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BLACK PITTSBURGH MATTERS Commentary by Councilmen Burgess and Lavelle Page B6
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 111 No. 32 Two Sections
AUGUST 5-11, 2020
thenewpittsburghcourier Published Weekly $1.00
It will be a ‘first day of school’ unlike any other PPS board votes for in-home learning for at least nine weeks beginning Aug. 31
SYLVIA WILSON, the board president, said it was
KEVIN CARTER, who introduced the resolution,
SALA UDIN, a board member, warned that if
by Rob Taylor Jr.
many different shirt colors are permitted? And for the kids, the first day of school might be their first time riding the school bus, meeting their new homeroom teacher, or catching up with old friends. Yes, it’s easy to explain that the coronavirus is halting all of this, but it’s still difficult for people to wrap their heads around the fact that, at least for
only. No students will be in any school buildings. The board held a special session on July 31 to hold the vote on the resolution to have online-only learning for the first nine weeks, introduced on July 22 by board member Kevin Carter. Seeing as it was a decision that would affect thousands of students, parents and staff alike, the interest in the vote
a tough decision for the board, but a decision that had to be made.
Courier Staff Writer
For Pittsburgh parents, grandparents and guardians, explaining to the kids why there won’t be the traditional “first day of school” in the Pittsburgh Public Schools district shouldn’t be too difficult— by now, everyone’s heard of COVID-19. However, take a step back, think about it for a
moment... The month of August is usually filled with anticipation—heading to the stores to purchase school supplies, or heading to different community events in Lincoln-Lemington, the North Side, or the Hill District, to receive free bookbags and other items. This time of year is also about getting the kids’ uniforms for school, if needed. What’s the right size? How
asked fellow board members, “Are you willing to gamble the lives of students and staffs?” the 23,000 students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools district, there will be no “first day of school” for the kids to get excited about, the way kids across the country have in the previous, oh, 100 years or so. August 31 is now the first day of “virtual school” for the district, as the district’s board members on July 31 voted unanimously, 9-0, to make the first nine weeks of the school year online
COVID-19 doesn’t let up, there may not be in-school instruction until 2021. was high. More than 1,000 people were tuned into the district’s live-stream of the meeting online, which began around 3:15 p.m. The vote came at 4:30 p.m., after the board members voiced their final opinions on the matter at-hand. Carter, among other statements, told the board that “we have a responsibility to ensure the safety SEE PPS A4
‘Lifetime of discrimination’ equals increased hypertension in African Americans Blacks 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure
by Renee P. Aldrich For New Pittsburgh Couier
It’s a well-established fact that African Americans suffer disproportionately from most all chronic health disorders, including heart disease, diabetes and higher rates of various cancers. Researchers
and health care providers have identified some African Americans’ lifestyle choices, such as smoking, poor eating habits, obesity and lack of exercising as the things that contribute to rampant health disparities. It would seem that this would be “good news” be-
cause overall, a “lifestyle” is something in which people have a choice. African Americans can choose not to smoke or have poor eating habits. However, in data extracted from a study, which was then published by the American Heart Association in July, it’s been de-
termined that Blacks have an even more insidious adversary over which they have no control, which keeps Blacks at the top of the list for chronic disease and early death—discrimination. Experiencing “Lifetime Discrimination,” as it was called by the AHA, is a
chronic stressor that was found to increase the risk for hypertension, or high blood pressure, in African Americans. There have been other studies showing that discrimination affects African Americans’ health; however, this research, which was based on 1,845 Afri-
can Americans between ages 21 and 85 in Jackson, Miss., is one of the first large, community-based studies to suggest a direct link between discrimination and hypertension. Researchers reviewed data on the African AmerSEE HYPERTENSION A5
HAPPY 104TH! ...AND HAPPY 108TH BIRTHDAY!
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A special congratulations from the Courier to Nan Currington, pictured at left, who turned 104 years young on July 23, and Beatrice Coleman, pictured at right, who turned 108 years young on July 29! For more on their special celebrations, see Pages A6 and A7. (Photos by J.L. Martello)