America’s best weekly
MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 112 No. 51 Two Sections
thenewpittsburghcourier Published Weekly $1.00
DECEMBER 22-28, 2021
Community leaders: Hold off on traffic stops vote until Gainey takes office CHRISTMAS WITH SANTA
Legislation would make stops for minor infractions illegal by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
SANTA’S CHILLIN’ with Santino McLean, who is 6, and Ennis Davis, at Braddock’s Christmas celebration, held, Saturday, Dec. 18. For more photos of the event, see Page A4. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.)
With the Gainey administration less than two weeks from officially taking over Pittsburgh’s City Hall on Jan. 3, Black community leaders are urging all involved stakeholders to hold off on voting on proposed legislation to do away with police traffic stops for minor violations. Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess introduced the legislation in November, calling on the end to police pulling people over for minor traffic violations such as a taillight or headlight that’s not working, an expired registration sticker, or a license plate not properly mounted. Reverend Burgess has contended that the traffic stops disproportionately affect
African Americans in the city, which has been supported by data from the city. Out of 9,912 individuals involved in traffic stops in 2020, 3,238 were Black men, while another 1,405 were Black women. That data shows that 47 percent of traffic stops in the city in 2020 were done on Black drivers, even though the city is barely 22 percent Black. Council delayed a vote on the legislation on Dec. 20, but Rev. Burgess doesn’t want to delay the vote any further. He wants a vote done by the end of 2021. But Tim Stevens, Chairman and CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project, penned a letter to the city’s outgoing mayor, Bill Peduto, chief SEE TRAFFIC STOPS A2
FIRST IN THE STATE City schools’ carpentry program now directly linked to local Carpenters’ Union by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Pittsburgh Public Schools’ CTE (Career and Technical Education) initiative has secured the first registered carpentry pre-apprenticeship program in the state. Called “The Pipeline Into The Trades” (P.I.T.T.), the program is sponsored by CTE and the Keystone Mountain Lakes Carpenters Apprenticeship and Training Fund. “Because Pittsburgh Public Schools partnered with us and we are an approved apprentice training program throughout the state, they (PPS) have the ability to become a pre-apprenticeship program, which offers their students a pipeline into our program,” voiced Tom Bender, council representative of the Carpenters’ Union Local 432, in an interview with the Courier, Nov. 17. “So, any student that’s going through any
other vo-tech in the area is being prepared through their own curriculum to take a test to enter into our appreneticeship program, where Pittsburgh Public is using our curriculum to prepare their students to get into our program. It’s a better, easier pipeline.” Roughly 50 students are enrolled in the two CTE carpentry programs at Carrick and Westinghouse high schools. The program includes instruction in laying out floor plans and repairing structures and fixtures using hand and power tools, among other skills. Students learn about construction materials, estimating, blueprint reading and finish carpentry techniques. Angela Mike, director of PPS’ CTE program, told the Courier it’s a real benefit for the students that they can work with mentors and Carpenters’ Union members. She said there’s SEE CARPENTERS A7
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
To subscribe, call 412-481-8302 ext. 136
ZIAIRE LOWERY AND ELLIS STEPHENS, juniors at Carrick High School, are in the school’s carpentry program. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.)