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug Free Workplace. Please visit our website power-recovery.com to apply.
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is searching for an innovative thinker who can develop and implement a university-wide integrated marketing and branding initiative that will strategically position IUP in all of its competitive marketplaces. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate their ability to create a branding/marketing campaign that has resulted in elevating the organization as a leader in relevant marketplaces. Required skills include superior communication skills, expertise in forecasting trends based on data, conducting environmental scans, market research and analytics, and experience leading change. To view the description and apply for this position, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com /careers/iupedu All offers of employment are contingent upon confirmation of work eligibility and satisfactory completion of pre-employment background checks. IUP is an equal opportunity employer M/F/H/V and is a member of the State System of Higher Education.
FAMILY DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh seeks qualified applicants for positions in our Family Growth and Child Development department: Family Development Specialist; Full Time Van Driver; Part-Time Data Entry Specialist–for positions in Duquesne, North View Heights and East Hills. Send resumes to D. Hill at dhill@ulpgh.org For full job descriptions go to http://ulpgh.org/careers-at-urban-league
First Consulting Group seeks Masters only/Bachelors +5 yrs. exp. for multiple openings at multiple levels for the following positions: Systems/Network Administrator (FCGSNA15): Install, configure, and support an organizationʼs local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN). Java Developer (FCGJD14): Develop and maintain computer software programs; work on a wide range of projects. Mail resumes with Job ID to: HR Dept., 4280 Old William Penn Highway, Monroeville, PA 15146. Foreign equiv. accepted. Travel to unanticipatedwork sites throughout U.S. LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
Estate Notices
Letters have been granted on the estate of each of the following decedents to the personal representative named who request all persons having claims against the estate of the decedent to make known the same in writing to him or his attorney, and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment to him without delay:
Estate of PERLINGER, WILLIAM H., deceased of Allison Park, Pennsylvania, No. 02-15-07468, Nancy Fugh, Executrix, c/o Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or to Nancy L. Rackoff, Esquire, Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Estate of HAINES, RICHARD L., deceased of Pleasant Hills, No. 02-16-00604, Charles H. Weber, Executor, 5030 Dana Drive, Jefferson Hills, PA 15025 or to R.M. Entwisle, III, Atty., 125 1st Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Estate of PERRY, JEANNE B., deceased of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, No. 02-16-00455, Jane Perry, Executrix, c/o Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or to Nancy L. Rackoff, Esquire, Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Estate of ALBERT, MILDRED, deceased of Pittsburgh, PA, No. 02-16-00637, Richard Albert, Executor, c/o Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or to Nancy L. Rackoff, Esquire, Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
Estate of HARRINGTON, MS. GERALDINE R., deceased of 7327 Green Meadow Drive, Imperial, PA 15126, Estate No. 02-16-00654, Ms. Sandra Schultz, 7327 Green Meadow Drive, Imperial, PA 15126, Executor, c/o Max Feldman, Attorney At Law, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108. Estate of HERMAN, ANNA, a/k/a HERMAN, ANNA R., deceased of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, No. 02-16-00567, Todd T. Jordan, Administrator C.T.A., Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or to Robert B. Wolf, Esquire, Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
Estate and 2014 Restatement of Irrevocable (formerly Revocable) Trust of LHORMER, BARRY, deceased of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, No. 02-15-07133, Janet R. Markel, Executrix and Janet R. Markel, Trustee c/o Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or to Nancy L. Rackoff, Esquire, Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
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Estate Notices
Letters have been granted on the estate of each of the following decedents to the personal representative named who request all persons having claims against the estate of the decedent to make known the same in writing to him or his attorney, and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment to him without delay:
Estate DOUGLAS, HARRISON F., deceased of Allegheny County, No. 02-14-07393 of 2014, Jeannine Hucks, Admin., 8214 Nimick Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 or to Allegheny Law Group, LLC, 816 5th Avenue, Ste 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
Estate of FOWNES, SALLY K., deceased of Harmar Township, No. 02-16-00765, John T. Fownes, Jr., Co-Executor, 115 Douglas Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15215 and Henry C. Fownes, III, Co-Executor, 211 Carriage Court, Pittsburgh, PA 15238 or to R.M. Entwisle, III, Atty., 125 1st Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
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FICTITIOUS NAME
Notice is hereby given pursuant to the provisions of the Fictitious Names Act of Pennsylvania that an application for registration of a fictitious name was filed with the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the conduct of a business under the fictitious name of Union Standard Restaurant, with its principal office or place of business at 294 Crafton Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15205. The name and address of the person who is party to the registration is Downtown Arcade, LLC, 294 Crafton Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15205. The name of the fictitious name is: Union Standard Restaurant.
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR Grass Cutting and Landscaping Authority Wide RFP #300-03-16
COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Grass Cutting and Landscaping Authority Wide RFP #300-03-16 The documents will be available no later than February 14, 2016 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 2:00 P.M., February 26, 2016 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp.org A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 February 29, 2016 2:00 P.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACPʼs has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and login, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
COURIER CLASSIFIEDS… THE ONLY WAY TO GO!
NOTIFICATION OF REQUEST FOR 2016 ACCBO FUND LETTER OF INTENT
PROGRAM: Community Economic Development AGENCY: Advisory Committee for Community Based Organizations (ACCBO) TYPE OF FUNDS: Operating – Community Development Corporations DEADLINE: 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 18, 2016 at the Department of City Planning, 200 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Community Based Organization (CBO) Fund Grants provide operating support for community based organizations involved in facilitating or developing housing and/or commercial development activities in CDBG-eligible areas of the City of Pittsburgh. The CBO fund grants are contingent upon the Cityʼs receipt of Community Development Block Grant Funds. In order to be eligible to apply for this funding, community organizations must submit a letter of intent describing the activities they will propose in their application. The organization/activities must comply with the following fund criteria. •Must have been in existence for two years; •Must be a 501(c)(3) organization (or through a fiscal conduit for two years only); •Operate in a CD-eligible City of Pittsburgh neighborhood and serve primarily low-moderate income residents; •Have sufficient capacity to supervise staff and raise other funding •Must engage in residential or commercial real estate development or facilitate such development. •Demonstrate a working knowledge of the SNAP Action Planning Data in relation to the proposed project. In the context of the facilitation of residential and commercial development, the ACCBO Committee will accept applications for operating support to underwrite greening activities, e. g., blighted property clean-up, urban agriculture, energy conservation and production, as delineated within an existing community plan. Community planning activities which explore and incorporate greening strategies are also eligible. Standalone projects not specifically linked to an overall community-generated vision are not eligible. The letter of intent is not an application. The letter is mandatory in order to be considered for operating support funding. Upon reviewing the activities in your letter to ensure that they are eligible for ACCBO funds, an application will be sent to you. Submission of a letter of intent indicates the applicantʼs willingness to abide by the application review criteria as established by the ACCBO Committee. The letter of intent must be only one page. Additional pages will be discarded. The letters of intent are due on Friday, March 18, 2015 at 4:30 P.M. and must include the organizationʼs email address. No letters will be accepted after that date. Mail the letters to Timothy DiSalvio, Department of City Planning, 200 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 and e-mail a copy to timothy.disalvio@pittsburghpa.gov. Questions can be directed to Mr. DiSalvio at 412-255-2238. Full ACCBO applications will be sent out March 21, 2016, and will be due April 22, 2016.
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JOINT APPRENTICESHIP COMMITTEE Local Union No. 5, I.B.E.W. and Western PA Chapter, N.E.C.A. 5 Hot Metal Street, Suite 100 Pittsburgh, PA 15203-2356
February 2016 APPRENTICESHIP opportunities for those who meet the requirements are hereby announced by the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee of the I.B.E.W. Local Union #5 and the Western PA Chapter of N.E.C.A. Applications will be distributed at the: Electrical Training Center - 5 Hot Metal Street, Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15203-2356 (South Side) March 29th, 30th, 31st, April 1st, and 2nd - from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM April 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Clearfield Training Center - 1400 Leonard Street, Clearfield, PA 16830 April 9th - from 10:00AM to 12:00PM ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE PICKED UP IN PERSON BY THE APPLICANT AND COMPLETED AT THAT TIME. APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS: A. Applicants shall be in good health, of average intelligence, conscientious and interested in learning the trade. B. Must be 18 years old, as of June 30, 2016. C. Must be a high school graduate or hold a GED. D. Must have completed one year of high school algebra or one post high school algebra course. E. Applicant must be willing to take any tests given by or for the Committee. F. When an apprenticeship is offered, one must submit to a physical and substance testing and a test for color blindness. These tests will be administered by a doctor selected and paid for by the Committee. G. Must be a resident of one of the following counties in Pennsylvania for at least one year prior to application: Allegheny; Armstrong; Bedford; Blair; Butler; Cambria; Cameron; Centre; Clarion; Clearfield; Elk; Fayette; Fulton; Greene; Huntingdon; Indiana; Jefferson; McKean; Somerset; Venango; Washington and Westmoreland. H. A non-refundable check or money order for $25.00 (Twenty-five Dollars) will be required with the returned application. Cost of all testing and examinations to be paid by the Committee. We will not accept cash payments; check or money orders only. I. All applicants must have a valid Pennsylvania Driverʼs License for the entire time they are in the apprenticeship program. J. The recruitment, selection, employment and training of apprentices during their apprenticeship shall be without discrimination due to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or nonjob related disabilities. The sponsor shall take affirmative action to provide equal opportunity in the apprenticeship and will operate the apprenticeship program as required under Title 29 or the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 30 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Regulations of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PLEASE BRING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WITH YOU: 1. Copy of your High School transcript/Official or Unofficial (not the diploma) or your GED with scores (not a copy of the certificate) and High School transcript for years attended. 2. Your Driverʼs License. 3. A (non-refundable) check or money order only for $25.00 made payable to Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee. We will not accept cash payments; check or money orders only.
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C6
FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
CLASSIFIEDS
LEGAL ADVERTISING
LEGAL ADVERTISING
Bids/Proposals
Bids/Proposals
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Coached Supervised Visitation and Visitation Space. Proposals are due by: March 28, 2016. For more details and submission information, visit: www.alleghenycounty.us/HumanServices/Resources/DoingBusiness/Solicitations(RFP/RFQ/RFI).aspx. Marc Cherna Director Allegheny County Department of Human Services
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA February 4, 2016
The Office of the County Controller of Allegheny County, Room 104, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, will receive separate and sealed Bids until 11:00 A.M. prevailing local time, WEDNESDAY, March 2, 2016, and a representative of the Department of Public Works will open and read the Bids in the Gold Room, Room 410, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, onehalf hour later, 11:30 oʼclock A.M., for the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Camp Meeting Road, Bell Acres Borough COUNTY PROJECT NO. 1104-0001 PREBID INFORMATION: Purchase and/or view the Proposal, Specifications and Drawings at the Office of the Contract Manager, Room 504, County Office Building, Pittsburgh, PA. The nonrefundable charge for the Proposal and disc containing the Specifications and Drawings is $ 107.00 including sales tax. Bid documents may be mailed for an additional fee of $16.05 including sales tax. The Contract Manager will accept only check or money order to the “COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY.” The Department of Public Works will hold a PreBid Meeting on February 18, 2016 at 1:30 P.M. in Room 505 County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., Pgh., Pa. 15219. Details of this project, Bidding Requirements and Contract Conditions are available on the Allegheny County internet website (www.alleghenycounty.us; click on “Departments,” click on “Public Works” then click on “Bids & Proposals)” and are also available on the Pennsylvania Purchasing Group/PAPG website (www.PAbidsystem.com; click on “bid opportunities;” then click on “Allegheny County-Dept. of Public Works-open documents” – then register if necessary). Chelsa Wagner Controller County of Allegheny
ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT INVESTOR AND/OR NEW MARKETS TAX CREDIT INVESTOR AND/OR CONSTRUCTION LENDER RFQ #2016-10
Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation (ARMDC), the nonprofit real estate development instrumentality of The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP), hereby request responses from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Low Income Housing Tax Credit Investor and/or New Markets Tax Credit Investor and/or Construction Lender RFQ #2016-10 The documents will be available no later than February 15, 2016 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 2:00 P.M., March 11, 2016 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp.org A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 200 Ross Street, 9th Fl. Board Room Pittsburgh, PA 15219 March 1, 2015 11:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACPʼs has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION Of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH
Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Room 251, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15203, on March 15, 2016 until 2:00 p.m., local prevailing time for: Allderdice, Colfax, Gifted Center, Greenfield, Linden, Minadeo, Perry and Student Achievement Center Wireless Access Upgrades Electrical Prime Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on February 16, 2016 at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700) 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is nonrefundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR BAS END DEVICE REPAIR
The David L. Lawrence Convention Center will receive proposals for providing contractor services for BAS End Device Repair as identified below. Proposals may be delivered to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15222 at the time and date indicated below. RFP may be ordered at no charge from Ryan Buries, Email: rburies@pittsburghcc.com, Phone: 412-325-6179, Fax: 412-325-6104. RFP Package Name: Contractor Services for Building Automation System End Device Repair Package Available: February 12, 2016 Pre-Proposal Meeting: February 18, 2016 @ 10:00 AM at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Administrative Office. Proposals Due: February 26, 2016 @ 2:00 PM at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Administrative Office.
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT Port Authority of Allegheny County MONTOUR CHURCH ROAD SITE TAX PARCEL NUMBER 412-M-50 TOWNSHIPS OF ROBINSON AND NORTH FAYETTE, ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA REQUEST FOR BIDS FOR PURCHASE OF SITE
Port Authority of Allegheny County (Port Authority) is seeking responsive bids to a Request for Bids for Purchase of Site (Site RFB) from interested and financially capable individuals, developers, companies and/or firms to acquire an approximately 7.76 acre parcel of vacant and graded land that fronts Montour Church Road in the Townships of Robinson and North Fayette, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (the Site) from Port Authority. Port Authority is fee simple owner of the Site, and it has identified the Site as excess property. Accordingly, Port Authority is seeking bids to sell the Site to the bidder that submits the highest responsive offer, with the minimum asking price for the Site being $845,000.00. In the event of receipt of multiple responsive bids of equal dollar values, Port Authority will provide those responsive bidders submitting bids in equal monetary amounts with the opportunity to submit best and final offers to acquire the Site. The Site RFB will be available on or after 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 on Port Authorityʼs website at the following link: http://www.portauthority.org/paac/ CompanyInfoProjects/DoingBusiness/Property Offerings.aspx. For a hard copy of the Site RFB, please contact the following: Michael J. Cetra Assistant General Manager of Legal & Corporate Services/ General Counsel Port Authority of Allegheny County Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 Direct Phone: (412) 566-5245 E-mail: MCetra@PortAuthority.org. This bid process shall be conducted in compliance with and subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. If you have any questions about the Site and/or the Site RFB, please contact Mr. Cetra by no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 17, 2016. Bids are due by 4:00 p.m. EST on Monday, April 18, 2016. Please note, however, that Port Authority reserves the right, in its sole and exclusive discretion, to keep this Site RFB open and continue to receive and consider offers for acquisition of the Site if a responsive and responsible bidder is not identified as a result of the bid opening on April 18, 2016. Instructions for the proper content and timely submission of bids are contained in the Site RFB. Port Authority reserves the right, in its sole and exclusive discretion, to reject any or all bids.
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4004 MONROEVILLE BLVD GIANT EAGLE #76 AMES PLAZA, ROUTE 22 GET IT QUICK 500 GARDEN CITY JT RIB SHACK 1 RAQUET LANE DESTINY’S HAIR SALON 408 RODI RD PUFF’S DISCOUNT TOBACCO 10991 FRANKSTOWN RD MIKE’S SPOT 815 UNIVERSAL RD CREAMY CREATIONS 144B JEFFERSON RD SHOP N SAVE 3335 WILLIAM PENN HWY SHEETZ 3457 WILLIAM PENN HWY GETGO 10525 FRANKSTOWN RD CVS PHARMACY 10600 FRANKSTOWN RD SHELL OIL 7619 BAUM BLVD KIWI SUNOCO FRANKSTOWN AVE WILLIAM PENN SMOKE SHOP II 132 NORTH HIGHLAND AVE MARATHON GAS 6680 FRANKSTOWN AVE PENN AIKEN DAIRY 5401 PENN AVE GIANT EAGLE #17 6320 SHAKESPEARE ST HOMEWOOD MARKET 7201 FRANKSTOWN AVE SALIK HARDWARE 607 NORTH HOMEWOOD AVE NEGLEY A PLUS 123 NORTH NEGLEY AVE BAKER’S 7203 HAMILTON & STERRETT AVES DORSEY’S RECORDS 7614 FRANKSTOWN AVE HOSPITAL CORNER 4201 PENN AVE PEOPLES GROCERY 5136 PENN AVE A&M MARKET 5224 PENN AVE A-PLUS MINI MART 7701 PENN AVE WOOD & PENN 902 WOOD ST AL’S FISH & CHICKEN 1000 PENN AVE SAVE A LOT 725 ROSS AVE CVS PHARMACY 520 PENN AVE GETGO 408 PENN AVE QUICK STOP LIBERTY 3349 LIBERTY AVE K-2 CONVENIENT STORE 4900 PENN AVE SHUR SAVE 4120 MAIN ST SHELL GAS 6701 FRANKSTOWN RD UNIMART 5724 ELLSWORTH AVE GIANT EAGLE #77 254 YOST BLVD PUFF’S DISCOUNT TOBACCO 234 YOST BLVD SPEEDY MART 2131 ARDMORE BLVD SQUIRREL HILL NEWS 5804 FORBES AVE MURRAY AVE. NEWS 2024 MURRAY AVE GIANT EAGLE MURRAY AVE & LORETTA ST DISCOUNT TOBACCO & NEWS 1929 MURRAY AVE UNIVERSITY OF PGH BOOKSTORE 4000 5TH AVE DANA’S BAKERY 720 N. HOMEWOOD AVE DA STORE 606 & 1/2 N. HOMEWOOD AVE FLOSSYS HAIR DESIGNS 5927 PENN AVE BONUS TIRE SERVICE 4349 VERONA RD KANDY CAFE 4291 VERONA RD GIANT EAGLE SHADYSIDE 550 CENTRE AVE MARATHON GAS 4010 PENN AVE STANTON NEGLEY DRUG 804 N. NEGLEY AVE RON’S CORNER DRUG MT. CARMEL RD
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New Pittsburgh Courier
BLACK HISTORY MONTH D FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
www.newpittsburghcourier.com
GALA HONOREES, ENTERTAINERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS GATHERED AT A FEB. 1 PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE THE CELEBRATION. (Photos by J.L. Martello)
Black achievement, city’s bicentennial celebrated at Black Honors gala by Ashley Johnson Courier Staff Writer
As the City of Pittsburgh embarks on a year filled with events and activities to commemorate its 200th Anniversary, the historical celebration will begin with an event to pay homage to African Americans and their contributions to making Pittsburgh, as well as Allegheny County, “the most livable city” that it is. On Thursday, Feb. 25, Stop the Violence-Pittsburgh, in partnership with the Senator John Heinz History Center and others, will host Pittsburgh’s 2016 Black Honors Symposium & Gala to be held at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. The celebration will commence with a red carpet event at 6, followed by the program at 7 p.m. The historic event will recognize local individuals who, for more than 20 years, have worked diligently within their communities to make strides in education, religion, politics, sports, entertainment and economics. The legacy leaders & honorees are: Alma Speed Fox, retired Judge J. Warren Watson, Mark Brentley, Roger Humphries, Rev. Victor Grigsby, Ralph Proctor, Valerie McDonald Roberts and Bishop Loran Mann. “During Black History Month, people always seem to celebrate Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, and other people, and we thought it’d be a good idea to honor, in conjunction with Pittsburgh’s bicentennial, Black people in Pittsburgh,” said William Marshall, CEO and founder of Stop the Violence-Pittsburgh. Marshall said he’s proud of this year’s list of honorees and felt it was important to honor these individuals now because too often those who work hard aren’t recognized until they pass; he wants to “give them their flowers,” now, while they are living. He said upon asking them to accept the honor, many of the honorees expressed how humble they were to be chosen and that meant a lot to him. “That’s the joy I get out of doing this.” The idea for the symposium and gala, Marshall said, came about after he was contacted by the city last year, upon the completion of his annual Juneteenth celebration, asking him to organize an event that recognized the African American impact on the city. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Pe-
HONOREES—From left: Valerie McDonald, Judge J. Warren Watson and Rodger Humphries. duto, who spoke at the Feb. 1 press conference held at the Heinz History Center to announce the event, said, “This is going to be the first significant, major event to celebrate our 200th anniversary. In over 200 years there have been significant accomplishments, significant advancements from
the African American community that has made Pittsburgh ‘Pittsburgh.’ It’s significant that on Feb. 25 we will be recognizing many of those that are still with us and thinking about many of those who aren’t with us anymore, but who have had that impact on the shaping of this city.”
PROCLAMATIONS—Mayor Bill Peduto presenting proclamations.
He added, “But It’s also important that we recognize the future and what we can do to make sure that new leadership is born, raised, and given opportunity and accessibility to make Pittsburgh an even a greater city.” And bridging the gap between the past and the fu-
ture, by showing Black youth where they have come from and where they can go, in hopes of giving them a sense of history for their self-betterment, is the main purpose of this event, Marshall said. “Our priority was to get this information to the younger generation so that
SAMUEL BLACK of the Senator John Heinz History Center speaking at the Feb. 1 press conference about the gala’s importance.
they can see that they have some history, some purpose; so that they don’t think they have no value. It helps build self esteem,” he said. And by building self esteem, Marshall said it will eliminate the feeling of worthlessness, and, hopefully, even the senseless violence in the Black community that may be a result of that feeling. “It’s very important to learn your history and learn who you are. If you don’t know who you are, how can you expect to make it in the future? If you don’t know your past, you have no diagram for the future,” he said. Marshall has already put action towards his plan of bringing history to the youth. With the help of several sponsors, he said he has collected enough money to invite 600 Pittsburgh high school students to the event. He is now in the process of contacting the schools. Along with the award ceremony, the historic occasion will include presentations of proclamations from state and local government, a moment to reflect on trailblazers who have passed, and feature entertainment by the Afro American Music Institute’s Boys Choir, Travis Malloy, Jordan Welch & Yahweh RYSE, Shailen Abrams & Soul Raydio, The Deryck Tines Group, the Kevin Howard Band, the AAMI Jazz Group, Teresa Hawthorne and many more. Although the evening is in observance of Black history and the city’s bicentennial celebration, Marshall said it means much more. Proceeds from the symposium and gala will go towards his upcoming annual Juneteenth celebration which brings awareness to addressing the violence in the community. He promises that it will be bigger than years prior and said the positive response has received thus far has been overwhelming. Marshall said he knows that there is a Higher Power behind what he is doing and is grateful to all the volunteers and sponsors that have been apart of this event. Noted sponsors are the POISE Foundation, University of Pittsburgh, CRICKET Wireless-Smithfield, Rice Enterprises LLC and McDonalds, the Rivers Casino, Pittsburgh Class Center, Carnegie Museum of Art-Teenie Harris Collection and Pittsburgh Pirates. (Tickets are still available for the event. For more information, call 724-205-9376 or email bmarshallproductions@yahoo.com.)
D2
FEBRUARY 17-23, 2016
RICHARD PURCELL, CMU Associate Professor of English
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
WINNERS—Recipients of the 17th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr Day Writing Awards, standing with Richard Purcell, Associate Professor of English, Carnegie Mellon University.
17th Annual Martin Luther King Day Writing Awards
POETRY CONTESTANTS—Participating students reciting Maya Angelo’s “And Still I Rise.“
CMU CHOIR SINGING TRADITIONAL GOSPEL
Recently Carnegie Mellon University hosted its 17th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Awards—a highlight of CMU’s campus-wide Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations. Seventeen Pittsburgharea high school and col-
lege students be recognized for their poetry and prose at the ceremony, in the Rangos Ballroom. The students presented their personal narratives dealing with racial prejudice and discrimination. Founded in 1999 by Jim
Daniels, the Thomas Stockham Baker University Professor of English, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Awards established a safe haven where students can create an honest and open dialogue about their experiences.
DRUM CORP—Colfax Elementary School Drumming Corp
THOSE IN ATTENDANCE (Photos by Jackie McDonald)
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
THE 1943 WASHINGTON, D.C. BEARS (Courtesy of the New York Historical Society)
Black Fives: Basketball before integration (From the New York Historical Society) Most people have heard of the Negro Leagues in baseball and of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in the late 1940s—but relatively few people have heard of the Black Fives, the African American basketball teams that played up until the NBA was integrated in 1950. An exhibit at the New-York Historical Society aims to rectify that. When basketball was invented in 1891, it was a totally White game. In 1904, Edwin Bancroft Henderson, a Black Washington, D.C., gym teacher, took a summer course at Harvard and brought the game back to Black segregated schools. From there, it went to YMCAs, and eventually to Black teams with names like the Washington Bears and the New York Renaissance. Claude Johnson, guest curator of this exhibit, says there are “dozens and dozens” of all-Black teams that played basketball before 1950—and that their legacy reflects the changing face of America at the time. “They are in parallel with the evolution of Black culture, Black society—and they are a mirror of the way America evolved, the way the game evolved,” Johnson says. “You know, the pioneers of the game, for all of us, not just for Black descendants, but anybody who loves the game and who loves sports.” Johnson is the president and CEO of the Black Fives Foundation. He became obsessed with this lost history about 10 years ago. He says no one from those teams is alive today. In the early days, he notes, when Black basketball was only played in schools and Y’s, playing the sport was often seen as a matter of character and health— for good reason. “The mortality rate at the turn of the century, among Blacks in cities, from pneumonia and tuberculosis was 25 percent,” Johnson says. Many of the flyers advertising the Black Five games offer “basketball games and dance.” They often combined ragtime, the music of the day, with basketball games as a way to bring in the crowds. More than 150 artifacts line fairly the small gallery at the New York Historical
Society. There are old basketballs, shoes and uniforms—some from the early days of the game when the basket was closed at the bottom, and referees had to tip it over every time the ball went in. There would be a jump-shot mid-court after every basket. Johnson, who collected all these artifacts, says finding them wasn’t all that complicated, since the market for them used to be fairly limited. “A lot of them come from Ebay,” he says. “It’s not that people don’t know what they have, it’s that there was nobody else for years that would even be interested in this.” It’s easy to come away thinking Black and White teams were entirely separate worlds until 1950—with one exception: The books on basketball from that time that are on display don’t even mention Black players. But Stephen Edidin, chief curator of the New-York Historical Society, says it’s more complicated. Black teams and White teams did play each other. “Ten years before the NBA, there were 10 years of world championship basketball,” Edidin says. “And three Black teams won three of those years.” And while there is not much archive audio easily available, you can still listen to portions of the 1943 game between the Washington Bears—the African American team—and the White Oshkosh All-Stars This was the time of Jim Crow, and stereotypes were abundant. There are still clips where the Harlem Globetrotters are described as doing “monkey business,” language most people would find unacceptable and even racist. Johnson tells one story of how, after the New York Renaissance won their championship in 1939, the star player took a razor blade to his jacket which said “World Colored Champions.” “He literally cut the stitches off the felt lettering and took off the word ‘Colored,’” Johnson says. Edidin and Johnson hope the Black Fives exhibit will not only bring alive 50 years of sports and basketball history, but will also give a new generation of fans a more nuanced appreciation of the game.
Black History Month Events Book Release/ Stage Reading FEB. 18—Dessie Bey will host the Book Release and Stage Reading of “Know Thyself: An African American Poetic Journey” from 7-9 p.m. at Point Park University, Ballroom, 201 Wood St., Downtown. Local poets and Point Park students will lend their voices to read poetry by well-known, recognized and local poets. There will also be a performance of a stage play written by Shabaka Perkins as well as an appearance by the Mt. Ararat Baptist Church Male Chorus, vocalists Jacquea Mae and Sydnie Dané, and saxophone interludes by James “Doc” Wilson. For more information, call Dessie Bey at 412-464-0321 or email dbonpointpub@gmail.com.
Black History Month Program FEB. 20—The McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center will host its annual Black History Month Program at 2 p.m. at 1832 Arboretum Dr., McKeesport. The theme is “From Spirituals to Jazz: From Folk Art to High Art.” Noted artist, musician, lecturer and teacher, Elizabeth “Betty” Asche Douglas will trace the evolution of the signature African American musical contribution from their origins to their present. This is free and open to the public. For more information, call 412-678-1832.
Black Love Day FEB. 22—The Black Student Union of Duquesne University will host Black Love Day at 5 p.m. at the Duquesne Univer-
sity Union, Africa Room, 600 Forbes Ave., Uptown. This Black History Month event will include dinner and a special guest. Registration is requested. For more information, call call Amber Satterwhite at 412-396-1117 or email satterwhitea@duq.edu.
African American Scientists FEB. 23—The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host “STEM: African American Scientists” from 6-7 p.m. at the Homewood branch, 7101 Hamilton Ave., Homewood. Guests will be offered a sensory tour of famous inventions by African American scientists. For more information, call 412731-3080.
BHM Celebration Reception/Merit Award FEB. 25—Talk Magazine will host its Black History Month Celebration Reception & Merit Award at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center, 112 Washington Place, Uptown. The LJS Group will honor and recognize members of the community who continue their commitment to improving Civil Rights with the Byrd R. Brown/K. Leroy Irvis Civil Rights Award. For more information, call 412823-4007 or visit www.talkmagazinepa.com.
Black History Month Celebration FEB. 26—The Rachel Randall Education Department of Pentecostal Temple COGIC, 6300 East Liberty Blvd., East Liberty, will host its annual Black History Month Celebration at 6
p.m. The Theme will be “Celebration of the Family.” During the weekend-long event, there will be a Family Movie Night with a showing of “War Room,” followed by an evening that will focus on celebrating families on Feb. 28. There will also be a special presentation to honor those couples that have been married more than 50 years. For more information, call 412361-7000.
Black History/ Legacy Luncheon FEB. 27—Park Place AME Church, 215 E. Tenth Ave., Homestead, will host its 11th Annual Black History and Legacy Luncheon at 11 a.m. at the Comfort Inn Conference Center, 699 Rodi Rd., Penn Hills. The theme is “An Extraordinary History and Incredible Future.” This event is to celebrate the African American heritage and the recognize their contributions to the nation and world. The keynote speaker will be Rev. Dr. Eric Brown and Darieth Chisolm will serve as the mistress of ceremonies. Reservations are required. For more information, call Evelyn Franklin at 412-464-9732 or email gigfranklin@aol.com.
Black History Celebration FEB. 28—Jerusalem Baptist Church, 123 Steuben St., West End, will host its Black History Celebration at 11 a.m. The event will include a reception, program and soul food fellowship. African attire is optional. For more information, call 412921-0822.
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A survey of Black elite in 18th, 19th century Pittsburgh (PITTSBURGH)—The printed version of a Feb. 7 address by Robert Hill, retired vice chancellor of Public Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, for the Adult Forum of the Church of the Holy Cross. Hello, everyone and thank you, Dr. Leon Haley, for that generous introduction, which proves once again that church is for sinners too. The strange title of my talk is a send up of the 1977 Stephen Birmingham book, “Certain People: America’s Black Elite,” about this nation’s old and new moneyed African Americans. Of course, as a poor boy from Harlem, I regard anybody with more than I have as “certain people.” In any case, today’s discussion is a clear reminder that “old” money is relative. The folks we discuss are among the earliest prosperous Black Pittsburghers, who were around here, in some cases, as the United
States was being formed, and even earlier. They had in common: financial success, high accomplishment, strong abolitionist sentiment, commitment to education, extensive community engagement, and, with rare exception, very light skin. Since this is a survey, we do not consider full biographical treatment. Rather, we touch on the contributions of the Richards, Woodsons, Pecks, Vashons, and Delaneys, in a semblance of first-time-inPittsburgh chronology. Benjamin Richards operated a butcher business and was one of the most respected men in Pittsburgh. Without MBE registration or designation—actually non-existent in colonial Pittsburgh—Benjamin Richards held a contract to supply provisions to the military. Benjamin Richards bought whole cattle herds for his
meat business and was regarded as the wealthiest man in town in the 1780s, wealthier even than the very rich slave owner Colonel James O’Hara, for whom the street in Oakland is named. That means that BR was worth more than $7,000,000, a whooping nearly $200 million in 2015 dollars. His real estate holdings in downtown Pittsburgh were vast. Before he lost it all amidst white wheeling and dealing, in 1787 Benjamin and son Charles Richards, along with other Pittsburghers, signed the petition to create Allegheny County with the county seat in Pittsburgh, which was then in Westmoreland County and before that a part of Virginia! Son Charles Richards was a successful tavern owner downtown. Trinity Episcopal Church recorded his 1813 marriage to a white lady, Felecia Fitzgerald
thusly: “Charles Richards to Miss—.” You see, in those days the church did not want to document a Negro marriage—even for a White Negro—to an actual White, even an immigrant-from-
urbane and urban Pittsburgher advocated settling Blacks in America into rural no-Whites-allowed communities to live completely segregated, but selfdetermined lives. His think-
ROBERT HILL County Cork-Irish-White. As a teenager from Virginia, John Vashon served in the war of 1812, and was a hero by age 20. He had served on a war ship, was a captured seaman for two years by the British, and was released in a prison exchange for a British soldier. By the early 1830s, John Vashon, one of the town’s wealthiest citizens, was the leader of Black Pittsburgh. He was a barber, landowner, and the proprietor of Pittsburgh’s first bathhouse, downtown on Third Street between Market and Ferry Streets. Elegant white ladies and gentlemen frequented his lavish baths upstairs during the day, and escaped slaves travelled through his Underground Railroad basement at night. John Vashon was a leader in the forefront of every important movement for the uplift of Negroes in Pittsburgh and—for that matter—in America. He was: Trustee of the AME Church, Cofounder of the Pittsburgh African Education Society in 1832, Founder of the Pittsburgh Anti-Slavery Society, Actively engaged in the Proceedings of the State Convention of Freemen in Pennsylvania, and Financial supporter of William Lloyd Garrison’s The Liberator White abolitionist newspaper. Vashon even convinced the president of the new Western University of Pennsylvania (today’s University of Pittsburgh) Rev. Robert Bruce to join the Pittsburgh Anti-Slavery Society. Reverend Lewis Woodson arrived in Pittsburgh two years after Vashon in 1831 after teaching free and runaway Black children in various Ohio cities. A barber, educator, and preacher, he teamed with Vashon and other community leaders to advance their religious, educational, and abolitionist agendas. With them he cofounded the Pittsburgh African Education Society, the town’s first school for Blacks. There he taught the children of his friends and others who would go on to make their own marks. Rev. Woodson became a Bishop of the AME congregation, and was a founder and trustee of Wilberforce University. But, his major contribution to Black political thought was his five years of writing in The Colored American abolitionist newspaper to articulate his views as the father of Black separatism under the “Augustine” pseudonym. This consummate white-looking
ing also included support for folks who may want to immigrate to Africa; but, rejected white ideas about sending freed Blacks there. Among the elite of early Pittsburgh was a doctor of immense intellectual heft, diverse interests, Black nationalistic passion, and journalistic and literary achievement: Martin Delaney was all of that. Arriving in Pittsburgh from Chambersburg on foot in 1831 and younger than the elder Woodsons, Richards, and Vashons, Martin Delaney was mentored by Rev. Woodson and attended his African Education Society School. He was a medical apprentice under the tutelage of white abolitionist Pittsburgh doctors including Dr. Francis Lemoyne (for whom the Memphis Black college was named after receiving his $20,000 gift). In 1850, one of the first three Black Harvard Medical students, Martin Delaney and the other two were evicted by Dean Oliver Wendell Holmes (father of the U.S. Supreme Court justice), caught studying Ivy League medicine while Black. He returned to Pittsburgh and prospered, becoming renowned for his cupping and leeching techniques for curing ailments. Dr. Delaney published anti-slavery The Mystery newspaper in Pittsburgh. And he believed in Black Nationalism, searching the globe for a home for free Blacks to rule their own destinies. During the Civil War, he was commissioned a major by President Abraham Lincoln and worked for the Freedmen’s Bureau on behalf his formerly enslaved brethren. He was among the nation’s first Black novelists. Finally fed up with racist America, he and his wife and kids moved to Canada. Later, he and Catherine lived and died in Wilberforce. Coming over the mountains from Carlisle, from which the Vashons also hailed, John Peck arrived here in 1837. He was a wig maker, barber, perfumer, tavern owner, oyster restaurateur, clothing storeowner, and he owned a lot of property. Mr. Peck collaborated with John Vashon, Rev. Woodson, Dr. Delaney, and others passionate about freedom and justice for Black folks. He joined the various religious, cultural, and civic organizations committed to Black progress. Astonishingly, he—apart from spiriting slaves out of harm’s way—often acted as mediator between escaped slaves and slaveholders. He
was also an AME minister, who founded the Wylie Street AME Church, often preaching there on antislavery crusades. And Rev. Peck presided at New York’s Black convention in Rochester in 1853. Like Dr. Delaney, Rev. Peck came to believe that this nation would never accord justice and equality to African Americans and considered immigrating to Canada, but remained in Pittsburgh to his death. Evidence abounds that the relatives, offspring, and descendants of the aforementioned Messrs. Richards, Vashon, Woodson, Peck, and Delaney were and are high achieves as well. Exemplary, yet by no means exhaustive are the following: •Charles Richards’ daughter, Catherine, married Martin Delaney and recruited agents to sell and solicit advertising for his The Mystery newspaper. She fed those made homeless by the great 1845 fire that destroyed Pitt, the Vashon’s home and barbershop, the Bethel AME church, and much of Pittsburgh. •Reverend Lewis Woodson’s sister, Sarah Jane Woodson (Early), graduated from Oberlin in 1856 and in 1858 became the first Black woman college instructor in America and the first Black to teach at a Black college. •Mrs. Rev. Lewis Woodson’s nephew, Henry O. Tanner, became one of America’s most acclaimed artists. •Reverend Lewis Woodson’s son, Howard, received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at Pitt in 1899. He was a designer of Washington D.C.’s Union Station, and H.D. Woodson High School there is named in his honor. •Allegheny Housing Rehabilitation Corporation coowner, philanthropist, and Pitt emeritus professor Dr. Nancy Washington descends from both Tanners and Woodsons. She helped secure the Commonwealth grant to secure for Pitt the K. Leroy Irvis papers and reading room at Pitt. •Oldest son of John Peck, David Peck became the first Black graduate of an American medical school in 1847. Of these overachieving inhabitants of first, only, best categories, who is the greatest? Who knows? And in any event, the answer would be overwhelmingly subjective. Nonetheless, I do have my favorite. When Rev. Woodson declared that he had taught John Vashon’s brilliant son all that he could at the Pittsburgh Africa Education Society School at Bethel AME, George Vashon was sent to Oberlin College, where he was the first Black to graduate, in 1844. George returned to Pittsburgh and studied the law with Judge Walter Forward, who had been U.S. Treasury Secretary, for whom Forward Ave. in Squirrel Hill is named. When Mr. Forward, who of course was White, declared George, who looked White, was ready for the Bar exam, he was blocked from taking it. The response was that he evidenced enough African in him to render him ineligible. Although Martin Delaney tried to dissuade him, George decided to flee to Haiti. Waiting for the boat in NYC, George studied New York law and took the New York State bar exam there, passing it to become the first Black lawyer in NYS. Onward to Haiti he went, where he taught Latin, Greek, and English; and became fluent in French. For all those achievements, Oberlin awarded him the Master of Arts degree in 1849. Returning to America, in 1851 George established a SEE HILL D5
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Review: Jesse Owens’ own ‘Race’ A survey of Black elite in 18th, 19th century Pittsburgh in athletics, discrimination CONTINUED FROM D4
law practice in Syracuse in the state where he became a lawyer. He opened an office in the Empire Block building, today the oldest building in downtown Syracuse, hard by the Erie Canal. He could not make enough money. But he wrote his epic poem there, Vincent Oge. He became a professor at New York Central College, near Syracuse, but returned to Pittsburgh and was principal of the public schools for Negro children, and married his assistant teacher Susan Paul in 1853. She had been valedictorian and the only Black at her girls’ school in Massachusetts. Disappointed at being turned down to practice law in his home county twice, George became president of Avery College in Allegheny City (the North Side since 1907) before leaving for Washington, where he was the first Black Howard University law professor and was permitted to practice
by Merecedes J. Howze For New Pittsburgh Courier
During the month of February, Americans amplify the in-depth look of African American history. From celebrations to demonstrations, Black History Month is a designated 28 days (sometimes 29) to reflect on the amazing contributions we have made to this world. Some names stick out further than others. For instance, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Malcolm X. Growing up, when we talked about great Black athletes, there was no way educators did not mention the heroics and hurdles of Jesse Owens. The story of the great Olympian is chronologically outlined in “Race.” Starring Stephan James and Jason Sudeikis, the film shows Owens’ own “race” from Ohio State University to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. James, who you may remember as civil rights activist and politician John Lewis in “Selma” (2014), is spectacular. He seems to work well in historical adaptions, as he is both substantial and strong. James’ screen presence is irrefutably captivating as Owens. One thing the film taught me that school did not is that Owens had his own share of races on and off of the track. He faced the constant ridicule and discrimination from White athletes and coaches, specifically at Ohio State University. But, Owens faced some shade from his own people. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People asked Jesse Owens not to attend the 1936 Olympic Games as a stance for the mistreatment of Blacks in the United States. What if he had not gone?
He would have never won 4 gold medals. Here’s some modern day connections: what Black leaders were asking Jesse Owens to do in 1936 is the same thing Black celebrities are asking of Chris Rock, the host of this year’s Academy Awards. The 1936 Olympics is our 2016 Oscars. Sports and entertainment have been overshadowed with politics and race relations. Owens was given a global platform to perform as the World was on the brink of World War II. Even Adolph Hitler watched as Owens swept every track and field match he competed
in. It is wrong for people to ask others to abandon their talents for the greater good of a cause. While the Academy needs to strategically work on its diversity amongst members, Rock, who I am sure will creatively address these issues, has the right to host the award show. “Race” is the perfect movie for this month as we reflect on the contributions of all African Americans—a lesson that will serve to last a lifetime. The movie is in theaters Feb. 19. The 88th Academy Awards will air Sunday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. on ABC.
Will Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ever induct Kool & The Gang?
50 YEARS OF MUSIC—Robert “Kool” Bell and”DT” Thomas embrace fans immediately following their 90-minute performance at RamsHead CasinoTheater. (Photo by Tim Cox)
by Timothy Cox Special Correspondent
BALTIMORE, Md.—With more than 80 million records sold world-wide, one would casually assume that Kool & the Gang’s success, which spans six decades, would have already thrust them into rock royalty—as members of the illustrious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (HOF) in Cleveland, Ohio. Unfortunately, that’s not to be. And, during a post-concert interview with bassist/bandleader Robert Earl “Kool” Bell, he confirmed that the 52-year-old band has yet to achieve Rock HOF status. He also seemed a bit disappointed and unclear as to why his group has yet to achieve such an honor. The group’s original drummer, “Funky” George Brown, who also helped found the group in 1964 in their hometown of Jersey City, N.J., also seems equally unclear and desponded as to why the band has yet to be so honored within Rock HOF ranks. Last October, the band was honored with its very first Hollywood Walk of Fame—an achievement that “Kool” Bell says is a very welcomed and ironic honor. “Afterall, we wrote a song called “Hollywood Swingin’—so, it’s sort of appropriate that we would achieve this honor,” he said. In 2015, the group was also honored with a Soul Train Legend Award, while being inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Along with his brother and tenor saxman, Ronald “Kahalis” Bell, a 10-year-old “Kool” Bell, along with their parents, Bobby and Mabel Bell, moved from their original hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, to Jersey City, N.J. “I was 10 when we moved from Ohio,” Kool confirmed after the Maryland show, while re-
flecting on a popular inner-city, amusement attraction known as Idora Park, during his “Y-town” childhood. In the early 1960s, the James Brown Revue would perform at the Idora Park Ballroom. Incidentally, as native Ohioans, the Bell brothers are part of an esteemed Ohio R&B fraternity of which several funk bands, musicians and singers have hailed from the Buckeye State—ultimately to become internationally-renown performers— some who are even HOF inductees at the Ohio-based Rock museum. Such groups include The Ohio Players, The Isley Brothers, The O’Jays, Lakeside, Zapp and Roger Troutman, Bootsy Collins, Phelps “Catfish” Collins, Howard Hewitt (Shalamar), Bobby Womack, the Ingram brothers, James (Quincy Jones) and Philip (DeBarge); Ruby and the Romantics, Phillipe’ “Soul” Wynne (Spinners), Midnight Star, Heatwave, Faze-O, Dayton, and New Horizons featuring the Thomas brothers. In accessing the Rock HOF’s website, the following acknowledges just how its nominating committee justifies how performers can be inducted into the prestigious hall: To be eligible for induction as an artist (as a performer, composer, or musician) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the artist must have released a record, in the generally accepted sense of that phrase, at least 25 years prior to the year of induction; and have demonstrated unquestionable musical excellence. We shall consider factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique, but musical excellence shall be the essential qualification of induction.
before the U.S. Supreme Court, but still could not practice law in Pittsburgh. In 1873 he taught at Alcorn University, a Mississippi Black college. When he died there in 1878, his wife and children moved to St. Louis. George’s son John, named for his bathhouse-owning granddaddy, became a revered educator in St. Louis. In 1927 Vashon High School in St. Louis was built in honor of the Vashons for their service to education. Alumni include Donny Hathaway, Elston Howard, Leon and Michael Spinks, Clark Terry, Maxine Waters, and health physics pioneer Roscoe Koontz, among other notables. Pennsylvania posthumously admitted George Vashon to law practice in 2010, more than 160 years after he first applied. (Robert Hill is a Pittsburgh-based communications consultant, chair of the African American Advisory Committee of the Heinz History Center, and a member of the Center’s board of directors.)
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