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INSIDE Special Edition Voters Guide—Primary Election
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 112 No. 19
Two Sections
MAY 12-18, 2021
thenewpittsburghcourier Published Weekly $1.00
LET THE VOTING BEGIN Primary Election is May 18; Rep. Gainey seeks to make history as Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Four years ago, there wasn’t this type of hype heading into the Pittsburgh Democratic mayoral primary. Four years ago, current Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto wasn’t spotted doing the “two-step” or the “Wobble,” but he was all Eat ‘n Park smiles at his campaign party at The Boiler Room on Banksville Road, following his landslide victory over challengers Rev. John Welch and Darlene Harris. He won the Democratic primary with 69 percent of the vote, crushing Rev. Welch’s 17.5 percent and Harris’ 13 percent, on his way to easily taking the mayoral crown in November 2017 to ensure a second term. But this time, this coming Tuesday, May 18, the forecast seems to be calling for a closer election. From Westinghouse High
School, to WTAE-TV, to the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pa., to WPXI-TV this past Sunday, there have been mayoral debates all over town. The interest in just who will be Pittsburgh’s next mayor is real. It’s palpable. What’s got the kettle whistling is state Rep. Ed Gainey’s run for mayor. Representative Gainey is poised to become the first African American mayor in the storied history of the Steel City. He’s got popularity all over the East End, where his state House District (24) encompasses. He’s front-and-center at pretty much every Black community function, and he for years hosted a Christmas toy drive, where more than a thousand people would come to the former Homewood Coliseum and receive toys, food, etc. There’s a heightened awareness about African American empowerment since the death of George
‘A vote for Ed Gainey is a vote for unity,’ State Rep. says DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY is the primary reason there’s so much attention on this year’s Primary Election. He’s looking to unseat Mayor Bill Peduto, who has been Pittsburgh’s mayor since 2014. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.) Floyd, and corporations all across the country have tried to hire more African Americans, re-commit to a diverse workplace, and rid of any discrimination or racial biases. When it comes to Pittsburgh, however, it’s going to be up to the people, the 300,000 residents, to deter-
Census: 7,000 Blacks have left Pittsburgh between ‘14 and ‘18
mine whether Rep. Gainey gets the nod, if Mayor Peduto gets a third term, or maybe they want a newcomer, like retired Officer Tony Moreno or ride-sharing employee Michael Thompson (Will Parker, who is Black, is running as an independent in the November general election).
From a demographic point of view, the percentage of African Americans in Pittsburgh is declining. It’s now at under 23 percent. At one point, Pittsburgh had a 28 percent Black population at the turn of the century. That may not bode well for Rep. Gainey. On the other hand, young-
er, more progressive individuals are moving into the city (though many believe at the expense of African Americans), and many of those individuals have proven to be more liberal, more accepting of African SEE VOTING A4
KENTUCKY DERBY WEEKEND IN PITTSBURGH
Community leaders want change now by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
RANDALL TAYLOR, with Penn Plaza Support and Action Coalition.
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From summer weekends in Downtown Pittsburgh (pre-COVID), to the heart of East Liberty, to the Strip District, the trained eye has known for years what recent U.S. Census data just confirmed—less and less African Americans call Pittsburgh home. Between 2014 and 2018, the City of Pittsburgh lost 7,000 Black residents, leaving the city, as it stands in 2021, with less than 23 percent of the city’s residents as Black. Pittsburgh City Council held a special hearing about the topic on May 6. “Black displacement has been going on for 20 years but has really picked up over the last few years,” voiced Randall Taylor, with the Penn Plaza Support and Action Coalition, in an exclusive interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier, May 11. “Shameful. We believe it’s due to rising rents. We know the people didn’t leave for Atlanta or SEE CENSUS A7
MARGARITE GARNER, MICHELLE WATSON AND LATAUJA STRINGER GARNER, part of those who attended Gary White’s annual Derby celebration, May 8. This year it was held at Fogo de Chao, in Downtown Pittsburgh. To see more photos of the event, see Page A3. (Photo by Dayna Delgado)