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FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021

‘I believe I can make a difference.’

Crawford officially announces run for Court of Common Pleas judge Community support for Rosemary Crawford has been on the rise

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Rosemary Crawford has made it official.

The longtime attorney is determined to make this year, 2021, the year that she attains a seat on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, as she recently announced she’s running for the position in the upcoming May 18 primary election.

“I am excited about the possibility of bringing my legal experience to the table as a judge,” Crawford said in a Jan. 27 statement announcing her candidacy.

“I have worked with people of all walks of life and understand their unique

circumstances, stories, and experiences and vow to bring a level of compassion and fairness to the bench.

I look forward to earning the support of voters in the coming weeks. Growing up as the daughter of a Pullman porter and a public school teacher, my parents, both strong union members, instilled in me the value of fairness and impartiality and the consequences of favoritism.”

Currently, there’s just one Black woman on the county’s Common Pleas Court —Kim Berkeley Clark, the president judge. She was appointed to the court in 1999 by then-Governor Tom Ridge. There hasn’t been an additional Black

woman on the court this century, now 20 years, one month and counting.

Crawford said it’s time for the drought to stop. Tim Stevens agreed. Stevens, the longtime civil rights advocate in Pittsburgh and current President and CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project, implored Pa.’s current governor, Tom Wolf, to appoint Crawford and other African Americans to state and county courts, during an open letter directed to the governor in December 2020.

“We (B-PEP) mentioned in our letter of March 11, 2019 that Ms. Crawford had been ‘highly recommended’ by the Allegheny

“I have worked with people of all walks of life and understand their unique circumstances, stories, and experiences and vow to bring a level of compassion and fairness to the bench.”

ROSEMARY CRAWFORD, ESQ.

ROSEMARY CRAWFORD, ESQ. County Bar Association in 2013, and was also endorsed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Tribune Review, and the New Pittsburgh Courier in that same year,” Stevens wrote. “…With the number of anticipated openings we strongly request that you not stop with merely the appointment of Ms. Crawford, but that you use this opportunity to expand

your ability to help correct the wrongs of the past.”

The Allegheny County Common Pleas Court has three additional Black judges in addition to President Judge Clark—Judge Dwayne Woodruff, Judge Elliot Howsie and Judge Joseph K. Williams III, all men. Williams is in the orphans’ division; the others are in the family division.

There are no Black judges

in the criminal division.

In a Twitter post dated Jan. 30, Crawford, who is active on social media, stated: “Black women judges are important because the bench should (look) like the community. One female Black judge in Allegheny (County) is insufficient, particularly with the facts of injustice we have SEE CRAWFORD A6

BLACK WOMEN IN PITTSBURGH MAKING MAJOR MOVES

The perfect connection Toni Murphy, former Courier ‘Woman of Excellence,’ named top executive of Comcast’s Keystone Region The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Toni Murphy has been named Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Keystone Region, overseeing the organization’s operational, strategic and financial performance across areas serving western, central and northeastern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia and the Maryland panhandle. The region is headquartered in Pittsburgh, where Murphy is based.

“Toni is a dynamic and proven executive and people leader who will bring

our Keystone Region to the next level. Her experience and passion for delivering world-class products and services along with her strength of developing customer-focused, high-performing teams will continue to distinguish Comcast,” said Kevin Casey, President of Comcast’s Northeast Division, which includes 14 northeastern states from Maine through Virginia and the District of Columbia, in a statement.

Murphy joined Comcast in 2008, holding positions in the Chicago and Cali-

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fornia regions in Business Support & Analytics and Business Development, respectively, before being named the Keystone Region’s Vice President of Project Management in 2015. In 2017, she was named Vice President of Comcast Business for Key-

stone and has served as the region’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing since 2019.

“I have had the great fortune to be a part of Comcast’s Keystone Region for more than five years and am proud of the work we have done to create awe-

“I have had the great fortune to be a part of Comcast’s Keystone Region for more than five years and am proud of the work we have done to create awesome experiences for both our employees and our customers.”

TONI MURPHY

TONI MURPHY, who was awarded a New Pittsburgh Courier “Woman of Excellence” in 2019, is now senior vice president of Comcast’s Keystone region. some experiences for both continue my career journey our employees and our cus- in the great city of Pittstomers,” said Murphy, in a burgh—a city built on pubstatement. “I am thrilled and grateful to be able to SEE MURPHY A4

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FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Dr. Ebony Hilton leads call for ‘Secretary of Equity’

by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier

An honest and comprehensive reckoning with America’s racial history and enacting solutions to address it is perhaps the transcendent issue of our time, argues Janet Murguia, the president of UnidosUS, a D.C.-based advocacy organization.

“The path forward may be difficult, complicated, and contested, but it is essential to pursue,” Murguia remarked in a news release where she and other advocates form the Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative.

The collaborative is the foremost diverse coalition of national, racial justice, and civil rights organizations representing and serving more than 53 million people in the U.S. The group calls on President Joe Biden to create an office within the White House to coordinate efforts to reduce racial inequality in all its forms.

Shortly after his Jan. 20 swearing-in, President Biden issued an executive order to advance equity and support for underserved communities.

The president had pledged to do his part in the fight against systemic racism in America, and his executive order charges all federal agencies with reviewing equity in their programs and actions.

President Biden has demanded that the Office of Management and Budget analyze whether federal dollars are equitably distributed in communities of color.

The coalition argues that the new administration also should establish a White House Office on Racial Equity and Inclusion.

The office would coordinate the full range of federal agency efforts to advance racial equity, centered on the administration’s promise to confront systemic racism and heal the “soul of our nation.”

Murguia declared that creating such office is “a crucial first step toward ensuring that our country lives up to its core shared value

DR. EBONY HILTON of equal opportunity for all Americans.”

The coalition is not alone in pushing the Biden administration to create an office responsible for racial equity.

Dr. Ebony Hilton, the medical director and co-founder of GoodStock Consulting, LLC, and an anesthesiologist and critical care physician at the University of Virginia, has started a change. org petition for the Biden administration to create and appoint a “Secretary of Equity.”

Comparable to a Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of an organization, the Secretary of Equity would serve as a catalyst to initiate equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) assessments and policies while leveraging best practices and resources across various federal agencies, Dr. Hilton wrote in a letter on behalf of

GoodStock Consulting.

“The vision of the position is to use objective information and analytics to create and support a culture of inclusion and belonging where individuals from all diversity dimensions, racial and ethnic identities, ages, nationalities, social and economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religious, political and ideological perspectives, and physical and mental abilities, are able to thrive and be actively engaged,” her letter continued.

The importance of the position is underscored by Covid-19 statistics, which show that African Americans are disproportionately affected by the virus. Data also show that access to the vaccine is eluding the Black community.

According to statistics compiled by the independent nonprofit KFF, which focuses on national

health issues, as of January 19, 2021, over 12 million COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across the country.

To date, race and ethnicity vaccination patterns appear to be at odds with who the virus has affected the most, KFF reported.

Based on vaccinations with known race/ethnicity, the share of vaccinations among Black people is smaller than their share of cases in all 16 reporting states and smaller than their share of deaths in 15 states.

For example, in Mississippi, Black people account for 15 percent of vaccinations, compared to 38 percent of cases and 42 percent of deaths, and, in Delaware, 8 percent of vaccinations have been received by Black people, while they make up nearly a quarter of cases (24 percent) and deaths (23 percent).

In Pennsylvania, just 3 percent of those vaccinated are Black.

“As vaccine distribution continues, ensuring racial equity will be important for mitigating the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on people of color, preventing widening health disparities, and achieving broad population immunity,” KFF officials wrote.

Dr. Hilton noted further that the Secretary of Equity would provide strategic and programmatic leadership for diversity and inclusion initiatives that advance diversity as a critical component of federal and local policies.

“This position will lead a team of Equity Officers that sit within these targeted federal agencies to assess the existing and potential disparities specific to that agency and its respective industries – greater than racial disparities and within all diversity dimensions,” Dr. Hilton said.

“As mentioned, this position would work across various agencies with specific interest and collaborative partnerships with the agencies that directly impact the social determinants of health like the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Treasury, the Small Business Administration and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.”

Regarding establishing a White House Office on Racial Equity and Inclusion, the National Urban League President Marc Morial also noted his support.

“Even before 2020 exposed our pandemic of a deadly triple disease and economic hardship and racial unrest, America was a nation that still had only begun to grapple with the legacy of white supremacy,” Morial stated.

“Establishing a White House Office on Racial Equity and Inclusion is our best hope of nurturing that awakening and achieving our true potential.”

How much income will you need during retirement?

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

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FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Toni Murphy named SVP at Comcast MURPHY FROM A1

lic/private partnerships, innovation and philanthropy, and a home that my family and I have come to love deeply.”

Highly engaged within her industry and the community, Murphy is an executive sponsor of Comcast’s Diversity and Inclusion Council and plays an active role with organizations including Women in Cable Telecommunications, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Strong Women Strong Girls and Catalyst Connection.

Murphy has been widely recognized for her achievements and has been named to a variety of awards lists including: multiple CableFax: The

Magazine’s “Most Influential Minorities”; Courier “Woman of Excellence” in 2019; 2019 Pittsburgh Business Times Woman of Influence; 2018 Greater Pittsburgh ATHENA Young Professional Award winner; 2018 National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications Next Generation of Leaders Award; 2018 The Incline Who’s Next; and 2017 Pittsburgh Magazine 40 under 40 member.

Prior to joining Comcast, Murphy worked in private equity at The Gores Group and in investment banking at UBS Investment Bank.

She holds a B.A. from Princeton University.

TONI MURPHY

Lincoln University receives $20 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

by Stacy M. Brown for New Pittsburgh Courier

Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University, announced recently that it had received a generous $20 million gift from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Scott’s gift is the largest from a single donor in Lincoln’s 167-year history.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Ms. MacKenzie Scott for her investment in the Lincoln University legacy, which has been transforming the lives of African Americans since 1854, more than 10 years before the emancipation of the race,” said President Brenda A. Allen. “This transformational gift will allow us to sustain that legacy, reimagine the future of our university, and deepen our investments in students, who will, in turn, make positive impacts in their communities and society at large.”

and often lead to post-graduate success.

Finally, when higher education is becoming increasingly inaccessible, Scott’s generosity will strengthen Lincoln University’s ability to educate and empower students from vulnerable populations. The gift will bolster the Brenda A. Allen Need-Based Scholarship Fund, which exists to close the financial gap that more than 65 percent of Lincoln University students face in covering their annual tuition. With Scott’s significant contribution, the Fund will help more students matriculate uninterrupted despite financial hardships.

Dwight S. Taylor, chairman of the Lincoln University Foundation of Pennsylvania, is hopeful that Scott’s gift will inspire others to make investments in the next generation of leaders. “This gift illustrates the worthiness of Lincoln University. I hope that other philanthropists will join Ms. Scott’s commitment to

BRENDA A. ALLEN, President of Lincoln University.

Lincoln University will use the gift to support its comprehensive strategic plan centered around student success. Specifically, Scott’s gift will support new investments in teaching, research, and faculty development that will ensure Lincoln University can continue providing a world-class liberal arts education to current and prospective students. It will also strengthen the university’s commitment to experiential learning by giving every student the opportunity to participate in at least one high-impact co-curricular activity, such as an internship, study abroad program, or undergraduate research. These opportunities enhance the depth of learning students experience in the classroom by allowing them to apply that knowledge in real-world, practical settings,

investing in the University’s mission and ability to educate students from vulnerable populations to achieve a lifetime of success,” said Taylor.

Scott’s gift acknowledges the continuing relevance of the Lincoln University mission and signals support for its leadership and strategic direction. The unrestricted nature of the gift has allowed Lincoln University to design the blueprint for this investment.

“We are very grateful to be a recipient of a gift of this magnitude,” said Allen. “Ms. Scott’s transformative investment allows the university to remain committed to sustaining Lincoln’s legacy as a liberal arts institution and achieving recognition as a model for academic excellence.

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FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021

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RELIGION/METRO

FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021

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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Rosemary Crawford officially announces run for Court of Common Pleas judge

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CRAWFORD FROM A1

been suffering.”

The year 2021 isn’t the first time Crawford was vying for the bench. As the Courier previously reported in 2019, Crawford had unsuccessful runs for the Common Pleas Court in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

But she acknowledged in the article that she’d been getting increasing support from more Black community leaders. “I’m getting more interest with each run and that’s important for a grassroots campaign,” Crawford said in the Courier’s 2019 article. “Sometimes you just have to be committed, not give up. Because enough people have given up on our community. I’m not going to be on that list.”

One big difference from 2013, 2015 and 2017 to today is the heightened sense of awareness concerning racial injustice in the U.S. As advocates like Stevens would tell you, it’s long overdue. However, more African Americans have been attaining more prominent roles over the past eight months since the “Black Lives Matter” movement really took hold following the death of George Floyd by a White police officer in Minneapolis. Blacks are getting prominent positions in politics (which, of course, includes the first Black vice president and first female vice president in Kamala Harris), corporate America and in the non-profit sector.

In Duval County, Fla., of which Jacksonville is located, Rhonda Peoples-Waters made history a few weeks ago when she was sworn-in at the county courthouse as the first elected Black female court judge to take the bench in the county.

Three other Black women

have been appointed, but no Black woman had ever won an election to become a judge. Duval County has a population of 865,000, with 28 percent African American.

In Harris County, Texas, where Houston is the county seat, before there was the “Black Lives Matter” movement sweeping across America, there was “Black Girl Magic.” That magic resulted in a head count today of 19 Black female judges in the District Courts of Harris County, as it’s called. The 19 Black female judges, believed to be one of the highest assembly of Black female judges in a single county court in the U.S., are spanned throughout the court’s divisions. For example, one might see, among other Black female judges, Judge Angela Graves-Harrington or Judge Germaine Tanner involving a family court matter. If it’s a civil matter, one might see Judge Latosha Lewis Payne or Judge Dedra Davis. Summoned to the criminal court, and one might see Judge Lori Chambers Gray with the gavel.

Harris County has a much larger general population (4.7 million) than Allegheny County (1.2 million), and it’s more diverse.

While Blacks make up about 14 percent of Allegheny County’s population, Blacks make up almost 20 percent of the population in Harris County. Hispanics account for another 30 percent in Harris County, while the Hispanic percentage in Allegheny County is miniscule.

Whether she’s appointed

by Gov. Wolf or elected by the Allegheny County populous, Crawford said she is beyond ready for a seat on

Rosemary Crawford told the Courier she’s moving forward with her campaign without the Allegheny County Democratic Committee’s endorsement, “due to its history of systemic racism and failure to timely respond to my requests for information.”

ROSEMARY CRAWFORD, ESQ. the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. She is a graduate of the Georgetown Law School, in Washington, D.C., and currently serves as a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

As Chapter 7 Trustee, she serves a quasi-judicial role presiding over thousands of complex bankruptcy matters, her bio stated.

Crawford feels that her extensive experience in civil litigation, family law and employment law, as well as appellate practice, give her the experience and temperament needed to serve on the Court of Common Pleas.

Crawford, according to her bio, also is a certified arbitrator and mediator. She has served on the boards of the Allegheny County Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Women’s Bar Associa-

tion, and Homer S. Brown Association. Crawford has served as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, an adjunct professor of Employment Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and taught Criminal Procedure and Business Law at Community College of Allegheny County.

Crawford told the Courier her record of serving the community speaks for itself.

She served for five years as director of the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh Women Legal Resources, where she oversaw counseling and provided pro bono legal services for women in need.

She also has provided pro bono services for almost a decade for women seeking protection from abuse orders against violent partners.

Crawford, the North Hills-area resident, also

told the Courier she’s moving forward with her campaign without the Allegheny County Democratic Committee’s endorsement, “due to its history of systemic racism and failure to timely respond to my requests for information.”

It wasn’t a secret that Crawford would dive back into the running for a Common Pleas Court seat.

Crawford’s campaign and overall profile have been garnering more attention over the past few years locally. A day after the local media was informed that Crawford made the official announcement of her campaign bid, she took to Twitter, Jan. 28, at 2:52 p.m., to officially inform her supporters.

“Hello, everyone,” she simply said, with an attached photo of herself and the campaign announcement.

“I believe I can make a difference.”

We want to place your event in our Church Circuit weekly calendar!

Send info to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh PA 15219 Or Email us! religion@ newpittsburgh courier.com

The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.

PICTURED ABOVE ARE THE 19 BLACK FEMALE JUDGES that are part of the Harris County, Texas, District Court, one of the largest contingents in the country of Black female judges on a county court. Houston is located within Harris County.

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FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021 A7

Seven PPS schools could be closing within next two years Superintendent outlined plans during recent virtual meeting

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Manchester Elementary School has been around longer than before the Steelers started winning Super Bowls.

Sterrett Classical Academy, in Point Breeze, is in its 42nd year educating area middle-schoolers.

But those two schools, along with five others in the Pittsburgh Public Schools district, could be closing.

The district announced on Feb. 1 that Superintendent Anthony Hamlet, Ed.D., and members of his leadership team recommended closing seven schools and six buildings, while creating two new schools. It’s

“Our first priority remains opening schools for in-person instruction while assuring all our students are getting the educational support they need.”

ANTHONY HAMLET, ED.D. Superintendent, Pittsburgh Public Schools

ANTHONY HAMLET, ED.D.

PITTSBURGH FULTON school in Highland Park could close as part of the PPS district’s new plan. part of Dr. Hamlet’s plan to “modernize the district’s footprint to support innovative school design and ensure fiscal sustainability for years to come,” according to a release from district spokeswoman Ebony Pugh.

The other schools proposed to be closed are Allegheny 6-8, Arsenal 6-8, Fulton PreK-5, Miller PreK5 and Woolslair PreK-5. The new schools proposed to be created are Career Middle School and Birth to 2nd

next school year; the other schools would close in time for the 2022-23 school year.

Dr. Hamlet’s plan calls for the reconfiguration of North Side schools King and Morrow from PreK-8 schools to PreK-5 schools. Feeder students in grades 6-8 would go to the new Career Middle School, which would be located in the old Oliver High School building on Brighton Road. Oliver Citywide Academy, as it’s now known, would be relocated.

Minadeo would be re-

PITTSBURGH ALLEGHENY school on the North Side could close as part of the PPS district’s new plan.

Grade; both would be placed on the North Side in existing buildings.

The proposal calls for six buildings to be closed altogether—Woolslair (501 40th Street, Lawrenceville), Fulton (5799 Hampton St., Highland Park), Manchester Elementary (1612 Manhattan St., Manchester), Miller (also known as McElvey, 2055 Bedford Ave., Hill District), Morrow (Primary Building, 1611 Davis Ave., North Side), and Montessori (Friendship Building, 201 S. Graham St., Friendship). Woolslair would close before the

configured from a PreK-5 school to a 6-8, and Colfax would go from a K-8 school to a PreK-5. The Colfax feeder students in grades 6-8 would attend the newly configured Minadeo 6-8.

Brookline would go from a PreK-8 school to a PreK-5.

Brookline feeder students in grades 6-8 would go to Carmalt PreK-8. And Montessori PreK-5 would be relocated to the building where Sterrett Classical Academy sits, 7100 Reynolds St. “Our first priority remains opening schools for in-person instruction while assuring all our students are get-

ting the educational support they need,” Dr. Hamlet said in the Feb. 1 release. “Even so, the COVID-19 pandemic has ripped the band aid off of the inequities in every school system, including Pittsburgh Public Schools.

To succeed as a district and city—we must break from a legacy of inequity. We cannot and should not go back to the way things were.”

Pittsburgh Public Schools students haven’t seen the inside of their schools for nearly 11 months, since COVID forced a two-week closure in March 2020 to turn into an unfortunate circumstance of pandemic proportions that may not be curtailed before the end of this school year. The school

board voted on Jan. 25 to delay the start of in-school learning until at least April, as teachers and staff await getting vaccinated.

Remote learning is still occurring within the district, but board members and other educational experts inside and outside the district agree that students, generally, learn better when they’re in the classroom.

Pittsburgh Public Schools is only using 55 percent of its available space, as the total number of students in the district continues to decline.

There are about 21,000 students in PPS. There’s room for almost 37,000.

Interim Chief Operations Officer Mike McNamara said that the proposed clo-

sures would eliminate 2,780 of the 17,128 empty seats across the district.

“We understand that these are hard decisions to make, McNamara said in the release provided to the Courier. “We are following the data to bring forward the best recommendations educationally for our students and fiscally for the city.”

No final decisions on the school or building closures, as well as the creation of the two schools, can occur before May 26, the date of the board’s legislative meeting. The district seeks to get feedback from the public over the next four months about the proposed plan.

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Ebony, Jet magazines bringing it back to Black

by Sherri Kolade Michigan Chronicle

We want our stories told to us by us and through us, and Michele Ghee, entertainment and media space guru plans to sprinkle her Black Girl Magic over the unstoppable, powerhouse Black magazines Ebony and Jet in their upcoming relaunch. Ghee will be taking over as chief executive after the publications’ purchase out of bankruptcy by former NBA player Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman and his family, according to an LA Times article.

“This is personal for me,” Ghee said in the article during an exclusive interview days before the sale was to be completed this week. Ghee pulled no punches in stating the reasons behind her wanting to lead the rebirth of these household-name magazines that our mothers, aunties, and beyond kept on their coffee table, inside the salon, and that we, more often than not, read online. Ghee, from Oakland, described her passion to develop a company she would want to visit daily, per the article, and one that champions the depths of what is to be Black, while answering the call of what Black readers want to read from these publications.

And yet, despite the interest in amplifying melanated voices, mixed with mass culture and mainstream publications, the article states that “the path ahead for Ebony and Jet is daunting.”

Chicago-based publisher John H. Johnson found Ebony magazine in the 1950s and was one of the leading publications known for chronicling all aspects of Black American life. its sister publication, Jet was founded six years later and has continually acted as a counterweight to mainstream media’s constant diminishing force of communities of color.

Like the now-infamous photo of Emmett Till’s mutilated body, taken by a Jet

A SCREENSHOT OF EBONY’S HOMEPAGE, and a previous issue of Jet Magazine featuring Oprah Winfrey. magazine staff photographer. It was on the magazine’s Sept. 15, 1955, cover, but White publications chose to not print it.

Or Moneta Sleet Jr.’s Pulitzer-winning image of Coretta Scott King holding her daughter Bernice in a front-row pew at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral. Sleet worked at Ebony, according to the article.

The magazine also highlighted the highs of Black life and our experiences, like Essence, Vibe and others would down the line.

“It’s impossible to overstate the significance of Johnson publications in telling the story of Black America,” said Donovan X. Ramsey, curator of the Instagram page @blackmagcovers, an ode to iconic magazine covers featuring Black folks in the article. “For many years, Ebony and Jet were the only outlets where Black life was reported on seriously, or covered at all.”

Yet with times changing, the media industry experienced change right along as Ebony and Jet, and other outlets considered “niche,” dealt with tough blows — Jet ended print production in June 2014. Two years later, Johnson Publishing sold both publications, except for the photo archive, to private equity firm Clear View Group, per the article. Under new ownership, troubles persisted as unpaid freelancers sued Ebony, and the publication ended its print operation in 2019. Bridgeman’s $14-million purchase of the magazines marks, however, a new future.

“Those publications came out of a specific vision and worked for a specific time,” Ramsey said in the article. “It’ll take someone with John Johnson’s business acumen, his understanding of Black communities, and his commitment to quality journalism to make Ebony and Jet work again. It’s not an impossible feat but a

tough one for sure.”

The vision for Ebony and Jet, fashioned in close collaboration with Bridgeman’s daughter, Eden Bridgeman has taken the helm representing the family. Some print editions have not been completely eliminated, but the primary focus will be toward a digital audience, with an emphasis on reporting, commentary, and video, according to the article.

Experiential plans, such as a revival of the Ebony Power 100 gala, are geared to be a major revenue stream, per the story.

Ghee added that she is going to lead the enterprise like a startup, “although it has 75 years of history that I have the honor and privilege to tap into” she said in the article. Ebony will target Black folks ages 25 to 54, while Jet will target those 18 to 34.

“That’s how I’m going to talk about it in the marketplace,” she added in the article.

“I need folks to know that I have a budget, based on the amount paid for this asset, and I have to operate in those confines.”

Black audiences have multiple outlets that they can choose from to get their fill on Black news. From Blavity and TheGrio to the Medium publications Zora and Level — also blogs like the Shade Room and LoveBScott — many outlets cover Black communities and reminders of a media space that primarily didn’t make significant strides to promote Black voices and experiences until the aftermath of the George Floyd and Breonna Taylor tragic killings and the subsequent 2020summer protests, per the article. Ghee feels there’s a space for everyone to take part.

And she has an eagle’s eye direction her mission is clear when it comes to properly lift speaking to the Black community and sharing their stories.

“I want my people back,” Ghee said, “and we’re going to do what it takes to get them.”

5 questions to ask yourself before taking leap to entrepreneurship As COVID-19 causes layoffs and extends uncertainty about employment in 2021, many people are considering new options, reinventing themselves, or trying to decide whether working for themselves is more desirable than finding another 9-to5 job that might not last.

Entrepreneurship brings a lot of freedom, responsibility, and risks, and before people commit to taking that big step there are several important questions they should ask themselves, says Tim Mercer (www. timtmercer.com), ForbesBooks author of Bootstrapped Millionaire: Defying the Odds of Business.

“Entrepreneurship is a career that offers a kind of freedom and personal satisfaction you simply cannot get from tradition-

al 9-to-5 employment,” Mercer says. “You will never know if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur unless you take the leap of faith and experience it yourself.

“It’s a big decision, though, involving many factors and inherent risks. There is a lot to navigate and endure en route to reaching your dream destination of professional and financial freedom, and many don’t make it because they simply weren’t cut out for the challenge to begin with.”

Mercer thinks people who are considering entrepreneurship should first ask themselves these five questions: • Why do you want to do this? “Let’s be honest,” Mercer says. “If the business SEE ENTREPRENEURSHIP B2

How much income will you need during retirement?

When you think of your life in retirement, you imagine yourself traveling the world, spending quality time with family and friends, pursuing simple pleasures, and living the life of ease and luxury.

With the children gone and various bills paid, it’s easy to assume that you’ll have sufficient income coming in to maintain your desired standard of living during retirement.

The lifestyle of the majority of senior citizens is anything but a life of ease and luxury. After 30 years of working hard, raising a family and trying to maintain a quality standard of living, the thing that’s always procrastinated and oftentimes neglected is retirement planning. Creating your desired retirement lifestyle is going to take more than wishful thinking and groundless assumptions. It’s going to take proactive planning and purposeful execution.

It’s easy to envision your desired retirement lifestyle—no work, peace, freedom, and fun. Have you ever answered the question how much income will you need to maintain that lifestyle? In this article, I’ll show you how to determine how much income you’ll need to maintain your desired standard of living during retirement.

Using today’s dollars, how much income do you think you’ll need each month to cover your monthly household expenses?

Let’s say that you need $3,000 to pay for your monthly household expenses. I’m sure that you want to have money left over after you pay the bills. How much extra do you need to do fun stuff: take annual vacations, spend on impulse, etc? Let’s say you’d like an extra $500 remaining after the bills are paid. Using our example, you need a total of $3,500 per month.

How much will Social Security provide?

Although Social Security is on the brink of insolvency, I believe that Social Security

will continue to supplement our income during retirement. However, the longer you have before retirement, the more likely your projected benefits will be reduced.

Continuing with our example, if Social Security is projecting a monthly benefit of $1,200, I encourage you to discount it by 25 percent. As a result, using $1,200 as our projected monthly benefit, we’ll estimate Social Security to provide about $900 per month.

Company-sponsored pension plans are on the brink of extension. Does your company offer a pension? Many companies have done away with traditional, guaranteed pension-check-per-month plans. They’ve opted to use defined contribution-type plans such as 401(k) plans where you’re required to contribute. Future benefit is based on your contributions, employer’s matching contributions, and investment performance. If your company offers a traditional pension-check-per-month plan, considering the fact many employers are freezing pension plans, I encourage you to discount projected benefit by 25 percent.

In my example, we’ll assume that we will not receive a pension.

Did you or will you purchase a deferred or immediate annuity? If you purchased an annuity, calculate what your expected monthly benefit will be. Will you receive royalty checks or rental income during retirement? In our example, we’ll assume that there’s no money coming in from an annuity, rental income or royalties.

Do you plan to sell your home and use the proceeds from the sale of your home to supplement your income? Do you plan

to tap into your equity with a reverse mortgage? We’ll assume that you plan to remain in your home, age in place, and avoid the high cost equity depleting reverse mortgage.

In our example we established that our target income during retirement is $3,500 per month. We expect Social Security to provide $900 per month. We do not expect to receive income during retirement from any other sources. As a result, we have a retirement income deficit (RID) of $2,600 per month. We’ll have to reconcile this deficit with income we generate from personal savings. As an alternative, we can lower our expectation and our standard of living during retirement.

As we pinpoint how much of a nest egg (retirement savings) we need to grow by the time we retire that will initially generate $2,600 per month after taxes, we need to take into consideration inflation and ensure that we don’t outlive our savings. You build a retirement nest egg by diligent, sound investing over an extended period of time.

Identify your risk tolerance for investing. Are you conservative, moderate, or aggressive? If you’re conservative, your withdrawal rate will be 3 percent. If you’re moderate, your withdrawal rate will be 4 percent. If you’re aggressive, your withdrawal rate will be 5 percent. In our example, we’ll assume that our risk tolerance is moderate.

Multiply your monthly retirement income deficit by 12 months to calculate the annual income needed initially during retirement. $2,600 (RID) times 12 months equals $31,200. Divide the annual income

by .80 ($31,200 divided by .80 = $39,000).

This figure represents the gross amount you’ll need annually to net $31,000 per year or $2,600 per month after taxes.

Divide the gross amount ($39,000) you’ll need initially during retirement by .04 (moderate risk tolerance) to determine the size of the nest egg we’ll need to accumulate. In our example, we’ll need a nest egg of $975,000 to generate a monthly income of $2,600 after taxes. My calculation ensures that you don’t outlive your savings and that you leave a legacy to your heirs.

Chances are, you’ve already established retirement savings. This money will continue to grow over time. Depending on how good of a job you’ve done investing your money and that you avoid early withdrawals from your retirement savings, you may be well on your way to amass $975,000. Assuming the current value of your retirement savings is $50,000, you have 20 years before you retire, and your average rate of return is 10 percent.

Your current $50,000 savings will grow to $336,375 over 20-years. As a result, we’ll need to save an additional $638,625 between now and the day we retire to meet our goal of $975,000.

In our example, assuming an average rate of return of 10 percent, we’ll need to save $834 per month, excluding the employer’s matching contribution to amass a nest egg of $638,625 20 years from now.

Allow these figures to motivate you to take action sooner rather than later when it comes to retirement planning. There are other alternatives that I’ll share in future articles that will ensure that you live a comfortable retirement.

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

BUSINESS/NATIONAL

B2 FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Film and stage legend Cicely Tyson dies at 96

by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—From her first significant role as Jane Foster in the TV drama “East Side/West Side” to her recurring role as Ophelia Harkness in “How to Get Away with Murder,” Cicely Tyson’s nuanced portrayals of proud Black women “were a powerful counterbalance to the negative stereotypes prevalent in film and television.”

The legendary film, television, and stage actress who earned an Academy Honorary Award, three Emmy’s and a Tony, died on Jan. 28 at the age of 96.

“Often at great personal cost, she demanded truth and dignity in the roles she accepted. Few actors have done more to advance the cause of racial justice than the incomparable Cicely Tyson,” National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial said late Thursday.

“The National Urban League was proud to present her with one of our highest honors, the Arts Award, at our 2013 Conference. The entire Urban League Movement mourns her passing and honors her memory.”

A cause of death was not immediately released.

“With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon,” her manager, Larry Thompson, said in a statement. “At this time, please allow the family their privacy.”

Born in New York on December 19, 1924, Tyson grew up in Harlem’s famed but hardscrabble streets.

As a teenager, she worked as a typist but decided she wanted to go into show business.

She began modeling at the age of 18, but her love of the stage almost immediately took over.

In 1963, Tyson made history with East Side/West Side, becoming the first Black lead in a television drama series.

Her star soared after an Academy Award-nominated performance for the 1972 film, Sounder.

She had previously appeared in an episode of the TV western “Gunsmoke,” and had made a name for herself in “The FBI,” “A Man Called Adam,” and I-Spy with Bill Cosby.

“Cicely was a brilliant actress, who was a woman of color, with the strength of her Blackness, she made it possible for Black women to grace the stage of theatre, film, and television,”

CICELY TYSON, THE LEGENDARY FILM, TELEVISION, AND STAGE ACTRESS who earned an Academy Honorary Award, three Emmys and a Tony, died at the age of 96. (Photo: Cicely Tyson at the 2012 Time 100 gala. David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons) comedian Bill Cosby wrote in a statement posted to his official Twitter account.

“I still smile because I had the blessings of witnessing her talent on an episode of ‘The Bill Cosby Show’ called ‘Blind Date’ I can only imagine how strong Miles Davis is blowing that trumpet, welcoming you in his arms with the song, ‘So What.’ Thank you for your brilliance and grace.”

The ultra-talented Tyson

would earn Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Kunta Kinte’s mother in Alex Haley’s “Roots,” and as the lead character in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.”

In 1994, Tyson earned her third Emmy in her supporting role as housemaid Castalia in CBS’ miniseries “The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All.” Among her more memorable stage performanc-

es were 1968’s “Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights,” 1969’s “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” and 1983’s “The Corn is Green.”

“So many great stories about Cicely Tyson,” Tweeted Soledad O’Brien.

“Whew, that lady was amazing. While shooting a doc on her in Spanish Harlem, people kept stopping their cars. In the street.

To hop out and say hi. Old people. Teenagers. Middle-aged fans. “Ciss-el-lee” they’d chant as she’d walk by.”

The Hollywood Reporter received statements from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Viola Davis, who worked with Tyson on How to Get Away with Murder and wrote the foreword of Tyson’s memoir, wrote: “I’m devastated. My heart is just broken. I loved you so much!! You were everything to me! You made me feel loved and seen and valued in a world where there is still a cloak of invisibility for us dark chocolate girls. You gave me permission to I’m not ready for you to be my angel yet. But…I also understand that it’s only when the last person who has a memory of you dies that you’ll truly be dead.

“In that case, you will be immortal. Thank you for shifting my life. Thank you for the long talks. Thank you for loving me. Rest well.”

In a tribute, Tyler Perry emotionally shared that the news “brought me to my knees,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“She was the grandmother I never had and the wisdom tree that I could always sit under to fill my cup. My heart breaks in one beat, while celebrating her life in the next,” he wrote.

“She called me son. Well, today your son grieves your loss and will miss our long talks, your laughter from your belly, and your very presence.”

Whoopi Goldberg also paid tribute by describing Tyson as “a tower of power, a pillar of strength, CLEAR about who she was, and how she was to be treated.”

LeVar Burton paid tribute to his “first screen Mom.” “Elegance, warmth, beauty, wisdom, style, and abundant grace. She was as regal as they come. An artist of the highest order, I will love her forever,” he wrote.

(Stacy M. Brown is NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent.)

5 questions to ask... L’Oreal USA partners with NAACP to launch grant program for Black-owned businesses

ENTREPRENEURSHIP FROM B1

endeavor is just about us, we will want to give up on ourselves when things get hard. Your why, which is your purpose, has to be much bigger than yourself. You must believe in a vision of why you want to be an entrepreneur and develop a plan for how you will involve others in your vision. Sustainable entrepreneurship requires the efforts of other people.” Mercer thinks it’s imperative to write down your ‘why’ and keep it in front of you as a reminder when tough times come.

• Are you being realistic? One can get swept up in the emotion of starting a business, but Mercer says it’s vital for every potential entrepreneur to be realistic in their business projections for the first two years of the startup. “Answering this question before you open can prevent some unpleasant surprises as you try to build your company,” Mercer says.

• Do you have daily discipline? “You are the boss, and only you can hold yourself accountable,” Mercer says. “If it’s hard for you to stay on task or stay motivated, and you think being an entrepreneur is a fast ticket to easy street, entrepreneurship definitely is not for you.”

• Can your relationships survive the sacrifices? The time commitment, Mercer notes,

to starting one’s own business and getting it running efficiently goes well beyond a typical 9-to-5 job. Relationships can suffer. “All entrepreneurs have to understand that they are going to be forced to make sacrifices on a personal level with their family and friends,” Mercer says. “You have to stay focused without letting your dedication to your entrepreneurial pursuit harm your relationships with those you are closest. Communicate with them and mutually come up with adjusted expectations as you build the business.”

• Can you withstand the struggles? Rejection and failure, Mercer says, are realities that new entrepreneurs have to get accustomed to and learn to overcome. “You need to understand how many times you’ll fail before you’ll succeed,” he says.

“You’ll get turned down by prospective customers constantly and your self-value will be tested on a daily basis. Is your why strong enough to keep you going?”

“Overall, deciding whether you are an entrepreneur or not boils down to how comfortable you are being uncomfortable,” Mercer says. “Only time will tell if you have the people skills and business skills to be a successful entrepreneur, but rest assured that you will have to endure periods of real discomfort.”

(NNPA)—L’Oréal USA today announced the creation of its Inclusive Beauty Fund, a new grant program presented in partnership with the NAACP, the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. Through this inaugural round of funding, L’Oréal USA will award 30 one-time grants of $10,000 each to Black-owned small businesses, Black entrepreneurs, and professional services in all sectors of the U.S. beauty industry.

As small businesses in America have been hit the hardest by the economic fallout of the pandemic and Blackowned businesses are shutting down twice as fast as others according to NBER, L’Oréal USA teamed up with the NAACP to identify the most promising Black-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs in the beauty industry that are most in need of investment.

“As the leading beauty company in the United States, we believe that we have a responsibility to invest in the small business owners and entrepreneurs who are the lifeblood of our dynamic beauty industry. We are proud to team up with the NAACP to advance our shared mission of creating a more inclusive and equitable world during this time of great economic vulnerability for so many. We hope the Inclusive Beauty Fund will introduce us to entrepreneurs in the beauty industry that we can build strong relationships with well into the future,” said Angela Guy, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, L’Oréal USA. In addition to one-time funding, L’Oréal USA is committed to providing grantees with professional mentorship and business development support with the participation of top executives from its leading beauty brands and its professional beauty products distributor, SalonCentric. The Inclusive Beau-

IN ADDITION TO ONE-TIME FUNDING, L’Oréal USA is committed to providing grantees with professional mentorship and business development support with the participation of top executives from its leading beauty brands and its professional beauty products distributor, SalonCentric. (PHOTO: iStockphoto / NNPA) ty Fund is part of L’Oréal USA’s larger commitment to support the NAACP’s mission, which will include additional initiatives to be announced in the future.

The initiative is backed by L’Oréal USA’s newly formed Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board, who will work alongside the NAACP, L’Oréal USA, and SalonCentric leaders to review and select grant recipients. The Advisory Board, made up of up over 20 internal and external stakeholders, have come together to ideate as a collective on efforts to influence and reimagine social and inclusive strategies that support L’Oréal USA’s Diversity and Inclusion mission to build the standard in making beauty inclusive.

“Black-owned small beauty businesses are the heartbeat of their neighborhoods, and beauty business owners are navigating tremendous challenges stemming from the Covid-19 and recent events. The NAACP is proud

to partner with L’Oréal USA to help support these entrepreneurs and ensure the longevity of the services and community their businesses provide,” said Yumeka Rushing, Chief Strategy Officer, NAACP. How to Apply Applications for the Inclusive Beauty Fund will be administered by the NAACP in partnership with Hello Alice, a platform for small business owners to identify the right path to start and grow their company. Applications for the financial grants opens January 29, and proceeds through February 18, 2021. All submissions must be conducted through Hello Alice: https://hialice. co/LOreal-HelloAlice-Grant. The candidates selected to receive the grants will be announced in April of 2021.

Grants are available to new or existing beauty businesses of all kinds, including but not limited to salons, spas, barber shops, stylists, makeup artists, entrepreneurs, startup founders, haircare specialists, and beauty schools.

Dr. Ben Chavis named among 100 Most Influential Blacks today

by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier

(BlackPressUSA)—National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., was named to the inaugural CORE Multimedia Group’s 100 Most Influential Blacks Today.

The CORE 100 honorees, which include changemakers like Stacey Abrams, Attorney Ben Crump, NBA superstar LeBron James, and Oprah Winfrey, mark and remind the world of the beauty, boldness, and brilliance of Black Excellence at a time when the cultural, economic, and political landscape in the United States has grown increasingly more hostile towards Blackness.

“I am grateful for the recognition from the respected CORE Magazine,” remarked

DR. BEN CHAVIS Dr. Chavis, who in addition to his tireless work for the NNPA, hosts a weekly national talk show on PBS and PBS World called “The Chavis Chronicles.”

“On behalf of the NNPA, representing the Black Press of America, and on behalf of The Chavis Chronicles on PBS TV, I accept

with rededication the global struggle for freedom, justice, and equality,” Chavis concluded.

The CORE 100 was unveiled in a series of communications that led to the full presentation in the CORE 100 Special Issue Magazine on Feb. 1, 2021.

The addition of the CORE 100 Most Influential Blacks Today to the CORE brand supports the vision of former professional baseball player, coach, and executive; and magazine founder, Bo Porter, to address the void of Blackowned, historical and culturally diverse publications.

“CORE Magazine blazes a trail with uplifting articles and a showcasing of unsung heroes often not found in mainstream media outlets,” the magazine noted in a news release.

CORE—Champion of Real Excellence—debuted on Oct.

THE CORE 100 was unveiled in a series of communications that led to the full presentation in the CORE 100 Special Issue Magazine on Feb. 1.

1, 2020.

Each quarterly issue contains distinct and recurring feature stories like “Ball2Business,” former

athletes who successfully transitioned to the business sector; and “ME2me, professionals providing inspiration by sharing their lessons

learned to their “younger selves.”

(Stacy M. Brown is NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent.)

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021

B3

Dance

Guest Editorial

Trump must be held accountable for riot Former President Donald Trump must be held accountable for the violent siege of the U.S. Capitol.

Trump incited the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempt to overturn the presidential election and undermine the nation’s democracy. At least five people died, including one Capitol Police officer. Dozens of people have been charged, and Trump was impeached by the U.S. House for a historic second time. Trump was first impeached in 2019 over relations with Ukraine and was acquitted in 2020 by the Senate.

There appears to be little disagreement on Trump’s role in the siege of the Capitol.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell explicitly blamed Trump for the deadly riot at the Capitol, saying the mob was “fed lies” and the president and others “provoked” those intent on overturning Democrat Joe Biden’s election.

“They were provoked by the president and other powerful people, and they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like,” said McConnell.

Despite a bipartisan rebuke of Trump for his role in the siege, there appears to be reluctance among many Republicans to hold him accountable.

Amid Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, many Republicans have yet to announce whether they support convicting Trump on the impeachment charge.

Some Republicans want to halt the impeachment trial. Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn is among a growing number of Republicans in Congress publicly casting doubt on the legal ability of the Senate to convict a president no longer in office, though legal scholars differ on the issue.

In December 2019, the Washington Post interviewed six scholars on whether a president can be impeached after he leaves office. “Three believed it was a possible but unsettled question that a former president could face a Senate trial; two others said the Senate lacked such powers; and one scholar believed the Senate could try a former president,” according to an article on the website of the National Constitution Center.

The House impeached Trump on Jan. 13 on the sole charge of incitement of insurrection.

Opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial for Trump over the Capitol riot will be the week of Feb 8, the first time a former president will face such charges after leaving office.

While no president has been impeached twice and while out of office, what Trump did was also unprecedented.

In pursuing conviction, House impeachment managers will make the case that Trump’s incendiary rhetoric hours before the bloody attack on the Capitol was not isolated, but rather part of an escalating campaign to overturn the November election results. It culminated in Trump’s rally cry to “fight like hell” as Congress was tallying the Electoral College votes to confirm he’d lost to Biden.

Founded 1910

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

Rob Taylor Jr.

Jeff Marion

Office Manager

Managing Editor

Circulation Consultant

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

TriceEdneyWire.com—The hallmark of ‘mother-wit’ or many of the ‘old-folk sayings’ is simplicity. ‘The Elders’ had the talent of using the simplest statements to express depth and importance in their communication. I can’t recall the number of times I’ve heard, “Don’t let a hard head make a soft behind” or “What happens in the dark always come to light.” Easily blownoff as insignificant, these sayings were usually valuable as cautionary admonitions.

I often weigh situations against the catalog of ‘old-folk sayings’ I have accumulated during my lifetime. I use this practice as I assess the possibilities of the Biden-Harris administration. Contrary to some assumptions, I don’t give carte blanc acceptance to political entities, even those with whom I agree. Instead, I hold them more accountable for competent and responsible conduct.

I have had few reservations with President Biden’s cabinet choices or his numerous executive actions. Not surprisingly, I’m pleased that his initial actions hold true, or attempt to hold true, to campaign promises. My greater concern is the unlikely, but possible, onset of forgetfulness. To that possibility, I echo the admonitions of ‘The Elders’ saying, “Don’t forget to dance with the one who brung you!!”

It is true that in the past, Black people have given our full support to politicians who forget the importance of our votes. There are innumerable candidates who, during campaigns, have fought for pulpit space in Black churches on Sundays, but, after successful elections, pretend unfamiliarity with our interests

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary or issues.

The Biden-Harris Administration has identified “four converging crises —economic crisis, climate change, racial inequity, and COVID-19.” Not only is there convergence in these crises, there’re also significant overlaps. President Biden has promised swift action to combat these challenges. In doing so, he MUST NOT forget his promised support to the Black community.

My readers understand the economic disparities/hardships in communities of color. According to Forbes Magazine, in May 2020 the jobless rate for Blacks was 16.8 percent while for Whites 12.4 percent. The median worth of Black households in 2016 was $17,150 while for White households was $171,000. Other statistics are reported, but the bottom-line for Blacks are barriers which deny the accumulation of wealth. President Biden acknowledges these barriers and has pledged to address them.

He also acknowledges the critical impact of climate change and pledges direct and immediate action. Hurricane Katrina is an example of a dramatic environmental disaster impacting a centralized community of color. These communi-

ties are disproportionately located in proximity to industrial areas where exposure to bio-toxins is the norm or, in the case of Katrina, where they’re located in environmentally unstable areas. I hope the President’s cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline permit is indicative of his recognition of the disproportionate impact of climate change/environmental issues on people of color.

Racial inequity is a problem older than the nation. Naysayers believe it will never be resolved. President Biden has established credibility in communities of color and pledged practices which will have a positive impact on law enforcement/judicial process, economics, and education. Although we’ve seen nothing major, we will observe and hope.

COVID-19 has been a matter of grave concern in communities of color, especially ours, and is made more difficult by histories of unprincipled medical treatment. I have long felt that baseless assumptions are the greatest fault in cross-cultural medical treatment. Rather than exasperation, medical professionals must learn the nuances of cross-cultural competence and communication.

Tackling these ‘converging crises’ individually is a tremendous task. Tackling them simultaneously is nearly impossible, with many potential missteps. We will closely monitor the Biden Administration with hope, but will firmly hold him to promises made. We will enthusiastically work to achieve President Biden’s agenda, but will not accept his benign or unintentional neglect. Let’s Dance!!!

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the

National Congress of Black Women)

National Urban League and NFL working together to inspire change and transform lives (Trice Edney Wire.com)—“Confronting recent systemic racism with tangible and productive steps is absolutely essential. We will not relent in our work. We will redouble our efforts to be catalysts for the urgent and sustainable change that our society and communities so desperately need. I’m so proud of everyone across our league and others who have taken a stand using their voices and platforms to continue to shine the spotlight on things that must change. By listening and working and understanding with our players, we built the foundation for tangible change through our Inspire Change initiative.” –NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell A Philadelphia woman whose careful journey to homeownership was almost derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. A Chicago man emerging from 18 years in prison with almost no hope of finding employment.

These are just two Americans whose lives were transformed as a result of a unique partnership between the National Urban League and the National Football League.

The partnership is part Inspire Change, the NFL’s social justice initiative, which is investing $250 million over the next ten years in projects and organizations like the National Urban League to combat systemic racism and support the battle against injustices faced by African Americans.

The NFL’s support allows for the expansion of counseling services to assist homeowners and renters find and maintain affordable, accessible housing, and our urban reentry efforts that help the thousands

Marc H. Morial

To Be Equal leaving the criminal justice system find employment and successfully re-establish themselves in society.

The National Urban League’s Comprehensive Housing Counseling provides a range of services that makes housing options more accessible and sustainable for African American and other minority renters, homeowners, and the homeless.

Stephanie Edgecombe, a senior citizen and frontline worker, enrolled in the Philadelphia Urban League’s pre-purchase counseling program in June of 2019. Her hope was to become a homeowner within a year.

With the help of her housing counselor, she was able to address several credit issues, increase her savings and properly manage her household budget.

The path seemed cleared until the pandemic hit.

The Philadelphia Urban League was able to connect her with programs offering financial assistance for first-time homebuyers, including the City of Philadelphia’s Philly First Home Grant, as well as a $5,000 NFL-backed grant toward her down payment. She was able to close on her new home at the end of September.

For many Americans, re-entering

the workforce after a period of incarceration can be challenging. This hits communities of color, who are disproportionately represented in the prison system, particularly hard.

The National Urban League, which has served formerly incarcerated adults for more than 50 years, created the Urban Reentry Jobs Program to address this inequity.

For Sedgwick Johnson, life after being incarcerated for 18 years was like entering a new world. Getting back on his feet meant finding work and stability.

The Chicago Urban League was committed to helping him get a fresh start. A Workforce Development team member enrolled Sedgwick in the NFL Social Justice Initiative project that provides soft skills coaching, digital and financial literacy, vocational training, supportive services, and job search assistance.

Now certified in forklift safety and operation certification, he was able to secure a stable, full-time job with Amazon.

Since the launch of this partnership last fall, the NFL has funded five Urban League affiliates to help families impacted by COVID-19 get back on their feet. The partnership has already created 10 new homeowners with the help of down payment assistance, and we look forward to changing many more lives.

The NFL and the NUL are committed to empowering communities struggling to overcome the economic challenge of the COVID-19 crisis, and the history of systemic disenfranchisement to individuals who need and deserve opportunities to move toward equality.

Malcolm and Martin stressed need for unity (TriceEdneyWire.com)—As we enter Black History Month 2021 it’s time for those who consider themselves Malcolmites and those who consider themselves Martinites have too often talked the talk but not walked the walk when honoring the legacies of the two great warriors in the war against White supremacy.

Fifty-six years after the assassination of Brother Malcolm and 53 years after the assassination of Brother Martin, we have done little, if anything, to follow their guidance about the crucial need for Black unity. In a 1963 letter to 8 civil rights leaders, including Brother Martin, Brother Malcolm wrote the following: “A united front involving all Negro factions, elements and their leaders is absolutely necessary...If capitalistic Kennedy and communistic Khrushchev can find something in common on which to form a united front despite their tremendous ideological differences, it is a disgrace for Negro leaders not to be able to submerge our ‘minor’ dif-

A. Peter Bailey

Commentary ferences in order to seek a common solution to a common problem posed by a Common Enemy (emphasis his). On Saturday, August 10th from 1-7 p.m., the Muslims are sponsoring another giant outdoor rally at 116th Street and Lenox Avenue.

There will be no debating, arguing criticizing or condemning...This rally is designed not only to reflect the spirit of unity but it also gives you a chance to present your views to the largest and most explosive elements in metropolitan New York.”

Brother Martin was equally forceful about the need for Black Unity.

This is clear in the following excerpt

from his 1967 book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?“....Too many Negro organizations are warring against each other with a claim to absolute truth....This plea for unity is not a call for uniformity. There must always be healthy debate. There will be inevitable differences of opinion....This form of group unity can do definitely more to liberate the Negro than any action of individuals (italics his). We have been oppressed as a group and we must overcome that oppression as a group.”

The strong appeal for Black Unity

by Bro. Malcolm and Bro. Martin were ignored (except by the FBI) at the time. They are still basically being ignored, by most of us, as of Feb. 2021. If we continue to do so, especially those who consider ourselves Macolmites or Martinites, we will continue to be unworthy of the supreme sacrifice made by the two great warriors and other 20th century ancestors who fought in the war against White supremacy.

B4 FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021

FORUM

Back to normal? Trump’s last-minute executions, portraits of injustice, and what the jurors saw What’s normal?

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—I got my first COVID vaccination last week.

No big deal, an achy arm, but otherwise, just like a flu shot. The young lady who administered the shot smiled and said, “after you get your second shot, you can get back to normal.” I wanted to ask her what was normal, but the man in line behind me seemed impatient, so I smiled and made my way out of the store.

I thought about it all the way home, though. What’s normal? I don’t think crowding thirty or forty young people into a classroom is normal. I don’t believe that food lines snaking for blocks is normal. I don’t think that high Black unemployment rates are normal.

I don’t think the wealth gap is normal.

I don’t think that more than 400,000 people dead is normal.

The inability to formally mourn our departed loved ones isn’t normal. Crazy White people storming the Capitol surely isn’t normal.

And conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Green is so far away from normal that she is on the insanity spectrum.

In the ten months since the pandemic hit, we have seen changes in our communications, our employment, our economy, and more.

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary Many of us, reasonably, yearn for the “normal” days when we could sit at a restaurant and have a meal, go to a play or a concert, invite a bunch of folks over to gather.

But we should ask ourselves what was normal about our normal. In other words, were we so comfortable in our world that we didn’t look outside our world? We can’t miss the food lines now, but there were food lines, too, a year ago. We are focused on disparities now, but those disparities aren’t new. Does back to normal mean accepting the inequities and absurdities of life as it was?

Somebody tweeted that “Rona was a disruption, and she is an opportunity.” I embrace that sentiment (though I had to do a double-take at “Rona” and pray that nobody chooses to name their child after this virus). This virus is an opportunity for us to scrutinize what we consider normal and how we need to change it.

Let’s start with education and the achievement gap. Students who come from low-income families don’t have the same academic support that others do. They often don’t have the technology to do virtual learning or the support to work through their assignments.

Too often, their parents are essential workers—nurses, bus drivers, grocery store workers. Do we ever take a look at the people who serve us and notice that they are disproportionately Black and Brown?

When we see them do we wonder about their facts of life, about their challenges, or do we know the status quo as “normal”?

Is it normal for teacher’s unions and mayors to be so far apart? If we want students back in their classrooms, why can’t we vaccinate every teacher and school worker?

But the conflict between teachers and elected officials, especially in Chicago, calls for a national conversation with educators, students, and parents. We’ve heard from everyone but students in this conversation. What are they thinking and feeling? Is any of this normal?

We never saw mask-wearing as standard, and even now, with more than 400,000 dead, some fools refuse to wear them. But here’s the real deal—vaccine or not, I’ll likely be wearing double masks until the end of the year, and so should you.

People who have had the vaccine have still tested positive. They still need to wear masks and wash their hands frequently. But too many have made mask wearing a political statement. Our nonmask-wearing former president contracted COVID and got priority treatment and had access to the drug Regeneron, which is not available to the general public. And he still won’t wear a mask, emboldening his sycophants.

I really don’t know what is normal anymore, but I am sure that if 2019 was normal, we must embrace the abnormal. Or, we need to define the new normal as safe, fair, and equitable. As my anonymous tweeter said, “Rona” is an opportunity for us to check ourselves and maybe get it right.

(Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author. She can be reached at juliannemalveaux.com)

After President portrayed the injusJ. Pharoah Doss Donald Trump lost tice in a headline. It re-election, he broke said: Lisa Montgomthe 130-year-old ery suffered years of norm of pausing abuse and trauma. federal executions The United States during the presikilled her anyway. dential transition 4). On January 14, period and carried 2021, Cory Johnout five executions. son was executed.

These executions Johnson’s legal team were controversial because Presipainted a portrait of injustice by argudent-elect Joe Biden stated he would ing that Johnson suffered from intelend the death penalty during his lectual disability, related to physical administration. If the time-honored and emotional abuse he experienced tradition was maintained it’s possias a child. ble these five lives would have been 5). On January 15, 2021, Dustin spared. Opponents of capital punishJohn Higgs was executed. Higgs actument claimed Trump went on a killally didn’t kill anyone. He merely ining spree, but, as spiteful as Trump’s structed his partner to do his bidding. actions appeared, ignoring a time-hon- Here the portrait of injustice shows ored tradition isn’t unprecedented or that a death sentence was too extreme against the law. for a person who didn’t commit a capiThe executions consisted of four tal crime.

Black men and one White woman.

Former Attorney General William In death penalty cases, portraits of Barr said, “The justice department injustice are painted to generate rage upholds the rule of law—and we owe against the criminal justice system. it to the victims and their families to These portraits of injustice back up carry forward the sentence imposed by activist assertions that capital punour justice system.” Barr continued, ishment is unconstitutional, arbitrary, “The way to stop the death penalty is capricious, not a deterrent, and dispro- to repeal the death penalty, but if you portionately used against minorities. ask juries to impose it, then it should This has been an effective method be carried out.” of public persuasion. According to However, decades after death-rowthe latest Gallop poll, 60 percent of inmates are sentenced to death, Americans support life in prison over portraits of injustice generate symthe death penalty, which is the highest pathy for the inmates because time amount to oppose capital punishment permitted them to become older, wiser, since the survey began 30 years ago. and remorseful. Unfortunately, their However, a majority preference for victims are forgotten. That’s why life in prison over death doesn’t give it’s important to remember what the credence to the portraits of injustice jurors saw in each case. painted in the following executions.

Brandon Bernard and four others 1). On December 10, 2020, Brandon robbed and killed a couple—who were Bernard was executed. CNN stated youth ministers—then placed their Bernard was the youngest person in bodies in the truck of their car and the United States to receive a death torched the vehicle. Alfred Bourgeois sentence in 70 years for a crime comtortured, sexually molested, and beat mitted when he was an adolescent. to death his 2-year-old daughter. Lisa Bernard was 18 years old – legally Montgomery strangled a pregnant an adult – but CNN chose to use the woman to death, cut the unborn child term adolescent to paint the portrait from the deceased, and fled the scene. of injustice.

Cory Johnson murdered seven people 2). On December 11, 2020, Alfred behind the drug trade. Dustin John Bourgeois was executed. CNN statHiggs kidnapped three young women ed his last words were, “I ask God and instructed his partner to shoot to forgive all those who plotted and them, after one of the young women schemed against me, and planted false rejected sexual advances from Higgs. evidence. I did not commit this crime.”

Now, here’s the question.

Obviously, this paints the portrait of Should portraits of injustice superinnocence. sede what the jurors saw?

3). On January 13, 2021, Lisa Montgomery was executed. One magazine

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‘There’s a lot left to be done’ (TriceEdneyWire.

Ben Jealous com)—February is Black History Month—and Black people just made a whole lot of history.

Joe Biden is our president and Donald Trump is not because Black organizers and voters decided that they would not be denied their right as American citizens to be heard at the ballot box.

Kamala Harris is our history-making vice president, a Black and Southeast Asian woman and the daughter of immigrants, thanks to the millions of Black people who encouraged family, friends, and neighbors to vote.

Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are senators because Black people and their allies in Georgia turned out in November, and again in January, to signal a new day in the heart of the Old South.

All this makes me grateful that Black History Month comes in February. It encourages us to think about those who made these historic moments possible.

I’m thinking about the freedom fighters and voting rights activists— and the courageous ordinary people whose names don’t show up in history books, but who showed up to fight against injustice. They often faced violence and brutality that was fueled by the racist power structure’s desire to maintain power at all costs.

Does that sound familiar? Just a few weeks ago, we saw our democracy challenged by that same kind of poison. We watched a president incite his supporters to violence by denying the legitimacy of Black people’s votes.

The rage among Trump’s followers was stoked by endless repetitions of the lie that so-called real Americans had reelected him in a landslide, and that the election was stolen from them by corrupt big-city machines— read Black officials and voters—and their communist allies.

Black History Month is a good time to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. and the movement he led were also smeared as communists out to destroy America.

And you don’t have to be a historian to have noticed the Confederate flags and the lynching noose brought to the Capitol on January 6 by the mob that

claimed they were taking back the election and the country.

In 2013, conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, which has long been considered the crown jewel of the civil rights movement.

Immediately, state legislators, especially in the old Confederate states, took advantage of the federal government’s forced retreat from justice. They passed all kinds of new restrictions on voting. People in the civil rights and voting rights movements did not give up in despair after that devastating setback. They knew that every bit of progress is met with resistance. And the greater the progress, the greater the backlash.

Right-wing politicians are already responding to Black voters’ turnout and the victories they made possible by preparing new plans to restrict voting. Some Pennsylvania Republicans who were supporters of voting by mail just a couple years ago are now trying to end it. We must defeat these efforts.

As we welcome the Biden-Harris administration and encourage them to govern boldly to advance equality, justice, and opportunity, I think back to 2009, when Barack Obama made history as our first Black president. That year, I participated in a Story Corps conversation with my mother and grandmother about their own histories of civil rights activism.

My grandmother—who is still with us today at age 104—sent me off with a message that is just as true today: “There’s a lot left to be done.”

There are many ways to think about the stubborn resistance to the full inclusion of Black people in this country. Right now, I want to focus on this: The civil rights movement’s victories were especially amazing given the intensity of the opposition. Our recent election wins are even more impressive when you consider that they were won in the face of powerful political forces working to make it harder for people to vote.

Our optimism and hope are grounded in our history of overcoming.

Commentary

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

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Jesse Jackson Sr.

Commentary

Our system is rigged so the minority can rule (TriceEdneyWire.com)—The majority does not rule in the United States. The foundation of any democracy—one person, one vote—is mocked by institutionalized impediments that allow the minority to win even when they lose at the ballot box. In this era, even when Democrats win, they lose.

And the will of the majority of the people is frustrated by a system rigged to empower the minority.

Consider: Democratic candidates have won the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections but have become president only five times. Trump became president four years ago despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes. Presidents who lost the majority of the votes have nominated five of the nine Supreme Court justices. The reason, of course, is the Electoral College, which tallies votes by state, not by voter.

This institution is a legacy of slavery, designed by the founders to ensure that the less populated slave states would be able to balance the free states that had nearly three times the population. In frustrating the popular vote, the Electoral College puts the democracy at risk. Because of the Electoral College, Trump’s margin of defeat wasn’t 7 million across the nation, but about 65,000 votes in three states and the 2nd District of Nebraska.

That helped empower him to mislead millions by claiming the election was stolen, despite Biden’s landslide popular vote victory. In the Senate, Democrats and Republicans each have 50 senators (with Vice President Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote). The 50 Democrats represent 41 million more voters than the 50 Republicans.

Smaller, more rural states with few people, like Wyoming or Idaho, have as many senators as large populous states like California and New York.

To add insult to injury, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, which have more voters than several states, are denied statehood with no final vote on any legislation.

That means, among other things, that three Supreme Court justices—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett —were all nominated by a president who lost the popular vote and confirmed by a bloc of senators who represent less than half the country.

In the House, Democrats have a small majority. But to win a majority, it is estimated that they must win 6 percent to 7 percent more votes than Republicans across the country, because Republican gerrymandering—drawing districts to pack Democratic voters in a few districts (usually disproportionately people of color) while giving Republicans an edge in many—has rigged the system against the party that represents the majority.

And worse, Supreme Court judges nominated by minority presidents have ruled that the federal courts will do nothing to protect against grotesquely distorted gerrymandering. The same distortions exist in state legislatures, where gerrymandered districts help the party with the minority of votes gain the majority. That majority then has the power to redraw the districts to rig the system even more. More than 59 million Americans live under minority rule in a state where the party with fewer votes controls a majority of the legislative seats.

In Wisconsin, 44.7 percent of voters cast ballots for Republican Assembly candidates, but the GOP won 64.6 percent of the seats.

With gerrymandering, voters aren’t choosing their representatives; representatives are choosing their voters.

The right-wing Supreme Court majority has ruled that money is speech and that corporations are citizens, so their ability to throw money into elections cannot be limited. The result, not surprisingly, is that American elections get more costly and big money and entrenched interests grow more powerful. The fix is in—and the results are ruinous.

Today, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is refusing to agree to rules to govern the Senate unless Democrats agree to sustain the filibuster. The filibuster—the requirement that virtually any legislation receive not a majority of the vote but a supermajority of 60 votes—is the instrument McConnell used to obstruct virtually everything President Obama sought to do, with the stated purpose of making him a one-term president.

The result is a Senate that is frozen in the midst of cumulating crises. Even Joe Biden’s pandemic emergency rescue package is stalled. America becomes more and more dysfunctional as it becomes less and less democratic. The Democratic majority in the House has passed legislation—HR 1 in the last session of Congress—that would remedy some of these inequities.

The 51-vote majority in the new Senate wants this to be its first act. But, of course, if the filibuster is sustained the minority will block even these common-sense reforms. The sacking of the Capitol sent a message around the world that America’s democracy is literally under siege. The reality is worse: our system is rigged so that the minority can rule. The disconnect—the frustration of the will of the majority—is a clear and present danger.

New Pittsburgh Courier

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OPENINGS AT LITERACY PITTSBURGH Literacy Pittsburgh has three fulltime openings: Operations Assistant, Program Coordinator and Adult Basic Education/High School Equivalency Instructor. Deadline to apply is March 3. For details and how to apply, visit http://www.literacypittsburgh.org/join-our-team.

We invite candidates to include in their cover letter a statement about how their unique background and experiences can contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff, students, volunteers, and supporters.

BRENTWOOD BOROUGH PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT GENERAL LABORER AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Brentwood Borough is seeking an enthusiastic team player with an excellent attitude to work with a top crew, performing skilled labor in the maintenance and repair of public works facilities. Duties include maintenance of storm water sewer systems, sanitary sewer systems, streets, traffic systems, sidewalks, signs, parks, graffiti removal, tree trimming and planting, abatement of nuisances in the public right-of-way, as well as performing related duties as required. Applicant must possess a current PA Driver’s license at the time of employment. Applicant must possess a current Commercial Driver’s License or obtain one within six (6) months of being hired. The successful candidate must be able to respond to emergency call outs in the evenings and on weekends when necessary. Qualifications require graduation from high school or GED equivalent and approximately three (3) years of experience in a variety of semi-skilled and skilled maintenance work. The applicant is required to know how to operate, maintain and repair equipment and vehicles as well as have experience in carpentry and related building trades. Employer will secure drug testing for all new job applicants per the collective bargaining agreement. New employee will be on a six (6) month probationary period from the date of hire as a fulltime employee.

A written test will be scheduled on the date of a candidate’s oral interview. Applicants must be free from conditions that would preclude satisfactory performance of the essential functions of the job applied for.

APPLICATION PROCESS: This is an open recruitment. Only those candidates who appear best qualified, based on the requirements listed, and review of all submitted appli- cations, resumes and supplemental materials for background, experience and training, will be invited to any combination of written, performance or oral appraisals to further evaluate their job-related experience, knowledge, skills and abilities. It is the candidate’s responsibility to accurately provide all pertinent information on the application.

The Borough of Brentwood will NOT accept any additions, corrections or revisions to candidate’s applications after the eligibility determination has been made. Candidates will be notified of all times and dates of examinations. Employment applications and a com- plete job description are available at the Brentwood Municipal Building, or can be downloaded from the borough website, www.brentwoodboro.com.

Applications may not be hand written. Applications and resumes are to be mailed to: Borough of Brentwood, ATTN: Susan Toth, Finance/ HR Director, 3735 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15227. No phone calls will be accepted. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 5, 2021 at 3:00 PM. BOROUGH OF BRENTWOOD EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER PUBLIC WORKS SUMMER HELP Applications are being accepted by the Borough of Brentwood for seasonal Public Works employees for the 2021 summer season. Applicants must be 18 years of age. The job will involve mowing grass, trimming shrubs, shoveling asphalt, installing signs, painting, and general labor work. The applicant is required to wear steel-toed shoes. Hours are Monday through Friday 7:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. Preference will be given to borough residents. Pay starting at $14.00 per hour. Applications will be accepted until March 5, 2021. This will be a seasonal position from April 5th. through September 24th.

Applications are available online at www.brentwoodboro.com. Please email application to Susan Toth, Finance/HR Director at stoth@brentwoodboro.com.

Handwritten applications will not be accepted.

Susan Toth Finance /HR Director SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking an Intermediate School Substitute Art Teacher: Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org Deadline 4:00 PM February 15, 2021 EOE

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SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking a District Technology Assistant 10 month position: Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org Deadline 4:00 PM February 15, 2021 EOE INTERNAL MEDICINE PHYSICIAN UPMC Community Medicine, Inc. located at U. S. Steel Tower, 57th Floor, 600 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, seeks an Internal Medicine Physician to provide routine medical care, treat generally healthy patients that come in as needed for health maintenance, management of acute illnesses, injuries, and long-term chronic health conditions.

Act as first point of contact for many patients and as a result must be able to diagnose a wide range of illnesses and injuries, responsible for preventative care for patients, including regular age-appropriate testing and exams as indicated at 5140 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Applicant must have a medical degree or equivalent. Applicant must have completed a Residency in Internal Medicine. Applicant must have a valid Pennsylvania medical license and DEA. Apply by following these steps; visit http://careers.upmc.com and enter 2100005B in the “Search Keyword/Job ID” field and click Go. EOE/Disability/Veteran.

POLICE OFFICER POSITION MT. LEBANON POLICE will be conducting a physical agility and written exam for a POLICE OFFICER on Saturday, March 20, 2021. Starting at $69,996 annually. Must be a U.S. citizen; 21 years’ of age at hire; bachelor’s degree from accredited college/university at hire; pass physical, written, oral exams plus a comprehensive background investigation.

Application and $25 fee required no later than 4:00 pm, February 19, 2021. Go to: http://mtlebanon.org/86/Employment.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE POSITION OF POLICE OFFICER ALTOONA POLICE DEPARTMENT Applications for the position of Police Officer with the City of Altoona may be obtained from the Human Resources Department at City Hall, 1301 12th Street, Suite 301, Altoona, PA, weekdays between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. For additional information, view Employment Opportunities at www.altoonapa.gov.

The City of Altoona is an Equal Opportunity Employer LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of WILLIAM A. DUFFNER , Deceased of Pittsburgh, PA, Estate No. 05883 of 2020.

John N. Bauer, Executor, 20 Sheila Court, Pittsburgh, PA 15227, or to Thelma C. Spells, Esquire Atty., 1533 Bidwell Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15233

ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

ALLEGHENY REGIONAL ASSET DISTRICT QUARTERLY VIRTUAL MEETING Notice is hereby given that the Board of the Allegheny Regional Asset District will hold a public meeting on February 16, 2021 at 3:00 PM. The meeting will be held virtually and telephonically through the Zoom platform due to COVID 19 and social distancing requirements authorized by Act 15 of 2020. Go to www.RADworkshere.org for more information on how to join the meeting including instructions on the public comment portion of the agenda.

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Allegheny County Department of Human Services recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP 8477) Congregate and Home Delivered Meal Nutrition Services. Proposals are due by 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

For more details and submission information, visit: https://alleghenycounty.bonfirehub.com Marc Cherna Director

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Bids/Proposals

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ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1735 ALCOSAN PARKING GARAGE Sealed Bids for CONTRACT NO. 1735 – ALCOSAN Parking Garage shall be received at the Engineering Department office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15233, until 11:00 A.M., Prevailing Time, Wednesday March 17, 2021 and then shall be publicly opened and read. A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held via a video conference call on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 11:00 A.M., Prevailing Time.

ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities and women to submit bids on Authority Contracts or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to successful Bidders. Successful Bidders are to use minority and women’s businesses to the fullest extent possible.

Contract Documents may be examined and obtained at the Engineering office of the Authority. A non-refundable fee of One hundred dollars ($100) (no cash or credit cards will be accepted) will be charged for each set of Contract Documents received. Bid Security shall be furnished by providing with the Bid a Certified Check or Bid Bond in the amount of 10% of the Bid Price. Contract documents must be purchased directly from ALCOSAN to qualify as an eligible bidder.

Any questions regarding the Technical Aspects of the Project should be directed to Cody Edgell, ALCOSAN, via email to cody.edgell@alcosan.org.

Any questions regarding the Purchase of Contract Documents should be directed to Kathleen P. Uniatowski, ALCOSAN, via email to contract.clerks@alcosan.org .

The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informality in any bid and to accept any bid should it be deemed in the interest of the Authority to do so.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY Kimberly Kennedy, P.E. Director of Engineering and Construction ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1734 EMERGENCY SEWER CONTRACT 2020 - 2021 Sealed Bids for CONTRACT NO. 1734 -EMERGENCY SEWER CONTRACT 2020 -2021 shall be received at the Engineering Department office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15233, until 2:00 P.M., Prevailing Time, Tuesday, March 9, 2021 and then shall be publicly opened and read. A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held via a video conference call on Wednesday, February 16, 2021 at 10:00 A.M., Prevailing Time.

ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities and women to submit bids on Authority Contracts or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to successful Bidders. Successful Bidders are to use minority and women’s businesses to the fullest extent possible.

Contract Documents may be examined and obtained at the Engineering office of the Authority. A non-refundable fee of One hundred dollars ($100) (no cash or credit cards will be accepted) will be charged for each set of Contract Documents received. Bid Security shall be furnished by providing with the Bid a Certified Check or Bid Bond in the amount of 10% of the Bid Price. Contract documents must be purchased directly from ALCOSAN to qualify as an eligible bidder.

Any questions regarding the Technical aspects of the Project should be directed to Joseph Sparbanie P.E., ALCOSAN, via email to joseph.sparbanie@alcosan.org .

Any questions regarding the Purchase of Contract Documents should be directed to Kathleen P. Uniatowski, ALCOSAN, via email to contract.clerks@alcosan.org .

The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informality in any bid and to accept any bid should it be deemed in the interest of the Authority to do so.

Jan Oliver Director of Engineering of Regional Conveyance

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY ADVERTISEMENT Separate sealed Bids for the Work as listed hereinafter will be received at the Purchasing and Materials Management Department of Port Authority of Allegheny County (Authority) Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222-2527 until 1:30 p.m. on March 5, 2021 (Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566- 5117 prior to arriving at this location – all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals) and will be opened and read at 2:00 pm via teleconference at (toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 and conference ID #4485786). Each Bidder shall be solely responsible for assuring that its Bid is both received and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department at or before the advertised time for submission of Bids. Bidders submitting bids via FedEx, UPS, USPS or other carrier must immediately provide tracking information to the assigned contract specialist via e-mail. Upon delivery, bidder will notify the assigned contract specialist with an e-mailed receipt. Bids received or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the advertised time for the submission of Bids shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for Award.

Carrier Transmission Systems Replacement Project CONTRACT NO. SYS-21-01 The Work of this Project includes, but is not limited to, the furnishing of all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision and incidental items necessary to replace the Carrier Transmission System (CTS) backbone in order to improve the reliability of communications throughout the system. The current CTS is approaching the end of its useful life.

Bid Documents will be available for public inspection and may be obtained on or after February 3, 2021 at Authority’s offices at the following address: (If you are picking up bid documents, please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location - all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals): Port Authority of Allegheny County Purchasing and Materials Management Department Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527 Bid Documents are available for purchase as follows: Bid Documents are available in an electronic form on compact disk upon payment of $15.00 per CD. Payment shall be by check or money order (NO CASH), payable to “Port Authority of Allegheny County.” No refunds of payment will be made. Upon request, Bid Documents can be mailed upon receipt of payment in full. Should the purchaser wish to have the Bid Documents delivered via special delivery, such as UPS or Federal Express, the purchaser shall provide its appropriate account numbers for such special delivery methods.

This Project may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and/or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Authority, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, as may be amended, require that certified Diverse Businesses (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts for this Project.

In this regard, all Bidders shall make good faith efforts in accordance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, to ensure that DBs have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts. Bidders shall also not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of contracts for this Project. If aid is required to involve DBs in the Work, Bidders are to contact Authority’s Director of Employee Relations and OEO at (412) 566-5262. The Bidder’s attention is directed to the following contacts for Bidder’s questions: Procedural Questions Regarding Bidding: Cindy Denner – Authority cdenner@portauthority.org (412) 566-5117 All other questions relating to the Bid Documents must be submitted by mail or email to: Port Authority of Allegheny County Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 Attn: Cindy Denner email: CDenner@Portauthority.org In addition, the Bidder’s attention is directed to the following schedule of activities for preparation of its Bid: 09:00 AM February 16, 2021

Pre-Bid Conference will be conducted via telephone conference at: Toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 Conference ID #4485786 (Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended)

08:00 AM to 02:00 PM February 17, 2021

Pre-Bid Site Tour Contractors to meet at: PAAC South Hills Village (OCC Room 108) 1000 Village Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15241 All participants must provide and wear safety vests and appropriate footwear.

All participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals.

Tours will be conducted in limited group sizes and in the order of which bidders sign in at the site. Transportation is not provided.

(Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended)

1:30 p.m.

March 5, 2021

Bids Due Purchasing and Materials Management Department Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at the Heinz 57 location all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals.

Bids submitted via Fed Ex, UPS, USPS or other carrier are subject to the notification requirements indicated above Bid Opening will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. via teleconference at: Toll free phone number 1-855-453-6957 Conference ID #4485786

Authority reserves the right to reject any or all Bids

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Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

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PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY Electronic roposals will be received online at the ort Authority of Allegheny County’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org). roposals bid submittals will be due 11:00 a.m. on February 16, 2021 and will be read at 11:15 a.m., the same day, at ort Authority’s ein location (Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information for the Bid Opening), for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)

1

Bid Number B210101A

Bid Name Remanufactured/Exchange Fuel Injectors - Cummins

Paper Proposal - Documents are available for the following item at ort uthor ty s a n fices 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 15222-2527

Bid Number Bid Name B2012104A Vehicle Liquid Cleaner 1 REV2012103A Waste Oil Removal Service 2 B210102A Copier Management Sevices 3 o bidder may withdraw a submitted roposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.

A re-Bid Conference will be held via tele-conference on each of the above items at 10:00 a.m. on February 2, 2021. lease contact the respective Contract pecialist for ele-Conference dial-in information. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the Port Authority within five (5) business days of the scheduled bid opening. hese contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between ort Authority of Allegheny County and the nited tates Department of ransportation. he 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 el ere unless other se spec fie . osts or el ery bon an insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing. ort Authority of Allegheny County 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. he Board of ort Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

ADVERTISEMENT THE TOWN OF MCCANDLESS ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA ealed Bids will be received by THE TOWN OF McCANDLESS, Department of ublic orks, Grubbs oad, exford, A , for the following: Primary Items aving of various streets to include the following approximate quantities: A. , . . of illing B. . . of uperpave . mm Binder Course, G C. , . . of uperpave . mm Binder Course, G D. . . of uperpave . mm Binder Course, G E. , . . of uperpave . mm ine-Graded earing urface, G . , . . of Asphalt edge Curb G. raffic Control Optional Items – A. ons cratch eveling Course uperpave, G B. C. . of Class Excavation C. . . of Geotextile abric D. ons of Crushed imestone E. . . of cCandless ype C Base Course . . . of ype Driveway estoration G. . . of ype Driveway estoration . , . . ot hermoplastic ine triping . , . . emporary ine triping . ot hermoplastic avement arkings .

EA. Driveway Apron illing Additional Work – A) epair of driveway at ighland oad. evel and compact millings as needed.

Binder, earing. Approximately s.y. raffic Control.

B) ontgomery oad. ill approximately s.y. at . Excavate trench line and nstall binder. lace earing over milled area. raffic Control.

All Bids must be in the hands of ark E. abina, uperintendent of ublic orks, not later than 10:00 A.M., prevailing time, Wednesday, February 10, 2021 , and will be publicly opened and read at that time in he own of cCandless ublic orks Building located at Grubbs oad, exford, A . pec ficat ons may be obta ne at the o n o c an less epartment o ubl c or s fice rubbs oa e or .

Bids shall be delivered in a sealed envelope and clearly marked on the outside with the words “Town of McCandless 2021 Paving Program.”

Bids to receive consideration must be accompanied by a Certified Check or Bidder’s Bond from a urety Company authori ed to do business in ennsylvania, made to the order of THE TOWN OF McCANDLESS, ALLEGHENY COUNTY, ennsylvania in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the Bid as a guarantee that, if the Bid is accepted, the successful Bidder will enter into an Agreement within 15 days after otice of the Award of the Contract. ll b ers must be enn pre ual fie an meet the or class ficat on co es o an . ll b s subm tte must ha e the ontractor s al pre ual ficat on cert ficat on attache to the outs e o the bid or it will be rejected. on ollus on fi a t must accompany each b . he Bids must be made to he own of cCandless, and shall remain firm for a period of sixty (60) days. o Bidder may withdraw his Bid during the sixty (60) day period without forfeiting his Bid guarantee except as permitted by law. revailing ages are required to be paid on this project. erformance and abor and aterial ayment Bonds, along with ublic iability and roperty Damage Certificates of nsurance in the amounts specified and with the own of cCandless identified as an additional insured, as well as Certificates of orker’s Compensation must be filed with the executed Agreement. he own 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.

BY: Mark E Sabina Superintendent of Public Works

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA JANUARY 28, 2021 he Office of the County Controller of Allegheny County, oom , Court ouse, ittsburgh, A., will receive separate and sealed Bids until 1:00 A.M. prevailing local time, Wednesday, February 24, 2021, and a representative of the Department of ublic orks will open and read the roposals in the Gold oom, oom , Court ouse, ittsburgh, A., one-half hour later, 11:30 A.M., for the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS 2021 CAPITAL BRIDGE REPAIR CONTRACT VARIOUS BRIDGES WITHIN VARIOUS MUNICIPALITIES COUNTY PROJECT NO. AA00-2021 As a prospective bidder please note the following general roject information regarding re-Bid nformation, Bidding equirements, and Contract Conditions. ee the roject anual and Drawings for detailed information, responsibilities and instructions.

PRE-BID INFORMATION: iew the roposal, pecifications and Drawings at the Office of the Contract anager, oom , County Office Building, ittsburgh, A. he non-refundable charge for the roposal and a disc containing the pecifications and Drawings is $107.00 including sales tax. he Contract anager will accept only check or money order to the “COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY” in that amount and WILL NOT ACCEPT CASH OR EXTEND CREDIT. rospective bidders may request to have their bid documents mailed. An additional fee of $16.05 for handling costs for each requested proposal must be paid in advance. he fee must be received at the office of the Contract anager prior to mailing of any documents. nterested bidders planning to purchase bid documents or attend the public bid opening are advised to follow elf- onitoring and ocial Distancing guidelines when entering the Allegheny County Courthouse or County Office Building. nterested bidders should also be aware that when entering either the Allegheny County Courthouse or County Office Building, a face mask meeting the guidelines set by the ennsylvania Department of ealth, must be worn at all times.

BIDDING REQUIREMENTS: he County requires prequalification of bidders, including subcontractors, as specified in Section 102.01 of Commonwealth of ennsylvania Department of ransportation pecifications, ublication No. 408, 2020 Edition, Change No. 1, Effective October 2, 2020 on this project. ubmit bid on the supplied Bid orms in accordance with the nstructions to Bidders and General and upplementary Conditions include the following documents with the Bid orm, ALONG WITH ONE COMPLETE PHOTOCOPIED SET OF PROPOSAL: Bid ecurity - certified check or surety company bond on County’s form to the order of or running to the County of Allegheny in the amount of five (5%) percent of the Bid as evidence that you, the Bidder, will accept and carry out the conditions of the Contract in case of award. he County will accept only bonds written by urety Companies acceptable on ederal Bonds per the current Federal Register Circular 570. Federal Register Circular 570 is available for inspection in the Contract Office, oom , County Office Building, ittsburgh, A .

Bidder Certification of re-Qualification, Classification and ork Capacity. ist of ubcontractors tatement of oint enture articipation •MBE and WBE Goals Attainment Certification - (ONLY NECESSARY IF YOU CAN NOT MEET THE SPECIFIED MBE AND WBE GOALS) ork heet equired Amount erformed By Contractor (Non Federal Project) •MBE/WBE ubcontractor and upplier olicitation heet •MBE/WBE ubcontractor and upplier Commitment heet THE COUNTY WILL REJECT BIDS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THE EXECUTED DOCUMENTS SPECIFIED ABOVE WITH THE BID FORM. ou may not withdraw your bid for a period of ixty days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. he County anager reserves the right to reject any and all bids or waive any informalities in the bidding.

CONTRACT CONDITIONS: n accordance with the provisions of the “Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act” of August 15, 1961, P.L. 987, as Department of abor and ndustry, the prevailing minimum wage predetermination requirements as set forth in the Attachments apply to this roject. or technical questions, contact risten ash, roject anager, at . or contract related questions, contact the Contract Department, at . roject completion is to occur by December 31, 2022. he County of Allegheny County hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, minority business enterprises women business enterprises [MBE/ WBE] will be afforded the full opportunity to submit bids on the grounds of race, sex, color or national origin in consideration for an award. t is a condition of the bidding process contract that all responsive bidders contractors shall follow the minority business enterprises women’s business enterprises [MBE/WBE] procedures set forth in the project manual contract documents.

Chelsa Wagner Controller County of Allegheny

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR FAÇADE IMPROVEMENTS AUTHORITY WIDE RFP #600-04-21 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified irms or ndividuals capable of providing the following service s : Façade Improvements Authority Wide he documents will be available no later than January 25, 2021 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 9:00 A.M. on March 2, 2021. he ousing Authority of the City of ittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on March 2, 2021 in the lobby of oss t. ittsburgh, A . roposals may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. ealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be ime and Date tamped at oss treet nd loor, uite , ittsburgh, A . arties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the olicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org.

Questions or inquires should be directed to: r. im Detrick ousing Authority of the City of ittsburgh rocurement Department 100 Ross Street nd loor, uite ittsburgh, A A pre-submission meeting will be held via oom meeting on February 11, 2021 at 09:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 933 0397 2521 Passcode: 638382 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

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

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

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

SUPER BOWL LV - TAMPA BAY VS. KANSAS CITY SUNDAY, FEB. 7, 6:30 P.M., CBS

Will Alexis Cobb hit perfection in her NFL playoff predictions?

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER FREELANCE SPORTS COLUMNIST ALEXIS COBB correctly predicted in the Jan. 20 print edition that the Kansas City Chiefs would defeat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game (which they did), and that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would beat the Green Bay Packers on the NFC side (which they did, too!)...

It took Cobb to an impressive 12-0 in her NFL playoff picks. Super Bowl LV is this Sunday, Feb. 7. Will Cobb make it undefeated through-

out the playoffs? She told the Courier that her prediction is, Tampa Bay, 42, Kansas City, 34.

Cobb said her friends are rooting for her streak to end.

“I have been calling friends and foes alike,” Cobb said, “asking them how it feels to be so close to perfection.

Needless to say, everyone is sick of me.”

Cobb is picking Tampa Bay because they are a more “well-rounded team than Kansas City,” and that Bucs quarterback Tom Brady “wants this as much

as any fat kid in a chocolate store.”

On the other side, though, Patrick Mahomes “wants to be a giant slayer and he is going to do everything to acquire his back-to-back championships,” Cobb said.

“This is a game that will be one for the ages. It will be the first Super Bowl where Tom Brady hoists a Lombardi trophy without (New England head coach) Bill Belichick,” Cobb said.

So, there it is. Will Cobb go undefeated in her NFL playoff picks if Tampa Bay

wins? Or will Patrick Mahomes take title number two in his young career?

Who do you have winning the Super Bowl? Are you with Cobb or not? Will she be able to gloat for the rest of the year to her family and friends? Or will the G.O.A.T., Tom Brady, walk off the field in defeat and officially pass the torch onto Mr. Mahomes?

Sunday, Feb. 7. 6:30 P.M. CBS. We’ll all be watching.

ALEXIS SARA COBB