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Remembering Colin Powell, who died, Oct. 18, at age 84 Page A6

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Carlos T. Carter named new President and CEO of Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Succeeds transcendent leader Esther L. Bush

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Carlos T. Carter, a family man, married with three sons, and a longtime member of Macedonia Church of Pittsburgh in the Hill District, said he was truly called to lead one of the most important and impactful organizations in the region.

On Nov. 10, the Pittsburgh-born-and-raised Carter will begin his new role as President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, the Courier has learned. His final day in his current role as executive director of the Homeless Children's Education Fund (HCEF) is Nov. 3.

In an exclusive interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier, Oct. 19, Carter said leaving his post at HCEF was "very difficult and emotional. We've built something here that's quite amazing. But I know that it will continue. I just feel like the call for Black Pittsburgh is an even greater call that I have to leave my comfort zone and step up and be part of the

process."

Carter added: "I felt called to this position."

Carter's unwavering passion for helping underserved children and families helped push HCEF to new heights over his five years as executive director. Those on the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh's Board of Directors

COURIER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW surely noticed Carter's drive.

“On behalf of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Board of Directors, I am pleased to welcome Carlos," Alan Trivilino, the board's chair, said in a release. "His experience, expertise and proven leadership will help the Urban League continue to drive its mission forward for the benefit of all stakeholders.”

During the exclusive in-

terview with the Courier, Carter was proud of his Pittsburgh-area roots. He first grew up in Duquesne, in the former Cochrandale projects. His family then later moved to the Wilkinsburg/Homewood area. He recalled his days going to Gladstone Middle School, in Hazelwood (now closed), and his days as a Commodore, graduating from Perry High School, on the North Side.

Carter then earned an associate's degree from Community College of Allegheny County, a bachelor's in business administration from Pitt, and an MBA from Robert Morris University. Prior to his role as executive director at HCEF, Carter was a consultant for Holy Family Institute/Holy Family Academy (now Nazareth Prep).

Carter is a former New Pittsburgh Courier "Man of Excellence" recipient (2011), and was selected as a Prestigious 2019 Lead Now Pittsburgh Fellow by Leadership Pittsburgh.

SEE CARTER A3

CARLOS T. CARTER (PHOTO BY LINDSAY B. GARVIN)

Michele Newell leaving WPXI-TV for top station in Atlanta

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with working in retail, such as being a cashier at Burlington Coat Factory.

But Michele Newell had other aspirations. Like bringing impactful news reports to her hometown viewers on Channel 11, also known as WPXI-TV.

The glitz and glamour that comes with being on television daily in Pittsburgh comes with it a cer-

COURIER EXCLUSIVE tain aura around town.

You’re constantly spotted in the local grocery store,

kids and adults alike asking for a “selfie.” Or, you could be hosting events at some of the finest hotels in town. And the money from being on TV and hosting events isn’t too shabby, either.

Let’s face it. If you’re on TV, you’re a celebrity. Michele Newell is that, one of the few African American faces on Pittsburgh television for nearly four years,

reporting and anchoring the news, and getting exclusive stories that other stations in town wish they had.

Now, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Newell will join the major-market ranks, leaving Pittsburgh, the 23rd-largest TV market, for Atlanta, the 8th-largest TV marSEE NEWELL A3

PITTSBURGH’S FUTURE BLACK EXECUTIVES

MICHELE NEWELL

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JESSICA MITCHELL, center, was one of 28 members of the latest cohort to graduate from The Advanced Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Academy, Sept. 18. Also pictured are Marsha Jones, chief diversity officer, PNC, and Evan Frazier, president and CEO of TALI. For the story and more photos, see Pages A4-5.

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Steelers’ bye week allows time for team to fix glaring issues

STEELERS HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN speaks with his defensive team, including Minkah Fitzpatrick, left, and Joe Schobert, right (93). The Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, 23-20, on Oct. 17. (Photos by Courier photographer Brian Cook Sr.) After six weeks of play, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves sitting on a 3-3 record as they head into their bye week. It’s not an ideal record, but one they’ll gladly take after their putrid 1-3 start.

Prior to the season, I predicted the Steelers would finish the year 11-6 and contend for the division crown. Within that prediction, I believed they would be 4-2 at this point of the season, with a possibility of being 3-3. That 11-6 record is still achievable, albeit unlikely.

This team, despite the two-game winning streak,

and yell all they want, but he’s not the problem. He’s not the same as he once was, but he is far from the main issue that this team needs to fix over the offweek.

Roethlisberger has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,515 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s only thrown four picks. No, those are not gaudy numbers like Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers can put up, but they are efficient and manageable. (As a side note, can we all please stop with the Rodgers-to-Pittsburgh talk. Maybe it will happen, maybe it won’t,

Commentary

Mike Pelaia is missing the “it” factor right now. They have holes they need to plug, quickly.

Many are screaming and yelling at anyone who will listen that the biggest hole on the team is Ben Roethlisberger. They can scream

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but save it for the off-season fodder.)

But what Roethlisberger is doing isn’t atrocious. He’s playing within the confines of what he has around him.

The team averages 323 yards per game, which is ranked a mere 23rd in the league. They are 17th in passing with 242 yards per game and a lousy 29th in rushing with a dismal 81 yards per game.

Before I dig deeper, I will absolve Najee Harris from

being a part of any of the offensive issues. He’s been a fantastic player and will only get better as the season progresses. My one concern with him is that he has absolutely no help behind him. If he can’t take a breather, he’s going to be run into the ground and worn out by season’s end. Someone needs to step up. I’m looking to Anthony McFarland to be that guy, upon his return.

But the real problem right now is the offensive line. Yep, the line. And we all should have seen this coming. They are young and inexperienced; what more could we have expected? Zach Banner is going to be back soon and while some think he may help the line, I don’t. He hasn’t shown me anything in the extremely limited amount of time he’s been on the field that suggests he’ll bring some measurable improvement to that unit.

They need reps, schematics, and a bit of luck to get better over the bye. I also think they may need to sign a veteran to bolster the depth of this unit. As a result of their youth and inexperience, they have contributed to an offense only averaging 19.5 points per game, 25th in the league.

You cannot win many ballgames when you aren’t scoring over 20 points per game. Just take a look at the teams that rank behind them in this category

STEELERS RUNNING BACK NAJEE HARRIS for further proof—Jacksonville, the New York Giants, Detroit, Miami, Chicago, Houston and the New York Jets. Enough said.

For that scoring average to come up, I’m looking for Matt Canada to find a way to get Pat Friermuth and Chase Claypool more involved moving forward.

They are and should be red-zone threats and Claypool, in particular, needs to win more jump-ball situations. If the line can give Ben more than 2.3 seconds

to throw, involving these guys will be significantly easier.

But not all the issues fall on offense. The defense has a few of their own. T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward are fantastic and can carry the team but they need help.

If and when Stephon Tuitt returns, the defensive line will get a huge boost.

Without him, a unit that should be ranked in the top five overall, ranks 13th, allowing 352 yards per game.

They are 9th in rushing

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THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME—From right: Bill Cowher, Troy Polamalu, Alan Faneca and Donnie Shell. Also pictured is Cydney Nunn, second from left, the granddaughter of the late Bill Nunn, the famed Courier sportswriter who became an outstanding scout for the Steelers. Bill Nunn was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

defense at 107 yards per game and 16th in passing at 244. All of this combined contributes to them allowing 22 points per game, good for 12th in the league.

As stated earlier, the offense only scores 19.5 points per game, so something has to give somewhere.

The team isn’t getting many sacks, aside from Watt’s seven. They aren’t creating turnovers and they appear to be vulnerable in the secondary with Minkah Fitzpatrick not showing his full potential yet this season and Terrell Edmunds being an average player. The main issue in the secondary is the depth.

Joe Haden and Cam Sutton are fine players but they can’t take a play, let alone a game, off because the rest of the unit gets thrashed. I think it would have behooved the front office to keep Steven Nelson here for another season.

Even with the apparent issues this defense may have, I do trust them overall. I think they are the heart of this team and will be the reason the Steelers can make a run towards the playoffs and approach a winning record down the stretch.

It won’t be an easy final 11 games, but if the Steelers can use the bye week to fix a few issues and get healthy, they have some winnable games coming up that will allow them to play meaningful games in December and January.

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Michele Newell leaving WPXI-TV for top station in Atlanta NEWELL FROM A1

ket. She’s been hired as a reporter for WSB-TV (2) in Atlanta, by far the top local station in the market. It’s a sister-station to WPXI in Pittsburgh; both are owned by Apollo/Cox Media, which is based in Atlanta.

Newell’s final day at WPXI is Friday, Oct. 22.

She’ll begin on WSB-TV in November.

Newell, who grew up in Homestead, told the Courier in an exclusive interview, Oct. 16, that she’ll miss her family, friends, and all she’s come to know in Pittsburgh while reporting for WPXI. Atlanta is 685 miles from Pittsburgh, which is about how far it felt for Newell to get into a prominent TV news position while she was stocking shelves at the Burlington Coat Factory in Bethel Park not even a decade ago.

‘IT WASN’T JUST ONE STRAIGHT SHOT’ “When you look at my career, I went through a lot to get to where I am now.

It wasn’t just one straight shot,” Newell told the Courier. After graduating from Penn Hills High School in 2002, she attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in communications media. An internship prior to graduation landed her at Cornerstone Television Network, a religious-based entity located in Wall, Pa., a small borough nestled between Wilmerding and Trafford.

Cornerstone was her first professional job out of college for the young Newell, working as a producer, reporter, host...pretty much doing everything under the sun. The pay wasn’t that hot, but she had health insurance benefits, etc., so it worked out for six years.

But towards the end of her tenure there, the TV news bug really started to bite her. She started sending out resumes and tapes of her on Cornerstone to news outlets—none would hire her. The news outlets, from as large as Philadelphia to as small as Steubenville, wanted to hire people who had actual news or sports experience.

‘I HAD TO START OVER’ In effect, Newell said, her career had to start over if she wanted TV news as a career. In November 2012, she started to work on-air for a weekly sports show called “Championship Chase,” which aired weekends on the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel, a subsidiary of WPXI. Championship Chase was classified as paid programming and its hosts/reporters were not WPXI or PCNC employees.

Newell then worked on an Internet-based program, called “The Lamarr Woodley Show,” featuring the former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker.

What really got the ball rolling in news, however, was Newell being hired part-time by KDKA Radio as a board operator/ producer in April 2013.

She decided to leave Cornerstone, its full-time pay and its health benefits, for a part-time position at KDKA Radio that she believed would put her on her more-destined career path.

“I really think (P.J. Kumanchik, KDKA Radio news director) hired me as a part-timer because he knew how hungry I was to just get a news gig,” Newell told the Courier. “I think P.J. really saw in me just the passion and the dedication and I just needed a chance, I just needed someone to give me a chance, and P.J. gave me a chance.”

There, she worked with hosts Robert Mangino and Chris Moore, who further pushed her in the news world—she did research for their shows, concocted show ideas, answered phone calls, etc.

The position at KDKA Radio helped Newell get a position as a part-time writer at KDKA-TV. Remember, both positions were part-time roles; thus, Newell and her mother had extra time to bond— Newell, now nearly 30 years old, had to live with her mother because parttime wasn’t going to pay Pittsburgh’s high rent.

To help supplement her income, Newell took a job in 2013 with Burlington Coat Factory, just a stone’s

throw from South Hills Village.

“I’m at Burlington Coat Factory, and as I’m checking people out, they’re like, ‘don’t you work for Cornerstone TV? You just look so familiar...’ I’m like, ‘yeah, I am no longer there.’ That was absolutely humbling,” Newell told the Courier.

Newell added: “It made me feel like, ‘wow, I used to be on TV and now I’m checking people out (at Burlington) who used to watch me.”

Newell said that her faith in God is “what sustained me. That’s really what gave me strength to get through moments like that.”

FINALLY, AN ON-AIR TV NEWS POSITION COMES CALLING In February 2014, at age 31, Newell’s big break in TV news came calling, albeit in the smallest of places. WTOV-TV (9) in Steubenville, Ohio, hired Newell to be a multi-media journalist. The pay wasn’t that hot, either, so Newell commuted from Pittsburgh to Steubenville, five days a week, to be in TV news.

Yes, that’s about an hour each way when you factor in traffic. She did that for about seven months before getting another big break—WTOV’s sister-station in Columbus, Ohio, WSYX-TV (6), was looking to hire a multi-media journalist, and Newell got the job.

It was in Columbus where she got the true taste of what it was like to be in a sizable market. She had to learn how to write faster, how to shoot video better, and overall, she was in a true competition against other reporters from the CBS (WBNS) and NBC (WCMH) affiliates to get exclusive stories.

By December 2017, Newell, the hometown girl, had returned home. She was hired as a reporter by one of the stations she grew up watching, WPXI-TV. Over the past three and a half years, she’s covered stories such as the Michael Rosfeld not guilty verdict in the death of Antwon Rose, and she was lauded for a two-part series on “Minorities and the Police,” where she interviewed

Carter named new President and CEO of Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh CARTER FROM A1

"Saying yes to this opportunity (at the Urban League) was not an easy decision as my current role at HCEF is the best job that I've ever had," Carter told the Courier. "Moreover, there's a time and season for everything and I am called to take on this next challenge to enable African Americans to achieve economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights. Given the current state of Black Pittsburgh, I cannot ignore this call to action to help make Pittsburgh livable for all."

One can't mention the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh without mentioning Esther L. Bush, the innovative President and CEO of the organization for 27 years, who announced her retirement earlier this year. Trivilino said Bush is leaving "a lasting legacy on the

Urban League, our great city and the many people that she has impacted over the years."

National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial thanked Bush for her "dedication and many contributions over her 40 years at the Urban League."

Bush began with the Urban League in 1980 as assistant director of the Labor Education Advancement Program for the National division in New York City. "She is leaving a lasting impact on our organization and within all of the communities that she has served," Morial added.

Carter told the Courier he "respects the path that she's led, and so I'm walking in the footsteps of a giant and I'm also standing on the shoulders of a community champion."

Thus, when Carter steps into the big chair at the Urban League of

Greater Pittsburgh, he'll be leading a staff of at least 45 to continue making life better for African Americans in this region.

A more prosperous African American community, however, starts with a recognition that the Black community isn't just about the killings, the negativity that's portrayed in the media, Carter said.

"We're a great people, we're resilient people, not only as artists, intellectuals, etc.," Carter told the Courier. "I want to continue to change the narrative while not ignoring the changes that need to happen; but also celebrating Black people and what we bring to the table. We literally built this country on our backs brick-by-brick...we've made great contributions that people need to respect and appreciate."

MICHELE NEWELL, WITH WPXI CHIEF METEROLOGIST STEPHEN CROPPER prominent Black attorneys in Pittsburgh on how men of color can survive being pulled over by police.

The news director who hired Newell at WPXI was Suzanne Nadell. She’s now the news director at WSB. And she’s hired Newell again.

“I know how committed of a journalist she is and how much she loves the city of Pittsburgh,” Nadell told the Courier, Oct. 18. “I look forward to seeing her

passion and commitment once again as I work with her in Atlanta.”

Who knows if Newell, now 37 and an Emmy Award-winner, has ever driven by, ever walked into that Burlington Coat Factory in the South Hills in the past three years now that she’s that easyto-spot TV celebrity. She said that it took a whole bunch of hard work, mentors and prayers to get to where she’s at now. And for

those who, right now, are working in retail or a job they don’t like, Newell said keep the faith, because your time is coming.

“All I was thinking (when I was stocking shelves at Burlington) was, ‘I need to make it,’” Newell told the Courier. “But I was also thinking, ‘wow, this is my reality right now. But I can’t let what I’m doing right now determine how I feel about my future.’”

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MOST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE THIRD COHORT OF GRADUATES FROM THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY...

TALI’s Executive Leadership Academy graduates its third cohort Ongoing effort to educate Black leaders, position them for professional advancement

On Saturday, Sept. 18, The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI) and Carnegie Mellon University were pleased to present 28 cohort members as graduates of the 2021 Executive Leadership Academy, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned.

The Executive Leadership Academy (ELA) is TALI’s signature program and part of an ongoing effort to educate Black leaders and position them for professional advancement. The graduation ceremony was held at Carnegie Mellon University and included a keynote speech by Herman Bulls, Vice Chairman, Americas/JLL Washington.

Other program highlights included an introduction of the speaker by Dr. Diamonte Walker, 2021 ELA Graduate and Deputy Executive Director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority; and cohort reflections by Morton Stanfield, 2021 ELA Graduate and Senior Vice President, Community Development, Dollar Bank. Special recog-

nition was also given to the TALI executive mentors by Tammy Spencer Bay, 2021 ELA Graduate, Regional CoChair of Impact Pittsburgh, and Vice President/Business Tech Liaison, BNY Mellon.

Graduates were welcomed as new TALI alumni By Marlon Ferguson, 2019 ELA Graduate and Regional Director/ SWPA Office of U.S. Senator Bob Casey, and as CMU alumni by Susan Caplan, Ed.D., Director, Executive Education Global Open Enrollment Programs, Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business.

Each year, experienced Black leaders are selected to participate in the Executive Leadership Academy, a seven-month, world-class executive education program through Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. The program provides leadership development training and addresses the specific challenges that Black professionals face in the workplace. Cohort members are also matched with a

TAMMY SPENCER BEY, ERIC BOUGHNER, STEPHANIE MORGAN professional coach and an executive mentor to help them build relationships and maximize their experience.

“I am pleased that we have continued this much-needed effort to prepare Black leaders for advancement in this region; the Executive Leadership Academy allows us to recognize and empower top talent, and this year’s graduates are outstanding examples from our communities,” said Evan Frazier, President and CEO of The Advanced Leadership Institute.

“It is an honor and a privi-

lege to be a part of this movement that seeks to bring our region forward in the advancement of Black leaders.

This year’s graduates are inspiring, and they encourage us that the path forward is bright,” added Marsha Jones, The Advanced Leadership Institute Board Chair and Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at PNC. “At BNY Mellon, we understand the importance of investing in strong talent and this graduating class is an example of the deep tal-

TAMMY SPENCER BEY

ent in Pittsburgh. I’m confident they will continue to do great things for the organizations they serve, and our region,” voiced Eric Boughner, TALI Board Member and Chairman of BNY Mellon Pennsylvania.

The graduates of the third cohort: Dara Ware Allen, PhD – CEO and Principal, City Charter High School; Scott Bartlett – Vice President, Operations, Global Architectural Coatings PPG; Olivia Benson – Chief Operating Officer, The Forbes Funds; Tammy Spencer Bey – Regional Co-Chair of Impact Pittsburgh, Vice President – Business Tech Liaison, BNY Mellon; Kimberly Brevard – Senior Director, Claim Operations, UPMC Health Plan; Michael Crawford – Managing Director Finance & Administration, FedEx Ground; Jameeta Lewis Davis – Director, Customer Care, Big Lots; James E. Doyle, EdD – Chief Operating Officer, Environmental Charter School; Onyeka Egbuna – Chief Audit Executive, Dollar Bank; Darnell Grinage – Director, Environmental Services, UPMC; Rebecca Ross Haywood – Managing Chief Counsel, Government and Regulatory Enforcement Group, PNC; Shelly Hogans – Managing Consultant, Empowerment Financial Advisory Services, Inc.; Rebekah Hughey – MD, Medical Director, Gateway Health; Cynthia L.

James – President & Chief Executive Officer, YouthPlaces, Inc.; Shabaki Lambert – Assistant Vice President, HR Strategic Initiatives, Carnegie Mellon University; Jessica Mitchell – Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Retail Bank, PNC; Stephanie Morgan – Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Director, BNY Mellon; Kimberly Moses – Senior Associate Legal Counsel, University of Pittsburgh; Jennifer Pannill – Head of Recruitment & Employer Branding, Covestro; Thomas Powell – Financial Solution Advisor, Merrill Lynch; Jennifer L. Rice – Director, Dental & Vision Operations, UPMC Health Plan; Albert L. Robertson – Business Systems Manager Koppers, Inc.; Alicia L. Scott – Executive Director, Care Management, Allegheny Health Network; Morton D. Stanfield, Jr. – Senior Vice President, Community Development, Dollar Bank; Jamila Sykes – Director, Provider & Member Experience, Medicare Advantage Claims Audits, Customer Voice Analytics, Highmark Health; Dr. Diamonte Walker – Deputy Executive Director, Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh; Christina Wilds, DrPH – Director, Health Equity and Disparities, Enterprise Equitable Health Institute, Allegheny Health Network; Marisa C. Williams – Chief Executive Officer, HEARTH.

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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY GRADUATE JENNIFER LANISE RICE, center, with Marsha Jones and Evan Frazier.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY GRADUATE JENNIFER PANNILL, center, with Marsha Jones and Evan Frazier.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY GRADUATE THOMAS POWELL, center, with Marsha Jones and Evan Frazier.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY GRADUATE DR. JAMES E. DOYLE, center, with Marsha Jones and Evan Frazier.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY GRADUATE STEPHANIE MORGAN, center, with Marsha Jones and Evan Frazier.

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Colin Powell, the first Black U.S. Secretary of State, dies at age 84 Family says death due to complications from COVID

by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Colin Powell, the first Black U.S. Secretary of State, died on Oct. 18 due to complications from COVID-19, according to his family members.

“General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19,” the former General’s family wrote on Facebook.

“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American,” the family wrote.

They reported that Powell had been fully vaccinated.

Powell became the first Black national security adviser during the end of Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

He also counted as the youngest and first African American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush.

Powell was thrust into

the global spotlight after leading the United States to victory during the Gulf War, with many even considering him as a presidential candidate.

“Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of Colin Powell. He was a great public servant, starting with his time as a soldier during Vietnam.

Many Presidents relied on General Powell’s counsel and experience,” former President George W. Bush stated.

“He was National Security Adviser under President Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under my father and President Clinton, and Secretary of State during my Administration.”

Bush continued: “He was such a favorite of Presidents that he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom – twice. He was highly respected at home and abroad.

“And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man.”

COLIN POWELL “embodied the highest ideals of both warrior and diplomat. He was committed to our nation’s strength and security above all. Having fought in wars, he understood better than anyone that military might alone was not enough to maintain our peace and prosperity,” President Joe Biden said. (Photo: Mark Mahoney / Dream in Color Photography / NNPA) National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., said the Black Press of America will fondly remember General Powell’s contributions.

“We pause to express our profound condolences to the family of The Honorable Colin Powell,” Dr. Chavis remarked. “Secretary Powell was America’s military general and, at the same time, the nation’s conscience as U.S. Secretary of State.”

He continued: “We in the African American community mourn his passing and rededicate ourselves to ensure that the legacy of Colin Powell will live on.”

General Powell had a reputation for generating bipartisan support, being a trusted military adviser, and putting country over party, added Spencer Overton, the president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

“General Powell was a true leader and a man

of many firsts – the first Black U.S. Secretary of State and the youngest officer appointed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Overton reflected.

“We will remember General Powell’s commitment to public service and Black communities. General Powell was a friend of the Joint Center and participated in various events.

“He always remembered where he came from and tried to ensure that opportunities would remain open to others – as evidenced by his support of affirmative action and other programs designed to facilitate economic mobility and the full participation of Americans from all backgrounds.

“His memory will live on as a testament to the importance of working across party lines for Black communities. Our thoughts and prayers go out to General Powell’s entire family, including his wife Alma Powell and son Michael K. Powell, a former FCC Chair, who

served as the initial chair of the Joint Center’s National Advisory Committee of its Media and Technology Institute.”

President Joe Biden remembered Powell as the son of immigrants, born in New York City, raised in Harlem and the South Bronx, and as a graduate of the City College of New York.

Powell believed in the promise of America because he lived it, President Biden asserted, noting that the general devoted much of his life to making that promise a reality for so many others.

“As a Senator, I worked closely with him when he served as National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as Secretary of State.

Over our many years working together – even in disagreement – Colin was always someone who gave you his best and treated you with respect,” the President reflected.

“Colin embodied the highest ideals of both warrior and diplomat.

He was committed to our nation’s strength and security above all. Having fought in wars, he understood better than anyone that military might alone was not enough to maintain our peace and prosperity,” President Biden declared.

“From his front-seat view of history, advising presidents and shaping our nation’s policies, Colin led with his personal commitment to the democratic values that make our country strong. Time and again, he put country before self, before party, before all else – in uniform and out – and it earned him the universal respect of the American people.”

Above all, President Biden said General Powell was a friend.

“I am forever grateful for his support of my candidacy for president and for our shared battle for the soul of the nation...

Colin Powell was a good man. He will be remembered as one of our great Americans.”

Fixed income getting a BIG increase!

Read about it from Damon Carr, the Courier’s personal finance guru, on page B1.

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OCTOBER 20-26, 2021

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Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH 91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Sunday Mass 11 AM effective October 3,2021 Rev. Thomas J. Burke- Pastor Rev. C. Matthew HawkinsParochial Vicar Rev. David H. TaylorSenior Parochial Vicar. www.sbtmparishpgh.com

East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800

Worship in person or Online on Facebook/YouTube www.ELPC.church

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then WE which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Journey Worship..........8:45am Sancutary worship.......11:00 a.m.

Taize -Wednesdays.........7:00 p.m.

REV. WALKER SAYS: Question—are you ready to GO when Jesus comes?

McAULEY MINISTRIES AWARDS 17 NEW GRANTS TOTALING $935,500 Grants support disaster recovery efforts in Pittsburgh, internationally McAuley Ministries, Pittsburgh Mercy’s grant-making foundation, announced 17 new grants awarded totaling $935,500, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned.

The announcement was made Oct. 13.

Marisol Valentin, executive director of McAuley Ministries, noted that through this grant cycle, the foundation sought to provide disaster recovery assistance both locally and internationally. Locally, the investments seek to aid the continuity of initiatives led by community partners as they respond to community needs in this stage of COVID-19 pandemic recovery by providing improved access to food, employment, housing, education, mental health counseling, and other services.

Thirty thousand dollars in emergency disaster relief funds will support recovery efforts following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti’s southern peninsula August 14, which resulted in more than 2,000 deaths and more than 12,000 persons injured. The emergency disaster relief grants were made possible by McAuley Ministries’ emergency grant program, which works to quickly respond to those in need by providing funds to needed agencies. Past grants have supported the recovery efforts of disasters near and far, including persons displaced by the DeRaud Street apartment building fire in the Hill District in August 2019, survivors from the flooding by Hurricane Harvey in Texas in 2017, and communities impacted by the 7.8 magnitude that struck Nepal near Katmandu in 2015.

McAuley Ministries has awarded $85,000 in emergency disaster relief grants since 2015, not including grants totaling $732,500 awarded in 2020 specific to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The West Oakland-based, grant-making foundation awards approximately $3.5 million in grants annually, making it one of the region’s largest philanthropic foundations. View grants awarded by year at www. mcauleyministries.org.

Grouped by grant-making priorities, the recipients of the most recent grants are as follows: Advocacy

Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP): $50,000 to increase voter education, engagement, overall participation, and turn-out of Pittsburgh’s Black communities during elections.

Capacity Building POISE Foundation: $120,000 payable over 3 years to provide operational support.

Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE): $73,000 to continue the Executive Coaching program (Cohort VI), providing coaching experience to African Americans and other people of color who are executive leaders and next level/next-generation leaders Sisters Place Inc.: $105,000 payable over 3 years for operational support.

Community Development Neighborworks of Western Pennsylvania: $50,000 to support the Arriving Home Loan Program, which provides second mortgages and down-payment support to renters seeking to become homeowners in the Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland.

Center that CARES: $35,000 to support the development of a youth and young adult entrepreneurship and workforce training program based at CARES CommuniTEA Cafe, a new community coffee shop in the Hill District.

COVID-19 Phase IV Carlow University: $10,000 in support of the Student Emergency Fund.

Education: Out-of-School Time M-Powerhouse of Greater Pittsburgh: $150,000 payable over 3 years to introduce a drone technology program and STEAM careers at Pittsburgh Milliones University Prep School.

Ozanam Inc.: $60,000 to expand the Hill Legacy Curriculum to include STEM projects reflective of the Hill District’s African American history and leadership.

Small Seeds Development Inc.: $35,000 in continued support of the Mother to Son Program, which provides single mothers and female guardians, their male children (ages 5-18), and their sons’ siblings with emotional support, training, and workshops to

build family self-sufficiency and well-being.

Strong Women, Strong Girls Inc.: $22,500 to support an after-school mentoring program for girls and young women for the purpose of building skills, competence, and confidence in girls attending partner sites in the Hill District.

Venture Outdoors Inc.: $25,000 for the Outdoor Learning Lab program which provides outdoor experiences to youth and families in the Hill District.

Emergency Disaster Relief Functional Literacy Ministry of Haiti (FLM): $10,000 to provide food and basic medical services. Led by long-time Pittsburgh resident Leon D. Pamphile, FLM Haiti operates 70+ adult literacy centers that provide reading, writing, and basic math skills to more than 2,000 residents in 11 communities across Haiti. Many of the FLM centers are located in churches that were demolished in the earthquake.

FLM is actively working to help the churches and its centers recover.

Health Equity International (formerly St. Boniface Hospital): $10,000 to evacuate injured persons from the earthquake zone and provide survivors with 24/7 emergency and surgical care and expand mobile team response to the remote areas hit hardest by the earthquake. The 180-bed hospital in Fond des Blancs provides care and services to more than 130,000 people each year, including persons in need of emergency, trauma, and orthopedic care.

Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) Haiti: $10,000 to evacuate injured persons from the earthquake zone and provide survivors with 24/7 emergency and surgical care. Nearly a decade after the 2010 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) Haiti remains the only 24/7 full-service hospital in Haiti’s Lower Artibonite Valley region. The 131-bed hospital serves more than 350,000, a population the size of Anaheim, Calif.

Health & Wellness Shepherd’s Heart Fellowship and Veterans Home: $150,000 over three years to pilot a new, holistic mental health treatment

program that incorporates healing from spiritual trauma for veterans who are experiencing or are threatened by homelessness.

412 Food Rescue Inc.: $20,000 for outreach and expansion of their food recovery operations in the Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland utilizing a technology platform that connects volunteers to retailers who donate surplus food.

About McAuley Ministries Named in honor of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, McAuley Ministries is the grant-making foundation of Pittsburgh Mercy.

McAuley Ministries serves as a catalyst for change, committing resources and working collaboratively to promote healthy, safe, and vibrant communities.

Grant-making priorities include health and wellness, community and economic development, education, and capacity-building initiatives for nonprofit organizations which focus on the Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland, communities historically served by the Sisters of Mercy. McAuley Ministries also provides support to organizations that are sponsored by and/or affiliated with the Sisters. Since its founding by the Sisters of Mercy in 2008, McAuley Ministries has awarded 850 grants and community support totaling more than $38 million. It awards approximately $3.5 million in grants annually, making it one of the largest phil-

anthropic foundations in Southwestern Pennsylvania. To learn more about McAuley Ministries and the initiatives it supports, visit www.mcauleyministries.org.

About Pittsburgh Mercy Pittsburgh Mercy, a member of Trinity Health, serving in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, is a person-centered, population-based, trauma-informed community health and wellness provider.

Pittsburgh Mercy, home to the region’s only Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) and Integrated Community Wellness Center (ICWC), is also one of the largest nonprofit organizations and employers in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh Mercy includes Bethlehem Haven, McAuley Ministries, Pittsburgh Mercy Behavioral Health, Pittsburgh Mercy Community Health, Pittsburgh Mercy Intellectual Disabilities Services, the Pittsburgh Mercy Parish Nurse & Health Ministry Program, Pittsburgh Mercy’s Operation Safety Net, and Pittsburgh Mercy Family Health Center. Together, these Pittsburgh Mercy programs and their 1,200 colleagues serve more than 33,000 individuals annually at 60+ locations in Southwestern Pennsylvania. To learn more about Pittsburgh Mercy, or to make a donation in support of its important work in the community, visit www.pittsburghmercy.org.

PASTORAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT INVITATION TO INTERESTED CANDIDATES Mt. Olive First Baptist Church of Clairton, Pennsylvania is prayerfully calling a full-time Pastor, called by God who will be the spiritual leader of our congregation and community. We are calling a pastor who has the biblical qualifications as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:17 and Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Peter 5:2-3.

All resumes must be sent by email to mtolivecandidates@gmail.com or mailed to Mt. Olive First Baptist Church at 451 Park Ave. Clairton, Pennsylvania 15025 to the attention of the Pulpit Selection Committee. Phone calls and walk-in/hand-in applications will not be accepted. Please email us if you have any specific questions or concerns. It is our hope and prayer to hear from you as we continue our journey to call a new shepherd to lead the Lord’s flock.

Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community!

For rate information, call 412-4818302, ext. 128. We want to feature positive youth from our Pittsburgh church community. Please mail their bio and photo to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or email us: religion@newpittsburghcourier. com

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

Send info to:

New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh PA 15219

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METRO

A8 OCTOBER 20-26, 2021

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

“BLACKOUT” is the name of this kickball team that plays in the Steel City Kickers league in Pittsburgh.

This kickball is on a ‘Whole ‘Nother Level!’

From the first kick you know that’s true. This kickball is on a “whole ‘nother level!”

Actually, before that, the update is locked in: “This ain’t your Grandma’s kickball!”

Let’s take this back to the beginning…as you know, I can be last to the party… but don’t get that twisted, when I get to the party it’s on! Anyway, my partner

up.

Flash forward to mid2021 and my cousin, Luvenia Dudley, and her daughter, Karmen Chapman, pulled my coat to what was happening. That put the wheels in motion.

Fortunately for me, I made it to the championship game. However, unfortunately, it was in time to see my other cousin Coach Jay Calfee Sr. and his son

Overtime

Bill Neal “Smokin’ Jim” Frazier had to give me a flashback reminder. It was over a year ago when we had the lady kickballers on our sports show, “Champions Live,” down at the Walnut Grill in Fox Chapel. But of course, COVID wiped it from my concussed memory bank.

Needless to say, I was surprised and impressed by it all; and was invited to the games, but I didn’t follow

JJ and their team “Blackout” take one on the “shin” to the eventual champions, “Renegade,” 3-2. It should be noted that Blackout was the league champs.

OK. Now you’re caught up. But hold up…wait a minute! That’s not the whole story. Granted the smell of competition and the sweet taste of victory is what it’s all about. And if you’ll allow me to input,

“RENEGADES” is the name of this kickball team that plays in the Steel City Kickers league in Pittsburgh.

I know something about this kind of competition.

I’m the man that created and operated the nationally recognized Connie Hawkins Pro/AM Summer Basketball League. (I know it’s a shameless plug, but

as my grandfather, Robert Gore, would say, “It’s a poor dog that don’t wag his own tail.”)

When I pulled up, I knew something special was going on because I couldn’t find a parking space… moving forward, it hit me loud and clear. The music, the smell of “our” food, the crowd, the noise, the vendors, the uniforms…man this is the neighborhood doing something good, and in a big way. And most importantly, the family atmosphere was in full effect.

I am told that this fantastic operation was established here in Pittsburgh by the late, great Easha Sheard who passed away much too soon, but it was left to and passed on to the mother/daughter combo of Barbara Moore and Mylia Jackson, and, “The Pittsburgh Way” of how we do it took off!

With the championship run now in the history books, the Steel City Kickers have set their sights on next season.

The new season “kicks”

off June 5. Teams are welcome to register by contacting Ms. Jackson at 412-795-4904 or emailing to steelcitykickers@gmail. com. Teams can range in ages 18 and over, up to 17 players and of course there is a registration fee.

My recommendation…

Lock this in for your summer fun of things to do; you won’t regret it. Who knows, you may even want to kick up your heels and play a little!!!!

NO OTHER MEDIA ENTITY IN PITTSBURGH COVERS OUR COMMUNITY LIKE THE...

New Pittsburgh Courier

From the ‘environment at the moment’ to refund the police

J. Pharoah Doss B4

BUSINESS

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OCTOBER 20-26, 2021

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B

Better safe Be the boss of your own time than sorry

by Sherri Kolade Michigan Chronicle

Why you need a solid document retention policy

by Jehan Crump-Gibson Michigan Chronicle

Customer Smith called you to get a copy of his purchase orders from the month before last before he places his next large order. Can you quickly retrieve and send them to him? You’re in the middle of a contentious lawsuit with a former employee and are asked to provide the employee’s disciplinary records from last year. Can you pull these and get them to your attorney quickly? What if there’s a surprise financial audit? Will you be ready?

If you can answer yes to these questions, then either you are following a good document retention policy OR you got lucky.

We certainly hope it’s the former! But if it’s the latter, we want you to be able to rely on a good policy that can be put to the test in any scenario from this point forward!

Let’s start with the basics. At minimum, a good document retention policy identifies what sorts of documents need to be kept, how and where they are stored and guidelines for what period of time they are kept before they are destroyed (if ever).

Not only do you want to make sure you have a clear policy BUT that ALL staff are trained on the policy to prevent mishaps as best as possible.

A good policy can also cut down on clogging of valuable storage space.

Here’s the thing—there is no universal document retention policy that covers all businesses.

There is no ‘one size fits all”. Different industries may have different mandates and certain local,

state and federal laws may specify certain documents that must be retained and for how long.

There are some records all businesses should plan to keep forever.

Some of these include: The Articles of Incorporation/Organization; Financial Statements, Insurance policies, Minutes, Corporate Resolutions, Deeds, Mortgages, Tax Returns and depending on the business, more.

As far as customer information, certain employee records, contracts and other important documents are concerned, every business owner should work closely with an attorney to ensure a policy is crafted that will take into account compliance with laws, risk management efforts and other factors.

So…do you REALLY NEED IT? You absolutely do! Whether it’s Uncle Sam, a disgruntled employee, a state agency or a contracting source, you do not want to function on a haphazard retention policy or without one at all. These are the kinds of things small business owners take for granted or don’t spend time thinking about because they are so consumed with the day-to-day operations of the business.

BUT failure to address this issue can ultimately HAMPER your day-today operations and put your business at risk.

Protect yourself on the front end so that you will not have to worry on the back end!

What do Oprah Winfrey, President Joe Biden and NBA legend LeBron James have in common? They all have 24 hours in the day.

Yet, with these successful rich American celebrities and leaders still paving the way and showing what it looks like to be a boss, many everyday people with the same 24 hours in their own day might still be wondering how do they manage?

According to https://www. tonuyrobbins.com/, the average person spends 110 hours per year commuting to work; 275 hours per year running errands; 450 hours per year eating and drinking and 1,011 hours per year watching television.

The article said that time is “the one thing that keeps on rolling, no matter what we do” and no matter who you are.

“And if we could choose a superhero power, many of us would probably choose to freeze it, just so we could buy ourselves a few more minutes, hours, or even days to get something done. It’s one of life’s most precious gifts, no doubt.

Why then, do so many of us spend time inefficiently or even give our time up so

willingly,” the article asks.

When people see the breakdown of how they really spend time, they might be tempted to re-evaluate how they spend their time, according to the article.

“Mindless moments add up. But what if you began to take note of how you spent your time and made a few small adjustments,” the article queried.

If the time spent in front of the television was decreased by only 10 percent, the typical person would save about 100 hours a year.

That free time could be replaced by listening to motivating podcasts, au-

diobooks or encouraging materials that could lead to a boost in personal productivity.

Another way to improve time is to simply say ”no.”

Saying no can be helpful with time management and not being so readily available for everyone and anything—that can cut down on time. The article added that it is important to show up for “self first” then be ready to show up for others, once well-rested and refreshed.

The article added that free time is not wasted time. Free time could be spent with loved ones and doing what is important to

you.

Once shifting how to spend time more appropriately, and using those 24 hours wisely, it will allow for opportunities to create a “powerful sense of purpose, drive and fulfillment every single day.”

One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power.

Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular,” Robbins is quoted as saying.

Top Black business magazines, publications Believe it or not, there are hundreds of Black business magazines—that is, business-focused magazines that target African American readers. There are also many publications that are focused on professional career development. Some are local, some are national, and some are even international. Many are even available as digital publications via your laptop, tablet or smartphone. There are also many blogs that can be very helpful and resourceful to both aspiring and established Black business owners.

Here are the best Black business magazines, publications, blogs and more:

(Jehan Crump-Gibson is a member of Wolverine Bar Association and the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Great Lakes Legal Group PLLC.)

SEE BLACK BUSINESS B2

Fixed income getting a BIG increase!

Great news! Effective January 2022, Social Security recipients will receive the largest cost-of-living increase it has received in nearly 40 years. The raise is a staggering 5.9 percent! This means for every $1,000 you currently receive in Social Security benefits, you’ll receive an extra $59 in your check.

Since 2010, after peaking at 5.8 percent in 2009, we’ve witnessed Social Security cost of living increase anywhere from 0 - 3.6 percent. Most of those years, the increase was under 2 percent. A 5.9 percent increase is a big deal for Social Security recipients.

The higher-than-normal raise is due to the rising cost of goods and services influenced by the supply/demand imbalance created by COVID-19, various shutdowns, and the stimulus checks.

Roughly half of Americans aged 65 and older relied on Social Security for 50 percent or more of their income in 2019, according to an AARP analysis of Census Bureau data.

About 25 percent of seniors 65 and older relied on the benefits for 90 percent or more of their income, the analysis found.

As of August 2021, the average Social Security check is $1,437.55, according to the Social Security Administration. Social Security was never intended to be a person’s sole source of income during retirement. Retirement income sources during our golden years originated with the premise of having a three-legged stool—Social Security, pension, and personal savings.

Company-sponsored pensions have become extinct. The typical person’s income is hijacked by monthly payments. As a result, most people are grossly under-saving for retirement. According to a Yahoo! Finance poll, 64 percent of Americans will retire broke.

Yahoo! Finance asked their respondents how

much money they have saved for retirement.

45 percent said they had NO money saved!

Nineteen percent said that they’ll retire with less than $10,000 to their name. Another 20 percent said that they’ll retire with anywhere between $10,000 to $100,000. That’s 84 percent of Americans planning to retire with less than $100,000—making Social Security either the sole or primary source of retirement income for retirees of today and the future.

Let’s be honest, if $1,437.55 is our primary or sole source of income during retirement, those years will not be so golden.

I recently posted an article on Facebook from The Wall Street Journal, entitled “Social Security Benefits to Increase 5.9 percent in 2022.” This article sparked a good conversation between myself and a good friend of mine named Eric. I share our conversation below: Eric: People don’t realize how important retirement is until they’re within 10 years or less away. People need to start saving money at a young age and prepare for these days.

Our age group can’t get full Social Security until age 70. I’ve known a lot of people to take reduced Social Security benefits while they’re still working at age 65. I’m not working until I’m 70. It’s bad enough that most people have to work until age 65 just for health care. Health insurance for two people at 62 can be as high as $1,800 per month.

There was some talk a while ago about lowering the full retirement age to age 62. That’s

what I was hoping for. I have worked enough for two lives already.

Damon: You’re right! We’re getting closer to retirement age every day. You’re also right about people continuing to work later than they want to—not because of income but because of the high cost of health insurance.

You can collect full Social Security at age 67. If you wait until age 70—you get an 8 percent increase per year each year you wait past age 67. If you take Social Security before age 67 your benefits will be reduced. If you take Social Security at age 62, you get a 30 percent permanent monthly reduction in income.

Given the fact payroll taxes don’t cover currently paid benefits and the Social Security Trust Fund is on the brink of insolvency, if nothing is done, there’s talks of a 25 percent cut on Social Security across the board within the next 12 years.

Eric: I agree. Social Security is on the brink of insolvency. That’s why I was preparing years ago when they said it might be completely dissolved by our retirement age.

It has always been stated that you better save your own money. I’m shocked that an increase will be given based on what they know about the Social Security Trust Fund possibly being depleted.

When President Bush was in office, I remember when he said something about taking money from the Social Security Trust Fund and putting it into the stock market to increase because of potential insolvency issues. That’s when I really started saving.

Damon: Social Security insolvency issues is a basic math equation and a miscalculation of life expectancy.

When Social Security was first created, actuarial projections calculated most people dying off by age 60. So they set the full retirement age at 65. Modern technology, sciences, and medical advances have continued to extend life expectancy. This is the reason they increased the retirement age to 67.

It’s now projected that people in my generation will live to 90 and even 100. Not just living—but living an active lifestyle.

Given the fact people have been living longer, Social Security is paying more out in benefits than projected. On top of that, money collected from payroll taxes only covers about 80 percent of current benefits being paid out right now. So they tap into the Social Security Trust Fund to cover the shortfall.

Now that the trust fund is nearly out of money, 1 of 3 things has to happen to right the ship: • Increase payroll taxes • Reduce promised benefits • Increase the age that you’re eligible to collect The solution will more than likely be a combination of all three.

It’s a political see-saw. In order to win votes, you have to promise the public lower taxes and bigger benefits. So every political candidate tiptoes around the solution. With the trust fund projected to be insolvent by year 2034, the rubber will meet the road SOON! Eric: I hope it’s not too late for some folks.

I hope people get busy, work hard and save!

Get your grind on. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us, but we must be prepared.

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

BUSINESS

B2 OCTOBER 20-26, 2021

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Top Black business magazines, publications BLACK BUSINESS FROM B1

Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine This publication is Atlanta’s No. 1 business lifestyle publication and Black Atlanta’s leading source for relevant, thought-provoking news and information on business and wealth-building. They educate readers and present ideas, viewpoints and possible solutions that economically, politically and socially empower them. www.AtlantaTribune.com Black Business News Black Business News is a national monthly magazine published by the Black Business Association (BBA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. They have been instrumental in the incubation and development of more than 15,000 African-American businesses. www.BBALA.org BlackBusiness.org Blog This online publication and newsletter empowers Black entrepreneurs by promoting relevant news, success stories, and other valuable resources that stimulate entrepreneurship in African American communities. www.BlackBusiness.org Black Enterprise Magazine Black Enterprise magazine is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. Starting out in 1970 as one of the first Black business magazines, the publication continues to provide essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. www.BlackEnterprise.com Black EOE Journal The Black EOE Journal (BEOEJ) is the African American career and business epicenter of information!

As the strongest-growing African American tri-annual publication in the nation, BEOEJ’s mission is to inform, educate and employ while providing equal opportunity within business-to-business connections and corporate America to create a more diverse and inclusive work environment. www.BlackEOEJournal. com DiversityInc Magazine Based in Newark, NJ, DiversityInc is bi-monthly magazine and web site that is the leading source of information on diversity management.

They are also a consultancy, produce diversity events, and manage a nonprofit organization. Every year, they publish a well-respected list of the “Top 50 Companies for Diversity”. www.DiversityInc.com Entrepreneurs of Color (E.O.C.) Magazine This publication is a monthly released magazine geared towards spotlighting entre-

preneurs & business owners of African descent, while educating entrepreneurs & business professionals alike. www.EOCmag.biz MBN USA (Minority Business News) This publication is the #1 print and digital publication supporting the national minority supplier development initiative. Founded in 1988 by veteran newspaper, magazine and radio communications leader Don McKneely, MBN USA Magazine has received over 75 awards for it’s work in supplier diversity development. www.MBNusa.biz Minority Business Entrepreneur (MBE) Magazine MBE Magazine is published bi-monthly by Enterprise Publishing Inc. and serves as a nationwide forum for minority and women business owners, corporations and government agencies concerned with minority and women business enterprise development. www.MBEmag.com The Network Journal (TNJ) Founded in 1993, this monthly print and online Black business magazine is dedicated to educating and empowering its readers by providing news and commentary on issues that affect the growth of business and the advancement of professionals in the workplace. The magazine also has annual award ceremonies that honor Black entrepreneurs. www.TNJ.com Savoy Magazine From entertainment to sports, business to politics, design to style, Savoy is a cultural catalyst for the African American community —a magazine that showcases and drives positive dialogue on and about Black culture.

With its unique mix of stunning photography from major events, in-depth reporting, and social commentary, Savoy accelerates ideas and images to center stage. www.SavoyNetwork.com Target Market News Target Market News covers business activities in advertising, marketing and media targeted to black consumers.

Its annual report, “The Buying Power of Black America”, analyzes how African American consumers spend billions of dollars in hundreds of categories of products and services. www.TargetMarketNews. com Tech Cabal A future-focused publication that speaks to African innovation and technology in depth. In addition to high quality articles, reports, and expert opinions on their main website, they also publish the TC Daily newsletter, the most comprehensive roundup of technology around Africa. www.TechCabal.com

THE NOVAE TEAM

Novae named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing companies in America It’s been a big year for Novae, LLC, the first Black-owned FinTech company to offer ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ services for small businesses nationwide. In July, the company was recognized by Black Enterprise and Yahoo Finance, and the company’s CEO, Reco McCambry was named to Marquis Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Business and Finance over the summer. And earlier this year, Mr. McCambry received a proclamation naming January 19th Mr. Reco McDaniel McCambry Day in his hometown of McDonough, Georgia for his business accomplishments and contributions to the community.

On August 17, 2021, this financial consulting and training company earned another major distinction by making Inc’s list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in America. The Inc 5000 list measures business growth over a three-year window and compiles an annual list of the fastest-growing employers in America.

Founded in 2014, Novae provides consumer financing, business funding, and credit building services. Also a training company, Novae provides seminars, workshops, webinars, and free conference calls to train and inspire entrepreneurs across America.

Novae’s revenue has more than doubled each year since the introduction of its Business Credit & Funding and White Label Franchise Programs in 2018.

The Business Credit & Funding program offers Novae’s expert assistance to businesses looking to build a credit profile separate from their owners’ personal credit profiles. This can help businesses to obtain credit and loans while protecting their owners’ individual finances.

Novae’s White Label Franchise Program allows individuals to start selling their products and services under their own brand. The company provides the setup, onboarding, and servicing of clients behind the scenes.

Novae’s pivot to focusing more on those services has changed the game for potential consumers and partners of the company. Its original flagship product, Novae

Money, includes personal credit-building services for free alongside its budgeting tool, debt elimination software, credit monitoring, and access to credit and debt collection attorneys.

The newest rollout, Novae Financing, is going better than expected and could possibly result in a 200 percent increase over the initial projections for 2021. Offering business owners a totally automated financing solution for high ticket products/services that approve their credit-worthy customers online in just minutes, with qualifying credit scores starting as low as 550.

Thanks to the rapid growth in these programs, Novae ranks 2,307 out of more than 7 million employer firms in the United States according to Inc 5000 officials.

Novae’s rapid growth is no surprise when you look at its business model and its ever-growing number of affiliates, independent financial consultants, and white label franchisees across the country. Novae is passionate about not only teaching entrepreneurship principles but also providing entrepreneurship opportunities.

Anyone can become a Novae affiliate and begin earning income by referring Novae’s products and services to new clients. More seasoned entrepreneurs in the financial space may be more attracted to their White Label Franchise opportunity, where the margins and income potential are even greater.

“It has not been an easy journey, but it has been totally worth it,” CEO McCambry said of Novae’s rapid growth.

He went on to credit the grace of God, Novae cofounders COO Shaneé McCambry and CMO Haziq Ali, and Novae customers, affiliates, and white label franchisees across the country with the company’s success. “We are extremely humbled by this recognition. We intend to continue to serve our communities with high-value products and the utmost integrity. We are so grateful!”

For more details about the company, visit NovaeMoney. com

Social Security’s many online services

by Josh Grant For New Pittsburgh Courier

There’s probably been a time in your life when you’ve wondered, “Can I do this online instead of visiting a Social Security office?” The answer is more than likely yes, and you can find more information about our online services at www.ssa.gov/onlineservices. Online, you can apply for retirement and disability benefits, appeal a decision, and do much more.

We’ve organized our Online Services webpage into four popular categories for easy navigation: • Review Your Information. You can access your secure, personal information and earnings history to make sure everything is correct.

• Apply for Benefits. You can apply for retirement, disability, and Medicare benefits without having to visit a local Social Security office.

• Manage Your Account. You can change your direct deposit information and your address, if you are receiving benefits, online.

• Find Help and Answers. You can find answers to

your most frequently asked questions, as well as links to publications and other informational websites.

You can also access personalized information with your my Social Security account. This is a useful resource even if you are not receiving benefits. You can: • Request a replacement Social Security number or Medicare card.

• Get personalized retirement benefit estimates.

• Get estimates for spouse’s benefits.

• Print proof that you do not receive benefits.

• Check your application or appeal status.

• Read your Social Security Statement.

If you are receiving benefits, you can: • Request a replacement Social Security number or Medicare card.

• Set up or change direct deposit.

• Print a Social Security 1099 (SSA-1099) form.

• Opt out of mailed notices for those available online.

• Print a benefit verification letter.

• Change your address.

Please let your family and friends know they can do much of their business with us online atwww.ssa.gov.

African-themed jewelry line goes from $5K to $50K a month in sales Meet Penny Clarke, founder of Millie’s International Creations, an online fashion boutique that sells high-end, handcrafted African-themed jewelry, handbags, and home fashion.

She started the company six years ago when she become a furloughed government employee working in Washington, DC. Since then, after partnering with local female artisans in Ghana, she has grown the business from about $5,000 in monthly sales to now more than $50,000 month.

Penny, who was born and raised in Monrovia, Liberia, says that it was during a visit to South Africa when she decided to bring her passion and desire to help women around the world achieve their dreams to fruition. Now she works with a team of female designers who are all located on the African continent to help with her line of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, headwraps, handbags, and more.

How She Grew Her Business Her business, like many other Black-owned busi-

nesses, really took off after the pandemic began in 2020. Part of this had to do with the powerful global movement to support Black entrepreneurs after

the brutal killing of George Floyd. However, the major part of her continuous sales growth has to do with 7th Pro Solutions, a digital marketing agency that she

PENNY CLARKE, founder of Millie’s International Creations.

hired to help her optimize her website and run very profitable Facebook ad campaigns.

Penny comments, “When I started working with Ed-

win Jardin (the founder of 7th Pro Solutions), he really helped me to create a sales funnel for my website that has literally increased my revenue by 500 percent.

My company now gets sales every single day, and it’s a challenge to keep up with inventory—which is a great problem to have.”

Making Her Mom Proud Penny, who is the youngest of her mom’s eight children, says that she named the company after her mom who was a schoolteacher and principal in Liberia, but also made and sold cornbread as an entrepreneur. She says that her mom taught her and her siblings the importance of having multiple streams of income.

Sadly, her mom died of breast cancer and congestive heart failure in 2014, but her legacy of entrepreneurship and education lives on through Penny and her other siblings. As a part of Penny’s commitment to women and the continent of Africa, proceeds from every sale generated on her website are donated to various nonprofits that she supports in the U.S. and around the world.

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

OCTOBER 20-26, 2021

B3

Them that’s got shall get

Guest Editorial

AT&T should be held accountable for OAN AT&T executives should be held accountable for playing a key role in helping to build the far-right conspiracy channel One America News (OAN).

AT&T played a key role in creating and funding OAN, according to court documents reviewed by Reuters and CNN. The court documents were first reported by Reuters in an in-depth story detailing how AT&T “helped build” the channel.

Reuters reported that in addition to founding OAN, AT&T remains a crucial revenue stream for the network.

An OAN official said in sworn testimony that 90 percent of the channel’s revenue is from AT&T-owned platforms. AT&T is also OAN’s largest television distributor.

OAN founder and chief executive Robert Herring has testified that the inspiration to launch OAN in 2013 came from AT&T executives.

“They told us they wanted a conservative network,” Herring said during a 2019 deposition reviewed by Reuters. “They only had one, which was Fox News, and they had seven others on the other [leftwing] side. When they said that, I jumped to it and built one,” said Herring.

AT&T has been providing tens of millions of dollars in revenue, court records show. Ninety percent of OAN’s revenue came from a contract with AT&T-owned television platforms, including satellite broadcaster DirecTV, according to 2020 sworn testimony by an OAN accountant.

Herring has testified he was offered $250 million for OAN in 2019. Without the DirecTV deal, the accountant said under oath, the network’s value “would be zero.”

AT&T issued a statement saying it has “never had a financial interest in OAN’s success and does not ‘fund’ OAN.” AT&T’s statement is contradicted by court documents.

In court filings Herring cited monthly fees included in one five-year deal with AT&T. According to an AT&T filing citing Herring’s numbers, those fees would total about $57 million.

The state and federal court documents reviewed by Reuters detail a lucrative relationship for OAN with AT&T. The confidential OAN financial records are drawn in part from testimony, including by Herring and the accountant, generated during a labor lawsuit brought against OAN by a former employee and unrelated to AT&T. When that case went to trial last year, the network’s lawyer told the jury that AT&T was keeping OAN afloat.

“If Herring Networks, for instance, was to lose or not be renewed on DirecTV, the company would go out of business tomorrow,” OAN lawyer Patrick Nellies told the court, a transcript shows.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, said the births of Fox News and OAN share common threads: money and opportunity. She noted that the late Republican operative Roger Ailes had the foresight in the 1990s to recommend that Fox create a conservative news network.

“If somebody recognizes there’s a market for something and there’s a lot of money attached to that market, you get a news outlet,” Jamieson said.

“So this is AT&T playing the Roger Ailes role.”

OAN has become a favorite of former President Trump and his supporters.

“Hope everybody is watching @OANN right now,” Trump tweeted on December 1, citing a dubious report about a truck carrying more than 100,000 fake ballots. “Other media afraid to show.”

Records show many of the network broadcast statements and theories were proven false.

YouTube suspended OAN from making money off its YouTube channel last year for repeatedly violating its COVID-19 policy, which prohibits content claiming there’s a guaranteed cure. OAN touts hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug promoted by Trump, without scientific evidence, as a cure for COVID. During last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, OAN aired an unconfirmed report that an elderly demonstrator in Buffalo, New York, who was knocked down and seriously injured by police was trying to jam the cops’ radios.

On Jan. 6, after Trump supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol, an OAN news director cautioned staff via email, “Please DO NOT say ‘Trump Supporters Storm Capitol …’ Simply call them demonstrators or protestors …

DO NOT CALL IT A RIOT!!!”

A day later, Herring suggested the riot might be a false-flag operation by the left-wing antifa movement. “We want to report all the things Antifa did yesterday. I don’t think it was Trump people but lets investigate,” he emailed OAN producers. The Federal Bureau of Investigation says there is no evidence of antifa involvement in the riot.

The day after the riot, Herring tweeted: “If anyone thinks we will throw the best President America has had, in my 79 years, under the bus, you are wrong. We will continue to give him honest coverage.”

His network went on to support Trump in an highly unethical way: OAN allowed two reporters to raise $605,000 to help fund a “private” audit of the presidential vote in Arizona, despite Republican officials’ assurances that Biden won the state. According to an OAN executive, they did so with the network’s blessing.

OAN reporter, Christina Bobb worked part-time for the Trump recount legal team, according to a recent deposition by Trump’s then-lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani. An OAN executive confirmed the arrangement.

Five former OAN producers said in interviews that they found the practice of reporters raising funds for events they cover unethical, but said OAN’s move did not surprise them.

“If there was any story involving Trump, we had to only focus on either the positive information or basically create positive information,” said Marissa Gonzales, an OAN producer from 2019 until she resigned in 2020. “It was never, never the full truth.”

AT&T should be held accountable for playing a key role in building up OAN and for the right-wing network spreading of conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)

Founded 1910

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

Rob Taylor Jr.

Ashley Johnson

Office Manager

Managing Editor

Sales Director

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Recently, most of us have been consumed with conversations surrounding the budget plan that President Joe Biden campaigned on—“Build Back Better.” His is a much-needed plan that will cut taxes and lower costs for working families, create much needed jobs, and address income inequality. His proposal centers on restructured tax codes which oblige the wealthy to pay their fair share.

Although the potential outcomes of President Biden’s plan are ambitious, it seemed so simple that even the 1 percent would accept a serious effort to lower the costs of housing, healthcare, higher education, prescription drugs, and childcare. Even if they had to learn to live on a few dollars less, who could complain about contributing to the “general welfare” in proportion to the benefits this country affords them?

Obviously, the 1 percent could! For them, earning more money than can be spent in a lifetime is not enough.

They resist the sacrifice of a small portion that would benefit us all.

Undoubtedly, the need for reform exists. The singular or combined impact of those limiting circumstances severely affects the potential for improved quality of life and/or upward social mobility. Too often, the cost of childcare is equal to or greater than the earning potential of an indigent parent leaving the choice as “Do I work to pay childcare, or do I care for my child?” President Biden’s plan offers that no middle-class family would pay more than 7 percent of their income for

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary quality childcare up to age 5. Working families most in need of childcare would pay nothing. Universal preschool would increase the potential for social success.

Unlike the past, a high school diploma no longer guarantees a middle-class lifestyle. Without a near-miracle, there is no “good” job to be found without post-high school studies.

Under the Biden Plan, students would universally qualify for tuition for two years of community college studies. Additionally, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other minority-serving institutions have historically operated on shoestring budgets. The President’s Plan includes strategies to strengthen completion and retention rates at these institutions which serve low-income students.

Appearances suggest that some of the wealthier members of Congress need assistance with their “higher education” since they don’t seem to understand the relationship between education and the achievement of personal success. They most certainly are

NOT using their education wisely!

Congresswoman Cori Bush recently slept outside the U.S. Capitol to draw attention to the crisis of homelessness and increasing housing costs. Regrettably, we are forced to stand witness to increasing numbers of people sleeping on the streets—not because they choose to—because increasing costs reduce the availability of affordable housing. Over 10 million renters are paying over one-half of their earnings for rent. Even then, many of the buildings in which they live and for which they pay so much are substandard, needing rehabilitation or re-building!

Under “Build Back Better”, nearly 40 million households would realize assistance for ending child poverty. This program includes workforce training, the development of clean energy and other jobs, tax cuts for childless workers and investments in teachers and schools. Most importantly, it includes expanded healthcare benefits.

While most Democrats seem to understand, most Republicans only understand when benefits work for “Them That’s Got” already. There is no end to their desire to help large corporations and the wealthy, or sink billions of dollars into endless, destructive wars.. They demonstrate their “Christian Compassion” by allowing almost anything else to take priority over assisting the less fortunate of God’s children!

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women and the Dick Gregory Society.)

Should Jon Gruden’s intolerance be an extra warning to Black parents?

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Sometimes I simply get tired of watching and reading the news. A lot of us do. And while I must stay informed and up to date, a temporary mental break is always welcomed. Sports becomes that outlet for me, particularly professional football.

It is nice to be able to watch and enjoy a game without having to think about the latest political drama or the next act of social injustice. Monday night was different. During the NFL’s Monday Night Football broadcast, it was announced that Jon Gruden resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Racism once again rose its ugly head and now a well-known Super Bowl winning coach is out of football because of it.

For a period of seven years, Gruden sent racist, homophobic, and misogynistic emails to a high-ranking football executive with the Washington Football Team. His written words are evidence of what is truly in his heart.

They also reflect his character as a man. It places a human face and name on what we already knew, the fact that racism is part of every American institution. My first thought was to acknowledge that Jon Gruden is not the only one who shares these types of views. He was the one who got caught.

I also wondered about the shock, anger, and disappointment many of his past and current players are expressing. I thought about the basic player / coach relationship. Coaches are more than just sports instructors.

They are given a level of respect due to the positions of trust they hold. There are many told and untold stories of how coaches inspire and mold young lives. The foundation of the player / coach relationship is not sports. It is a relationship which is built on the basic

David W. Marshall

Commentary trust and respect between two individuals. A coach has no credibility without this foundation.

Good coaches are examples of good character. They can be an athlete’s source of strength and encouragement regarding their physical, mental, social, and academic development. Often, coaches are seen as the father figure missing in the lives of young men and women. The positive influence coaches have on players at the professional level doesn’t compare to the wide-ranging motivation a college coach can have on the student-athlete.

College players fresh out of high school are still in the formative stages of life. Therefore, their future success in sports and life in general can often be traced back to an empathetic college coach. Relationships such as John Thompson / Allen Iverson, John Wooden / Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Eddie Robinson / Doug Williams come to mind. While there are many Jon Grudens throughout professional football, the same is true throughout the college ranks.

Chris Doyle was a former University of Iowa strength and conditioning coach who was later hired by the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. He resigned almost immediately after being named assistant coach. It was discovered that Doyle left the Iowa football staff after several current and former players

described how the coach promoted a culture of bullying and racism. The Fritz Pollard Alliance released a statement which said, “Doyle’s departure from the University of Iowa reflected a tenure riddled with poor judgment and mistreatment of Black players. His conduct should be as disqualifying for the NFL as it was for the University of Iowa.”

Consider how a culture of mistreatment was allowed by Chris Doyle.

Then compare that to the culture former NFL players Deion Sanders (Jackson State) and Eddie George (Tennessee State) are establishing at their respective universities. For those reasons, I’ve become an even bigger believer in the value of HBCU’s. The Jon Gruden and Chris Doyle episodes are not representative of all college and professional coaches and programs.

But they do open a certain line of questioning when it comes to the Black athlete’s decision concerning their choice of schools and coaches.

A football player coming out of college into the NFL has limited input regarding which professional team he plays for. The team chooses the player rather than the player choosing the team. For a high school athlete and their parents, it is the opposite. The player chooses the team (school). And when he does, he also chooses his coach. With our current social climate, the NFL’s hiring practices are under increased scrutiny. Black students and their parents should also increase their scrutiny when it comes to selecting college coaches. Trust and respect go both ways.

(David W. Marshall is founder of the faith based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book “God Bless Our Divided America”. He can be reached atwww. davidwmarshallauthor.com)

The deconstruction of American democracy The State of Texas has become the model of how to kill democracy, enhance voter suppression, expand open carry gun laws in spite of mass murder at a Walmart store, ban abortions and gerrymander future election districts to reduce Black and Brown voter influence in the election of office holders. This is the state that placed bounties of $10,000 on the heads of all those aiding and abetting abortions in the state. All while reducing the number of voting sites and collection boxes for ballot returns.

Add these state legislative actions to a Donald Trump-appointed majority on the United States Supreme Court, along with a Mitch McConnell bottle neck of the United States Senate’s Republican membership, and the United States has gone from a Constitutional form of government with a three branch check and balance system to a one party Congress and a President that can not get any

John E. Warren

Commentary legislation to his desk because the Senate refuses to act, just because it can. This is a Senate Republican Party that refuses to act on any legislative agenda of this President, a Democrat, just as it did with President Obama, also a Democrat.

The connecting link in all this is that the parties refusing to act are mostly conservative White male and some female Republicans. Although these people, as office holders on the state and national levels, have taken an Oath of Office to protect and defend their Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, their

allegiance to Donald Trump, the man, is greater than to the offices they hold.

When the Congress no longer works under the Constitution that created it, because men have abandoned what it stands for as evidenced by Republican behavior towards a man rather than their office; when the U.S. Supreme Court has been stacked with men and women more loyal to the idea of White Privilege than to democracy and the balance of power they are supposed to represent; when states elect as their legislative voice men and women who owe allegiance to the idea of White Privilege over our constitutional form of government, then we have “deconstructed democracy” in favor of autocracy.

Our only hope to save democracy rests in the fact that there are more of us than them. We can vote them out of office if we work at it, and value what we have enough to sacrifice and fight for it. Where do you stand?

B4 OCTOBER 20-26, 2021

Close the Medicaid coverage gap to help break cycle of health inequities (BlackPressUSA)—As a lifelong student of history, I believe that past is prologue and I tend to rely on history to help inform my decisions in public life. I often paraphrase George Santayana, who is credited with having said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

With some history lessons in mind, I have been sounding the alarm as Congress works to put together the Build Back Better Act, a comprehensive bill to invest in American families. Together with the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, this legislation would be a significant step towards fulfilling the campaign promises that President Joe Biden and Democrats ran on during the last election cycle; promises that—if kept—will turn the tide on some of the growing inequities in this country.

Some have equated President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda with President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal due to its focus on needs of working families who have been so devastated by this pandemic just as the New Deal assisted working families who suffered disproportionately during the Great Depression. While those making this comparison view the New Deal as a positive model to be emulated, I caution that there were shortcomings in the New Deal that left significant numbers of people and communities behind.

We are at risk of repeating those shortcomings. The New Deal did a lot of good for a lot of people. But for many people and communities, some of which I currently represent, the New Deal was a raw deal. Let’s take Social Security as an example. This transformative program helped lift many seniors out of poverty, but when the legislation was written, the decision was made to set the Social Secu-

Rep. James Clyburn

Commentary rity retirement age at 65 and leave out farm and domestic workers. Some argue that the decision was not based on race, but rather to make the creation of the new program less unwieldy. No matter the intent, the result is undeniable.

According to the 1930 Census, 65 percent of African Americans were employed on farms or as domestic workers and life expectancy of Black workers was 48 years. The New Deal perpetuated second class citizenship for Black communities and effectively institutionalized the wealth gap.

We risk repeating that history today, as many of the same people and communities left out of Social Security are now at risk of being left out of health care coverage due to the refusal of Republicans in 12 states—eight of which are in the South—to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. As a result, 2.2 million uninsured Americans living in poverty are within the so-called coverage gap, without assistance to help them get covered. Sixty percent of them are people of color.

I have been vocal about ensuring that we address this injustice as we structure the Build Back Better Act. I am imploring my colleagues to address the racial inequities exposed and exacerbated by COVID-19. This is a not a red state/blue state issue. This is a moral issue for all Americans. I don’t want this President and this Congress to ignore existing racial inequities. This is our opportunity to address the systemic inequities.

There are numerous worthy priorities under consideration for inclusion in the Build Back Better Act. Given the unwillingness of a few of my colleagues to support sufficient funding for all of them, congressional Democrats are in the process of making difficult decisions about which to include. Some argue that expanding Medicare is more important than closing the Medicaid coverage gap.

I beg to differ.

While I fully support expanding Medicare, if forced to choose between the two, I would prioritize health care coverage to low-income Americans who have no coverage at all over additional health coverage for millionaires and billionaires, who already have basic Medicare. If both can’t be funded permanently, at the very least, the two should be treated equally.

Last year during a closed-door meeting, I expressed to my Democratic Caucus that “we have an opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.” My comments were leaked to the press and roundly criticized by some of my Republican colleagues. But I stand by them.

We Democrats, extoll America’s vision of “liberty and justice for all.” Currently, low-income Americans in the 12 non-expansion states are being unjustly denied the liberty and justice that comes with having access to health care. The Build Back Better Act gives us an opportunity to fit America’s vision by closing the coverage gap. Remembering and learning from past failings, let’s fix this inequity.

FORUM

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

From the ‘environment at the moment’ to refund the police Spokespersons for Black Lives Matter first demanded for city officials to defund their police departments as early as 2015.

Those demands came after riots took place in Ferguson and Baltimore after Black men had fatal encounters with police officers.

At that time, defund the police was ignored.

In May 2020, another Black man, George Floyd, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis. This time, rioting broke out in cities across the country. Black Lives Matter repeated their demands and city officials in a host of different cities were willing to “reimagine policing” to demonstrate their commitment to reform.

In June 2020, Rashawn Ray, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, described “defund the police” as reallocating funds away from the police department to other municipal agencies. Ray wrote, “In recent weeks, some large municipalities with a history of police brutality have reallocated funds in line with the defund police movement. (He cited Los Angeles, San Francisco, Baltimore, Prince George’s County, and Minneapolis.) Altogether, it is clear that municipalities across the U.S. are making changes (but) the word “reallocate” (is a more) digestible word at city council meetings, “defund” surely gets more attention on a protest sign. And more importantly, it seems to be having an impact.”

What was its impact?

Two recent headlines answer that question. A New York Times headline said: A Year After ‘Defund,’ Police Departments

J. Pharoah Doss

Check It Out Get their Money Back—The abrupt reversals have come in response to rising levels of crime, the exodus of officers and political pressure. Time Magazine ran a headline that said: How ‘Defund the Police’ Derailed a Police Reform Bill.

How did this happen? There’s a simple explanation.

The defund the police movement was an example of what economist Thomas Sowell described as the vision of the anointed.

The anointed are those who believe they are intellectually and morally superior to their political rivals, therefore their policy proposals are the proper course of action without question.

Sowell explained how the anointed operate.

1). The Crisis—Some situation exists and the anointed propose to eliminate its negative aspects. However, the anointed rarely provide evidence to show how the situation at hand is either uniquely bad or threatening to get worse. (Sometimes the situation described as a “crisis” has in fact been getting better for years.)

George Floyd’s murder was the situation. The anointed turned it into a crisis by claiming what happened to Floyd was

indicative of racist policing in America and police brutality was the biggest existential threat to Black Americans. However, the hysteria didn’t match the data; the number of deaths caused by police officers was too low to be considered an existential threat to any ethnic group.

2). The Solution—The anointed propose a policy to end the crisis and insist the policy will lead to beneficial result A, but their political rivals say the policy will lead to detrimental result Z. The anointed proposed defunding police departments and redirecting the resources to other agencies. Their goal was to reduce police involvement with low-level crimes and to improve public safety.

Of course, their political rivals rejected the entire concept, fearing crime would increase in areas that need the police the most.

3). The result—The policy is implemented and leads to detrimental result Z. In May, a year after George Floyd’s death, The Daily Mail ran a headline that said: Refund the Police: Cities are reversing cuts to police budgets.

Why? According to The Daily Mail, the murder rate soared an average of 30 percent across 34 major cities last year and has continued to increase at alarming rates in 2021. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio admitted that his initial police cuts were a response to the “environment at the moment.”

The anointed will do anything at the moment to carry out their vision, except consider the consequences.

Labor shortage or pay shortfall?

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Walking down a busy urban street, one cannot help but notice the number of “help wanted” signs that grace the front of many establishments.

Restaurants, grocery stores, and retail establishments all seem to want workers.

Many of them indicate their starting pay is “at least” $15 an hour. Some list other benefits in the window, including things like vacation time, employee discounts, and more.

Workers aren’t pounding down doors for these jobs, though. Part of the challenge is the uncertainty around COVID and its variants, especially the delta variant that seems far more deadly than the original virus. The other part of the challenge is that people simply aren’t being paid enough. While $15 an hour is twice the current minimum wage (and can we please raise that sooner rather than later), for some workers, it just isn’t enough, especially if they are supporting families. $15 an hour is $30,000 a year for a full-time, full-year job. The poverty line for a family of four is $26,500, so a $15 an hour job puts a family above the poverty line, but just barely.

People have been rethinking their employment situation and their options because of COVID. Thus, when the unemployment rate report was released on October 8, economists were disappointed to learn that only new 194,000 jobs were created in September. The projection was that more than 500,000 jobs would be created, in line with the job creation we’d seen before now. But this was before the delta variant.

The September unemployment rate, at 4.8 percent, seems low and would be a step in the right direction, except it is partly reflec-

Julianne Malveaux

News Analysis tive of the fact that some people have been dropping out of the labor force. Employment in public education declined in September, and COVID is partly to blame for that. And when schools are not open, that means those who take care of children, primarily women, will not be working.

We keep hearing reports of labor shortages, especially in education. Some school districts are having trouble attracting enough substitute teachers. But, as they adhere to the laws of supply and demand, more substitute teachers may be interested in working. But school districts, to attract them, will have to pay more. Some are doing exactly that, with compensation up, in many cases, by as much as 50 percent.

Other schools, interestingly, are creating opportunities for “full-time” substitutes, which means a teacher may be assigned to a school and float among classrooms when a regular teacher can’t come to school, either because of illness or child care emergencies.

The same innovative thinking addressing the substitute teacher shortage ought to be used to attract more workers in the hospitality and retail industries. While some unions and workers have galvanized around the “Fight for $15”, fifteen dollars an

hour may simply not be enough.

If we need more workers, employers should consider offering better wages or providing better working conditions and benefits. The fact that the minimum wage has remained constant for a decade speaks to the disrespect many have for workers, especially those at the bottom. Whatever happened to the concept of a living wage.

While the unemployment rate is falling, the racial unemployment rate gap remains.

The unemployment rate for Whites is 4.2 percent, compared to 7.9 percent for African Americans. And while 67.2 percent of White men are employed, the number is lower, at 60.7 percent lower for Black men. The situation is a bit different for women, since 54 percent of White women are employed, compared to 56.8 percent of Black women.

The difference can be attributed to the fact that Black women may have both less flexibility in employment and more family financial responsibility given the number of Black families that are female-headed.

Our labor market just ain’t what it used to be, and in some ways, that’s a good thing.

Employers need to address the so-called labor shortage by implementing innovation—paying people more, providing more flexibility for all workers, and offering more benefits, especially health care for workers.

COVID reminds us that the “old ways” don’t work anymore. The pace of change is often glacial, but when employers want more workers, they will stop talking about the labor shortage and instead address the pay shortfall.

(Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and the Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. Juliannemalveaux.com)

A politician’s shameless bigotry (TriceEdneyWire.com)—There’s an old saying about bullies: they can dish it out, but they can’t take it.

Witness North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. He abuses his position of authority to insult and demean people. But when he gets criticized for making harmful comments, he whines that he’s the real victim.

People For the American Way’s Right Wing Watch recently began reporting on Robinson’s cruel and offensive comments.

This summer, Robinson told one audience that Christians must take control of public schools because “there’s no reason anybody anywhere in America should be teaching any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth.” In another speech, Robinson mocked transgender people and denounced the transgender rights movements as “demonic” and “full of the spirit of antichrist.”

Fortunately, a lot of people have called Robinson out. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called Robinson’s comments “abhorrent.” The White House called them “repugnant and offensive.” Multiple state legislators have called on him to resign.

Robinson should be ashamed of himself.

But he’s not. He is puffed up with pride about promoting bigotry. He is promising to “double down.” And that’s dangerous. Robinson’s comments send a message to students and everyone else that trans people are not worthy of being treated with respect or dignity.

Robinson’s comments are part of a long

Ben Jealous

Commentary and ugly history of politicians smearing LGBTQ people as threats to children. Those smears promote hatred and violence. Deadly violence against transgender people, especially Black trans women, has been on the rise in recent years.

Robinson’s attacks are also part of a broader right-wing campaign to demonize public schools for teaching about racism and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ students. Robinson says schools are teaching students “how to hate America” and “how to go to Hell.”

He has defended himself by claiming that inappropriate materials are being “forced” on children in classrooms, but his charges don’t hold up to scrutiny. Some of the books that he complains about are reportedly not being taught in classrooms but are available in some high school libraries.

More importantly, Robinson claims to oppose “indoctrination” in public schools.

But in his remarks to right-wing political activists in September, he said that school shootings would be prevented if public schools taught students, “Jesus Christ is

the way and the light, and only through him can you receive salvation.”

In fact, Robinson has a message for the millions of Americans who are not Christians: they don’t belong. At a gathering of religious-right political activists in September, Robinson declared that the United States is and always will be a Christian nation. He added, “If you don’t like it, I’ll buy your plane, train, or automobile ticket right up out of here. You can go to some place that’s not a Christian nation.”

I am a Christian. I revere the role the Black church has played in moving the U.S. toward justice. I am proud to be working side by side with religious leaders who are bringing their moral authority and prophetic voices to the struggle to defend voting rights. I was proud to be arrested alongside these leaders recently as we demonstrated at the White House.

But I don’t want public schools to teach religious doctrine. And I don’t want public officials misusing religion as an excuse for using cruelty to divide us.

Like a lot of politicians, Robinson clearly has a very high opinion of himself. At a political conference in September, he compared himself to Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. He also made it clear that he would like to be North Carolina’s next governor. That’s the last thing the people of North Carolina need.

A politician who uses their office to promote bigotry doesn’t deserve to hold office.

(Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way.)

New Pittsburgh Courier

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OCTOBER 20-26, 2021

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JOB OPPORTUNITIES

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Help Wanted

Help Wanted

SOFTWARE ENGINEER (BACK-END) Petuum Inc. seeks a Software Engineer (Back-End) in Pittsburgh, PA responsible for building machine learning (ML), computer vision, and natural language processing (NLP) software models and tools in support of the development of Petuum’s ne t generation artificial intelligence (AI) software product(s). Apply at: https://boards.greenhouse.io/petuum.

ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT – PAYROLL SPECIALIST Port Authority is seeking a Accounting Assistant – Payroll Specialist to process incoming electronic and hard Copy data as it relates to payroll processing. Maintains information necessary for computer files and verifies and confirms all changes that a ffe c t a n e m p l oyee’s payrol l .

Processes and administers aspects of time and labor activity, processes payment requests, maintains tables and reports, initiates time and labor processes, responds to inquiries concerning time information and applicable payment requests. Processes payroll deductions and related reports.

Researches and supplies information, as required. Processes and distributes payroll checks and statements.

Essential Functions: •U t i l i z e P e o p l e S o f t ( H u m a n Resources Management System) to perform the following: •Coordinates the processes between the Time and Labor section and the Payroll Department by initiating and maintaining the status of the payroll process.

•Calculates, generates, and distributes off-cycle paychecks.

•Assists in the completion of the deduction balancing process, sorting, and distribution of the finished payroll product.

•Researches and corrects payroll shortages, wage tax adjustments, LST tax adjustments, etc.

•Generates reports, as needed.

•Processes payment request items, and maintains necessary controls.

Job requirements include: •High school diploma or GED, supplemented by twelve (12) credits in accounting from an accredited college or business school.

•Minimum of two (2) years accounting experience within the past seven (7) years.

•Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows, Microsoft Word and Excel.

•P r o f e s s i o n a l a n d e f f e c t i v e communications skills.

•Ability to use a calculator.

Preferred attributes: •Minimum of one (1) year experience in PeopleSoft Time and Labor module.

•Minimum of one (1) year experience in payroll.

MANAGER OF PROJECT ACCOUNTING & ADMINISTRATION Port Authority is seeking a Manager of Project Accounting & Administration to manage and coordinate the project control and project planning activities of the Planning and Development Division. Performs a full range of program management and control functions for projects of various scope, size, complexity; manages the development and implementation of cost and scheduling tools and methods for establishing, measuring, monitoring, controlling, and reporting progress and performance of capital projects; manages the Transit Asset Management program, serves as technical advisor to assigned project managers related to project controls systems and procedures to help achieve on-time and on-budget goals Essential Functions: •Manages project controls and support activities with regard to administration and management of capital and operating budgets including the supervision of the Budget/Project Controls Analysts.

Manages activities related to the budgeting, accounting, tracking, reporting and verification of all costs associated with division operating and capital budgets, i.e. variances, professional service contracts, construction/procurement contracts, force account activities.

•Leads team in performing liaison activities related to grant applications, requests of funding, project controls and audits by internal and external groups.

•Responsible for the administration and procedures required to effectively monitor design work, procurement activities, contracts, and project budgets for the division. Assists project managers in planning, programming, budgeting, scheduling, reviewing, and reporting of activities for capital projects.

Job requirements include: •BS Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Engineering or related field.

•Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in project controls, asset management, accounting, or budget administration of projects.

•Minimum of two (2) years of supervisory/ management experience.

•Professional and effective communication skills.

•Excellent interpersonal skills.

•Valid PA driver’s license.

•Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows suite of products, including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Preferred attributes: •Direct experience in Asset Management.

P P ertification.

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. nterested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Missy Ramsey Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 MRamsey@portauthority.org EOE

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

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. nterested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Glenn Hutter Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 GHuetter@portauthority.org EOE LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of KAREN GERALDINE HARRIS A/K/A KAREN HARRIS, Deceased of 8013 Lawrence Drive, Bethel Park, PA 15102, Estate No. 02-21-05776 , Executrix: Kelly L. Quinlan, 150 Brookhaven Road, Summerville, SC 29486, or to American Wills & Estates, Lloyd A. Weilling, Esquire, 2100 Wharton Street, Suite 302, Birmingham Towers, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 Estate of MARY ANN MICHAELS A/K/A MARY MICHAELS A/K/A MARY A. MICHAELS, Deceased of 4754 Rolling Hills Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15102, Estate No. 02-21-06192 , Co-Executors: Mrs. Allison E. Parker, 14660 Rudolph Dadey Drive, Charlotte, NC 28277, Mr. Joseph B. Michaels, 1046 Ravine Street, Munhall, PA 15120, or to American Wills & Estates, Lloyd A. Weilling, Esquire, 2100 Wharton Street, Suite 302, Birmingham Towers, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 Estate of MARK AUSTIN NATH, Deceased of Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-07432 ,William L. Nath, Administrator., 621 Chestnut Street, Bridgeville, PA 15017, or to Robin L. Rarie, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of EILEEN D. KNOEPP, Deceased of Baldwin, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-07448 ,Marlene A. Bridge , Executor, 147 Centennial Drive, Carnegie, PA 15106, or to Todd A. Fuller, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of CAROLYN JEAN SOERGEL A/K/A C. JEAN SOERGEL, Deceased of Franklin Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-07144 ,Randy E. Soergel, Executor, 2561 A. Brandt School Road, Wexford, PA 15090, or to Todd A. Fuller, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of BARBARA A. SCHAMBERG, Deceased of South Fayette Township, Pennsylvania, Estate No.: 02-21-07447, Joanne C. Kramer, Executor or to Travis J. Dunn, Atty, 6 Clairton Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15236 Estate of ALEX MANCULICH, Deceased of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-07484, Paul Manculich, Administrator, or to Travis J. Dunn, Atty, 6 Clairton Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15236

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Bids/Proposals

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MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY The Community College of Allegheny County Board of Trustees will hold a meeting on November 4, 2021. The meeting will be held virtually beginning at 4:30 p.m. and streamed on CCAC’s YouTube page. A copy of the Board meeting agenda will be made available for review on the College’s website (www.ccac.edu) Comments regarding items scheduled for action by the Board may be submitted via email to brichardson@ccac.edu by no later than 3:00 p.m. on the date of the meeting. Comments will be read into the record, up to a maximum of three minutes each.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR VACANT UNIT PAINTING AUTHORITY-WIDE REBID IFB#300-34-21-REBID The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified irms or ndividuals capable of providing the following service(s): Vacant Unit Painting Authority-Wide Rebid IFB#300-34-21-Rebid The documents will be available no later than October 18, 2021 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 11:00 AM on November 9, 2021. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped of f i n person f rom 8: 00 AM until the closing time of 11:00 AM on November 9, 2021 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP 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.

Questions or inquiries 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-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on November 9, 2021 at 11:00 AM. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 935 0947 8694 Passcode: 888888 +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 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.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR MOVE MANAGEMENT CONSULTATION SERVICES FOR HACP OFFICE RELOCATION TO 412 BOULEVARD OF THE ALLIES RFP #600-33 -21-REBID The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified irms or ndividuals capable of providing the following service(s): Move Management Consultation Services for HACP Office Relocation to 412 Boulevard of the Allies RFP documents will be available on or about October 11th, 2021. Copies of RFP documents are not available for in-person pickup. Firms interested in responding may obtain a copy of the RFP documents from the Business Opportunities Section of the HACP Website, www.hacp.org. Prospective Offerors may register as a vendor on the website and download the documents free of charge.

A pre-submission meeting via audio conference will be held via Zoom on October 21, 2021 at 10:00 A.M.: https://zoom.us/ j/95894352886?pwd=TUorU3pqUWQyMm56eWZ1MytsWkJLQT09 Meeting ID: 958-9435-2886 Passcode: 907397 Call-In: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) he deadline for final submission of written questions is October 26, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. The deadline for submission of proposals is November 2, 2021 at 10:00A.M. Proposals must be sent to: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/ Chief Contracting Officer Procurement Department, Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on November 2, 2021. Proposals may still be submitted electronically at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i1sy9ywb8xfsmw9/ AAAAQqU7RxOsAgp10AkbpHg_a?dl=0 and can 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.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH S T R O N G LY E N C O U R A G E S CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THIS SOLICITATION.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH’S BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MONTHLY MEETING Due to the COVID-19 protective guidelines set forth by federal, state, and local governments, the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s Board of Commissioners will hold its monthly meeting for October on October 28, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. on a remote basis. The meeting will be held remotely, with public access to be provided online.

HACP will provide a direct link to a livestream of the meeting, and instruction on how to make a public comment. Details will be made available on http://www.hacp.org, in advance of the meeting.

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the dministration uilding ellefield ntrance obby outh ellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on November 2, 2021, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for: Various Schools (Pittsburgh Brashear High School & Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8) Replace Electrical Distribution System General and Electrical Primes Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on October 11, 2021, at Modern Reproductions (412488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.

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 itle the air Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

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

Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 140

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ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations: Friday

noon preceding Wednesday publication

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

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315 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 140

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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

315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219

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

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Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

DOCUMENT 00030-AA ADVERTISEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA PROJECT NUMBER 21MG01(GENERAL TRADES) TMP MMC BID PKG G AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ELECTRONIC BIDS & BID OPENING PROCEDURE: Electronic Bids will be received by the Allegheny County Airport Authority until 1:00 P.M. prevailing local time, December 1, 2021.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, the ACAA is modifying its typical bid opening process; the formal bid opening procedure will be conducted virtually – any/ all firms submitting a id to the ACAA will be given special access to view the opening event. nce bidding is closed any all firms submitting a bid will be issued an Invitation (via email) to access the formal bid opening event via a live webcast. idders will also be notified of the results via an email within (24) hours of the Bid Opening event.

ACCESS TO BID PACKAGE DOCUMENTS: ALL BIDDERS shall be required to provide a completed formal Bid Document Request application in order to purchase bidding documents for any/all of the above listed Project Numbers.

No bidding documents will be issued prior to the Authority’s Construction Manager having a copy of a fully completed Request Application.

Bid Document Request Applications can be obtained by sending a Request to the following email address: P i s itts rgh co On the Subject Line, include the following: “Bid Documents Request – 21MG01 (TMP MMC Bid Pkg G – General Trades)”.

Once a bidder’s request has been received, provided it is complete, and provided the requesting party is not barred from bidding the work, the CM will provide access for the bidder to access and download the bid documents through Building Connected, a web-based bid management platform.

A PREBID CONFERENCE – October 28, 2021 – 10:00 AM (Bidders are strongly encouraged to review the plans prior to the meeting.)

The meeting will be a Microsoft Teams Meeting. To join the meeting the following number can be called (636) 373-8636 - United States (Toll-Free) – Conference Please e ail P i s itts rgh co to receive the link to join by computer.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, ACAA will not permit any Bidders to tour the site. In lieu thereof, the Construction Management Team (CM) will conduct a Virtual Prebid Meeting. In addition to addressing administration issues a video tour of the work areas will be provided. pecific details on how interested Bidders can view this broadcast will be provided as part of the Bid Documents via Building Connected. Note that no questions can be asked during this Prebid Meeting. Any/all questions must be issued to the CM as an “RFI”.

There will be no site visits – photographs of the site will be included in the contract documents or issued via addendum.

REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION (RFIs) Any/all questions related to this project must be made in writing to the CM. RFIs are to be sent to the CM via the Building Connected website.

BID SUBMISSION Proposals must be made on the Authority’s forms and in accordance with the Plans and pecifications and the “Instructions to Bidders”’.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, ACAA will not be accepting any hard copy bids for this Project. Accordingly, Electronic Bids are the only form that the ACAA will accept. While the Instructions to Bidders will provide more details, for an Electronic Bid to be accepted it must be sent through Building Connected and it must be received by no later than the established Bid Date and Time deadline.

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

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

No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of one-hundred-twenty [120] days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

To view a complete advertisement, which is also included in the bidding documents, visit itts rgh co under ACAA Corporate – Business Opportunities or www.pittransformed.com – Opportunities – Business Opportunities.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY DOCUMENT 00030-AA ADVERTISEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA PROJECT NUMBER 21ME01 (ELECTRICAL TRADES) PROJECT NUMBER 21MPFS01 (PLUMBING/FIRE SUPPRESSION TRADE) PROJECT NUMBER 21MM01 (MECHANICAL TRADES) TMP MMC – BID PKG G AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ELECTRONIC BIDS & BID OPENING PROCEDURE: Electronic Bids will be received by the Allegheny County Airport Authority until 1:00 P.M. prevailing local time, December 1, 2021.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, the ACAA is modifying its typical bid opening process; the formal bid opening procedure will be conducted virtually – any/ all firms submitting a id to the ACAA will be given special access to view the opening event. nce bidding is closed any all firms submitting a bid will be issued an Invitation (via email) to access the formal bid opening event via a live webcast. idders will also be notified of the results via an email within (24) hours of the Bid Opening event.

ACCESS TO BID PACKAGE DOCUMENTS: ALL BIDDERS shall be required to provide a completed formal Bid Document Request application in order to purchase bidding documents for any/all of the above listed Project Numbers.

No bidding documents will be issued prior to the Authority’s Construction Manager having a copy of a fully completed Request Application.

Bid Document Request Applications can be obtained by sending a Request to the following email address: P i s itts rgh co On the Subject Line, include the following: “Bid Documents Request – TMP MMC – Bid Pkg G (include which Trade)”.

Once a bidder’s request has been received, provided it is complete, and provided the requesting party is not barred from bidding the work, the CM will provide access for the bidder to access and download the bid documents through Building Connected, a web-based bid management platform.

A PREBID CONFERENCE – October 28, 2021 – 1:00 PM (Bidders are strongly encouraged to review the plans prior to the meeting.)

The meeting will be a Microsoft Teams Meeting. To join the meeting the following number can be called (636) 373-8636 - United States (Toll-Free) – Conference Please e ail P i s itts rgh co to receive the link to join by computer.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, ACAA will not permit any Bidders to tour the site. In lieu thereof, the Construction Management Team (CM) will conduct a Virtual Prebid Meeting. In addition to addressing administration issues a video tour of the work areas will be provided. pecific details on how interested Bidders can view this broadcast will be provided as part of the Bid Documents via Building Connected. Note that no questions can be asked during this Prebid Meeting. Any/all questions must be issued to the CM as an “RFI”.

There will be no site visits – photographs of the site will be included in the contract documents or issued via addendum.

REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION (RFIs) Any/all questions related to this project must be made in writing to the CM. RFIs are to be sent to the CM via the Building Connected website.

BID SUBMISSION Proposals must be made on the Authority’s forms and in accordance with the Plans and pecifications and the “Instructions to Bidders”’.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, ACAA will not be accepting any hard copy bids for this Project. Accordingly, Electronic Bids are the only form that the ACAA will accept. While the Instructions to Bidders will provide more details, for an Electronic Bid to be accepted it must be sent through Building Connected and it must be received by no later than the established Bid Date and Time deadline.

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

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

No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of one-hundred-twenty [120] days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

To view a complete advertisement, which is also included in the bidding documents, visit itts rgh co under ACAA Corporate – Business Opportunities or www.pittransformed.com – Opportunities – Business Opportunities.

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Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR DUCTWORK CLEANING AUTHORITY-WIDE IFB#300-29-21 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified irms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Ductwork Cleaning Authority-Wide IFB#300-29-21 The documents will be available no later than October 18, 2021 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 9:00 AM on November 9, 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 closing time of 9:00 AM on October 28, 2021 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at oss treet nd loor uite 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.

Questions or inquiries 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-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on October 28, 2021 at 9:00 AM. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 990 8461 9044 Passcode: 320724 +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.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR TRASH COMPACTOR AND CHUTE REPAIR IFB#300-38-21 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified irms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Trash Compactor and Chute Repair IFB#300-38-21 The documents will be available no later than October 18, 2021 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 AM on November 9, 2021. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off i n person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 AM on November 9, 2021 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Bids may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at oss treet nd loor uite 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.

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-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on November 9, 2021 at 10:00 AM. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 923 9258 6735 Passcode: 929564 +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 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 itle the air 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.

HACP 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 itle the air 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.

DOCUMENT 00030-AA ADVERTISEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA The Allegheny County Airport Authority will be receiving scanned PDF proposals through Submittable and a submission link will be sent to each registered plan holder. Submissions are to be submitted via Submittable by 1:00 p.m. prevailing local time on November 17, 2021, and bids will be opened by the Airport Authority and results will be emailed by end of business day of bid opening for the following project: ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PROJECT NUMBER 7G2-21 (GENERAL) MCCLAREN ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT A pre-bid conference will be held at 2:00 p.m., on October 25, 2021. This meeting will be a Microsoft Teams Meeting. To join the meeting the following number can be called +1 267-358-6891 United States, (Philadelphia), Phone Conference ID: 341 545 754#. Please call the phone numbers within the ad for the link to join by computer Attention is called to the fact that not less than the minimum salaries and wages, as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, must be paid on these projects.

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

The non-refundable charge of $150.00 for the Bid Documents and the Plans, and Specifications through the bidding platform Submittable at https://acaacapitalprograms.submittable.com . Please note that Submittable does not support Internet Explorer 11. Submittable recommends the following browsers icrosoft dge oogle hrome o illa irefo or Apple Safari.

This project has DBE participation goals; DBE firms must be certified with the Pennsylvania nified ertification Program (PA UCP). irms must be certified prior to award of contract. searchable database of DBE firms can be found on the PA UCP web site: https://paucp.dbesystem.com/ The Airport Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids or waive any informalities in the bidding.

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

To view a complete advertisement, which is also included in the bidding documents visit itts rgh co ACAA Cor orate siness Opportunities or call 412-472-3677 or 412-472-3543.

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HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) FOR NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS 4 BUILDING ROOF REPLACEMENT – AMP-09 HACP IFB NO. 600-31-21 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH will receive sealed bids for the Northview Heights 4 Building Roof Replacement – AMP 09 The construction work is estimated to begin in February of 2022.

Bid Documents will be available on or about Monday, October 11, 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 412-320-6080 A Pre-Bid Conference and Site Visit will be held on Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 10:00 a.m: Northview Heights 533 Mt. Pleasant Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15214 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. November 11, 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 oss treet office. or 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 November 11, 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 nd loor uite Pittsburgh P 15219. All bids must be received at the above address no later than November 11, 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 ederally ssisted onstruction 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 S T R O N G LY E N C O U R A G E S CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WO M AN- O WNED BUSI NESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement at (412) 456-5116 Opt 1.

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

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

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