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She’s not loving it!

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An unlikely friendship.

An unlikely partnership.

Leon Ford teams up with former Chief of Police Scott Schubert for ‘The Hear Foundation’

LEON FORD AND SCOTT SCHUBERT. Ford was shot multiple times by a Pittsburgh Police officer in 2012. Still, he has forged a friendship and partnership with Schubert, who, until July 1, was Pittsburgh’s Chief of Police. Their nonprofit is called “The Hear Foundation.” (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.)

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Let Leon Ford tell it, the last thing on his mind as he was undergoing his methodical recovery after being shot five times by a

Pittsburgh Police officer, was that he would eventually become friends, and partner with, a Pittsburgh Police chief.

Which is why every facet of Pittsburgh—from education to public safety,

from the political to the corporate, from those in community outreach to those in economic development—was represented at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, June 22, to witness

Ford, the survivor of that horrific 2012 shooting in Highland Park, announce that he’s creating an organization with now-former Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert.

They were positioned

next to each other—Ford in a wheelchair, paralyzed due to the shooting—and when their hands joined together in unity, cameras flashed incessantly.

The Hear Foundation is the name of the organiza-

tion, the nonprofit dedicated exclusively to fostering collaboration between law enforcement, city officials, community groups and SEE FORD A3

‘WE CARE ABOUT YOU’ Givner’s mental health counseling services expands in Wilkinsburg

by Renee P. Aldrich For New Pittsburgh Courier

Through sheer grit, effort, push-pull, passion and determination, through the COVID pandemic and working through the rigors of academic requirements, “Vision Towards Peace” counseling services’ (VTP) new spaces at 613 Wood Street in Wilkinsburg have become a reality.

Erica Upshaw Givner, LCSW, owner, lead clinician and counselor of Vision Towards Peace and co-owner of “A Peace of Mind,” the nonprofit 20hour daycare center located directly across the street, ushered in the soft opening of the space designed to be an extension of the VTP Psychiatric Mental Health Clinic. That clinic is currently at 711 Penn Ave., where Givner has been for eight years. They have the same label as UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, in Oakland, but it’s situat-

ed in an African American neighborhood, serving a predominately Black community.

Hundreds of guests, many of them patients, potential patients, vendors, neighbors, friends, staff and supporters converged on the brand new facility on Saturday, June 11.

Althea F., a guest and patient, was on hand for the momentous occasion. “I am here because my therapist, Dr. G (Givner), has opened a new building. When you walk in you instantly feel so safe and loved; and I just cannot wait to continue being seen here in this amazing environment, it makes me feel so great and fuzzy.”

Each room is uniquely designed to give patients a sense of well-being, even before being seen by a therapist. Visitors entering the space were met with pale lavender walls, with the words “Support,” “EmpowSEE GIVNER A7

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ERICA GIVNER, RIGHT, recently held the soft opening for Vision Towards Peace’s new space at 613 Wood St. She’s pictured with Emma Lucas-Darby and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey.

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Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in as Supreme Court justice The Conversation

Shortly after noon on June 30, 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson took the judicial oath and officially became a Supreme Court Justice of the United States—the first Black woman to sit on the bench.

The elevation of Jackson to the Supreme Court will not change the ideological setup of the bench—which will continue to be split 6-3 in favor of conservative justices.

Nonetheless, it is an important landmark in the history of the court—of the 115 justices on the Supreme Court since it was established in 1789, 108 have been White men.

Race featured in Jackson’s confirmation process; so too did attempts to define her “judicial philosophy.” The Conversation has turned to legal scholars to explain the meaning of Jackson’s ascension to the court.

1. Realizing MLK’s ‘dream’ The Senate Judiciary Committee vote moving Jackson’s confirmation toward a final Senate roll call took place on April 4, 2022—54 years to the day since Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The significance of the date was not lost on American University’s Bev-Freda Jackson.

King’s words came up in Jackson’s confirmation hearing. Republican lawmakers suggested that his vision of an America in which people are judged “not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” was at odds with critical race theory, a concept much maligned by conservatives that holds that racism is structural in nature rather than expressed solely through personal bias. Their implication: that Jackson believed in critical race theory and therefore rejected King’s vision.

Bev-Freda Jackson argues that this is a distortion. “By recasting anti-racism as the new racism, conservative GOP leaders … use King’s words that advocated for a colorblind society as a critical part of their national messaging to advance legislation that bans the teachings of socalled divisive concepts,” she writes.

“Ketanji Brown Jackson is the very dream that King envisioned,” Jackson notes.

“But he died before seeing the results of his nonviolent movement for social justice.”

2. On the shoulders of pioneers Now confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, Jackson has broken through the ultimate glass ceiling in terms of legal careers. She did so on the shoulders of pioneering Black female judges.

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This Week In Black History

A Courier Staple • JULY 6

by Matt Williams

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON University of Florida’s Sharon D. Wright Austin notes, even now, “relatively few Black women are judges at the state or federal level” —which makes the achievement of those who have made it to this level all the more remarkable.

Of the judges highlighted

by Austin, there is Judge Jane Bolin, who became the country’s first Black female judge in 1939, serving as a domestic relations judge in New York for almost four decades. Later, in 1961, Constance Baker Motley became the first Black woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court. In all she argued 10 cases before the court, winning nine of them.

Meanwhile, Judge Julia Cooper Mack is noted as the first Black woman to sit on a federal appellate court, having been appointed in 1975 and serving 14 years on the bench.

These women are to be celebrated and remembered. As Austin writes, “Representation matters: It is easier for young girls of color to aspire to reach their highest goals when they see others who have done so before them, in the same way that women like Jane Bolin, Constance Baker Motley and Julia Cooper Mack encouraged Ketanji Brown Jackson to reach hers.”

3. Echoes of the past The fact that a Black female Supreme Court justice was so long overdue is testament to the slow progress the U.S. has made toward racial—and gender—equality.

Margaret Russell, a constitutional law professor from Santa Clara University, saw signs of this lack of advancement during parts of Jackson’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings.

Questions directed at the then would-be Supreme Court justice were, according to Russell, tantamount to race-baiting. They also sounded eerily similar to criticisms that then-Supreme Court nominee Thurgood Marshall, the first Black American nominee to the court, faced in his own confirmation hearings in

1967.

Both Jackson, now, and Marshall, then, stood accused by senators of being soft on crime and were asked about how they intended to bring race into their legal decisions. “Are you prejudiced against White people in the South?” Marshall was asked by a known White supremacist senator. Similarly, Jackson was asked during her confirmation hearings if she had a “hidden agenda” to incorporate critical race theory into the legal system.

“I find it striking,” Russell writes, “that race has surfaced in such a major way in these hearings, more than five decades after Marshall’s nomination. In some respects, there has been progress on racial equity in the U.S., but aspects of these hearings demonstrate that too much remains the same.”

4. What Jackson will bring to the Supreme Court Jackson’s historic achievement of becoming the first Black female Supreme Court justice may distract from the fact she is also eminently qualified to sit on the highest court in her own right.

Alexis Karteron of Rutgers University-Newark notes that the Harvard Lawtrained Jackson went on to clerk for Stephen Breyer, the justice she has now replaced.

She has served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission as well as acting as both a trial court and appellate judge.

Jackson is also the first former criminal defense attorney to be nominated to the Supreme Court since Marshall. This puts Jackson in a unique position on the bench. Karteron writes that having served as a public defender “will help [Jackson] understand the very real human toll of our criminal justice system. … The criminal justice system takes an enormous toll on both the people in the system and their loved ones. I believe having a Supreme Court justice who is familiar with that is incredibly valuable.”

(This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.)

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1853—The first novel written by an African American is published on this day. However, the novel had to be published in England because the author William Wells Brown was a fugitive slave. The novel was entitled “Clotel” or “The President’s Daughter” and may have been partially inspired by the then rumored relationship between President Thomas Jefferson and the slave Sally Hemmings.

1862—One of the most pioneering and militant Black journalists in Black American history is born. Ida B. Wells-Barnett came into the world on this day in Holly Springs, Miss. The legendary journalist was also a relentless anti-lynching crusader and a fighter for women’s right to vote. She even made a stand against one of the more insulting laws of Jim Crow segregation nearly 70 years before Rosa Parks. In 1884, she refused to give up her seat on a train to a White man and move to an already over-crowded smoking car. It took the conductor and two other men to drag her off the train. She was among the group of Blacks and progressive Whites who helped establish the NAACP. When she was just 25 she established her lifelong attitude towards women being submissive to men declaring, “I will not begin at this late day by doing what my soul abhors: sugaring men, weak deceitful creatures, with flattery to retain them as escorts …” She died in Chicago in 1931.

1957—Althea Gibson becomes the first Black person (male or female) to win the singles championship at Wimbledon. Gibson was born in Silver, S.C., and grew up in Harlem, N.Y. She died in September 2003. She often said she was driven to success in life by an attitude she developed during childhood. She summarized that attitude as “I always wanted to be somebody.”

1971—Henry T. Sampson invents the “gamma electric cell.”

His invention and other engineering accomplishments had wide-ranging applications, but he did not invent the cell phone as some histories suggest. The gamma-electric cell converted nuclear radiation from reactors into electricity without going through the heat process.

• JULY 7

1906—Baseball legend Satchel Paige is born in Mobile, Ala. He was one of 15 children born to John and Lula Paige.

Paige first learned to pitch in a reform school where he had been sent at the age of 12 for shoplifting. He spent most of his career playing in the old Negro Baseball Leagues prior to the integration of Major League Baseball. He is generally recognized as one of the greatest pitchers to ever play the game.

Baseball great Joe DiMaggio once said Paige was “The best and fastest pitcher I ever faced.”

Paige pitched his last game in 1965 at the age of 60 throwing three shutout innings. The great Satchel Paige died on June 8, 1982.

• JULY 8

1805—On this day in 1805, Bill Richmond becomes the first African-American to gain international fame as a boxer when he defeated Jack Holmes in a 26-round bout in England.

The son of escaped slaves from Georgia, Richmond was born in New York City in 1763. He did most of his fighting in Europe.

Near the end of his boxing career, he married a rich woman and retired. He died in London in December 1829.

1914—Jazz great Billy Eckstine is born in Pittsburgh, Pa. He was raised in Washington, D.C., where he began entering talent competitions at the age of 7. Eckstine would become one of the dominant Jazz singers during the era of the big bands.

He has been described as “an exceptional singer who never failed to impress.” Eckstine died of a heart attack in 1993.

• JULY 9

1863—Eight Black regiments play a major role as Union troops capture Port Hudson in Louisiana. They had laid siege to the Confederate fortress since May 23. The victory, along with the July 4 capture of Vicksburg, Miss., gave U.S. forces control of the Mississippi River, cut the Confederate army in half and laid the foundation for ending the Civil War. The Civil War would drag on for another two years but the Confederate troops fighting to maintain slavery were never able to recover from the loss of Port Hudson.

1893—Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performs the first successful open heart surgery in American history. He repaired a knife wound to the heart of one James Cornish. Cornish would go on to live for another 20 years. Williams established himself as one of the foremost African-American surgeons in the history of this nation. In addition to the surgery, his achievements were many. Born in 1856 in Hollidaysburg, Pa., he was appointed surgeon general of Freedman’s (now Howard University) Hospital in Washington, D.C. He taught at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn.

He was a surgeon at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and he founded Provident Hospital in Chicago where he trained many of the nation’s early Black doctors and nurses. Williams also co-founded the predominantly Black National Medical Association.

2009—Reports first emerge suggesting that Haiti was beginning to conquer its HIV/ AIDS epidemic. According to UNAIDS, the official AIDS infection rate on the poverty-ridden Caribbean island for people ages 15-49 was 2.2 percent— down from a high of nearly 8 percent in the 1980s. The decline was attributed to the closing of blood banks, where the poor sold their blood for money; the work of the Boston-based Partners in Health; and Haiti’s own GHESKIO clinic.

• JULY 10

1775—Shortly after taking command of the troops fighting for American independence

from Britain, Gen. George Washington (the nation’s first president) has his adjutant general issue an order barring any further Blacks from joining the Continental Army. The decision would be confirmed by the Continental Congress in November of 1775. The fear was that Blacks who fought for America’s independence would be justified in demanding an end to slavery. And slave owners, including Washington, did not want that.

1927—David Dinkins, the first Black man elected mayor of New York City, is born on this day in 1927. He was born in Trenton, N.J., and served as New York City mayor from 1989 to 1993.

1943—Tennis sensation Arthur Ashe was born on this day in Richmond, Va. He would become the first Black male to win the Wimbledon men’s singles championship by defeating Jimmy Connors in 1975. Ashe would receive a contaminated blood transfusion and die of AIDS in February 1993.

1972—The Democratic Party holds its presidential convention in Miami, Fla. New York Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first Black person to actively seek the party’s presidential nomination, received 151.95 votes on the first ballot. Senator George McGovern would eventually be nominated. Chisholm had been the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, achieving the distinction in 1968. She was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., to a Barbadian mother and a Guyanese father. Chisholm’s signature phrase was “Unbought and un-bossed.” She died in January 2005.

• JULY 11

1905—The Niagara Movement (forerunner of the NAACP) is founded during a meeting near Niagara Falls, N.Y. Among the most prominent Blacks at the meeting were intellectual and activist W.E.B. DuBois and newspaper publishers William Monroe Trotter and Ida B. Wells Barnett.

1915—Mifflin Wistar Gibbs dies. Gibbs had worked on the Underground Railroad helping Blacks escape from slavery along with Frederick Douglas.

He would later become publisher of Mirror of the Times— the first Black newspaper in California. He was also the first African-American elected to a municipal judgeship in the state.

2010—Gospel legend Bishop Walter Hawkins dies. The Grammy award-winning Hawkins died at his home in Ripon, Calif. Hawkins was part of the influential Hawkins family. His brother was Edwin Hawkins and for a while he was married to gospel great Tramaine Hawkins.

• JULY 12

1887—Mound Bayou, Miss., perhaps the nation’s best known historically all-Black town, is founded by ex-slave Isaiah Montgomery and his cousin Benjamin T. Green. It was built as a sanctuary for former slaves during a period when Jim Crow racism and terrorism by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan were on the rise. It is considered the oldest surviving all-Black town in America. According to the 2000 Census, the town had 2,100 residents.

1937—Actor, comedian and political activist William “Bill” Cosby is born on this day in Philadelphia, Pa. Cosby would rise from nightclub comedian, to actor in several of the socalled Black exploitation movies of the 1970s, to star of the hit NBC television series “The Cosby Show” from 1984-92. The show won numerous awards and praise for its portrayal of a middle-class African-American family.

1949—Although he is seldom mentioned today, Frederick M. Jones was one of Black America’s most productive inventors.

There are at least 60 patents to his credit. However, Jones is best known for the invention of an air conditioning unit. Specifically, he designed an automatic refrigeration system for longhaul trucks and trains which he patented on this day in 1949.

Jones was born in 1893 in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati. He died in 1961.

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Leon Ford teams up with former Chief of Police Scott Schubert for ‘The Hear Foundation’ FORD FROM A1

residents to help build a safe, thriving community for all.

While Mayor Ed Gainey has continuously pushed for better police/community relations in Pittsburgh, even he couldn’t have fathomed this unlikely partnership between Ford and Schubert.

“There’s a lot of times out here that we harbor issues with another and not even understand the damage or severity that we do,” Mayor Gainey said at the news conference. “And here’s a young man (Ford) who could have easily, as he said, lived in anger, but chose to live in love. And I think that speaks volumes.”

“My personal story as the survivor of a police shooting, the work I have done to share with others what I have learned about addressing trauma, and the relationships I have built with Chief Schubert and others are proof of concept,” Ford said. “No matter what you have been through, collaboration is possible.”

Kamal Nigam, a former Google executive who will serve as the organization’s executive director, discussed how the friendship between Ford and Schubert evolved over time. It grew from a foundation of mutual respect, into a shared passion for fostering healing and addressing the cycle of gun violence in Pittsburgh.

But Ford was quick to point out that when he woke up in the hospital after being shot, he woke up “with a lot of hatred in my heart...but it took a lot of community, a lot of love, a lot of mentorship to get me where I am today.”

Ford was pulled over by Pittsburgh Police in the Highland Park neighborhood in November 2012.

Police then mistook Ford for a criminal suspect with a similar name, Lamont Ford, a known gang member. As officers tried to forcibly remove Ford from his vehicle, the vehicle began to move forward with Ford at the wheel. That’s when Officer David Derbish fired into the vehicle and struck Ford five times, one bullet striking Ford’s spine.

In 2018, the City of Pittsburgh settled Ford’s civil rights lawsuit against the city for $5.5 million.

What’s different about The Hear Foundation, Ford said, is that he and others will assist young people

from a perspective where young people’s voices will actually be heard and respected. Now 29, Ford said he wants to understand what today’s, say, 13-yearold is going through, as some things have changed since Ford was in his early teens. But what hasn’t changed is Ford’s commitment to seeing change.

“My first year of high school (Peabody, now Obama Academy), I was deemed a problem child because I was skipping class all day, but none of the counselors said, ‘Dang, he lost his sister a year ago,’ and gave me help,” Ford said. “I have some friends who are serving life sentences and these aren’t horrible people; these are really good dudes that I love, and most of them are victims of violent crimes before whatever incident (occurred).”

Ford continued: “Nobody wants to go to the South Side, or go to any bar in Pittsburgh thinking, ‘I’m gonna murder somebody.’

These are people who are suffering from PTSD.” He said that young people sometimes say that they’d “rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6. That’s PTSD. So what we’re offering is an approach where we are mindful of the lived experiences. We’re not making anybody into a monster because people need help.”

Schubert retired from the Pittsburgh Police force on July 1 after 29 years. He was not the Chief of Police in 2012 when Ford was shot.

“Many individuals and groups in our community have been working hard to respond to escalating gun violence and trauma in their neighborhoods, but they often work in isolation and lack the resources and tools to have widespread impact,” Schubert said. “As a new community partner, The Hear Foundation will come alongside these groups to fill the support gaps, and through collaboration with law enforcement and experts in trauma, mental health and public safety, (it) will help build stronger, safer communities for all. We are all Pittsburghers and there isn’t anything we can’t do when we come together as one.”

Nigam said the foundation will award three inaugural community microgrants this summer in the areas of gun violence reduction, trauma and workforce development. Those

grants will go to support the summer camps of “Voices Against Violence,” “Hope 4 Tomorrow” and “Youth Enrichment Services.” Each camp is free and runs for six weeks.

Grants also will go toward hiring five youth to develop a safety plan for Perry Traditional Academy, in conjunction with a school social worker and nonprofit leader focused on violence

prevention; and to provide support to the “Center for Victims” to host 15 summer workshops to train 150 community leaders in the science and impact of trauma. Then, strategies will be constructed to build well-being and resilience.

“We talk about workforce development and mental health; that is gun violence reduction,” Ford said.

“We have to put money

in people’s pocket. Young folks have dreams and aspirations, but if they’re hungry...they’re stuck in survival mode. So how do you take a young person who’s trying to survive and help them fly? It takes the community. I’m a perfect example of that.”

Ford added: “I believe I am proof of concept from the mental health perspective, workforce develop-

ment, love of community perspective. If we can love every person in the community and support every person like you all who have showed up here for me...if we could do that for every person in the community, imagine how they would be able to accomplish their dreams.”

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SACRIFICIAL LAMBS Even if you don’t like it, outlawing crazy hits in NFL is a good thing “Oh my God, what a hit.

He laid him out like a fine buffet. Forget calling a regular doctor, after that hit they better call Dr. Vinnie Boom-Boom, the bone doctor. After that unadvised encounter, that should be a message for any future receiver before they dare to venture into ‘the painted area’ across the middle. If you were a wide receiver, wouldn’t you be a bit hesitant to invade the area of number such and so?”...

The above mentioned are just a few tidbits, real and imagined, of the reactive commentary of a few select television and radio announcers and sportscasters of professional football games as they are broadcast live and relived on newscasts nationally and around the globe. However, regarding many of the “couch analysts,” “bloggers” and “neighborhood broadcasters” that have never considered playing traditional football are concerned and for the few that even cringe at the thought of even getting dirty playing flag football, “Little Caesars” is not just the name of their favorite pizza outlet. As many fans watch the professional football action unfold, wing ding juices dripping down the side of their mouth, the culture of “me” has transformed them into bloodthirsty “little caesars” eagerly anticipating and giving a hearty thumbs up to game-defying, life-changing hits so that they can relive those horrible plays with visions of grandeur on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok or any other social media platform.

Let’s discuss what was

formerly a great technique from the past of the National Football League, a part of a great system that was taught, endorsed and promoted by defensive coaches to defensive linemen until it was outlawed in 1977; the “head slap.” A defensive lineman was permitted to hit an offensive lineman on the side of the head during a play. That was unfair because the defensive linemen usually had their hands wrapped, almost like boxers in the

ring. Hitting the hard surface of a helmet would not cause as much harm to the hands of a player if the hands of that player were wrapped adequately.

On average, an NFL offense runs more than 60 offensive plays per game.

Imagine being an offensive lineman in the year 1966 being slapped beside the head 30 times per game.

No, imagine this scenario unfolding at home: your mate, children, siblings or even a friend slapping you upside the head, 30 times per week? I believe that law might define such activity as: assault and battery.

From 1966-1976, Ray Mansfield, “The Ranger,” was the starting center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let’s use the 14-game season as a barometer.

That means he played 140 games at the position of

center. That many games multiplied by 60 plays per game equals 8,400 offensive plays barring injuries that he participated in during his career. For the sake of fairness, lets theorize that he was head slapped for only 50 percent of those plays. Those numbers indicate that he was on the receiving end of 4,200 head slaps. Even with a helmet to protect you, 4,200 head-jarring hits across the side of your head will surely almost turn any normal brain into “Jello.”

The late Mike Webster, the Pittsburgh Steelers player that succeeded Mansfield, was drafted in 1974 and was elevated to the starting position in 1976. He only endured the head slap technique for approximately three years.

In 2017, people.com reported that: “Webster was the first NFL player diagnosed with CTE. He died in 2002 at age 50, and he was the focus of the 2015 movie, ‘Concussion.’ Webster’s son said his father took Ritalin to control his mood swings, and was shocking himself with a Taser gun to calm his nerves.”

Just imagine the horror that any member of the family of Mike Webster or the family of the late, great San Diego Chargers defensive standout Junior Seau faced after CTE was ruled as a contributing factor in the suicide of Mr. Seau. So for all of you “little caesars” at home, with their thumbs pointed upward after a player is injured after a play: they can stick it u.....

Need I say more?

Felicity Williams elected to InnovatePGH’s governing board The City of Pittsburgh announced on July 1 that Deputy Chief of Staff Felicity Williams had been elected to InnovatePGH’s governing board, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned.

As a member of the board, Williams will work to create a deeper relationship between the organization and the Mayor’s Office with a focus on diversifying and expanding the city’s tech and innovation economy.

The InnovatePGH partnership is a next-generation public-private partnership powered by a coalition of civic institutions representing the region’s university, business, philanthropic, and government leadership.

“I am honored to represent the City of Pittsburgh as a member of InnovatePGH’s governing board,” said Williams. “One of the Administration’s priorities is ensuring the creation of a more equitable city where everyone has equal access to opportunity. As a member of the InnovatePGH board, I look forward to working with our partners to build a more diverse and inclusive technology ecosystem.”

“Felicity Williams is an expert on community and economic development,” said Sean Luther, executive director of InnovatePGH. “InnovatePGH - and Pittsburgh - stand to tremendously benefit from her knowledge, passion, and experience. We look forward to leveraging her board position to

FELICITY WILLIAMS (PHOTO BY RYAN LOEW/PUBLICSOURCE) expand InnovatePGH’s goal to advance Pittsburgh’s global position as a tech city, but more importantly, to ensure that all Pittsburghers benefit from our growing innovation economy.”

As Deputy Chief of Staff, Williams leads the Administration’s efforts in the technology and innovation economy, workforce development, and community building.

She is a seasoned economic development practitioner with extensive expertise in equitable development.

Williams previous-

ly served as Programs & Policy Manager and Special Assistant to the President & CEO of the Hill CDC. In that role, she led economic development programs, drove effective and strategic communications, and shaped regional equitable development policy, including large-scale developments, a commercial redevelopment task force, and legislative advocacy at both the local and federal levels. She has also been engaged in criminal justice reform and education reform in the region.

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PITTSBURGH’S GOT STYLE Designers with Pittsburgh ties responsible for Ed and Michelle Gainey’s wardrobe at inauguration, Gala

by Dr. Sheila Beasley For New Pittsburgh Courier

We witnessed history on Jan. 3, with the swearing-in ceremony and inauguration of Ed Gainey as the first African American mayor of the City of Pittsburgh.

First Lady Michelle Gainey lovingly stood by his side as excitement and celebration were felt by many throughout the city.

Pittsburgh has been transformed by the “Let’s Go Get It” spirit and actions of Mayor Gainey and his staff to make Pittsburgh a more welcoming and vibrant city for all. Mayor Gainey stated in his inauguration speech: “Success does and will continue to live here and thrive here in our City of Pittsburgh.”

Due to COVID-19, Mayor Gainey was unable to hold his Inaugural Celebration Gala until more than six months later, on Saturday, June 25, at Nova Place, North Side. And as people admired Mayor Gainey and First Lady Michelle at the inauguration at the City-County Building and also at the Gala, what some may not have recognized was that their ensembles were styled by fashion designers

Darnell McLaurin and Raiyonda Vereen; both have ties to Pittsburgh.

Vereen is a Pittsburgh native who lived in Beltzhoover as a young girl and later moved the North Side. Vareen attended Schiller Middle School and Perry Traditional Academy, graduating with honors. Participating in runway shows at age 13, she realized she wanted to be in the fashion industry behind the scenes. Vareen’s tenacity was evident early, as she told the owner of the Mo Gear Men’s Apparel store in Pittsburgh as a 15-year-old: “If you allow me to work here, I would sell the clothes, vacuum the floors and wear the clothes to sell them right off of my back.”

Vereen attended Howard University with an initial major in Fashion Merchandising. Her mother convinced her to change her major to Marketing with a solid business foundation. She is now the head costume designer for Tyler Perry studios in Atlanta, which means she’s responsible for the wardrobe and design of the stars you see in shows like “The Oval,” “Ruthless,” “All the Queen’s Men” and others. Vereen also has buyer credits for such

films as “Hunger Games II,” “Hidden Figures” and “Greenleaf.”

McLaurin moved to Pittsburgh in 1988 to attend the ICM School of Business’ fashion program. He also enrolled in the Bradford School’s business program and Duquesne University. He earned degrees in Fashion Merchandising and Retail Management in Pittsburgh. Since then, he has taken the fashion and textile industry by storm with his original, innovative designs and ideas not only in Pittsburgh, but elsewhere.

McLaurin developed his interests and skills by designing rooms in his home with his mother making swimsuits for his classmates. He left Pittsburgh in 2003 for New York City, but returns to Pittsburgh at times to choreograph fashion shows for FashionAFRICANA, founded

by Pittsburgh’s own Demeatria Boccella.

Lee Davis, a well-known figure in Pittsburgh and CEO of Lee Davis & Associates Consulting LLC, was the connection to McLaurin’s and Vereen’s invitation to style the Gaineys for the inauguration and Gala. “I knew Darnell and Rai before SEE WARDROBE A6

PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY, WITH WIFE, FIRST LADY MICHELLE GAINEY, AT THEIR INAUGURATION CELEBRATION GALA AT NOVA PLACE, JUNE 25. (PHOTO BY EMMAI ALAQUIVA)

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Vereen, McLaurin designers for Mayor Gainey and First Lady Michelle's inauguration, Gala wardrobe WARDROBE FROM A5

RAIYONDA VEREEN, A PERRY TRADITIONAL ACADEMY GRADUATE. She was the designer for First Lady Michelle Gainey’s wardobe during the Jan. 2022 mayoral inauguration and June 2022 Inauguration Celebration Gala.

they even knew what would unfold in their careers,” Davis told the New Pittsburgh Courier.

“I met them in the early ‘90s when urban fashion was new and exciting and spoke to the HipHop generation. Rai was working at Mo Gear and I met Darnell while running into him at various retail stores. Both talked about how they would be in the fashion industry.”

Now that everyone has met, it was time to get to work and make the Gaineys’ wardrobe the talk of the town.

The style gift blessing originated from the heart of Reverend/Mother Beasley and transcended to a collection of ensembles

styled by Vereen and McLaurin, made with love and extended to other Pittsburgh fashion artisans and icons. Hazelwood native, Boccella, the aforementioned founder of FashionAFRICANA and Creative Director for “Rock Steelers Style,” generously provided space in her studio and style support throughout.

“It was such a great honor and blessing to work so closely with the First Lady of Pittsburgh and the Gainey family on this historic celebration,” Boccella told the Courier. “Part of my vision for the FashionAFRICANA studio is to empower our youth and community by celebrating and recognizing the achievements of people of African descent —and their presence in my studio definitely embodied that vision.”

Mayor Gainey and First Lady Michelle were dressed to the nines, worthy of inauguration recognition, customary in American government royals. For January’s inauguration, Vereen gave First Lady Michelle a classy chic look with a cream pants suit for a clean, strong businesswoman look with a satin lapel and sequins blouse, which read soft and feminine. For the Gala, Vereen presented First Lady

Michelle with a black one shoulder gown with a diamond and onyx stone brooch on the shoulder with a front slide split.

McLaurin styled Mayor Gainey in a Hugo Boss midnight navy blue tuxedo with notch lapels and trim black satin piping.

He wore Calvin Klein tuxedo dress shoes and a tuxedo shirt pleated with sterling silver button covers and matching cuff links. McLaurin personally designed the lapel accessory to compliment First Lady Michelle’s accessories.

Davis put his own spin on the evening, gifting the style team with Unico Vino wine bottles personalized with the image of the mayor and first lady.

Others who contributed to Mayor Gainey’s and First Lady Michelle’s big night a few weeks ago included David Porcher, Donna Baxter Porcher, Antoinette Payne, Michael Payne, Tanya Hankins, Bobby Engram, Deanna Engram (of the Sickle Cell Foundation), and hair/makeup artisans Tenel Dorsey, Veronica Burgess and Marquela Crosby.

DARNELL MCLAURIN WAS THE DESIGNER FOR MAYOR GAINEY’S WARDROBE FOR THE JAN. 2022 INAUGURATION AND JUNE INAUGURATION CELEBRATION GALA.

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‘WE CARE ABOUT YOU’ Givner’s mental health counseling services expands in Wilkinsburg GIVNER FROM A1

erment” and “Encouragement” sprinkled in deep purple on the walls. There’s also a phrase, “You’re Safe,” strategically placed directly above the entrance into the reception area.

Onika Reigns, LCSW, a clinician who has been working for VTP for three years, said the new space “will provide more comfort for clinicians as well as clients. Open and filled with warmth, one immediately sees that Erica has gone through great effort into making sure the entire office is esthetically pleasing.”

Reigns said the aura of the new space is welcoming and says to VTP’s clients, “‘We care about you,’ thus removing the stigma and intimidation associated with mental health, and ensuring clients are more likely to keep appointments.”

Givner called the new space a labor of love, a “God-size dream,” which has been in the works for the past five years. In speaking with the New Pittsburgh Courier, Givner said expanding the facility from the current space at 7ll Penn Ave. to the buildings she acquired on Wood Street has long been a vision. “Vision Towards Peace is 10 years old. When I opened business in 2012, it was with a goal to just do outpatient therapy. However, I soon began to realize that clients were facing many barriers, often preventing them from optimizing their treatment,” Givner said. “I

understood there needed to be a shift in the goal—it needed to address the barriers with intentionality; most specifically providing access to clinicians that looked like the population we are serving—predominantly African American, that complex, vulnerable population who often gets weighted down by issues that block their efforts to seek treatment. Consequently, our therapists and clinicians are Black and brown, and our psychiatrists identify as brown— thus meeting the unique needs of this community.”

Givner clarified that the current space at 711 Penn Ave. isn’t going anywhere.

It’s just that the new Wood Street location is wheelchair-accessible, thus, Intensive Outpatient Care (IOP) will be offered at Wood Street, not Penn Avenue. Outpatient and telepsych services will still be an option at the Penn Avenue location.

Vision Towards Peace services include outpatient mental health services, psychiatric services (telepsych), and Intensive Outpatient Care (IOP). IOP comes in the form of three groups per week for patients in severe crises.

Acquiring the property on Wood Street was no small task. The heavy back taxes, the financial hole Givner found herself in with the borough of Wilkinsburg... she even said the Wood Street location was “on the list to be taken by the borough.”

“But our commitment, determination and the passion were larger than

what we faced,” Givner told the Courier. “We stuck to the process and worked through it as safely as we could keeping all the protocols—and here we are. I’m certain that the pandemic added another year and a half to the project.”

Givner said there never would be any type of opening if not for her husband. The building “was in awful shape, but he was able to prepare the space for the new construction,” she said. “By doing all the gutting out,” it allowed the workers to come in with a clean slate. “His skill in this area was a great economical boost to this entire project. This was important because the building required everything brand new; from the roof, to the electrical, even to new phone wiring. New underground wires had to be installed before we could even get a phone system.

These renovations began in 2019, taking three years to complete. We’d pay and work and pay and work as we went along just to keep the building out of debt. By the grace of God the work is completed, and it is currently completely out of debt, owing no more back taxes,” Givner told the Courier.

Carla Adams, LPC, a national certified counselor who is certified in domestic violence, was recently hired as clinical director for the new space. She’s the point person for the clinicians, including onboarding new clinicians and conducting weekly supervision of the clinicians. She also sees her own clients.

Now that the soft opening is complete, the official opening will be in late July or early-to-mid August.

Givner, who is also pursuing a Doctorate of Social Work, is more than excited about that big opening day.

“God gives us our gifts, at an early age, before life interrupts the process which is why we must not stop, we must keep going, digging deep inside to discover the gift we all have,” Givner said, quoting Paolo

Coelho’s best-selling book, “The Alchemist.”

Givner added: “I believe I’m doing what I was brought here to do in this place and in this point in time.”

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RELIGION/METRO

JULY 6-12, 2022

Praise & Worship

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

“O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.”

- Psalm 139:1-2

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

REV. WALKER SAYS: God created us and knows us. Psalm 139:17—How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God how great is the sum of them.

East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Patrice Fowler-Searcy and Rev. Heather Schoenewolf Pastors 412-441-3800

Worship in person or Online on Facebook/YouTube www.ELPC.church Summer Worship.......10:00 a.m.

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

Black Women’s Policy Center puts focus on pay equity gap Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community!

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

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEXT CHURCH EVENT! We want to place your

Stark disparities linger in Pittsburgh between what White women and Black women are paid. A local group is asking employers to do their part to change this.

by Lauren Davidson PublicSource

It’s been three years since Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission released a report showing Black residents have a much lower quality of life than White residents.

But the Black Women’s Policy Center is working to make sure city residents don’t forget its critical findings and feel equipped to take action.

“The Black Women’s Policy Center is committed to making sure that what we learned in that report, what we learned in our surveys, what we’ve learned in our own experiences with Black women will inform the work we do moving forward,” said Rochelle Jackson, the center’s director and founder. “We will continue to work to change the narrative to change the reality Black women face in this region.”

Last week, the center, in partnership with the Women and Girls Foundation and YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, is announcing its Pay Equity Campaign to encourage employers to close the gender pay gap, which disproportionately impacts women of color.

As part of the campaign, businesses are asked to take the policy center’s pledge, which consists of these five parts: Promote

wage transparency by including the salary range on all job postings; Commit to reviewing policies and practices to ensure compliance with The National Labor Relations Act of 1935; Ensure a fair and equitable hiring process by eliminating desired salary and salary history questions from the application process; Provide annual company-wide diversity trainings to address, reduce and educate about unconscious biases and associated barriers that impact hiring, promotion and organizational culture; and undertake an annual review of gender and race pay differences among employees performing comparable tasks…considering levels of education, prior experience, skill and company tenure.

“We are not naive to think we can change this and close this wage gap in a year or six months, but we do think that we have to start somewhere,” said Jackson. “When you pledge to us, we take that as an acknowledgment that this is an issue and that these are challenges for Black women and you’re willing to work with us to close this wage gap.”

Jackson spoke with PublicSource about how her organization is working to make progress.

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ROCHELLE JACKSON, Black Women’s Policy Center director and founder.

PUBLICSOURCE: Why did you start the Black Women’s Policy Agenda in 2020 and subsequently, its nonprofit arm, the Black Women’s Policy Center?

JACKSON: I’ve spent the better part of my adult life doing public policy advocacy, understanding that a lot of the challenges and struggles that my mom faced and that I faced (I raised four children as a single mom and I was raised by a single mom) were rooted in policy, some good, some bad.

Black women were really not centered, but at the same time we disproportionately are impacted by those policies. Oftentimes you’re not seeing any of us sitting at the table. We’re oftentimes not a part of conversations—not only discussing issues but discussing solutions to the issues.

We need to do something different, and I believe that something different is policy. It’s centering us in policy, trusting us as experts of our own experiences and inviting us to be a part of those conversations and being a part of solutions and strategy. And that’s where the [Black Women’s Policy] agenda comes into play.

PUBLICSOURCE: The Equal Pay Act, aimed at ending wage disparity based on sex, went into law in 1969. Why are we still talking about this in 2022?

JACKSON: That is the question. And that is the exact reason why we have a pledge, because we’ve been talking about this for far too long. What we haven’t been doing is really action, is really building a strategy and actually taking steps to change the status quo.

Every year, there’s Equal Pay Day in March [marking the date white women make the same amount as men made in the previous year with the current gender pay gap]. In August, it’s Equal Pay Day nationally for Black women. Everybody knows those days. Everybody does some social media, and we talk about the horrific reality that this exists and all of that stuff, and what’s being done?

I think if we’ve learned nothing else from that [Pittsburgh Gender Equity Commission] report in 2019 we’ve learned that Black women, when it comes to economics, are really, really struggling in this region. …It’s 60 cents on the dollar for Black

FAWN WALKER MONTGOMERY, DIANE DANIELS, ROCHELLE JACKSON women in comparison to White women nationally.

It’s 54 cents in Pittsburgh.

We don’t have any more time to wait. The time is now.

PUBLICSOURCE: Why is this an important issue for all people to care about?

JACKSON: There is a gender wage gap for women in general across this country. I think the win for everyone is when you start to work on closing that wage gap and achieve pay equity for Black women.

When Black women win, all women win.

All of these social issues that we think about that unfortunately Black women are disproportionately impacted by, when we start to address those issues, the whole community prospers from that. To me, that’s the benefit.

PUBLICSOURCE: And the pandemic has illustrated this.

JACKSON: Black women do some very valuable work in our communities.

The No. 1 reason why women have reported having left the workforce during the pandemic was lack of child care—not necessarily the inability to pay for it but just the nonexistence of it. And when you look at child care, Black women are overrepresented in the workforce. At the same time, they’re paid some of the lowest wages in the country.

The same can be said for certified nursing assistants who work in our hospitals, who work in our nursing homes and rehabilitation centers where our elderly, disabled parents and relatives are.

But their wages are horrifically low for the work that they do and the care they provide to our loved ones every day.

There’s just that devaluation; the work of Black women is just not valued in this country.

PUBLICSOURCE: What do you think that says about this region that Pittsburgh ranks so low in quality of life for people of color?

JACKSON: I think it says we have a lot of systematic and institutional racism and discrimination in this region that has never really been addressed.

The difference between Pittsburgh and a lot of other places is that racism in this city and this region is very overt, and because it’s overt, it’s not something that people are ready to address or even to acknowledge.

It’s harder to bring to the surface whenever we as a region have grown to just accept that this is the way things are. So it’s going to take us really as a region to say no more and to just say that it’s unacceptable to continue to do things that way.

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JULY 6-12, 2022

Mayor Gainey’s Celebration Gala

FIRST LADY MICHELLE GAINEY, BILL GENERETT, GRETCHEN GENERETT, MAYOR ED GAINEY (PHOTO BY EMMAI ALAQUIVA)

MAYOR ED GAINEY, STATE REP. SUMMER LEE (PHOTO BY EMMAI ALAQUIVA)

STATE REP. AUSTIN DAVIS, BLAYRE HOLMES DAVIS, FIRST LADY MICHELLE GAINEY, MAYOR ED GAINEY (PHOTO BY EMMAI ALAQUIVA)

PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY, THIRD FROM LEFT, WITH WIFE, FIRST LADY MICHELLE GAINEY, SECOND FROM LEFT. THEY ARE PICTURED WITH FAMILY AT THE MAYOR’S INAUGURATION CELEBRATION GALA, JUNE 25 AT NOVA PLACE, NORTH SIDE. (PHOTO BY BRIAN VINCENT)

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Did SCOTUS justify fear of federalism?

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Blockchain for a greener future (NewsUSA)—Cryptocurrency, NFT, Web 3.0; these buzzwords have gained popularity in recent years. But what do all these terms have in common? They all have the same underlying technology, blockchain.

Although blockchain-related projects such as NFT collections have been heavily criticized for their extensive energy consumption and negative environmental impact, a new entry into the blockchain space aims to show the world how blockchain technology can be used to benefit the environment.

Komori, developed by Eco Labs, Inc., is on a mission to utilize NFT technology to drive environmental change on a

CASSANDRA CUMMINGS

mass scale through their global ecosystem of sustainability partners. The project follows the ancient creatures known as the Komori, awakening after millions of years, to help save our planet.

The Komori community is a purpose-driven collective of passionate individuals who want to leave a positive mark on the planet. A primary goal for the Komori project is to help eliminate the environmental misconceptions surrounding blockchain technology, and to encourage businesses, NGOs, and individuals to embrace this technology and leverage it in their own missions to incite social and environmental change.

“The Komori are here to serve as a clear and powerful representation of how NFTs can restore and protect our planet through direct, mass-scale, real-world impact,”. says Eco Labs founder Kiro Akira.

“By challenging the traditional ideas and models for driving environmental change, we aim to not only empower the NFT space to adopt more sustainable practices, but to inspire the world to utilize the unprecedented levels of scalability and transparency that blockchain technology provides for social and environmental good,” Akira emphasizes.

In alignment with Komori’s focus on education, the project intends to spotlight environmentally friendly blockchains, such as Solana.

Solana is a notably-energy-efficient blockchain which is a key reason why Komori is being built on it and encourages others to do the same. In fact, one Solana transaction uses only 1,939 Joules, which is less than the amount of energy required to complete two Google searches, according to the Solana Foundation. The Solana Foundation, which has offset the entire carbon footprint of the Solana network and has pledged to remain carbon neutral in perpetuity.

Visit komori.io for more information on how Komori is driving environmental change with blockchain technology.

Refresh your finances with the Stocks and Stilettos Society

by Theresa Horton For New Pittsburgh Courier

(Chicago Defender)—One day Cassandra created a Facebook group called Stocks and Stilettos Society. She created this group after working as Financial Advisor and not seeing clients that looked like her.

Cassandra Cummings from Oakland, California, has over 20 years of experience in Finance. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. Cassandra worked at some of the largest financial institutions, including AIG, Merrill Lynch, and Bank of America. Cassandra did not feel fulfilled in corporate America, so she decided to open a private firm.

She quickly realized the private firm was not fulfilling either.

This Stocks and Stilettos Society Facebook group is a safe space to learn about investing. The Stocks and

Stilettos community have investors at all levels, but the majority are beginner investors who empower and educate each other.

Cassandra’s first engagement with the group was during the Stock market challenge in January 2016.

This challenge produced such an enormous response, that it became an annual event. There are over 100,000 women that are a part of the Stocks and Stilettos Society. Cassandra stays motivated by being comfortable knowing the market cycles. She has been through a couple of recessions, which is part of the market cycle. According to Cassandra, this is the best opportunity for us to amass wealth. She encourages people by sharing her experiences and encouraging them to invest at a discount. This community allows the women to crush their financial goals and learn from each other.

Over the last few years, this has become the fast-

est-growing community of women investors online.

At the beginning of the pandemic, several women lost their jobs and started looking for ways to pivot.

The hardest hit by the pandemic were service workers and wait staff which are industries with a predominately female workforce.

Women were looking for alternate streams of income.

The time period in which many women who lost their jobs, became known as the “She-session.” The ladies learned to look at investing as a new source of income. Unfortunately, the economy became very unstable as the “She-session” intersected with the “Great Resignation.” As a result of the pandemic, the Stocks and Stilettos Society grew exponentially during this time. It became like a financial sorority, where the ladies felt more comfortable asking questions, and everyone banned together.

The global pandemic revealed that everyone was

willing to collaborate within the Stocks and Stilettos community and create a sisterhood around the stock market.

Some women say they do not have time to invest, but time is essential to learning about investing.

We cannot ignore the need to invest and diversify our steams of income. Cassandra encountered plenty of women during her career who retired in poverty.

They did not take the time to learn or start investing. Many women rely on Social Security funds and minimum to no savings.

The African American community tends to fear money, which stops us from getting to the bag. We need to be financially educated and become more assertive about saving and investing because living costs have gone up. Unfortunately, inflation spiked and surged in a short time period.

Hence, we need to make SEE STOCKS B2

He bought his son McDonald’s! She’s not loving it!

One of the leading news stories last week was about a mother, a father, a child, McDonald’s, and three other siblings. Within the Black community, this story garnered more conversation than the Roe v. Wade overturn, R. Kelly being sentenced to 30 years in prison, The BET Awards and inflation combined. This story went viral-viral. Everybody had an opinion on this topic. There were countless videos, memes, and radio discussions revolving around who’s wrong here, mom or dad?

For the few of you living under a rock in a cave who’s completely unaware of this story, here’s a summary. A single mother of four children has multiple baby daddies.

Her youngest child’s father shows up to the house with McDonald’s only for his son. Apparently he’s been showing up with food only for his son for some time now. She’s fed up! She decides to video the conversation between him and her.

He arrives with a McDonald’s bag and drink in hand. Immediately, she lets him have it. She stated, you only brought food for one child. I have 3 other children. You should bring food for all my children. I’m not going to let him eat McDonald’s in front of his siblings. He responds, those are not my children. Those are your kids.

I’m only responsible for feeding my own.

He tells her to bring his son downstairs.

He’ll let him eat in the car. There’s ongoing arguing back and forth. She eventually asks him to give her the food. She then throws it on the ground. She posted this video on social media. Social media went HAM. Below you’ll see comments about this video from my Facebook Group. I’ll weigh in at the end.

It’s a competition. Me and my kids vs. them other baby daddies and their kids. ~ Kenneth I understand where both are coming

from. My first wife already had two kids when I met her. I have always treated them like my own even after my first two were born. I wouldn’t want my child’s siblings to resent him/her. If I’m bringing McDonald’s everyone is getting McDonald’s ~Terrance It’s his fault. He chose to plant his seed in that situation. I don’t understand the mindset of most men. When you put sex in the mix, women become illogical quickly. ~Antman It’s not his responsibility! It would be nice if he would’ve bought all the kids McDonald’s—but it’s not on him. Those are her kids. She’s a bad example of a mother. ~ Melissa I definitely wouldn’t bring food for one child because the others could resent him.

That’s not what I would do. She should have let him take his kid like he asked.

She had the nerve to say “you know I don’t get my food stamps until the 11th!”

That’s not his problem! If the mom can’t take care of her kids based on her income, child support, and/or government assistance then maybe the child should be living full time with his dad and visiting her. ~ Jessica In my heart I am going to feed all the kids but my wallet isn’t always set up for that so there may be situations where I can only provide for mine. I would be more understanding if she had one other child but she had 3 other children. She’s

wrong, petty, and trifling! ~ Kathy With three other baby daddies there should be a refrigerator and a freezer full of food. He can’t claim those other children on his income taxes so anything he might do for them is way above his level of responsibility. I’m not saying I would handle that situation the same way, but (some) women force a brother to handle things the way they do ‘cause of their history. ~Manual That’s not his responsibility. She or their fathers need to step up for her other kids. ~Nafeesa Whenever I drop my kids off, I make sure to stop at a food place or the store. I ALWAYS tell them to buy their little sister something because she’ll hit the roof! But that’s only one more kid. So it’s no problem. But three more? He should’ve just picked his son up and ate with him at McDonald’s. ~Cedrick She could have asked him to get the other kids something to eat and pay him for it when he gets there. That’s what I would have done. He’s not obligated to buy her other kids something to eat. ~Latisha M They’re not in a relationship. I can see every once in a while but that’s absolutely asinine of her to expect him to take care of her other kids ALL the time. ~ Ed

Why isn’t she exposing the other fathers for not feeding their children? Some women can give all women a bad rap. This is a lesson for people having children with multiple partners. ~Michelle I have one child. My ex husband had 4.

If his kids are anywhere around I have to buy 5 meals instead of 1. I knew exactly where their mothers were and that was not my concern. We gotta be more concerned about the kids they can’t help the fact that they have irresponsible parents. ~Marnie Schedule a time for lunch and call all the children’s fathers and have them all bring food for their child. Or, as a mother who’s body it is and chose to have all these children, go out and make something happen so your kids can eat.

Jay Cee OMG! Why can’t she get on the dads of the others to bring something? She could easily tell the father, “Thanks!” Then put the food up, call those other dads, get them to Doordash some food. When the food gets there, feed them all at once.”

Problem solved!

I would say that he was being irresponsible and being a poor example of a man when he impregnated a woman that he had no intentions on marrying. He was reckless with his seed. He’s not responsible for those other children. ~Praytor Her thought process is incredible. She has more than one other father to her children. She’ll be the one screaming, my body, my choice. She’s choosing to be irresponsible. ~Darnell SEE MCDONALD’S B2

BUSINESS

B2 JULY 6-12, 2022

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Cash back credit cards help curb inflation (NewsUSA)—Whether you are at the gas pump, the grocery store or even shopping online, the higher prices resulting from the current state of inflation are hitting everyone hard. Fortunately, smart consumers can find ways to help reduce the inflation burden.

One easy way to curb inflation is by getting cash back on your credit card purchases. For the maximum in savings and flexibility, look for credit cards that offer the highest percentages of cash back along with other benefits and opportunities to optimize your investments, as well as your purchases.

SoFi, a modern personal finance company, has created a unique credit card designed to help you keep more money in your pocket and reach your financial goals.

“SoFi is a one-stop shop for people’s financial needs.

Our unique technology stack and broad suite of products enable us to build offerings that work better when you use them together,” says Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi. It is easy to apply for

a credit card online, but the ways the SoFi credit card helps consumers makes this one ideal for curbing inflation.

– Save money simply.

The SoFi credit card does not charge an annual fee and lets you earn up to 3 percent cash back for a full year once you are approved. To qualify for the 3

One easy way to curb inflation is by getting cash back on your credit card purchases. percent cash back reward, users must set up direct

deposit through the SoFi network. Users can choose

to send deposits directly to their high-yield checking or savings account. Also, there’s no need to worry about minimum balance requirements in your accompanying SoFi account; there aren’t any.

– Enjoy extra benefits.

Users who make 12 consecutive on-time payments can lower their APR by

1 percent. Other benefits include complimentary cell phone insurance coverage of up to $1,000, no foreign transaction fees when traveling overseas and Mastercard ID theft protection, which protects your personal information by identifying and alerting you to potential fraud.

– Cash in on crypto.

The SoFi credit card allows users to redeem their cash back directly into cryptocurrency; the funds go into your SoFi active invest account. This option allows you to trade crypto, as well as stocks and ETFs. – Pay down debt. SoFi credit card users earn two reward points for every dollar spent on eligible purchases, but you choose how you use these rewards.

Deposit them as cash into your checking and savings account, as a fractional share in your investment account, as cryptocurrency or as payments towards SoFi personal or student loans.

Keep these smart strategies in mind, and you can make the most of your money and credit to help manage the challenges of inflation.

Black Tech Week announces Serena Williams as keynote presenter Today, Black Tech Week, the Black tech ecosystem building conference being held in Cincinnati, Ohio, July 18-22, confirmed Serena Williams as the event’s keynote speaker. As Managing Partner of Serena Ventures, the world-class athlete empowers founders with the firm’s Play To Win strategy, merging a champion mindset and unparalleled network to support innovation in industries like fintech, e-commerce and others.

In May, Black Tech Week announced the schedule of events for Cincinnati 2022. Being held July 18-22, the conference includes 60+ sessions and presents 50+ tech influencers, minority innovators and ecosystem builders as featured speakers. In addition to Serena Williams, featured speakers include Kimberly Bry-

ant, Founder of Black Girls Code, Arlan Hamilton, Founder of Hire Runner and Backstage Capital, Janeen Uzzell, CEO of National Black Society of Engineers–– and more––sharing their experience and guidance around tech and the startup lifecycle. Black Tech Week’s events are also presented with support from Uber, Main Street Ventures, and more.

“Black Tech Week is a movement in support of the success of ecosystems being built by Black founders,” said Serena Williams, Managing Partner of Serena Ventures. “I’m looking forward to joining this strong community of talent, connecting and impacting the future of technology.”

THE TEAM AT BLACK TECH WEEK confirmed cultural icon Serena Williams, representing her investment firm Serena Ventures, as keynote speaker for the conference’s inaugural year in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Stocks and Stillettos Society STOCKS FROM B1

more money in a short time frame to keep up.

Financial education is so important, especially in these uncertain times. Education is essential as you embark on your investment journey to know what is happening at the basic level. It is helpful to arm yourself with the correct information to ask insightful questions. In the beginning, join the Stocks & Stilettos community, find a money mentor,

and invest a small amount of money. Cassandra advocates for financial advisors down the line, but it is not essential in the beginning.

Introducing a financial advisor too early can alter your expectations and results. Here are a few tips to refresh your finances.

Tips to refresh your finances: • Plan—Create a plan and adjust as you encounter life events; remember to keep your plan flexible.

• Save—Setup your savings accounts and automate the deposits.

He bought his son McDonald’s!

MCDONALD’S FROM B1

I blame him for having a kid with a hood rat. He should have known better ~Steve Damon here: With single parenting and blended families being “The New Normal,” their experience can serve as education to us all. They’re both wrong! They’re both right!

She’s wrong for expecting him to be responsible for bringing food for all of her children. She’s right to protect her other young, impressionable children’s feelings.

This can lead to them feeling left out and unwanted by their biological father—creating resentment towards the sibling in question.

He’s right. He’s only responsi-

ble for his child. He’s wrong and inconsiderate not to understand how it would make the other children feel. If he didn’t want to or is unable to provide for all the children, just pick his child up and feed him. When he returns, let her know he ate.

Children are innocent. They don’t fully understand the messes we create as adults. We have to be adults and think how our actions or lack thereof can negatively impact the children.

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

You should save at least 10 to 20 percent of your monthly income.

• Invest—Find a minimum, lowcost index fund as a starting point.

For more information about the Stocks & Stilettos Society check out www. https://stocksandstilettos.co.

Cassandra Cummings, the founder also has a book coming out called “Fearless Finances: A Timeless Guide to Wealth.”

(Theresa Horton is a contributing writer for the Chicago Defender. Find her on social media @passionateresources.)

THE COURIER ISN’T JUST A NEWSPAPER. IT’S BLACK HISTORY..

HISTORY

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

JULY 6-12, 2022

B3

A clear and present danger!

Guest Editorial Pennsylvania voters can help protect abortion rights Pennsylvania voters can play a critical role in overriding the June 24 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority to overturn Roe v. Wade and end constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years.

The 6-3 decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is now effective. Abortion is now or will be soon be illegal in at least 21 states.

In those states, there is often no exception to abortion bans, even if the individual is a child or was impregnated through rape or incest.

As a result, many women will be forced to give birth. Doctors who perform abortions or prescribe medication to terminate pregnancies could be sent to prison.

In Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware abortion is still legal. But that could quickly change in Pennsylvania if voters elect a Republican governor to join the Republican-controlled state legislature.

If Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor and a strong anti-abortion advocate, is elected in November, abortion is likely to be abolished in Pennsylvania.

The reality is that the state legislature is likely to remain Republican-controlled after the general election in November. But in recent elections, Democrats have been elected governor, attorney general and other statewide positions.

Pennsylvania voters who want women to maintain the right to choose have no choice but to vote in November for Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the Democratic nominee for governor.

Pennsylvania voters can also play a crucial role regarding abortion rights on the national level.

Congress can override what the Supreme Court did and pass a law to legalize abortion in the United States.

To do that, voters need to elect more Democratic senators and hold the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

President Joe Biden could then sign a law codifying Roe v. Wade.

But first, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, needs to defeat Republican nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz. Fetterman and other Democrats need to win seats in the U.S. Senate not only to protect abortion rights but also voting rights, police reform and other reforms.

By voting for Democrats in the upcoming midterm election, Pennsylvania voters can play a crucial role in protecting abortion and other rights on a federal level.

(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)

Founded 1910

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

Rob Taylor Jr.

Ashley Johnson

Office Manager

Managing Editor

Sales Director

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—I’m sure that in 1989, when Tom Clancy authored his acclaimed novel, A Clear and Present Danger, he never envisioned the real threat facing this nation some thirty-three years later. Clancy’s threat involved the inundation of the United States with illegal drugs. Today, the threat of a fascistic take-over seems the more realistic threat—more real than could ever have been imagined. This threat was affirmed during a public hearing of the January 6th Congressional Select Committee by conservative judicial icon, retired federal Judge J. Michael Luttig. His characterization of Trump and his supporters as a “clear and present danger” to the United States was a chilling prediction of a dystopian future.

Some have forgotten or will vehemently deny the accusation of Ivana Trump that her ex-husband kept a book of Hitler’s speeches on his nightstand. Her 1990 Vanity Fair Magazine interview spoke of Trump frequently reading Hitler’s Mein Kampf, but other sources suggest that it was My New Order, a book of Hitler’s speeches. Whichever book was his inspiration, the similarities between Hitler and Trump are eerily disturbing.

Only those more inclined toward conspiracy theories could have imagined the depth of deception and intrigue in Trump’s attempt to illegally retain the presidency. During

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary each of the Select Committee’s public hearings, it has become abundantly clear that Trump had no reservation or reluctance to impose his own will and personal desires above the will of the American voter! More maddening is the realization of the number of accomplices who were willing to assist him in the usurpation of voter authority and the on-going support he receives among a certain element of the population.

In the face of disclosures of sedition generated in the hearings, one could (should?) reasonably expect the rejection of support for an individual and his political philosophy that is so antithetical to the foundations of our democracy. Unreasonable as it may seem, millions ardently and unconditionally surrender their allegiance.

While my focus on the hearings is driven by curiosity and the desire to confirm my personal assessments of the ‘ailment’ that continues to inflict our nation, I realize that the challenge of the moment is to remain forward-thinking. The damage done by Trump to our national character is self-evident. What is less obvious is

the lingering impact of his elevation to the presidency. After all, it was he who unleashed what had been a subsurface and festering sense of division and latent hatred. It was he who gave the acceptance and permission for engagement in the cultural warfare we now experience.

The recent Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade foreshadows a change in the direction of the ‘moral arch.’ It gives cause to the questions, “Does it still swing toward Justice?” and “What’s next?” Six years ago, few imagined that established law could be reversed to the detriment of over 50 percent of the population. We must now ask what other segments of society will fall under the oppression of ‘The Right’ and how regressive their agenda will become.

Those of us who have more years behind us than in front of us have less to fear than our youth who look forward to the fulfillment of a life which affords the opportunity for the realization of their maximum potential. It is for them I fear. If the functions of our government can be distorted to reflect the will of a malignant minority rather than the will of the majority, as outlined in the Constitution, I fear the reinstatement of the worst behaviors of our national history.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. is a minister, a UN Peace Ambassador, President of the Dick Gregory Society, author of “Dick Gregory: Wake Up and Stay Woke.”)

Black women will suffer the harshest consequences after the overturn of Roe (TriceEdneyWire.com)—The Supreme Court just dealt a devastating blow to reproductive rights. With its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, five Republican-appointed Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court swept away half a century of progress and eviscerated women’s rights and equality.

After last month’s leaked opinion, we knew this moment could come, but that doesn’t make today’s news any easier to digest.

For Black women in this country, today’s decision is especially devastating. Thirteen percent of American women are Black, but 38 percent of people receiving abortion care are Black. Abortion is necessary healthcare—and a lack of access can quite literally mean life or death for many Black women. This is especially true for Black women who have lower-incomes, live in rural areas, and do not have access to health care because of systemic racism and discrimination.

According to CDC data, Black women are nearly three times more likely to die during childbirth than White women and are more likely to face maternal health issues. With new abortion restrictions and bans, these health outcomes are expected to get even worse: a 2021 Duke University study estimated the potential death toll following a total abortion ban and found a 33 percent increase in Black women who died due to pregnancy-related complications.

The states that are already moving to ban abortion are among those with the largest Black populations in the country. Consider Mississippi, the state with the highest percent-

Glenda C. Carr

Commentary age of Black residents in the nation, and one of the 13 states with a “trigger law” that ensured today’s decision would result in a near-immediate ban on abortion access.

Three other states with the highest proportion of Black residents—Tennessee, Louisiana, and Arkansas —have these trigger laws in place, and many other states, especially in the South, are moving to severely restrict or outright ban abortion.

The impact of new abortion bans and restrictions will be felt most acutely by poor and working-class Black women—Black women are significantly more likely to live in poverty compared to White women.

For these women, the overturning of Roe won’t mean that abortions will end; it will mean that access to critical, potentially life-saving healthcare will move hundreds of miles out of reach. It will mean time off of work (likely unpaid) and travel and childcare costs—expenses that may not be possible for women living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to simply put meals on the table.

At a time like this, when daughters suddenly have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers, it is challenging to imagine a way

forward. But the answer is to do everything we can to restore our rights and ensure every woman has access to the healthcare they need and deserve, a right afforded to them under our nation’s Constitution.

To do that, we need to elect and elevate more Black women. Black women have been at the forefront of the fight to protect and expand reproductive rights—from members of Congress like Reps. Cori Bush, Ayanna Pressley, and Lauren Underwood, to our first Black woman Vice President Kamala Harris, to soonto-be-seated Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. We must elect Stacey Abrams to lead the state of Georgia—one of the states that is now positioned to severely restrict, or overturn the right to access abortion care under the leadership of their current Governor, Brian Kemp. And finally, we need to not only encourage, but throw our unwavering support behind more Black women from all across the country to run for office—women who personally understand the deep impact that a lack of healthcare and abortion restrictions have on communities that have lacked fair representation for far too long.

Today and every day, I stands with my partners and allies ready to continue the critical fight for access to affordable, safe, legal abortions for all women, no matter where they live, how they identify, or how much money they have. We will not back down.

(Glynda Carr is president and CEO of Higher Heights for America.)

BET Awards show didn’t provide a Black cultural experience (TriceEdneyWire.com)—I will begin by stating that I am a senior citizen journalist/amateur historian who, during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, had memorable experiences of attending at least two or more concerts featuring some of the most inspiring and brilliant Black artists of the twentieth century. As a journalist, I met and interviewed many of them. They provided me and others with soulful and entertaining experiences that remain with us.

They included Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Miles Davis, Lionel Hampton, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Donnie Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Roberta Flack, B.B. King, Max Roach, Abby Lincoln, Teddy Pendergrass, The O’Jays, The Four Tops, The Staples Singers, among others.

Unfortunately, the kind of Black cultural experience they provided was mostly absent at the recent BET Awards show. As I watched the entire three hours it was

A. Peter Bailey

Commentary sorrowful to see so many Back artists performing with a notable lack of what some of us call soul.

Throughout the entire show the host consistently referred to it as an entertaining and cultural presentation. To me, it may have been a cultural experience for some, but it wasn’t a Black cultural experience. In fact, it was a kind of European-American cultural presentation that can be often seen on television and on stages throughout the country.

Other things that, to me, showed its lack of soul was so many Black women and men with dyed or bewigged blonde hair, of Black men wearing sunglasses when

there was no sun in sight, of so many women jumping around the stage in “shake yo’ booty” outfits, of Black men and women with egotistical one name, of too many Black men and women on stage and in the audience who have completely embraced the European concept of fashion and dress.

All of the above made watching the BET Awards show a negative experience for serious Black people who strongly believe that Black culture is a vital contributor in our efforts to promote and protect our human and civil rights in this basically White supremacist society. We totally reject the concept that European-American culture is superior to ours. In fact, many Whites in the cultural and entertainment arenas have artistically and financially exploited the talents of so many Black artists. They are well aware of the greatness of Black cultural and artistic contributions. There was very little Black culture for them to exploit at the BET show.

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FORUM

JULY 6-12, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Start now to take back the Supreme Court (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Did you ever wonder whether elections really matter?

Well, the Trump Supreme Court majority has answered that question for good.

Or, more accurately, they have answered it for bad.

In the term that has just ended, the new far right-wing majority on the Supreme Court went on a rampage. They have torn up decades of legal precedent to diminish Americans’ rights and legal protections. To justify the results they wanted, they lied in their rulings the way some of them lied to get on the court. It has been a shameful display of power politics disguised as judging.

Not surprisingly, the most attention has been paid to the Court majority overturning the 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision. A constitutional right that has made a huge difference in the lives of generations of women was wiped away. The impact will be devastating and deadly.

Millions of individuals and couples dealing with unwanted pregnancies, the trauma of rape or incest, life-threatening pregnancy complications, or even a miscarriage that some intrusive government official decides is suspicious, will have their options severely limited or eliminated entirely.

We know that those restrictions and their consequences will fall most harshly on already vulnerable people, including Black people, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and low-income people. Already in Missouri, a major health care system will no longer treat rape victims with emergency contraception because the state abortion ban puts medical care providers at legal risk.

Anti-abortion state legislators seem to be in competition to see who can pass the most extreme, intrusive, and controlling laws.

Ben Jealous

Commentary Some are even trying to limit people’s right to travel from one state to another, targeting anyone who helps a person from a state that bans abortion get care in a state that permits it. It reminds me of the old fugitive slave laws that forced free states to help slave states deny people their freedom.

Unfortunately, overturning Roe is just one of the harmful decisions handed down by the Trump Court.

The Court intervened in voting rights cases to protect gerrymandering designed to limit Black voters’ access to political power.

This comes on top of other rulings gutting the Voting Rights Act. The Trump Court went after sensible regulation of guns. The far-right justices overturned a New York law more than 100 years old that required people to show a good cause to get a permit to carry concealed firearms. Communities that are already suffering from the effects of gun crime are likely to experience even greater violence now that the court has robbed public officials of options and given the extremist pro-gun political agenda the power of law.

The court also further dismantled the separation of church and state, which protects religious freedom and preserves equality under law for people regardless of their religious beliefs. The Trump court took a wrecking ball to this pillar of American society. It is forcing states to divert tax dollars to religious schools, like some southern states did when they funded White evangelical segregationist academies that emerged in resistance to the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawing racially segregated public schools. This court has made it easier for public officials, like teachers, to coerce students into prayer or other religious practices. This is a very clear threat to anyone whose faith is different from the one dominant in their community or state.

In other words, the U.S. Supreme Court, which we counted on for generations to uphold civil rights and tear down obstacles to equality, is now acting as an arm of the increasingly aggressive far-right political movement.

How did we get here? Simple. Thanks to the anti-democratic Electoral College, Donald Trump was elected in 2016 even though almost three million more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell prevented the Senate from even considering President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nomination so that Trump could fill it instead—and then rushed Trump’s third justice onto the court even as voters were casting ballots to remove Trump from office. Behind Trump and McConnell was a massively funded, decades-long campaign to build the political power to take control of the judiciary.

In other words, winning the presidency and controlling the Senate gave the far right the power to force its harmful agenda on the American public long after voters rejected Trump. Taking the Court back from the extremists who now control it will be a long-term project. It starts with this year’s elections.

(Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.)

Did SCOTUS justify fear of federalism?

In May, Politico published a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the abortion rights decision – Roe v. Wade (1973). The leaked draft indicated there was no federal right to abortion, and each state had to make its own law regarding the procedure. After hearing the news, conservative commentator Glenn Beck said the Supreme Court was reverting the nation back toward federalism – and that’s a good thing.

We all know the Tenth Amendment established federalism by granting each state powers that were not given to the federal government by the Constitution.

Yet many aren’t familiar with the theory of federalism commentators like Beck take for granted.

That theory views each state as a laboratory.

In the world of industry, products are tested for defects before they’re made available. Whereas in the legislative world, there is no laboratory to test laws for unintended harm before they’re made public. If a law is defective, the public suffers until the law is replaced. This process continues until the legislators develop a law that achieves the desired outcome with the least amount of undesired harm to the public.

The laboratory theory suggests it’s better for the experimental process of trial and error to take place at the state level than at the federal level. This way more laws are tried and tested, but at

J. Pharoah Doss

Check It Out the same time, the consequences don’t extend beyond the borders of the state.

From this perspective, the reversal of Roe v. Wade was a victory for federalism, but is that an achievement in itself? A better question might be: Is federalism a fundamental constitutional value that the Supreme Court must give first priority?

Political scientist Richard A. Brisbin Jr. explained federalism is not a fundamental constitutional value, it’s simply a legal mechanism that prevents all powers from accumulating in one set of hands.

More importantly, federalism is not a device that puts the states and Washington in an adversarial relationship.

However, many have misconstrued federalism through an inverted hierarchy of state rights over federal authority.

Advocates for reproductive rights have feared this adversarial misinterpretation of federalism for decades.

In 1989, Harvard Law professors, Susan R. Estrich and Kathleen M. Sullivan sounded the alarm when they

insisted the political process was not to be trusted. The professors stated the very essence of a fundamental right is that it doesn’t depend on the outcome of an election. Therefore, the right to an abortion is not an occasion for the experimentation that federalism invites.

The professors also said the direct impact of abortion restrictions falls exclusively on women. Yet, every restrictive abortion law has been passed by a legislature in which men are the majority. Plus, every restrictive abortion law, by definition, contains an unwritten clause exempting all men from its hindrance.

Legislators threaten liberty when they pass laws that exempt themselves. There is no more effective guarantee against— arbitrary and unreasonable—government than to require that the principle of law that officials impose upon a minority must be imposed generally.

The Supreme Court has long interpreted the equal protection clause to require even-handedness in legislation, or the powerful few will take away key liberties from others.

Conservative commentators like Beck viewed the reversal of Roe v. Wade as a victory for federalism, but several Republican-controlled state legislators misconstrued it as a license to ban abortion with few exceptions.

These Republican-controlled legislators justified decade-long fears of federalism by using their laboratories for theology instead of theory.

America could use a few fireside chats (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once wrote: “The temptation is powerful to close our eyes and wait for the worst to pass, but history tells us that for freedom to survive, it must be defended, and that if lies are to stop, they must be exposed.”

Therefore, it is not surprising that many of those who have testified to date before the Jan. 6 House select committee are not Democrats but Republicans. The testimony, given mainly by Republicans who held key positions in former President Trump’s campaign or administration, refutes claims that the public hearings are part of a partisan witch hunt. Piece by piece, the testimonies given before the American people are solidly exposing the lies. Sen. Tim Scott from South Carolina was asked if he had been watching the hearings. “I have not watched the January 6 hearings,” Scott said, “I was actually in the Senate when it happened. So I don’t need an education on what actually happened.”

He continued by describing the hearings as a “made for TV” event aimed more at “diverting the public’s attention and less to do with finding the truth.” Nowhere in Sen. Scott’s response did he mention the responsibility of Congress in holding all those involved accountable, including members of Congress and members of the former president’s administration and campaign.

The Jan. 6 insurrection was not simply a “dust-up at the Capitol” but a deadly domestic attack on a sacred symbol of American democracy where members inside were proceeding with the lawful transfer of presidential power. Unfortunately for the nation, the senator is not alone in his way of thinking. Many people strongly feel they too “don’t need an education” and are downplaying the attack out of fear or loyalty to the former president. Since Sen. Scott used the word education, maybe teaching is part of the solution in defending democracy and opening closed eyes. But the most effective teaching should come from the top. David Gergen, a former White House adviser who served four sitting presidents—Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton—said, “The role of the leader is to be a teacher.” He also cited former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s belief that moral leadership is “all about the President making choices and trying to bring people along on difficult issues.”

Roosevelt was both highly respected and highly criticized. While credited with helping the nation through the Great Depression and providing strong military leadership during World War II, he had many political detractors who opposed his excessive presidential control. He often clashed with conservatives who disagreed with the growing federal government and national debt. While conservatives were not in favor of his regulations on businesses and his support for labor unions, others were disappointed that Roosevelt was not deeply supportive of civil rights or women’s rights. Whether you view him as a hero or villain, his leadership skills were unmatched in how he connected with everyday people. When Roos-

David W. Marshall

Commentary evelt took office, nearly a third of the nation’s workers were unemployed, many banks and businesses had gone under, and the national income was slashed in half. The country was literally in fear of an unknown future.

During the depression, Roosevelt believed in keeping the people whom he served fully informed. He developed a habit of communicating directly with the public through evening radio addresses (fireside chats). It was an opportunity to subdue rumors while using the simplest language to explain complex reasons behind the proposed social changes. In other words, he was a teacher to the American people. The political climate was much different in the 1930s, where eventually, conservatives accepted the truth from a liberal president. Therefore, his calming manner of communicating effectively lifted the public’s confidence and understanding despite the overall differences in political ideology. He was the only man elected U.S. president four times.

Today our nation again faces an unknown future. For Roosevelt, it was economic depression; today, it is the unknown future of American democracy. About a third of the way through

the 2022 primaries, voters have nominated over 100 Republican candidates for state and federal offices who supported Donald Trump’s false claims saying the 2020 election was rigged.

Despite the shocking details disclosed during the Jan. 6 hearings, election-denying candidates still ignore the truth.

People in the nation fear that the attempts to overthrow the presidential election in 2020 may not be stopped in 2024 with this year’s midterm elections and the wave of election-denying candidates. Many of these candidates will hold positions with the power to interfere in the outcomes of future contests: to block the certification of election results, change the rules around awarding their states’ electoral votes, or accept litigation attempting to set aside the popular vote. Democracy must be defended in real time. Today, we see Democrats and Republicans working together and doing their part with the committee hearings. After the complete findings from the Jan. 6 committee are presented to the public, only time will tell if the Department of Justice and the president will fully rise to the moment.

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

‘Pittsburgh Mississippi’

by Michael Vick

“ Pittsburgh Mississippi” - is where we’re living - a den of iniquity A base for inequality - here a host of black folks - live in poverty White privilege runs deep through these three rivers Time after time the tide favors Caucasians Far too many of us wind up dead - or in police stations In “Pittsburgh “Mississippi” - they’re clever witty and tricky, thus Senseless violence - runs rampant - in “Pittsburgh Mississippi” streets The jokes on us they’ve compromised our minds To root more for the “Steelers” - than our own kind We are being programmed to no longer be angry nor surprised

Seeing Black men in different positions of death time after time We scream and mourn every Steeler lost We’ll shout and march for blockswhen we are shot by cops Yet we sit still and remain silent In the midst of all this neighborhood violence Nightly in “Pittsburgh Mississippi” we hear shots Fearfully anonymously And compassionately someone calls the cops They respond to the block - sadly and routinely - nobody talks Cops say okay - and go away - my people they get paid Regardless - if the murderers - of our family members - are apprehended

“Pittsburgh Mississippi” - is where we live - gun violence surrounds us Our communities are no longer Loving - nurturing safe havens - for our kids My people - if we don’t speak to the police - as they freely kill our peeps We’ve opened the door - for more murderers - to roam our streets When a brother kills another brother He’s no longer - one of our peeps They’re traitors and our enemies and should be dealt with by the police Not other brothers seeking revenge In “Pittsburgh Mississippi’s” streets.

New Pittsburgh Courier

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B5

JULY 6-12, 2022

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

SAP BUSINESS ANALYST III, MM & PP. MSA WORLDWIDE, LLC (CRANBERRY TWP., PA) to be resp. for: applying undrstng advncd intgrtd business prcs; dtrmn app dvlpmnt rqrmnts, prfring complex cnfgrtn tasks & testing in the areas of MM & PP; rsrchng SAP sys, OSS, ASUG. Creats design specs for programs in all aspects of SAP’s ABAP/4. BS degree in IS, Comp.

Sc. or a related tchncl dscpln. +5 years of pr. prgrsl resp. empl. Exp. in the position offered or SAP IT related. Must know (through academic training or work exp.)

SAP PP/MM/QM modules with knwldg in the end-to-end sup-ply chain & mnfctrng process; incl. (but not limited to) PP, Frcstng, Purchase to Pay, discrete mnfctrng, make to order, make to stock, cross co. stock transport orders, MRP/MPS, master data to support MRP optztn, Quality Mngmnt; SAP Sltn Mngr, ASAP mthdlgs & indstr SAP best practices; Cndctng reqrmnt gathering workshops w/client, prfrmng fit gap anal. sessions on the reqrmnt; working w/key users to establish the dvlpmnt reqrmnts; crdntng & cmnctng w/end user/client team on progress of dvlpmnts (RICEF objects); performing configuration setup in IMG, based on the bus. prcs reqrmnt; crdntng w/tchncl team for dvlpmnt objects. Must be willing to travel up to 25% of time, incl. int’l.

Apply to careers@msasafety.com.

Refer to SAP Business Analyst III, MM & PP.

ASSOCIATE CONTRACT SPECIALIST - CONSTRUCTION Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Associate Contract Specialist – Construction to assist Sr. Contract Specialists and Contract Specialist with providing end user department(s) with services, support, guidance, coordination, and consultation to identify and implement procurement objectives and methodologies based upon policy and procedures to secure construction contract agreements and provide comprehensive contract administration support for such agreements. Provide support to the Manager of Contract Administration – Construction. To assist Pittsburgh Regional Transit in preparing for and responding to various State, Local, and Federal Audits.

Essential Functions: Assists Sr Contract Specialists and Contract Specialist by providing in depth administrative support relative to monitoring and administering all construction related activity including but not limited to: • Maintain electronic and paper files documenting all construction related activity from pre-bid to close out including Advertisements, Bid Documents, Bid Tabs, Low Bid Notification, Pre-Award Submittals, Notice of Award, Agreements, Bonds, Insurance Certificates, Notice to Proceed, Change Orders, Work Orders, Pay Estimates, Close Out Documents, and other correspondence as necessary.

• Monitor payment and change order status to ensure there is no disruption in processing.

• Coordinate contract assembly, scanning, printing, and distribution.

• Retrieve data and prepare reports as required for audits or status of contracts, work orders, change orders, payments and other areas as identified.

Assist Sr. Contract Specialists & Contract Specialist with facilitating the development and implementation of PRT’s selected electronic bidding platform; • Perform functions related to posting single and multi-prime construction bids utilizing an electronic bidding platform • Assist with tracking revisions and making updates to Construction Contract Administration Procedure Manual relative to roles and responsibilities of procurement, engineering and construction, legal and other appropriate parties or end users that will be working within the electronic bidding platform; and • Provide administrative support in the planning, development, processing, implementation, and distribution of electronic bidding Training Manual for end user departments and other appropriate parties as necessary.

Job requirements include: • Associates degree in Business Administration or related field from an accredited school. Business Administration or Project Management experience may substitute for the education on a year-for-year basis.

• Minimum of two (2 years ) business administration experience.

• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows and Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint applications. Superior ability to work with technology.

• Detail oriented and comfortable working in a fast-paced office environment; outstanding planning and time-management capabilities; exceptional communication skills, superior organization skills and dedication to completing projects in a timely manner.

• Ability to work in a team environment, experience working collaboratively with other, capability of adjusting priorities and deviating from routines.

Preferred attributes: • BA/BS degree in contract management, business administration or procurement field from an accredited school.

•Electronic procurement experience in PeopleSoft / Oracle.

• Experience with utilizing an electronic bidding platform • Contract management or related certification.

• Valid PA driver’s license.

PROGRAMMER PITTSBURGH, PA Define soft. architecture, dsgn & dvlp code. Dsgng apps using microservices model architecture.

Doc. functional & tech specs. Position req Master’s deg in Comp. Sci., IT., Soft. Engg or rltd field of study w/2 yrs of work exp. in job offered or rltd position w/similar duties. Travel req to unanticipated client locs all over US. Mail Resumes to: Excellerent Technology Solutions Inc, 875 Greentree Road, Suite 104, 7 Parkway Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15220 PROGRAMMER PITTSBURGH, PA Define soft. architecture, dsgn & dvl p c ode. Ds gng a p p s u s i n g microservices model architecture.

Doc. Functional & technical specs.

Position req Bach’s deg in Comp.

Sci., IT., Soft. Engg or rltd field of study w/5 yrs of work exp. in job offered or rltd position. Travel req to unanticipated client locs all over US. Mail Resumes to: Excellerent Technology Solutions Inc, 875 Greentree Road, Suite 104, 7 Parkway Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15220.

COMPUTER/IT: Argo AI seeks Software Engineer II’s to work in Pittsburgh, PA & develop software and services for visualizing and interacting with Argo AI’s 3D maps. Degree & commensurate exp. req’d. Apply online at https://www.argo.ai/careers/#j4320117 COMPUTER/IT: Argo AI seeks Senior Software Engineers to work in Pittsburgh, PA & develop software products, services, & features for our autonomous vehicles.

Degree & commensurate exp. req’d.

Apply online at www.argo.ai/careers/#j4322367 COMPUTER/IT: Argo AI seeks Sr. Data Analysts to work in Pittsburgh, PA & collaborate with internal stakeholders to provide data analysis according to their needs & requirements. Degree & commensurate exp. req’d. Apply online at www.argo.ai/careers/#j4320462 SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking: NURSE Complete job descriptions and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org Applications must be received by 4:00 PM July 13, 2022 MINISTER OF MUSIC MT. OLIVE BAPTIST of Coraopolis is currently accepting applications for the position of Minister of Music.

Job description and application for the position can be found at www.mtobaptist.org Deadline for applications is August 7, 2022.

Interested candidates send application to: Mt. Olive Baptist Church Minister of Music Search Committee 1201 Hiland Ave. Coraopolis, PA 15108 mobchurch@comcast.net CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!

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4 1 6 JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted

ASSOCIATE CONTRACT SPECIALIST – BUS & RAIL Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking an Associate Contract Specialist – Bus & Rail to provide end user department with services, guidance, coordination and consultation to identify procurement objectives and methodologies based upon policy and procedures to secure parts & materials contracts / agreements for Bus & Rail, and provide contract administration support for such agreements. To assist Pittsburgh Regional Transit in preparing for and responding to various State, Local, and Federal Audits. Provide support to the Manager of Contract Administration – Bus & Rail Essential Functions: Oversees, implement, and prepares RFB/RFQ solicitations according to procedures mandated by the State, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), or other agencies; including, but not limited to: • Coordinates the bid process for the routing and approval of RFB’s/ RFQ’s and contracts • Schedule, coordinate, and conducts pre-bid meetings; prepares and distributes records of pre-bid meetings to interested parties.

• Facilitating the receipt of RFB/ RFQ questions, review, and prepare responses to requests for clarification.

• Budget coordination, boilerplate development, scope of work review and RFB/RFQ preparation.

• Performing as the Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s designated contact for the RFB/RFQ solicitation process.

• Directing the activities of the User Group Reviewers and the RFB/ RFQ Evaluation process.

Facilitates the receipt of proposals, and prepares contract award and execution documentation such as bid review / evaluation sheets, procurement summary documents, single bid memorandum, cost and price analysis documentation; • Developing recommendations for Director approval and prepares documents for Board action.

• Facilitating the activities of user department, legal and other appropriate parties to develop agreements.

• Coordinates resolution of protests, claims, disputes, and related issues related to RFB/RFQ solicitation.

Job requirements include: • Associates degree in Business Administration or related field from an accredited school. Business Administration or Project Management experience may substitute for the education on a year-for-year basis.

• Minimum of two (2 years ) business administration experience.

• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows and Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications. Superior ability to work with technology.

• Detail oriented and comfortable working in a fast-paced office environment; outstanding planning and time-management capabilities; exceptional communication skills, superior organization skills and dedication to completing projects in a timely manner.

• Ability to work in a team environment, experience working collaboratively with other, capability of adjusting priorities and deviating from routines.

Preferred attributes: • BA/BS degree in contract management, business administration or procurement field from an accredited school.

• Electronic procurement experience in PeopleSoft / Oracle.

• Contract management or related certification.

• Valid PA driver’s license.

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Amy Giammanco Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AGiammanco@portauthority.org EOE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Pittsburgh Food Policy Council is seeking a full-time Executive Director. The Council’s mission is to build a more just, equitable and sustainable regional food system.

Applicants are encouraged to submit applications by July 16, 2022. To apply: https://pittfoodpolicy.bamboohr. c o m / j o b s / v i e w. p h p ? i d = 2 3 & source=aWQ9MjM%3D CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!

0 5 2

8 9 3 LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Legal Notices

Bids/Proposals

Estate of MS. DIANE SANDRA MILLER, Deceased, of 639 Prospect Street, Crescent, Pennsylvania 15046, Estate No.: 02-2201479, Mr. Todd Kevin Miller and Ms. Cheryl Lynn Miller, Co-Executors, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of JAMES N. WATSON, Deceased, of Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No.: 02-22-03719, Sandra Brooks, 289 Maxwell Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 or to PNC Bank, N.A., 300 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny, Orphan’s Court Division, Estate of MARILYN J. S. HERRLICH, deceased, Case No. 3758 of 2022: Notice is hereby given that on June 9, 2022 a Petition was filed by Harry C. Herrlich to terminate the interests of the heirs and devisees of Marilyn J. S. Herrlich in the real estate located at 14 East Woodford Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 and determine that fee simple title is vested in Harry C. Herrlich.

Estate of HENRY C. FLOOD, JR. No. 02-22-03539 Date of Death: 05/05/2022 PNC Bank, National Association Attn: Sharon L Whitney, VP 300 Fifth Ave, FL 31 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 And/or: Carolyn A. Witworth, Esquire 1500 One PPG Plaza Pittsburgh, PA 15222 NOTICE OF TRUST ADMINITRATION The Trustee named below gives notice of the death of JEAN M. SEILER, Bethel Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, who died on March 7, 2022. During her lifetime, the said Decedent established the Jean M. Seiler Revocable Trust under Trust Instrument dated November 5, 2012, as the same had been amended and restated, of which Tammy Ardolino is the Trustee. The Trustee requests all persons having claims against the Decedent to make known the same in writing to her or her attorney, and all persons indebted to the Decedent to make payment to her without delay: Tammy Ardolino, Trustee 2298 Sidgefiled Lane Pittsburgh, PA 15241 or to Aubrey H. Glover, Atty.

Brenlove & Fuller, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of ROBIN KENYATTA LITTLEPAGE, A/K/A ROBIN LITTLEPAGE, deceased of Pittsburgh,PA, No.: 4066 of 2022, Regina K. Cobbs, Administrator, 2917 Maryland Avenue, North Versailles, PA 15137 or to Jennifer Roller Chontos of Chontos & Chontos, P.C. Attys. 561 Beulah Road, Turtle Creek, PA 15145

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

ROOFING REPLACEMENTS LOCATED WESTMORELAND COUNTY VARIOUS RENTAL & OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSING SITES Sealed bids will be received by Michael L. Washowich, Executive Director, until August 1, 2022, at 10:00 A.M. (Eastern Standard Time) located at the administration office of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, 167 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA 15601. Bids received will then be opened publicly at the WCHA – Warehouse Building located at 154 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA. 15601.

For additional bid requirements and required bid documents visit https://www.wchaonline.com/ current-solicitations/.

A Pre-Bid Meeting (non-mandatory attendance) will be conducted on July 12, 2022 at 1:30 P.M. located at the WCHA – Warehouse Building, 154 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA. 15601.

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to:

Michael L. Washowich, Executive Director Westmoreland County Housing Authority

Amy Giammanco Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AGiammanco@portauthority.org EOE

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HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE TO EXPORT CAMERA FOOTAGE RFP#350-12-22 REBID The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Professional Service to Export Camera Footage The documents will be available no later than June 27, 2022 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 9:00 AM on July 19, 2022. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on July 19, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Proposals may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org.

Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on July 7, 2022 at 10:00 AM. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/83135631313?pwd=N EduOHlOWWlJbXNKQ29mY2d PWWpDUT09 Meeting ID: 831 3563 1313 Passcode: 207396 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

HACP has revised their website.

As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs documentation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to 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.

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LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR THE MANCHESTER REDEVELOPMENT IFB NO. 2022-38-REBID ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION will receive separate sealed bids for the Manchester Redevelopment. The construction work is estimated to begin in December 2022. The estimated values of the project are in the following ranges General Construction: $7,000,129.82 - $10,196,887.87; Electrical Construction: $429,377.33 $625,461.61; Plumbing Construction: $375,427.91 - $546,875.04; Mechanical Construction: $371,713.41 - $541,464.24.

Bid Documents will be available on or about Monday, June 27, 2022 and may be obtained from the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s webpage, www.hacp.org. Bidders may register on the website and download the bid documents free of charge.

A Virtual Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Thursday, July 7, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. virtually at the following link: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86997155904?pwd=M29URj dEb0s0UHFzOEJ5eVdlaDY1Zz09 Meeting ID: 869 9715 5904 Passcode: 948159 One tap mobile +19292056099,,93645753832#,,,,*302603# US (New York) +13017158592,,93645753832#,,,,*302603# US (Washington DC) Bids will be received at: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Attn: Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement until 10:00 a.m. Thursday, July 14, 2022 at which time and place all bids will be received.

Bids will be received at: Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on July 14, 2022 at the HACP Procurement Department, 100 Ross Street, Suite 200, Pittsburgh PA 15219 Attn: Kim Detrick, Chief Procurement Officer. Due to COVID, the bid opening on July 14, 2022 at 10:00AM will be conducted virtually via Zoom. Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87023382740?pwd=dzVFeStwRD BGalM4QUh5NGxGLzh3UT09. Copies of bid documents are not available for in person pickup. Bid Documents, including the Bid Forms, Project Manual, and Drawings, may be obtained from the Business Opportunities Section of the HACP website, www.hacp.org. Prospective Bidders may register as a vendor on the website and download the documents free of charge.

Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person on July 14, 2022 from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on July 14, 2022. Bids may still be submitted electronically at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/ sh/mtzg6tyrijtr6g7/AAD750oIeKTQ5JLdEjrY30jHa?dl=0 and can still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION reserves the right to waive any informality in, or reject any and all bids. No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the opening of bids without the consent of ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally Assisted Construction Contracts. The Contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sexual preference, handicap or national origin.

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh has revised its website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFP documentation.

ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH STRONGLY ENCOURAGES CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement at (412) 456-5116 Opt 1.

Caster D. Binion, President & CEO ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation 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.

ACHA-1682, TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICE Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) is seeking Proposals from qualified vendors to provide Telephone Answering Services, per specifications in the RFP. ACHA is now conducting all competitive solicitation on an internet-based eProcurement Housing Marketplace. ACHA is paying for all costs for the use of the Marketplace so, there will be no additional charges for your company to use the Marketplace to download documents or submit responses to ACHA. AGENCY CONTACT PERSON: Guy Phillips, Purchasing Manager Telephone: (412)402-2435, E-mail: gphillips@achsng.com.

HOW TO OBTAIN THE RFP DOCUMENTS ON THE EPROCUREMENT MARKETPLACE: 1. Access ha.internationaleprocurement.com (no “www”).

2. Click on the “Login” button in the upper left side.

3. Follow the listed directions.

4. If you have any problems in accessing or registering on the eProcurement Marketplace, please call customer support at (866)526-9266.

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LEGAL ADVERTISING

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Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR PRE REAC INSPECTIONS RFP#300-08-22 Pre REAC Inspections The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): The documents will be available no later than June 27, 2022 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 10:00 A.M. on July 19, 2022. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 AM on July 19, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Proposals may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org.

COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY PITTSBURGH, PA JUNE 15, 2022 The Office of the Director of the Department of Public Works for Allegheny County in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, is soliciting Statements of Interest through PennDOT’s ECMS system for the following:

COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY PITTSBURGH, PA JUNE 15, 2022 The Office of the Director of the Department of Public Works for Allegheny County in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, is soliciting Statements of Interest through PennDOT’s ECMS system for the following:

Questions or inquires should be directed to: Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on July 7, 2022 at 11:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/89118827987?pwd=WnBxdmx SRUNudjFpa0hiOFUzclpsdz09 Meeting ID: 891 1882 7987 Passcode: 955046 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

HACP has revised their website.

As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs documentation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to 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.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: No Pre-Proposal Conference: If you have any questions regarding this proposal or any of the documents, use the “Question and Answer area in the eProcurement Housing Marketplace Website.

QUESTION SUBMITTAL DEADLINE Friday, August 5, 2022, 2:00 PM ET

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HOW TO FULLY RESPOND TO THIS RFP BY SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL:

315 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

1. As directed within Section 3.2.1 of the RFP document, submit proposed pricing, where provided for, within the eProcurement Marketplace.

2. As instructed within Section 3.0 of the RFP document, submit One (1) Original and Three (3) copies of your “hard copy” proposal to the Agency Administrative Office.

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL RETURN & DEADLINE * Friday, August 26, 2022, 2:00 PM ET 301 Chartiers Ave, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 (The proposed costs must be entered within the aforementioned eProcurement Marketplace and the “hard copy” documentation must be received in-hand and time-stamped by the Agency by no later than 2:00 PM ET on this date).

The Authority encourages responses from §3 business concerns, small firms, minority firms and firms that have not previously performed work for the ACHA. The Allegheny County Housing Authority reserves the right to reject any and all submissions.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY Frank Aggazio, Executive Director

Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 140 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and

cancellations: Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication

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ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Preliminary Engineering, Final Design, and Services During Construction for McLaughlin’s Run Bridge No. 1 County Project No. ML01-0201 Local Agreement Number: L00656 This is a federal-aid project with PennDOT oversight. Statements of Interest are due no later than July 15, 2022 and are to be submitted through PennDOT’s ECMS System, http://www.dot14.state.pa.us/ECMS The advertisement can be found under agreement number L00656.

A copy of the published advertisement can also be found on the County Website: http://www.county.allegheny. pa.us/bids. Any inquiries into this Advertisement are to be directed to Mr. Jason Molinero, Project Manager at jason.molinero@alleghenycounty. us or 412-350-5469.

The County will use the normal selection process and preselect or short-list at least three firms for consideration for this Project assignment on the following evaluation criteria: experience on Allegheny County and PennDOT projects, ability to meet project schedules, use and experience of subconsultants, management of the design of the project, and commitment to a quality control and quality assurance process.

The County’s Minority and Women disadvantaged goals for this Project will be 13% of the total price for MBE participation and 2% of the total price for WBE participation.

This is a federal-aid project with PennDOT oversight. Statements of Interest are due no later than July 15, 2022 and are to be submitted through PennDOT’s ECMS System, http://www.dot14.state.pa.us/ECMS The advertisement can be found under agreement number L00659.

A copy of the published advertisement can also be found on the County Websit e: ht t p: / / w w w. count y. allegheny.pa.us/bids. Any inquiries into this Advertisement are to be directed to Mr. Jason Molinero, Project Manager at jason.molinero@ alleghenycounty.us or 412-350-5469.

The County will use the normal selection process and preselect or short-list at least three firms for consideration for this Project assignment on the following evaluation criteria: experience on Allegheny County and PennDOT projects, ability to meet project schedules, use and experience of subconsultants, management of the design of the project, and commitment to a quality control and quality assurance process. The County’s Minority and Women disadvantaged goals for this Project will be 13% of the total price for MBE participation and 2% of the total price for WBE participation.

Stephen G. Shanley, PE, Director Department of Public Works of Allegheny County

Stephen G. Shanley, PE, Director Department of Public Works of Allegheny County

COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY PITTSBURGH, PA JUNE 15, 2022 The Office of the Director of the Department of Public Works for Allegheny County in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, is soliciting Statements of Interest through PennDOT’s ECMS system for the following: ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Preliminary Engineering, Final Design, and Services During Construction for Big Sewickley Creek Bridge No. 7 County Project No. SB07-0111 Local Agreement Number: L00658 This is a federal-aid project with PennDOT oversight. Statements of Interest are due no later than July 15, 2022 and are to be submitted through PennDOT’s ECMS System, http://www.dot14.state.pa.us/ECMS The advertisement can be found under agreement number L00658.

A copy of the published advertisement can also be found on the County Websit e: ht t p: / / w w w. count y. allegheny.pa.us/bids. Any inquiries into this Advertisement are to be directed to Mr. Richard Connors, Project Manager at richard.connors@alleghenycounty.us or 412-350-6671.

The County will use the normal selection process and preselect or short-list at least three firms for consideration for this Project assignment on the following evaluation criteria: experience on Allegheny County and PennDOT projects, ability to meet project schedules, use and experience of subconsultants, management of the design of the project, and commitment to a quality control and quality assurance process.

The County’s Minority and Women disadvantaged goals for this Project will be 13% of the total price for MBE participation and 2% of the total price for WBE participation.

Stephen G. Shanley, PE, Director Department of Public Works of Allegheny County

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ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Preliminary Engineering, Final Design, and Services During Construction for Wible Run Bridge No. 11 County Project No. WB11-0101 Local Agreement Number: L00659

Black Pittsburgh.

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

128 or 129

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