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HISTORIC SETTLEMENT REACHED Breonna Taylor’s family awarded $12 million settlement, but what about the criminal charges?

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SEPTEMBER 16-22, 2020

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A SPECIAL REPORT

PITTSBURGH’S BLACK FARMERS WORK TO GROW A NEW FUTURE It’s an industry dominated by White males. But Black farmers in Pittsburgh are on the rise

EBONY LUNSFORD-EVANS is among the African American farmers in Pittsburgh who are making a name for themselves in an overwhelmingly-White dominated industry. (Photo by Brian Cook Sr.)

by Hal B. Klein For New Pittsburgh Courier

In March and April, as the novel coronavirus pandemic took hold of the region, the program Ebony Lunsford-Evans designed to teach gardening to seniors on the North Side of

Pittsburgh was shut down.

It was also the first spring for her business, FarmerGirlEb, through which she sells a variety of produce grown in plots peppered throughout the West End and North Side.

At the time, nobody was sure how long the stay-at-

home order would last and what it would mean for the season’s sales.

In May, TaRay and Raynise Kelly launched their small business, Soil Sisters Plant Nursery, selling seedlings to experienced and beginner gardeners eager to get a start on

Sutonia Boykin named VP of Student Affairs at CCBC She’s the first African American at the school to hold the position

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

According to Sutonia Boykin, wanting to have a career in higher education isn’t something a person desires to be when they’re young. Rather, there are certain experiences a person goes through, say, during their college expe-

COURIER EXCLUSIVE rience and other life experiences, that inspires that desire to assist others in their educational journey.

Dr. Boykin’s experiences as a student at Cheyney University, a Historically Black College near Philadelphia, “is the reason I’m in higher education

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today,” she told the New Pittsburgh Courier in an exclusive interview, Sept.

14. “It was through those SEE BOYKIN A5

the growing season. They worried, however, about the fate of their garden-focused summer camp for kids.

Those working in agriculture, a fragile business to start with, typically handle so many variables each year that are out of busi-

ness owners’ hands. But 2020 has been a season full of more than the usual mix of uncertainty, one shaped by the economic and cultural impact of a pandemic few could have planned for. The ongoing public health measures in place to mitigate the impact of

COVID-19 made it harder to connect with potential customers. At the same time, it has bolstered an awareness of food access and increased sensitivities to what is produced locally.

SEE FARMERS A2

‘Just unlimited energy’

Pittsburgh’s music community honors Don Patterson

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

In February, the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Genea L. Webb penned an article on Don Patterson wanting to create a wax museum in Pittsburgh, specifically honoring musical talent.

“There’s so much musical talent that has come out of Pittsburgh and I don’t think the story’s been told and that’s what I want to do. I want to tell the story because the story deserves to be told,” Patterson said in the article. “I fell in love with MUSIC PROMOTER AND EDUCATOR DON PATTERSON died at age 61 on music at the age of 7 after June 27.

I got Parliament’s ‘Testify’ (song) and I fell in love Although a funeral was Afro-American Music Inwith museums and wax held for the longtime edu- stitute in Homewood, Aug. figures after my father cator and music promoter 29. took me to Canada, and I after his June 27 death, Patterson, who died at went to Ripley’s Believe It Pittsburgh’s music com- age 61 from heart disease, Or Not and saw the wax munity felt more should worked closely over the figures and how real they be done for Patterson. years with the Afro-Amerlooked.”

Patterson had done so ican Music Institute in Anyone who knew Patmuch for the music indus- public relations, and the terson knew he was optitry in Pittsburgh and be- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mistic, ambitious, entreyond since coming to the reported he worked in the preneurial, and always Steel City from Cleveland same capacity with the thought he could achieve in 1983 to attend the Art Kingsley Association. anything. And over the Institute of Pittsburgh.

To even more music lovcourse of his life, his The community re- ers, Patterson was known achievements were nusponded with “A Tribute merous.

SEE PATTERSON A7 to Don Patterson,” at the

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A SPECIAL REPORT—BLACK FARMERS WORK TO GROW A NEW FUTURE FARMERS FROM A1

For new business owners Lunsford-Evans and the Kelly sisters, the pandemic, as well as the social justice movement that has grown exponentially this summer, put a greater emphasis on what had driven them to start their own companies.

Both are part of a relatively new movement of Black farmers in Pittsburgh, and their business goals include helping to create a better system, a lasting framework for Black-owned agricultural businesses, along with addressing issues sur-

nomic system should work.”

For Lunsford-Evans, sustainability is erecting an infrastructure that addresses everything from reviving and sharing knowledge about how to grow food at home to creating greater access to transportation and mobility so that Black farmers can get their products to neighborhoods across Pittsburgh.

“We need an economy that teaches our children how to grow and how to get a stake in the agriculture industry.

Right now, we have none,”

According to the recently released 2017 U.S. Department of Agriculture census, there are zero Black-owned production farms or ranches in Allegheny County and just three in Pittsburgh’s surrounding counties. rounding food apartheid—a term that highlights the lack of high-quality, affordable fresh food and the systemic race-based structures that cause it.

“We’re working to change an unfair system,” TaRay Kelly says. “There aren’t too many of us, yet. So we’re going to put that knowledge together and expand it.”

Building the movement According to the recently released 2017 U.S. Department of Agriculture census, there are zero Black-owned production farms or ranches in Allegheny County and just three in Pittsburgh’s surrounding counties.

The growers who set up stands at farmers’ markets and those with direct access to area restaurants, particularly high-end establishments, are almost universally White. Dan Dalton, Three Rivers Hub manager for Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, says that this reflects the current population of farmers in the area who are growing at scale, but that there are an increasing number of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) farmers who are distributing their produce through different channels such as donation and sharing among neighbors.

TaRay Kelly says that changing the system means taking a full-spectrum approach to sustainability, starting with compost and seeds, moving through the growing season, and then into extending and preserving the harvest through the winter.

“We need to think about the whole system. We should be able to support Black ownership throughout the system. And we want to all work together to elevate that culture,” she says. “That’s how our eco-

Lunsford-Evans says.

More than two decades ago, Raqueeb Bey, one of the movement’s pioneers, began to lay a foundation for this work toward systematic change after she moved back to Pittsburgh from Atlanta in 2000 and was inspired by her godfather, Baba Amir Rashid, an avid backyard gardener.

She went on to found an organization to teach young people in the city how to garden, Mama Africa’s Green Scouts, in 2011 and then, in 2015, she formed the Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Cooperative, (also known as BUG-FPC) “a collective of Black men and women involved in urban gardening and food justice for Black people.”

The need to pass on the fraying generational knowledge of how to garden is why she took action, she said. In addition to what she learned from her godfather, she tapped into resources ranging from establishment organizations such as the Pasa Sustainable Agriculture and Grow Pittsburgh to permaculturists who ran Landslide Community Farm. Those early connections led to other organizational work, including with the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, where she served on the steering committee through December 2019 and the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, where she serves as a board member.

Now, in addition to her work at Grow Pittsburgh, where she oversees a tool lending library as the garden resource coordinator, she also runs the Homewood Community Historic Farm, a project of BUGFPC. It broke ground in 2017 and blossomed into abundance this summer under the supervision of

EBONY LUNSFORD-EVANS, left, owner of FarmerGirlEb. She sells a variety of produce grown in plots throughout Pittsburgh. (Photos by Brian Cook Sr. )

“We need an economy that teaches our children how to grow and how to get a stake in the agriculture industry. Right now we have none.”

EBONY LUNSFORD-EVANS

On a one-acre Perry Hilltop farm, Abdulkadir Chirambo, president of the United Somali Bantu of Greater Pittsburgh, works with three elders in the community to produce a field laden with okra, peppers, tomatoes, greens and a massive swath of sweet corn.

Bey and a fellow certified master gardener, Celeste Taylor. On a hot, sunny August afternoon, you’ll find a crew of volunteers tending to bountiful beds of vegetables, an apiary, juvenile fruit trees and a hoop house on two formerly blighted lots on a block in Homewood covering an area of 31,000 square feet.

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“Black people growing food has become more mainstream,” Bey says, referring to the shift in thinking in Pittsburgh but also reflecting an ongoing change throughout the country. “But,” she says, “like I always tell people about this farm in Homewood, we didn’t do this overnight.”

Kent Bey (no relation to Raqueeb) is one of the newer entrants into the local industry. A longtime community organizer of multidisciplinary arts and youth leadership programs, it’s his first year tending to Peace and Friendship Farm, which includes 85 beds, mostly of galvanized steel, on land in the Hill District.

On a hot August afternoon, as he talks about the work, the novice farmer has something in common with just about every farmer and gardener in Pittsburgh—he’s battling groundhogs. It’s just one of the obstacles he is learning how to deal with. There were also irrigation issues to figure out over this hot, dry summer. But the United States Navy veteran— he served overseas in the 1980s—is confident he and his colleagues can handle it all. The farm is the latest project of his Project Love Coalition, an organization that empowers veterans.

“We’re accustomed to doing service for our nation, so we wanted to continue to do service for our communities,” Bey says.

Starting a farm made sense, he says, because of its therapeutic value, both

in the physical and mental act of working the land and the impression it makes on a neighborhood. There are currently about 20 people working in the plot, with a core team of eight that put in the most work.

What Bey wants is for Peace and Friendship Farm to become a catalyst to a more substantial farming and workforce development project, helping veterans use the skills they learned in military service to become community leaders and feed those less fortunate.

“This is all justice-related.

You’re dealing with housing injustice, with gentrification. You’re dealing with police brutality. And if you have an urban farm, which is what we have here, you’re empowered to grow what you eat,” he says.

Empowering Black residents to have agency over what they eat is what matters most to Lunsford-Evans, too. The longtime educator teaches everyone from youth to seniors how to garden and what to do with the food that they grow.

“The fear of not knowing what to do is a barrier.

People ask if they have to go to school to learn how to grow. Or, they lost one plant years ago, and they think they can’t do it,” she says. “I’m on a mission to restore the lost abilities of a generation.”

When the pandemic threatened to pause that work, at least temporarily, she got creative.

“When COVID came along, it really opened up

my eyes to the struggles of senior citizens,” she says.

In March and April, she set up gardens for seniors at the community center run by Allen Place Community Services on the North Side, where the original teaching program she had designed was shut down.

She helped them with upkeep, keeping a safe distance. “I Zoom with them, I email them, they send me pictures if they’re having issues,” she says.

The latest project at the Homewood Community Historic Farm is a meditation and healing garden in the shape of an ankh on the corner of Monticello and North Murtland. It will be furnished with aromatic herbs and colorful tiles, a place for refuge and reflection. Like many urban agricultural spaces, part of its mission is to bring people together, Raqueeb Bey says.

Bey is also leading the charge for BUG-FPC to expand into operating a cooperative grocery store in Homewood. “This is a neighborhood of food apartheid. We need a store here that serves the community.

It’s not just about growing gardens. There is community organizing we need to do, too,” she says.

Making room On a one-acre Perry Hilltop farm, in early August, Abdulkadir Chirambo, president of the United Somali Bantu of Greater Pittsburgh, works with three elders in the commuSEE FARMERS A2

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A SPECIAL REPORT—BLACK FARMERS WORK TO GROW A NEW FUTURE FARMERS FROM A2

nity to produce a field laden with okra, peppers, tomatoes, greens and a massive swath of sweet corn.

Last year, the food from what’s now called Mwanakuche Community Garden went to feed the Somali community, as well as the farm’s neighbors and anyone who happened to visit the occasional farmstand.

This year, despite having open days for people to pick, the harvest is in danger of going to waste. “I have no idea what I’m going to do with all this food right now,” Chirambo says.

Chirambo says that he was planning on setting up a stand for the farm at the CitiParks Northside Farmers’ Market, but internal financial struggles prevented him from applying for a spot this year.

Even if he had applied, this year would have been hard for a new farmer to get access, according to Christina Howell, executive director of Bloomfield Development Corp., which runs one of the largest farmers’ markets in the city.

She says that because of the issues surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, they only added one new vendor, a fabric mending business, to the Bloomfield Saturday Market this year. Market attendance is down about 35 percent, but the growers are seeing sales that are equal to, or, in some cases, significantly exceeding previous years.

Howell says that the market operators hadn’t made much of an effort in the past to reach out to Black farm-

Kelly opened Soil Sisters in 2020, it was both a business decision and one made with a bigger purpose: They envision themselves as the next set of pioneers for systemic change.

Both sisters have significant experience in growing plants. TaRay Kelly works at the University of Pittsburgh, helping to maintain the grounds—she says she was the first Black woman, and only the second woman overall, to have her position in which she does pest control, hardscaping, tree care and flower planting on campus. Raynise Kelly studied horticulture at Bidwell and interned with Plantscape, Tree Pittsburgh and The Frick and then worked a two-year externship at Brenckles Greenhouses. After graduation, she landed a job at Grow Pittsburgh, where she still works.

“We’re often the first people who look like us who are in the room trying to do something,” says TaRay Kelly. “So, if we meet someone else who wants to do it, we’re there to share this with them.”

Opening and running a plant nursery and selling seedlings is a way to keep breaking through barriors.

That’s because it is a part of the food economy Black people in Pittsburgh have no stake in. And, continuing the earlier efforts of organizations such as BUGFPC, it’s also a means of empowering other people to grow their food, too.

And while acknowledging that the local food justice movement has received

THE SOIL SISTERS are TaRay and Raynise Kelly. more support from Pittsburgh institutions and private foundations, they point to challenges new entrants into the business world still face.

Earlier this year, the Soil Sisters were at first denied a variance from Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission to build a hoop house —a structure similar to a greenhouse that, among other small differences, doesn’t use electricity for heating and cooling. It took a concentrated effort through connections they had built through their advocacy work to finally get the help they needed to work their way through the bureaucracy.

“There are people within our network who understand how the system isn’t fair. They see it. And they’re using their platforms, their privilege, their connections to fight for us,” Raynise Kelly says.

That access to influence shouldn’t be the way to get things done, she said. “People from out-of-state are coming into neighborhoods, building places that people that live in them can’t afford. What value does that add to those communities?

We have two inner-city residents, natives of this city, with a table and a tent selling seedlings. Why aren’t we the ones you’re helping?”

Lisa Freeman, owner of Manchester Growing Together Farm, just built a greenhouse on a large plot that she owns in Manchester. Instead of another run of boxy, generic houses put up by developers, something that’s happening throughout the North Side neighborhood, Freeman’s land is vibrant with summer Growing the business When TaRay and Raynise vegetables and decorative

ers, but that it’s become a priority for when the market is able once again to expand the number of growers it can support.

And there are organizations such as Grow Pittsburgh, Grounded PGH and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture that are offering inkind labor, advice and help navigating barriers farmers run into.

Chirambo, for example, is now working on a larger project—Mwanakuche Farm, a 13.5 acre piece of land in Mercer County he is leasing from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

It’s an endeavor that he says has benefited from advice and introductions from several of those organizations, along with the Penn State Extension. On the new farm, the Somali-Bantu community will grow food crops friendly to the Western Pennsylvania climate, and will also aim to adapt Somali crops to the environment.

He also plans on raising animals such as goats, chickens and maybe even a few cows in a closed-loop system where animals feed the farm, and the farm feeds the animals. It’ll allow the Somali-Bantu to combine their homeland’s institutional knowledge with farming practices they’ve learned in the U.S. They plan to bring the farm’s expected bounty back to Allegheny County to distribute in areas affected by food poverty.

“It will represent us. It will be a place for the community to visit and for people to come and learn more about our culture,” Chirambo says.

RAQUEEB BEY is considered one of the pioneering Black farmers in the Pittsburgh region. (Photo by Brian Cook Sr.) touches, including a colorful rooster mural. The longtime urban gardener plans on filing the greenhouse over the next few weeks for a winter CSA subscription.

She also plans on offering a full year’s worth of produce next growing season.

She said the industry needs to address access— and land ownership.

“It has to be looked at through a full lens. And the way we’ve been doing it until now hasn’t been fair. It hasn’t been equitable,” she says. Utilizing public programs such as Adopt-a-Lot to build a small farm won’t necessarily build lasting equity for the farmers, for example.

“The people doing it on public land, they’re providing numbers the nonprofits are feeding back to funders.

And those organizations are using those numbers to get big donations and feeding back pennies.”

“I don’t want to be beholden to anyone. I own this,” she says. “I want to develop wealth for my next generation. Black people haven’t developed that wealth.”

“Access to land is a big issue,” says Lunsford-Evans, echoing Freeman. “As is the lack of Black-owned banks.”

Lunsford-Evans, who grows her produce in her backyard, a nearby community garden and in her sister’s yard, sees herself selling her array of produce, as well as value-added products such as tinctures and salves, at more markets, particularly in the West End, where access to fresh produce is limited.

“My complete vision is to consolidate into one place where I can grow food and flowers, and have a space for education and for the community to grow,” she says.

Her business plan for FarmerGirlEb is to eventually own acreage but right now she’s thinking about the generational roadblocks—such as redlining —to getting there.

“We as Black people need to look to ourselves for what we can do to build ourselves. We are the understructure of the United States. We hold it up. But we have no base for ourselves. So, we need to get together to build that,” she says.

A movement grows At the Homewood Historic Farm, Raqueeb Bey noticed an increased interest this summer from the community—more people getting in touch with her to learn how to grow their own food.

That curiosity, she says, is beginning to extend the network of Black agriculture in Pittsburgh.

“We love that more people are growing their own food.

And we love it that more Black growers are coming together as a collective to work,” she says.

Lunsford-Evans says that connecting and collaborating with people has been hard to do this summer with everyone trying to stay as safe as possible.

Still, she’s built a loyal customer base at a small weekend farmers market in Sheraden, and she has on occasion brought her produce to neighborhoods such as Clairton, and to areas farther north such as Aliquippa, that don’t typically have access to fresh produce.

“I feel so secure when I come out here (to my garden), regardless of what’s happening,” says Lunsford-Evans. “If I don’t have any money, if I can’t go anywhere, if my kids are hungry, they can go out and grab strawberries or an apple. If they want to have a salad, they can get lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.

That makes me feel good.

So, that’s what I want for

other people, too.”

TaRay Kelly says: “We couldn’t have asked for a better first season or introduction to our business.”

They have a fall crop of seedlings that will be ready for sale in the forthcoming weeks. “The show must go on. Everything is back in its rotation.”

In July, the sisters were able to get their Soil Sisters summer camp running, outdoors with face coverings and physical distancing measures in place to ensure best public health practices. They ran two Sunday sessions—for 10 kids ages 6 to 9 and 12 kids ages 10 to 13—for five weeks at McKinley Park in Beltzhoover.

That next generation will

“think beyond where we are,” Raynise Kelly says.

“Where can you put yourself to make a profit? How does the chain of command work? What are the pieces in the system? I’m buying tons of pots, for example.

I don’t know any Blackowned pot companies.

Somebody needs to get out there and start making some pots, so I can buy pots from that company.”

(This story was produced as part of a collaborative reporting project by the Pittsburgh Media Partnership. Learn more about their partners in the collaborative and help support the work at thebigstorypgh.com.)

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Breonna Taylor’s family awarded $12 million settlement, but what about the criminal charges?

Three Louisville officers who caused Taylor’s death still haven’t been arrested or charged

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

No amount of money can keep down the outcry for criminal charges to be filed against the Louisville Police officers who caused Breonna Taylor’s death.

The city of Louisville announced Tuesday, Sept. 15, that it will pay a $12 million settlement to Taylor’s family after a civil lawsuit was filed by Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, against

the city in April. The suit alleged that police used bad information when they obtained a no-knock warrant to forcibly enter Taylor’s residence in March.

Police thought they would find drugs in her home, as they suspected Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, who did not reside at the location, had used the house to store drugs.

But when they entered the home, they were met with a gunshot by Taylor’s SUPPORTERS OF BREONNA TAYLOR, during a series of marches in Louisville, Ky., in August. (Photos by Emmai Alaquiva)

boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who thought intruders were trying to break in. Officers returned fire, striking and killing Taylor, the 26-year-old Black woman who was an Emergency Medical Technician.

And drugs were never found in the residence.

The $12 million settlement was met with positive and negative reactions across the country. Some community leaders believed the settlement was a way for the Taylor family and its millions of nationwide supporters to calm their call for the officers to be charged. While Louisville mayor Greg Fischer apologized to the Taylor family for her death, the terms of the settlement said that the city doesn’t have to admit any wrongdoing, and three of the of-

pray for Breonna’s family, who I know would rather have her.”

Palmer was quick to point out at the Sept. 15 press conference that, along with the financial settlement, a number of police reform measures were included in the settlement. “Justice for Breonna means that we will continue to save lives in her honor. No amount of money accomplishes that, but the police reform measures that we were able to get passed as a part of this settlement mean so much more to my family, our community, and to Breonna’s legacy.”

CNN reported that the city of Louisville agreed to establish a housing credit program as an incentive for officers to live in the areas they serve, use social workers to provide support

The $12 million settlement was met with positive and negative reactions across the country. ficers involved in Taylor’s death have yet to be arrested or criminally charged.

The social justice organization Until Freedom released a statement, saying that “no amount of money will bring back Breonna Taylor. We see this settlement as the bare minimum you can do for a grieving mother. The city isn’t doing her any favors. True justice is not served with cash settlements. We need those involved in her murder to be arrested and charged.

We need accountability. We need justice.”

Celebrities weighed in on Twitter, with actress Kerry Washington saying that “a settlement was reached but justice was not served.

Arrest the officers who killed #BreonnaTaylor.”

Rapper and activist Common said: “Arrest. And. Charge. The. Cops. Who. Murdered. Breonna. Taylor.”

Bernice King, a daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said that “a wrongful death settlement is not justice. It is the very least Louisville could do in response to the gross negligence and disregard for life that its officers demonstrated in killing #BreonnaTaylor. I continue to

on certain police runs, and require commanders to review and approve search warrants before seeking judicial approval.

Palmer also pointed out that for her, the financial settlement won’t stop her quest to get true justice for her daughter, in the form of the officers being charged and convicted of murder. “We must lose focus on what the real drive is and with that being said, it’s time to move forward with the criminal charges because she deserves that and much more.”

The Associated Press reported that the city of Louisville has already taken some other police reform measures, including a law passed in the name of Taylor that bans the use of no-knock warrants. Louisville is also going to begin tracking police use of force incidents and citizen complaints, and city officers will be encouraged to perform two paid hours of volunteer work every two weeks in the communities they serve.

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Taylor family, said at the news conference that “we won’t let Breonna Taylor’s life be swept under the rug.”

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S tonia o in named V of St dent Affairs at CC C She’s the first African American at the school to hold the position BOYKIN FROM A1

experiences and those connections that inspired me.”

Dr. Boykin earned her undergraduate degree from Cheyney in Business Administration, then earned her master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from Long Island University-Brooklyn. She later earned her Doctorate in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University.

Her professional career has taken her in the classroom as an adjunct professor, and into the managerial room in universities’ departments of student development.

And come Oct. 1, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned exclusively that Dr. Boykin will become Community College of Beaver County’s Vice President of

Student Affairs. She’ll be the first African American in CCBC’s history to hold the position. Dr. Boykin will report to Dr. Davis and be a member of the President’s Executive Cabinet.

“We are pleased to welcome Sutonia to the CCBC faculty,” said Dr. Roger W. Davis, CCBC President, who is also African American, in a statement provided to the Courier. “Her impressive experience, leadership style and results-driven approach will help to build educational pathways for the students and faculty around her and ensure that our core values of Students First is upheld and maintained.”

Dr. Boykin is joining CCBC from Rockland Community College of the State University of New York,

where she is the Dean of Student Development. Dr. Boykin also was Director of Transfer Services at LaGuardia Community College, also in New York.

During CCBC’s nationwide search for a VP of Student Affairs, Dr. Boykin was particularly interested in the position because of Dr. Davis’ top-notch reputation that still permeates around Rockland Community College. He came to CCBC in 2016 from Rockland, where he was Associate Vice President of Instruction and Academic Services. Dr. Boykin joined Rockland a few months after Dr. Davis had left the college. “When I saw the opportunity, I thought this was a great opportunity to work with him,” Dr. Boykin said.

Dr. Boykin added: “I appreciate the confidence of President Davis and the support of the search committee, and I eagerly appreciate becoming a Titan, and together we will continue to shape world-changers.”

Her vast knowledge of the student transfer process from two- to four-year colleges helped her create a transfer center for Rockland Community College.

Students there were able to meet representatives from four-year colleges “from Day 1,” Dr. Boykin said, because the transfer process “is a developmental process. That’s not something that happens overnight.”

Overall, the student affairs department is responsible for creating that “vibrant campus life experience,” Dr. Boykin said.

“Intentional opportunities for student engagement,” she added, with “evidence that learning happens everywhere.”

Dr. Boykin, who grew up in Brooklyn, told the Courier that as the first person in her immediate family to graduate from college, many students can relate to her, and she can relate to them. “Education does work. Education is for everyone, and wherever you want to go, there is always a support system that will surround you and assist you in getting where you need to be,” she said. “But the basis is, it starts off with going to college, because college presents that foundation and provides that support.”

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Pirates broadcasters will be discussing the Courier and its legendary place in Pittsburgh and African American history during

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SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF LOCAL ORGANIZATION JOURNEY TO FREEDOM The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that local organization Journey To Freedom is holding its first virtual event on Saturday, Sept. 19, which will benefit its ministry partners in Kenya.

The virtual event is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Topics discussed during the event will be abandonment and rejection, anger and bitterness, forgiveness, guilt, and shame and condemnation.

“It’s going to be some great conversation that all leads us back to God’s purpose and power,” said Carolyn A. Jefferson, with Journey To Freedom.

To register for the event, visit the following website: www.journeywomen.faith and then click on the registration link. Fee is $20, with the proceeds going to its ministry partners in Kenya. The first 50 people to register will receive a

free gift.

“During this pandemic, we have certainly seen the need for encouragement and reminders that

our God is faithful and he hasn’t forgotten us,” Jefferson said.

For more information, call 1-877-263-7333.

ERIC W. SPRINGER, ESQ. HEALTH LAW PIONEER AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST MAY 17, 1929 - SEPTEMBER 5, 2020 Eric W. Springer, Esq. peacefully made his transition at home on September 5th at the age of 91. Springer was a founding partner of the first Hospital and Health Law firm, Horty, Springer & Mattern. A Senior Editor of ACTION KIT for Hospital Law and Estes Park Institute, he authored several books including Nursing and the Law, Group Practice and the Law and Automated Medical Records and the Law. Active in the community, he was the first Black President of the Allegheny County Bar Association; was a member of the Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations; and served on numerous boards including Pittsburgh Public Theater, the Senator John Heinz History Center.

He enjoyed 61 harmonious years of marriage with his wife Cecile M. Springer with whom he raised two children, Brian and Christina Springer. He cherished five grandchildren, Imani Nia Norris (Springer), Maryn Springer, Daja and Brian Springer and Winston Nunley and delighted in four great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, remembrances in his name be made to: Oakwood Friends School, Eric Springer Scholarship Fund. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 AM, Friday, September 18th, St. Paul Cathedral, Pittsburgh. Arrangements by John A. Freyvogel Sons, Inc. (freyvogelfuneralhome.com)

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

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METRO

SEPTEMBER 16-22, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

PROJECT LOVE COALITION PRESENTS…

THE JUSTICE FELLOWSHIP COOKOUT As many organizations across Pittsburgh have held discussions and socially-distanced events related to racial injustice, local nonprofit organization Project Love Coalition had the most unique idea—bring people together to talk about racial injustice… at a farm.

The Peace and Friendship Farm was the site of the July 25 cookout event, 678 Somers St. The Peace and Friendship farm is designed to help get veterans

involved in the agricultural business. They can grow not only the organic fruits and foods, but they can also grow their business acumen, and over time, wealth.

Veterans and non-veterans spoke on the open mic at the event to address certain justice-related topics. July 25, the date of the event, was exactly two months after the tragic killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a White Minneapolis officer.

IT’S “BIG B” ON THE GRILL, at The Justice Fellowship Cookout in the Hill District, July 25. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)

THE PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP FARM

DIANA EYWA dances with 2-year-old Miracle…

CREATOR, pouring some healthy water at the cookout.

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 16-22, 2020

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Educator, music promoter, ‘The Soul Show’ co-founder

DON PATTERSON HONORED

DON PATTERSON died on June 27 at age 61.

Patterson remembered as a man with ‘unlimited energy’ PATTERSON FROM A1

as the co-founder of “The Soul Show” in 1995 on WYEP (91.3). He hosted the show in the first year.

The show continues to this day on Saturday afternoons with host Michael Canton.

“Don Patterson might have been the biggest hustler I’ve ever known. I mean, he ALWAYS seemed to have AT LEAST three things going on, and more projects around the corner,” said Elwin Green of Homewood Nation, a community publication. He made the comments on his Facebook page.

Webb reported in February how Patterson met so many of the great music artists over the generations. He met Pittsburgh native Phyllis Hyman, whom he met when he worked at a local liquor company. “I said, ‘Hi, Ms. Hyman, I am here to take care of you.’ She was so nice to me. I was in my early 20s and I was intimidated by her. I couldn’t even look her

B. MARSHALL reflects on his time with Don Patterson.

DR. JAMES JOHNSON, with the Afro-American Music Institute, talks about his friend, Don Patterson.

in the eye,” Patterson said in the Courier article.

At the end of Webb’s story, Patterson said his primary reason for wanting the wax museum was because it’s about “promoting, recording and telling the story of the Pittsburgh music scene. Once I learned of all the musical history in Pittsburgh, I was wondering why no one was telling the story. This is our story and we have to tell this story.”

And on Aug. 29, Pittsburgh’s music staples and elected officials made sure to tell Don Patterson’s story, through words and music.

“He was one of us, no question about it,” said James Johnson, co-founder of the AAMI, to the Post-Gazette.

“Just unlimited energy. It was hard to put him in any one category. He was a promoter, but was also helping people as individuals.”

STEVEE WELLONS

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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

New Pittsburgh Courier

BLM: the movement, not the organization?

J. Pharoah Doss B6

Wells Fargo announces Gigi Dixon as new head of External Relations NNPA NEWSWIRE—Georgette “Gigi” Dixon has been named Wells Fargo’s new head of External Relations, which is part of the bank’s Government Relations and Public Policy team.

Dixon, who currently serves as senior director of External Relations for National Constituents, has been responsible for leading engagement with major national nonprofits, advocacy organizations and other key stakeholders.

A 26-YEAR VETERAN OF WELLS FARGO, Gigi Dixon is also a Vice Chair for the NAACP Foundation and a Corporate Advisory Board member for UnidosUS. She’s also a key adviser to executives for diversity and inclusion issues, according to a Wells Fargo press release.

“The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) representing the Black Press of America, especially salutes Wells Fargo for promoting Gigi Dixon as head of external relations,” said NNPA President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. “In the financial services industry, Black America welcomes having a strong woman leader such as Gigi Dixon,” Chavis concluded.

Dixon, a 26-year Wells Fargo veteran, who has also been instrumental in helping the company take several new actions around diversity and inclusion, serves as a vice chair for the NAACP Foundation.

“I’m humbled to serve in this important role and I’m proud to represent Wells Fargo as we work with nonprofits, advocacy groups and community leaders to address racial equity and equal opportunity for diverse communities,” Dixon said in a statement. “It’s more important now than ever that we are engaged in honest, transparent and tough conversations with our external stakeholders on how to do better and do more as a financial services company and a community partner.”

Wells Fargo officials said Dixon has been instrumental in helping the company take a number of new actions around D&I, including; helping create a new diversity leader role reporting directly to the CEO, requiring all managers to participate in new anti-racism training, and requiring the Operating Committee leaders to meet new D&I-related commitments.

A 26-year veteran of Wells Fargo, Gigi is also a Vice Chair for the NAACP Foundation and is a Corporate Advisory Board member for UnidosUS. A resident of Charlotte, N.C., Dixon earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Tennessee State University and has Boston College Carroll School of Management certificates in Corporate Community Involvement and Nonprofit Leadership.

BUSINESS SEPTEMBER 16-22, 2020

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

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Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew named Allegheny Health Network’s first Chief Clinical Diversity and Inclusion Officer The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, MEd, MPPM, FACOG, has been named Allegheny Health Network’s first Chief Clinical Diversity & Inclusion Officer.

The announcement was made by AHN on Sept. 9.

Effective Dec. 1, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew will join AHN from University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, where she currently serves as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chair of Clinical Diversity and Inclusion and Assistant Dean of Students.

In her new capacity, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew will work with leaders across AHN to shape an inclusive workplace culture at the health system, further advancing its commitment to workforce diversity, cultural competency, and equitable health care delivery and outcomes for all patients and communities served.

Her experiences as a nurse, a distinguished professor, a Naval officer, a global health strategist and an obstetrician-gynecologist specializing in global health issues bring a unique perspective to the important role she will play at AHN and in the greater Western Pennsylvania region.

“At AHN, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive, diverse workforce at every level of our organization, and we could not have found a better champion for that cause than Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew,” said Cynthia Hundorfean, AHN Chief Executive Officer, in a statement provided to the Courier. “As one of the nation’s most respected voices and authorities on the value of cultural diversity in healthcare, she shares our belief that one of the best ways to eliminate disparities in medicine is to promote diversity within the ranks of those who lead and staff our clinical and academic programs.”

During her time at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew worked to improve the health of underserved women across Northeast Ohio, especially those living with HIV, LGBQTIA+

MARGARET LARKINS-PETTIGREW, MD populations and those experiencing food insecurity. She founded and served as CEO of University Hospitals’ WONDOOR (Women and Neonates, Diversity, Outreach, Opportunity, Research) global health program; and in 2014, she was named the University’s Chair of Clinical Excellence and Diversity, an endowed position established to promote diversity of academic faculty.

“From her early days working at refugee camps in Ghana and Swaziland, to her experiences as a critical care nurse and her ongoing advocacy for marginalized groups of women, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew has been on the front lines, witnessing and treating immense health dis-

parities,” said Lonie Haynes, Ph.D., Highmark Health Chief Diversity Officer, in a statement provided to the Courier. “She has made it her life’s mission to improve health outcomes of her patients, particularly those who are at-risk. We are confident her work, along with our collaborative efforts across Highmark Health, will have a profound and lasting impact on our organization and those we serve.”

Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree in education from California State University and her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

She served in the U.S. Navy for 16 years, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander and completing an OBGYN internship at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. She returned to Pittsburgh for a residency at Magee Women’s Hospital, and practiced at UPMC for the next 15 years, while also serving as Magee’s Director of Global Health Programs. Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew joined University Hospitals in 2010 after receiving a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Pittsburgh.

She holds numerous national and international professional appointments, including the American Association of Medical Colleges Group on Diversity and Inclusion; the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Global Health Task Force; Fellow, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Board of Trustees, Centering HealthCare Institute; Leader, First Year Cleveland; President, Cleveland American Hospital Association Board of Trustees; Co-lead, Committee on Economic Inclusion of Greater Cleveland Partnerships; Vice Chair Elect and Board of Directors, Three Rivers Youth Foundation; and Board of Trustees and Co-Chair of the Women’s Leadership Advisory Board, Robert Morris University, among many others.

Red Flags: Sound the financial alarm!

Well over 10 years ago, I was receiving so many calls and referrals from people seeking financial advice for their friends, children, family, co-workers, and church members—it inspired me to write an article entitled “I’m talking to YOU!” In this article, I made it emphatically clear that NO ONE was exempt from sound financial advice. To this day, I find it interesting how people think “other people” could use sound financial advice but never “themselves.” I’ve grown in my understanding over the years.

I was right then but I know now why people mistakenly think others need financial advice but think that they’re standing on a solid financial foundation. They’re either in denial, clueless, misinformed, and/or too embarrassed.

Money doesn’t come with instructions.

Couple this with the fact that we’re sold on how to manage money, not taught. We’re doomed from the start. Everyday we receive millions upon millions of marketing messages scripting the narrative for our lives. Most of us learn from marketing messaging: what’s cool and hip, what’s trending, what to do, what not to do, what to buy, what not to buy. They prey on our dreams regarding how we want to live our lives. They sell us into being broke—just like the Joneses.

Who are the Joneses everyone is trying to keep up with? An illusionary model of success. In each marketing message, the marketer has one goal—to extract money out of our pocket and put it into theirs.

Nearly 80 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, robbing Peter to pay Paul, struggling to make ends meet. That was before COVID. We’re so busy trying to figure out how to make ends meet, we overlook the obvious solution: Focus on reducing the E.N.D.S. (expenses and debts).

In this article, I’m not focused on those who

are living paycheck to paycheck. I want to talk to the people who are able to pay their bills on time, have a decent credit score, take a vacation here and there, have a few dollars in the bank, and think they’re standing on a solid financial foundation. Are you doing well financially? Are you properly insured?

Do you have your spending under control?

Are you adverse to debt? Are you aggressively saving for short-term and long-term goals? Do you have a will and estate plan?

Are your beneficiary designations updated?

Do you understand the investments within and outside of your retirement plan? Do you understand the terms of various financial documents you signed including; mortgage, insurance, savings, investments, trust, will, and power of attorney?

How long will you be able to pay your bills if you lose your job tomorrow?

Comparing yourself to 80 percent of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck, you assume you’re doing well. Success isn’t measured by what you do in comparisons to others. Success is measured by what you’re doing in comparison to what you have the potential to do. Are you tapping into your full potential?

Here’s another startling statistic. 96 percent of those age 65 and over retire or die BROKE. When you hang up your working shoes, the real day of reckoning presents itself. You find out how well you managed money over your working career. Those paycheck deposits slow down and the amount of the deposits are much lower. Seniors know how hard it is when that paycheck stops and all you can bank on is that $1,500 per month

Social Security check—assuming you qualify for the average amount. If you’re under 50, few of us can bank on receiving a pension in addition to social security. Average pension varies between private, state, federal and military pensions. Suffice it to say, the average is right around another $1,500 per month—if you have one. Let’s assume you receive both pension and Social Security. $3,000 per month would be nice if you retired your credit cards, car loans, student loans, and mortgage debt before you retired from work. Most don’t. I’m reminded of an online “meme” showing a 101-year-old celebrating paying off his student loan debt.

If you’re not a part of the 80 percent group living paycheck to paycheck, there’s a 96 percent probability you’re in the group that’s going to struggle come retirement. That is if you don’t get serious and own up to the fact that “You need to Get A Grip On Your Money”—NOW! Message to those of us who are in denial, clueless, misinformed, or too embarrassed.

Financial problems don’t show up in your ability to pay your bills on time or having a perfect credit score. Financial problems show up in your inability to consistently save and invest money without tapping into it early. This happens as a result of overspending, undersaving and/or not properly managing the money you work hard for. Below are some red flags that should sound off your financial alarm. Heed these warnings.

Take the proper steps to get a firm handle on your money or risk struggling financially either now, tomorrow, or in retirement. If money could speak, it would say, if you save

me today, I’ll save you tomorrow.

• Your savings account is a deferred spending account instead of a savings account where money grows • No emergency fund • No retirement savings • Retirement balance is less than your annual salary • Car loans are higher than your retirement savings • Credit card balances are higher than your emergency fund • Total balance of all automobiles including cards, trucks, motorcycles exceed 50 percent of your annual income • Overly dependent on one source of income • Credit card balances are more than 10 percent of your credit limit • Car payments are higher than 15 percent of your net income • Housing payment is more than 25 percent of your net income • No medical, life, disability, home, rental, or car insurance • Investments are highly concentrated in a few individual company stocks • Don’t understand various financial products you have • You focus on building your credit score instead of building your net worth • You don’t know what net worth means •Mortgage balance is more than three times your annual income • Making minimum payments • Prioritizing paying for fun and having a good time over paying bills • Inability to say no to yourself, your children, and family and friends when you don’t have it.

(Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached @ 412216-1013 or visit his website @ www.damonmoneycoach.com.)

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BUSINESS

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

The Board Challenge launches pledge for U.S. boards of directors to add a Black director within one year

by BlackPressUSA For New Pittsburgh Courier

NNPA NEWSWIRE—NEW YORK— The Board Challenge on September 11 announced the launch of a pledge for U.S. corporate boards of directors to add a Black director within the next year. Founded by Altimeter Capital, Valence and the Boardlist, signed by 17 Founding Pledge Partners, and supported by 27 Charter Pledge Partners that already have at least one Black director, the initiative seeks to accelerate action to improve the diversity of corporate boards starting with the representation of Black leaders on the boards of U.S. companies. Every U.S. company is encouraged to take the pledge at theboardchallenge.org, and companies that have at least one Black director are asked to sign on to express their support and use their resources to drive change.

The Board Challenge launches with the support of companies and individuals representing a wide-array of industries and sectors including corporate, non-profit and training and education. These supporters include organizations such as the Executive Leadership Council, the NAACP and National Urban League who commit to supporting the mission and using their platforms to drive awareness and participation in the movement.

Founding Pledge Partners commit to adding at least one Black director to their respective boards in the next 12 months. Participants include: Accolade, Altimeter Growth Corp, Amperity, Bolster, Gusto, Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc., Heritage Environmental Services, HopSkipDrive, Kin, M.M.LaFleur, Nextdoor, PagerDuty, RealSelf, Ripple, Senreve, Vinyl Me, Please, and Zillow. The Board Challenge co-founders will check in with Founding Pledge Partners within six months and at 12 months to evaluate their progress in adding a Black director.

Charter Pledge Partners are organizations that already have at least one Black director and will continue to use their resources to accelerate change.

Charter Pledge Partners play a critical role in driving visibility around the importance and value of increasing diversity at the boardroom level.

Participants include: Avnet, Broa-

TRUE AND FULL RACIAL REPRESENTATION at the board level is in the best interest of companies, employees, customers and communities and helps to advance and support a more equitable society. dridge Financial Solutions, CDK Global, Cockroach Labs, Corning Incorporated, Elovee, Executive Leadership Council, Impact Capital Managers, Lightspeed, Lyft, Merck, Nasdaq, Nordstrom, Okta, Ranpak, Redfin, Ro, Sonos,

Southern California Public Radio, SurveyMonkey, The New York Stock Exchange, The RealReal, Uber, United Airlines, Upstart, Verizon, and WW (formerly Weight Watchers).

Black leaders are underrepresented

A cross-sector of more than 40 public and private companies and organizations commit to improve Black representation in corporate boardrooms. in America’s public and private boardrooms. Approximately 66 percent of Fortune 500 company board members are White men and 18 percent of members are White women, while only 9 percent of members are Black men and women, according to a report by the Alliance for Board Diversity and Deloitte. And while many companies tout their commitment to improve diversity, equity and inclusion, progress at the boardroom level is limited. According to Black Enterprise, 187 S&P 500 companies, or about 37 percent, did not have any Black directors in 2019—only a two-percentage point improvement since 2018.

“America has been reminded again in tragic fashion that we must redouble our efforts to build a more inclusive society. Business leaders can’t let this moment pass us by without playing our part and taking this tangible step to build a more diverse boardroom,” said Brad Gerstner, founder and CEO of Altimeter Capital and co-founder of The Board Challenge. “As a next step, we are encouraging companies to take the pledge and add a Black director in the next 12 months. The Board Challenge is a movement to accelerate these changes and help companies tap into the energy and talents of all underrepresented groups.”

True and full racial representation at the board level is in the best interest of companies, employees, customers and

communities and helps to advance and support a more equitable society.

• Diverse boards of directors are 43 percent more likely than non-diverse boards to achieve financial performance above the national industry median for companies in the top quartile versus bottom quartile, according to McKinsey & Company’s Delivering Through Diversity2018 report.

• More than nine in 10 directors (94 percent) agree that board diversity brings unique perspectives to the boardroom, according to PwC’s 2019 Annual Corporate Directors Survey.

Additionally, 87 percent percent said board diversity enhances board performance and 76 percent said it enhances company performance.

• More than half (53 percent) of investors say board diversity should be a top focus, according to a 2019 report from the EY Center for Board As part of taking the pledge, partners commit to progress reports along the way, including six-month and one-year reporting on results with participants.

The Board Challenge co-founders will provide partners with access to qualified talent to help in their search and recruitment of Black director candidates, while supporters will offer resources and training.

“One objection we hear is whether companies can find the kind of diverse board talent they are looking for. It is 2020—it is not a pipeline problem, it is a perspective problem,” said Guy Primus, CEO of Valence and co-founder of The Board Challenge. “Valence alone is connected to hundreds of board-ready leaders from every position imaginable.”

“Another objection is that the focus on diverse candidates is too narrow.

We know focus yields results and this is the start of a much bigger movement,” said Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, founder and chairman of theBoardlist and co-founder of The Board Challenge. “theBoardlist has been focused on diversifying boards since 2015 and we know that making the commitment to look outside one’s network and dedicating the effort to be inclusive is ultimately what works.”

(Find more information about pledge participants and supporters, take the pledge and offer support at theboardchallenge.org.)

See your lifetime earnings with My Social Security

by Tom Winschel For New Pittsburgh Courier

Did you know you can see your work history online all the way back to your first job? Your earnings history is a record of your progress toward your Social Security benefits. We keep track of your earnings so we can pay you the benefits you’ve earned over your lifetime. This is why reviewing your Social Security earnings record is so important.

If an employer didn’t properly report just one year of your earnings to us, your future benefit payments could be less than they should be. Over the course of a lifetime, that could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in retirement or other benefits to which you are entitled. It’s important to identify reporting problems as soon as possible. As time passes, you may no longer have easy access to past tax documents, and some employers may no longer exist or be able to provide past payroll information.

While it’s your employer’s responsibility to provide accurate earnings

information to us, you should still review and inform us of any errors or omissions so you get credit for the contributions you’ve made through payroll taxes. You’re the only person who can look at your lifetime earnings record and verify that it’s complete and correct.

The easiest way to verify your earnings record is to visit www.ssa.gov/ myaccount and set up or sign in to your personal my Social Security account. You should review each year of listed earnings carefully and confirm them using your own records, such as W-2s and tax returns. Keep in mind that earnings from this year and last year may not be listed yet.

You can find detailed instructions on how to correct your Social Security earnings record at www.ssa.gov/pubs/ EN-05-10081.pdf.

Let your friends and family know they can access important information like this any time at www.ssa.gov and do much of their business with us online.

(Tom Wihschel is Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh.)

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 16-22, 2020

B3

Blame anybody

Guest Editorial

Bridging the Black education gap The United States of America has arguably been at the top of the Western world’s political stage for years.

Historically, there are several things that have contributed to U.S. dominance. Certainly it didn’t hurt that the settlers came here and took land from the people who were already here. Next, they were able to snatch people from Africa and extracted free labor from them as slaves. They also utilized indentured servants from Europe and attempted to enslave Native Americans, who were very successful as slaves.

In addition, a key element important in creating empire was the transference of information, and the chief vehicle for this was education. Education is a major key for success in the modern Western world. A close observation will reveal that it is a common denominator in building empire—it paves the way for the acquisition of capital and undergirds technological development. If we look around the globe, there tends to be a positive correlation between educational attainment and societal success.

In the United States, those people who tend to succeed usually have some type of formal education. Admittedly, there are extremely wealthy individuals who have dropped out of college and attained success like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and that ilk.

But these are pioneers in developing new technologies, which means they had the spirit of intellectual inquiry that led them to establish their own educational parameters. They tend to be the exception, however.

This brings us to Black Americans. This statement is going to be controversial: there seems to be a decidedly anti-academic strain evident in the Black community, and this is one of the reasons that there is an educational lag.

You can tell the interest of a group by where the attention is focused, and in the Black community that focus tends to be on sports and entertainment. Of course, there have been spectacular successes in other fields, but these do not receive the same emphasis among our youth. After years of this focus, we find ourselves in the year 2020 lamenting the lack of academic achievement demonstrated by too many Black youth.

People blame this on under-funded, ill-equipped schools and inexperienced teachers. This is only part of the problem. For example, one of the reasons schools have closed in some jurisdictions is connected with low attendance, connected with truancy and an attendant underutilization of educational facilities. The COVID-19 pandemic and homeschooling challenges might exacerbate education problems. hat came first, the chicken or the egg This can be argued all day, but the unavoidable truth is that after years of having access to “free” public education, too many Black people refuse to take full advantage of it because they aspire to be entertainers and athletes.

One of the most lamentable memes that circulates throughout the Black community is the one that says “Just because you have a degree doesn’t mean you’re smart,” and other iterations of that sentiment. People look down on people with advanced degrees saying that a degree is no proof of intelligence. This is true, but it also sends an anti-academic message to those who might benefit from higher education.

Years of this approach to education is being felt in a desperate attempt to compensate for the lack of academic accomplishments among young Blacks by suggesting that the solution is to focus on vocational education. There are ads that point out the fact that a plumber can make as much money as a college graduate, but without accumulating student loan debt.

This approach is shortsighted in two regards—if students would apply themselves, they might earn scholarships, and there are a number of universities that are offering tuition-free education for people of lower economic status.

The other fallacy in thinking is that to succeed in today’s technologically advanced society, vocational education will require the same “stick-to-itiveness” required in college courses. And if our students only embrace vocational education, they may risk falling behind in the global arena while people elsewhere rule the world with science and math.

This is not to say that people cannot succeed unless they go to college; they can. What is true is that whatever direction students embrace is going to require perseverance. There’s no way around it!

(Reprinted from the Chicago Crusader)

Founded 1910

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

Rob Taylor Jr.

Jeff Marion

Office Manager

Managing Editor

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John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—It’s so easy to blame somebody else. Donald Trump blames everything on somebody else while he takes responsibility for nothing. Everything has to satisfy his ego or in his mind, it’s fake news.

So, he lies to keep the American people from panicking! He fails at that because no matter what he comes up with every day causes many American people to panic. He thinks it was Bob Woodward’s responsibility to tell the truth to the American people. So, what is his idea of presidential responsibilities?

With Trump, there’s something new every day, but it all works the same way. He’s like those kids who say the “darndest things.” The only difference in him and those kids is they’re not President! He’s a very chronologically advanced man who says dangerous things that make no sense while he thinks he’s really smart!

He has no sense of decency. The thing he does best is distort the truth to the point that no one believes anything he says. Those who follow him religiously can’t possibly be doing so because they believe he’s telling the truth or telling them anything that is going to help them. The people who follow him are either not paying attention to what he says or they never listen to real news.

I think he gets up every morning and figures out what lie he can tell that sounds more preposterous than

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary the many he told the day before. Real reporters listen to him and can hardly wait to translate what they just heard.

More often than not they’re pointing out his lies. He doesn’t even know how to keep his lies straight. He’ll give one answer today, and answer the exact opposite the next day.

He’s almost at the end of his painful four-year term, and he hasn’t yet realized he was President of the United States! He still doesn’t realize it’s the responsibility of the President who’s currently in the White House to fix whatever he thinks is broken.

He undermined everything scientists were telling him, and kept the truth about what was really going on. He knew how dangerous the pandemic was and still is. He obviously thinks that somebody else is charged with leading the country. Apparently, he was shocked to find out there was something he couldn’t control when he was told exactly what this “China Virus” as he calls it was likely to do.

He spoke with Woodward in those 18 calls seemingly jubilant about how dangerous the virus was. He seemed to relish discovering something that was airborne and dangerous. It was like he had this big secret and was only going to tell Bob about it. He was gleeful to go out and tell the American people he had everything under control while knowing he was lying.

What kind of person plays games with a deadly disease that he knows is deadly; yet, gleefully tells the people he’s responsible for protecting that they shouldn’t do the very thing that might protect them? What kind of person would say such horrible things about military leaders who’re also responsible for protecting the American people at his command? Who believes those little Black kids sitting behind him as he speaks even know who he is?

When it comes to truthfulness, Joe Biden runs circles around Donald. It’s obvious Trump doesn’t even understand the concept of truth. What I don’t understand is why people who seem to have a bit of sense follow him religiously.

The way he told Woodward “You drank the Kool-Aid,” he doesn’t need to tell me again that he in no way can relate to the pain and suffering his White privilege still causes others.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is National President of the National Congress of Black Women.)

The key to motivating young voters? Young candidates (TriceEdneyWire.com)—One of the most exciting parts of this year’s Democratic National Convention for me was the keynote speech delivered collectively by a group of young progressive elected officials, many of them Black. They showed us the potential for a promising future once we have gotten past the presidency of Donald Trump.

They also showed us how to get there.

One way to make sure we remove Donald Trump from the White House and his enablers from Congress is to support exciting candidates at all levels who can energize Democratic voters—especially progressive young people—to vote.

The mass mobilization we have seen in the Black Lives Matter protests is an essential tool for turning energy into political will and bringing pressure on public officials. Ultimately, though, voting is the only tool we have for putting people who are committed to making the changes our country urgently needs into positions of power.

Many of the problems that have been with us for far longer than the current administration—including systemic inequity in health care, education, housing, and policing--can and must be addressed at local and state levels.

That’s why transformational local candidates are a key to building progressive power and making progressive change. And getting elected and serving successfully in local office is often the first step to higher office.

Look at Virginia, where intense organizing over the past few election cycles turned the former capital of the Confederacy blue. Candidates

Ben Jealous

Commentary from underrepresented communities—young people, people of color, women, immigrants, LGBTQ candidates—helped Democrats take control of both chambers of the state’s General Assembly. And that has meant the power to make huge changes for the people of Virginia—expanding access to health care, addressing gun violence, and more.

Opposition to President Trump helped drive change in Virginia and will motivate many people to get to the polls in November. But energy doesn’t come just from the top of the ticket. It runs both ways. In fact, exciting local candidates can generate enthusiasm among people who might see national politics and candidates as far removed from their lives and concerns.

People For the American Way’s Next Up! project supports young candidates running at the state and local level, many of them from communities that have long been denied their fair share of political power. The enthusiasm for their candidacies can boost progressive prospects up and down the ballot.

There’s Arizona, for example, where Democrats have an excellent chance of picking up the U.S. Senate seat now held by the appointed Republican senator Martha McSally. We’re excited

about supporting two local candidates Whitney Walker and Jevin Hodge, both young Black people who are engaging their communities by challenging Republican incumbents on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

How about Michigan, a battleground state that helped put Trump in the White House? Chokwe Pitchford is generating excitement as a 21-year old Black man running to flip a seat in the state house.

Young voters have been going to the polls in higher numbers in recent elections. We must do everything in our power to keep that trend rising. If you know a young community-oriented person who ought to run for public office in the future, encourage them.

We need their voices and energy to keep turning citizens and activists into voters.

And between now and November, do what you can to support young candidates who have stepped up. They are running in a year when public health restrictions make traditional campaigning harder and when disinformation and voter suppression campaigns are trying to keep Black people from voting. We can and will move this country toward a more just future— and we can’t let anyone convince us to take our eyes off that prize.

For reliable information on voting, visit https://www.vote411.org/ (League of Women Voters) or https://866ourvote.org/state/ (Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law) (Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and People For the American Way Foundation.)

Keep politics out of vaccine approval process

by Marc H. Morial (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Maintaining the American public’s trust in the FDA is vital. If the agency’s credibility is lost because of real or perceived interference, people will not rely on the agency’s safety warnings. Erosion of public trust will leave consumers and patients doubting our recommendations, less likely to enroll in clinical studies or to use FDA-regulated products when they should to maintain or improve their health. This is problematic under normal circumstances but especially if we are to ultimately overcome COVID-19.

Protecting the FDA’s independence is essential if we are to do the best possible job of protecting public health and saving lives. —Senior FDA executives Patrizia Cavazzoni, Peter Marks, Susan Mayne, Judy McMeekin, Jeff Shuren, Steven Solomon, Janet Woodcock and Mitch Zeller It’s no secret that the White House believes the approval of a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19 would be a boon for the President’s reelection campaign. From the moment the novel coronavirus first reached America’s shores in January, he has regarded it first and foremost as a political inconvenience.

Without evidence, has portrayed anything that delays the “magic bullet” he believes will end the pandemic —or at least appear to end it—as the result of a conspiracy to damage his candidacy.

This includes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals process.

If we have any hope of developing a safe, effective vaccine that brings the

virus under control, it depends entirely on the FDA’s resolve to resist this shameful political pressure.

In an encouraging move, eight top FDA officials and doctors this week published an op-ed in USA Today pledging that all “decisions will continue to be guided by the best science” and maintain independence from political pressure.

Their statement came a day after executives representing nine companies working on coronavirus vaccines pledged to submit the vaccines for FDA approval only after they’re shown to be safe and effective in large clinical studies.

“We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which COVID-19 vaccines are evaluated and may ultimately be approved.” The pledge was signed by the CEOs of AstraZeneca, BioNTech, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna, Inc., Novavax, Inc., Pfizer Inc., and Sanofi.

It’s worth noting that many of the regulations that still govern the FDA’s drug testing process were developed in the wake of the thalidomide scandal of the early 1960s. The drug, taken by pregnant women, killed thousands of babies in the womb and caused at least 10,000 others in 46 countries to be born with severe deformities. The U.S. escaped this tragedy largely due to the determination of FDA medical officer Frances Oldham Kelsey. “For a critical 19-month period, she fastidiously blocked its approval while drug company officials maligned her as a bureaucratic nitpicker,” the New York

Times wrote in a 2015 obituary.

Widespread vaccine use helped eliminate deadly and disabling diseases in the U.S. The last natural outbreak of smallpox—which killed three of every 10 people who contracted it —was in 1949, and the disease was declared eliminated in 1952. Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, although outbreaks among the unvaccinated are triggered by infected travelers bringing the virus from other countries. Rubella, a typically mild illness that can cause serious complications for pregnant women and their babies, was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2004. Prior to 1955, polio permanently paralyzed thousands of children every year. No cases of polio have originated in the U.S. since 1979.

I have faith that one day, coronavirus can be added to this list. But only if we can maintain faith in our public health institutions. A poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation released this week found that 62 percent of Americans are concerned that a COVID-19 vaccine will be rushed to the market before it’s ready because of political pressure from the Trump administration.

A smaller majority, 54 percent, said they wouldn’t take a vaccine that is approved before Election Day. It’s hard to estimate how much damage the Trump administration has done by allowing politics to override responsible public health policy. The FDA and the pharmaceutical companies must invoke the spirit of Frances Oldham Kelsey and stand as a firewall against his interference.

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3 9 8 AURORA INNOVATION, INC. Aurora Innovation, Inc. seeks Patent Counsel in Pittsburgh, PA to provide counsel on patent disputes. Mail resume to Sarah FitzGerald (HR), 1880 Embarcadero Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303.

MULTI IT RELATED POSITIONS (NATIONAL PLACEMENT OUT OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA).

Candidates may qualify for either job listed below: Computer Network Support Specialist: Must have at least 3Yrs exp w/ skills in EMC, DMX, VMAX and VNX. Salary $62,941/yr.

Ref# CNS-0420 IY Mobile Application Developer: At least 3yrs of academics mini w/at least 5 Yrs expe working on both IOS & Android Mobile Applications as well as Native. Salary $95,264/yr. Ref# IOS–0420 IY Senior Network and Computer Systems Administrator: Mini a Bach’s’s degree & 5Yrs exp.. Degree & exp in Comps, Eng g, or InforTech (IT) related field.

Must have skills in VMWare, SAN, AWS, VMAX & VNX. Salary $89,357/ yr. Ref# SNC–0420 IY Must be able to travel/reloe to different client sites as needed. 9-5, FT. uUse REF# Send resumes to Infoyuga Technologies, Inc., 280B Moon Clinton Road, Moon Township, PA 15108 or hr@infoyuga.com.

Infoyuga is EOE M/F/V/D. FACILITIES MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN, ADJUNCT INSTRUCTORS (DAY AND EVENING) C.A.D., CULINARY, ELECTRICIAN, WELDING, AND HVAC/R Pittsburgh Technical College is seeking ualified applicants for the following positions: •Facilities Maintenance Technician, F.T. Experience in HVAC/Electrical, Four years f.t. work experience in related field •C.A.D. Instructors for AET & MET Programs Associate degree required, Bachelor’s preferred •Culinary and Pastry Chef Instructors Associate degree required, Bachelor’s preferred ACF, CCE, or CEC preferred but not required •Electrician Instructor Electrician journeyman experience or licensure required •HVAC/R Instructor, EPA niversal Certification re uired Must pass criminal background check.

Immediate opening at our North Fayette campus near Robinson Towne Center. Apply to www.ptcollege.edu (Employment with PTC) or www.workforptcollege.com .

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Estate of JOSEPH H. FISHER A/K/A/ JOSEPH H FISHER, SR., Deceased of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. Estate No. 02-20-03960, Patricia Ann Fisher, Executor, 325 Redrome Circle West, Bridgeville, PA 15017 or Joseph H. Fisher, Jr., Executor, 3200 Flannigan Branch Lane, Charlottesville, VA, 22911 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of WILLIAM H. SULLIVAN, Deceased of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Estate No. 02-2003962, Daniel W. Sullivan, Executor, 107 Olde Manor Lane, Moon Township, PA 15108 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville,PA 15017 Estate of NORMAN J. MILLER, JR., Deceased of Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Estate No. 02-20-04010, Haddie Weber, Executor, 109 Broughton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of CHARLES E. CLARKE, Deceased of Sewickley, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Estate No. 02-20-04007, Anne Clarke Ronce, Executor, 540 Academy Avenue, Sewickley, PA 15143 or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville,PA 15017 Estate of MS.MARIAN JANE KONTER, Deceased of 108 Western Avenue, Moon Township, PA 15108. Estate No. 02-2004181, Mr. Harold J. Konter, 108 Western Avenue, Moon Township, PA 15108, Administrator, c/o Max C. Feldman, Es uire and the Law ffice of Ma C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108.

Estate of MS. MARIA D. FORGIONE, Deceased of 538 Maple Street, East Pittsburgh, PA 15112. Estate No. 02-13-04220, Ms. Janet Wei, 103 Backbone Road, Sewickley, PA 15143, Administratrix, c/o Max C. Feldman, Es uire and the Law ffice of Ma C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108.

Estate of DOLORES J. HARTY, Deceased of Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Estate No. 02-20-04016, Kevin J. Podurgiel, Executor, 136 Knox Street, Bridgeville, PA 15017 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty. BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017

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Estate of WENDEREUSZ NANCY J. AKA WENDEREUSZ NANCY JANE, Deceased of Harrison Township, Estate No. 03180 of 2020, Larry P. Wendereusz Admin. 225 1st Street, Evans City, PA 16033, or to Michael J. Saldamarco, Esq., Ste. 100, 908 Perry Hwy. Pittsburgh, PA 15229

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR PROJECT-BASED VOUCHER & GAP FINANCING PROGRAM 2020 RFP #600-29-20 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests proposals from ualified Firms or Individuals for the following: Project-Based Voucher & Gap Financing Program 2020 The documents will be available no later than September 8, 2020 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 10:00 A.M., September 29, 2020. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the bid opening time of 10:00 AM on September 29, 2020 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HCP website and within the RFP. 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 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 call in; on September 17, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. Please see call in information below: Join the audio conference by phone: United States - Washington, DC +1.202.602.1295 Access Code 598-776-271# 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 login, 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 ADVERTISEMENT INVITATION FOR BID ACHA-1631, EMERGENCY GENERATOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE The Allegheny County Housing Authority is requesting Bids from qualified vendors to provide preventive and remedial maintenance, inspection and repair of standby-by emergency generators. Invitation for Bids and Contract Documents are on file and may be obtained at no charge from the Allegheny County Housing Authority, 251 Jefferson Drive, McKees Rocks, PA 15136, or by contacting Guy Phillips at gphillips@achsng.com, 412402-2435. A pre-bid conference call will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. Bid submittals are due no later than 12:00 pm., Monday, October 19, 2020. The Authority encourages responses from 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 SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1733 Sealed Bids for CONTRACT NO. 1733 – AERATION TANK DIFFUSER REPLACEMENT shall be received at the Engineering Department office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233 until 10:00 A.M., Prevailing Time Thursday, October 15, 2020 and then publicly opened and read aloud.

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

Contract Documents may be examined and obtained at the office of the Authority for $100.00 (nonrefundable and no cash or credit cards will be accepted). Bid Security shall be furnished by Certified Check or Bid Bond in the amount of 10% of the Bid Price. Contract Documents must be Purchased Directly from ALCOSAN to Qualify as an Eligible Bidder.

A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams Meeting on Wednesday September 30, 2020 at 9:00 A.M., Prevailing Time. Bidders are encouraged to attend, however they are not required to have a ualified representative attend the Pre-bid meeting to be eligible to bid on this contract.

Any questions regarding the Contract Documents should be directed, in writing, to Mr. Jeff Argyros, P.E., by email to Jeff.Argyros@alcosan.org, or by phone to (412-734-6281).

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

ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY Kimberly Kennedy, P.E. Director, Engineering and Construction REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) The Southwestern Pennsylvania Corporation, a 501(c)(3) corporation, on behalf of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), is requesting Technical Proposals and Price Proposals (together, the Proposal package) for the preparation of a Brodhead Road Corridor Planning Study in Beaver County.

The selected firm or team of firms will assist SPC with completing a study with recommendations that will improve safety and mobility for all travel modes along the corridor.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be released by SPC on September 16, 2020. Copies may be downloaded from the SPC Website (www.spcregion.org) or may be obtained from SPC by e-mail request to Ryan Gordon at rgordon@spcregion.org.

Electronic submissions will be required via SPC’s SharePoint; full submission details are provided in the RFP document.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE AND REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FY 2019 CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT (CAPER) FOR ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA Notice is hereby given that Allegheny County has prepared the FY 2019 CAPER in accordance with Title I of the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, P.L. 101-625, and the regulations at 24 CFR Part 91.250. The report information includes: 1) Details of funds received from HUD for the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships, and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Programs; 2) Summary of resources and accomplishments; 3) Status of actions taken during the year to implement the goals outlined in the Consolidated Plan; and 4) Evaluation of the progress made in addressing identified priority needs and objectives.

The County will place the FY 2019 CAPER document on public display between September 16 and September 30, 2020 at the following locations in the County and on the County’s Website http://www.alleghenycounty.us/ economic-development/index.aspx: •Allegheny County Economic Development, One Chatham Center, Suite 900, 112 Washington Place, Pittsburgh, PA Allegheny County Manager s ffice, County Courthouse, 6 Grant Street, Room 119, Pittsburgh, PA This document will be available to the public during normal hours of operation at the above locations. Written comments on the CAPER will be considered until 4 p.m. September 30, 2020. Written comments should be addressed to Mr. Bud Schubel, Manager of Operations, One Chatham Center, Suite 900, 112 Washington Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, or by email at howard.schubel@alleghenycounty.us. Oral comments may be made by calling (412) 350-1044. The County intends to submit the 2019 CAPER to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by October 2, 2020.

Upon request, information may be provided in an alternative format to limited English speaking persons and persons with disabilities. Please call the County as indicated above.

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY Electronic Proposals will be received online at the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org).

Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 a.m. on October 15, 2020 and will be read at 11:15 a.m., the same day, at Port Authority’s Heinz location (Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information for the Bid Opening), for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)

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Bid Number B200871A B200972A B200973A B200974A

Bid Name Fire Alarm System Testing & Certification Cummins ISB Engine Parts Track Switch Heaters Non Destructive Testing of Rail

No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held via tele-conference on each of the above items at 10:00 a.m. on September 29, 2020. Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the Port Authority within five (5) business days of the scheduled bid opening.

These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations.

Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing.

Port Authority of Allegheny County hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

The Board of Port Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY Electronic Proposals will be received online at the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org).

Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 a.m. on October 7, 2020 and will be read at 11:15 a.m., the same day, at Port Authority’s Heinz location (Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information for the Bid Opening), for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)

1

Bid Number B200868AR

Bid Name Microsoft Enterprise Agreement

No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held via tele-conference on each of the above items at 10:00 a.m. on September 24, 2020. Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the Port Authority within five (5) business days of the scheduled bid opening.

These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations.

Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing.

Port Authority of Allegheny County hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

The Board of Port Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

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COMBINED NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS (FONSI/RROF) This Notice is published pursuant to Federal Regulations promulgated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Environmental Assessment set forth at 24 CFR Part 58, Section 58.36.

September 16, 2020 City of Pittsburgh ffice of Management and Budget 200 Ross Street, 2nd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-255-2211 These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP). HACP has competitively procured Beacon Corcoran Jennison (BCJ) to serve as the co-developer to implement the Oak Hill Redevelopment project.

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS On or about October 2, 2020, the City of Pittsburgh will authorize HACP to submit a request to HUD for the release of the following federal funds to undertake the project known as Oak Hill Burrows Views: (a) Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Contract; (b) HACP Moving to ork (“MTW”) Funds under the 1 Act as modified by the 1 6 and 1 Consolidated Appropriations Act; and (c) Low Income Housing Tax Credits under IRS Code Section 42.

The release of the aforementioned funds will be for the purposes of developing ak Hill Burrows iews, which includes new construction of 123-units of mixed income housing comprised of two 4-story garden style apartment buildings with elevators, containing appro imately fifty four (54) units each, at 1 Burrows Street and Burrows Street, and 15 two-story townhouse units, located in four clusters on adjacent parcels along Benson Place and Turner Place in the Terrace illage neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh, 15213. As part of this notice, the project requires the implementation of a set of development activities related to the completion of this project which may include, and is not limited to, demolition, acquisition, disposition, new construction, and remediation on the part of HACP, BCJ, and Burrow Views Oak Hill, LLC (the owner entity) and any other authorized parties to the project. The total projected cost of the development is $31,000,000.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The City of Pittsburgh has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1 6 (“NEPA”) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR). The ERR will be made available to the public for review either electronically or by U.S. mail. Please submit your request by .S. mail to City of Pittsburgh, ffice of Management and Budget, 00 Ross St, 2nd Floor Pittsburgh, Pa 15219 or by email to Whitney.Finnstrom@pittsburghpa.gov.

PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to: hitney Finnstrom City of Pittsburgh, 200 Ross Street, 2nd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-255-2211 OR Whitney.Finnstrom@pittsburghpa.gov All comments received by October 1, 2020, will be considered by the City of Pittsburgh prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds.

Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The City of Pittsburgh certifies to HUD that illiam Peduto in his capacity as Mayor, City of Pittsburgh, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. H D s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the City, HACP and URA to use funding sources (a) through (k) identified under Re uest for Release of Funds above.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS H D will accept objections to its release of fund and the City of Pittsburgh s certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not e ecuted by the Certifying fficer of the City of Pittsburgh; (b) the City of Pittsburgh has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding re uired by H D regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted via email in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to the H D Field ffice of Public Housing in Pittsburgh at PittsburghPIH.ER@hud.gov.

Potential objectors should contact the H D Field ffice of Public Housing in Pittsburgh via email to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

WILLIAM PEDUTO Mayor City of Pittsburgh

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HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR VINYL COMPOSITION TILE (VCT) FLOOR TILE INSTALLATIONS FOR VACANT UNITS IFB #300-27-20 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request bids from ualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT) Floor Tile Installations for Vacant Units The documents will be available no later than September 14, 2020 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 A.M. on October 6, 2020.

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the bid opening time of 10:00 AM on October 6, 2020 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HCP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids 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 pportunities page of www.HACP.org.

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 1 6 8 A pre-bid meeting will be held via call in; on September 25, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. Please see call in information below: Join the audio conference by phone: United States - Washington, DC +1.202.602.1295 Access Code 598-776-271# The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

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

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR KITCHEN CABINET INSTALLATIONS FOR VACANT UNITS IFB #300-30-20 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request bids from ualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Kitchen Cabinet Installations for Vacant Units The documents will be available no later than September 14, 2020 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 11:00 A.M. on October 6, 2020.

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the bid opening time of 11:00 AM on October 6, 2020 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HCP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids 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 pportunities page of www.HACP.org.

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 1 6 8 A pre-bid meeting will be held via call in; on September 25, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. Please see call in information below: Join the audio conference by phone: United States - Washington, DC +1.202.602.1295 Access Code 598-776-271# The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

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

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

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS…

SEPTEMBER 16-22, 2020

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.

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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Steelers should be able to handle Denver in home opener, Sept. 20 The much-anticipated return of Ben Roethlisberger against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football ended in a Steelers victory to open the 2020 season; and the chase for Lombardi number seven has officially begun.

Despite not seeing game action in a full calendar year, Roethlisberger looked good for the Steelers, throwing for 229 yards and three touchdowns, Sept. 14.

The most important part about Roethlisberger’s return was the fluidity of the offense as he sliced and diced the Giants defense in a two-minute drill that was nearly flawless.

Big Ben is capable of spreading the ball to all of his receivers and I believe that is something this offense will need to continue to do as the season progresses. Eight different guys caught the ball on Monday Night and it was evident that JuJu Smith-Schuster was rejuvenated as Roethlisberger was able to get him the ball six times, including two touchdowns.

The return of Roethlisberger wasn’t the only exciting thing fans of the Steelers got to watch

against New York; the defense was once again stifling and rabid. They held Saquon Barkley, one of the premier backs in football, to a pitiful six yards on 15 carries. They forced two interceptions and had 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. The Steelers’ Bud Dupree was stellar and proved he deserved the franchise tag this year and plans to be paid this coming offseason.

As the team prepares for their home opener against the 0-1 Denver Broncos this Sunday, Sept.

20, they’re immediately going to have to figure out who will be playing on the offensive line in place of Zach Banner, who was significantly injured in the Giants game, along with Stefen Wisniewski. Wisniewski was playing for the injured David Decastro. In all likelihood, Chuks Okarofor can step in and play for Banner but I look for some free agent O-linemen to be in Pitts-

burgh this week as well; the line already looks depleted one game into the season.

Against the Broncos on Sunday, Benny Snell needs to be the main running back. James Conner was injured once again and even if he were healthy, I’d be pushing for Snell to be the guy. He runs the

volved in the game and I’d really like to see more production out of tight end Eric Ebron moving forward. I think Ebron will be key to the success of the Steelers when they play Denver, who lost their opener on Monday Night Football to the Tennessee Titans. Pittsburgh needs to spread the Broncos defense wide by pushing out four receivers; Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, James Washington and rookie Chase Claypool, freeing up the middle for Ebron and possibly Jaylen Samuels or Anthony McFarland out of the backfield on third down plays. In doing so, this offense will score points in droves.

Defensively, the Steelers face another dynamic running back, Melvin Gordon, who they will need to stop first. The Broncos want to feed Gordon the ball, protecting their young quarterback Drew Lock, and if the Steelers can stuff Gordon as they did Barkley, Lock is going to have to be

Commentary

Mike Pelaia ball more effectively than Conner, finds the holes quicker and has a burst of speed that Conner seems to lack. Snell should see the ball 25 times against the Broncos and I expect him to average at least four yards per carry.

Roethlisberger will need to continue getting all his receivers in-

the guy to beat them. The Steelers did show they are capable of giving up passing yards and have some weaknesses on third down defense at times, so they will need to blitz Lock with fury and expect to see T.J. Watt and Dupree in the Broncos’ backfield all afternoon.

The Broncos are a younger team at their skill positions and can easily be rattled; however, with a lack of a home crowd in the stadium, the Steelers will have to rattle them and intimidate them on their own, flustering the 0-1 Denver team into mistakes and ideally putting the game away early.

If the Steelers can overcome the injuries on the offensive line, keep Big Ben upright and healthy, run the ball with an average of four yards a carry and stuff Melvin Gordon, they should win this game in a cakewalk.

I’m looking for an easy victory, 31-13 Steelers, and a 2-0 start.

B6

FORUM

SEPTEMBER 16-22, 2020

BLM: the movement, not the organization?

After the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, Black Lives Matter demonstrators took over urban streets demanding city councils to defund the police. After months of civil unrest and unfavorable news footage, a different mantra appeared in certain circles insisting: When we say Black Lives Matter, we mean the movement, not the organization.

Sounds like dissension.

Weeks after George Floyd’s death, Rev. Al Sharpton called the “defund the police” slogan “misleading without interpretation.”

Supporters claimed it meant transferring police funds to social services that are needed in Black communities and it wasn’t punitive. Sharpton said, “I don’t think that anyone, other than far extremes, are saying we don’t want any kind of policing at all, any kind of public safety.” But at most BLM demonstrations there were extremists with signs that said, “Abolish the Police.”

Two months after Sharpton’s comments, Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot seven times by the police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Blake lived, but was paralyzed. Days after the shooting there was a Justice For Jacob rally in Kenosha.

Thousands attended, including the Lt. Governor of Wisconsin, but one of the speakers said, “The Black man is worth something. His life is worth something. I have to say g__-damn-it, if you kill one of us, it’s time for us to kill one of yours.”

The speaker wasn’t identified, but isn’t it time for the “organizers” of “peaceful protest” to identify the extremes that don’t belong?

A month after the George Floyd riots a 2015 video clip resurfaced of BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors stating, we do have an ideological frame, myself and Alicia (Garza fellow co-founder of BLM) are trained organizers, we are trained Marxist, and we are versed in ideological theories.

Detractors immediately labeled BLM a Marxist organization in an effort to duplicate the post-World War II red scare, but their focus should have been on the ideological theories she didn’t name because that’s where the extremes are rooted, and the question remains, what exactly are those doctrines?

J. Pharoah Doss

Check It Out One Black columnist made an excuse, “While influential members within BLM, such as Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors, identify as Marxist, the organization that

is known officially as the ‘Black Lives Matter Global network’ does not describe itself as Marxist (or socialist). It doesn’t matter whether BLM is socialist or Marxist, it’s clear that the organization and most of its adherents are fighting for a dismantling of discrimination that is based on race, sex, gender identity and sexuality. The embracing of ‘liberation ideologies’ is sufficient for many people to oppose BLM—irrespective of particular political label.”

The columnist expects the public to believe the labels Marxism and socialism don’t matter because BLM is actually opposed for embracing liberation ideologies, but

liberation ideologies are variants of Marxism and socialism, and within these variants are a variety of extremes. This time the question is, do these extremists belong amongst “peaceful protesters?”

Hawk Newsome, co-founder of the Greater New York BLM chapter, let the cat out the bag during a debate. Newsome proudly stated the BLM movement wasn’t monolithic, “You have communist, socialist, democrats, and anarchist.” Amazingly, Newsome referred to himself as a champagne socialist, which is a person whose middle-class

upbringing and luxurious lifestyle contradicts the political theories they espouse.

Three months after George Floyd’s death, Sharpton was back in the news. This time he referred to defunding the police as “something a latte liberal may go for as they sit around the Hamptons discussing this as some academic problem … But the people living on the ground need proper policing.”

It’s understandable why certain circles want to separate BLM the movement from BLM the organization, but I doubt it can be done.

I mean, can you separate a latte liberal from a champagne socialist?

Letter to the Editor

Give voters a voice in Harrisburg Dear Editor: The Pennsylvania legislature has long been out of step with the majority of Pennsylvanians, passing bills with little public support and ignoring bills wanted by an overwhelming majority. This has become even more the case in recent months, so much so that we feel compelled to speak out on behalf of Pennsylvania voters.

A redistricting reform proposal with more cosponsors than any other in this session or the last was ignored completely by our legislative leaders. Numerous statewide surveys show 7 in 10 Pennsylvanians, from all parties and all parts of the state, support an independent redistricting commission. Yet State Government Committee Chairs, Rep. Garth Everett and Senator John DiSanto, chose not to schedule votes on HB 22 and 23 and SB 1022 and 1023.

Those bills are now dead, denying PA an independent commission for the 2021 redistricting.

Important police reform bills, some obvious correctives to long-standing public concerns, were never considered in House or Senate Judiciary Committees until the House Black Legislative Caucus took over the Speaker rostrum last June. Rep. Chris Rabb insisted: “We are legislators. Let us legislate.” Rep. Margo Davidson said, “Vote how you want. But let us take action on these bills.” That effort resulted in passage of 4 of the bills in question. Many more still languish in committee without a vote as the clock ticks out on this legislative session.

While the west coast burns in the hottest fires on record, both houses have pushed through a bill,

HB 2025, blocking PA entrance into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an attempt to curb carbon emissions. PA is 4th in the nation in carbon emissions. Entry to the RGGI would have significant impact for our state and the country. Environment Resources and Energy Committee Chairs Rep. Daryl Metcalfe and Senator Gene Yaw held hearings where opponents of the initiative were invited to speak, but groups in support were denied equal time.

On the Senate floor this week, attempts to amend or debate the bill were shut down in misuse of procedural rules that Minority Leader Jay Costa said “defied the spirit of democracy”.

Of even greater concern to the spirit of democracy: a much-needed election reform bill, with provisions to address concerns of county election officials, has been saddled with changes that would make the November election more difficult. Many counties used ballot drop boxes in the primary as a way to speed the return of mail-in ballots and ease the burden on the postal system. With no explanation, HB 2626, a bill that once had strong bipartisan support, was altered to block use of those collection boxes. 1 in 6 Americans returned ballots by drop boxes in the 2016 election and even more used them in the 2020 primary.

HB 2626 would also alter a long-standing prohibition against out-of-county poll watchers. Given Pennsylvania’s inadequate definition and regulation of poll watchers, such a move would put added burden on voters and election officials and add confusion and stress to polling places already

struggling to provide staffing in the midst of a pandemic.

These provisions have been pushed forward with no debate, no opportunity for amendment, no input from key stakeholder, no support from county election officials. Historic organizations like the League of Women Voters were not asked for comment and our emails of concern have not received a response.

The people of Pennsylvania have a constitutional right to clean air and water, to representation by elected officials, to alter and reform our government as we see fit.

Those rights are being trampled as the legislative agenda is more and more controlled by a handful of leaders out of step with the majority of PA voters, many elected from gerrymandered safe districts where they face no opposition.

As former PA Governor Tom Ridge said so eloquently in an op-ed this week, “Voting should not be a partisan issue.” We agree completely. Please contact your PA Senators and ask them to vote NO on HB 2626 unless it is amended to remove provision for out-of county poll watchers and any restriction on the use of ballot drop-boxes.

And please think carefully about your vote for Pennsylvania legislators. Some of our representatives and senators are trying hard to represent us. Many others no longer listen to constituents or support procedural rules that allow all legislators a voice.

With great concern, Terrie Griffin Janeth Hendershot League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Co-Presidents

Letters to the editor for publication The New Pittsburgh Courier welcomes all responsible viewpoints for publication. All letters should be typewritten and contain writer’s address and phone number for verification. All letters will be edited for clarity and length. Address all letters to: Letters to the Editor, New Pittsburgh Courier| 315 East Carson St. Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219 |You may fax your letter to 412-481-1360 or via email to letters@newpittsburghcourier.com

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

A clear and present danger At this point I have given up trying to warn the American people about the dangers of Donald trump and his presidency.

Now that we have trump backed right-wing militia men beating dissenters in the streets, and Mr. trump openly declaring his racism and tellinghis supporters to cheat in order for him to win the election, I hope that those of you with an iota of intelligence will realize just how much of a clear and present danger this guy is.

Today portions of the Bob Woodward book was leaked, and in it he wrote that Mr. trump was aware of the dangers of the coronavirus to the American people and his intentional intent to play it down. The result of his malevolent and dishonest deeds is that more Americans died. Of course Americans dying to Mr. trump doesn’t matter as long as he can get reelected. We are seeing that now, and, more importantly, we are hearing it as well. We are hearing it because Woodward actually has trump on tape. I can’t wait to see how his minions and sycophants spin their way out of this one.

Oh, and by the way, Bob Woodward is no hero in this story.

If he really had all of this information and knew that Mr. trump’s actions were dangerous to the American people and did not reveal it, and if he did choose profit over the lives and well being of the American people, shame on him.

But back to my original point about the dangers of Donald trump, and the rise of fascism in America.

Here are excerpts from an article by Dean Obeidallah writ-

ing for The Daily Beast: “Many people have used the word “fascist” to describe Donald Trump over the past few years. I was not one of them— until Monday night, when Trump openly defended and endorsed violence by his supporters.

First, Trump shockingly defended his 17-year-old supporter Kyle Rittenhouse, who drove across state lines into Wisconsin where he illegally carried a weapon in the streets of Kenosha and then shot and killed two people. (Criminal charges filed against Rittenhouse include first-degree intentional homicide and illegal possession of a deadly weapon.)

Then Trump backed his supporters who on Saturday descended in a caravan of cars on Portland, Oregon, where they were seen shooting projectiles such as paintballs and pepper spray at people in the street. Trump defended this criminal conduct as a “peaceful protest,” arguing that “paint is not bullets.” In reality, shooting people with paintballs is a crime— we all know that. It could blind a person or worse. Yet Trump defends it because the people engaged in this violence were on Team Trump.

We have now entered a new reality in America where Trump, like fascists before, is embracing violence to remain in power. Let’s be clear about what fascism is. As Madeleine Albright explained while discussing her 2018 book, Fascism: A Warning, “Fascism is not an ideology; it’s a process for taking and holding power.” She added that “what differentiates fascism from other ideological movements is the use of violence and anger to achieve political ends.” Hammering that point home, Albright back in early 2019 used a line that sums up Trump today: “Fascism involves the endorsement and use of violence to achieve political goals and stay in power.”

While Trump has embraced other methods used by fascists before—such as pitting Americans against one another to incite anger—that has been utilized by other modern politicians without veering into fascism. What changed this for me was Trump’s embrace of violence to help him remain in power, This is fascism. Period.

Authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the new book Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present, painted a dark picture for me of Trump’s playbook. “His goal between now and November is to make the U.S. erupt into true chaos so he and William Barr can justify the authoritarian crackdown they dream of,” she said.

To this end, Trump’s senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said point-blank Thursday on Fox News that violence helps Trump. While discussing the protests in Kenosha from the night before, Conway uttered the jaw-dropping line, “The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on who’s best on public safety and law and order.”

Jared Kushner offered a similar message to Politico, noting that the violence the country saw following the killing of George Floyd could “tip” Minnesota voters toward Trump.

If you love Trump and are looking for a way to help, Team Trump is giving you this simple message: Commit more acts of violence. Thus, it comes as no surprise that two days after Conway’s words on Fox News, Trump supporters sprang into action, heading to Portland where they engaged in acts of violence by shooting people with projectiles. Today it was paintballs. Tomorrow, will it be bullets?

Conway’s words were so jarring and bluntly un-American that Joe Biden slammed them in his powerful and pointed speech Monday. First, he declared, “One of his [Trump’s] closest political advisers in the White House doesn’t even bother to speak in code, just comes out and she says it. The more chaos, violence, the better it is for Trump’s re-election.”

Biden then added, “Just think about that. This is a sitting president of the United States of America. He’s supposed to be protecting this country, but instead he’s rooting for chaos and violence.”

Biden is clearly stunned, as anyone who values our democratic republic should be. I understand Biden may be hesitant to use the word fascist to describe Trump because it could be dismissed as the mirror of Trump’s baseless claim that Biden is a socialist. But it is absolutely necessary to alert Americans who may not be paying attention to the threat Trump poses—and coming from Biden, who is more reserved in his choice of words, using the words fascist could be persuasive.

At the very least, it could serve as a warning that could save lives given Trump’s record of inciting violence in the past.

We all remember during the 2016 campaign when Trump explicitly encouraged violence at his rallies with lines like, “If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously, OK? Just knock the hell… I promise you I will pay for the legal fees.”

And since Trump took the White House, others have committed violence in his name, such as Cesar Sayoc, known as the MAGA bomber. All told, ABC News reported in May that it found over 40 cases in court pleadings since 2017 in which Trump was cited as a factor that inspired the crime, from terroristic threats against Rep. Maxine Waters to threats to kill leaders of an Arab-American organization. ABC did not find any cases that cited President Obama or George W. Bush as the reason for their attack.

Joe Biden tells us that this election is for the “soul of the nation.” It’s actually bigger than that. If Trump wins there are no limits to what he will do—especially if he can pack the Supreme Court with even more like-minded justices.

This election, our democracy, our civil liberties and even our freedom is on the ballot. Those are the real stakes.”

I need a drink.