Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
by Rob Taylor Jr.
Courier Staff Writer
From Isaac Myers, a founder of the Colored National Labor Union in 1869, to Mary McLeod Bethune, the founding president of the National Council for Negro Wom-
en and the first woman president of the American Teachers Association in 1912, African Americans and labor unions have almost always gone hand in hand. "Almost" must be said, because not all unions had African Americans’
backs, such as the AFL autoworkers union in Detroit, which, according to many research experts, "missed opportunities" in Black people’s fight for civil rights and against police brutality in the 1930s.
But generally speaking,
unions have been good to African Americans. There were plenty in the crowd as Vice President and Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris addressed hundreds of local union workers on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2, inside the IBEW Local
by Bill Neal
For New Pittsburgh Courier
On Saturday, Aug. 10, Pittsburgh City League Hall of Famer and “Champions Live” Sports Talk Show Co-Host Robert “Rock” Robinson invited me to cover a very special event: the celebration of the Pittsburgh Duffers Golf Club and recognition of Mr. Gerald Fox, one of the original founding fathers of the club. Mr. Fox was the husband of the late, great, Alma Speed
Fox. Of course my initial reaction came into play...if there’s one sport I know zero to nothing about, it’s
golf. (Yeah, I know some of you who read my column on the regular suggest that I don’t seem to know much about football or basketball, either...some even wonder if I actually ever played! Of course, you all know that jealousy is one of the deadly sins.)
Gamer that I am, I took on the assignment for the New Pittsburgh Courier realizing that a parallel in historic timing would assuredly co-exist. As it turns out, it proved to be the best decision I made for covering a story all
VP Harris outlines vision for America in CNN interview
by Stacy M. Brown
NNPA—Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, made a strategic decision to sit down for her first major interview since President Joe Biden withdrew from the race. She selected CNN as the platform despite the network’s heavily criticized moderation of the controversial June debate between Biden and former President Donald Trump.
In that debate, CNN anchors were widely condemned for allowing Trump to spread untruths and disinformation unchecked. On Thursday, Aug. 29, Harris used that same network to set the record straight and present her vision for America alongside her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The interview in Georgia during their ongoing bus tour marked a critical moment for Harris, who has lit a fire under a once stagnant Democratic Party and galvanized donors as she’s taken the lead in almost every national poll.
Dana Bash, who conducted the interview, opened by questioning Harris about her priorities if she were to win the presidency. Harris, clear and direct, outlined her immediate goals:
“On day one, we’re going to bring down the cost of everyday goods, support small businesses, and invest in American families.
We’re not going back— we’re moving forward.” Her response was a sharp contrast to Trump, who vowed that he’d be a dictator on day one.
Walz, seated beside Harris, praised the proposed agenda, highlighting its practical success in Minnesota. “The child tax credit, for example, reduced childhood poverty by a third in our state. With a federal partner, the impact could be even greater,” Walz said.
The discussion quickly pivoted to the economy, with Bash pressing Harris on why some Americans might, according to Bash, feel nostalgic for the economic conditions under Trump.
Harris responded by highlighting the dire situation she and Biden inherited—a nation reeling from a pandemic, with millions of jobs lost and a collapsing economy. “We inherited a nation in crisis,” Harris said, recalling the early days of the Biden administration.
“We’ve brought inflation down to under 3 percent, but we know prices, especially for groceries, are still too high. That’s why my agenda is focused on real solutions—tackling price gouging, investing in affordable housing, and providing a $25,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers.”
Harris also addressed her past positions on fracking and immigration, clarifying that her views have evolved as she gained more office experience. On fracking, she stated clearly that while she once supported a ban, she now believes in a balanced approach that doesn’t jeopardize jobs in key sectors.
“In 2020, I made my position clear and kept my word. My values haven’t changed, but my experience as vice president has shown me that we can achieve a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking,” Harris asserted.
When the conversation turned to immigration, Harris didn’t hold back in criticizing Trump’s handling of the issue, particularly his role in blocking bipartisan efforts to secure the border.
“We had a bill that would have added 1,500 agents to the border and increased fentanyl seizures, but Trump killed it because it didn’t serve his political interests,” Harris said. She pledged to sign that bill
Trump’s flood of misinformation, a decision that cast a long shadow over the network’s journalistic credibility. By engaging with CNN now, Harris signaled a willingness to confront her critics and take control of the narrative as she moves toward Election Day.
In the interview’s more personal moments, Harris and Walz reflected on their families and the emotional support they received. Bash asked Harris about a viral photograph showing her grand-niece watching her accept the Democratic nomination.
Harris, visibly moved, said, “It’s humbling. This campaign is about what we can achieve together as a country. I’m running because I believe I’m the best person to lead this country forward—for all Americans.”
Walz, when asked about his son Gus’s emotional reaction during his speech at the Democratic convention, underscored the importance of setting a positive example for the next generation. “To have my son feel that pride in me, to
into law if elected, underscoring her commitment to enforcing immigration laws with the experience she gained as California’s attorney general.
Bash also brought up Trump’s recent comment questioning Harris’s authenticity as a Black woman. Harris responded with a sharp dismissal, labeling it “the same old, tired playbook” and quickly shifted focus back to the issues.
Despite the network’s poor performance during the June debate, Harris’s choice to give her first major interview to CNN was calculated. CNN’s moderators were widely criticized for failing to challenge
This Week In Black History A Courier Staple
• SEPTEMBER 4
1781—The city of Los Angeles is founded by 44 settlers of whom 26 were Black. This little known fact of history is found in H.H. Bancroft’s authoritative “History of California,” which details the ages, races and genders of the city’s founding fathers and mothers.
1957—Nine Black students are banned from Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., by Gov. Orval Faubus. The move makes him a folk hero among White supremacists but sets in motion a major conflict with the federal government. President Dwight Eisenhower is forced to call out 1,000 federal troops in order to force the eventual integration of the school.
1981—Popular recording star Beyoncé Knowles is born on this day in Houston, Texas.
•SEPTEMBER 5
1859—The first novel written by a Black woman is published in the United States. The woman was Harriet Wilson and the novel was entitled “Our Nig: Or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black.” The novel was lost for years until reprinted with a critical essay by Black scholar Henry Louis Gates in 1982. The novel, which may have been a bit autobiographical, centers on the life of “Frada”—a Black indentured servant who was physically and emotionally abused by her owners.
• SEPTEMBER 6
1865—One of the great White heroes of Black history, Pennsylvania Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, first proposes an addition to the Freemen’s Bureau Act which would have required the confiscation of land from former slave owners and the redistribution to former slaves in “40 acre lots.” Although Stevens was at the time the most powerful person in the U.S. Congress and a friend of Blacks, he was unable to get the measure passed. The so-called “40 acres and a mule,” which promised to aid Black economic development after slavery was defeated in Congress on Feb. 5, 1866 by a 136 to 36 vote. The lopsided nature of the vote reflected lingering pro-slave owner sympathies in the Congress and a general lack of support for the freed slaves.
starred in a number of so-called “race films” oriented at Black audiences, but Hollywood “discovered” her and expanded her roles while simultaneously subjecting her to various forms of discrimination. Nevertheless, she would become the first Black actress nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Actress category. She was only 42 when she died.
• SEPTEMBER 9
1739—The so-called Stono, S.C., slave revolt begins. It was led by a slave from Angola named Jemmy. The group gathered near the Stono River about 20 miles from Charleston and began a march and insurrection, which resulted in the deaths of at least 25 Whites. Marching under a banner proclaiming “Liberty,” it took a couple of hundred armed Whites to put down the revolt.
1817—Merchant, anti-slavery activist and “Back to Africa” advocate Paul Cuffee dies on this day in 1817. Cuffee had been born free in Massachusetts in 1759. Shortly after America’s war for independence from Britain, Cuffee and his brother built a boat and started a trading business. Over time, Cuffee became a wealthy man. However, he grew frustrated with America’s injustices against Blacks and became a “Back to Africa” advocate. On Dec. 10, 1815, he sailed a group of free Blacks to the West African nation of Sierra Leone to establish a settlement. The settlement rapidly became successful but on a return trip to the U.S. in 1817, he died.
1817—This is the day that Alexander Lucius Twilight received his B.A. degree from Middlebury College and thus became the first African American college graduate. Twilight, born free in Vermont, would go on to become a Presbyterian minister and pastor at several churches.
know I’m trying to do the right thing for our country—that’s what this is all about,” Walz said.
As the interview closed, Harris made a powerful appeal to voters, framing the upcoming election as a critical turning point for the nation. “This election is about the kind of future we want to build,” she asserted.
“Do we lift each other up, or do we tear each other down? I’m running because I believe in America’s potential to rise above division and hate. Together, we can turn the page on the last decade and write a new chapter in our nation’s history.”
• SEPTEMBER 7
1859—John Merrick, co-founder of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company was born on this day in 1859. He would help make the Durham, N.C., based firm the largest Black controlled insurance company in the nation. Merrick was born in Clinton, N.C. He died in 1919. 1957—Ghana becomes the first African country to break from White colonial rule and become an independent nation. The West African nation, once known as the Gold Coast, was led to independence by the dynamic Pan-Africanist Kwame Nkrumah He championed the slogan “Africa for the Africans” and encouraged the participation of Blacks throughout the world in building a strong and free Africa. However, the U.S. educated Nkrumah would be overthrown in a military coup in 1966. He befriended American activists ranging from W.E.B DuBois to Martin Luther King Jr.
• SEPTEMBER 8
1925—On this day in 1925 a series of events are set in motion which would lead to one of America’s periodic trials of the century. In this case, prominent Black doctor Ossian Sweet moves into an all-White neighborhood in Detroit, Mich. The following day a crowd of nearly 1,000 angry Whites gather around his home in a bid to force him out. Sweet had anticipated trouble and had 11 family members and friends in the house to help defend his property. A shot rings out from the Sweet home killing one member of the angry mob. All 11 persons in the Sweet home are charged with murder. The family is defended by Clarence Darrow—one of the nation’s best known and most progressive lawyers. Sweet’s brother admits to firing the deadly shot, but Darrow convinces an all-White jury he acted in self-defense and they found him not guilty. Charges are then dropped against all the others. Sweet would later write “I have to die a man or live a coward.”
1965—Dorothy Dandridge, perhaps the most prominent African American actress of the 1940s and 1950s, commits suicide in Los Angeles, Calif. She had been suffering from a host of financial and emotional problems. In the early years of her career, she
1915—The “Father of Black History,” Carter G. Woodson, leads the founding of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History during a meeting in Chicago. It was originally called the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. The organization became the nation’s leading organizing center for the dissemination of information on Black history. Woodson was also the founder of Negro History Week, which grew into the current day Black History Month. 1934—Renowned poet Sonia Sanchez was born Wilsonia Benita Driver on this day in Birmingham, Ala. She has authored more than a dozen books of poetry and has been a professor at several American universities. Sanchez joined the Nation of Islam in 1972 but left in 1975 following a dispute over the issue of women’s rights.
• SEPTEMBER 10
1847—John Roy Lynch is born into slavery on this day near Vidalia, La. Lynch would be among the first group of Blacks to serve in the United States Congress after slavery. He represented the state of Mississippi. Lynch would even serve as temporary chairman of the Republican Party National Convention. During this period, the Republicans were the more progressive and friendly-to-Blacks party. But as the period of Reconstruction faded and Southern politicians made it virtually impossible for Blacks to remain in political office, Lynch moved to Chicago and practiced law. He died in 1939 at the age of 92.
1965—Father Divine dies in Philadelphia, Pa. From about 1910 to his death in 1965, Father Divine was Black America’s foremost spiritual and cult leader. Indeed, he claimed to be God and his full self-given name was Rev. General Jealous Divine. Critics called him a charlatan and a religious scam artist. But initially as a traveling preacher and then from a base in New York City, Divine built his small church into the International Peace Mission—a large mass congregation with members and churches throughout the United States and several foreign countries. Little is known about his background, but he was probably born in Georgia and his real given name was probably George Baker. During his heyday, Divine’s only serious competition was another Black spiritual-cult leader by the name of Daddy Grace.
1976—Mordecai Johnson, the first Black president of historic Howard University in Washington, D.C., dies. He was one of the nation’s foremost educational leaders. He was 86 when he died.
Kamala Harris stands with union workers in Labor Day trip to Pittsburgh
HARRIS FROM A1
Downtown, was one of the organization's earliest chapters when it was founded in 1968. Its mission is to promote equity, equal employment, voter education and voter mobilization. It's all in the name of Randolph, who founded the country's first major Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, in 1925. Its members, led by Randolph, were all Pullman Porters, even though Randolph, himself, was not a Pullman Porter. Back in those days, Blacks were unable to be conductors or other higher-paying positions. Porters made up the beds on the trains, shined shoes, awakened passengers and other services.
As an aside, they also helped the New Pittsburgh Courier physical newspapers get to the Black residents in the South.
Today, you'll see Blacks in Pittsburgh as part of unions like the Amalgamated Transit Union (Pittsburgh Regional Transit), the SEIU (Service Employees International Union), the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, United Steelworkers, and others.
Specifically to Pittsburgh, Nate Smith was a Black man who ferociously fought to have Blacks in labor unions here. He was the first Black member of the Union of Operating Engineers, and through his Operation Dig initiative, thousands of Blacks (and women) became skilled
enough to join members of local unions.
"It is good to be in the house of labor," Harris said as she began her remarks at the IBEW Local Union No. 5, Sept. 2. "Pittsburgh, of course, is a cradle of the American labor movement. It is the birthplace of the AFL, headquarters of the Steelworkers, home to Firefighters Local 1, and of course the historic IBEW Local 5."
In this race for the White House against former President Donald Trump, Harris wanted to make it clear her support for union workers is unwavering. Not only did she speak to Pittsburgh union workers, but hours earlier on Labor Day, she spoke to union workers in Detroit, Michigan. Both Michigan and Pennsylvania are swing states, up for grabs, like the opening tip in basketball.
"You may not be a union member, but you better thank unions for that five-day work week; thank unions for sick leave; thank unions for paid family leave; thank unions for your vacation time," Harris said in Pittsburgh to massive applause. "Because when union wages go up, everybody's wages go up. When union workplaces are safer, all workplaces are safer. When unions are strong, America is strong," she said to even more applause.
"Together, we are fighting to build an economy that works for all working people," Harris said.
"And that has always been the vision of the labor movement. And that is the vision of our campaign."
No rocket science degree is needed to know that Harris would become the first woman and first Black woman president if she's elected on Nov. 5. During many of her speeches, she refers to herself as the "underdog," as the billionaires pour tons of money into Political Action Committees and the Trump campaign
for advertisements that promote Trump and denigrate Harris. Calling her, among other things, "dangerous," or "too soft" on crime.
"Remember, as president, Donald Trump blocked overtime benefits for millions of workers," Harris said in Pittsburgh, to a chorus of boos. "He opposed efforts to raise the minimum wage. He appointed union-busters to the National Labor Relations Board. And don't forget he supported so-called
'right-to-work' laws. And if Donald Trump were to be reelected, he intends to give more tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations. He intends to cut Social Security and Medicare."
Then Harris added: "We fight for a future where no person has to go broke just because they get sick. And so building on the work of President Joe Biden and I and the work we have done in the White House, we will continue to strengthen the Afford -
able Care Act and make prescription drugs available for all Americans."
Someone in the audience yelled that Donald Trump "was going to jail," during Harris' speech. Harris, offscript, looked at the man who said it and then pronounced, "Well, the courts will handle that and we will handle November," to a chorus of applause. "We'll handle November, let the courts handle that other thing...but we're not going back."
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TOLD SUPPORTERS IN PITTSBURGH THAT VOTING FOR KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT WILL BE THE BEST DECISION ONE COULD MAKE. (PHOTO BY J.L. MARTELLO)
ORLANDO SIMS AND MARVINA HAWKINS CAME
FELISHA DILLARD FROM THE HILL!
Cynthia and Art
Negro Mountain, in Maryland, gets historic marker
The Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) of Western Pennsylvania continues to celebrate Negro Mountain, located in Grantsville, Maryland. In fact, the local ASALH adopted Negro Mountain to accurately teach the history of the unknown Black frontiersman for whom the mountain was named and who died alongside Thomas Cresap in a skirmish with Indigenous French Allies on May 24, 1776. His name has been lost to history, yet signage emblazoned with the name of the mountain had previously stood
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contacting Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, and working with the governor’s designee, Gregory Slater, members of the Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch, and the president of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), Marlene Bransom, to implement a compromise for the missing signs. In September 2020, the McKenzie Branch partnered with MDOT (Maryland Department of Transportation) to discuss and devise a solution. Through further partnerships with Dr. Julie Schablitsky of the Cultural Resources Division of MDOT,
prominently. However, in May 2019, when the Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch members journeyed to Maryland to clean the Negro Mountain Parklet area of litter, they discovered both of the elevation signs were missing on U.S. Alt. Route 40. Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch President Ronald B. Saunders quickly jumped into action, first
BEVERLY GAIL CARTER
Dr. Artie Travis, Vice President of Student Af
fairs, Frostburg State University, Garrett County Historical Society, Garrett County Administration, Prince Georges County Truth Branch of ASALH, Samuel L. Banks Branch of ASALH, Clarence Davis, former Maryland State Delegate, and Lora Rakowski, Acting Director, Office of Communication, Maryland State Highway Administration, Negro Mountain was renamed to: “Negro Mountain, African American Historic Site.” This resulted Negro Mountain becoming the first place to have a historic marker in Garrett County, Maryland. The historic marker is located near a pull-off area on Alt US 40 (National Pike) near Zehner Road, according to the Garrett County Republican publication.
On October 12, 2023, members of the Edna B. McKenzie Branch hosted a festive celebration for the unveiling of the Historical Marker for
Negro Mountain African American Historic Site in Garrett County. The event was attended by 80 people from various departments in Maryland, other ASALH branches, the Alleghany NAACP, Garrett County officials, Frostburg State educators, Garrett County Historical Society, and private citizens. The Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch of ASALH acknowledges the following members who have participated in the effort to change the historical landscape in Western Maryland: Marlene Bransom, Alonna J. Carter-Donaldson, Alexis Clipper, Martha Conley, Margaret Self, Linda P. McDougald, Judith E. Saunders, Tamara M. Saunders, Ronald B. Saunders, Dr. Artie Travis, and the late Ann Mason.
Dr. Edna B. McKenzie, the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in the History department at the University of Pittsburgh, and a pioneering journalist with the Pittsburgh Courier, is whom the local ASALH branched is named. The inauguration of the branch took place on October 13, 2012.
Beverly “Bev aka Ms. Bev” Gail Carter (nee Thomas), 80 of Pittsburgh, PA, born on November 6th in Ironton, OH and the beloved wife of Philip W. Carter transitioned on August 15, 2024. She is the daughter of the late Laverne and Emerson Thomas and the loving mother of Philippa Kay, Stacey Lynn and Frederick DuBois. She is the sister of Sheila Knapper and was preceded in death by her brother Carl “Barney” Thomas. Beverly was loved by her family especially her uncles and aunt, all who preceded her in death except for Fred. They are Curtis, Oscar “Buss”, Charles “Joby”, Martha, David and Fred “Floogie” Fox. She adored her nieces and nephews, Tony Fox, Crystal Knapper (deceased), Charlie Knapper, Jerry “Chip” Knapper, Adam Knapper, Brandy Carter, Lani (Ben Finney) and Diamond (Kegan Frederick) Gholston. Her sisters and brothers in laws, Lee and Theresa Carter, Oliver “Junior” (deceased), Lawrence “Larry” and Sylvia (Mark Mosley) Gholston frequently visited. Beverly looked forward to her frequent luncheons with her friends Betty Pickett and Ann Sims. She also loved talking to her sister Sheila, Uncle Fred “Floogie” and her friends Peggy Hrinya and Shirley Williams.
Beverly was not only a loving and caring mother and wife, but she was also an advocate for her community. She was a founder and engaged parent leader in the South Oakland neighborhood band, The Oaklanders, a drum and bugle corp. She was always available when anyone needed support.
Beverly loved a great party and was the hostess with the mostess as evidenced by her more than three decades of hosting the Carter family annual New Year’s Eve party. Family and friends would just show up knowing the party was the place to be to ring in the New Year.
Beverly was also an elected committee woman for South Oakland. She was a member of the Marshall University Black Alumni. Beverly had a career of 40 years at UPMC most of which were at Falk pharmacy. She was recognized at an UPMC event in 2015 for her career accomplishment. She was celebrated by the Fairfield Community and the City of Huntington, WV in 2017.
Beverly was an avid sports fan who has attended Steeler Football Games including several Superbowls, Marshall University Football and Basketball games, Cavalier Basketball games and went to her first professional tennis match last year. She loved her books on tape (a new obsession), exploring different restaurants with her family, traveling, and going to Costco. She was loved by so many and will be deeply missed by all those whose life she touched but especially by her family and close friends.
A celebration of her life will take place on September 5th at Kulcher Kitchen and Bar, 2526 E. Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203: https://www.kulcherkitchen.com/ in Pittsburgh, PA on Thursday, September 5th from 5:00p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The internment will take place in her hometown of Ironton, OH on September 7th at 1:00p.m. at Woodland Cemetery followed with a celebration of her life at the Marshall Hall of Fame Café, 857 3rd Ave, Huntington, WV 25701: https://mhofc.com/ from 7:00p.m. to 9:00p.m.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Professor Philip W. Carter and Mrs. Beverly G. Carter Scholarship, Marshall University Foundation, 519 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25703 or to the Hillman Cancer Center in honor of Beverly G. Carter at www.upmchillman.com/donate. Arrangements entrusted to Pittsburgh Cremation & Funeral Care, Robinson Township.
“O sing unto the Lord a NEW SONG: sing unto the Lord, ALL the EARTH. Sing unto the Lord, bless His Name; show forth His SALVATION from Day to day. Declare His GLORY among the heathen, His WONDERS among ALL PEOPLE.”
- Psalm 96:1-3
REV. WALKER SAYS: As we see this world going backwards, Please, Please share the New song the precous gift of SALVATION. The only way to Heaven is by Jesus’ sacrifice that we may have Eternal Life.
MEMBERS OF THE DR. EDNA B. MCKENZIE BRANCH IN FRONT OF THE ADOPT A HIGHWAY SIGN DURING THE ANNUAL CLEAN UP: MARLENE BRANSOM, MARGARET SELF, ANN MASON, LINDA MCDOUGALD, JUDITH SAUNDERS, ALONNA CARTER-DONALDSON AND PRESIDENT RONALD B. SAUNDERS.
NOW IT STANDS, THE HISTORIC NEGRO MOUNTAIN MARKER, IN GARRETT COUNTY, MARYLAND. MEMBERS OF THE DR. EDNA B. MCKENZIE BRANCH OF ASALH ARE PICTURED.
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Muriel Fox accepts award for her late father, Gerald Fox, from Pittsburgh Duffers
summer. A great opportunity and tremendous learning experience to be sure.
First and foremost, a tip of the “golf cap” to members of the Pittsburgh Duffers, who welcomed me with open arms and a great rooftop cookout. It was really like coming home. Many of the guys were former business associates and competitors from other sports...alas, when we all were young!
I was then introduced to the history of the club and its objectives by Eric Kulinna, PGA Director of Golf and Player Development and First Tee Coach Martin KingSmith, Manager of Community Integration and Lead Caddie Mentor.
A major part of the day’s event as well as the past several summers was to continue to grow the club’s youth programs that further encourage young African Americans to learn to play the game. And more importantly, investigating becoming a caddie through their club’s initiative for the love of the game, as well as being paid to caddy. All along the way, learning lessons that will help them navigate the
Secondly, upon arriving I was reminded that it had been years since I worked for CitiParks that I had been to the club, now known as the Bob O’Connor Golf Course, in Schenley Park. It should be noted that the club has taken on magnificent changes and remodeling in the memory of the former mayor. (I am proud to say both he and son, Corey, have been longtime supporters of my agencies, Champions Association and Achieving Greatness Inc.)
game of life while mastering the increasingly difficult game of golf, such as character building, timeliness, responsibility, helping others... and more specifically as the pros say, SHOW UP, KEEP UP, SHUT UP!
(Don’t worry, it’s a golf thing, just go with it.)
The program is entitled "First Tee" and is available for boys and girls ages 13-17 years old. Not only will they learn the game, playing and/or caddying, but they can earn up -
wards of $30-$90 a day, $30 per nine holes. For more information about the First Tee Program, please call Martin KingSmith at the Bob O’Connor Golf Course.
The continued update of the Pittsburgh Duffers Golf Club came via current President Brenan Jackson and Vice President Bo Waddell, both of whom echoed the desire to maintain and grow the rich tradition of the Duffers and what the club has meant to Pittsburgh, Western Pa. and
the nation for not only its rich history, but the role it has played in the nation’s Black history, helping to integrate players into the game as well as their community-based contributions.
Mr. Waddell also noted that along with that history remained the responsibility to continue to tell “the stories” of the journeys, both good and bad, and continue to be told and retold and speak truth to the history of the game. Most importantly, the afternoon included a
special salute to Mr. Gerald Fox, one of the original founding fathers of the club in 1952 and all those who were a part of establishing this historic organization.
The award was accepted by his daughter, Muriel Fox, the wellknown and successful executive and educator. Ms. Fox accepted the recognition award for her father along with her sister, Wesley Fox McLoud, and children, Jada N. Alim and Francis J. Alim.
The perfect and heart -
felt afternoon was capped off with great fellowship and great food. And I enjoyed great conversation with the legendary “Daddy Wo” Womack. At 85 years young, the Alabama transplant still lights up the course, having shared the links with the likes of Arnold Palmer, Calvin Peete, and Charlie Sifford. When “Daddy Wo” comes on, you simply say play through! Job well done, Duffers.
Aubrey Bruce predicts the Steelers’ 2024 season, week-by-week
Steelers @ Falcons, Sept.
8: The Steelers invade the Falcons nest with a new/ old QB Kirk Cousins at the helm. The Falcons are going to snatch a page from their ex-head coach and Steelers present Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith; short passes and the running game to control TOP and keep Cousins out of the ER. Steelers 17-10
Steelers @ Broncos, Sept.
15: Russell Wilson is not the “I told you so” type of guy. Nonetheless, a little birdie whispered in my ear that Russ bought all the cans of “whoop ass” that were available in the United States and abroad. Steelers 21-10
Steelers host Chargers, Sept. 22: After Jim Harbaugh left the University of Michigan under less-than-desirable circumstances he inherited a decent team. However, now is not the time to grow your team at Acrisure Stadium to play the Steelers ‘Big Nasty D’ right after Nana just finished taking them to the
woodshed. Steelers in a close one, 21-17.
Steelers @ Colts, Sept. 29: Remember the Colts snuck up on the Steelers in 2023 beating the Black and Gold by the score of 30-13. Charlie Chan says not so fast this time, ponies. Steelers 24-7
Steelers host Cowboys, Oct. 6: At this time of the year, the Steelers have put in their Jack Lambert genuine imitation vampire fangs. Unfortunately, the “Cryboys” didn’t hear the call to get into the house before the street lights came on. Steelers 21-7
Steelers @ Raiders, Oct. 13: Win or lose, the Raiders are almost always a bump in the road for the
Steelers. Raiders Head
Coach Antonio Pierce has brought out the faithful Ouija Board to get advice on how to jap-slap the Black and Gold. Get the ice pack ready. Raiders 21-14
Steelers host Jets, Oct. 20:
I suspect that by the time the Steelers see Aaron Rodgers heading into Halloween, Rodgers will have knocked out the kinks from his 2023 Achilles injury. That does not bode well for the men of steel. Jets 21-14.
Steelers host Giants, Oct. 28: The Giants should have kept Saquon Barkley in the fold to be able to sell play-action for their questionable QB room. Well, when you make your bed and can’t get comfortable, that’s on you. Look for the Steelers to have five or six sacks at the end of the day. Steelers and Russell Wilson will also have a field day. Steelers 28-7
Steelers @ Commanders, Nov. 10: The defense of the Commanders is either atro-
cious or Hall-of-Fame bound, depending on who you talk to. I have a feeling that Russell Wilson and his crew of under-appreciated and underrated receivers are going to have a breakout game. Steelers 28-10.
Steelers host Ravens, Nov. 17: What else can you say?
Former Ravens linebacker, you know the one that got away, is going to be ‘King for a day’ and he is going to make the Ravens pay. The dirty birds must pay the piper. Steelers 1710
Steelers @ Browns, Nov. 21: The Browns could have Doug Williams or the late Steve McNair under center instead of another excellent and well-paid Black American QB Deshaun Watson, but it really doesn’t matter. The Browns are the Browns even with an above-average defense. This will be a low-scoring affair. Steelers 10-7
Steelers @ Bengals, Dec. 1: Joe Burrow and his ‘jun-
gle cats’ are hard to face at home heading toward the playoffs and the end of the year. Steelers fight hard but fall 21-13.
Steelers host Browns, Dec. 8: The rubber match between the ‘Brownies and the Steelers is going to feature a defensive clinic put on by both teams. I think T.J. Watt is ultimately going to win because Watt has far more help on the inside or outside than the Browns superstar defensive end, Myles Garrett. Steelers 14-10
Steelers @ Eagles, Dec. 15: The Eagles are looking at this game as a punishment game for the Steelers unloading the ‘wicked Pickett’ on the unsuspecting Eagles and their fans. Eagles prevail in a wild one, 24-14.
Steelers @ Ravens, Dec. 21: I get a migraine just thinking about the headon collisions that are always a big part of this ‘war’ disguised as a football game. Ravens win at home, 19-10.
Steelers host Chiefs, Christmas Day: Seriously, playing the Ravens and the Chiefs within four days, are you kidding me? The Steelers allow their starters to rest and get ready for the playoffs unless there is a playoff home-field slot advantage on the line. Whatever, Chiefs 21-10.
Steelers @ Bengals, Jan. 5, 2025: Steelers, in the regular season finale, win over the Bengals.
Courier sportswriters’ Steelers regular season predictions
AUBREY BRUCE SAYS 11-6
BILL NEAL SAYS 12-5
SOME OF THE TEENS IN THE “FIRST TEE” PROGRAM.
LEGENDS OF THE GAME REMEMBERED...THE ORIGINAL PITTSBURGH DUFFERS
PITTSBURGH DUFFERS PRESIDENT BRENAN JACKSON, RIGHT, WITH VICE PRESIDENT BO WADDELL, LEFT.
Class of 2O24 Honorees
LEGACY HONOREE
Robert Hill
Retired, Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs University of Pittsburgh
James Willie Anderson Jr.
Elder, King of Kings Baptist Church CEO, Jiggity Marketing LLC
Demario Andrews
Site Director, Family Support Center Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh
Rev. William A. Baker IV
Discipleship Pastor Macedonia Church of Pittsburgh
James M. Carter
Life Coach
Achieva
Kiel Chapman
Production Manager
PPG
Robert Cherry
Chief Executive Officer
Partner4Work
Bernard Clark Jr.
Head Football Coach
Robert Morris University
Micheal “Mike” Dean
Community School Site Manager
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Radio Personality, WAMO
J.E. Clark Delanois
Managing Director and Credit Division
Head of Private Banking BNY Mellon
Chuck Durham
Business Diversity Manager City of Pittsburgh
Dr. Shawn Keith Ellies, Cmdr., CPP, CPTED, CPD, PSA
Protective Security Advisor and Adjunct Professor University of Pittsburgh
Rev. Brian Carswell Flannagan Sr. Field Service Provider Solutions Specialist Eastern Region FedEx Corporation
Michael Lee Gay Sr.
Detective Pittsburgh Bureau of Police-Intelligence Unit
Sam W. Gibson
Executive Director
We The People 412
Rev. Jerrel T. Gilliam
Executive Director
Light of Life Rescue Mission
Nathaniel K. Goodson
CEO, The Promise Center of Homewood
Owner, Nate’s Landscaping & Hauling
Ricky Hardy
Program Manager, Family Foundation Through Community Human Services
Owner, RH3 Commercial Cleaning LLC
Lance J. Harrell
Director, Workforce Development and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Master Builders’ Association of Western Pa., Inc.
Saint “Larry” Harris
Supervisor, South Pittsburgh Peacemakers South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace
Mark D. Henderson
Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Chuck Herring
Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
South Fayette Township School District
Edgar G. Jackson Jr.
Owner
Hysyde Lounge and Excellent Care Professionals
Emmanuel D. Key
Owner ZoliCare Enterprise LLC
Terence King
Teacher Wilkinsburg School District
Michael A. Knight
Fiscal & Contracting Supervisor City of Pittsburgh
Sebastian Lacy
Vice President of Equity & Culture YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh
Majestic Lane
Chief Equity Officer Allegheny Conference on Community Development
Mike Logan
Founder Logans Heroes
Clyde D. Manns Jr.
Owner, EIT Basketball Training Site Supervisor, Greater Valley ACTES
Kevin J. Miller
Chaplain and Dean Imani Christian Academy
Pastor E. Keith Moncrief
Senior Pastor Kingdom Light Ministries International
Bishop Marvin C. Moreland
Jurisdictional Bishop Pennsylvania Western First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Church of God In Christ
James Myers Jr.
Senior Director, Business Investment Allegheny Conference on Community Development
Michael C. Nelson
Senior Manager of Security Operations Duquesne Light Co.
Michael J. Nichols
Retired, Public Works Laborer, City of Pittsburgh
Volunteer Reader, Pittsburgh Public Schools
Robert Poston
Youthbuild Supervisor and City Parks Manager City of Pittsburgh Department of Parks and Recreation
Timothy Powell
Clinical Director UPMC
Johnathan D. Rideau
BU Mission Assurance Manager Northrop Grumman
Shawn A. Shannon
Central Access Supervisor
Wesley Family Services
Alphonso Sloan Retired, Police Detective Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Artist, Method Lab Studios LLC
Morton D. Stanfield Jr.
Senior Vice President of Community Development Dollar Bank, Federal Savings Bank
Brian Vincent Starks
Marketing and Community Outreach Liaison Pittsburgh Public Theater
Alfred B. Valentine
President
100 Black Men of Western Pennsylvania
Wendell E. Wade Jr.
Vice President, Branch and Business Center Manager PNC Bank
Dr. Evon Walters
Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement
Community College of Allegheny County
Terrel R. Williams
Teen Outreach Program Manager
Homeless Children’s Education Fund
W. Eugene Wilson
Owner, Cloud 33 Premium Cigar Lounge
Basketball Coach
James D. Wimberly III
General Manager Block by Block
Dr. Michael Young
Mellon College of Science Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences
Carnegie Mellon University
PROPERTY IS POWER!
Kamala Harris’ housing strategy: A pathway to Black homeownership success
In a bold move to address the housing crisis and empower first-time homebuyers, Vice President Kamala Harris has unveiled a comprehensive housing plan that promises to bring significant change, particularly for Black Americans aspiring to achieve homeownership. Announced during a campaign rally in North Carolina, Harris’ plan outlines a fouryear strategy aimed at
of downpayment funds is one of the biggest hurdles to owning a home, and Harris proposal directly addresses this issue. By easing the financial burden of a downpayment, more Black families could take the crucial first step toward building wealth through homeownership, a step that has long been out of reach for many due to historical and ongoing inequities.
making homeownership more accessible through substantial downpayment assistance and expanded housing inventory.
A Path to Homeownership: $25,000 in Downpayment Assistance
At the core of Harris housing proposal is a provision to provide up to $25,000 in downpayment support to firsttime homebuyers. This initiative is especially crucial for Black families, who have historically faced systemic barriers to homeownership, such as discriminatory lending practices and lower access to generational wealth. The assistance is designed for working families who have consistently paid rent on time for at least two years, with even more robust support available for first-generation homebuyers. This plan could be a game changer for Black homebuyers. The lack
The
Building Affordable Housing and Combating Corporate Greed In addition to downpayment assistance, Harris plan includes the construction of 3 million new affordable homes. This aspect of the proposal is vital, as the lack of affordable housing disproportionately affects Black communities, where housing shortages and rising prices have pushed homeownership further out of reach. Moreover, Harris has taken a strong stance against corporate landlords and wealthy investors who buy up single family homes only to inflate rent prices, further limiting housing options for everyday Americans. Her commitment to fighting these anti-competitive practices is another step toward ensuring that the dream of home-
SEE PROPERTY IS POWER B2
Investing can seem daunting for beginners, but understanding the fundamentals can help you build a solid foundation for your financial future. Whether you’re saving for retirement, college, major purchases, or simply looking to grow your wealth, the principles of investing remain the same. The world of stocks, bonds and mutual funds can feel like a complex and confusing place. Understanding these basic fundamental investment principles can help you make informed decisions that align with your financial goals and risk tolerance. This article will guide you through the basics of investing, including key concepts, strategies and tips to get started. What is Investing?
Investing is the act of allocating money or capital to an asset or endeavor with the expectation of generating income or profit. Unlike saving, where the focus is on preserving money, investing involves putting money to work in a way that has the potential to grow over time. The primary goal of investing is to increase your wealth over the long term. Setting Financial Goals
Before you start investing, it’s important to set clear financial goals. Are you saving for retirement, a down payment on a house, or your child’s education? Set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals. Your goals will influence your investment strategy, including how much risk you’re willing to take and how long you plan to invest.
by Jeffrey L. Boney
Associate Editor Houston Forward Times
Did you know that in 2023, $3.4 billion in losses were reported by senior citizens who filed fraud complaints and were scammed out of their hard-earned money?
Interestingly, that was a 14 percent increase from the previous year—2022.
Fast forward to this year, and reports reveal that through May 2024, fraud losses involving the elderly are up approximately $300 million from the same timeframe last year. Yes, you heard that correctly!
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and their most recent Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) data, there were already $1.6 billion in losses from January 2024 to May of 2024—a double-digit increase in financial fraud involving elder adults.
Sadly, many of these callous fraudsters target vulnerable and unsuspecting senior citizens on a regular basis and tend to take advantage of elder adults who may own real estate, have significant money saved up, have a great credit rating, or who have no family or friends
The Importance of Time Horizon
Your investment time horizon is the amount of time you expect to hold your investments before you need the money. A longer time horizon allows you to take more risk because you have more time to recover from potential losses. For example, if you’re investing for retirement and have 30 years until you retire, you can afford to take on more risk compared to someone who needs the money in five years. Financial Situation Your current financial status, including income, expenses, and any existing debts, will influence how much risk you can take.
to help them with their financial affairs. Once scammed, many elders feel embarrassed, and may choose not to even re-
According to court documents, Jones deceived the 92-year-old by convincing him that he owed property taxes and claiming that
“If you care about your money—verify that you’re sending it to the right place and that you’re sending it to the right person. Don’t be afraid to ask.”
— KRYSTAL WALKER
port the crimes committed against them—or may not know how to report it.
Here in Houston, a man was just recently indicted by a grand jury for allegedly scamming a 92-year-old man out of his northeast Houston home in 2021, according to court documents. The vulnerable and unsuspecting 92-year-old man had been moved to an assisted living facility in north Houston after being diagnosed with dementia in 2021.
Keith Jones was charged with fraudulent securing of document execution in February of this year, and the details of how investigators say the 92-year-old victim was exploited are extremely disturbing and disheartening.
he was going to make repairs to the elderly man’s home. Jones allegedly coerced the 92-year-old man to sign a general warranty deed to put his name on the man’s deed of trust as a guarantee that he was going to be paid upwards of $30,000. Three months after that general warranty deed was signed, the elderly man’s house was turned over to Jones and that is when the victim’s family became aware of the issue. The victim’s family told investigators they had never heard of Jones before, and there is no clear understanding of how Jones met and knew the 92-year-old man or was able to get that close to him to gain access.
Scammers are actively targeting the elderly in
make to a corporation or government in exchange for periodic interest payments and the return of the bond’s face value when it matures. Bonds are generally considered safer than stocks but offer lower returns.
Mutual Funds: A mutual fund is a pool of money collected from many investors that is managed by a professional investment manager. The manager invests the money in a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other securities. Mutual funds provide diversification, which can reduce risk.
Types of Investments
There are various types of investments, each with its own risk-and-return characteristics. Here are the most common types:
Stocks: When you buy a stock, you purchase a share of ownership in a company. Stocks have the potential for high returns, but they also come with a higher risk, as the value of your investment can fluctuate based on the company’s performance and market conditions. Bonds: Bonds are loans that you
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs): ETFs are similar to mutual funds but trade on stock exchanges like individual stocks. They offer the benefits of diversification and typically have lower fees than mutual funds.
Real Estate: Investing in real estate involves purchasing property to generate rental income or to sell at a higher price in the future. Real estate can provide steady income and may appreciate over time, but it also requires significant capital and management.
Commodities: Commodities are physical goods like gold, silver, oil, or agricultural products. Investing in com-
our communities every day, especially the African American community, in many different ways.
However, information is one of the most powerful weapons that the Forward Times can provide to protect you and your families against these ever-increasing scams.
At a recent briefing held at the Houston Endowment called “Spotting and Avoiding Scams in Greater Houston,” Stephanie Bauman, who serves as the Elder Justice Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office, shared details and explained why elder fraud should be taken seriously.
“I have been the elder justice coordinator in our office for a year, but I’ve handled cases for a number of years and what we tend to focus on when we take cases are the cases that touch victims in small amounts but aggregate to very large losses,” said Bauman. “I’ve handled cases where mostly the fraudsters are overseas. The people that are making the phone calls, sending the emails, sending the pop-ups on the computers, those people are overseas. When you realize that something
modities can be a way to hedge against inflation, but it can also be volatile. Risk vs. Reward
One of the most important concepts in investing is the relationship between risk and reward. Generally, investments with higher potential returns come with higher risks. Understanding your risk tolerance is crucial in choosing the right investments.
Conservative Investor: Prefers lower-risk investments with more stable returns, such as bonds or dividend-paying stocks.
Moderate Investor: Willing to take on some risk for potentially higher returns, often investing in a mix of stocks and bonds.
Aggressive Investor: Willing to accept significant risk for the chance of substantial returns, often focusing on stocks, commodities, or real estate.
Diversification
Diversification involves spreading your investments across different asset classes (like stocks, bonds, and real estate) and within asset classes (like different industries or geographic regions) to reduce risk. By diversifying, you can protect your portfolio from significant losses, as different investments often react differently to market changes. The idea is that if one investment performs poorly, others may perform better, balancing out your overall returns.
ANTHONY O. KELLUM
Stop scamming our seniors
has happened, please report it.”
Other panelists shared the importance of speaking up.
“Don’t be afraid to talk about scams,” stated Rosario Mendez, who is Assistant Director, Division of Consumer & Business Education, with the Federal Trade Commission’s Washington office. “Stop, think fraud!”
Elizabeth Tran, who is the Legal Services Director for Houston Volunteer Lawyers, stated that people can get help if they actually talk to somebody.
“A lot of people in our community are afraid to talk and they don’t want to tell other people about their woes,” said Tran. “They’re scared. They don’t want to be embarrassed, but a lot of times, too, is that they just don’t know whether or not they have a legal issue. They know that they’ve been wronged, and they need some help.”
Krystal Walker, who serves as Executive Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said that people should use due diligence to protect themselves and their families.
“My main take away I want everyone to take away is verify, verify, verify! I want people to just be diligent,” Walker emphasized. “If you care about your money—verify that you’re sending it to the right place and that you’re sending it to the right person. Don’t be afraid to ask.”
According to the FBI, although elder fraud can happen to anyone, at any time, there are some steps that can be taken to protect you and your families from becoming a victim, such as:
• Searching online for the contact information (name, phone number, email, addresses) of any unknown source that
reaches out to you, as well as the proposed offer. Other people have likely posted information online about businesses and individuals attempting to run scams.
• Verifying the legitimacy of businesses on websites such as Better Business Bureau.
• Resisting the pressure to act quickly.
Scammers create a sense of urgency to lure victims into immediate action, typically by instilling trust and inducing empathy or fear, or the promise of monetary gains, companionship, or employment opportunities.
• Being cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and door-todoor service offers.
• Never giving or sending any personally identifiable information, money, checks, gift cards, or wire information to unverified people or businesses
• Taking precautionary measures to protect you and your family’s identity should a criminal gain access to your device or account.
• Immediately contacting your financial institutions to place protections on your accounts and monitor for suspicious activity.
• Contact law enforcement authorities if you believe a potential crime has occurred.
If you wish to report elder fraud, please visit ReportFraud.ftc. gov or call 877-382-4357 and press 3. Reports can be filed anonymously or on behalf of someone else.
Let’s do our very best to keep our senior citizens safe and protected from elder fraud by any means necessary.
Feds: Black workers subjected to ‘degrading tasks,’ Confederate flags
(Black Information Network)—A Florida plumbing company has settled a federal lawsuit accusing managers of openly displaying Confederate flags and assigning Black and Hispanic workers to “humiliating and degrading” tasks. According to a complaint filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, J.A. Croson, a plumbing and HVAC company headquartered in Sorrento, will pay $1.6 million to 17 Black and Hispanic former employees who alleged racial harassment and retaliation.
Managers at J.A. Croson regularly hosted team meetings “in view of Confederate flags,” the complaint states. They also were accused of giving “favorable” as -
signments to White employees like plumbing and pipe work while doling out hard manual labor to Black and Hispanic employees.
The EEOC said in a statement that the “distribution of humiliating and degrading assignments” to non-White employees was “based on race and national origin.”
In one instance, an employee who objected to the display of the Confederate flag was allegedly “ordered to haul literally hundreds of toilets on his own with no assistance and no motorized tools of any kind from the roof of a building to the first floor.” The employee quit in 2021 due to ongoing harassment, the complaint states.
The EEOC also noted in their complaint that two employees who reported harassment were fired. One manager allegedly said the company “decided to ‘get rid of the cancer’” after “people were complaining.”
Attorney Gary A. Costales, who represented three former employees in the case, said in a statement that his “clients are hard-working people who had never been involved in a matter as this one.”
“We were fortunate to have the EEOC spring into action in the public interest. We are gratified to have achieved this result,” Costales said.
PROPERTY IS POWER!
Kamala Harris’ housing strategy
ownership remains within reach for Black families, rather than slipping away due to corporate greed.
The Bigger Picture: Empowering Black Communities Harris’ housing plan is not just about providing financial support; it’s about leveling the playing field for Black Americans who have been systematically excluded from the benefits of homeownership. By making it easier to buy a home, Harris is helping to create a pathway to financial stability and generational wealth for Black families. This, in turn, strengthens Black communities, offering more opportunities for economic growth and stability.
Conclusion: A Step Toward Equity As Harris continues to campaign on these proposals, the potential impact on Black homebuyers cannot be overstated. If enacted, this plan could mark a significant step toward correcting histori-
cal injustices in the housing market and creating a more equitable future. In a world where Property is Power, Harris’ vision could finally put that power into the hands of those who have been de-
(Property is Power! is a movement to promote home and
The fundamentals of investing for beginners
The Power of Compounding
Compounding is the process where your investment earnings are reinvested to generate additional earnings over
DBE/DB CONTRACT
SPECIALIST
Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a DBE/DB Contract Compliance Specialist to provide staff support to the DBE/ DB Program Manager in the day-to-day implementation, administration and evaluation of Port Authority’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program and Diverse Business (DB) Program in compliance with all applicable U.S. DOT 49 CFR Part 26, PennDOT, Section 303 of Title 74 and Act 89 requirements and regulations. Attend DBE public outreach functions as a representative of the department and the Authority. Act as a representative of the DBE Program on Authority Procurements.
Essential Functions:
• Monitors payment data for Port Authority’s projects with DBE goals and DB participation and good faith efforts to ensure post-contract award compliance, progress towards goal achievement and tracking prompt payments to all subcontractors.
• Monitors contract award data for Port Authority’s projects for DBE goal attainment, DB participation and good faith efforts to ensure post-contract award compliance.
• Sets DBE participation goals per project and serves as a member of technical and contract proposal evaluation committee. Job requirements include:
• BA Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration or related field from an accredited school. Relevant experience may substitute for education on a year-for year basis.
• Five (5) years related experience.
• Knowledge of diverse business community, public procurement and business management.
• Working knowledge of federal and state laws, government regulations pertaining to contracts, procurement and DBE/ DB Programs.
• Demonstrated ability in the use Windows, Word and Excel.
• Professional and effective communication skills.
• Established community contacts and networks.
Preferred attributes:
• Contract administration.
• Valid PA driver’s license.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Deborah Slocum
PA 15222-2527 DSlocum@RidePRT.org EOE
time. This can significantly accelerate the growth of your investment. For example, if you earn interest on a savings account and then re-invest that interest, you will earn interest on both your original principal and the accumulated interest. Over time, this can significantly increase the value of your investment. For example, if you made a one-time investment of $1,000 at an annual return of 10 percent, in 20 years, you would have approximately $7,328, assuming the returns are reinvested.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Beginner investors often make a few common mistakes:
Chasing Returns: Just because an investment has performed well in the past doesn’t mean it will continue to do so. It’s important to stick to your investment strategy rather
than constantly chasing the next “hot” investment.
Timing the Market:
Trying to predict market movements is difficult, even for professionals. Instead of timing the market, focus on time in the market—holding your investments for the longterm.
Ignoring Fees: Investment fees can eat into your returns over time. Be aware of fees associated with your investments, and try to minimize them.
Getting Started
To start investing, you’ll need to:
Open an Investment Account: This could be a brokerage account or a retirement account like an IRA, or a 401(k) through your employer.
Brokerage Accounts: These accounts allow you to buy and sell a range of investments, including stocks and bonds. They can be taxable accounts or
tax-advantaged accounts like IRAs.
Retirement Accounts:
Accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs offer tax advantages for retirement savings. Contributions to these accounts may reduce your taxable income and grow tax-free until withdrawal.
Start Small: You don’t need a lot of money to begin investing. Many platforms allow you to start with a small amount and gradually increase your investment as you become more comfortable.
Educate Yourself: Continuously learn about investing. Read books, read my articles, follow financial news, and consider working with a financial advisor if you’re unsure where to begin.
Staying the Course Investing is a long-term endeavor. Investing is not a one-time activity but a continuous learning process. Markets will go up
and down, and it’s important not to panic during downturns. Stick to your plan, continue to invest regularly, and focus on your long-term goals. Investing doesn’t have to be complicated. Investing can be a powerful tool for building wealth and achieving financial goals. By understanding investment fundamentals, types of investments, risk management, the power of compounding, diversification, and setting clear goals, you can make informed decisions that align with your financial objectives.
The key to successful investing is patience, discipline and continuous learning. Start small, stay informed, and watch your investments grow over time. (Damon
Guest Editorial
Trump’s antisemitic attack on Gov. Josh Shapiro should be strongly condemned
Former President Donald Trump’s antisemitism has too often gone unchallenged or mildly criticized.
The latest example of Trump’s promotion of antisemitic tropes has been the former president’s social media attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
After Shapiro’s speech August 21 at the Democratic National Convention, Trump called Shapiro a “highly overrated Jewish governor” in a post on his Truth Social network. Trump went on to say that Shapiro “has done nothing for Israel” and called his speech “really bad and poorly delivered.”
Although we strongly disagree with his assessment of the governor’s performance, Trump is within his right to criticize the governor’s speech. He can also offer his unsubstantiated opinion that Shapiro has done nothing for Israel.
The truth is that Shapiro is a well-known strong supporter of Israel as is the Biden administration and most Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
But as Shapiro points out, “last I checked the job of governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania did not involve foreign policy with Israel.”
Trump promotes antisemitism when he refers to Shapiro as the “overrated Jewish Governor.”
There is no reason for him to point out Shapiro’s faith in this context and it has no relevance to how well he governs Pennsylvania.
Shapiro has offered a sharp response to Trump’s biased attacks. “It’s clear over the last few days Donald Trump is obsessed with me and obsessed with continuing to spew hate and division in our politics. He’s someone who has routinely peddled antisemitic tropes like this.”
Shapiro added that the way Trump judges Jewish elected officials by their stances on Israel—and positions himself as the arbiter on who is a good Jewish leader—promotes a notion of a dual loyalty that is “at its heart antisemitic,” reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Trump’s attacks on politicians who are nonwhite, non-Christian or female often singles out the race, religion or gender of his political opponent.
Since launching his presidential bid last year, he said that “any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion.”
During an interview with the National Association of Black Journalists, Trump questioned whether Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris is Black or not. The daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, Harris last week became the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to accept a major party’s presidential nominee.
In his arrogance, Trump positioned himself as the arbiter of who is Black and which Jewish politician is loyal to Israel.
Trump has repeatedly shown that he is willing to divide Americans along racial and religious lines to achieve political power.
In response, America’s leaders, especially those in politics and in the news media, must be willing to call out and strongly condemn Trump’s hateful rhetoric.
(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)
H. Sengstacke Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997) Founded 1910
Boys to men or men to boys?
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Years ago, the rule was boys being taught to be men. Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have got it backwards. With their childish remarks, they are showing us the reverse of what it means to be a grown up!
So, there’s no confusion as to which one said what, I will use their actual names rather than who they have become. There is no evidence either Trump or Vance has grown up since coming into the world!
This was obvious hearing both candidates during that boring week, as well as now. I listened so I could be in the know when discussing what Republicans and Democrats would be offering to the people they were trying to inspire to vote for them. We were privileged to witness two conventions a few weeks apart. The R’s went first. We heard a lot of nonsense and a whole lot of mean, childish, angry things at their convention and since then. We saw a silly prank by Hulk Hogan where he ripped off his shirt for some unexplained reason. The R’s choice of music was certainly not cheerful. I didn’t see anybody get up and want to dance. Their music and speeches were boring and outdated.
I can’t remember anything I would call positive. It didn’t get lost on me that Trump’s family didn’t spend a lot of time cheering the program and speakers. The worst part was closing
their convention with the main speaker—Donald Trump. He tried to insult Milwaukee before the convention began. As usual, he was long and boring, providing no inspiration for delegates who came to be inspired by their dear leader. He gave them a lot of gibberish. A young boy certainly would’ve done better. Vance was busy cleaning up things he’d previously said about his dear leader!
Next, we were privileged to witness the Mighty Democrats! They provided a professional program. We learned exactly what they stand for and we liked it! We heard visiting speakers from the R’s party who gave us reasons not to vote for Trump and Vance! The reasons came easily from one speaker after the other. The great grown-up speakers just kept on coming. Hillary Clinton fell into the perfect category as did many others. They delivered messages that inspired us. An unusual number of people volunteered to work in the D’s campaign, and before the convention was over, a lot of money to do the job had been raised!
Our forever First Lady, Michelle Obama, left us with the most memorable line when she reminded Trump that the job he was seeking just might be one of those Black jobs! I don’t have space to tell you about all the great happenings, but I must mention Stevie Wonder who worked his magic and John Legend and Sheila E who put the icing on the cake!
Our forever President, Barack Obama, delivered as expected. Gov. Tim Walz, on the way to being our next Vice-President, showed us why he was chosen! Then came the main event. Hon. Kamala Harris walked into the arena and there was bedlam—all positive! Since her nomination to run for President, she’s been showing she’s ready to be President. She has put a lot more meat on the bones! She promised to prosecute the criminal, and she’s doing just that! She laid out her program for us. She left us ready to go to work to save our democracy and ensure our freedom! Since that time, Trump and Vance have turned the song “Boys to Men” to “Men to Boys!” Kamala reminded us why we need to confirm our voters’ registration and of our need to vote Harris/Walz on November 5th!
(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of The Dick Gregory Society and National President Emerita of the National Congress of Black Women.)
Kamala Harris, for the Black people
LONDON—Certain Black people on the internet keep raising two questions about Kamala Harris. What is her Black agenda? And why didn’t she do it during the last four years? First, if you want to know Kamala Harris’s Black agenda, look at what she’s already done. As vice president, Kamala Harris helped to pass the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, provided a record $16 billion in funding to HBCUs, $2.8 billion for Pell grants and need-based assistance, $2 billion to Black farmers, $2 billion to clean up pollution in communities of color, doubled the number of Black businesses in America, and brought us the lowest Black unemployment rate and the lowest Black poverty rate in history.
The Biden-Harris administration also expanded the child tax credit, which cut the Black child poverty rate in half, capped the cost of insulin at $35 for seniors, which is especially important for Black people who are disproportionately affected by diabetes, signed up 5 million more people for Obamacare, canceled $168.5 billion in student loan debt for 4.8 million people, pardoned thousands of marijuana charges, and on top of all that, even signed a law creating the first new Black-related federal holiday in forty years—Juneteenth.
At the same time, they appointed more Black judges than any administration in history, and gave us the first Black woman on the Supreme Court and the first Black vice president. And those federal judges have lifetime tenure, so they’ll be on the bench for decades to come.
Trump was president for four years and he didn’t do any of those things. In fact, he was the first president since Richard Nixon 50 years ago to appoint no Black judges to the U.S. Courts of Appeals. And the judges he did appoint are the very ones striking down the laws and policies that help
Black people. People need to have realistic expectations about what a president can and cannot do.
Now, the second question. Why hasn’t Kamala Harris done whatever thing you think she should have done in the last four years? The answer. She’s not the president She’s the vice president, and that person’s job is to help the president. But even if she were president, people need to have realistic expectations about what a president can and cannot do.
The president leads one of our three co-equal branches of government. For those who missed “Schoolhouse Rock,” the three branches are legislative, executive, and judicial. Congress, the legislature, makes the laws. The president, the executive, enforces the laws. And the judiciary, through the Supreme Court and lower courts, interprets the laws.
In the UK, the executive and legislature are combined in Parliament. The prime minister comes from the legislature and has the power to enact their own agenda. It makes it easier to get things done, but we don’t have that system in the U.S.
Currently, we have a divided Congress, with a Republican House of Representatives and a Democratic Senate. The House is gerrymandered, giving members no incentive to work with a president from the other party. And the Senate is constitutionally unrepresentative of the country.
That’s why the 1.6 million people in the mostly White and rural Dakotas get four U.S. senators, while the nearly 40 million people in the racially diverse state of California get only two
U.S. senators. That means the people of South Dakota have 50 times more power than the people in California in the Senate. The legislature is rigged against us.
And, unfortunately, so are the courts. Because of the antiquated electoral college system for picking presidents, we have an unrepresentative Supreme Court with six of the nine justices appointed by Republican presidents, despite the fact that Democrats have won the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections
So, even if Bernie Sanders, Jill Stein, Cornel West—or any imaginary candidate you think might be more radical or more pro-Black than Kamala Harris—was elected president, there’s very little that any president can do in our system of government that won’t be blocked by Republicans in Congress or overruled by the Republican-appointed judges on the federal courts.
That’s why we can’t just vote once every four years in a presidential election and complain when things don’t work out. We have to vote in every election, every year, in primaries, runoffs, and general elections, up and down the ballot, for city council, mayor, judge, school board member, county commissioner, state representative, governor, senator, vice president, and president.
But the choice is clear. If you want a president who has spent his life attacking Black people, from the Central Park Five to Barack Obama to Colin Kaepernick, Trump is your guy. If you want a president who won’t be able to accomplish everything we want but will move us in the right direction and has a record to prove it, Kamala Harris is the one. And if you want a king or queen to be your leader, move to London.
(Keith Boykin is a New York Times–bestselling author, TV and film producer, and former CNN political commentator.)
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—The Democratic National Convention, held August 19-22, was, among other things, an occasion of joy. I’ve attended every Democratic convention since 1976, and have never experienced such energy, enthusiasm and, yes, exuberance. People were happy. Happy with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, the candidates for President and Vice President. Happy for the leadership team at the Democratic Party. Happy for the platform, for the entertainment, for the connections. Happy for the offsite events, organized by affiliate organizations. Just plain happy. People got it and used the word “joy” in many of the columns and commentary around the convention. Some compared the effervescent joy to a “sugar high” and suggested that it couldn’t last. Others say the joy as “rootless” because, they said, the joy was not matched by policy initiatives. Because VP Harris had not agreed to an unscripted interview before the convention, her detractors posited that she was unable to do such an interview. New York Times columnist Patrick Healy wrote a snarky column titled, Joy Is Not a Strategy. Healy says that Harris can’t “coast on joy”, but she isn’t trying to. He says the debates will be her test, and I say she will be time enough for the former President. Vice President Harris can’t expect the rest of the country to come together with the same enthusiasm as we did at the Democratic National Convention. As the
nominee for President, she can expect some shade, some brickbats, and even the outright lies that the former President is addicted to. A columnist like Healy should be honest enough, though, to admit that there were solid policy proposals in the speech he described as “good’. He might have mentioned her notion of an “opportunity economy” or written about her proposal to grant new parents $6000. He might have delved into the ways she proposes to deal with the housing crisis, including granting $25,000 for first-time homebuyers. Or he might have written about her foreign policy firmness. She wasn’t smiling or laughing when she warned dictators and despots that she would not dally with them. Healy is right, joy is not a strategy. Joy is icing, public policy is cake. You can have cake without icing, but you can’t have icing without cake. The Democratic National Convention showcased the cake that Harris has built through her career—as a prosecutor, District Attorney, Senator and Vice-President. As a mentor, mother, and aunt. As a fierce
advocate for women, and a protector of those who have been abused. That’s the cake. The joy is the icing. The Republicans have their own cake, a mean-spirited cake full of attacks and lies. And if they have any icing it is the bitter vitriol that repulses from the top down. The Democratic cake is solid public policy that helps people, and the icing is a joyful icing, one to be savored. It’s the kind of icing that you lick the spoon on, the kind of icing that you might even eat by itself.
But few want icing without cake, without substance. My message to Patrick Healy is fasten your seatbelt and watch the details of the opportunity economy emerge. What will you write then? Will you stop with the snark? Patrick Healy isn’t the only one. The Wall Street Journal and the right-wing press have been clamoring for details, and Harris has provided some of them. Others have reprised her 2020 Presidential campaign and insisted that she explain her pivot on certain issues. Simple explanation— people evolve; people learn. The opposite of joy is despair, misery, sorrow, wretchedness. Coupled with strategy, joy is the blissful delight I observed at the DNC. There was wretched haranguing at the Republican National Convention a month ago. What kind of icing goes with that? (Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author.)
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Julianne Malveaux Commentary
Keith Boykin Commentary
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—During the crack epidemic of the ’80s and ’90s, children exposed to crack cocaine before birth were often referred to as “crack babies.”
Crack babies sometimes became boarder babies—babies abandoned at the hospital by parents who could not care for them. For months, hospital nurseries became temporary homes for many babies born to crack users. At the time, some babies would live in hospitals for as long as three years. A federal study found that about 22,000 babies were left in 1991 by parents unwilling or unable to care for them; Washington, D.C. had the third-highest number of any U.S. city.
“We called it a crisis because the space was just filling up in the nursery,” said Linda Ivey Lewis, who, as an administrator at D.C. General Hospital, was instrumental in opening the boarder baby nursery, where volunteers could come in to hold the infants. “Worst case for me was for them to not be humanized,” Ivey Lewis said.
As we look back, one can easily make the connection between a drug-addicted mother and her abandoned child. Fast forward to 2024, what role will current abortion bans play in driving parents to abandon their babies?
In Harris County, Texas, which includes the Houston area, there were six instances of child abandonment since the beginning of June of this year. In two cases, the child died.
Texas and other states that have near-total abortion bans are now faced with more parents abandoning their children for reasons such as desperation and a lack of information. In one instance, a baby was left in an apartment complex dumpster. In another, it was a dumpster outside a restaurant. While investigators are calling it an epidemic, the rise in abandonment in the Houston area illustrates the complexities around the issue of abortion and the mental state of a parent before and after the birth of an unwanted child. It highlights the intense and overwhelming responsibility that goes with caring for a newborn baby, a responsibility many mothers and fathers are mentally, emotionally, and financially unprepared to meet.
To see any parent treat their child as if it were a piece of trash to be thrown into a dumpster is inhumane. During the crack epidemic, hospital officials were initially unprepared, with delivery wards filled with unwanted babies. Are we faced with a situation where the banning of abortion is the trigger in a new rise of abandoned newborn babies, and in some cases, the abandonment leads to their death? Regardless of whether a person supports or opposes abortion bans, the abortion issue has become too politicized.
The message for pro-life advocates should be clear by now. The motive for politicians like Donald Trump and his running mate is only to do what it takes to get elected. There is no genuine concern for an unborn baby or the desperate situations a new mother or mother-to-be faces. Trump’s shifting stance on abortion issues, such as a federal abortion ban, shows he is feeling the political heat from the Harris campaign. In other words, there is no unwavering commitment to the pro-life movement, which was a critical voting bloc that helped Trump get elected in 2016. Now, in 2024, Trump’s stance on abortion may prove to be a political liability in November. Pro-life advocates need to wake up because some GOP candidates will start to back away from the pro-life movement if they conclude it’s a liability to them being elected.
Banning abortion does not make the problem go away. The reality we are facing in society comes down to a simple fact: a person who gets pregnant may not want to have a baby. With or without legal abortion, this is a fact that will never go away. In referring to the issue of forced parenthood during oral arguments for the case that overturned Roe v. Wade, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett echoed a sentiment anti-abortion activists have promoted for years, asking: “Why don’t the safe haven laws take care of that problem?”
Texas passed the nation’s first safe haven law in 1999 after a spike of deserted babies in the Houston area. It allowed the parent to surrender their baby at any hospital, fire station, or emergency medical service station. The only condition was that the baby not be more than 30 days old. Today, the law allows up to 60 days. By 2008, all 50 states had adopted safe haven laws.
Northwestern University professor Katie Watson, who teaches law, ethics, and humanities to medical students, said the conservative argument that safe havens are an alternative to abortions is disingenuous. Safe havens were never intended to serve as an alternative to abortion. They were developed to offer an alternative to infanticide, Watson said. Pro-life advocates have placed too much of their focus on politics and laws rather than meeting a desperate and hurt woman at her place of need. Safe haven laws are only a reaction to a problem. They are not a proactive solution in supporting women who are overwhelmed with the personal emotional challenges of “motherhood” before and after birth.
(David W. Marshall
Trump, Project 2025, and fearmongering
Political strategists want their candidates to articulate a high-minded vision for the future and then warn the public about their opponents’ destructive policies.
The American people heard this strategy play out following the Democratic National Convention when a CNN reporter asked Democratic representatives if their presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, needed to elaborate on her policies for the country. Three elected officials informed the reporter that people vote for a vision for the future, not for policies. However, political strategists know that the American people will vote against the policies they are warned about. That is why we hear so much about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Project 2025. Project 2025, also known as the Presidential Transition Project, is a 900-page document that provides policy proposals for the future president. It was created by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Democratic strategists are warning the American people that if elected, Trump intends to carry out Project 2025, which will eliminate democratic checks and balances and hand Trump unparalleled authoritarian powers. Is any of it true? Let us sort this out.
The Heritage Foundation was formed in 1973. Its founders wanted to create a conservative version of the Brookings Institute—a think tank founded in 1916. Brookings’ objective was to make policy recommendations to strengthen American democracy, promote economic and social welfare, security, and opportunity for all Americans, and ensure a more open, safe, prosperous, and cooperative international order.
Heritage’s founders believed that think tanks like Brookings, which purported to be nonpartisan, were left-of-center and wielded too much influence over public policy by the 1970s. Heritage aimed to be equally as influential as Brookings, but with a pro-business, anti-communist, faith-based policy focus. Between the 1980s and the turn of the century, Republican presidents followed Heritage policy suggestions and implemented what they considered useful. Throughout these decades, the Heritage Foundation
became “the brains” of the conservative movement. However, ideological movements lack longevity because their policy prescriptions become stale as a new generation seeks fresh ideas on issues that earlier generations could not anticipate. In 2013, Molly Ball, Time magazine’s national political correspondent, wrote an essay titled The Fall of the Heritage Foundation and the Death of Republican Ideas. Ball stated that behind the scenes, GOP staffers complained that the think tank they once looked to for intellectual ammunition had become a thorn in their side after Heritage launched a counterproductive political crusade against Obamacare. Ball claimed that Heritage pressured Republican politicians to insist on defunding Obamacare and denounced Republicans who failed to do so. Heritage spent half a million dollars on web ads targeting 100 Republican House members who did not support the defund campaign. Representative Renee Ellmers described Heritage as “bullies.” Representative Lynn Westmoreland claimed that the think tank had “lost credibility with the people who were most supportive of them.” Senator Tom Coburn accused Heritage of “destroying the Republican party.” Joshua Culling, a conservative policy strategist, wondered, “If Heritage loses its standing as the intellectual force behind the right, what will fill the void?”
When Donald Trump won the Republican nomination and presidency in 2016, the MAGA populist agenda filled the void. The Heritage Foundation has consistently asserted that it is a conservative organization, not a Republican one, but MAGA identifies as Republicans but not as “movement conservatives.” Heritage’s influence on the Republican Party had waned.
During President-elect Trump’s transition period, CNN reporter Tal Kopan published an article titled Meet Donald Trump’s
Think Tank. The headline implies that the Heritage Foundation will be the brains behind the Trump administration, as it was during the Reagan/Bush years. Kopan explained that following the 2016 presidential election, Heritage published its policy proposals in an official report titled Blueprint for a New Administration. This report went agency by agency, outlining executive orders and laws that may be implemented in each area. Jim DeMint, the president of Heritage, claimed that for the past few years, Heritage has been prepared to assist the next administration and is willing to advise any candidate who will listen, even Hillary Clinton if she is interested. Then, unwittingly, Kopan wrote things that disproved the relationship she intended to create between Trump and Heritage. She said, “Heritage has a big footprint with Trump’s transition—though DeMint reiterated multiple times that the organization is only serving in a supportive role and doesn’t call any shots.” Then she wrote, “While Trump himself does not have a long relationship with Heritage, DeMint served in the House with [Vice President] Pence and calls him a “great friend.” Trump’s attorney general nominee, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who has been shaping the transition for months, has a long history with DeMint and the think tank.”
Because DeMint, Pence, and Sessions were friends, Kopan expected her readers to think that the conservative Heritage Foundation would wield significant power in the non-conservative Trump government. Democratic strategists are currently promoting the idea that Trump embraced Project 2025 in order to provide policy grounds for Americans to vote against him. That’s an effective tactic, but we must recognize it for what it is—fearmongering. Project 2025 is just another blueprint for a new administration. The Trump administration appreciated Heritage’s input in 2016, but Heritage had little if any influence during Trump’s presidency. Heritage’s Project 2025 is more about demonstrating its intellectual value to Trump and a new Republican base, who lost confidence in ideas generated in think tanks.
Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign is drawing intense criticism for its choice of rally locations—towns with deeply racist histories known as “sundown towns.” These communities, where Black people were historically prohibited after sunset through intimidation, violence, discriminatory laws, and lynching, remain predominantly White. Trump’s decision to hold rallies in these locations is raising alarms, especially given his long history of stirring racial tensions and his open embrace of white supremacist groups.
For many, what makes this even more troubling is the continued support Trump receives from some Black celebrities and self-proclaimed Black conservatives, who either align with him or spread misinformation about his opponents. Actor and R&B singer Tyrese Gibson recently made headlines for his false claims about the Asian Hate Crime Bill during an Instagram Live chat with civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who failed to correct him.
Gibson accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of “prioritizing the Asian Hate Crime Bill” over addressing racially motivated crimes against Black Americans. Black journalists quickly corrected Gibson, pointing out that the bill, while referencing attacks on Asian Americans, is not limited to any one group. They also highlighted the significant anti-lynching legislation passed under the Biden-Harris administration.
Gibson’s misleading statements are part of a broader, profoundly concerning trend among Black celebrities like Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Lil Wayne, Waka Flocka Flame, and Ice Cube, who have shown
In less than 70 days, each of us will have an opportunity to either cast a vote or help someone vote who would not otherwise do so. The stakes are bigger than the race for the Presidency between Vice President Harris and Donald Trump. All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are on the ballot; a third of the U.S. Senate, including a seat from the State of California are on the ballot; local races for Mayor, City Council seats and County Supervisors, or Commissioners as they are called in some areas, are on the ballot. Propositions are on the ballot, such as Rent Control to name one in the State of California. These issues will determine our quality of life for the next two to four years.
varying degrees of support for Trump. Their endorsements lend an unfortunate legitimacy to a candidate who has repeatedly demonstrated racial animus and who now appears to be actively courting White supremacist support by rallying in sundown towns.
Journalists and social media commentators have been quick to point out the implications of Trump’s rally locations. Journalist Jim Stewartson and singer Bill Madden both flagged a disturbing pattern of Trump holding rallies in sundown towns like Howell, Michigan. Reacting to a TikTok video that exposed this trend, Madden remarked, “This gentleman has noticed something very disturbing. Trump has been holding his hate rallies in sundown towns.”
Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance also addressed the issue, particularly noting Trump’s rally in Cullman, Alabama, a town with a notorious sundown history. Vance questioned whether these choices could be coincidental, concluding, “Sometimes the dog whistle is actually words, loudly spoken.”
Other social media users have also connected the dots between Trump’s rally locations and his broader strategy of racial division. One user noted, “Interesting notice recently that Trump is holding his rallies in sundown towns. This caught
my interest when he chose Cullman, Alabama, my Mother-in-Law’s hometown, as one of his 2021 stops for this campaign.”
Opinion columnist Will Bunch further emphasized the point, saying, “This is remarkable—Trump’s visits to sundown towns—and cannot be a coincidence. Hat tip to [Madden] and the dude he posted who figured it out.”
In stark contrast to Trump’s racially charged rallies, Vice President Kamala Harris is currently on a “Freedom Bus Tour” focused on promoting reproductive rights and equality. As one X user sharply contrasted, “Kamala looks to the future and restoring rights. Trump looks to the past and Jim Crow.”
Some on social media have argued that some Black men may have problems elevating a Black woman to power, the support from Black celebrities for Trump is particularly jarring considering his history. Trump also has made clear his intentions to act as a dictator if re-elected. Critics said his rallies in sundown towns are not just campaign stops—they are deliberate provocations that evoke America’s racist past, a past he seems eager to revive.
Maya Angelou’s famous quote serves as a sobering reminder in this context: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” As journalists like Reecie Colbert, Roland Martin, and Kathia Woods have noted, Trump has shown who he is— “someone who fans the flames of racial division and aligns himself with those who seek to oppress.”
(Stacy M. Brown is NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent.)
Each of us has a say, whether or not we think we are important. Every Black person in America does not want Kamala Harris as President any more than all White people want Donald Trump re-elected. This means that the obligation each of us have to vote is bigger than the battle for the Presidency. It’s about each of us taking responsibility for our own
future. If you have not registered to vote, there is still time to do so regardless of where you live. Don’t let your future be determined by people who neither know you nor personally care about you when you can participate in shaping your future. Remember, if those running for office didn’t ask you for your vote, then they probably think either you won’t vote, so why bother, or they have decided that they don’t really need your vote. By voting, you can send a message. Find someone to vote for. It’s not too late to register and vote, even if you are homeless. (Dr. John E. Warren is Publisher, San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper)
Stacy M. Brown Commentary
David W. Marshall Commentary
John E. Warren Commentary
LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
Estate of THOMAS E. WALSH, Deceased of the Township of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, No.: 02-24-05138, John W. Henry, Executor or to Robert S. Bootay, Atty, 6 Clairton Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15236
Petition to Determine Title to 2126 Duquesne Avenue, McKeesport, PA 15132, formerly owned by Brett Fort, deceased, filed August 16, 2024 by Phoenix Nicole Moore, No. 5286 of 2024. Peter B. Lewis, Counsel, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
Petition to Determine Title to 912 Loyal Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15210, formerly owned by Linda Marie Riley, f/k/a Linda M. Moore, deceased, filed August 16, 2024 by David Riley, No. 5285 of 2024. Peter B. Lewis, Counsel, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
Petition to Determine Title to 1427 Hass Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15204, formerly owned by Alma J. Ward, deceased, filed August 16, 2024 by Carol Ward, No. 5284 of 2024. Peter B. Lewis, Counsel, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
Petition to Determine Title to 302 Sherman Avenue, Homestead, PA 15120, formerly owned by Carla Wilcox, deceased, filed August 16, 2024 by Wayne G. Wilcox, No. 5283 of 2024. Peter B. Lewis, Counsel, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings
NOTICE OF CHANGE IN REGULAR MEETING
Notice is hereby given that the September 2024 regular monthly meeting of the Board of Directors of the Allegheny County Housing Authority has been rescheduled for Friday, September 27, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. and will be held in the Authority’s boardroom located on the 2nd floor, 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA, 15136, to be preceded by a Finance & Audit Committee meeting at 9:15 a.m. The public is encouraged to participate in the meetings.
Questions concerning this notice may be addressed to Katie Stohlberg via email at kstohlberg@achousing.org, or by fax to 412-355-0837.
Frank Aggazio, Executive Director Allegheny County Housing Authority
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT
INVITATION FOR BIDS: The Allegheny County Housing Authority is requesting bids from qualified contractors for: CONTRACT: ACHA-1710 BOILER SYSTEM REPLACEMENT at MILLVUE ACRES; Bids must be accompanied by a bid bond, certified check, or bank cashier’s check, payable to the Allegheny County Housing Authority in the amount of five percent (5%) of the bid.
DOCUMENTS: Bid documents & specifications will be available on/after Thursday, September 5, 2024. Complete IFB Documents can be downloaded from the Housing Agency Marketplace: https://ha.internationale procurement.com/ (ACHA-1710); or from the Pittsburgh Builder’s Exchange, or the McGraw-Hill websites.
FEE: No Charge for Emailed / Electronic Transfer documents.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE SITE
WALK THRU: (non-mandatory)
Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 10:00 AM EST at MILLVUE ACRES, 1090 Marion Circle, Clairton, PA 15025
QUESTION SUBMITTAL DEADLINE: Friday, September 27, 2024, at 10:00 AM EST BIDS DUE: Friday October 4, 2024, at 10:00 AM EST at the Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) Central Office, 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA 15136
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY D.B.A. PRT
Electronic Proposals will be received online at PRT’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org).
Bid submittals will be due 11:00 AM on September 9, 2024, and will be read at 11:15 AM., the same day, through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, for the following:
Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)
1 B24-08-72A Uniforms
2 B24-08-73A Brake Drums - Coach
3 B24-08-74A Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste Removal
4 B24-08-75A Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid
5 B24-08-76A LRV Magnetic Track Brake Suspension Parts
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 on each of the above solicitations on August 27, 2024, through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory but is strongly encouraged. Teams meeting information is available within the Bid Documents for each solicitation on rideprt.org and eBusiness.rideprt.org. Potential bidders may also email the contract specialist assigned to the solicitation. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the PRT 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 d.b.a. PRT 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 d.b.a. PRT 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 PRT reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sealed proposals will be received by the Borough of Avalon of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania through the Quest Construction Data Network (QuestCDN) at www.questcdn.com until 11:00 AM prevailing time on October 4, 2024 for:
CONTRACT NO. 24-S2
2023 SANITARY SEWER OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REPAIRS
The scope of work includes the in-trench spot repair of approximately 25 LF of 8” diameter sanitary sewer, complete manhole to manhole lining of approximately 700 LF of 8” diameter sanitary sewer, full liner repair of approximately 240 LF of 18” diameter storm sewer, reinstatement of sanitary sewer laterals, light cleaning and pre-CCTV of approximately 2,300 LF of sanitary sewer, heavy cleaning and pre-CCTV of approximately 1,100 LF of sanitary sewers, cutting and removing intruding sanitary sewer laterals, brick and bituminous roadway restoration, and all necessary appurtenances and restoration for said construction.
All bidders are required to buy the Bid Documents in PDF format for a non-refundable deposit of $125.00 from QuestCDN at www.questcdn.com using project number 9277542. Contact their Customer Support regarding membership registration, downloading and working with digital project information at 952-233-1632 or info@questcdn.com. Any technical questions regarding the bid documents are to be directed to LSSE. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud via video conference. Interested parties may contact the Borough for access information prior to the date and time identified herein. Pennsylvania prevailing wage rates apply. Proposals must be upon the forms furnished by the Borough. The bid must be accompanied by a certified check or bid bond in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the bid, made payable to Borough of Avalon.
This project is being funded in part by a COVID-19 ARPA PA Small Water and Sewer Grant from the Department of Treasury under the administration of the Commonwealth Financing Authority.
The Borough reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any informalities in the bidding. No bid may be withdrawn for ninety (90) calendar days after the scheduled time for receipt of bids. Attention is directed to the fact that procurement is subject to all requirements of the Pennsylvania “Steel Products Procurement Act, Act No. 1978-3”; and for Contract value exceeding $25,000, the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act (Act of 1961 P.L. 987), and The Public Works Employment Verification Act (July 2012) apply.
Borough of Avalon
Lorraine Makatura,
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH
Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time September 19, 2024 and will be opened at the same hour in the administration building cafeteria:
Professional Learning Resource Library
General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Purchasing Office, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, RM 349 Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: www.pghschools.org Click on Our Community; Bid Opportunities; Purchasing - under Quick Links. The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid.
We are an equal rights and opportunity school district
The
5
LEGAL ADVERTISING
Bids/Proposals
PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY
D.B.A. PRT
Electronic Proposals will be received online at PRT’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org).
Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 AM on September 30, 2024 and will be read at 11:15 AM., the same day, through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, for the following:
Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)
BID NUMBER BID NAME
1
Manager
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
OFFICIAL BID NOTICE
TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR
Sealed and separate bids will be received by the Township of Upper St. Clair, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania until 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 15, 2024, and the BIDS will be publicly opened and read thereafter in the Township Building at the same address for the following:
HAYS ROAD STREAM RESTORATION
Please refer to https://www.twpusc.org/business/ bid_information.php, for details regarding specifications and Bidding requirements.
MATTHEW R. SERAKOWSKI TOWNSHIP MANAGER
COURIER CLASSIFIEDS…THE ONLY WAY TO GO!
B24-09-88A Operators, Supervisors, Fare Collectors & Maintenace Uniforms
To join the bid opening through Microsoft Teams meeting on your computer, mobile app or room device
Meeting ID: 226 156 383 742
Passcode: jcDeoe
Or call in (audio only)
412-927-0245
Phone Conference ID: 806 058 138#
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 on September 12, 2024, through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory but is strongly encouraged.
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Meeting ID: 217 661 511 041
Passcode: 3PKFUD
Or call in (audio only)
412-927-0245
Phone Conference ID: 548 526 316#
Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the PRT 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 d.b.a. PRT 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 d.b.a. PRT 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 PRT reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
PUBLIC NOTICE: WILLOWBROOK COMMONS –AFFORDABLE SENIOR APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) RFQ – WNPHC2024.18.1.1 AFFORDABLE HOUSING –ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
The Westmoreland Non-Profit Housing Corporation, a Pennsylvania Non-Profit (WNPHC) is requesting proposals from qualified and experienced Licensed Architectural professionals. The project to be developed is a mixed financed Affordable Senior Housing Development, located in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania 15012. The project is titled Willowbrook Commons. Interested respondents may obtain, at no cost, the Request for QualificationDocuments from the WCHA-Website located at www.wchaonline.com. In addition, an electronic (PDF) file copy can be provided by contacting Mr. Erik Spiegel –COO/Director of A&E Services at eriks@wchaonline.com or by phone at 724-832-7248 – ext. 3056 or Mr. Ed Primm – Director of Development Services at eprimm@wchaonline.com or by phone at 724-832-7248 – ext. 3015. Interested respondents are required to respond by proposal submission (satisfying the requirements of this RFP-Invitation) on or before October 4, 2004 @ 10:00 A.M. An outdoor Pre-Proposal Meeting will occur at the site adjacent to 600 Willowbrook Plaza, Belle Vernon, PA 15012 (40°11’.8.3034”N 79°48’35.9784”W) on September 10, 2024 at 10:00 am (EST).
Michael L. Washowich, President Westmoreland Non-Profit Housing Corp
SENIOR
COMMONS –
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) RFQ – WNPHC2024.18.1.2 AFFORDABLE HOUSING –DEVELOPER/BUILDER The Westmoreland Non-Profit Housing Corporation, a Pennsylvania Non-Profit (WNPHC) is requesting proposals from qualified and experienced Developer/Builders to develop and construct a mixed finance affordable senior housing development. The project to be developed is a mixed financed Affordable Housing Development, located in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania 15012. The project is titled Willowbrook Commons. Interested respondents may obtain, at no cost, the Request for Qualification - Documents from the WCHA-Website located at www.wchaonline.com. In addition, an electronic (PDF) file copy can be provided by contacting Mr. Erik Spiegel – COO/Director of A&E Services at eriks@wchaonline.com or by phone at 724-832-7248 –ext. 3056 or Mr. Ed Primm –Director of Development Services at eprimm@wchaonline.com or by phone at 724-832-7248 – ext. 3015. Interested respondents are required to respond by proposal submission (satisfying the requirements of this RFP-Invitation) on or before October 4, 2004 @ 10:00 A.M. An outdoor Pre-Proposal Meeting will occur at the site adjacent to 600 Willowbrook Plaza, Belle Vernon, PA 15012 (40°11’.8.3034”N 79°48’35.9784”W) on September 10, 2024 at 10:00 am (EST). Michael L. Washowich, President Westmoreland Non-Profit Housing Corp.
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR
PROJECT-BASED VOUCHER & GAP FINANCING PROGRAM 2024 RFP #600-22-24
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):
Project-Based Voucher & Gap Financing Program 2024
RFP documents will be available on or about August 26, 2024
Copies of RFP documents are not available for in-person pickup. Firms interested in responding may obtain a copy of the RFP documents from the Business Opportunities Section of the HACP Website, www.hacp.org. Prospective Offerors may register as a vendor on the website and download the documents free of charge.
A pre-submission meeting via audio conference will be held via Zoom on September 5, 2024 at 9:00 A.M.: https://hacp-org.zoom.us/ j/88168982868?pwd=2Cmkf Wli9owqmOHWDVZAbeb R18LOcQ.1
Meeting ID: 881 6898 2868 Passcode: 728946 Call-In: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
The deadline for final submission of written questions is September 12, 2024 at 9:00 A.M.
The deadline for submission of proposals is September 26, 2024 at 9:00 A.M. Proposals must be sent to:
Mr. Brandon Havranek –Associate Director of Procurement Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 412 Boulevard of the Allies 6th Floor, Procurement Department Pittsburgh, PA 15219
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing of 9:00 AM on September 26, 2024. Proposals may still be submitted electronically at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/ request/9KCBYxuOx49n7etkW9xB and can still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 412 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH STRONGLY ENCOURAGES CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THIS SOLICITATION.
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.
INVITATION TO BID
The HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER will receive sealed bids, in duplicate, until 9:00 AM (local time) on September 26, 2024 at the office of the Housing Authority of the County of Beaver, 1215 7th Avenue, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. All bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 9:30 A.M for the Fire Alarm Replacement at Morado Dwellings at Francis Farmer Apartments, Community Room, 274 Friendship Circle, Beaver, PA 15009. A fifteen percent (15 %) bid bond is required for this project.
Proposed forms of contract documents, including Plans and Specifications may be obtained from the Housing Authority of the County of Beaver by first mailing $100.00 in the form of a check made payable to the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER, 300 State Ave, Beaver, PA 15009 for each set of documents so obtained. An additional $10.00 is required if you want it mailed. DEPOSITS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE. Plans and specifications will be available on Thursday August 29, 2024. Please call to arrange for pick-up. (724) 775-1220 ext 2022. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY and Section 3 Compliance are required. A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, September 12, 2024 at Morado Dwellings Community Room, 4th Ave & 43rd Street, Beaver Falls, PA 15010.
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR MOVING SERVICES AUTHORITY WIDE
IFB# 450-02-24 REBID
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):
Moving Services Authority Wide
IFB# 450-02-24 REBID
The documents will be available no later than September 3, 2024, and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on October 3, 2024. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 a.m. until the closing time of 10:00 a.m. on October 3, 2024, in the lobby of 412 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site; the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB.
Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.hacp.org.
Questions or inquiries should be directed to:
Mr. Brandon Havranek
Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh
Procurement Department 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: 412-643-2890
Fax: 412-456-5007
brandon.havranek@hacp.org
A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting on September 18, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
Please see meeting information below:
Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 833 2075 1945 Passcode: 355725 Dial-in: +1 305 24 1968 US (Washington D.C)
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, 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.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Help Wanted
SENIOR DATA ANALYST
Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) to be rspnsble for trnsltng data reqs into applcts tht emply apprprte data mdls & ETL sltns; anlyzng, definng, dvlpng, & maintnng cmplx databse strctrs & ETL archtctrs & applctns; dvlpng & implmntng data validtn, auditng, recnciltn, tstng mthdlgys, & intgrtn prcsses; wrkng w/ DBA Team & Oprtns to estblsh ETL job wrkflw w/ reliable error/excptn handlng & rllbck frmwrk; hlpng set & make req chnges to stndrds & cmplies w/ Bank & data gvrnnce policies, prcdres, & regltns; wrkng w/ IT groups to implmnt disstr rcvry & biz continnce sltns for ETL prcesses; makng rcmmndtns on buy vs build dcsns; mntrng team mmbrs & actng as tchncl resource on data intgrtn & ETL tech; prvdng periodc rprts on actvtys, accmplshmnts, issues & their sltns, & assistng in forcasts of futre utlztn, tools, & resource reqs; & ensrng cmplnce w/ policies, prcdres & regs to ensre safe & sound biz oprtns. Master in CompSci, Info Systms, or rel field w/1 yr prev wrk exp in pos off or rel. Mst knw (thru acdmc trnng or wrk exp) trnsfrm data from source to targt files in Source Anlyzr, Warehouse Dsgnr & Mappng Dsgnr in Infrmtica Dsgnr; perfrmnce tuning of ETL & othr prcesses to optmze session perfrmnce; data mdlng & data intgrtn; & Infrmtica Wrkflw Mngr & Tableau. Cvr lettr & resume w/ salary reqs & refrnces to HR Dept, FHLBank Pittsburgh, 601 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
LEGAL ADVERTISING
Bids/Proposals
ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR SPECIAL INSPECTIONS FOR THE NORTHVIEW MIDRISE
ARMDC RFP #2024-42 REBID
Allies and Ross Management and Development Corporation (ARMDC) hereby requests proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):
Request for Proposals (RFP)
– Special Inspections for the Northview Midrise RFP documents will be available on or about September 3, 2024 Copies of RFP documents are not available for in-person pickup. Firms interested in responding may obtain a copy of the RFP documents from the Business Opportunities Section of the HACP Website, www.hacp.org. Prospective Offerors may register as vendors on the website and download the documents free of charge.
A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom on September 19, 2024, at 9:00 A.M
Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 871 5583 1085 Passcode: 528312 Dial in: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
The deadline for the final submission of written questions is September 26, 2024, at 9:00 A.M. The deadline for submission of proposals is October 3, 2024, at 9:00 A.M. Proposals must be sent to:
Brandon Havranek - Associate Director of Procurement
Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6th Floor Procurement Department Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: 412-643-2890 Fax: 412-456-5007 brandon.havranek@hacp.org
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing of 9:00 AM on October 3, 2024. Proposals may still be submitted electronically at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/ request/etrIEHVoGLTSejqYEDz5 and can still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6th Floor Procurement, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
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 its website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation.
Caster D. Binion, President & CEO
Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation
ARMDC & HACP conduct 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
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEMS AND ACCESS CONTROL FOR THE NORTHVIEW MIDRISE
ARMDC RFP #2024-43-REBID
Allies and Ross Management and Development Corporation (ARMDC) hereby requests proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):
Request for Proposals (RFP) –Security Camera Systems and Access Control for the Northview Midrise
RFP documents will be available no later than September 3, 2024. Copies of RFP documents are not available for in-person pickup. Firms interested in responding may obtain a copy of the RFP documents from the Business Opportunities Section of the HACP Website, www.hacp.org. Prospective Offerors may register as vendors on the website and download the documents free of charge. A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom on September 19, 2024, at 10:00 A.M Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 882 3109 7514 Passcode: 465467 Dial in: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
The deadline for the final submission of written questions is September 26, 2024, at 10:00 A.M. The deadline for submission of proposals is October 3, 2024, at 10:00 A.M. Proposals must be sent t
Brandon Havranek - Associate Director of Procurement Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6th Floor Procurement Department Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: 412-643-2890 Fax: 412-456-5007 brandon.havranek@hacp.org
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on October 3, 2024. Proposals may still be submitted electronically at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/ request/gu1hUWNRPfYxgcd 26niN?oref=e and can still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6th Floor Procurement, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
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 its website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation.
Caster D. Binion, President & CEO Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation ARMDC & HACP conduct 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
DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR
Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Database Administrator to design, develop, create, maintain, support, integrate, and interface all Pittsburgh Region Transit (PRT) databases, as directed.
Essential Functions:
• Participate in data analysis, database design, development, and implementation.
• Ensures all databases are properly backed up and recoverable. Implements and maintains a disaster recovery plan.
• Monitors database and system performance, diagnosing and resolving issues as necessary, and taking corrective action.
• Integrates, interfaces and replicates data, as directed. This includes internal systems, external systems, and web interfaces.
Job requirements include:
• BS Degree in Computer Science, Information Science or directly related field from an accredited school.
• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience in database administration and database design.
• MS SQL Server and/or Oracle database experience.
• Knowledge of SQL and database scripts.
• Knowledge of the Extraction, Transformation, and Loading (ETL) process.
• Understanding of cloud-based database solutions, such as Azure SQL Database.
• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows and Linux.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to change.
• Demonstrated ability in the use of Microsoft Office 365, including Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Sharepoint..
• Exemplary attention to detail and excellent written and verbal communication skills. Preferred attributes:
• Knowledge of MS SQL Server and strong SQL querying skill using TSQL.
• Knowledge of data warehousing concepts and technologies.
• Knowledge of PowerShell and Python.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to:
SONNY BOY