Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey isn’t changing his mind. He wants Christopher Ragland, the current acting police chief of the City of Pittsburgh, to become the permanent police chief.
But the NAACP Pittsburgh Branch said hold on. The Black Political Empowerment Project said hold on. Some members of Pittsburgh City Council said hold on. Groups like the NAACP want Ragland to meet with them so they can hear firsthand how he’ll lead a police department.
Now, there’s a chance that Ragland won’t be confirmed as permanent police chief before the May 20 Primary Election, where the incumbent, Mayor Gainey, is being challenged for the city’s top spot by Corey O’Connor. O’Connor has been a City Councilman and is currently the Allegheny County Controller. But he’s probably best known, even if he wouldn’t admit it, for being the son of the
uber-popular Bob O’Connor, who was mayor of Pittsburgh in 2006 until his untimely death in September of that year.
Getting a new police chief in place isn’t the only thing on Mayor Gainey’s full plate. In fact, a lot of things seem to be happening right now as Mayor Gainey tries to secure a second term as mayor. On the affordable housing front, his team said he earned a victory in the crisis with the launching of the “Keep Pittsburgh Home” campaign, launched Feb. 21. The campaign aims to protect renters from displacement and unfair practices, expand homeownership opportunities for first-time homebuyers, invest in and improve public housing, and combat the practice of private equity and predatory wholesalers from buying up all the available homes in Pittsburgh.
Mayor Gainey and his team called it a victory when homicides and non-fatal shootings went
by Rob Taylor Jr.
Courier Staff Writer
The Board of Directors for East End Cooperative Ministry said they executed a nationwide search for their next President and CEO. But, as it often turns out, Pittsburghers know how to deal with other Pittsburghers best, especially those who are experiencing some trying times. Diona Jones is a Pittsburgher. Born and raised on the East Side, graduated from Peabody High School before anyone ever thought to name it Obama,
by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
As the speakers played the Gap Band’s “Outstanding,” a little “Poison” from Bell Biv Devoe, “Love Come Down” by Evelyn “Champagne” King and a healthy dose of “I Like It” by DeBarge, some Homewood residents spent a Saturday afternoon dancing like no one was watching, and catching up with people they hadn’t seen in al-
most forever. It’s the type of vibe that Angela Thompkins wanted to bring to her neighborhood, which oftentimes gets a bad rap. “People speak death over Homewood,” Thompkins told the New Pittsburgh Courier, Feb. 8, at the YWCA in Homewood. That’s where she held her first-ever “Chili Bowl” event. Everything was free for those who attended. The turkey chili. The beef, vege -
table or white chicken chili. The corn bread. The plethora of desserts. “There’s life here in Homewood,” Thompkins said. “It may have been bad at one point in time, but the people are life, the residents are life. People need for you to speak life into them. People need encouragement, especially in these times.” Pittsburgh’s “Black
Remembering Black music powerhouses: Roberta Flack, Gwen McCrae, Jerry Butler
by Stacy M. Brown
Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose smooth vocals and intimate style made her a defining artist of the 1970s, died on Feb. 24 at her home surrounded by family. She was 88. Her publicist, Elaine Schock, confirmed the news in a statement. Flack revealed in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which had taken away her ability to sing. Her death came just one day after the passing of soul-funk singer Gwen McCrae, who died on Feb. 23 at 81. McCrae, best known for hits like “Rockin’ Chair” and “Funky Sensation,” was celebrated for her enduring influence on soul and disco music. It also came just days after threetime Grammy nominee and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Butler, a premier soul singer of the 1960s, died at 85. Butler’s niece, Yolanda Goff, told The Associated Press that Butler died at his home in Chicago.
Roberta Flack: A Life in Music
Born Roberta Cleopatra Flack on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, she was raised in Arlington, Virginia, where her musical roots were cultivated at the Lomax African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Flack began piano lessons at age 9 and earned a full scholarship to Howard University at
15. She initially studied piano before switching to voice. She graduated at 19 and later taught music and English in North Carolina after her father’s death.
In Washington, D.C., Flack balanced teaching with nightclub performances, captivating audiences at local venues like Mr. Henry’s on Capitol Hill. Her breakthrough came when jazz pianist Les McCann discovered her and arranged an audition with Atlantic Records. Her 1969 debut album “First Take” initially received little attention until Clint Eastwood featured her rendition of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in his 1971 film “Play Misty for Me.” Released as a single in 1972, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and earned Flack her first Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Flack’s success soared with her 1973 recording of “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” which became her signature hit. The song spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned her two Grammys: Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. With the win, Flack became the first artist to earn consecutive Record of the Year awards. Her partnership with Donny Hathaway produced hits like “Where Is the Love,” which won a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. She continued her chart success with “Feel Like Makin’ Love” in 1974, making her the first female vocalist to top the Hot 100 in three consecutive years. Flack’s later collaborations with Peabo Bryson and Maxi Priest yielded popular tracks like “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” and “Set the Night to Music.” Throughout her career, Flack advocated for artist rights and founded the Roberta Flack School of Music, providing free music education to underprivileged youth. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999 and performed for Nelson Mandela that same year. Flack is survived by her son, musician Bernard Wright.
Gwen McCrae: Soul and Disco Legacy
Gwen McCrae, celebrated for her rich voice and lasting impact on the disco and soul music scenes, died on Feb. 23 at 81. A statement from her official brand account called her passing “more bad news” for the music world and acknowledged how fans “are still jamming to ‘Rockin’ Chair’ all these years later.”
This Week In Black History A Courier Staple
• FEBRUARY 26
1920—Dr. Carter G. Woodson (18751950) founds the first nationally organized celebration of Black American history (then called Negro History Week), which was first celebrated on this day in 1926. Woodson scheduled the week to coincide with the birthdays of Civil War President Abraham Lincoln and Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass. However, in 1976, Negro History Week was expanded into the current day Black History Month. For his efforts in promoting knowledge of Black historical achievements Woodson became known as the “Father of Black History.” In explaining the need for the celebration, Woodson once said, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”
1964—Heavyweight boxing champion Cassius Clay changes his name to Muhammad Ali after rejecting Christianity and joining the Elijah Muhammad-led Nation of Islam.
• FEBRUARY 27
Born Gwen Mosley in Pensacola, Florida, McCrae began singing in church choirs before meeting George McCrae, whom she married in 1963. The couple performed as a duo and signed with Henry Stone’s Alston label. By 1970, McCrae had achieved early success with “Lead Me On.” In 1972, she released “Always On My Mind,” a song later popularized by artists including Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and the Pet Shop Boys.
Her biggest commercial success came in 1975 with “Rockin’ Chair,” which topped the R&B chart and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. While the single remains her most widely recognized hit, many fans and DJs remember her for the 1981 club favorite “Funky Sensation,” which has endured as a dance floor staple. McCrae’s career spanned decades, and her other notable songs included “Keep the Fire Burning.” Despite her accomplishments, she often spoke about the lack of recognition and fair compensation for Black artists of her era.
After suffering a stroke in 2012 that left her partially paralyzed, McCrae retired from performing. Her daughter, Leah McCrae, carries on the family’s musical legacy as a solo artist and member of the group Daughters of Soul.
Jerry Butler: The “Iceman”
Jerry Butler was the trailblazing Chicago singer who later made his mark in the world of politics.
He began singing alongside the iconic Curtis Mayfield in the 1950s. Together, they helped form the group the “Impressions,” and sang on their hit, “For Your Precious Love.”
In the 1960s is where people came to love Jerry Butler in Philadelphia, as he and producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff helped Butler with the hit, “Only The Strong Survive” among others.
“The Iceman,” Jerry Butler was also a Cook County Commissioner for some 30 years. Chicago is located within Cook County.
He died at age 85 on Feb. 20 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
(Courier staff writer Rob Taylor Jr. contributed to this story.)
1748—This is the probable birth date of Prince Hall—the “Father of Black Masons.” Hall was a veteran of America’s war of independence from England, founder of the first African-American Masonic lodges and one of the most prominent Black leaders of his era. The charter for the first Black Masonic lodge was granted on Sept. 29, 1784. It was known as African Lodge #459 of Boston.
1869—Congress adopts the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution making it illegal for the U.S. government or any state to “deny or abridge” the right to vote “on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.” This was one of the so-called “Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th & 15th)” which essentially ended slavery, made Blacks full U.S. citizens and guaranteed the right to vote.
1872—Charlotte E. Ray graduates from the Howard University Law School becoming the first Black female lawyer in the United States. It also appears that she was the third female lawyer of any race. She was admitted to the Washington, D.C., bar the same year she graduated. But racism and sexism prevented her from making a living as a lawyer in the nation’s capital, so she moved to New York and got a job with the Brooklyn school system.
• FEBRUARY 28
1708—One of the first recorded slave revolts in American history takes place on Newton, Long Island (New York). Seven Whites are killed. In retaliation, two Black male slaves and one Indian male slave were hung, while one Black female slave was burned alive.
1879—A date considered by many to mark the beginning of the great “Exodus of 1879,” when thousands of Blacks begin fleeing racism, violence and economic exploitation in the South for new lives in the Midwest, especially Kansas. One of the most prominent organizers of the exodus was former Tennessee slave Benjamin “Pap” Singleton. An estimated 20,000 Blacks took part in the exodus. They were driven in part by the Homestead Act which promised free land. But by 1880, efforts had already begun to curtail the movement of Blacks to the Midwest. In 1881, Pap Singleton was hauled before a Senate investigative committee looking into his role in the exodus.
1989—Philip Emeagwali is awarded the Golden Bell Prize for solving one of the 20 most difficult problems in computer science. The prize is widely considered the “Nobel Prize of Computing.” The feat of the Nigerian-born computer scientist involved, at the time, the world’s fastest computer computation—a staggering 3.1 billion calculations per second. He figured out how oil flows underground and thus better enabled companies to extract it.
• MARCH 1
1739—The British government is forced to sign a peace treaty with the Jamaican Maroons. The Maroons were escaped slaves or, to put it another way, Africans who refused to be slaves. When the Spanish lost Jamaica to the British in 1665, they freed many of their slaves and called them Maroons or “wild.” The Maroons set up villages, were frequently joined by other escaped slaves and eventually began to wage a highly successful guerrilla war against the British. Under the terms of the peace treaty, the Maroons were designated a free people and given 1,500 acres of land.
1780—Pennsylvania becomes perhaps the first state to abolish slavery. There is some confusion about the effective dates of the laws passed during this period, which called for the gradual elimination of slavery. The honor of being the first state to ban slavery may actually go to Vermont.
1875—Congress enacts the first Civil Rights Bill. It granted Blacks the right to equal treatment in inns, on public transportation, in theaters and places of amusement. However, with the end of the progressive Reconstruction period, Jim Crow laws were passed throughout the South which largely ignored the Civil Rights Bill. African Americans did not regain most of the rights granted in 1875 until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
1927—Entertainer and political activist Harry Belafonte is born Harold George
Belafonte on this day in Harlem, N.Y., to Jamaican immigrant parents. Belafonte developed an early flair for entertainment and in the post-World War II period, he became one of the most popular vocalists in America and made Calypso popular throughout the nation. In 1959, he became the first African American to win an Emmy. However, from the 1960s forward he mixed his entertainment career with active participation in the Civil Rights Movement and other social causes. He has been a frequent critic of Republican conservatism and conservative Blacks. In 2002, he was accused of labeling Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice “house niggers” for their support of President Bush’s right wing domestic and foreign policies.
1967—On this day in Black history, the U.S. House of Representatives expelled flamboyant and outspoken Black New York Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. from Congress for allegedly misappropriating funds. However, in June 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the expulsion unconstitutional and Powell returned to Congress, but without his seniority. He lost his seat to current Representative Charles Rangel in 1970 and Powell died on April 4, 1972. During his most powerful years in Congress, Powell headed the House Labor and Education Committee and used his powers to help pass a wide range of civil rights and progressive social legislation.
• MARCH 2
1807—Congress passes legislation banning the slave trade. The law which was to go into effect on Jan. 1, 1808 prohibited the importation of slaves into the U.S. or any of its territories. Despite the law, however, the illegal importation of slaves continued for years. The best available records suggest that the very last slave ship arrived in the U.S. in 1859 off the coast of Mobile, Ala. The ship was called the Clothilde. 1896—Ethiopia defeats Italy at the battle of Adowa (also called Adwa). It was one of the few successful military victories of Africans over Europeans as the latter attempted to colonize and economically exploit the African continent. The nominal head of the Ethiopian forces was Emperor Menelik II, but the lead general was Ras Makonnen—father of the man who would become next Emperor Haile Selassie. The battle, which began on March 1, 1896, would leave 6,000 Italians and 10,000 Ethiopians dead. But the victory forced Europe to recognize Ethiopia as an independent and sovereign nation, as well as, give inspiration to Blacks worldwide who were fighting for freedom.
• MARCH 3
1968—The infamous COINTELPRO memorandum is sent to FBI field offices around the country. COINTELPRO was a government counter intelligence program aimed at disrupting and destroying Black, peace and anti-war groups. The March 3 memorandum specifically called on FBI agents to infiltrate militant Black organizations and employ various tactics to prevent them from growing individually or uniting with one another. The agents were also told to do whatever was necessary to prevent the rise of a “Black Messiah” who could “electrify and unify” Black people. Approximately one month after the COINTELPRO memorandum was issued, Civil Rights Movement leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. When the COINTELPRO documents were discovered by a reporter in the 1970s, suspicion increased that the FBI and its long-time Director J. Edgar Hoover were in some way involved with the killing of King. 1991—Motorist Rodney King is brutally beaten by a group of Los Angeles police officers. Unknown to them, the beating was caught on video tape. However, a year later (April 29, 1992) when a jury in Simi Valley, Calif., with no Blacks on it found four White officers not guilty of all charges related to the beating, riots erupted in Los Angeles leaving millions of dollars in damage, nearly 50 people dead and more than 300 injured. Ultimately, two of the officers were convicted on federal civil rights charges and King received a financial settlement from the city of Los Angeles. It was during this period that King uttered his signature statement: “Why can’t we all just get along?”
• MARCH 4
1877—Inventor and scientist Garrett A. Morgan is born in Paris, Ky. Among his major inventions were the gas mask and the automatic traffic signal. He made history on July 25, 1916 when he used his gas mask to rescue 32 men trapped in a mine explosion beneath Lake Erie. The U.S. Army also used the gas mask to save lives during World War I. Morgan
ROBERTA FLACK, GWEN MCCRAE, JERRY BUTLER
down in the city in 2024, as compared to 2023. The mayor and public safety officials worked hard to open a new Downtown Public Safety Center, which showed Pittsburghers that the city was serious about making Downtown safe. But on the day that the city celebrated the one-year anniversary of the center’s opening on Wood Street, all the media could talk about was the daytime shooting of a 17-year-old on Smithfield Street a day prior.
For all the good the mayor says he’s trying to do in the city, it seems as though his field of detractors cries louder. And it isn’t just O’Connor running for mayor—there’s former police
officer Tony Moreno, who ran in 2021, and Thomas West, a 48-year-old business owner who lives in Highland Park.
Mayor Gainey is used to stress. After all, he leads the second-largest city in Pennsylvania, and a city that happens to have 90 neighborhoods with a variety of people and personalities. But the city now knows he doesn’t take kindly to media members who, in his opinion, try to paint his city in a negative light.
During the Feb. 20 news conference celebrating the Downtown Public Safety Center, WPXI-TV reporter Rick Earle asked acting chief Ragland how the city can fight back against the perception that Downtown
Attention North Siders!
isn’t safe. Earle noted the Feb. 19 shooting as well as a shooting on Jan. 5 on Penn Avenue. Earle said that the city can “throw all the stats” and “numbers” out there they want, but when people hear about the shootings, they still say, “It’s not safe in Pittsburgh.”
Acting chief Ragland diplomatically answered that “Downtown is safe” and that “in some of those incidents, it’s very difficult for you to prevent that (the shooting). What we did do is save a man’s life and take a man into custody within seconds, and that’s all due to the presence we have down there.”
Mayor Gainey then took the microphone.
“We can throw away the numbers...let’s talk about
another number that really helps create a safe city. How many positive stories have you reported, Rick? How many times have you gone down there and talked about the great things that’s going on Downtown and the nightlife that has come back and really demonstrated our city in a way that shows its beauty and not the ugly?”
Mayor Gainey obviously took exception to what he feels are numerous stories done by Earle on WPXI that focus on the negative side of Pittsburgh and/or the Gainey administration.
“The reality is, part of the perception comes from you,” Mayor Gainey said, directed to Earle. “And at the end of the day, if the perception is only on the
negative, then that’s what you promote.”
Earle, in his defense, said that “we” as a television station have done positive stories on Downtown Pittsburgh and the mayor’s office.
Ayodeji Young, longtime Pittsburgh community advocate and current director of the Jordan Miles Youth Engagement Center, Downtown, then jumped on the mic and had the mayor’s back.
“I’m Downtown Pittsburgh every single day, and in my opinion, it does get slanted in a negative perspective,” Young said. “It’s attack, attack, attack,” he said when he watches local news about Downtown.
“Have you seen Downtown in Atlanta? Down-
town in Cleveland? Downtown in Philly? I guarantee if you reach out and compare any of those numbers to Pittsburgh, we’ll come out better. To me, this issue with Downtown Pittsburgh is more or less outsiders looking at the City of Pittsburgh and going off of what you guys report versus coming into Downtown Pittsburgh and seeing things themselves.” Young, who seemed to be speaking to all media, then said: “From this day forward, you’re going to hear kickback and fighting back to these accusations about Downtown Pittsburgh and the overall job that the police officers, the mayor and his staff are doing. We’re done with the false narratives.”
There is life in Homewood
North Homewood Piz -
za, Everyday Cafe, CKV Suites, numerous nightclubs, Showcase BBQ, The Dream BBQ, Salik Hardware, a library, Operation Better Block, Homewood Children’s Village, historic Black churches, day care centers, iconic schools like Faison and Westinghouse, and thousands of African Americans who take pride in their neighborhood.
Like any neighborhood, there are some who want to cause trouble. But Thompkins said if you go house to house, neighbor to neighbor, one will see all the good that really is in Homewood. It’s just not something that is always highlighted on the 6 o’clock news.
“If we come together and get to know one another and we converse, we can help each other,” Thompkins, who was born in Homewood and after a stint away from Homewood, has returned to the neighborhood for the past five years, told the Courier.
The Silver Lake Commons senior apartments are next door to the YWCA on Frankstown. Some of the residents there heard about the
Chili Bowl and took the short trip over to the Y. People like Mayme Williams, who told the Courier that the Chili Bowl is something they should do once, twice, three times, and then, “the community will really grab it.”
Williams was there with friends Marlene Carter and Joann Younger.
As Thompkins sought to bring people together in Homewood, she received some help as well, from Divine Delectables and Beyond Blessed Catering for much of the food. Everyone coming together to make the event happen as planned.
Georgette Powell told the Courier she saw some folks at the Chili Bowl “that I hadn’t seen in decades, so it was really nice to have the opportunity to come out and fellowship.”
Donna Bundy Ford, who people have come to see at Dana’s Bakery on N. Homewood Ave., said that people “got a lot of bad things they say about Homewood, but there’s a lot of good things and a lot of great people in Homewood.”
Right now, there are young people living on Collier, or Bennett, or on Hamilton, Murtland or Hermitage. Maybe
they’re living in those new homes constructed by Tina Daniels of Concrete Rose Construction.
Maybe they’re up on Singer, or nestled along Blackadore. Right now, they’re making plans to become the next big thing in Pittsburgh or beyond. And when they become adult superstars, and the media asks where they’re from and they say “Homewood,” the media shouldn’t be surprised, even though there’s a good chance they will be. But with a little homework, the outsiders would know that Billy Porter, the famed actor and performer, came from Homewood. Chuck Cooper, the first Black player drafted in the
NBA, came from Homewood. Esther Bush, the ultra-successful former President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, came from.... Homewood. Teenie Harris, the famed Courier photographer for all those years, chronicling Black Pittsburgh...where did his family settle? Homewood. In fact, there is a historical marker in front of his home, at 7604 Mulford Street.
Thompkins told the Courier the Lord gave her the idea to have the event. She was called to bring people together on an otherwise unassum -
ing Saturday afternoon in Homewood. The people walked away with smiles on their faces, joy in their hearts, some music to dance to, and some food to soothe the belly.
“People need encouragement,” Thompkins told the Courier. “People need to know that there’s people here that genuinely care for you and don’t want anything from you.”
DONNA BUNDY FORD
POWELL. (PHOTOS
CHIEF IKHANA HAL-MAKINA) SEATED IS MAYME WILLIAMS. STANDING ARE JOANN YOUNGER AND MARLENE CARTER.
ANGELA THOMPKINS, STANDING, SECOND FROM RIGHT, WITH SUPPORTERS WHO ATTENDED THE CHILI BOWL AT THE YWCA.
Diona Jones happy to lead EECM
and went through a series of trials and tribulations that one may go through, growing up in urban environments.
“Their mission was really impactful to me,” Jones told the Courier in an exclusive interview, Feb. 11.
“They work with individuals who have experienced homelessness, food insecurities, lack of employment opportunities and educational opportunities,” and Jones said some of those issues she dealt with firsthand as a youngster. “When I read their mission and their vision, I said I need to actually be a part of this organization so I can give back.”
EECM’s Board of Directors selected Jones as EECM’s next President and CEO. Her first day was Monday, Jan. 20. Jones was formerly the executive director at Focus on Renewal, based in McKees Rocks.
“Diona has every qualification the board was seeking in a leader for the organization’s purposeful growth and change, including strong educational credentials, broad proficiency in human services administration, and recent, successful experience as a nonprofit chief executive familiar with the most pressing issues of this region and the Commonwealth. The board could not be more pleased to welcome Diona as our new leader,” said EECM’s board chair, David J. McAllister, in a statement released Jan. 23.
EECM has been around for 55 years. Jones told the Courier her first priority is to raise the profile of EECM locally, regionally and nationally. While many people on the East End have heard of East End Cooperative Ministry, historically it has been known as a place that helps the homeless and provides meals. While that’s still true, Jones said EECM does much more.
As an example, EECM has a department dedicated to children and youth. Staff members visit schools like Obama and Westinghouse to speak with students to prevent situations such as teen domestic violence and teen pregnancy. Their “L5 Program” (Lifting, Learning, Literacy, Life and Love) Elementary Educational Support and Club provides early academic supports, assistance, and intervention to educationally at-risk students through class shadowing, and one-on-one relationship-building. And EECM has a summer camp for students beginning at age 5, where the students attend fun trips like Kennywood, the Carnegie Science Center, and Sandcastle. In 2024, more than 200 campers attended the five-week camp.
When it comes to the food services, EECM’s food pantry allows people in need to get groceries at its location, 6140 Station St., weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EECM also provides people in need to get a hot meal between noon and 12:45 p.m. (tray service). A bag lunch is available from noon until 1 p.m.
Jones said EECM provides roughly 1,500 meals per month for residents in need.
EECM’s housing services include an emergency shelter (412-345-7135) and a “recovery house.”
The recovery house is a licensed program designed for adult men and women in active recovery and who are referred from a treatment facility, probation or justice-related services.
The program, according to EECM’s website, gives individuals the chance to move into long-term recovery in the community through peer support and mentoring, case management and work with the EECM Education Employment team.
Some 2,000 people are being helped through
EECM’s programs, Jones said. “The organization has accomplished a great deal in its illustrious history, but the need to help local individuals and families facing the impacts of poverty has unfortunately never been greater. Safe, affordable housing, for example, is a problem that increasingly demands creative solutions and more and better integrated community resources; food insecurity continues to rise with devastating lifelong consequences; and too many East End children and youth are not yet on a path to achieve academic or occupational success. With so much to be done and so little time to do it, I am eager to develop new community partnerships and resources, and promote the attainment of permanent, sustainable, and positive changes in Pittsburgh’s East End,” Jones said in a statement.
Jones will work with three EECM vice presidents in the organization’s quest to combat poverty—Rev. Darnell Leonard (Children and Youth Services/Congregational Liaison; and Special Projects); Nicole Harrington, Ed.D., (Community Programs); and Jerry Parfitt (Finance and Administration, including Human Resources).
Jones has an undergraduate degree from the University of Phoenix, a master’s in professional counseling and clinical psychology from Carlow University, and is finishing her doctorate in community engagement and leadership development at Point Park University. But before the degrees, she told the Courier that it was a place called Americorps that changed the trajectory of her life. The mentorship there that’s provided to young people was just what Jones needed in those early days. She said the Americorps program gave her the life skills, the self-sufficiency skills that she needed.
Diona Jones welcomes the opportunity to lead East End Cooperative Ministry, an organization “that you can help combat systemic poverty, save lives,” and “create an environment where individuals have hope.”
“That really opened up the pathway to want to work in social services,” she told the Courier exclusively. And now, each day, Jones welcomes the opportunity to be “part of an organization that you can help combat systemic poverty, save lives,” and “create an environment where individuals have hope.”
DIONA JONES
LORENA AMOS HOLDING
BROTHER SHEGUN SHOWING THE BOOK
LORENA AMOS
SHIRLEY BIGGS READING “SPIRIT OF OUR WORK”
MICHAEL VIC DOING HIS POETRY...
BRIAN COOK JR.
SPOTLIGHT ON SENIORS
Brenda Tate authors new memoir
Brenda Tate’s inspirational new memoir, "Journal of a Black Woman in Blue, Navigating Abuse, Addiction, Racism and Sobriety," weaves a narrative of hope and perseverance for anyone who has faced life-altering situations in their own lives that led them down an unintended road of emotional pain and suffering.
Her personal journal is a painfully honest account of the struggles she faced as a child and young woman, enduring rape, molestations, and abuse-traumas that led her on a path of self-destruction until she was able to face it head-on. She served 40 years in Pittsburgh as a police officer while being heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol 20 of those years. She opens up about her life as a young girl in the Hill District, where she was a model student and athlete. She was also devoted and felt obligated to help her mother make ends meet by being forced to place herself in situations that altered her mental and emotional state that ultimately affected her future. Always trying to position herself to be in control of her life, she was fighting her inner demons that haunted her for 20 years of her adulthood. She continued to professionally achieve during those years, but not without serious consequences. In addition to living and trying to hide her addiction, she was faced with racism and sexism on the police force as one of the first African American women to serve. Life-altering changes in her personal life with the sudden deaths of loved ones only compounded her daily existence. Her eventual lowest point was one that came crashing down suddenly on the job. She often wonders how she survived it and is alive today.
Tate’s recovery was not easy. Still serving on the police force, she experienced humiliation when her addictions were ex -
posed. She also faced countless temptations while going through rehabilitation. It was only through her strong faith and the support of Alcoholics Anonymous that Tate finally achieved sobriety.
“I surrounded myself with individuals who recognized my inner strength and who wouldn’t allow me to return to my prior life,” Tate said. “My message is that if I can turn my life around with the proper support, anyone else can too. It was a raw and personal decision to write this book and reveal the secrets I held deep inside for decades.”
"Journey of a Black Woman in Blue" describes Tate’s experiences growing up in a tightknit African American community where she met many unusual characters that shaped her life and who she references in her book. The book also follows her distinguished 40-year career in law enforcement, from entry-level police officer to detective who served in the Dignitary Protection
Unit, protecting presidents, kings and queens, and dignitaries such as Rosa Parks and the Dalai Lama—the only African American to serve in that unit at that time. Tate stated, “Even though it was a challenge and painful at times to reveal so many personal details writing this book, the more I exposed and let go, the more courageous I felt. Courage was a requirement to serve on the police force, but exposing my soul in this book took everything I had to rise to a higher level of fearlessness. My journal is meant for anyone who is struggling, but particularly women, who refuse to be defined by their mistakes and whose own story of struggle can lead to a triumphant outcome.”
The book can be purchased on Amazon or Tate’s website, www. journalofablackwomaninblue.com. The PBS 2024 Emmy award winning documentary on Tate's life can be viewed on the website as well.
AGING IS...AGING MEANS
It is common knowledge that in this country, aging is not celebrated. While there are social services in place to support aging citizens within the community, still there are individual issues around aging that are often not discussed, resulting in a great deal of inequity. There is ageism; tension among age groups (senior women and younger women specifically); and neg-
BY RENEE P. ALDRICH
ative media images of the elderly (especially women), all of which factor in on society’s misconceptions on how it is to age. Negative
media images largely focus on lack of capacity as opposed to what seasoned women bring to the table. Here is a look at what it means to age, and what aging actually is and the opportunities that come with aging.
AGING IS what happens if we are lucky, AGING MEANS we have been through some things. AGING IS swift—one day you are 25 or 35 and filled with energy, and parenting young children, you have energy to burn, no thoughts of what you eat, and no thoughts of when you go to bed; you are working, a student, or mapping out your career; and in the next instant you are 60plus, kids are grown, maybe they are married and have children of their own, your energy level is subpar at best; spicy foods no longer agree with you and you look forward to leaving the party/play or other event so you can go home and go to bed. Plus you are counting down the days till you can retire—if you are lucky. AGING IS subtle, occur-
What you should know about cataract surgery
ring while you are napping, working, traveling, falling in love, celebrating holidays, or just otherwise just living your life.
AGING MEANS you are not so much concerned with the opinions of others; it MEANS you are smarter, and you cannot be so easily fooled by those trying to use you—but you could be the target of scammers. Aging MEANS that the price you pay for mistakes is a lot less than it was in your 20s or 30s—because you now have wisdom on how to apply your knowledge. How swift is it, you ask? Well, the timeline between 25 and 65 is approximately three weeks—though in the moment it seems like you have a very long time to meet your goals, write a book, start a business, or even go back to school—but those three weeks fly by.
As a senior woman, I feel particularly qualified to make the above statements and my personal experience demonstrates their merit. However, the real truth is each experience with aging is unique; some sail through the pro-
by
Allan Steigleman and Elizabeth M. Hofmeister University of Florida via The Conversation Cataract surgery is one of the most popular and commonly performed procedures in the world. The vast majority of patients have excellent outcomes with few complications.
Here are the numbers: By age 80, over half of all Americans have cataracts; Close to 4 million cataract surgeries are performed in the U.S. every year; Over 90 percent of patients have 20/20 vision with glasses after surgery, although those with other eye conditions may not do as well, including those with glaucoma, a progressive disease typically associated with elevated pressure within the eye; diabetic retinopathy, which ultimately can cause leakage in the retinal tissues; and macular degeneration, a disease that is typically related to age; The rate of post-surgery infection from endophthalmitis is less than 0.1 percent.
As ophthalmologists who have performed thousands of these procedures, we know that many patients have misconceptions about both cataracts and the surgery. For example, some think a cataract is a growth on the eye’s surface.
We like to compare a cataract with the frosted glass of a bathroom window, where light can be transmitted but details cannot. Or when turbulence from a storm causes normally clear water in the ocean to become murky. In much the same way, the eye’s once transparent lens becomes cloudy.
About the surgery Cataract surgery removes the clouded lens of the eye and replaces it with a new, clear lens to restore your vision. Most patients report the procedure is painless.
It’s typically an elective surgery that is performed on an outpatient basis. The patient is often awake, under local anesthesia, with sedation similar to that used for dental procedures. We like to say patients receive the equivalent of three margaritas in their IV.
Numbing drops are then applied to the eye’s surface, along with an anesthetic inside the eye. Patients with claustrophobia, or movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, may not be suitable candidates for awake surgeries and require general anesthesia.
Before surgery, patients receive dilating drops to make the pupil as large as possible. The surgeon makes a tiny incision, usually with a small pointed scalpel, between the clear
cess without a hitch, while some cave to the elements of aging.
Why do we suppose that is? At the end of the day, what aging also affords us is the knowledge that life is about choices. And as long as we are alive, we have the choice of how we want to age—and not waiting until the bottom falls out of the basket to fix it.
I think it is important to add here what aging is not. What aging does not mean is that we are finished just because we have entered the senior space. It does NOT mean that it is too late; “it is never too late” is not a cliché. All those aspirations are still doable, if we do not cave into the so-called diminished capacity reflected in the media. What it does NOT mean
and white part of the eye to gain access to the lens capsule, a thin membrane similar in thickness to a plastic produce bag at the grocery store.
This capsule is suspended by small fibers called zonules, which are arranged like the springs that suspend a trampoline from a frame. The surgeon then creates a small opening in the capsule, called a capsulotomy, to gain access to the cataract. The cataract is then broken into smaller parts so they are removable through the small incision. This is similar to a tiny jackhammer, breaking the large lens into smaller pieces for removal. That sounds scary, but it’s painless. Ultrasound emulsifies the lens and vacuum power then aspirates it from the eye.
Laser-assisted cataract surgery has been found to have similar outcomes to traditional cataract surgery.
Complications are rare Serious complications, such as postoperative infection, bleeding in the eye or a postoperative retinal detachment are rare; they occur in approximately 1 in 1,000 cases. But even in many of these situations, appropriate management can salvage useful vision. Capsular complications deserve additional discussion. According to some studies, they occur in up to 2 percent of cases. If a hole or tear of the posterior capsule is encountered during cataract surgery, the clear gel in the vitreous—the back chamber of the eye— may be displaced into the front chamber of the eye. If that happens, the gel must be removed at the time of the cataract surgery. This will reduce the likelihood of additional postoperative complications, but those who have the procedure, known as a vitrectomy, have an increased risk for additional complications, including postoperative infections and postoperative swelling.
After the surgery
Patients usually go home right after the procedure. Most surgery centers require that the patient have someone drive them home, more for the anesthesia rather than the surgery. Patients begin applying postoperative drops that same day and must wear an eye shield at bedtime for a few weeks after surgery. Patients should keep the eye clean and avoid exposure to dust, debris and water. They should try not to bend over and should avoid heavy lifting or straining in the first week or so after surgery. Lifting or straining can cause a surge of blood pressure to the face and eye. Known as a choroidal hemorrhage, it
is we stop reaching for a dream, or changing something that is NOT working for us.
Mary Kay Ash didn’t like the experience she had in her corporate job—so at age 60 she left it and started a multi-million-dollar company that offered entrepreneurship opportunities for women giving them the opportunity to get rewarded for the effort they put into their businesses. Ms. Flora Hubbard lost her only son at 70 years old. The grief was too much for her, so she began writing poetry. She was so good and prolific she began getting invited to college campuses to do her own poetry performances. She also was honored by college presidents, and performed at both the University of Pittsburgh and Car-
can lead to bleeding into the wall of the eye and be devastating to vision. Things that cause only moderate increases in heart rate such as walking are OK. Routine postoperative examinations are usually completed the day after surgery, about a week after surgery and about a month after surgery. A choice of lens
The plastic lens used to replace the cataract, or intraocular lens, requires careful sizing for optimal results and a nuanced discussion between patient and surgeon.
Early intraocular lens technologies were monofocal, and most patients with these lenses chose distance correction and used reading glasses for near tasks. This is still the preferred approach for approximately 90 percent of patients having cataract surgery today.
Recent advances have led to intraocular lenses that offer multifocality— the opportunity to have near as well as distance vision, without glasses. Some multifocal lenses are even in the trifocal category, which includes distance, near, and intermediate vision, the latter of which in recent years has become very important for computer and phone use.
Most patients with these advanced technology multifocal lenses are happy with them. However, a small percentage of patients with multifocal lenses can be so bothered by visual disturbances—notably night glare and halos around light sources in the dark—that they request removal of the multifocal lens to exchange it for a standard intraocular lens. These exchanges are a reasonable option for such situations and offer relief for most affected patients.
Determining who’s an ideal candidate for a multifocal intraocular lens is an area of active research. Most clinicians would recommend against such a lens for a patient with a detail-oriented personality. Such patients tend to fixate on the shortcomings of these lenses despite their potential advantages.
As with many technologies, current generation advanced technology intraocular lenses are much better than their predecessors. Future offerings are likely to offer improved vision and fewer side effects than those available today. But these newer lenses are often not reimbursed by insurance companies and often entail substantial out-of-pocket costs for patients.
Deciding on what type of lens is best for you can be complicated. Fortunately, except in unusual circumstances, such as when a cataract develops after trauma to the eye, there is seldom a hurry for adult cataract surgery.
negie Mellon University. The good news is, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize the need for an extra layer of protection as we age. We do that by making the appropriate changes, like stop smoking; commit to moving our bodies, and NOT giving up on the life you want for yourself. These are absolutely essential if we are to age with grace, and not have limited capacity—we may have to do things differently, but we do not have to stop doing them! So you see, AGING IS and AGING MEANS are interchangeable concepts about that thing that we are all going to face, if we are blessed. And we have the choice of sailing through it, or caving into it. The choice is ours.
COURIER CHURCH DIRECTORY
“The Love Church” Sunday School: 10 a.m. Worship Service: 11 a.m.
ST. JOHN BAPTIST CHURCH 209 Bridge St. Wilmerding, Pa., 15148 412-829-8925
Langston Hughes Poetry Society Pittsburgh reunites
gust Wilson House. Guests enjoyed dramatizations of Langston’s poems, historical contexts, singing and music in the spirit of the home of August Wilson. Perfectly befitting for the Langston Hughes Poetry Society to present poetry there as
Mr. Wilson’s first creative identity was that of a poet. The Langston Hughes Poetry Society Pittsburgh is an inclusive arts collective of poets, authors and performers committed to the remembrance of Hughes’ legacy and other literary artists who have
contributed to the African American experience in America. Langston Hughes Poetry Society Pittsburgh is comprised of Lewis Colyar, Dr. Johnathan White, Michael R. Williams, Edward Murray, Dr. Sheila Beasley and Dr. Ervin Dyer for scholar contributions. Dr. Dyer is also the board President of August Wilson House. Poet and actor, Thembisile Gxuluwe, joined the program to share poetry commemorating Langston Hughes.
Pittsburgh
Thanks to your emails and letters in the mail, we are making sure we are including your church events, anniversaries and other news in the Courier. Please email us at religion@newpittsburghcourier.com ... or just send us a letter to: 315 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh PA 15219.
Servant Pastor A. Marie Walker
Dr. Sheila Beasley checked in with the New Pittsburgh Courier to let the readers know that on Saturday, Feb. 22, the Langston Hughes Poetry Society Pittsburgh reunited, after six years, to celebrate the legacy of Langston Hughes at Au-
‘CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC—IT'S SO
HARD TO GET THROUGH TO YOU’
NFL and unfair play go hand-in-hand
“You jump in front of my car when you, you know all the time...That 90 miles an hour is the speed I drive. You tell me it's all right, you don't mind a little pain. You say you just want me to take you for a drive. You're just like (crosstown traffic!) so hard to get through to you. I'm not the only soul who's accused of hit and run. Tire tracks across your back, I can see you had your fun. But uh, can't you see my signals turn from green to red? And with you, I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead.” (Excerpt from the song; ‘Crosstown Traffic’ by the Jimi Hendrix Experience)
I am going to attempt to enlighten everyone regarding the many methods of “unfair” play that have allegedly been going on in the NFL almost since the league was founded. For example, take the New England Patriots. This has to be the umpteenth time that the forensic evidence of “cheating” tracks has been left across the back of the NFL and the sports world by the Patriots. For many years, these serial cheaters have been dis-
guised as a football team. The Pats have employed a myriad of back-alley and underhanded methods to get the upper hand on the competition not just for weeks, months and years, but for decades! Don’t believe me? Check out their Super Bowl won-loss record B.S. (before spygate) and you will get the full picture.
Former Patriots QB Tom Brady has almost always been given the benefit of the doubt when he and his team have been caught committing “many out of bounds” transgressions, while he simultaneously promoted himself as the All-American savior riding in to save the NFL, on a white steed without blemish with the bling of Super Bowl rings adorning his saddle. Also, he was never short of expressing condolences to the opposition after they were defeated by a Patriots team that supposedly outplayed and outcoached the inferior competition. Brady never told his coach that he would never cheat!
At times Tom Brady was considered by many folks as “untouchable” simply because of his “fair mar-
ket value” to the NFL. However, many folks have considered his unwritten advantages as an unfair market value. Talking about hit and run! As far as many players may be concerned, the NFL pays them but continues to create and enforce rules and regulations that help the league recoup some of that dough. Some of those fines may be insignificant to players on the higher end of the salary scale but to those on the lower end of the NFL salary ladder, that is a different matter. The owners are often seen “scrubbing for surgery, scalpels at the ready to slice and dice the salaries of players for in-game violations such as, ‘unnecessary roughness.”
However, when a player plays through injury and pain for the sake of the success of his team, will he be fined or sus-
pended for “unnecessary toughness”? Perhaps, a few players might even be crooning: “Crosstown traffic, it’s so hard to get through to you.”
In the recent past, if a player was a member of the Patriots, they didn’t have to worry about rules especially when existing rules could be disregarded and ignored and when the franchise could create its own rules, “on the fly.” There were no green, yellow, or red lights because the light on the Patriots freeway was perpetually green. There was an internal investigation of “Spygate” by the NFL. That seems like a “crock” relevant to being tried for murder and having all twelve members of the jury picked from a pool of your immediate family members.
Let’s hit the stop button for a moment. Tom Brady is now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders ownership group. He is currently retired as a player. The following excerpt was recently posted on sportingnews.com.
“Tom Brady's first year as an NFL broadcaster is unique, as the former
quarterback also serves as a Raiders minority owner. Therefore, Brady has to abide by certain limitations when calling games on Fox. Brady may have violated one of his personal rules on Sunday when broadcasting the Lions-Packers game. However, the NFL decided not to punish Brady.” Is Tom Brady sitting on the hot seat and the ‘cheat seat’ once again? Is there anything that Brady won’t cheat at or anyone that he won’t cheat?”
In 2024, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed one-year deals with quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields reportedly for less than 3 million dollars. Writer Tom Blow or should I refer to him as “Tom Blowhard” posted a piece online titled; “Aaron Rodgers gets Steelers boost as Justin Fields return would 'leave stale taste.’” Blowhard offers us this piece of nonsense.
“Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms doesn't expect Justin Fields or Russell Wilson to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025. And that could pave the way for Aaron Rodgers to move to Pennsylvania.
Rodgers, who will turn 42 in December, is on the hunt for a new team after the New York Jets told him they are planning to move in a different direction under fresh management. "But I feel like, one, if they bring Russell Wilson back, the fan base, and I don’t think the locker room, would be in love with that. Justin Fields, I feel like, is gonna leave a little bit of a stale taste in everybody’s mouth, too. I don’t think it’s gonna excite Pittsburgh if they go, 'We’re bringing Justin Fields back to be the starter.'”
What player would leave a taste that could be staler than a loaf of month-old bread with mold on top than Aaron Rodgers? By the way, Aaron Rodgers was just unceremoniously put out to pasture by the New York Jets. Is “Tom Blowhard” a USDA Certified Nut with a reserved lifetime condo at Western Psychiatric Hospital? It is painfully apparent that some people will always try to, as some church folk used to say; “make a way out of no way.”
The Steelers will keep Russell Wilson...take that to the bank!
:10—Diehard Laker man that I am, of course I am glad to have Luka Doncic join the team to keep us out of last place ...even though I have to die a thousand deaths before you get me to believe he’s an NBA MVP in any year! That being said, are there enough basketballs for Luka and LeBron to co-exist with?
:09—Speaking of slow deaths...you’re killing me softly with this Bronny James thing! Enough already. He’s just not good enough and that’s not a crime. The crime is everyone who is in on the deal trying to make us think he is. And his dad is the primary criminal. Yeah, I said it!!!
:08—While we’re here at
the NBA, all I can tell ya is the NBA All Star Weekend and Game is a money making joke and “everybody plays the fool” for watching it.
:07—That being said, Mac McClung...the 6 foot 2 inch White man who outjumps all the Black men who have ever, ever, ever jumped, is a “bad man.” He won the Slam Dunk Contest for the third time in a row ...first time ever done! (C’mon Myron, he jumped over a car and a man and dunked the ball. He being my man Flyin’ Myron Brown, McKees Rocks native, Sto Rox High School, Slippery Rock legend and Hall of Famer—drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves—won the CBA
Slam Dunk Contest backto-back years.) :06—Oh, this just in, Halle Berry, still fine as wine at age 58 and J-Lo still amazing after stupid Ben Affleck. Now maybe she’ll call me back? (I know it’s not sports, but a brother drifts off every now and then...) :05—Pittsburgh Steelers will do this and you can take it to the bank. They will keep Russell Wilson; Justin Fields will hit the open market. They will get a star receiver (and you heard it here first, that receiver will be Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins. He and George Pickens will light up the NFL next year.) Once again, a brother will drift off every now and then!!!
:04—You all can keep playing the social media “Best of All Time Game,” but here’s the answer and it will never change. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. #1. Three straight New York High School State Titles and three straight MVPs. #2. His freshman team beat the UCLA Varsity Team. #3. Three NCAA
Championships and three time All-American. #4.
The real legit NBA scoring champion. (LeBron had a four year advantage not going to college... c’mon man). #5 Six NBA titles, 15 All NBA teams, 6 MVPs! So, please stop it, just stop it.
:03—So, here’s your alltime greatest 10, so you can shut up about that too: Kareem, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Connie Hawkins, Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, Pete Maravich. It’s done, you’re done, it’s over.
:02—The Penguins are done, the Pirates will be done soon. I don’t know what else to tell ya!
:01—For the true basketball legends fans, John Giammarco and the Pitts-
burgh Basketball Club will host the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Awards on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at Montour Heights Country Club. Special Award recognition will feature the 1976-77 Duquesne Eastern 8 NCAA Championship Team featuring Norm Nixon and Baron “B. B.” Flenory, as well as numerous other Western Pennsylvania basketball legends. For additional information, please call 412-403-9086.
:00—GAME OVER!
The Pitt Panthers look to finish the regular season strong, make noise in the ACC Tournament and then hope to hear their name called for the NCAA Tournament. Courier photographer Marlon Martin captured this shot of the Panthers’ Brandin Cummings leaning in for the bucket in Pitt’s 80-69 win over Syracuse, Feb. 18, 2025.
Doss
PROPERTY IS POWER!
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance struck a chord across the country, reigniting conversations about one of America’s greatest betrayals the promise of 40 acres and a mule. As this topic trends among both Black and White Americans, it’s clear that the weight of this broken promise still lingers today, shaping the racial wealth gap and the disparities in homeownership.
The time for conversation is now, but beyond that, we must use this moment to push for real change. How do we turn awareness into action? How do we close the homeownership gap and create the generational wealth that was stolen from Black Americans?
Let’s break it down.
What was 40 Acres and a Mule?
At the end of the Civil War in 1865, Union General William T. Sherman issued Special Field
Order No. 15, which set aside 400,000 acres of confiscated Confederate land for newly freed Black families. Each family was to receive 40 acres a foundation for self-sufficiency, wealth, and stability. Some even received mules to help work the land.
For the first time, Black Americans had a real shot at economic independence. Land ownership meant power. But within a year, President Andrew Johnson rescinded the order, returning the land to former Confederate owners. Black Americans, who had already begun building communities and farms, were forcibly removed, leaving them vulnerable to sharecropping, Jim Crow laws, and economic exploitation for generations to come.
What did that mean? It meant Black Americans were robbed of a critical opportunity to build generational wealth. Instead of passing down land, businesses, and financial security, most Black families were forced into a cycle of economic struggle, one that still exists today.
What Black America Could Have Looked
Like If the Promise Was Kept If 40 acres and a mule had been honored, Black America could look very different today:
1. Generational Wealth —Land ownership would have created wealth that could be passed down, giving Black families the same economic head start that White families had.
2. Thriving Black-Owned Businesses
B2
BUSINESS
Target Corporation, which recently scaled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, is facing financial consequences, community backlash, and new legal challenges from both sides of the political spectrum. The retail giant’s decision to retreat from its DEI commitments and Pride Month merchandise has drawn conservative-led lawsuits while also fueling boycotts and economic pressure from civil rights groups. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and America First Legal, founded by former President Trump adviser Stephen Miller, have filed a lawsuit against Target. The suit, brought on behalf of a Florida board overseeing state pensions, alleges the company failed to disclose the financial risks associated with its DEI programs and 2023 Pride Month collection. The legal action is the latest in a wave of conservative attacks on corporate diversity efforts, aligning with former President Donald Trump’s push to dismantle DEI policies in both government and private sectors.
At the same time, Target’s DEI retreat has provoked backlashes from civil rights groups, Democratic leaders, and even the heirs of one of Target’s founders, who argue that diversity is good business and should not be abandoned under political pressure. The company’s decision to reduce minority hiring targets and discontinue reports to diversity-focused organizations led to an 8.7 percent drop in its stock value.
Data from Placer.ai shows store traffic decreased by 4 percent following Trump’s executive order banning federal DEI initiatives, with an ad-
ditional 9 percent decline the following week. Walmart experienced a dip of less than 3 percent during the same period.
In Minneapolis—Target’s headquarters and the city where George Floyd’s murder sparked national protests—civil rights lawyer Nekima Levy Armstrong urged con-
The company’s decision to reduce minority hiring targets and discontinue reports to diversity-focused organizations led to an 8.7 percent drop in its stock value.
sumers to boycott the retailer. “We thought Target would stand firm in its values,” Armstrong told reporters at a news conference. “Instead, they bowed to the Trump administration. We will not step back.”
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the company should be held accountable for turning its back on DEI. “If you were moved by George Floyd’s murder to seek justice, it’s time to boycott Target,” Hussein told PBS.
The boycott movement has gained traction, with local Black Lives Matter chapters participating in events where activists cut up their Target credit cards. Organizers have encouraged consumers to shop at companies like Costco, which recently
reaffirmed its DEI commitments.
The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), representing the Black Press of America, and civil rights organizations like the NAACP have launched campaigns to inform Black consumers about corporate retreats from diversity initiatives. “Black Americans spend $2 trillion annually. We must reconsider supporting businesses that disregard our contributions,” said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. NNPA Chairman Bobby R. Henry Sr. vowed that the Black Press would hold corporations accountable. “We will not be silent while corporations reverse progress that directly affects Black communities,” Henry asserted.
Rev. Jamal Bryant, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, has called for a 40-day “economic fast” targeting Target. “Black people spend $12 million a day at Target,” Bryant stated during an appearance on Let It Be Known. “We’re focusing on Target first because of their broken promises to our community.” The campaign, which coincides with Lent, has drawn over 50,000 participants within a week at targetfast.org.
Target now finds itself under pressure from both conservative and progressive forces. After previously positioning itself as a leader in corporate diversity, the company has been forced into a balancing act that has left it vulnerable on all sides.
“We encourage you to spend your money where you’re respected, support Black-owned businesses, and demand businesses prioritize people over profit,” said Keisha Bross, financial strategist at the NAACP.
When it comes to financial freedom, one of the biggest debates is whether to pay off your mortgage early or invest extra money for higher returns.
On one hand, being mortgage-free sounds like a dream—no house payments, less stress, and complete ownership of your home. On the other hand, investing can provide higher returns over time, helping you build a substantial nest egg.
So, what’s the best move? Let’s break it down and analyze a real-life example to see what works best.
The Goal: Financial Security or Maximum Wealth? Your choice depends on what matters most to you:
• Financial security—Having a paid-off home means fewer financial worries.
• Maximum wealth—Investing offers the potential for greater returns and longterm growth.
• A balanced approach—You can do both by following a structured plan. Both paths can lead to financial success, but your risk tolerance, lifestyle goals, and long-term strategy determine which is best for you.
A Real-Life Comparison: Pay Off Mortgage vs. Invest To better understand this decision, let’s compare two homeowners with identical financial situations but different strate-
payments, this person pays an extra $500 per month toward the mortgage.
• Instead of 30 years, they pay off their home in 19.6 years—over 10 years early!
• Their home appreciates at 4 perent annually, increasing its value to $779,160 after 17 years.
• Once the mortgage is gone, they now have $2,398 in freed-up monthly cash flow.
• Interest savings by paying off home 10-years earlier: $299,775 A penny saved is a penny earned. That’s never been truer than when it comes to eliminating your mortgage. If you pay
off your home early and free up a $2,398 monthly mortgage payment, you’ve essentially given yourself a permanent income stream—without needing a massive investment portfolio. To generate that same $2,398 per month using a 4 percent withdrawal rate, you’d need to accumulate an investment portfolio of $719,400. That means paying off your mortgage isn’t just about eliminating debt—it’s about creating financial security that would otherwise take decades of aggressive investing to achieve.
Scenario 2: Investing the Extra $500 Instead
• Instead of paying extra toward the mortgage, this person invests $500/month in the market.
• With a 10 percent average annual return, their investments grow to $266,131 after 17 years.
• However, they still have a
freed-up money for the next 10 years. Scenario 1: After 10 More Years • Home Value: $1,153,347 • Investment Growth from Extra Investing: $368,445 • Total Net Worth: $1,521,792 Scenario 2: After 10 More Years
• Home Value: $1,153,347
• Investment Growth from Continued Investing ($500/month at 10 percent for 27 years): $822,851
• Total Net Worth: $1,976,198 Final Difference? $454,406! The person who focused on investing ended up with a higher total net worth ($1,976,198) compared to the mortgage-free homeowner ($1,521,792). However, that extra wealth came at a cost— they also paid nearly $300K more in interest over time by carrying their mortgage for the full 30 years. Meanwhile, the mortgage-free homeowner enjoys significantly lower financial stress, having eliminated a major monthly expense over a decade earlier. That freedup cash flow provided them with more flexibility, security, and financial peace of mind.
ANTHONY O. KELLUM
40 Acres and a Mule: The broken promise that could have transformed Black America
Land is the foundation of economic power. Black-owned businesses, farms, and institutions would have had stronger financial backing and stability.
3. Stronger Black Communities —Instead of being segregated into underfunded neighborhoods, Black families would have had access to valuable real estate and better economic opportunities.
4. A Smaller Racial Wealth Gap
The homeownership gap between Black and White Americans wouldn’t be nearly as wide if land ownership had started generations ago. This was never about a “handout.” It was about reparative justice… giving Black Americans what they were rightfully owed after unpaid labor. Understanding the System That Kept Us Shackled The betrayal didn’t stop with 40 acres and a mule. America doubled down on keeping Black people from owning land and building wealth:
• Jim Crow Laws —Restricted where Black people could live, own businesses, and buy property.
• Redlining —Banks and the federal government denied Black families access to home loans and insurance, locking them out of homeownership.
• Racially Restrictive Covenants— Many neighborhoods outright banned Black families from buying homes.
• Predatory Lending —Even today, Black homebuyers are more likely to be offered high-interest loans and denied mortgages at higher rates. Now that we recognize these injustices, what can we do to right these wrongs?
How Do We Close the Homeownership Gap?
The first step is action. If we truly believe property is power, we must demand policies that reverse the damage.
Policy Changes That Could Make a Difference
1. Down Payment Assistance for Descendants of Freed Slaves —A federal program similar to the GI Bill that helps first-time Black homebuyers secure homes in high-value areas.
2. Reparations Through Housing Grants —Cities like Evanston, IL, are already offering reparations
in the form of housing assistance for Black residents affected by historical discrimination. This should be scaled nationally.
3. A Federal Anti-Redlining Initiative —Stronger enforcement against discriminatory lending practices and predatory loan rates for Black buyers.
4. Affordable Housing Investments— Incentivizing new construction and homeownership opportunities in Black communities.
The Role of Banks, Financial Institutions, and Wall Street
• Banks must invest in Black homeownership by eliminating discriminatory lending practices and expanding access to low-interest mortgage programs.
• Wall Street must stop predatory homeownership schemes, like corporate investors outbidding Black families for single-family homes and turning them into rentals.
• Financial institutions should partner with Black-led real estate initiatives to promote generational wealth.
Turning Awareness into Action Kendrick Lamar’s reference to 40 acres and a mule wasn’t just a performance, it was a reminder. We must use this moment to demand action from policymakers, financial institutions, and the real estate industry. “40 acres and a mule” and its deep implications for Black homeownership and wealth-building in America Property is Power. It always has been. And until we address the injustices that denied Black people the opportunity to own property, we will continue to see the racial homeownership gap widen. The question isn’t whether we should fix this. The question is, will America finally keep its promise?
The time for change is now.
(Dr. Anthony O. Kellum–CEO of Kellum Mortgage, LLC Homeownership Advocate, Speaker, Author NMLS # 1267030 NMLS #1567030 O: 313-263-6388 W: www.KelluMortgage. com.)
(Property is Power! is a movement to promote home and community ownership. Studies indicate homeownership leads to higher graduation rates, family wealth, and community involvement.)
Simple strategies to spot and prevent financial leaks
by JPMorganChase
Do you ever wonder where all your money is going? Financial leaks could be to blame for your dwindling bank account. Find out some typical financial leaks and how to avoid them with good financial habits.
What Are Financial Leaks?
Financial leaks are small expenses you often don’t notice until they add up over time. Leaks such as unused subscriptions, paying extra for delivery services, or incurring late fees can build up and lead to overspending. Getting a handle on poor habits like impulsive buying and instilling good habits like routinely checking your subscriptions to make sure you are still using them can help you avoid the consequences of unintentional leaky spending.
Common Financial Leaks
Here are some of the most common financial leak categories and tips for how to monitor them and curb spending.
Subscriptions
You sign up for a streaming service to watch a newly released show and forget to cancel after you binge-watched it in one weekend. That gym membership seemed like good motivation to work out, but you prefer running around your neighborhood. Ad-free music is a nice perk, but when you add up all these subscriptions, you are shocked at the total.
You aren’t alone. A recent CNET survey found that “U.S. adults spend an average of $91 on subscription services each month, and nearly half have signed up for a free trial of a paid subscription and then forgotten to cancel it.” That adds up to more than $1,000 a year in subscriptions. Keep your subscriptions in check! Review your bank and credit card statements and cancel any that you aren’t using. Monitoring programs like PocketGuard or Experian can track them and alert you. Rocket Money will even cancel subscriptions for you. Are you having a hard time letting go of the subscriptions you enjoy? Try rotating services such as streaming accounts or temporarily canceling them to see if you truly miss them.
Delivery Services
What is more convenient than food, groceries, or household items delivered right to your door? But have you checked how much you spend on these conveniences?
According to a recent Lending Tree survey, the average delivery service customer spent $407 a month in 2023, up from $157 in 2021. That is almost $5,000 a year! The online food delivery market is projected to increase from $3.7 billion in 2023 to $90.3 billion by 2030, which could mean more temptations and drains on your wallet if you aren’t careful.
Does your spending on delivery align
with your budget and life priorities? Go ahead and treat yourself to some food delivery on occasion, as long as you monitor your spending and keep it within the budget you set. Try meal planning for simpleto-make dinners and be mindful before clicking “buy now” on online purchases. Wireless Plans
For many of us, staying connected is a costly venture, with the average “American spending $1,342 per year on mobile phone services“. Add in smartwatches, tablets, and other wireless plans, and this expense category can quickly get out of control. Some ways to reduce costs include:
• Research less expensive options.
• Opt for family plans.
• Select data-restricted plans instead of unlimited ones.
• Remove unnecessary devices from wireless plans.
Fees
Fees for overdrafts, late payments, ATM withdrawals, or annually for credit cards can be more than a nuisance. They can add up without having anything to show for the money spent. According to a Bankrate survey, the average total cost of an out-of-network atm withdrawal is $4.77, and the average overdraft fee is $27.08. Minimize this financial leak by finding banks, credit card companies, and other accounts with low or no fees. Avoid overdrafts and late payments by setting up alerts for low balances and automatic bill payments.
Impulse Buying
Have you ever bought something and immediately regretted it or felt you needed to hide it from your partner? This is likely a sign of impulse buying. When we make spur-of-the-moment purchases we often don’t consider our budget and financial goals and they become an another money leak.
It is challenging to resist all the temptations of snacks at the checkout counter, friends asking us to go out after work, and sales to our favorite stores inundating our inboxes and social media scrolls. Plus, at least in the short term, it can make us feel good.
It is helpful to understand what typically causes your impulse buying so that you can better control it. If you shop when you are having a bad day, what can you do instead to feel better? If you overbuy in the grocery store, consider placing online orders instead. Give yourself a monthly fun money budget. We’re more likely to stick to our spending limits when it doesn’t feel too constraining.
Now that you have identified your spending leaks, are you ready to plug them up? You bet!
Guest Editorial
America shows its true colors, opens its borders to White Afrikaners but not Haitians
Among the latest flurry of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump, whose stated intent stands in direct contrast to its apparent reality, is the freezing of aid to South Africa, citing the country’s land expropriation law.
Elon Musk, the right-hand man to the 47th president and head of the president’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has repeatedly mentioned the law in recent social media posts, describing it as a threat to South Africa’s White minority.
Musk was born to an affluent South African family in Pretoria before immigrating to Canada, where he became a citizen through his mother. So, with his roots and significant financial interests based in South Africa, it’s no wonder that he’s been whispering in the president’s ear.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act last month, which allows the government to take land where it is not being used or where redistributing the land would be in the public interest. He further cites the goal of addressing some of the injustices from the country’s racist apartheid era, when Blacks were stripped of their land and forced to live in segregated areas designated for non-Whites.
But you have to wonder, with White people making up about 7 percent of South Africa’s population, yet owning more than 70 percent of the farmland, how much more do White South Afrikaners believe they’re entitled to own, and why is No. 47 so interested?
As for American interests, the White House falsely accused the South African government of doing “terrible things,” and said that land has been confiscated from “certain classes”—also not true. To be clear, the South African government says it continues to protect and respect private property rights and notes that No. 47’s description of the law is rife with misinformation and “distortions.”
The White House wants us to believe that it’s concerned about the impact of the Expropriation Act and how it amounts to discrimination against the country’s White minority. In fact, to illustrate our concern for those who face discrimination, it has even announced a program to resettle White South African farmers and their families as refugees.
If only the president were equally concerned about refugees from Haiti, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Somalia and Sudan.
It couldn’t be their skin color that counts as the reason why they haven’t been invited to wave at Lady Liberty and find safe haven in America, could it?
Closer to home, if only the occupant of the White House were equally concerned about the discrimination that Black Americans have experienced for more than 400 years.
No explanation needed there—we get it.
(Reprinted from the Washington Informer)
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—The Hon. Four Star Air Force General, history-making Fighter Pilot, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. was fired today by a President who never bothered to serve his country he claims to be able to Make America Great Again. One of his side-kicks, Pete Hegseth, barely made it to Secretary of Defense, because of his personal mis-behavior. They used, without recognizing it, DEI for White men! And we thought they didn’t like DEI! They got the meaning of their DEI confused with ours. Before now, DEI was an honorable position because only our best and brightest had a chance to be considered.
Do racists really understand the meaning of DEI? The letters represent Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Our DEI only allows our best and brightest among Black people to earn an opportunity to get in places where formerly all-White people got in. Never mind, there were no requirements, no academic qualifications, no special skills. Just being White, and often being male. They still get top level positions because of who their daddy or granddaddy is.
Kash Patel was sworn in as FBI Director. Before he was sworn in, he’d already developed his hit list, but that didn’t stop him from lying. He walked into the FBI office and had already decided who was to leave. One day someone will remind him he’s not White! He will also be reminded that
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
his parents are immigrants—and the MAGA groups do not like people who came here from some other place! They believe they were here before Indigenous people—those from whom they stole this land! I ‘m just trying to prepare Kash. The same people who find him useful now—just look at what happened to Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Byron Donalds and a few more. They had already been used to get a handful of Black votes from people who didn’t know any better. They didn’t know Trump said so many untrue things he was going to do for, not to them. He convinced them he only meant those “woke” Black people were the problem.
I don’t mean to imply The Donald only tries to misuse Black people. Just look at what he did to Ukraine President Zelensky. He chose Vladimir Putin—the well-known Communist, to praise, and insisted our good friend President Zelensky had to admit that he started the war against Russia, and he should give Russia 50 percent of Ukraine’s mineral rights. Remember when many of us were called Communists by right-wing-
ers! Things sure are getting turned around. Maybe we need to teach some White history in our schools because the orange man and his puppets sure are not aware of theirs! The Orange man wants no Black History in our schools, and will not allow diversity programs in Federal Agencies. Just maybe more of us should do like the young people in Florida, and if I might add, The Black Panther Party of old to begin using our time after school, on weekends, holidays, summers teaching our history so that his-story is truthfully told. I think people need to learn the full story. Many already know Black people invented so much, but had everything stolen to make it look like we didn’t do much when America was a slave nation. These are interesting times. We build—not destroy. I don’t know any Black people who went down to the Capitol on January 6th and caused so many criminal acts. No, don’t say Enrique Tarrio! He doesn’t claim his Blackness—and that’s a good thing. Also don’t worry about NASDAQ, S&P500 and the Dow. Most of us didn’t have anything there. Do support the BUY-COTT Saturday, February 28th all day. I mean buy from those who support our causes. The others will get the message! (Dr. E. Faye Williams, President of The Dick Gregory Society.)
Stupid is as Stupid does
Co-President Musk had his minions at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) send out an email to all departments across the federal government saying:
“Consistent with President @ realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as resignation.”
This is the “genius” Trump and MAGA call “the smartest man in the world.” Just saying it means the world is in a truly sorry state.
This is the guy who spearheaded Trump’s firing of up to 350 employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration. The employees there learned they had been fired when they showed up at work and found the doors to the building locked. What business owner would fire employees without knowing what they do? Don’t the words ‘National Nuclear Security’ say: “If you don’t know, you better ask somebody?”
But hey, stupid is as stupid does.
Later, after they realized that these people were working on critical projects like reassembling nuclear warheads, managing massive radioactive waste sites and making sure the radioactive material there doesn’t contaminate nearby communities, they said “Oops!” and tried to hire them back.
Musk is out of control—with Trump’s apparent blessings. Thousands of government employees have already been forced out of the federal workforce—either by being fired or extorted with a buyout—during the first month of Trump’s administra-
Kevin Seraaj
tion. The White House and Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency fire both new and career workers alike, and tell agency heads to plan for “large-scale reductions in force.”
Republicans spent Biden’s entire 4 years complaining about government “over-reaching.” But that was before Musk was elected. Okay, appointed or designated—whatever the most accurate term might be. Today, anything and everything is okay. This email seemed calculated to do one thing– allow Musk to exert control over every federal agency, no matter who is presently in charge. His ulterior motives could not be any clearer. He wants and is jockeying to be 1st President.
Surprisingly, the Department of Defense immediately pushed back. In an intra-agency memorandum signed by Under Secretary Darin Selneck, DoD employees were told:
“The Department of Defense is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and it will conduct any review in accordance with its own procedures. When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM. For now, please pause any response to the email titled
“What did you do last week.” FBI Director Kash Patel was also not happy. He told agency employees that he– and not Elon Musk—is in charge of the FBI, and that Mr. Seig Heil should be ignored.
“FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The FBI, through the office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedure. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.”
In attempting to go around the agency heads recently appointed by Trump and approved by House and Senate Republicans, Musk was making a power play that ruffled the feathers of DoD, the FBI and the national Intelligence Community, as well. Commandeering the Oval Office with his son on his shoulders apparently went to his head, but appointed agency heads are not as wiling as Trump to let Musk do the talking for them.
Tulsi Gabbard was the most dismissive of Musk’s attempted interference, saying tersely:
“Given the inherently sensitive and classified nature of our work, IC employees should not respond to the OPM email.”
I’m sure Musk got the message, and I’m sure he ran to Trump to complain. Chinks in the armor keep surfacing. What unfolds over the next few days will be extremely telling about the rest of Trump’s ill-fated presidency. (Kevin Seraaj is publisher, Orlando Advocate)
Commentary The alternate reality of Trump’s Black History Month celebration
The group of “East Room Black People” cheered as Trump lied to their faces and no one said a word about attacks on DEI or Haitian immigrants.
Donald Trump hosting a Black History Month celebration at the White House, packed with shallow symbolism over substance?
I expect nothing less from Trump— but the reaction from the mostly Black audience in the East Room of the White House? That was embarrassingly disconnected from recent history.
Trump walked on stage with legendary Black golfer Tiger Woods, who once told Oprah Winfrey he described himself as “Cablinasian,” and he spent a good deal of his time on stage shouting out the Black Republicans in the audience.
But those East Room Black People were either in deep denial or deep REM sleep in recent months.
No one in the audience questioned why Trump’s Secretary of Defense canceled Black History Month events at the Pentagon or removed a Tuskegee Airmen video from Air Force training.
No one complained about Trump revoking the 1965 executive order that banned racial discrimination in government employment and by government contractors.
No one objected to Trump’s recent attempt to blame a tragic airplane crash on diversity, equity, and inclusion, or his administration’s ban on DEI throughout the federal government.
And no one mentioned Trump’s ongoing effort to repeal the 14th Amendment, which gave Black people birthright citizenship in 1868.
As long as they got to smile in front of the White man in the White House, the East Room Black People were all
Keith Boykin
Commentary
good.
The East Room Black People never dared to challenge Trump when he diminished the Black scholars who put together “The 1619 Project,” which traced the history of the first enslaved Black people brought to the colonies by the British.
“The last administration tried to reduce all of American history to a single year, 1619,” Trump lied to the Black History Month crowd.
Nope, that’s not what happened. The Biden-Harris administration didn’t write or invent “The 1619 Project”; they just acknowledged its importance in American history.
And none of the East Room Black People appeared to raise an eyebrow when Trump told them he wanted immigrants to come to the U.S., as long as they came here legally, while never discussing his racist new federal policy that allows only White South Africans to come to America but punishes Black people in that country. No one even checked him when he lied that he won 40 percent of the Black vote in 2024, instead of the 13 percent that he actually got. Never mind the 95 percent of the Black vote he promised he would get eight years ago. No one asked why he just eliminated an environmental justice program that provided 40 percent of the benefits from federal climate investments to Black and Brown communities.
No one seemed bothered that he just pardoned two police officers convicted in the murder of a Black man in Washington, D.C., and gave clemency to 1,500 insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Trump’s only Black cabinet member, HUD Secretary Scott Turner, told the East Room Black People, “Every day I’ma lay it down for the people of America.”
I wish that were true, but at his confirmation hearing in January, he couldn’t even lay it down for the Black people facing racial discrimination in home appraisals. And just this week, a new report indicates HUD is actually cutting the program that fights home appraisal bias.
“We are in the presence of the greatest president of all time,” Black Trump supporter Leo Terrell told the crowd. It’s like the East Room Black People live in an alternative universe, where Trump didn’t just spend the last year lying about the first Black vice president’s racial identity or making up ridiculous allegations that Haitian immigrants were eating dogs and cats.
The East Room Black People have somehow created a miraculous cognitive dissonance that allows them to believe that the most racist president in modern American history is actually, somehow, their hero, just because he let them come into the White House.
That’s a shockingly low bar.
“Four more years!” they chanted. Nope. No, thanks. It’s only been four weeks, and that’s already long enough. (Keith
(“Black
Are we funding our oppression?
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—African Americans have about $1.6 trillion in buying power. And we are the ultimate consumers, disproportionately spending on beauty and personal care, apparel and footwear, and entertainment and technology. There are reasons for all of this, many rooted in enslavement and exclusion, but the reasons really don’t matter. We spend rather than save, we spend to compensate for structural challenges, we spend because it makes us feel good. When we feel good, we buy. When we feel bad, we buy. New job, we buy because we want to look good. Lost job, we buy because we “need” casual clothes. We buy.
We patronize those who oppress us. Consider Elon Musk, the owner of usedto-be Twitter, now X. We’re all in with that platform, generating hashtags and sales platforms.
To be sure, many a movement has been ignited through the Twitter platform, including #Black Lives Matter. It is time to kiss Twitter, or X, goodbye.
More importantly, African American people must use our dollars strategically, which is why I welcome Rev. Jamal Bryant’s call that we “fast” from Target during Lent. Target was one of the first corporations to back off DEI (“definitely earned it” or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). Rev. Bryant has it right. Should we fund our own oppression by patronizing a company that has turned on us?
Rev. Bryant, the pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, is a relatively young (53) and to-
tally revolutionary faith and civic leader. He comes from “good stock” with both his parents, Rev. John Bryant and Rev. Cecilia Bryant, retired African Methodist Episcopal ministers. It is fitting that he would ask us, in the coming Lenten season, to fast from foolishness. Already more than 50,000 people have agreed to join the fast. You can sign up, too, at taargetfast.org. This “fast”/boycott will only be successful if the organizers cause Target pain. Bryant says Black folks spend $12 million a day at Target. Refusing economic engagement with Target could cause the company quite a blow. But who’s counting? If we can’t document that this “fast” made a difference, we render the boycott tactic impotent. Lots of people are throwing terms like “boycott” around, but if they don’t hurt, they don’t matter. Our most successful boycott was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to yield her seat to a White passenger, the Montgomery Black community rallied around her and did not ride busses for more than a year. They were legally and physically attacked, but they persisted and prevailed for more than a year. Their victory led to a Supreme court desegregate public transportation. It worked, not because the bus company yielded, but because they were losing money—about $30,000 a day in today’s dollars, or more than $11 million during the 381-day boycott. There have been other boycotts where oppressive owners have capitulated to popular demands. For example, the United Farm Workers Grape Boycott lasted more than five years, but ended up with major concessions, including union recognition and higher pay, for migrant farm workers. There have also been successful divestment campaigns, notably against South Africa during the apartheid regime. Thanks to activists like Randall Robinson and Dr. Frances Berry, South Africa was forced to release Nelson Mandela from his long imprisonment and back down from apartheid. Boycotts are only effective if they are coordinated, impactful, and surgical. The word boycott, bandied about, is ineffective. A boycott that hurts the oppressor is successful. Jamal Bryant and his allies are to be commended for calling for this “fast” from Target. I’m hoping that someone is measuring the impact of this boycott and that it causes Target to reconsider its retreat from DEI and its engagement with Black consumers. In 2021, in the wake of the George Floyd murder, Target pledged to spend $2 billion with Black business. There is no data available about how much they spent, but their retreat from DEI initiatives probably nullifies that commitment. In the face of many calls to boycott Target, some of the Black entrepreneurs featured in the stores have asked that Black consumers consider them as they boycott. Most of their products are available online. Black folks aren’t boycotting innovative Black businesses, we are boycotting an oppressive retailer.
Former US Representative John Conyers (D-MI) was first elected to Congress in 1964. Conyers was well known for introducing HR 40, the Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, in 1989. HR 40 did not pass, although Conyers continued to reintroduce the bill until he retired five decades later.
Conyers had been a representative for two decades before he first introduced HR 40. Why didn’t he propose the act in 1969 or 1979?
Because the harmful effects of slavery and segregation were being addressed through the Great Society programs of the 1960s and the affirmative action policies of the 1970s. These initiatives were not reparations, but they functioned similarly. Demanding reparations at this time would have been counterproductive.
When President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, Conyers took notice. This law was a formal apology to over 100,000 people of Japanese heritage who were wrongly imprisoned in internment camps during World War II, with each surviving victim receiving $20,000 in reparations.
Conyers introduced HR 40 the following year. Conyers understood that reparations were given to victims, not direct descendants of centuries-old atrocities. That is why HR 40 did not seek direct payment to African Americans; rather, it asked Congress to appropriate $8 million to study whether there were any lingering effects from slavery and segregation that continued to harm African Americans, and if there were, could that harm be remedied through reparations?
Mainstream African American leaders and their liberal allies, who were completely committed to the Great Society programs and affirmative action, believed reparations were not implementable and doubted HR 40 would have been introduced if reparations had not been given to the Japanese. For the next two decades, HR 40 received little attention.
This changed in 2014, when Ta-Nehisi Coates published The Case for Reparations in The Atlantic. Coates mainstreamed the debate over whether African Americans should receive reparations for not only slavery and segregation but also racist housing policies. During the 2015 Democratic prima-
J. Pharoah Doss Check It Out
ries, Coates contacted the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign to assist Sanders in including reparations in his policy agenda. The Sanders campaign believed that reparations for slavery were unrealistic, divisive, and would damage the economy.
The Sanders campaign ignored Coates. Sanders is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist who may have been the most extreme, far-left presidential candidate in the twenty-first century, and if he didn’t believe reparations were possible, why would anyone else in Congress be willing to adopt a measure allocating millions of dollars to fund a study?
When US Representative John Conyers retired, no member of Congress stated that they would continue to introduce HR 40 in his honor. The media tributes to Conyers’ legacy also served as an obituary for HR 40.
In 2020, a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, an unarmed Black man. The incident sparked nationwide protests and riots that had not been seen in the United States since the 150 riots of “The Long Hot Summer of 1967.” Politicians like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris suddenly endorsed studying reparations for slavery, while corporate America made commitments to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in an effort to pacify the protesters.
Black Enterprise reported that Corporate America’s 50 largest public companies began proclaiming “Black Lives Matter” and pledged $49.5 billion toward racial equity.
The Black Lives Matter protest movement received $90 million in donations, while Twitter’s CEO contributed $10 million to help professor Ibram X. Kendi establish a Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University.
With all of this money changing hands, no one considered privately funding the reparations study Conyers requested through HR 40. If an individual or organization’s
African Americans must use our consumer power to make the point that we will not be erased or ignored. Historically, we had the “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” Campaign. We must revive that revolutionary energy. When we support those who are retreating from DEI, we are funding our own oppression. Thank you, Jamal Bryant, for your leadership! Buy Black! Buy online! Fast from economic engagement with the oppressor. HR 40 reintroduced or repeating the original sin of Black leaders?
spending habits reflect their values, then no one values studying reparations for slavery.
A year after the Biden/Harris ticket won the White House in 2020, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), inspired by Biden and Harris’ commitment to reparations, reintroduced HR 40. Lee’s bill asks Congress to appropriate $12 million. This time, HR 40 had more sponsors than before, but Politico reported that President Biden privately warned lawmakers not to expect much from reparations legislation.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee died of cancer in 2024, after HR 40 failed once more. Donald Trump was reelected president, and the Trump administration began 2025 by eliminating federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs and establishing the Department of Government Efficiency to reduce unnecessary spending.
At the same time, Newsweek reported that Boston University had closed its Center for Antiracism, which was founded by professor Ibram X. Kendi. In the Center for Antiracism’s brief existence, they received almost $40 million in grants and gifts to undertake research, but no one completed the research HR 40 expected Congress to fund. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) recently held a press conference to announce she reintroduced HR 40. Pressley, flanked by colleagues, expressed concern about the rise of White supremacy and anti-Black bigotry. She said, “We have a hostile administration actively seeking to reverse decades of progress, as well as recent progress, in the area of civil rights.”
Pressley’s HR 40 bill asked Congress for $20 million to study if reparations were needed to redress America’s “original sin” of slavery. Pressley and her colleagues are too concerned with self-righteous victimhood to recognize their cardinal transgression.
In the 1990s, journalist Tony Brown, best known for his TV show Tony Brown’s Journal, explained that “the original sin of Black leaders was to accept as fact the myth that White people would or could solve the crisis of Black people. Instead of attacking material poverty with education and economic self-determination for the masses, liberal Whites and their socialist Black minions emphasized dependence on legislation and government intervention.” Fortunately for Pressley, God forgives those who know not what they do.
Civil Rights Movement Part Two
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—The late Gen. Colin Powell will always be remembered and respected as a trailblazer. As the son of Jamaican immigrants, Powell devoted more than 50 years to public service. He held senior military and diplomatic positions across four Republican and Democratic presidential administrations. Rising to four-star general, Powell’s time as a U.S. Army soldier is marked by many notable military awards, including the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He served as President Ronald Reagan’s national security advisor before serving as the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the youngest officer to serve in that position, at 52, in 1989 for President George H.W. Bush and in 1992 for President Bill Clinton. Gen. Powell was appointed Secretary of State by President George W. Bush after being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He was the first African American to serve as Secretary of State. At the time, it was also the highest rank ever held by an African American in the United States government. Gen. Powell exemplified the true meaning and reasons behind the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movement. In today’s political climate, the politically moderate Powell would easily be labeled a “DEI hire” and likely fired by the Trump administration. Powell overcame obstacles and barriers associated with systemic and institutional racism when moving up the military ranks. He did so with leadership, honor, and determination.
The origins of DEI can be traced back to the civil rights movements of the 1950s and 60s. Activists fought hard against age discrimination, racial segregation, and discrimination. They fought for equal pay and women’s rights. The purpose of the DEI movement, then and now, is to combat institutional racism and
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—“An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among the several bodies of magistracy as that no one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually checked and restrained by the others.”—Thomas Jefferson The foundational principle of the United States Constitution is the separation of powers, commonly described as “checks and balances.” The authority of each of the three branches of government is limited by the other two.
While previous administrations have pushed the boundaries of those limits, no administration in modern American history has tried to disregard them as thoroughly and wantonly as the current one. The New York Times is keeping a running list of examples. If allowed to stand, the administration’s anti-equity executive orders would hamstring the National Urban League’s ability to advance fair housing, equal employment, financial opportunity, health care access, and the rest of our empowerment agenda. But even more critically, the orders represent a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech, by censoring and chilling views on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Because the orders are vague as to
discrimination to create equitable workplaces and schools.
With the rise of the MAGA movement, the social gains obtained in the 60s and 70s are strategically being removed. With the elimination of built-in safeguards, openings are now created that allow the once-suppressed Jim Crow factions of society to return in full force. The social injustice for which the DEI movement was created to oppose and defeat never died. Sadly, the Jim Crow faction, once centered throughout former Confederate states throughout the South, is now a national MAGA movement entrenched in our federal government. While laws such as the Equal Pay Act, Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Equal Rights Amendments responded to the need for social and economic equality, laws do not automatically change hearts and minds. Some individuals silently maintain long-term resentment of the fact that we live in a diverse society where everyone has the basic rights of equal treatment and opportunities.
As a trailblazer in the Department of State, Gen. Powell made it possible for Condoleezza Rice to become the second Black Secretary of State. As a trailblazer in the Army, Gen. Powell made it possible for Gen. Charles Q. Brown to become the second Black person to serve as
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In an unprecedented purge of the military’s senior leadership, President Trump announced he was dismissing Gen. Brown. Earlier, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the chief of the Navy. Hegseth called Franchetti a “DEI hire” in his 2024 book. One would not be surprised if that were a major reason for Trump selecting Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense. Removing the second Black man to serve as the nation’s most senior general and the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff sends a strong signal to any respected and qualified person of color and woman in the military. Jim Crow has returned with a 1950s boldness. Efforts toward achieving diversity and inclusion in the military may be a thing of the past. How does removing Gen. Brown as the highest-ranking Black officer impact current officers of color with career aspirations to move up the military ranks? How does the removal of Admiral Franchetti impact women officers with the same career aspirations? Will their future promotions only be seen as “DEI promotions”? Hegseth has promised to remove “woke” programs from the military, referring to an over-emphasis on diversity. Blacks have often turned to the military for jobs, educational benefits and upward mobility. In many cases, young people choose military service as a family tradition. If Trump and Hegseth seek to make the military reflect MAGA beliefs, then we have truly returned to the Jim Crow era. If that’s the case, we are in part two of the Civil Rights Movement.
(David W. Marshall is the founder of the faithbased organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America.)
what is and is not prohibited, they represent a violation of the Fifth Amendment right to due process. And, because the orders discriminate against people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ people, they represent a violation of the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection. And so we are asking the judicial branch to exercise its constitutional duty to check the power of the executive branch. This week, the National Urban League filed a federal lawsuit challenging three of those orders. Represented by the Legal Defense Fund and Lambda Legal, we are joined in the lawsuit by co-plaintiffs, the National Fair Housing Alliance, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Key to our complaint is the administration’s wildly false assertion “that DEIA programs and activities are illegal and inconsistent with merit, hard work, and standards of
excellence.”
This misconception is the big lie behind the extremist anti-equity movement, which is nothing more than a desperate scramble to protect and preserve White, male advantage.
The day after Inauguration Day, the National Urban League launched the Demand Diversity Roundtable to combat the disinformation campaign aimed at undermining the principles of DEI. Make no mistake—disinformation is the only hope the anti-equity movement has of succeeding, because the vast majority of Americans support diversity initiatives and understand their positive impact. Multiple studies show that companies with diverse leadership teams tend to have higher profitability, better innovation, and improved decision-making.
Only by amplifying what LDF President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson called “inaccurate, dehumanizing, and divisive rhetoric” can the Trump administration advance its anti-equity, anti-diversity agenda. We are hopeful that the court will act quickly, as Nelson added, “so the arduous work of advancing and sustaining our multiracial democracy can continue without unlawful interference from the Trump administration.”
Julianne Malveaux Commentary
David W. Marshall Commentary
OR CASHIERS CHECK at time of sale, otherwise the property will be resold at the next regular Sheriffs Sale; provided, that if the sale is made on MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2025 the bidder may pay ten percent of purchasing price but not less than 75.00 in CASH, CERTIFIED CHECK, OR CASHIERS CHECK THE DAY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SALE, e.g. TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2025, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:30AM AND 2:30PM IN THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. Failure to pay the 10% deposit will have you banned from future Sheriff Sales. And the balance in CASH, CERTIFIED CHECK, OR CASHIERS CHECK, on or before MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2025, at 10:00 O’CLOCK A.M. The property will be resold at the next regular Sheriff’s Sale if the balance is not paid, and in such case all money’s paid in at the original sale shall be applied to any deficiency in the price of which property is resold, and provided further that if the successful bidder is the plaintiff in the execution the bidder shall pay full amount of bid ON OR BEFORE THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH, OTHERWISE WRIT WILL BE RETURNED AND MARKED “REAL ESTATE UNSOLD” and all monies advanced by plaintiff will be applied as required by COMMON PLEAS COURT RULE 3129.2 (1) (a).
FORFEITED SALES WILL BE POSTED IN THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND LISTED ON THE SHERIFF OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY WEB SITE.
AMENDMENT OF THE CODE SECOND CLASS COUNTY NEW CHAPTER 475 THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 475, ENTITLED TAXATION IS HEREBY AMENDED THROUGH THE CREATION ARTICLE XII, ENTITLED, “SHERIFF SALES”, AND COMPRISED AS FOLLOWS: SUBSECTION 475-60: RECORDING OF DEEDS AND NOTIFICATION OF SHERIFFS SALES TO TAXING BODIES.
A. FOR ANY REAL PROPERTY OFFERED AT SHERIFFS SALE DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF REAL ESTATE TAXES AND PURCHASED BY A THIRD PARTY THROUGH SUCH SALE, THE SHERIFF SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FILING THE DEED AND, WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF FILING OF THE SHERIFFS DEED, PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE CONVEYANCE TO THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY OFFICE OF PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS. THE WRITTEN NOTICE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION SHALL INCLUDE THE DATE OF THE SALE, IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROPERTY SOLD BY BOTH ADDRESS AND LOT AND BLOCK NUMBER, AND THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE INDIVIDUALS OR OTHER ENTITY THAT PURCHASED THE PROPERTY.
B. AT THE TIME OF THE SALE THE SHERIFF SHALL COLLECT ALL REQUISITE FILING COSTS, REALTY TRANSFER TAXES AND FEES, NECESSARY TO PROPERLY RECORD THE DEED.
C. WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF RECEIPT OF WRITTEN NOTICE FROM THE SHERIFF, THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY OFFICE OF PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS SHALL FORWARD COPIES OF SUCH NOTICE TO ALL TAXING BODIES LEVYING REAL ESTATE TAXES ON THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE MUNICIPALITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED. AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 14 OF ACT NO. 77 OF 1986, THE COST OF ALL DOCUMENTARY STAMPS FOR REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAXES (STATE, LOCAL, AND SCHOOL) WILL BE DEDUCTED BY THE SHERIFF FROM THE PROCEEDS OF THE SALE. Purchasers must pay the necessary recording fees. Pursuant to Rule 3136 P.R.C.P. NOTICE is hereby given that a schedule of distribution will be filed by the Sheriff not later than 30 days from date of sale and that distribution will be made in accordance with the schedule unless exceptions are filed thereto within 10 days thereafter. No further notice of the filing of the schedule of distribution will be given.
A Land Bank formed under 68 Pa. C.S.A. 2101 et seq. may exercise its right to bid pursuant to 68 Pa. C.S.A. 2117(d) (2) through Pa. C.S.A. 2117(d) (4) on certain properties listed for sale under the municipal claims and Tax Lien Law, 53 P.S. 7101 et seq. The Sheriff of Allegheny County will honor the terms of payment which the Land Bank has entered with any municipalities having a claim against the property. If the Land Bank tenders a bid under Pa. C.S.A. 2117(d)(3) or 2117(d)(4) the property will not be offered for sale to others and the Property will be considered sold to the Land Bank for the Upset Price as defined in P.S.7279 and no other bids will be accepted.
NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT ALL SHERIFFS DEEDS TENDERED TO PURCHASERS WILL CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING:
NOTICE: The undersigned, as evidenced by the signature(s) to this notice and the acceptance and recording of this deed, (is/are) fully cognizant of the fact that the undersigned may not be obtaining the right of protection against subsidence, as to the property herein conveyed, resulting from coal mining operations and that the purchased property, herein conveyed, may be protected from damage due to mine subsidence by a private contract with the owners of the economic interest in the coal. This notice is inserted herein to comply with the Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act of 1966. as amended 1980. Oct. 10, P.L 874, No. 156 §1.
“This
may not sell, convey, transfer, include, or insure the title to the coal and right of
described or referred to herein and the owner or owners of
to remove all of
4MAR25 Defendant: 109 GATEHOUSE DRIVE, LLC Case No.: AR-23-004940
Debt: $4,099.72 Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Fred C. Jug, Jr. *********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 310 Grant Street, Suite 1109, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Township of Moon: HAVING ERECTED THEREON AN CHERRINGTON HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 109 GATEHOUSE DRIVE, CORAOPOLIS, PA 15108. DEED BOOK VOLUME 17974, PAGE 429. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 0337-A-000140000-00.
5MAR25
Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, South Fayette Township: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A HUNTING RIDGE NO. 4 CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 2461 BROOK LEDGE RD, UNIT 33A, BRIDGEVILLE, PA 15017. DEED BOOK VOLUME 11242, PAGE 634. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 0481-S-00472-033A-00.
6MAR25 PLAINTIFF(S) : BETHEL PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT vs Defendant: JOSEPH A. SPINNENWEBER, JR. & JUDITH A. WEISSER Case No.: GD-23-013773
Debt: $47,052.64 Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Megan M. Turnbull, Esquire
Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, MUNICIPALITY OF BETHEL PARK: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING, KNOWN AS 5633 WILLOW TERRACE DRIVE, BETHEL PARK, PA 15102. DEED BOOK 5393, PAGE 271. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 665-B-6.
7MAR25
PLAINTIFF(S) : GATEWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT vs Defendant: DUANE E. MORROW & TERRI LEE MORROW Case No.: GD-24-001220
Debt: $25,463.61 ********
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Megan M. Turnbull, Esquire
***********************
Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 445 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Suite 503, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
*********************** Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, MUNICIPALITY OF MONROEVILLE: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING, KNOWN AS 605 DAHLIA DRIVE, MONROEVILLE, PA 15146. DEED BOOK 7106, PAGE 215. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 742-L-270.
8MAR25
PLAINTIFF(S) : BETHEL PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT vs Defendant: ADAM BRENT KAUER & JULIE PAIGE CALDWELL Case No.: GD-23-010165 ********
Debt: $5,326.88 ********
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Megan M. Turnbull, Esquire
***********************
Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 445 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Suite 503, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, MUNICIPALITY OF BETHEL PARK: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING, KNOWN AS 3129 SOUTH PARK ROAD, BETHEL PARK, PA 15102. DEED BOOK 17008, PAGE 260. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 476-N-60.
9MAR25
PLAINTIFF(S) : UPPER ST. CLAIR SCHOOL DISTRICT vs Defendant: PAUL S. TENCER
Case No.: GD-21-013644
Debt: $4,656.98
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Megan M. Turnbull, Esquire *********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 445 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Suite 503, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 *********************** Attorney Telephone Number: 412-391-0160 ***********************
Short Description:
In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING, KNOWN AS 452 LORLITA LANE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15241. DEED BOOK 17151, PAGE 471. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 775-C-50.
10MAR25
PLAINTIFF(S) : WEST JEFFERSON HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT vs Defendant: CALFO PROPERTIES LLC Case No.: GD-24-001234
Debt: $11,772.24
******** Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Megan M. Turnbull, Esquire
***********************
Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 445 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Suite 503, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, BOROUGH OF PLEASANT HILLS: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A COMMERCIAL BUILDING, KNOWN AS 91 TERENCE DRIVE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15236. DEED BOOK 16764, PAGE 401. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 472-G126.
11MAR25
PLAINTIFF(S) : BETHEL PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT vs Defendant: ROSE KRISTIN SENAY, Trustee of the Nancy T. Senay Asset Protection Trust Case No.: GD-23-013771
Debt: $11,439.29
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Megan M. Turnbull, Esquire
*********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 445 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Suite 503, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
***********************
Attorney Telephone Number: 412-391-0160
***********************
Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, MUNICIPALITY OF BETHEL PARK: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING, KNOWN AS 1160 GRANDVIEW DRIVE, BETHEL PARK, PA 15102. DEED BOOK 16406, PAGE 197. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 666-M-270.
12MAR25 Defendant: Donald R. Fogle, United States of America Case No.: MG-23-001109
Debt: $32,333.81
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: The Law Office of Gregory Javardian, LLC *********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 1310 Industrial Boulevard, l ‘1 Floor, Suite 10I, Southampton, PA 18966 *********************** Attorney Telephone Number: 215-942-9690
Description: IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, MUNICIPALITY OF PENN HlLLS: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 6335 WOODLAWN ROAD, VERONA, PA 15147. DEED BOOK 15906, PAGE 523. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 365-R-205.
15MAR25 Defendant: LEANDRA JONES, TIMOTHY P. JONES ******** Case No.: MG-18-000523 ******** Debt: $439,004.80 Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: KML LAW GROUP, P.C.
*********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: SUITE 5000, 701 MARKET STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106
*********************** Short Description: IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, MUNICIPALITY OF MT. LEBANON: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 11 MOUNT LEBANON BOULEYARD, PITTSBURGH, PA 15228. DEED BOOK 16643, PAGE 159. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER251-A-242.
17MAR25
Defendant: BERTHA M. TURNER Case No.: MG-24-000764 ******** Debt: $85,222.58 ******** Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: KML LAW GROUP, P.C. *********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: SUITE 5000, 701 MARKET STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106
*********************** Attorney Telephone Number: (215) 627-1322 *********************** Short Description: IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANlA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, 20TH WARD CITY OF PITTSBURGH: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 1129 OSWIN STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15220. DEED BOOK 13287, PAGE 119. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 20-P-22.
18MAR25 Defendant: MY HOUSE MY HOME,
M. PARRISH, AND UNKNOWN SURVIVING HEIRS OF BERNARD M. PARRISH Case No.: GD-23-014416 DEBT: $120,491.13 Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: CHELSEA A. NIXON, ESQUIRE *********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC 216 HADDON AVENUE, SUITE 201 WESTMONT, NJ 08108 *********************** Attorney Telephone Number:(856) 858-7080 ***********************
Short Description: IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, BOROUGH OF FOREST HILLS: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 114 BRADDOCK ROAD, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15221. DEED BOOK VOLUME 6992, PAGE 596. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 0300-A-00222-0000-00.
34MAR25
DEFENDANTS: YUSEF S. THOMPSON, SR. and TERRIKA M. THOMPSON Case No.: MG 24-000567
DEBT: $126,560.40
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Jeffrey R. Lalarna, Esquire
*********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: Meyer, Unkovic & Scott, LLP 535 Smithfield Street, Suite 1300 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Municipality of Penn Hills: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 265 CYPRESS HILL DRIVE, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15235, DEED BOOK VOLUME 17454, PAGE 287. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 0633-S-00016-000000
35MAR25
DEFENDANTS: Dominic J. Mussomele Case No.: MG-24-000801 DEBT: $117,458.53
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: MDK Legal
*********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: P. 0. Box 165028 Columbus, OH 43216-5028
Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Borough of Baldwin: Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 3004 Ruthwood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15227. Document Number 201714355, Deed Book Volume 16801, Page 440. Block and Lot Number 0094-S-00108-0000-00.
36MAR25 DEFENDANTS: Faydra Heidkamp ************ Case No.: MG-24-000769 ******** DEBT: $130,038.61 ******** Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: MDK Legal *********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: P. 0. Box 165028 Columbus, OH 43216-5028
Number:614-220-5611
Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, City of Pittsburgh, Ward 19: Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 321 Belonda Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15211. Document Number 2009-11011, Deed Book Volume 13928, Page 320. Block and Lot Number 0004-F-00039-0000-00.
37MAR25 DEFENDANTS: Christy L. Carlin
Case No.: MG-24-000766
DEBT: $84,693.53
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: MDK Legal
*********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: P. 0. Box 165028 Columbus, OH 43216-5028
Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, City of Pittsburgh, Ward 28: Having erected thereon a dwelling being known and numbered as 1456 Harris Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15205. Document Number 2019-2877, Deed Book Volume 17507, Page 296. Block and Lot Number 0040-R-00093-0000-00.
38MAR25
DEFENDANTS: KURT E. STEIGERWALD AND KATHY STEIGERWALD
Case No.: MG-23-000043
DEBT: $470,216.94
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Jill M. Fein, Esquire/ Hill Wallack LLP
*********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 1000 Floral Vale Boulevard, Suite 300, Yardley, PA 19067
Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, City of Pittsburgh-26th Ward HAVING ERECTED THEREON A TWO STORY RESIDENTIAL DWELLING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 3875 HARPEN RD, PITTSBURGH, PA 15214 DEED BOOK VOLUME 8626, PAGE 336. BLOCK & LOT NO. 163-R-40.
39MAR25
DEFENDANTS: JERRY SUNDAY, MARCY L. SUNDAY Case No.: MG--23-000901 DEBT: $124,852.19
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: KML LAW GROUP, P.C. *********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: SUITE 5000, 701 MARKET STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 *********************** Attorney Telephone Number: (215) 627-1322 *********************** Short Description: IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, MUNICIPALITY OF PENN HILLS: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 1131 HAMIL ROAD, VERONA, PA 15147. DEED BOOK 12773, PAGE 39. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 534-P-123. 40MAR25 DEFENDANTS: THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF JULIE A. HAGMAIER
48MAR25
41MAR25 DEFENDANTS:
42MAR25
$44,860.23
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: KML LAW GROUP, P.C. *********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: SUITE 5000, 701 MARKET STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106
*********************** Attorney Telephone Number: (215) 627-1322 *********************** Short Description: IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, 1ST WARD CITY OF DUQUESNE: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 30 COMMONWEALTH AVENUE, DUQUESNE, PA 15110. DEED BOOK 10358, PAGE 619. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER 304-F-94.
43MAR25 DEFENDANTS: JERROLD HOWARD ************ Case No.: MG-24-000751 ******** DEBT: $87,452.43 ******** Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: KML LAW GROUP, P.C. *********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: SUITE 5000, 701 MARKET STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106
Short Description: IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY, BOROUGH OF VERONA: HAVING ERECTED THEREON A DWELLING BEING KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS 513-515 VOGELS LANE, VERONA, PA 15147. DEED BOOK 10187, PAGE 394. BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER364-R-361.
44MAR25
PLAINTIFF(S): County OF Allegheny VS. DEFENDANTS: Thomas Gary Minarik, Jr. & Jennifer Ashley Yeager
************ Case No.: GD 23-005775
DEBT: $2,242.82
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Joseph W. Gramc, Esquire
*********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 525 William Penn Place, Suite 3110 Pittsburgh, PA 15219
*********************** Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Township of Crescent: Having erected thereon a two-story frame house known as 717 Elm Street, Crescent, PA 15046. Deed Book Volume i4580, Page 588. Block & Lot No. 702-G-185.
46MAR25
PLAINTIFF(S): County OF Allegheny VS. DEFENDANTS: Susan L. Davis ************ Case No.: GD 23-013985 ******** DEBT: $3,020.49 ******** Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Joseph W. Gramc, Esquire
Number: (412) 281-0587 *********************** Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Borough of Millvale: Having erected thereon a two-story frame house being known as 938 Cross Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15209. Deed Book Volume 11855, Page 593. Block & Lot No. 118-C-38.
51MAR25 PLAINTIFF(S): County OF Allegheny VS. DEFENDANTS: Lyndis M. Callen
Case No.: GD 19-007440
DEBT: $4,654.71
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Joseph W. Gramc, Esquire
*********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 525 William Penn Place, Suite 3110 Pittsburgh, PA 15219
*********************** Short Description: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Allegheny, Borough of Tarentum: Having erected thereon a two-story frame house being known as 500 2nd Avenue, Tarentum, PA 15084. Deed Book Volume 12948, Page 111. Block & Lot No. 1223-M-17.
53MAR25 PLAINTIFF(S): County OF Allegheny VS. DEFENDANTS: John P. Zurick ************ Case No.: GD 23-000973
DEBT: $3,762.72
Name of Plaintiffs Attorney: Joseph W. Gramc, Esquire *********************** Address of Plaintiffs Attorney: 525 William Penn Place,
NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE
WHEREAS, on January 18, 2008, a certain mortgage was executed by HELEN VIRGINIA LOGAN SMITH, as mortgagor in favor of FINANCIAL FREEDOM SENIOR FUNDING CORPORATION, A SUBSIBARY OF INDYMAC BANK, F.S.B. as mortgagee and was recorded in Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Allegheny County in Mortgage Book M VL 34970 Page 518 Instrument # 2008-8984 (“Mortgage”); and WHEREAS, the Mortgage encumbers property located at 705 Taylor Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15202, parcel number D-00093-0000-00(“Property”); and WHEREAS, Mortgagor/Record Owner HELEN VIRGINIA LOGAN SMITH died on 05/10/23. By operation of law title vests solely in KATHLEEN LOUISE LOGAN GLAYDA and HELEN VIRGINIA LOGAN SMITH is hereby released of liability pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 1144. ;and WHEREAS, the Property was owned by HELEN VIRGINIA LOGAN SMITH & HELEN VIRGINIA LOGAN SMITH by virtue of deed dated 6/10/1959 and recorded 6/16/1959 in Book 3796 Page 211 ;and WHEREAS, the Mortgage is now owned by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“Secretary”), pursuant to an assignment recorded on 2/3/2021 in Book M VL 53628 Page 228 Instrument # 2021-12263, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; and WHEREAS, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Mortgage (paragraph 9 (a)(i)), as HELEN VIRGINIA LOGAN SMITH died on 05/10/2023 and that upon the death the entire principal balance becomes due and owing, and that no payment was made, and remains wholly unpaid as of the date of this Notice; and WHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of 11/25/2024 is $122,978.68 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage to be immediately due and payable; NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, l2 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR Part 29, and by the Secretary’s designation of me as Foreclosure Commissioner, recorded on 06/28/2012 in Misc. Bk-DE, Vl-14933, Pg 17, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, notice is hereby given that on 03/04/2025; at 10:00 AM at at the Main Entrance of the Allegheny County Courthouse located at 436 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 all real property and personal property at or used in connection with the following described premises will be sold at public action to the highest bidder: ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PIECE OF GROUND SITUATE IN THE BOROUGH OF AVALON, COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY AND COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, KNOWN AND NUMBERED AS LOT NO. 13 IN THE JOHN W. COOK PLAN OF LOTS CALLED “WOODLAWN”, AS RECORDED IN THE RECORDER’S OFFICE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY IN PLAN BOOK, VOL. 17, PAGE 192, BEING MORE PARTICULARLY BOUNDED AND DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS, TO-WIT: BEGINNING ON THE NORTHERLY SIDE OF TAYLOR AVENUE, AT A POINT DISTANT EIGHTY (80) FEET FROM THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SCHOOL STREET AND TAYLOR AVENUE; THENCE IN A NORTHEASTWARDLY DIRECTION ALONG THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN LOTS NOS. 12 AND 13 IN SAID PLAN, A DISTANCE OF ONE HUNDRED FIVE (105) FEET TO THE SOUTHERLY LINE OF DUFF ALLEY; THENCE NORTHEASTWARDLY ALONG THE SOUTHERLY LINE OF DUFF ALLEY, A DISTANCE OF FORTY (40) FEET TO THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN LOTS NOS. 13 AND 14 IN SAID PLAN; THENCE IN A SOUTHWESTWARDLY DIRECTION ALONG THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN LOTS NOS. 13 AND 14 IN SAID PLAN A DISTANCE OF ONE HUNDRED FIVE (105) FEET TO THE NORTHERLY LINE OF TAYLOR AVENUE; AND THENCE IN A NORTHWESTWARDLY DIRECTION ALONG THE NORTHERLY LINE OF TAYLOR AVENUE, A DISTANCE OF FORTY (40) FEET TO THE PLACE OF THE BEGINNING.
HAVING ERECTED THEREON A 2-1/2 STORY BRICK MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING KNOWN AS NO. 705 TAYLOR AVENUE, AVALON, PITTSBURGH 2, PENNSYLVANIA. BEING BLOCK NO. 159 D, LOT NO. 93, IN THE DEED REGISTRY OFFICE. FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY: THE APN IS SHOWN BY THE COUNTY ASSESSOR AS 0159-D-00093-0000-00; SOURCE OF TITLE IS BOOK 3796, PAGE 211 (RECORDED 06/16/59)
The sale will be held 03/04/2025; at 10:00 AM at the Main Entrance of the Allegheny County Courthouse located at 436 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will bid $122,978.68 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date. Ten percent (10%) of the highest bid is the deposit required at the sale. The amount that must be paid to HUD by the mortgagors or someone acting on their behalf so that the sale may be stayed is the total delinquent amount of $122,978.68 as of 11/25/2024, plus all other amounts that would be due under the mortgage agreement if payments under the mortgage had not been accelerated, advertising costs and postage expenses incurred in giving notice, mileage by the most reasonable road distance for posting notices and for the Foreclosure Commissioner’s attendance at the sale, reasonable and customary costs incurred for title and lien record searches, the necessary out-of-pocket costs incurred by the Foreclosure Commissioner for recording documents, a commission for the Foreclosure Commissioner, and all other costs incurred in connection with the foreclosure prior to reinstatement. There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his prorata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of the foreclosure sale.
When making their bid, all bidders, except the Secretary, must submit a deposit totaling ten percent 10% of the Secretary’s bid as set forth above in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check made out to the Secretary of HUD. Each oral bid need not be accompanied by a deposit. I f the successful bid is oral, a deposit of ten (10%) percent must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is nonrefundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within thirty (30) days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount, like the bid deposits, must be delivered in the form of a certified or cashier’s check. If the Secretary is the high bidder, he need not pay the bid amount in cash. The successful bidder will pay all conveyance fees, all real estate and other taxes that are due on or after the delivery of the remainder of the payment and all other costs associated with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the deposits of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them.
The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for fifteen (15) days, and a fee will be charged in the amount of $150.00 for each fifteen (15) day extension requested. The extension fee shall be paid in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. If the high bidder closes the sale prior to the expiration of any extension period, the unused portion of the extension fee shall be applied toward the amount due.
If the high bidder is unable to close the sale within the required period, or within any extensions of time granted by the Secretary, the high bidder’s deposit will be forfeited, and the Commissioner may, at the direction of the HUD Field Office Representative, offer the Property to the second highest bidder for an amount equal to the highest price offered by that bidder.
There is no right of redemption, or right of possession based upon a right of redemption, in the mortgagor or others subsequent to a foreclosure completed pursuant to the Act. Therefore, the Foreclosure Commissioner will issue a Deed to the purchaser(s) upon receipt of the KML LAW GROUP, P.C. Foreclosure Commissioners (215-825-6305)
LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
Estate of NATALIE PAVLOVICH, Deceased of the city of Pittsburgh, Estate No. 2204 of 2024, Alexandar D. Malich, Extr., 133 Aberdeen Drive, Cranberry Twp, PA 16066 or to Christina E. McKaveney-Malkin, Esq., Malkin Law Offices, PO Box 353, Ingomar, PA 15127
Estate of MR. BRIAN DOUGLAS SUKITCH A/K/A BRIAN SUKITCH, 242 Overlook Court, Coraopolis, PA 15108, Estate No. 02-25-00339, Mr. William S. Sukitch, Executor, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108
NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE
WHEREAS, on November 04, 2010, a certain mortgage was executed by ANNA M. TRIGLIA, as mortgagor in favor of FIRST COMMONWEALTH HOME MORTGAGE, LLC as mortgagee and was recorded in Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Allegheny County in Mortgage Book M VL-38756, Page 435 or Document# 2010-94967 (“Mortgage”); and WHEREAS, the Mortgage encumbers property located at 630 Farnsworth Avenue Clairton, PA 15025, parcel number 1002-G-83(“Property”); and WHEREAS, Mortgagor/Record Owner ANNA M TRIGLIA died on 09/05/20 intestate and is survived by no known heirs. ;and WHEREAS, the Property was owned by ANNA M. TRIGLIA by virtue of deed dated 2/3/1999 and recorded 3/16/1999 in Book:10418 Page:485 ;and WHEREAS, the Mortgage is now owned by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“Secretary”), pursuant to an assignment recorded on 4/18/2016 in Book M VL-46337, Page 513 or Document# 2016-25197, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; and WHEREAS, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Mortgage (paragraph 9 (a)(i)), as ANNA M TRIGLIA died on 09/05/2020 and that upon the death the entire principal balance becomes due and owing, and that no payment was made, and remains wholly unpaid as of the date of this Notice; and WHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of 1/15/2025 is $39,125.12 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage to be immediately due and payable;
NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, l2 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR Part 29, and by the Secretary’s designation of me as Foreclosure Commissioner, recorded on 06/28/2012 in Misc. Bk-DE, Vl-14933, Pg-17, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, notice is hereby given that on 03/05/2025; at 10:00 AM at at the Main Entrance of the Allegheny County Courthouse located at 436 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 all real property and personal property at or used in connection with the following described premises will be sold at public action to the highest bidder: All that certain lot or tract of ground situate in the Second Ward, City of Clairton, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, being part of Lot designated “I” in Clairton Heights Plan of Lots laid out by Clairton Land Company, said plan being of record in the Recorder’s Office of said County in Plan Book 31 pages 192-193, and being bounded and described as follows:
Beginning at a point on the southerly line of Farnsworth Avenue distant South 88 degrees 01 minutes East 47.85 feet from the Southeasterly corner of Farnsworth Avenue and Bessemer Street in said plan; thence along the southerly line of Farnsworth Avenue South 88 degrees 01 minutes East 24.25 feet to a point on the prolongation of center line of a party wall; thence along the center line of said party wall and the prolongation’s thereof South 1 degree 59 minutes West 100 feet to the northerly line of Farnsworth Way in said plan; thence along the northerly line of said Farnsworth Way North 88 degrees 01 minutes West 24.25 feet to a point; thence North 1 degrees 59 Minutes East 100 feet to the southerly line of Farnsworth Avenue, the place of beginning.
Having erected thereon a dwelling, No. 630 Farnsworth Avenue.
Subject to any outstanding oil and gas rights of record.
Also subject to the rights of other in the party wall mentioned in the foregoing description and in the drain pipes, sewer lines, gas lines and water lines, if any, extending over and across said property, together with the right to use such party wall, drain pipes, sewer lines and water lines, if any, with others having rights therein.
Subject to the buildings and use restrictions appearing in prior deeds of record.
1002-G-83
The sale will be held 03/05/2025; at 10:00 AM at outside the Main Entrance of the Allegheny County Courthouse located at 436 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will bid $39,125.12 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date. Ten percent (10%) of the highest bid is the deposit required at the sale. The amount that must be paid to HUD by the mortgagors or someone acting on their behalf so that the sale may be stayed is the total delinquent amount of $39,125.12 as of 01/15/2025, plus all other amounts that would be due under the mortgage agreement if payments under the mortgage had not been accelerated, advertising costs and postage expenses incurred in giving notice, mileage by the most reasonable road distance for posting notices and for the Foreclosure Commissioner’s attendance at the sale, reasonable and customary costs incurred for title and lien record searches, the necessary out-of-pocket costs incurred by the Foreclosure Commissioner for recording documents, a commission for the Foreclosure Commissioner, and all other costs incurred in connection with the foreclosure prior to reinstatement.
There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his prorata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of the foreclosure sale.
When making their bid, all bidders, except the Secretary, must submit a deposit totaling ten percent 10% of the Secretary’s bid as set forth above in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check made out to the Secretary of HUD. Each oral bid need not be accompanied by a deposit. If t he successful bid is oral, a deposit of ten (10%) percent must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is nonrefundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within thirty (30) days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount, like the bid deposits, must be delivered in the form of a certified or cashier’s check. If the Secretary is the high bidder, he need not pay the bid amount in cash. The successful bidder will pay all conveyance fees, all real estate and other taxes that are due on or after the delivery of the remainder of the payment and all other costs associated with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the deposits of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them. The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for fifteen (15) days, and a fee will be charged in the amount of $150.00 for each fifteen (15) day extension requested. The extension fee shall be paid in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. If the high bidder closes the sale prior to the expiration of any extension period, the unused portion of the extension fee shall be applied toward the amount due.
If the high bidder is unable to close the sale within the required period, or within any extensions of time granted by the Secretary, the high bidder’s deposit will be forfeited, and the Commissioner may, at the direction of the HUD Field Office Representative, offer the Property to the second highest bidder for an amount equal to the highest price offered by that bidder. There is no right of redemption, or right of possession based upon a right of redemption, in the mortgagor or others subsequent to a foreclosure completed pursuant to the Act. Therefore, the Foreclosure Commissioner will issue a Deed to the purchaser(s) upon receipt of the entire purchase price in accordance with the terms of the sale as provided herein.
KML LAW GROUP, P.C. Foreclosure Commissioners (215-825-6305)
Estate of SHIRLEY ANNE BRAZEN, Deceased of McKees Rocks, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-25-00912, Donald E. Brazen, Jr., Executor, 10811 W. 129th Street, Overland Park, KS 66213 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017
Estate of JOHN E. LOVE, Deceased of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-25-00960, Joseph F. Love, Executor, 360 Jefferson Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017
Estate of LORRAINE MUDD Case
ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings
ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings
BOROUGH OF BEN AVON
The Council of the Borough of Ben Avon will meet at its regularly scheduled public meeting on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Borough Office, 7101 Church Avenue, Ben Avon, PA 15202 to consider adoption of an ordinance, the following which is a title and brief summary thereof:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF BEN AVON, ALLEGHENY COUNTY, COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 15 (“MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC”), SECTION 109 (“STOP INTERSECTIONS ESTABLISHED”) OF THE CODE OF THE BOROUGH OF BEN AVON TO AUTHORIZE THE INSTALLATION OF AN OFFICIAL STOP SIGN ON DICKSON AVENUE INTERSECTING PERRYSVILLE AVENUE IN THE NORTHBOUND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL; AMENDING CHAPTER 15 (“MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC”), SECTION 207 (“PARKING PROHIBITED AT CERTAIN OTHER LOCATIONS”) OF THE CODE OF THE BOROUGH OF BEN AVON TO AUTHORIZE THE INSTALLATION OF OFFICIAL NO PARKING SIGNS ON DICKSON AVENUE, FOREST AVENUE, AND PERRYSVILLE AVENUE; AND TO AUTHORIZE THE PLACEMENT OF OTHER OFFICIAL TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNS AND PAVEMENT MARKINGS AS DESCRIBED BY GATEWAY ENGINEERS IN A TRAFFIC STUDY, DATED DECEMBER 16, 2024, CONDUCTED FOR THE BOROUGH; AND AMENDING CHAPTER 15 (“MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC”), SECTION 208 (“DISABLED VEHICLES AND REPAIRING MOTOR VEHICLES ON STREETS PROHIBITED”) OF THE CODE OF THE BOROUGH OF BEN AVON TO PROHIBIT ABANDONED VEHICLES ON PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROPERTY AND TO AUTHORIZE THE REMOVAL OF SUCH VEHICLES UPON DUE NOTICE TO THE REGISTERED OWNER
A copy of the full text of the proposed Ordinance may be examined by any Borough resident or taxpayer at the Borough of Ben Avon Office located at 7101 Church Avenue, Ben Avon, PA 15202, Monday and Wednesday from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Tuesday from 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
BOROUGH OF BEN AVON
Terrie Patsch, Borough Secretary
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) will hold a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Thursday, February 27, 2025 @ 10:30 a.m. EST. The hybrid meeting will be conducted via Zoom Conferencing and in-person on the Lower Level Conference Room of 412 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. You must register to attend the in-person meeting.
Registration for attending the meeting in-person and registration to provide public comment will both open on Monday, February 24, 2025 at 11 a.m. and posted to www.hacp.org.
Thank you.
HACP conducts business in
by
BOROUGH OF BELLEVUE
The Town Council of the Borough of Bellevue will be voting on the adoption of the following Ordinance at its Pre-Council Meeting on Tuesday, March 11, at 7:00 pm.
Ordinance No. 25-02, Amending Ordinance 96-14, Civil Service Rules, and Regulations.
Copies of the proposed ordinances may be obtained by contacting the Borough of Bellevue Administrative Offices at 412/766.6164 from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Mondays through Fridays.
The meeting will be held on the 2nd floor of the Council Chambers at the Bellevue Borough Municipal Building, 537 Bayne Avenue, Bellevue, PA 15202.
James E. Kelly Director of Administrative Services
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH
Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on March 11, 2025, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
Pittsburgh Various Locations Site Lighting Replacement Electrical Prime
Pittsburgh Various Locations Emergency Generator Replacement Set 1 General, Electrical, and Asbestos Primes
Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on February 17, 2025, at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
FOR
HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES: North Hills School District is requesting proposals for Technology Management Services. The District will receive proposals at the North Hills Administration Building at 135 Sixth Avenue Pittsburgh PA 15229 for this request until Monday, March 10, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. e.s.t. Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed envelope labeled “Attn: RFP”. The Request for Proposals document appears on the North Hills School District website.
LEGAL ADVERTISING
Bids/Proposals
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
NOTICE TO BIDDERS EMSWORTH BOROUGH ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Sealed Proposals will be received by Emsworth Borough at the Municipal Building, 171 Center Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15202 until 2:00 P.M. on March 10th, 2025, to be publicly opened and read aloud at that time for the following project:
2025 EMSWORTH BOROUGH ROAD PROGRAM
Base Bid This project involves pavement maintenance of various streets in Emsworth Borough, including the following approximate quantities: 4,000 SY of 3.5” +/- Profile Milling; 4,000 SY of 1.5” 9.5mm Superpave Wearing Course; Base Repair; 2” 19 mm Superpave Binder Course; Bituminous Wedge Curb Replacement; Concrete Curb Replacement; Concrete Sidewalk Replacement; Manhole and Inlet Frame Adjustments and Replacement; Inlet Repair; Installation of ADA Handicap Ramps; Restoration of All Disturbed Areas; Traffic Control and Resident Notification for the street segments as specified in the included mapping.
Add Alternate Bid No. 1 Approximately 700 SY of additional 3.5” +/- Profile Milling; 700 SY of 1.5” 9.5mm Superpave Wearing Course; Base Repair; 2” 19 mm Superpave Binder Course; Traffic Control; Including Items in Base Bid; Resident Notification; and Restoration for the Emsworth DPW Garage and New Salt Shed Parking Lot. Proposals shall be delivered in a sealed envelope and clearly marked on the outside with the words “2025 EMSWORTH BOROUGH ROAD PROGRAM”. All bidders shall be PennDOT pre-qualified and attach their PennDOT Pre-Qualification Certificates to the outside of the proposal envelope in order for it to be opened and read publicly. Anti-Collusion Affidavit is also to be submitted with the Proposal in order for the Proposal to be considered responsive.
Copies of Drawings, Specifications, Instructions to Bidders, General Conditions, Forms of Proposals and Agreement are on file and open to public inspection at the office of The Gateway Engineers, Inc., 100 McMorris Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9401 where sets of said documents may be obtained upon payment of $75.00 per set. No refund will be made for the return of any documents. An additional $20.00 will be required for each set of plans if they are to be mailed.
Pennsylvania Prevailing Wages must be paid on this contract. Proposals must be submitted on the forms provided by the Municipality Proposals to receive consideration must be accompanied by a Certified Check or Bidder’s Bond from a Surety Company authorized to do business in Pennsylvania, made to the order of Emsworth Borough in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the Proposal as a guarantee that, if the Proposal is accepted, the successful Bidder will enter into an Agreement within 15 days after Notice of the Award of the Contract. All Proposals must be in the hands of Emsworth Borough, 171 Center Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15202, by 2:00 P.M. prevailing time March 10th, and will be opened and read publicly aloud immediately following. The Proposals must be made to Emsworth Borough, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and shall remain firm for a period of sixty (60) days. No Bidder may withdraw his Proposal during the sixty (60) day period without forfeiting his Bid guarantee. Performance, Maintenance, and Labor and Material Payment Bonds, along with Public Liability and Property Damage Certificates of Insurance in the amounts specified, as well as Certificates of Workman’s Compensation must be filed with the executed Agreement upon acceptance of the Proposal from the successful Bidder.
The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, or any part thereof, for any reason, and also reserves the right to waive any informality therein. Bidders are advised that the Borough will award the contract to the lowest responsible, responsive, and Qualified Bidder based on the total bid submitted. However, Bidders are advised that the Borough expressly reserves the right to reject all bids, and specifically reserves the right to award to the lowest responsible, responsive and Qualified Bidder a contract for all or any portions of the work listed in the Proposal, and in awarding a contract for less than the total work listed, or less than all portions of the work listed, the contract price will be determined from the total quantities for each item listed and the unit price bid for each item listed.
Cathy Jones Borough Secretary
PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY d.b.a. PRT
Electronic Proposals will be received online at PRT’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org).
Bid submittals will be due 2:00 PM on March 24, 2025 and will be read at 2:15 PM., the same day, the same day, through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.rideprt.org)
BID NUMBER
1 B25-15
2 B25-13
BID NAME
Copier Maintenance Service
Testing and validation Services
No bidder may withdraw a submitted Bid for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.
Pre-Bid Conferences will be held on the above solicitations on March 11, 2025 though your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Teams meeting information is available within the Bid Documents for this solicitation on rideprt.org and eBusiness.rideprt.org. Potential bidders may also email the contract specialist assigned to the solicitation. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by PRT after 12:00 PM (noon) on March 17, 2025.
These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County d.b.a. PRT and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations. Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing. Port Authority of Allegheny County d.b.a. PRT hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.
The Board of PRT reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR 17 GEOTHERMAL UNITS AT NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS 16 UNIT REHABILITATION REBID IFB #600-39-24 REBID The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): 17 GEOTHERMAL UNITS AT NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS 16 UNIT REHABILITATION REBID
The documents will be available no later than February 17, 2025, and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on March 18, 2025. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only accept physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 a.m. on March 18, 2025, in the lobby of One Stop Shop at 412 Boulevard of the Allies. 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 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6th Floor Procurement, Pittsburgh,
Companies who wish to be considered for the
REGIONALIZED
REGULATOR STRUCTURES
CAPITAL PROJECT S498
Interested Parties shall submit an electronic copy (pdf format) emailed to: procurement@alcosan.org
Attn: Suzanne Thomas, Procurement Officer
All questions should also be submitted, in writing, to Suzanne Thomas.
The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) is soliciting Letters of Interest and Statements of Qualifications from Professional Engineering firms interested in providing Professional Services for the Assessment of Regionalized Regulators.
An informational meeting will be held on-line via Microsoft Teams on March 3, 2025, at 10:00 A.M. (EST). All interested parties should send an email to the Procurement Officer no later than 12:00 P.M. (EST) February 28, 2025. Please only register one person for each company; companies may forward the invitation to their teams upon receipt. Once the list is compiled, ALCOSAN will email the Microsoft Teams meeting invite by 4:00 P.M. (EST) the business day before the meeting. This meeting is not mandatory, but all interested parties are strongly encouraged to attend.
ALCOSAN intends to award the services to one firm to perform all of the services. Electronic submittals must be received no later than 2:00 P.M. (EST) March 19, 2025. It is Consultant’s responsibility to ensure the documents have been received. Late submittals will not be considered. Additional information and instructions may be obtained by visiting: https://www.alcosan.org/workwith-us/planned-and-active-bids
ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities, disadvantaged and women’s and Service-Disabled Veteran business enterprises to submit qualification statements or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to the selected Consultant/Firm. The Party selected shall be required to utilize minority, disadvantaged, and women’s and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned business enterprises to the fullest extent possible. The goals of the ALCOSAN’s Minority and Women Business Policy are listed on the ALCOSAN website at www.alcosan.org.
Michael Lichte, PE Director, Regional Conveyance
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR PROFESSIONAL
ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES
RFP #600-13-25
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):
Professional Architectural and Engineering Services
The documents will be available no later than February 26, 2025, and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on March 18, 2025. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only accept physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 a.m. on March 18, 2025, in the lobby of One Stop Shop at 412 Boulevard of the Allies. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Proposals may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6th Floor - Procurement, 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. Brandon Havranek, Associate Director of Procurement/ Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 412 Boulevard of the Allies 6th Floor - Procurement Department Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-2890
A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on March 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Please see the meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 886 3359 1385 Passcode: 912351 +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.
Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh
HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR EMERGENCY GENERATOR FIRE PUMP MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR AUTHORITY WIDE IFB #300-12-25
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): EMERGENCY GENERATOR FIRE PUMP MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR AUTHORITY WIDE
The documents will be available no later than February 17, 2025, and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on March 20, 2025. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only accept physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 a.m. on March 20, 2025, in the lobby of One Stop Shop at 412 Boulevard of the Allies. 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 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6th Floor Procurement, 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. Brandon Havranek, Associate Director of Procurement/Contracting Officer
Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 412 Boulevard of the Allies 6th Floor - Procurement Department Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-2890
A pre-bid meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on March 5, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Please see the meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: https://hacp-org.zoom.us/ j/81708298768?pwd=qMJ4JTgR wx33VC5Dbf0Ya4Nj4ablL1.1 Passcode: 817 0829 8768 +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.
Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
COMMUNICATIONS LIAISON –TRANSIT PROJECTS
Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Communications Liaison –Transit Projects to support public communications and community engagement efforts for the agency’s capital investment and planning initiatives which includes construction, infrastructure maintenance and development projects. Serves as a liaison between the public communications group and the Planning and Engineering groups to ensure effective, clear, and proactive communication regarding construction and development projects that impact riders and the communities we serve. Ensures public awareness of projects impacting the transit experience. Responsibilities including ensuring timely delivery of accurate information to the appropriate audience/customer through various channels.
Essential Functions:
• Develop communications and marketing materials such as mailers, posters, rider alerts, brochures, newsletters, social media posts, media announcements, audio announcements and website content.
• Identify communication needs. Develop, coordinate, implement and manage strategies and goals designed to inform and engage the community.
• Collaborate and strategize with Planning, Engineering, and other PRT divisions that may be managing significant public facing project or work effort.
• Monitor project progress and ensures information flow to riders and impacted communities.
Job requirements include:
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Urban or Neighborhood Planning, or a related field. Directly related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft software and project management programs.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings or weekends, to support public events.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to manage time and workload effectively, including planning, organizing, and prioritizing with attention to detail.
Preferred attributes:
• Government agency experience.
• Transit agency experience.
• Construction communications experience.
• PowerPoint proficiency.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to:
Amy Giammanco Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AGiammanco@RidePRT.org EOE
American Eagle Outfitters, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, seeks a Senior Data Engineer -Customer Data. This is a hybrid office-based/work-from-home position within the United States. The employee can work remotely from within the United States but must be able to work in the Pittsburgh office at least one (1) day per week. Will serve as a lead for an offshore development team and support the delivery of personalization solutions through the collection, processing, and management of customer data. Apply at https://aeo.jobs with cover letter, resume, and salary requirements.
POLICE OFFICER BOROUGH OF SWISSVALE
The Borough of Swissvale Civil Service Commission is currently accepting applications for the position of Full-Time Police Officer. Applications and more detailed information on the position may be obtained online at https://www.swissvaleborough.com/ jobs.aspx or by calling 412-2717101. Deadline for applications is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 7, 2025. The application must be accompanied with a non-refundable application fee in the amount of $35.00.
