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TAKE THIS VIRUS SERIOUSLY Courier urges our community to stay home, stay safe, and ‘Mask up!’

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TOP STORIES OF 2020 ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, COVID-19 top Courier stories of improbable 2020

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

What a difference a year makes.

The front pages of the New Pittsburgh Courier’s January and February 2020 editions discussed what one might expect: Pittsburgh African American women doing amazing things in their professions; Pittsburgh’s Black lawyers denouncing discriminatory comments allegedly made by a White Common Pleas judge; A Black basketball coach taking Vincentian Academy high school to a WPIAL championship; The crippling effect Black-onBlack homicides continue

to have on Pittsburgh’s African American communities.

But then, the city, county, state, nation and world pivoted in a direction it never could have expected.

A pandemic has struck.

Somehow, word began to spread among some African American circles that Blacks were “immune” from getting the coronavirus, the culprit behind the pandemic responsible for 355,000 U.S. deaths as of Jan. 5.

That rumor obviously was far from the truth.

Actually, health experts in the States soon realized in March 2020 that African Americans would be

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE descended upon Downtown and the area around PPG Paints Arena, May 30, 2020, to protest the unjust killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a White Minneapolis police officer, who was fired and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The Courier captured this photo of a Black girl at the protest with a sign that read: “Stop Killing Us.” (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.)

PITTSBURGH RESIDENT JA’RAY GAMBLE, 29, was among the first UPMC employees to receive the first part of the new COVID-19 vaccine, which arrived Monday morning, Dec. 14, 2020, at UPMC Children’s Hospital. (Photo courtesy UPMC)

disproportionately affected by COVID-19’s wrath.

The virus could easily be spread between those in close quarters, and have a damaging effect on those with underlying health conditions. Many African Americans fell into those two descriptions.

We at the New Pittsburgh Courier also realized that it was time for us to pivot —and fast.

Gone were our upcoming feature stories and the happenings in the Cultural District—we plastered a four-word phrase on our March 25, 2020, front page that’s become our mantra during this unprecedented time: “TAKE THIS VIRUS SERIOUSLY.” Directly under those four words, we wrote: “African Americans are at risk of contracting coronavirus

just like everybody else.”

We realized that this coronavirus, whatever it was, however it got to America, and to Pittsburgh, was real.

And deadly. And we had to do everything we could to let our African American readership here and across the nation know how serious this virus was.

As March went into April, and cases of those with coronavirus began increasing in Allegheny County, we just knew the coronavirus pandemic would be the top story of the year for 2020.

The only top story. Nothing else could even come close, we thought at the time.

We focused on different aspects of the pandemic in our April and May editions: How the pandemic was affecting Black postal workers, those who deliv-

ered the mail and interacted with the public, as well as mail sorters who had no way to “work from home”; How the pandemic was affecting Port Authority bus drivers, many of whom contracted the virus (including at least three deaths); How the pandemic affected “essential” workers at grocery stores, banks, nursing homes and hospitals; and how the pandemic affected small businesses owned

by African Americans, many of which had to close during the early months of the pandemic.

Let’s not forget how much the pandemic affected the kids...in a definite first, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the closure of all K-12 schools for two weeks on March 13 due to the oncoming pandemic.

SEE TOP STORIES A4

‘Nobody should be denied a position based on who they love.’

- Attorney Todd Hollis White woman files discrimination lawsuit — claims she didn’t get athletic dir. job because she was married to a Black man

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Local attorney Todd Hollis has represented many Pittsburgh-area African Americans who, in their estimation, have been

discriminated against because of their race, whether by police, employers or government agencies.

But his latest client is White, who has filed a discrimination lawsuit

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against the Gateway School District and one of its board members, alleging that she didn’t attain the athletic director position because her husband is African American.

Korie Morton-Rozier, the current athletic director at Penn State-Greater Allegheny, is listed as the plantiff in the lawsuit filed on Jan. 1 in U.S. District SEE LAWSUIT A3

KORIE MORTON-ROZIER, who is married to a Black man, has filed a lawsuit against the Gateway School District in Monroeville and one of its board members, claiming discrimination.

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Local organization I Am Whole helps homeless women during the Christmas Season

“I AM WHOLE” is a Christian-based, nonprofit mentoring organization in the Pittsburgh region that’s committed to reaching, mentoring and empowering young women ages 15-25. The organization helps transform women from hopelessness to the hope of Christ. The organization’s five core values are: Love, Family, Character, Value, and Hope. The organization on Dec. 19, 2020, collected items donated from the public, which were given to homeless women. Courier photographer J.L. Martello captured the event in pictures.

LISHA LOGAN from Wilkinsburg, giving bags of women supplies to the young ladies helping with collecting the items.

KYM WOOD from Highland Park donated several coats.

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MARILYN HORNSBY, founder and CEO of I Am Whole, with the items that the organization collected for homeless women.

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‘Nobody should be denied a position based on who they love.’

- Attorney Todd Hollis White woman files discrimination lawsuit — claims she didn’t get athletic director job because she was married to a Black man LAWSUIT FROM A1

Court by Hollis. She’s been married to Keelan Rozier, who is African American, since 2005, according to the lawsuit obtained by the New Pittsburgh Courier.

One of the Gateway School Board members, Richard McIntyre, who also serves as board director, urged Morton-Rozier to apply for the vacant athletic director position early last year. Morton-Rozier was part of the final two candidates for the position, along with Don Holl, who is White and the current Gateway football coach.

The lawsuit alleges that when McIntyre asked fellow board member Paul Caliari via text message for his vote on Feb. 11, 2020, Caliari responded: “Didn’t she start dating the darkies” — which Morton-Rozier believed was a derogatory reference to her African American husband.

Caliari, according to Hollis, wasn’t aware that his text message was sent to multiple people, in addition to McIntyre. Susan Delaney, an African American school board member, responded to Caliari via text: “Paul, please explain your text so I don’t misunderstand you.”

Caliari responded to Delaney, and others: “I went to college with 2 brothers named Brian and Pete Darki. A buddy of mine used to date his wife. He asked me whatever happened to her and I told him she started dating one of the darkies.”

Hollis told the Courier on Jan. 4, three days after the lawsuit was filed, that he contacted Waynesburg University, where Caliari was an undergraduate, and was told there was no record of anyone with the surname of “Darki” ever attending the school.

“Despite her qualifications for the position of athletic director, the (Gateway) school district rejected her application for the position because she was, and remains, married to an African American man,” the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit read that the district “refused to hire her based on one school board member’s racially motivated deciding vote on whether to hire her, and the rest of the members’ knowing acquiescence and ratification of the racist decision.”

Morton-Rozier is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

“But for Mr. Caliari’s decision to reject Mrs. Rozier because of the racial identity of her husband, Mrs.

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Morton-Rozier would have been hired for the athletic director position within the Monroeville school district,” read the lawsuit. “...As a result of defendants’ conduct, Mrs. Morton-Rozier suffered physical and psychological injury.”

Caliari gave a public statement on the matter to WTAE-TV (Channel 4), when he told reporter Sheldon Ingram on Jan. 4 that he does not oppose Morton-Rozier’s interracial marriage. “Absolutely not!

That’s simply 100% untrue. I was in favor of Kori

getting the position,” Caliari was quoted as saying.

“To the extent that who she’s married to becomes part of the equation, that’s a problem,” Hollis responded in the WTAE report. “...

Nobody should be denied a position based on who they love.”

Kenneth Huston, president of the Pennyslvania NAACP and the NAACP Allegheny East Chapter, which includes Monroeville, has called on Caliari to resign.

TODD HOLLIS, shown in this Courier file photo. The attorney has filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of Korie Morton-Rozier.

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TOP STORIES OF 2020 ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, COVID-19 top Courier stories of improbable 2020 TOP STORIES FROM A1

Parents were left having to answer their kids’ questions about the virus, such as how the virus is spread, why couldn’t their friends come over to the house, and so forth. And for the 23,000 students in Pittsburgh Public Schools, they haven’t returned to a physical classroom yet.

Then came May 25, 2020, which was Memorial Day. But for so many Americans, it wasn’t a day to remember due to the event that transpired in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A White Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, unbearably subdued a 46-year-old Black man, George Floyd, by placing his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest. The ordeal was captured on cell phone video by a 17-yearold Black girl who methodically had walked with a younger family member to the store. Darnella Frazier had no idea she would be at the “right place at the right time,” to record an officer’s unthinkable actions against a Black man, prompting a national outcry against racial injustice in the U.S. But this was no normal national outcry. There was outcry when Trayvon Martin was killed by community vigilante George Zim-

manded that companies rid of racial discrimination and bias that permeated within its illustrious skyscrapers.

Netflix, the gigantic movie-streaming platform, responded by giving $100 million to Black-owned banks.

IHeartMedia, the nation’s largest radio broadcasting company, started the “Black Information Network,” a 24-hour outlet dedicated to news affecting the Black community. The soda company Sprite made a sugary $500,000 donation to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, then ran a TV commercial that stated the “American Dream” left out Black America.

The Bill Gates tech goliath Microsoft committed $750 million to diversifying its workforce, partners and suppliers.

EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH, in conjunction with state Reps. Jake Wheatley and Ed Gainey, Manchester Citizens Corporation, Mount Simultaneously, comArarat Baptist Church, Rivers Casino, Iota Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., A. Phillip Randolph Institute, Eat Initiative, City panies and other entities Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle, and County Councilmembers DeWitt Walton and Olivia Bennett, held a food drive on April 10, 2020, to help were forced to cut ties with those during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by J.L. Martello) anything deemed racially insensitive. Quaker Brands got rid of its “Aunt Jemima” image of a Black woman merman in Florida in 2012. ficer as Garner told officers, “Stop Killing Us.” top corporations were also from the slavery days.

And when a White police “I can’t breathe.” He later Throughout the summer, feeling the heat. Shouting The owners of the Uncle officer shot and killed died. And when 32-year-old as the Fahrenheit tem- “Black Lives Matter,” tens SEE TOP STORIES A5 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Philando Castile was killed peratures rose, America’s of millions of Americans deCleveland two years later.

And when Freddie Gray died in police custody in Baltimore. And when Eric Garner was placed in a now-banned chokehold by a New York City police of-

“Pittsburgh, 2020 is no more. It’s 2021. COVID, you can’t mess up our lives for much longer. We’re going to ‘stay safe, practice social distancing, and mask up!’ And then, we’ll be back to the way it used to be, but with a new twist, a new attitude. We’ll be ready to go after our dreams, reach our highest professional and personal highs, all with the sense that if we survived 2020, we can survive anything.”

by a Minnesota police officer in 2016.

But evidently, the George Floyd death was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Protests occurred in hundreds of U.S. cities, including Pittsburgh, where thousands marched from Downtown to PPG Paints Arena in Uptown the Saturday after Floyd’s death.

Hundreds of people at the rally held signs denouncing police violence and racial injustice, but the Courier’s THE GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK held one of front page on June 3, 2020, its many food drives on April 10, 2020, outside PPG Paints Arena, showed a photo of a young as hundreds of cars lined the streets to receive the offerings. (Photo Black girl at the rally holdby J.L. Martello) ing a sign that simply said:

REV. GLENN GRAYSON SR., pastor of Wesley Center AME Zion Church in the Hill District, passed out palms and communion to people riding along Centre Avenue on Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020. It was a way for people to receive communion and palms in a safe manner during the coronavirus pandemic.

(Photo by J.L. Martello)

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TOP STORIES OF 2020 TOP STORIES FROM A4

Ben’s Rice and Mrs. Butterworth Syrup brands said those images would be removed, too.

In Mississippi, after 126 years, the governor there finally signed a bill to replace the state flag, which sported an emblem of the Confederate flag.

The symbol was a long reminder of White Mississippians’ role in the

Civil War and an inference that Whites there would never cede social or economic power to any other race.

Statues of once-revered figures were torn down by protesters, including, ironically, Christopher Columbus, in the city for which he was named, Columbus, Ohio. Christopher Columbus, who was credited by some

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historians with discovering America in 1492, had ties to the mistreatment of Native Americans.

And Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart’s statue was removed in July after protesters in Richmond, Va., where the statue stood for 113 years, demanded its removal.

In Pittsburgh, mainly peaceful marches continued throughout the summer and into the fall. You could find the rallies in East Liberty, ALEXIS JOHNSON is the Black reporter who, in June 2020, was the South Side, Down- banned from covering protests for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. town, Uptown, and even (Photo by J.L. Martello)

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128.

THE PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY had this sign inside all of its buses during the early stages of the pandemic last spring. As of Jan. 5, 2021, three PAT employees have died due to coronavirus complications. (Photo by J.L. Martello)

JORDAN MALLOY, of Wilkinsburg, was among the protesters demanding that more inmates were released from the Allegheny County Jail due to health and safety concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. The protest was held, April 22, 2020, in Downtown Pittsburgh. (Photo by J.L. Martello)

in Washington, Pa. As the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor (who was killed by Louisville police in March 2020) were incessantly mentioned, there were many calls for “Justice for Antwon,” in memory of Antwon Rose, the 17-year-old unarmed Black teen who was shot three times (and later died) by a White East Pittsburgh police officer in 2018. That officer, Michael Rosfeld, was cleared of all charges in March 2019.

And on the North Shore, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspaper found itself in hot water nationally after top editors refused to let a Black reporter, Alexis Johnson, and a Black photographer, Michael Santiago, cover the local protests that were occurring. Both employees have since left the newspaper.

Turns out, we were wrong. There were, in fact, two top stories in 2020 in the Courier’s assertation. The level of awareness for racial diversity and inclusion currently in this country is soaring higher than a NASA space shuttle.

Here in our region, we reported in late 2020 on the energy company Duquesne Light’s renewed commitment to Pittsburgh’s Black community; Port Authority of Allegheny County on the hunt for an Equity and Inclusion director; Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew becoming Allegheny Health Network’s first Chief Clinical Diversity and Inclusion Officer;

and Sutonia Boykin becoming the first African American to hold the title of VP of Student Affairs at Community College of Beaver County. Don’t forget about Richard Witherspoon, the CEO and Treasurer of the Hill District Federal Credit Union, who told the Courier that he’s fielded calls from all over the country from people wanting to support his Black-owned financial institution.

As the voice of Pittsburgh’s African American community for now 111 years, it is our hope and desire that African Americans in Pittsburgh and throughout the country continue to rise. At the same time, we hope that our other top story of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic, takes a nose dive right out of our lives.

Thankfully, there are vaccines for this terrible virus, but it still will be months before everyone can get the vaccine.

Pittsburgh, 2020 is no more. It’s 2021. COVID, you can’t mess up our lives for much longer.

We’re going to “stay safe, practice social distancing, and mask up!” And then, we’ll be back to the way it used to be, but with a new twist, a new attitude. We’ll be ready to go after our dreams, reach our highest professional and personal highs, all with the sense that if we survived 2020, we can survive anything.

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The 2020 riots, looking back

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Red Sox hire Pittsburgh-area native Bianca Smith as first Black woman coach in pro baseball history

by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier

BIANCA SMITH

Pittsburgh-area native Bianca Smith, an African-American woman, has made baseball history.

Smith, 29, from Sewickley, who most recently served as an assistant baseball coach and hitting coordinator at Wisconsin’s Carroll University, was named a coach in the Boston Red Sox minor league system.

Smith, 29, becomes the first Black woman to coach in professional baseball.

She will work with the team’s infielders at the Red Sox minor league facility in Fort Myers, Fla. “She was a great candidate coming in,” Red Sox vice president of player development Ben Crockett told the Boston Globe.

“She’s had some really interesting experiences and has been passionate about growing her skillset and development herself.”

That Smith’s historic hiring happened in Boston, a city where angry mobs violently attacked school buses carrying Black children

to previously all-White schools in the 1970s, could be a sign of racial progress.

The Red Sox have had a history of racism at Fenway Park.

In 2019, four fans hung a banner that read “Racism is as American as Baseball,” from the famed Green Monster.

Last year, retired baseball star Torii Hunter told ESPN that he was called the N-word several times by fans as young as “little kids.”

He later said that he had heard more racist remarks

in Boston than any other city.

“When I went to Boston, it was so consistent. After a while, I just kind of shoved it off, and I went out and played. I played with aggression, though,” Hunter relayed.

He added that he felt uncomfortable with the idea of his family living in Boston if he had signed there.

“That’s why I got the notrade clause, the list of teams, and I put Boston in there,” Hunter added.

SEE SMITH B2

Make money management your New Year’s Resolution (NewsUSA)—So much changed in 2020.

But in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, some things remain the same, including the need for smart money management.

The start of the new year is an ideal time to revisit your financial goals and plans to ensure they work for you. No matter how the pandemic may have impacted your financial situation, consider taking these important steps now to maximize your money in 2021: —Avoid or pay off debt. Resolve to pay credit cards and other bills each month by spending within your limits. Try to avoid taking on additional debt outside of a mortgage. If you have debt, pay off the highest interest loans first, and also try to accelerate loan payments when you can.

Reducing debt is especially important as you approach retirement age.

—Look for simple ways to save.

Make saving a New Year’s resolution, especially this year, as the pandemic continues to affect the economy, and job stability may be less uncertain. In addition to setting aside part of a paycheck for saving, consider how little things you can do now can add up to savings later. For example, use ATM machines for your current banking institution, only to avoid usage fees charged at other banks, consider generic medications or prescriptions, which are often less expensive than “name brand” products, and use cash-back and rewards cards and apps to reduce expenses or to earn rewards on purchases.

—Think retirement now. Even if you are early in your working life, it is never too soon to save for retirement. Don’t underestimate the power of compound interest: earning interest on your savings over many years is how you build wealth, and the sooner you start saving, the longer

the time to compound your savings, and the more wealth you can build. Resolve to maximize retirement savings through your employer and explore additional ways to save on your own.

—Set up a financial plan. Managing your money is easier when you have a plan. Resolve to consult a financial planner for guidance on how to get the most from your money to help ensure that you

reach your financial goals and secure your financial future. Some smart money strategies include creating a budget to track your spending and identify ways to save, establishing an emergency fund, and setting up automatic savings plans when possible.

“Use the start of a new year as motivation to begin or continue the financial planning process,” according to the web-

site of the Certified Financial Planner Board, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting professional standards in personal financial planning.

Visit letsmakeaplan.org today for more financial planning tips and guidance, and to locate a CFP® professional in your area who can start you on your way to realizing your financial goals in 2021 and beyond.

Don’t lose sight of your ‘2020’ vision!

The year was 2020. No one who is of age and sound mind living during this time will ever forget this year. As I sit back and reflect on 2020, I’m filled with awe and amazement. It feels as if we were all cast in a movie. They took a page from “Outbreak” and “Contagion” and created this blockbuster movie called “Pandemic.” Our pay for our starring role was a measly two-part stimulus check. Those of us whose stimulus check was phased out partially or entirely were either cast to make cameo appearances or cast as extras. I wish we were all a part of a movie. Unfortunately, “The Pandemic” is real.

Having 20/20 vision is being able to see things clearly from a distance of 20 feet. We often use the phrase 20/20 vision to describe someone who has great knowledge or insight on a given subject.

We talk about having “hindsight 20/20,” meaning we can clearly understand a situation or event after it has happened.

The year 2020 was a bunch of cuss words and a plethora of negative adjectives. Suffice it to say, the year 2020 is a year most of us want to put in our distant memory. As we move from 2020 into 2021, it’s important that we look back on year 2020 with 20/20 vision and learn how to be better prepared to deal with negative events going forward.

I can recall vividly when the news first broke about the pandemic. It was early March 2020. At first, I brushed it off as the media sensationalizing a story. Initially, I didn’t take it seriously. As the numbers began to tick upwards for those affected with the virus and those dying from the virus continued to increase, I began to pay more attention. As businesses, schools, gyms, movie theaters

and places of worship began to close, I knew I had to take it more seriously.

As people who I personally knew came down with the virus—some of whom died—shared their stories on social media, it became real.

It’s hard to grow and develop in an environment when things are going well, be it personal, physical, spiritual, financial, or in business. We all seek to get to a place in life where if we put in the work, we hope that eventually things will be on auto-pilot. We want to be able to sit back, relax and reap the fruit of our labor. It never seems to work out that way longterm. Things can go well for an extended period of time. Then BOOM! You experience a negative event, a new way of doing things, or unforeseen events that force you to grow in order to continue to thrive. If not, you’ll more than likely be forced to succumb, give up, quit and go in an entirely different direction.

Practically everyone has been negatively impacted by the pandemic of year 2020. Motivational speaker Les Brown says when you go through a negative situation, you didn’t “go” through anything.

You “grew” through it. If you weren’t touched in the year 2020 where it caused you to grow mentally, emotionally, spiritually or empathetically, you are among the walking dead. 2020 was a year where we were all tested to some degree. We’ve all had to figure out how to navigate and survive in a world that’s completely different from what we’ve been accustomed

to and took for granted.

Lessons Learned: You can’t rely on the government: Our current president is a farce. Even if our current president was someone with 20/20 vision, take note that when the American people get into a financial jam, the government definition of a bailout directly to the people amounts to small change and puny dollars—that’s if you qualify. The biggest award granted directly to the people was access to their retirement accounts. People were allowed to withdraw up to $100,000 from their retirement plans —penalty-free. In addition, people were able to pay the taxes on this $100,000 over three years.

More than half of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement— and you want them to use it as a lifeline? If you were fortunate to amass $100,000 or more and opted to take $100,000, it will take more than six years to replenish that money. Furthermore, that’s literally millions of dollars lost in the form of forfeited compounded interest. Develop a plan to live frugal, save aggressively, and shun debt. Doing so will help you weather any storm, including a pandemic, longer than most.

Self-preservation is the first law of nature: I had a client share a story.

She and her now-hubby moved in with her parents right before the pandemic to save money for their wedding, honeymoon, and down payment on their home.

They wed right before the pandemic hit.

They were out of the country on their honeymoon when the pandemic became big news. Upon their return, her parents, who were elderly, told them because of the pandemic, they couldn’t come back to the home. They’d have to catch an Uber.

Her dad couldn’t come to get you. ‘“Let me know when you’re close, we’ll sit your belongings on the porch...”

At the height of the pandemic, we’ve all had similar experiences where loved ones had to forgo seeing loved ones for fear of catching the virus. We learned firsthand that despite the love we have for others, we have to look out for numero uno first and foremost. If you don’t look out for yourself, nobody will.

Be willing to pivot: We observed several people lose jobs and several businesses close doors as a result of the ill effects of the pandemic. Those people and businesses who were able to stay afloat, survive and in many cases thrive during the pandemic were people and businesses willing to pivot, adjust and do things they’ve never done and thought they’d never do. The NBA comes to mind. In an effort to provide much-needed entertainment to their fans and curtail the loss of billions of dollars, they created a safe haven called the “Bubble” for their players to continue their basketball season.

It was a great success that I personally enjoyed watching immensely.

We as people have to be willing to control the things that are within our control and seek creative solutions to stay afloat even if it requires us to pivot into something different.

(Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached at 412-216-1013 or visit his website @ www.damonmoneycoach.com.)

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Rep. Clyburn concerned about safety of VP-elect Kamala Harris

by Dr. Barbara Reynolds For New Pittsburgh Courier

(TriceEdneyWire.com)— Amidst post-election strife that has reached historic levels, U. S. Rep. James Clyburn, (S.C.) says he is deeply concerned about the safety of President Elect Joe Biden and even more so Vice President Elect Kamala Harris.

“We have to be more concerned about Harris than any of the other vice presidents in our nation’s history,” Clyburn said during a Zoom conference with journalist Richard Prince’s Journal-isms Roundtable. “That Kamala is

the first woman and the first Black vice president is an issue that cannot be avoided.”

The question, posed by this reporter, was in response to reports that Biden is expected to receive Secret Service protection with a new team that is more familiar to him; replacing some agents amid concerns that they may be more politically aligned with outgoing President Donald Trump. Biden’s protection was also heightened after he was elected in the wake of credible threats to both him and Harris. However, it is not clear whether her protection will be strengthened more than usual for a vice presi-

VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT KAMALA HARRIS

dent.

President Obama began receiving unprecedented levels of Secret Service protection as a candidate due to threats on his life. He was reportedly assigned a Secret Service detail at the presidential level a year and a half before his 2008 election.

Secret Service alliances with Trump may be extreme.

For example, some members of Trump’s detail reportedly urged their colleagues not to wear protective masks during trips in order to please Trump, despite the massive numbers of deaths and infections due to Covid 19.

Clyburn’s concerns come at

a time of heightened tensions where thousands of Trump supporters are expected to gather in Washington on January 6 to challenge the Electoral College certification of Biden and Harris as president and vice president.

Trump has encouraged the Proud Boys among other White Supremacists groups to join the protest. Recently, these groups were engaged in violence in the District. This included several knife attacks, arrests and the defacing of Black churches where Black Lives Matter posters were ripped from their buildings.

How high is the cost of prescription drugs?

Antavia Worsham paid with her life

by Hazel Trice Edney For New Pittsburgh Courier

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Antanique Lee-Worsham of Cincinnati, Ohio has a landmark birthday coming up on June 9, 2021. That’s the day she will turn 21 years old. But her landmark birthday is unlike many 21-year-olds who often celebrate it as the legal age to buy alcohol among other symbols of adulthood.

Instead, for Lee-Worsham, turning 21 will be the day she becomes financially responsible for the insulin that keeps her alive. It is the day that her coverage from a program for children with medical handicaps will end—which has paid for her insulin since she was diagnosed at 12 years old as a Type 1 diabetic. This is also the day that she will begin seeking ways to pay for the nearly $500 a month—approximately $6,000 a year—cost for Insulin—because she’s got to have it in order to stay alive.

“It doesn’t really make sense to me,” said the University of Toledo (Ohio) student, who is enrolled in the paralegal studies department. She’s already sounding like the civil rights lawyer or juvenile defense attorney she’s planning to become. “I think we shouldn’t have to pay so much when it’s the only thing that’s keeping us alive. There really should be laws to stop companies from putting these high prices on prescription drugs.”

Antanique knows well the highest price that many have paid when unable to meet the demands of profit-driven pharmaceutical companies.

Only three years ago on April 26, 2017, her 22-year-old sister, Antavia, also a Type 1 diabetic, laid down after a shower and never woke up again.

“Her insulin pin was in her bed, but it was empty,” recalled their mother, Antroinette Worsham, her voice quivering with grief during a telephone interview. “Oh my God I miss my baby so much. I do these interviews because they bring out awareness. But, oh my God. I miss my baby.”

Twelve weeks after Antavia’s death, autopsy results showed, “full blown DKA”, Ms. Worsham recalls. DKA means Diabetic Ketoacidosis. In a nutshell, Ketoacidosis happens when “the body starts breaking down fat at a rate that is much too fast. The liv-

ANTANIQUE WORSHAM, 20, will have to fight for her life once she turns 21 on June 9. That’s when her insulin prescription coverage ends.

It ended for her sister, Antavia, who died three years ago at age 22.

ANTAVIA WORSHAM died on April 26, 2017, at the age of 22. Although she worked two jobs, she had been skipping insulin doses because the cost of the prescription was unaffordable.

er processes the fat into a fuel called ketones, which causes the blood to become acidic,” according to the U. S. National Library of Medicine.

The American Diabetes Association reports that only 1.25 million people in the U. S. are living with Type 1 diabetes. That’s only 5 percent of all diabetics, including the Type 2 variant.

In short, the difference is Type 2 diabetics use medication to help their pancreases produce insulin, but the pancreases of Type 1 diabetics make little or no insulin at all. Insulin is a hormone that helps blood sugar enter the cells in the body where it can be used for energy. Without insulin, blood sugar can’t get into cells and builds up in the bloodstream.

Antavia’s diabetic supplies had been fully covered by the state of Ohio program, Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH), until she went to pick up her prescription one day and learned that she had aged off of the program when she turned 21. That’s the same program that 20-year-old Antanique is in now.

“Prior to that, they paid all of her diabetes care, everything, her insulin, her pins, needles, everything.

Whatever my corporate employers’ insurance didn’t cover, BCMH covered,” Ms. Worsham said.

Until “One day she went to the pharmacy and she said, ‘Mom my medication is $500!’ I said $500.

Why?!”

Somehow, in the midst of her busy life as a single mother of four children working two jobs, she’d missed the explanation that the BCMH coverage

would end when Antavia turned 21.

Although Antavia also worked two jobs—mainly as a security officer for Delta Airlines corporate offices in Downtown Cincinnati—she was still not able to cover the cost of her insulin. Not knowing of other resources, “she would just ration,” Ms. Worsham said. “We knew that she didn’t have enough insulin because she would use her sister’s and her grandpa’s until she couldn’t use it anymore. They couldn’t afford for her to use theirs, so, she basically would just skimp.”

Having missed Antavia’s symptoms of DKA—the fruity breath smell, the shortness of breath, and the excessive thirst—among others, Ms. Worsham is now determined to assure that she “can save Antanique if it ever comes to that point. And here soon, we’re not going to be able to afford it.”

Her determination is clear. Antavia’s death stirred a fire within her mother, a fire that refuses to let her Antanique die and won’t allow her Antavia to have died in vain.

As a part of that battle Ms. Worsham has founded a non-profit organization, T1Diabetes Journey, Inc. to promote awareness. She was invited to speak at a 2019 Congressional hearing in Washington, DC. There, wearing a T-shirt that said, “Patients Over Profit,” she made her case to lawmakers about why they must make new policies to bring down the high costs of prescription drugs.

“Antavia was diagnosed at the age of 16 and only lived six years with this disease due to the high cost of insulin,” she said in her videotaped speech before the U. S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Jan. 29, 2019.

“I’m crying out and asking Congress to review the pharmaceutical price goug-

ANTROINETTE WORSHAM, founder of T1 Diabetes Journey, Inc., being sworn in before testifying before the U. S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform about the high cost of insulin that resulted in the death of her 22-year-old daughter, Antavia. ing…I know there’s rules and there’s regulations and there are policies. But we want to save more lives. It can be done. And you are the people to make it happen.”

The high cost of prescription drugs as an affordable health care issue is quickly growing in prominence as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have begun to delve into the issue. Insulin has risen as a specific example, probably because of the high use of it across the U. S. for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. But it’s also because of the extreme prices. According to the Mayo Clinic, “The most commonly used forms of analog insulin cost 10 times more in the United States than in any other developed country.”

The now late Congressman Elijah Cummings, who chaired the Committee that invited Ms. Worsham to speak, agreed in a strong appeal to his colleagues as he introduced her. He said passionately, “The ongoing escalation of drug prices by drug companies is simply unsustainable. This is a matter, literally, of life and death and we have a duty to act now.”

Despite passion about the issue, no bills have passed both houses of Congress during the two years of the 116th Congress, according to Congressional Bill Status.

Meanwhile Ms.Worsham says she will not give up. “Where are we going with this?” she asks. “People still can’t afford this life-sustaining medication and they’re dying so young. My baby was 22.”

(This article is part 3 of a 4-part series on the impact of high prescription drug costs on consumers made possible through the 2020 West Health and Families USA Media Fellowship.)

Red Sox hire Pittsburgh-area native Bianca Smith SMITH FROM B1

“I love Boston. I wanted to play there. It just hit me that I can’t have my wife and my kids in this area,” he continued.

“There is no way I can do that because I don’t ever want them to go through that, and if they do, I don’t know what I would do, and I would be the angry Black guy, and that wouldn’t be good.”

Hunter’s comments prompted the Red Sox to issue a statement acknowledging his experience.

The team noted that, in 2019, there were seven reported incidents of fans using racial slurs at

Fenway Park.

In 2017, Baltimore Orioles star outfielder Adam Jones said he was on the receiving end of racial slurs at Fenway Park no less than 100 times.

Fans even threw bags of peanuts at him, Jones said.

But the hiring of Smith is barrier-breaking. She joins a list of female professional baseball coaches, including Rachel Balkovec of the New York Yankees, Rachel Folden of the Chicago Cubs, and Christina Whitlock of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Last year, Alyssa Nakken of the San Francisco Giants became the

first on-field female coach in Major League Baseball.

She once served as an intern for the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds.

Smith also played softball at Dartmouth from 2010-12 before working as director of baseball operations at Case Western Reserve University from 2013 to 2017 and as an assistant coach with the University of Dallas in 2018.

“It’s a meaningful,” Crockett said of Smith’s hire. “Meaningful thing for the organization.

(Follow Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent, @ StacyBrownMedia.)

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

JANUARY 6-12, 2021

B3

With Tamir Rice decision, Trump’s justice department once again protects the powerful at the expense of the powerless

Guest Editorial

Happy New Year, finally!

Most people will probably agree that the year 2020 was one heck of a ride, and many will not be sad to see it go.

For some people, it has been one of the most difficult years of their lives. People have experienced multiple deaths in their families, have lost jobs, endured political intrigue, have lost businesses, and have basically been confined to their homes for the most part. Some of those forced to shelter-in-place together have had their relationships challenged.

One of the biggest villains of this past year has been the ravaging of society by the COVID-19 virus. Most people had no idea of the devastation it would bring. Society has been changed in ways that few people, if any, anticipated.

This great country, which the sitting president had vowed to “Make Great Again,” has experienced just the opposite. One reason the virus has wreaked such havoc is connected with the inaction that came from the White House in dealing with it. Initially it was said to be a “hoax.” And then it was eventually revealed that the president knew that it wasn’t a hoax.

It has now been revealed that our government allegedly wanted people to get the virus in order to accelerate “herd immunity” in spite of the fact that the science was not clear that that strategy would work with this virus.

To date, as a result of a lot of factors, including, but not limited to, the recalcitrance of a large segment of the population that has refused to wear masks and to observe social distancing measures, America has experienced over 317,000 deaths.

On some days the fatalities have topped 3,000 incidences. Those of you who remember the September 11 bombing of the World Trade Center may recall that nearly 3,000 people lost their lives during that debacle, which was the worst tragedy that Americans had experienced in recent history on American soil. Now we find ourselves approaching or exceeding that number daily! Today over 17 million Americans have been infected with the virus!

It is certain that when the smoke clears, we will be forced into a great “reset.” We will be forced to learn how to live in a diverse society all over again. This idea will be complicated by the fact that we have a new president-elect, Joe Biden.

But because of the sting of toxicity resulting from dealing with the virus as well as with a president who refuses to concede that he lost his bid for re-election, we are embroiled in a type of chaos not ever experienced by most people alive today. So, in addition to fighting the virus, we have been fighting forces that are attempting to tear America apart at the seams.

Based on the large number of people who are willing to play an active role in deconstructing America that is characteristic of the ongoing Trumpathon, our challenges might get more intense as we face the New Year head on.

Hopefully, there is light at the end of the tunnel, at least as far as the virus is concerned. Two companies have introduced vaccines that show promise. The challenge is that they have been rushed to the market, and there is a distrust of their efficacy and a fear of their potential harm among American citizens, especially Black Americans.

One hopeful bit of information that might help offset the distrust is that the vaccines were not created from scratch. There have been iterations of them around for quite some time, and the current work has had the benefit of building upon past progress. It is being said that both vaccines released so far have been proven to be highly effective.

Now, about the New Year—it must be said that what happens in it will partially depend upon what we do to make it better. Each of us should face 2021 with the resolve to do whatever we can to enhance our lives and health.

It has been said that for every illness there is a cure; we just have to discover it. As we face an uncertain future in the midst of the pandemic, we might take the advice of those sages who, in addition to traditional medicine, utilize effective natural remedies.

This includes, but is not limited to, elderberry, vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D3, turmeric, Echinacea, black seed oil, sea moss, plenty of water, sunlight (when possible), meditation, rest, exercise, leafy green vegetables, and whatever else promotes self-healing.

As we go into the New Year let’s face it with the resolve to ensure new and positive beginnings. With that said, the New Pittsburgh Courier wishes for you and yours a HAPPY NEW YEAR and a HAPPY NEW HEALTHY YOU!!!

(Reprinted from the Chicago Crusader)

Founded 1910

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

Rob Taylor Jr.

Jeff Marion

Office Manager

Managing Editor

Circulation Consultant

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—“Anyone with decent vision can see from the parking-lot video of the shooting that the claim that Loehmann was able to repeatedly warn Tamir warrants incredulity. In less than two seconds, Garmback screeches to a halt in the cold mud, Loehmann pops out of the passenger door, and he fires the shot that eventually killed Tamir. He’d have had to be speaking like one of those speed readers dictating legal disclaimers on radio advertisements.

However, despite that common-sense view of things, Fishman and Reddick reportedly encountered tension within the DOJ. You see, they had to write a memo requesting a grand jury to subpoena documents and testimony from witnesses, and that memo needed approval from a deputy assistant attorney general who works alongside Trump political appointees within the DOJ. And no one responded. … Quite simply, the DOJ let the clock run out on accountability for two cops involved in killing an unarmed Black child.”—Jamil Smith, Rolling Stone The decision not to charge the officers who shot and killed a Black child on sight encapsulates everything that is wrong with the Department of Justice under the current administration. Once again, it has protected the powerful at the expense of the powerless. Once again, it has failed to seek justice for a Black life.

Tamir Rice was a child playing with a toy. It would have taken Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback only a few seconds to ascertain that he posed no threat to anyone.

But they didn’t bother to spend even those few seconds because all they needed to see was the color of Tamir’s skin to decide he was a threat.

They didn’t even bother to stop

Marc H. Morial

To Be Equal their car completely. As Judge Ronald B. Adrine wrote in his ruling that probable cause existed to charge the officers, “This court is thunderstruck by how quickly this event turned deadly … the Zone Car containing Patrol Officers Loehmann and Garmback is still in the process of stopping when Rice is shot.”

The toy gun wasn’t even in Tamir’s hands when the officers shot him.

The video “does not appear to show him making any furtive movement prior to or at the moment he is shot,” Judge Adrine wrote. Tamir’s arms “do not appear to be raised or outstretched.”

A grand jury declined to indict the officers in 2015, calling the killing a “perfect storm of human error, mistakes, and communications by all involved.” However, because grand jury proceedings are shrouded in secrecy it’s unknown what evidence the grand jurors heard or what recommendations the prosecutors made. After a judge granted grand jurors in the Breonna Taylor case permission to speak publicly, the public learned that prosecutors had not given them the opportunity to bring homicide charges against the officers. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron falsely claimed the grand jury “agreed” that the shooting was justified.

The city of Cleveland last year settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed

by Tamir’s family for $6 million.

This brutal year of COVID-19 has seen armed protesters storm state capitols, threatening lawmakers and even menacing police, and not one was harmed. The armed protesters were White.

In Kenosha in August, police nonchalantly allowed accused killer Kyle Rittenhouse, armed with a AR-15 style rifle, to walk by them even as witnesses shouted that he had just shot someone. Rittenhouse is White.

The same week as the Kenosha killings, police in Utah arrested an unharmed Richard Grant Lees after he fired shots at the officers with assault rifle. Lees is White.

Time and again, Black people are considered a threat just for existing, while violent White men are cossetted.

A Justice Department that does not consider Tamir’s death a crime is a Justice Department that has decided that White officers must never be held accountable for taking Black lives, under any circumstances. Among those recently pardoned

by President Trump were a White police officer who unlawfully ordered her police dog to attack people of color; a Border Patrol agent who brutalized a Latino man trying to cross the border; an immigration agent who illegally harassed Latino store owners, and a sheriff who defied a court order to stop racial profiling and who once said it was “an honor” to be compared to the Ku Klux Klan.

It may be too late for the incoming Biden Administration to re-examine this case. But we expect the new Attorney General to be committed to police accountability, and to pursue such cases with a sincere motivation to seek justice for the victims rather than to protect their killers.

SaLisa Berrien: Her journey from reduced lunch recipient to Founder and CEO In her words, SaLisa Berrien began her life’s journey “about a mile behind” from where most others started. Fortunately, as she persevered, she was the beneficiary of critically important mentoring and the opportunity to enroll at the University of Pittsburgh.

While growing up with her parents and four siblings in Bethlehem, PA, Berrien’s father worked at Bethlehem Steel. Their family income was such that the children qualified for the public school’s reduced lunch program. At 15-years-old, when she became a mother, significant others discouraged her from considering college and, instead, urged her to “get a job and take care of her child.” At the same time, Berrien received the unwavering, enthusiastic support of a female high school teacher who, according to Berrien, “believed in me more than I believed in myself. She strongly encouraged me to not only enroll in college but also pursue an engineering program. I didn’t know what an engineer did until she contacted the Allentown City Engineer who permitted me to shadow him for a day and, during the summer, he provided me with an internship.

At 18-years-old, Berrien graduated from William Allen High School.

That year, 1987, happened to be Pitt’s 200th anniversary and, as a first-generation student, she was admitted to Pitt’s School of Engineering. With a significant opportunity provided by the Engineering Impact Program (EIP), she attended summer classes before her first semester began.

During her first day of EIP classes, she arrived with her toddler daughter, learned that her daughter could not be in the classroom, and her father took her child home. Still, after her sophomore year and having moved into a North Oakland apartment, circumstances sometimes required her to take her daughter to her Thermodynamics as well as other classes.

Doing what that point in her life’s journey demanded, she stated, “I did not ask permission, I just showed up with my daughter and the Professor never complained.”

While pursuing her Engineering degree at Pitt, Berrien faced more than her share of microaggressions. One of the most flagrant incidents involved a White male professor who intended to fail her in a required course. Because Berrien had knowledge of how her examination answers compared with those of other students in her study group who had a “B” average,” Berrien took her complaints to Engineering Professor Dr. Karl Lewis who, in turn, contacted me because I handled academic integrity cases for the Provost’s

Jack Daniel

Commentary Office. Dr. Lewis and I arranged for other professors to read Berrien’s examinations and they concluded that she too was doing above aver-

SALISA BERRIEN age work. When these findings were brought to her Professor’s attention, he reluctantly agreed to “give” her a final grade of “C.” After earning her Mechanical Engineering degree from Pitt in 1991, Berrien later earned an Executive MBA from St. Joseph’s University in 1999. As her career blossomed, she worked for several energy related companies, three electric utilities, and four clean tech startup companies. Then she decided to create COI Energy, a digital energy management platform that detects and eliminates energy waste, to address a gap in the energy ecosystem. COI’s current valuation cap is $18 million. Recently, her company won a $500 thousand clean technology competition to help the state of New York achieve its clean energy goals related to fighting climate change.

Through all of her professional successes, Berrien has been a prime example of “lifting as she climbed.”

In 1995, she founded the nonprofit STRIVE which is a STEM leadership development program serving urban and rural youth in Florida and Pennsylvania. STRIVE serves approximately 25 youth at each site on a weekly basis and, since inception, has served over 1000 youth. Her foundation has also given high school

students more than 50 scholarships, ranging from $100 to $5000 dollars, to pursue post-secondary education.

In 2004, Berrien established the Dr. Karl H. Lewis Engineering Impact Alumni Endowed fund which provides a three-year scholarship (sophomore through senior year) to Black engineering students. With the support of fellow alumni, the Endowment has funded four scholarships to date.

In 2019, Berrien was elected to the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees which provided her with yet another opportunity to give back.

Asked to comment about her journey from enrolling at Pitt as a first-generation college student to becoming a member of the Pitt Board of Trustees, Berrien responded, “When I look at my life journey, Pitt was fundamental to my success. The challenges I experienced prepared me for the real world; helped me become a better problem solver; taught me to look deeper into things; and instead of taking ‘no’ for an answer, try to figure out how to overcome barriers. Sure, I experienced my share of obstacles related to being a Black woman but, in the final analysis, my circle of influence helped me ‘turn lemons into lemonade.’

As a Pitt Trustee, it is a tremendous honor to return and serve the very institution that served me so well. I want to be a part of the University’s efforts to advance the academy in ways that enable many more students like me to excel academically and, subsequently, go out into the world and make a difference. That is why, in the memory of Dr. Karl Lewis, I give back to those now trying to ‘make a way out of no way.’ For me, it’s my minimal service to develop assets like others developed in me.”

Finally, I asked Berrien to comment on the beginning of a new year and she replied, “This past year, I learned that the world is truly interconnected. If we don’t do our part to make a difference, then we are contributing to the negative spiral. In 2021, we’re all needed to make positive differences that help get the world back on track.

As difficult as 2020 was for so many, I’ve been blessed beyond measure … in ways I never imagined even while experiencing personal losses from COVID. I am upbeat because my company is playing a major role in creating a better world for our children’s children to breathe easy and thrive. Hence, I end with, ‘to whom much is given, much is required.’

Gone are the days of us waiting on others. We must lead in 2021!”

(Jack L. Daniel is Vice Provost and Professor Emeritus University of Pittsburgh.)

B4 JANUARY 6-12, 2021

We were guinea pigs for the U. S.; It wasn’t just Tuskegee (TriceEdneyWire.com)—People who don’t know Black history have probably heard more about the Tuskegee syphilis “experiment” in the last month than they have in their whole lives. The chattering class has used the debacle of allowing hundreds of Black men live with untreated syphilis to monitor its effects to explain the resistance that many Black Americans have to accepting the COVID vaccination, thus imperiling the possibility of “herd” immunity.

It wasn’t just the men, enticed into the study with the promise of lifetime health care, who suffered. Dozens of wives were also infected because they didn’t know their partners had syphilis. At least nineteen children were born with syphilis because they were untreated. There was no known treatment for syphilis when the study, which was supposed to last just six months, began in 1934. Penicillin was the widely accepted remedy in the late 1940s, but none of the men in the study were offered it. The study is referred to as the “Tuskegee” experiment, but it really needs to be called the United States Public Health Service experiment. Our government initiated and funded this abomination and used Tuskegee as its base for this putrid study.

This was not the first time, though, and it is not likely to be the last when Black bodies were experimented on for white comfort. During enslavement, “doctor” often purchased enslaved people to experiment on them. After Reconstruction, when Black

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary folks died from being overworked, often their relatives were not told of their demise, but nearby medical schools used their bodies to teach medical students about anatomy.

It was legal in thirty-two states to sterilize Black women (and others considered “marginal” without their permission. In Alabama, in 1973, the Reif sisters, aged 12 and 14, were involuntarily sterilized in a federally funded clinic. An Essence magazine writer broke the story with the help of a whistleblower. The offending physician seemed to think the girls were mentally deficient and incapable of caring for the children they had not yet conceived. That was their decision to make, not his.

Between 1929 and 1976, at least 7000 people were sterilized in North Carolina by judicial order. Thousands more were sterilized by order of local judges. The state set aside $10 million in 2014 to pay some of the oppressive state policy victims, but many don’t qualify because they lack documentation. Those sterilized were treated as guinea pigs.

J. Marion Sims, known as the “father of gynecology,” perpetuated some of the more chilling experiments on Black women’s bodies. He performed sterilizations, unnecessary C-sections, and more on Black women and worked on them until he could perfect the technique to use on White women. Sims performed many of the painful operations without anesthesia. In other cases, Black women were given so much mind-numbing morphine that they became addicted. Sims is credited with inventing the specula, a tool routinely used in most gynecological exams.

Actually, he used a spoon, then improved on it, for the examinations. Sims had quite the career, serving for a time as President of the American Medical Association. There was a statue of him in New York’s Central Park and tributes to him all over the country. Blessedly the Central Park statue was taken down in 2018, after several protests.

Why was it there in the first place?

In her book, Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black American from Colonial Times To The Present (Doubleday, 2006), Harriet Washington details the many ways Black bodies were guinea pigs for White experiments.

That’s not all. The Institute of Medicine has documented that Black folk with broken bones are less likely to get pain medication than Whites. And the very recent COVID death of African American physician Dr. Susan Moore, who was denied pain medication and was described as “intimidating” by the medical staff, illustrates how the medical establishment treats too many Black people.

Having said all that, I’ll still be standing in lines soon as my number is called for the COVID vaccination. I prefer the Pfizer vaccination from the research I’ve done, but I’ll take the Moderna if available. Why? I’m over 60, diabetic, and thus at high risk for getting COVID. I want to travel again, get on a plane, and see my mama and my friends. I don’t know about eating out—my culinary skills have improved. But I know that my limited exposure to the world has gotten on my last nerve.

We were their guinea pigs, and the medical establishment has been negligent toward Black people. By now, though, enough White people have had the vaccination that by some wicked irony, they are my guinea pigs. Get the vaccination if you can, medical racism notwithstanding. Black folks are twice as likely to die from COVID as White people. Protect yourself!

(Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author.)

FORUM

The 2020 riots, looking back After the Baltichildren … We more riots in 2015, I J. Pharoah Doss are going to make wrote a piece called: for one long, hot “Baltimore: When summer out here the future looks … Get ready for a back.” I stated the new Black in this following... city!”

Imagine. In 2020 In this case, a a headline reads new movement: —Baltimore: Its imBlack Lives pact five years later.

Matter.

The article retells the story: Black man 2). During the Baltimore riots there died in police custody (Freddie Gray), was national news coverage of a CVS police were suspended, there was store that was looted and burned. The an investigation, riots broke out, the actions of the looters were harshly investigation was completed, the police criticized, but a Black website respondofficers were charged with felonies, and ed with an editorial called: Not Looters, the people of Baltimore cheered.

Liberators: Baltimore Rebels. The Then the article described the past editorial said, “So what, people were five days in 2020 after another Black taking medicine! Pharmaceutical comman was killed by the police in an panies are making millions off the poor American city. Riots erupted during the and could care less about them … I course of a police probe to determine don’t blame them for taking fresh food, whether or not to indict the officers new shoes, clothing, and water. These involved. After several clashes between are the basic needs capitalism refuses protesters/rioters and the police, gunto provide.” The editorial might as well fire was exchanged. The result: protest- have said the death of Freddie Gray ers/rioters and police officers were dead, was used to start a revolt against the a state of emergency was declared, and power structure. the National Guard entered to enforce The 2020 George Floyd riots didn’t a curfew. quite match my 2015 forecast, but the Then the article posed a question: reaction to the police killing of George How did we get to such violence in Floyd by the protesters/rioters and Cor2020? The article pointed out two forporate America was deeply influenced gotten factors from the 2015 Baltimore by the two factors I mentioned. riots.

1). After the killing of George Floyd 1). Similar to the 2014 riots in there was universal condemnation of Ferguson, Mo., the Baltimore riots the police officers involved. That was erupted before the police completed the first time that occurred in 21st centheir investigation and before the tury America. Based on that fact alone, public knew what really happened to no riots should have occurred. But why the victim. Protesters in different cities let a police killing of an unarmed Black showed solidarity with the protesters man go to waste? Especially, after in Baltimore. The rallying cry, as usual, Marilyn Mosby legitimized rioting as a was “No Justice, No Peace.” In record political means to an end. time, Marilyn Mosby, the Black state’s 2). Corporate America was aware attorney, held a press conference to of the fact that the riots were a revolt announce she was charging the officers, against capitalism and not just rage but when she opened the press conferagainst police brutality. Therefore, ence, she announced, “To the people of Corporate America decided to make Baltimore and demonstrators across financial contributions to social jusAmerica, I heard your call for ‘No Justice causes in an effort to pacify the tice, No Peace.’” resistance. George Floyd was killed in Mosby may have been playing to May and by June, Corporate America the crowd, but her statement justified pledged $1.6 billion. rioting as a form of political pressure.

Incidentally, that August, a book was The popularizing of the slogan “No published called: “In Defense of LootJustice, No Peace” can be traced back ing.” The book was described as “a fresh to racial tension in New York City argument for rioting and looting as our during the 1980s. A local New York most powerful tools for dismantling activist told The New York Times, after White supremacy.” he was asked what the slogan meant, The book should have been subtitled: “No peace for all you who dare kill our “When Rioting Becomes a Racket.”

Check It Out

Take a stand against gun violence terrorizing our streets (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Gun Jesse Jackson violence spiked across the country in 2020, the most violent year in decades.

19,000 were killed in shootings, the highest death toll in 20 years (and that does not include gun suicides). Mass shootings—defined as four or more shot in an incident—also rose drastically to over 600. Chicago’s 769 homicides in 2020 were, according to ABC News, “more homicides than in all but one year in more than two decades.”

The 4,033 shooting victims were also drastically higher. The spike in Chicago was echoed in other big cities like Detroit, Washington, D.C., New York and Atlanta and in smaller cities like Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Rockford, Illinois. In all these cities, the victims are disproportionately people of color.

The new year started off where the old ended, with 30 people shot and five killed in Chicago over the holiday weekend. We are killing one another in larger numbers in the midst of the national pandemic. The experts agree on the underlying causes. The COVID-19 economic devastation increased misery, anger, and fear. More and more found themselves under harsh pressure, unable to keep the roof over their heads, get adequate schooling for the young, secure decent health care and adequate food. The pandemic also caused a severe cutback in violence prevention programs, in conflict de-escalation services.

The George Floyd murder and recurrent police violence exacerbated the tensions. And most important of all, of course, is America’s perverse addiction to guns. The year 2020 witnessed record sales of guns across the country.

There are 5 million new gun owners in America. Sensible gun regulations have been blocked at the federal and state level. In too many instances, state legislatures have blocked the efforts of cities to regulate guns.

Guns are not made in Chicago. There are no gun ranges. Guns are brought in across state lines. The result is, frankly, absurd. The ban on assault weapons, weapons designed to kill people in large numbers in warfare, has been repealed.

States across the country allow open carry and camouflaged carry. Protest-

Commentary

ers surrounded the Michigan legislature armed with rifles and guns.

Others threatened and began to plot an armed kidnapping of the governor, protesting her sensible COVID restrictions.

At Donald Trump’s calling, the streets of Washington, D.C., will be filled with protesters, many of them armed. This is yet another example of how a rabid minority—dispensing lots of cash and armies of lobbyists —can spurn the will of the majority.

The majority of Americans want sensible gun control laws.

Now, however, there is a yawning partisan divide with Democrats and Independents supporting stronger gun control and Republican support waning.

With gun violence spiking and political disputes turning into armed confrontations, it is past time for real leadership to step forward. Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, has shown the way. As a presidential candidate, he put forth a sensible comprehensive reform agenda. As a private citizen, he has helped to support groups calling for reform. He understands, more than most, that gun violence takes far more victims than those who die.

It is a major public health crisis, leaving thousands permanently disabled and in need of care. The incoming administration inherits staggering catastrophes that it must address. Surely one of these is the growing gun violence that terrorizes our streets. This administration should push America to make a real choice about gun violence. Do we want to allow more and more violence, to witness political disputes turning into violent exchanges of gunfire? Or will we make a commitment to making our streets safer with police not having to worry about being outgunned by the violent. Banning assault weapons should be a nobrainer.

Cracking down on the shipping of guns across state lines is another. Real investment in violence prevention services must be increased. Our schools should be teaching the practice and praising the courage of nonviolence.

From its endless wars to the spiking gun violence on its streets, America leads the world in violence. This is not a race we want to run or to win. It is time for the majority to be heard.

Sr.

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Glenn Ellis

Commentary COVID-19: A new year with more meaningful resolutions (TriceEdneyWire.com)—According to a new survey from CIT Bank conducted by The Harris Poll, despite the turbulence of 2020, Americans are not turning their backs on making goals for the year ahead. In fact, more Americans are planning to make New Year’s resolutions for 2021 (43 percent) than did so for this year (35 percent).

As we near the end of 2020, many of us are looking to 2021 as a fresh start. Do you have a New Year’s resolution or goal for the new year?

Did you have to put off your 2020 goals because of COVID-19? Has the pandemic given you a new perspective that makes your resolutions—or how you plan to achieve them—different than what you might have done in the past? How have your goals for the future changed in our “new normal”?

After almost the entirety of 2020, we are learning more about COVID-19 every day. Much of what we have learned should factor in each of our list of New Year’s Resolutions. These lessons are relevant for children as well as adults of all ages. While children have been less affected by COVID-19 compared to adults, children can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and some children develop severe illness. By now it should be clear that COVID-19 is an equal opportunity killer.

What we have witnessed and learned from COVID-19 in 2020 should inform us on making New Year’s resolutions that matter, and ones that we should be committed to keeping moving forward. Here are some of the key takeaways: chronic disease and vaccines.

Chronic Diseases: The COVID-19 health crisis has caused massive disruptions in diagnosing and treating people with deadly but preventable diseases, such as diabetes; high blood pressure; obesity, etc.. People with chronic conditions are more vulnerable to catching and dying from COVID-19. In addition, their exposure to risk factors—such as substance abuse, social isolation and unhealthy diets—has dramatically increased during the pandemic.

Because of this insight, it is imperative that all resolutions for the New Year include particular attention to limits or restrictive availability of food supplies, so careful planning on how to maintain a good, consistently healthy diet. Care must also be given to considerations on physical activity and exercise. Regular physical activity helps improve your overall health, fitness, and quality of life. It also helps reduce your risk of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, many types of cancer, depression and anxiety, and dementia.

Finally, a word about chronic conditions and medical care. Pharmacies and community clinics are less able to handle the demands than ever.

Make sure your resolutions include a promise (to yourself) to be as compliant as possible with the treatment plans and/or medications prescribed for your condition(s). Commit to monitoring your blood pressure and/or blood sugar at home on a daily basis. Bottomline? The New Year must find folks with chronic conditions making resolutions around lowering blood pressure and/or blood sugar; reducing BMI; and maintaining a healthy daily calorie intake.

Vaccines: The recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found that 35 percent of Black Americans would probably or definitely not get the vaccine if it was determined to be safe by scientists and widely available for free. Washington Post columnist Michele Norris captured the essence of this phenomenon. “Vaccine hesitancy from Black Americans is different from an “anti-vaxxer” stance. It’s not that Black Americans don’t believe in vaccines. They don’t trust a public health system that has in too many cases engaged in grievous harm by experimenting on Black bodies without consent or ignoring the specific needs of Black people.

What’s the solution for your resolution? Information is the best medicine. Add to your list a determination to improve your health literacy.

Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions.

Do you have any questions related to the coronavirus vaccine? Do the vaccines protect against both severe and mild illness? Can the vaccines stop virus transmission? How long will the vaccines be protective? Most of us won’t have access to the vaccine anytime soon. Some of the “experts” are saying that by Memorial Day, end of June, any Americans who want a vaccine will have their hands on a vaccine. Use the time wisely and find out all you can about vaccines. If improving your health literacy is one of your New Year’s resolutions, whatever you decide about taking the vaccine will not be based on fear and suspicion.

In closing, let me remind us that at the heart of our New Year’s resolutions should be ample opportunity on us to work on our humanity. We see suffering and hardship brought on by the pandemic, all around us. Almost overnight we’ve become more and more, a nation of have’s and have nots. There’s a lot of distress out there: If we can set goals that aim to help others, those kinds of goals will, in turn, also add to our own well-being.

Think about the ways in which you can contribute to your family, your community, and to the world.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one, Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

(The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. I do not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a replacement form of treatment for physical, mental or medical problems by your doctor either directly or indirectly. Glenn Ellis, MPH is a Visiting Scholar at The National Bioethics Center at Tuskegee University and a Harvard Medical School Fellow in Research Bioethics and Writing. He is author of Which Doctor? and Information is the Best Medicine. Ellis is an active media contributor on Health Equity and Medical Ethics. For more good health information visit: www.glennellis.com)

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PITTSBURGH CBO COLLABORATIVE BOOKKEEPER (PT) Seeking accurate, detail-oriented bookkeeper to split time across two non-profits. $21.63/hr, 12 hrs/wk.

Job description at www.LUnited.org/bookkeeper.

Apply by 1/13/2021.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY Notice of Annual Meeting Notice is hereby given that the 2021 annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Allegheny County Housing Authority will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 15, 2021. The meeting will be preceded with a meeting of the Finance and Audit Committee at 9:15 a.m., followed by the Board’s review of the agenda and other general matters at 9:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend these meetings.

Notice of Regular Meetings Notice is hereby given of the regular monthly meetings of the Board of Directors of the Allegheny County Housing Authority for calendar year 2021: February 19, 2021 March 19, 2021 April 16, 2021 May 21, 2021 June 18, 2021 July 16, 2021 September 17, 2021 October 15, 2021 November 19, 2021 December 17, 2021 The regular meetings will be preceded with a meeting of the Finance & Audi Committee at 9:15 a.m., followed by the Board’s review of the agenda and other general matters at 9:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend these meetings.

Meeting Procedures due to COVID-19 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant state and local mitigation and restriction measures, the regularly scheduled and advertised Board and committee meetings of the Allegheny County Housing Authority will be modified to take place virtually on the dates and times as scheduled, and NOT at the Authority’s Central Office located at 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA, 15136, which is physically closed to the public.

The public is encouraged to participate in these meetings in the following way: 1.Comments or requests on Board agenda items may be submitted via email at dbreitenstein@achsng.com no later than 2 days before a scheduled meeting.

2. The meetings will be held via ZOOM and the public is encouraged to attend and join the meetings.

Meeting log-in information will be available on the Authority’s website at https://www.achsng.com. The virtual access will be open five minutes before the start of a meeting.

Meetings will be to conduct essential business only and may proceed in a modified manner with attendees participating remotely through electronic means. The Agenda for Board meetings will be posted on the Authority’s website 2 days before a scheduled meeting. All virtual meetings will be recorded and posted to the Authority’s website for one month following the meeting. The ACHA will continue to post meeting Minutes on its website at http://www.achsng.com/ABOUT/ PUBLICDOCUMENTS

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION COORDINATOR. The Steel Valley School District seeks a dynamic leader to fill the newly created position of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator.

The successful candidate must possess a strong set of complementary skills in order to effect the changes needed for historically disadvantaged student groups.

The full job description can be found on our website at: https:/steelvalleysd. org/district/employment-postings.

Applicants should submit Letter of Interest, PA Standard Application, Resume, References, Transcripts, Current Act 34, Act 151 and Act 114 clearances and Salary Requirements to: hrsupport@steelvalleysd.org

by January 15, 2021. EOE SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT CLASSROOM PARAEDUCATOR Complete job description is available at: www.southfayette.org Please e-mail your application to SFAPPLY@Southfayette.org Place in the subject line Last name, first name, position Deadline: 4:00 P.M., January 8, 2021, or until position is filled EOE LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of MR. EUGENE NICOLETTI, Deceased of 4627 Elizabeth Street, Coraopolis, PA, 15108, Estate No. 02-20-0015, Mr. Robert Lockerbie, 4627 Elizabeth Street, Coraopolis, PA 15108, Administrator, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Offices of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of MS. MARY DAUGHERTY, Deceased of 1220 1st Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108, Estate No. 02-20-06688, Mr. Brian Daugherty, 315 Elkwood Drive, Moon Township, PA 15108, Executor, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Offices of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of MICHELE S. LANDIS A/K/A MICHELE LANDIS, Deceased of Upper St. Clair, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-20-06638, Julie Lee Capane, Executor, 1807 Tilton Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15241 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of MS. ALICE QUINN, Deceased of 5501 Jane Street, PIttsburgh, PA 15225, Estate No. 0220-06338, Ms. Mary Alice Knause, Executrix, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Offices of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of MR. RALPH DANIEL DELTONDO , Deceased of 43 Gordon Street, McKees Rocks, PA 15136, Estate No. 02-20-02417. Ms Suzan Schanin, Executrix, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Offices of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of LINDA T. LOTH , Deceased of Moon Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-20-06690. Matthew A. Haag, Executor, 3002 Fallbrook Drive, Coraopolis, PA 15108 or to S. Jeffery Haag, Executor, 512 Scott Lane Venetia, PA 15367 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017

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OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on January 25, 2021, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for: Various Schools Wireless and Switching Equipment / Related Services Low Voltage / Network Primes and Vendors All proposers must email David Moore at dmoore1@pghschools.org in advance of downloading the documentation in order to be added to mailing list for communication regarding this RFP. This will ensure that each proposer is notified of any changes or clarifications made with regards to the documentation.

The documentation for the Request for Proposal (RFP) will be available for download at: https://www.pghschools.org/ Page/50 Filename: “Network Switch and Wireless Equipment RFP” Details for the proposal and submission requirements are described in the RFP.

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HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) FOR 412 BLVD OF THE ALLIES OFFICE BUILD OUT, AMP-PA0010000099 HACP IFB NO. 600-01-21 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH will receive sealed bids for the 412 Blvd of the Allies Office Build Out – PA0010000099 The construction work is estimated to begin in April of 2021.

Bid Documents will be available on or about Monday, January 4, 2021 and may be obtained from the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s webpage, www.hacp.org. Bidders may register on the website and download the bid documents free of charge. Electronic versions of the Bid Documents, including bid forms, project manual, and drawings can be picked up in person, (by appointment) Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Steve Graziani, Project Manager 724-651-7169 A Pre-Bid Conference and Site Visit will be held on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.: Basement Conference Room 412 Blvd of the Allies Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (Meet in Lobby) Bidders shall come prepared to review all aspects of the construction site necessary to prepare a bid.

Bids will be received at: HACP Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Attn: Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement until 10:00 a.m. February 18, 2021 at which time and place all bids will be received.

HACP will also accept online submissions for this Invitation for Bid in addition to accepting submissions at our 100 Ross Street office. For respondents wishing to submit online, please access the instructions provided in the project manual to submit the bid digitally. In addition to the electronic submittal above, The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the bid opening time of 10:00 AM on February 18, 2021 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. All bids must be received at the above address no later than February 18, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., regardless of the selected delivery mechanism. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH reserves the right to waive any informality in, or reject any and all bids. No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the opening of bids without the consent of the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally Assisted Construction Contracts. The Contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sexual preference, handicap or national origin.

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

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH STRONGLY ENCOURAGES CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement at (412) 4565116 Opt 1.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR ELECTROSTATIC CLEANING AND DISINFECTION OF HACP PROPERTIES IFB #250-02-21 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Electrostatic Cleaning and Disinfection of HACP Properties The documents will be available no later than January 4, 2021 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 A.M. on January 26, 2021.

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the bid opening time of 10:00 AM on January 26, 2021 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HCP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS 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 in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org.

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.

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

To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128 or 129

Questions or inquires should be directed to: Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre-bid meeting will be held via call in; on January 14, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. Please see call in information below: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 916 5857 4126 Passcode: 676027 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

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

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH

HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

ADVERTISEMENT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY Sealed bid proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 on the following: BID PROPOSAL NO. 1080 – Student Services Room Renovations – Allegheny Campus A virtual pre-bid meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 14, 2021. Send your request to attend the Zoom meeting to Mike Cvetic at mcvetic@ccac.edu.

Due date: 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Thursday, January 28, 2021.

Any proposals received after this deadline will be considered as a “late bid” and will be returned unopened to the offerer.

Proposals may require Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds, and Surety as dictated by the specifications.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

The Community College of Allegheny County is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/ Disadvantaged owned businesses.

Support the publication that is ALWAYS focused on Pittsburgh’s African American community.

Subscribe to the Courier today by calling 412-481-8302, ext. 136 America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219

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ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA DECEMBER 30, 2020 The Office of the County Controller of Allegheny County, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Contract Awards Room; 7th Floor; Commonwealth Keystone Building; 400 North Street; Harrisburg, PA 17120 will receive bids through ECMS or a diskette delivered to the aforementioned address until 11:00 A.M. prevailing local time, Thursday, January 28, 2021. Bids will be opened through ECMS at approximately 11:00 A.M. and can be viewed publicly in the Contract Awards Room, for the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS SOUTH 10th STREET BRIDGE DEHUMIDIFICATION SYSTEM MAINTENANCE ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNTY PROJECT NO. MA11-3513 MPMS NO.: 114243 THIS PROJECT WILL BE BID THROUGH PENNDOT ECMS As a prospective bidder, please note the following general Project data regarding: Pre Bid Information, Bidding Requirements, and Contract Conditions. See the Project Manual and Drawings (Proposal Report) for detailed information, responsibilities and instructions.

PRE-BID INFORMATION: View the Project Manual and Drawings (Proposal Report) on the PennDOT ECMS website (http://www.dot14.state.pa.us/ECMS) or in Room 504, County Office Building, 542 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

BIDDING REQUIREMENTS: THIS PROJECT REQUIRES PREQUALIFICATION OF BIDDERS, INCLUDING SUBCONTRACTORS, AS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 102.01 OF COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SPECIFICATIONS (PUBLICATION 408/2016, CURRENT EDITION) ON THIS PROJECT. ALL QUESTIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH ECMS AND IF NEEDED ADDENDA WILL BE ISSUED ELECTRONICALLY. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE PROPOSAL REPORT WHICH CAN BE VIEWED THROUGH ECMS. SUBMIT YOUR BID USING ECMS OR MAIL A DISKETTE TO THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, CONTRACTS AWARD ROOM. CONTRACT CONDITIONS: U.S. Department of Labor minimum salaries and wages apply to this Project.

The County Manager reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

The anticipated Notice-to-Proceed for this project is April 28, 2021 and the project is to be completed by April 27, 2024.

The County of Allegheny, in accordance with the Davis Bacon Act and other Federal Labor Standards Provisions; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Offi e o t e e retar , art 21 on dis rimination in ederall assisted programs of the County of Allegheny issued pursuant to such Act; Executive Order 11246; Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968; Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974; and Executive Order 11625 (Utilization of Minority Business Enterprises), hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract pursuant to this advertisement, the County will afford disadvantaged business enterprises full opportunity to submit bids in VINCE WILLIAMS and the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cleveland Browns in the opening round of the NFL playoffs, Sunday, response to this invitation and the County will not discriminate against dis- Jan. 10, at 8:15 p.m. on WPXI-TV (Channel 11). (Photos by Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers) advantaged business enterprises on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. It is a condition of the bidding process/ contract that responsive bidders/contractors shall follow the disadvantaged business enterprise procedures in the Bidding and Contracting Documents.

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Chelsa Wagner CONTROLLER COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY

Steelers begin quest for seventh Super Bowl title, as playoffs begin this weekend

Let Big Ben play his game if the Steelers are to beat the Browns The Pittsburgh Steelers just wrapped up a 12-4 season, winning the AFC North and earning the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs, which begin this Saturday, Jan. 9. As such, the Steelers will host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday night, Jan. 10, in a rematch of the season finale won by the Browns, 24-22.

The Browns are a much-improved team and are capable of beating the Steelers if they bring their “A” game. But the Steelers and their millions of fans must be feeling pretty good about the recent loss to the Browns considering the Browns were playing for their playoff lives and the Steelers essentially rolled out their JV squad.

After beating Cleveland, 38-7, in their first matchup and barely losing in their second tilt, Pittsburgh gets to host the third and most important game between these old rivals for the right to move into round two of the playoffs.

It won’t be an easy game. The Browns have a very solid offense, one that produced 2,374 rushing yards, led by Nick Chubb’s 1,067 yards and Kareem Hunt’s 841. It will be the primary focus of the Steelers defense to stop both Chubb and Hunt at the line, meaning the likes of Tyson Alualu, Vince Williams and Avery Williamson need to plug holes and pressure the Browns’ offensive line early and often. If the Steelers are able to stuff the run, or at least neutralize it, they can take away the Browns’ play-action and force the ball into quarterback Baker Mayfield’s hands.

Mayfield is a solid quarterback and had a strong 2020 campaign. He threw for over 3,500 yards and 26 touchdown passes to only eight interceptions, but he can be forced into bad throws and mistakes. The Steelers, who led the league with 56 sacks, tallied eight of those sacks

against Mayfield in the two games they faced against him this season, accounting for 31 percent of the sacks on Mayfield all season. Rushing linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith from the edge while bringing pressure (the Steelers led the league with a 33.8 percent pressure rate) with Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt will be the key to success against Mayfield. He’s a nimble athlete and can scramble a bit, but if the Steelers can keep him in the pocket, they’ll be able to put him on the ground and

Commentary

Mike Pelaia keep him from hitting Jarvis Landry down the side for any big plays. I look for the defense to add another four sacks this Sunday and really keep the Browns offense on edge all game long.

Offensively, I’m looking for Ben Roethlisberger to take over. He’s played in several big games in his career and the pressure shouldn’t get to him. I fully believe the team needs to run more no-huddle offense this Sunday and keep the Browns defense on their toes. Roethlisberger completed 65 percent of his passes this season with most being thrown for short-yardage plays, but he proved

against the Colts in the second half of the game a few weeks ago that he’s indeed still capable of throwing deep.

Offensive Coordinator Randy Fichtner needs to let Ben play his brand of football; otherwise this team will exit early.

Pittsburgh needs to take advantage of rookie Chase Claypool, who is a great jump-ball and deep-ball threat, along with Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster, obviously. But I firmly believe they must try to establish the run to set up play-action. The Steelers are far more effective passing the ball when they show some threat running it. James Conner needs to get the ball 20-25 times and average four yards per carry or more to really help elevate the Steelers offense. On top of that, mixing in Anthony McFarland with his quick burst of speed would be a nice addition to the offense, but perhaps most importantly, I would really like to see the offense sprinkle in some Josh Dobbs plays. Against the Browns on Jan. 3, Dobbs was able to effectively move the ball on a few plays and I believe he brings another element to the offense with his legs that neither Roethlisberger nor Mason Rudolph can.

Lastly, the Steelers must keep Myles Garrett away from Roethlisberger. Garrett is a fantastic pass-rusher and is no easy task to stop. Pittsburgh may want to consider bringing in extra help to chip him or add another man to block him, he’s that good.

If the Steelers can stuff the run, contain Mayfield, set up play-action and run the no-huddle offense, they will make quick work of Cleveland on Sunday night, Jan. 10, and advance to the divisional round of the playoffs. I think that is exactly what will happen with a Steelers victory of 30-17.

Is the Steelers defense up for the challenge?

The 2020 NFL postseason begins this weekend. The Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday night, Jan. 10, at 8:15 p.m. The Browns earned a playoff spot at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland barely squeezing by the Steelers, 24-22, last weekend. Although the Steelers rested several key offensive and defensive starters, namely quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and possible NFL Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker T.J. Watt, the Browns ended up only three points away from filling positions as couch potatoes for this year’s playoffs.

Inside Conditions

Aubrey Bruce The upcoming rematch between Pittsburgh and Cleveland may come down to several elements: quarterback play, defensive line performance, the Browns running game and time of possession. Normally, most prognosticators (including me) would give the advantage of projected quarterback performance to the seasoned Ben Roethlisberger. However, these are not normal times because the pass- and run-blocking of the Steelers’ offensive line has been substandard (that’s putting it mildly) for the majority of the 2020 season. They are less than stellar as pass blockers and more horrible run blockers. The only reason that Ben Roethlisberger has avoided many possible

sacks for losses is because he gets rid of the ball quickly.

However, there are a few negative situations that may result of that quick release. First and foremost, it may be almost impossible to do a three-read progression on passing downs because of that quick release. Also, the Browns’ defensive backs may have a faster reaction time based on those quick throws. Second, underthrows, overthrows, and just plain missed throws may be the result of rushed passes because of Roethlisberger’s lack of mobility. If there is a critical third-and-long that must be made at a crucial time and none of the Steelers’ wide receivers can get open, then based on his lack of mobility, there

may be only four possible outcomes: punt, incompletion, sack or pick. Expecting Roethlisberger to convert a thirdand-long by running the ball may be wishful thinking.

Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield can extend a pass play, run for a first down, or throw the ball away. Most important, he has two Pro Bowl-caliber running backs, Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb, along with a mean, nasty, big-bodied, zip code-sized offensive line that regularly opens freeway-sized holes for the aforementioned backs to zip through, oftentimes with minimum contact. There is no comparison when the Browns’ offensive line is compared with the Steelers’ offensive line.

As far as the defenses of both teams are concerned, the Steelers have lost a few key players to injury but they continue to be better than the Browns’ “D.” If the Steelers keep pressure on Baker Mayfield and Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler makes sure that a spy is assigned to Mayfield to limit him from running around improvising and extending plays, then defensively it may be advantage Steelers. The Steelers must stop or limit the running attack of the Browns to decrease their time of possession, as well as limiting their first downs, which gets the Pittsburgh defense off the field. When the Steelers defense is on the field too long, they begin to stand around the line of scrimmage with their hands on their hips, obviously indicating that fatigue has set in. Pittsburgh cannot allow the Browns’ running game to gouge them for multiple first downs, tiring them out, because if they do, the fourth quarter will be a moot point…you dig.

Let’s hope that Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense doesn’t commit multiple turnovers or drop multiple passes, putting more pressure on their defense to bail them out. As far as time of possession is concerned, if the Steelers defense does not spend more than 30 minutes on the field, the men of steel will prevail. My prediction: Steelers 24-17.