Kelly Davis’ passion for advocacy stems from when she was a child and her mother, a nurse, lost a baby very late into her pregnan cy.“I realized that was not the natural order of things and I saw that tore my family apart, even to this day,” she said. “Despite the fact that it was over 30 years ago, it’s something that weighs heavily on my mother’s mind.” Davis has made it her mission to educate herself and others on reproductive issues.“I’vededicated my life to understanding why even when no risk factors are present and a person is in good health and has good medical care that you can still wind up losing your life in pregnancy and the life of your child. Based on the scientific research, the answers are clearly struc tural racism,” she said. Davis is the executive director at New Voices for Reproductive Justice, a nonprofit organization that serves Pittsburgh, Phila delphia and Cleveland. The aim of the organization is to prioritize the health and wellness of Black wom en and girls by fostering leadership development and advocating for repro ductive justice and human rights.Davis took over the posi tion from co-founder La’Ta sha D. Mayes in February. Mayes has thrown her hat in the political ring by run by Rob Taylor Jr.
Courier Staff Writer
by Emily PublicSourceSauchelli
SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 $1.00 Pittsburgh CourierPittsburgh Courier Vol. 113 No. 36 Two Sections Published Weekly NEW www.newpittsburghcourier.com America’s best weeklyAmerica’s best weekly thenewpittsburghcourier IN-DEPTHCOURIERREPORT To subscribe, 412-481-8302callext.136 Pittsburgh CourierNEW Page A11 ‘Blackout’ wins local kickball championship SEE NEW EXEC. DIR. A9 SEE LICENSE PLATE A10 Yet another reason why African Americans can be pulled over by police KELLY DAVIS, the executive director of New Voices for Reproductive Justice, sits for a portrait on Wednesday, Aug. 17, at The Art Room in the Strip District. Davis took over for the founder and former executive director, La’Tasha D. Mayes, in February. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource) Superior Court panel rules all parts of license plate must be completely visible IF YOU HAVE A LICENSE PLATE FRAME THAT COVERS ANY WORDING OF THE PA REGISTRATION PLATE, YOU COULD BE PULLED OVER BY POLICE, THE NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER HAS LEARNED. Kelly Davis settling in as new exec. dir. of New Voices for Reproductive Justice Replaced La’Tasha D. Mayes, who’s running for state Rep.
Police officers in Penn sylvania could be justified in pulling you over simply because any—that’s right, any—part of the wording on your license plate is ob structed.Thatincludes small let ters such as the “visitpa. com” website at the bot tom of most Pennsylvania license plates, oftentimes obstructed by license plate frames.The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that a three-judge panel of the Pa. Superior Court ruled in favor of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in a 2021 case involving a Philadelphia police officer who pulled over a driver simply because the state tourism website was par tially obstructed on the vehicle’s license plate. That police stop eventual ly resulted in a search of the passenger side of the vehicle, where a gun was found, and ammunition was found in the pocket of the passenger, Derrick Ruffin, a Black man. The panel made its ruling on Aug. 23, reversing a ruling made by the lower courts, which agreed with Ruffin’s appeal to suppress the in criminating evidence that was found by the officer. Ruffin argued that there was no basis for the vehi cle stop because the officer could read the number on the registration plate, and there was no question as to
1977—One of the greatest unsung heroes of the struggle against then White-ruled South Africa’s system of racial suppression known as apartheid is murdered on this day by South African law enforcement officials. Steve Biko was a leader of the country’s Black Consciousness Movement. He believed that one of the most destructive attitudes undermining Black progress throughout the world was that Blacks were not truly proud to be Black.
1965—Father Divine dies in Philadel phia, Pa. From about 1910 to his death in 1965, Father Divine was Black Amer ica’s foremost spiritual and cult leader. Indeed, he claimed to be God and his full self-given name was Rev. Gener al 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 congre gation 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.
• SEPTEMBER 13
This Week
• SEPTEMBER 9 1739—The so-called Stono, S.C., slave revolt begins. It was led by a slave from Angola named Jemmy. The group gath ered 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 in dependence from Britain, Cuffee and his brother built a boat and started a trading business. Over time, Cuffee became a wealthy man. However, he grew frus trated 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 set tlement. 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 be came the first African American college graduate. Twilight, born free in Vermont, would go on to become a Presbyterian minister and pastor at several churches.
by Stacy M. Brown Newswire Senior National Correspondent
1913—Track and field athletic legend Jesse Owens is born on this day in Oakville, Ala. Owens would achieve international fame when he won four gold medals at the 1936 summer Olym pic Games in Berlin, Germany. His feat helped undermine Adolph Hitler’s myth of Aryan or White superiority.
1976—Mordecai Johnson, the first Black president of historic Howard Uni versity in Washington, D.C., dies. He was one of the nation’s foremost educational leaders. He was 86 when he died.
• 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 virtu ally impossible for Blacks to remain in political office, Lynch moved to Chicago and practiced law. He died in 1939 at the age of 92.
1663—The first documented slave rebellion in America is set to take place. The revolt in Gloucester County, Va., involved Black slaves and White inden tured servants. However, it was betrayed by a White indentured servant.
1885—Alain L. Locke, philosopher and the first Black Rhodes scholar is born. He became a professor at Howard Univer sity and one of Black America’s leading intellectual figures. 1962—In an event which demonstrat ed the tenacity of racism, especially in the South, Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett pledged to defy the federal government and block the court ordered admission of a Black man—James Meredith—to the University of Mississippi. He made his declaration during a statewide television and radio address. Barnett said he would go to jail to prevent integration, arguing, “There is no case in history where the Caucasian race has survived social inte gration.” Despite his talk, Barnett would eventually relent and Meredith (with the aid of U.S. Marshals) was allowed to attend the university.
1992—Dr. Mae Jemison becomes the first African-American woman in space when she was launched from the Ken nedy Space Center on this day as part of a joint U.S.-Japanese mission. Since resigning from NASA, the multi-talented Jemison has started a company which aims to improve health care in Africa. In addition to her native English, Jemison speaks Russian, Japanese and the East African language of Swahili.
NEW
• 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 allWhite 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 antici pated 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 Dar row 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 starred in a num ber of so-called “race films” oriented at Black audiences, but Hollywood “discov ered” 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.
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• SEPTEMBER 12
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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 activ ists ranging from W.E.B DuBois to Martin Luther King Jr.
• 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.
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.
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Black History A Courier Staple NATIONALA2 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
1915—The “Father of Black History,” Carter G. Woodson, leads the found ing 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 infor mation on Black history. Woodson was also the founder of Negro History Week, which grew into the current day Black History Month.
Update: WNBA players express reluctance to play overseas as Brittney Griner negotiations continue
While former NBA AllStar and Champion Den nis Rodman formally can celed plans to go to Russia to help gain the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner, members of the Washington Mystics said Griner’s detainment has discouraged them from playing overseas. “I don’t know if being politically correct is right right now,” Mystics For ward Myisha Hines-Al len, who played in Italy last season, said at her end-of-season press con ference.“So,I know I wouldn’t want to play in Russia. I mean that’s just that.” WNBA players usually earn more money play ing overseas than in the UnitedHines-Allen’sStates. team mate, Elizabeth Williams, said Griner’s situation opens conversations for players wanted to stay home.“Ithink it won’t be sur prising to see that a lot of players are gonna go over there and just take the bigger checks because it’s kind of is what it is,” Williams told NBC News Washington.Rodmanhad previously declared he would travel to Russia to seek Griner’s release.However, Biden admin istration officials pushed back against such a visit. “We believe that any thing other than negoti ating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder those release ef forts,” State Department Spokesman Ned Price toldConfirmedreporters.reports said the United States govern ment had offered to swap the so-called “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout for Griner and another im prisoned American, Paul Whelan.Bout, who’s serving a 25-year federal pris on sentence and notori ous for his desire to kill Americans, reportedly has been at the top of Russian President Vladi mir Putin’s wish list. “We communicated a substantial offer that we believe could be success ful based on a history of conversations with the Russians,” a senior ad ministration official told CNN. “We communicated that a number of weeks ago, in June.” The unnamed sources told the network that the planned trade received the backing of President Joe Biden after being un der discussion since ear lier this year. CNN reported that Biden’s support for the swap overrides opposi tion from the Department of Justice, which is gen erally against prisoner trades.Thefamilies of Whelan, who Russia has held for alleged espionage since 2018, and WNBA star Griner, jailed in Moscow for drug possession since February, have urged the White House to secure their release, including via a prisoner exchange, if necessary, the report stated.During her testimony, Griner told the court that she’s still unsure how cannabis oil ended up in herSheluggage.saidadoctor recom mended cannabis oil for her injuries on the bas ketball court. “I still don’t understand to this day how they end ed up in my bags,” Griner said, adding that she was aware of the Russian law outlawing cannabis oil and that she had not in tended to break it. “I didn’t have any in tent to use or keep in my possession any substance that is prohibited in Rus sia,” Griner said. Detained in February, Griner said she had al ready been in Russia for several months before her“Myarrest.career is my whole life,” she reflected as she faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison. “I dedicated everything. Time, my body, time away from my family. I spent six months out of the year away from everybody, and with a huge time differ ence.”U.S. officials are await ing word from the Rus sian government on whether they will accept the“Itswap.takes two to tango. So, we start all nego tiations to bring home Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained with a bad actor on the other side,” an unnamed official told CNN. “We start all of these with somebody who has taken a human being American and treated them as a bargaining chip. So, in some ways, it’s not surprising, even if it’s disheartening, when those same actors don’t necessarily respond di rectly to our offers, don’t engage constructively in negotiations.”TheCNNreport noted that Secretary of State Antony Blinken an nounced Wednesday that the United States pre sented a “substantial pro posal” to Moscow “weeks ago” for Whelan and Gri ner, who are classified as wrongfully detained. The top U.S. diplomat said he intended to dis cuss the matter on an ex pected call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week.
1971—Approximately 1,500 state troop ers are ordered by Gov. Nelson Rocke feller to storm New York’s Attica prison to break up a takeover of the prison by Black inmates demanding better condi tions. When the dust settled, the storming of the prison resulted in the deaths of 32 inmates and 10 guards who had been held hostage. 1996—Pioneering rapper Tupac Shakur dies from his wounds after being shot in Las Vegas, Nev. He was only 25. Shak ur has now become a near cult figure among rappers. His killers were never brought to justice.
• SEPTEMBER 11 1740—Was he America’s first Black doc tor and or dentist? It is unclear but on this day in 1740 the Philadelphia Gazette car ries a report of a “Negro” named Simon who was skilled in the abilities to “bleed and draw teeth.” During the colonial pe riod, such a phrase was normally used in reference to doctors and dentists. 1851—In a fairly unusual development, a group of Blacks on this day in 1851 rout a group of slave catchers who had come to Christiana, Pa., to re-capture runaway slaves. One White was killed and a sec ond one was seriously wounded.
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 A3
idly evolved over the past decade to include the need for environmental jus tice, protecting LGBTQ+ rights, expanding access to healthcare, and equita bly funded schools, just to name a few.”
and
Underwood was a Student Success Coach at the Com munity College of Allegh eny County for nineteen years and holds several de grees from Carlow College. “One of the best things about working at CCAC was helping young women see themselves as agents of change,” Underwood said. “I hope to bring the same thing to BFLDI at the Ur ban League. I hope to help young women see them selves as agents of change locally and globally.” In addition, Loretta El lis has been hired as an Opportunity Broker. Op portunity Brokers seek to connect residents in eco nomically distressed and disadvantaged neighbor hoods to programs and ser vices that build economic self-reliance. Last year, 544 participants gained access to job readiness, training or employment through the Urban League’s Op portunity Broker program which aims to move unem ployed and andPublicManagerShetheandfairsofworkploymenthouseholdworking-agedunderemployedadultstosustainingemandsatisfyingexperiences.EllisreceivedherMasterScienceinStudentAfatCarlowUniversitywastheco-directorofHonorsProgramthere.isaformerProgramforPittsburghSchools—ScienceMathAcademyat
Pittsburgh
UNDERWOODJOSH SMITH LORETTA ELLIS
The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh hired Joshua Smith as Associate Director of Youth Leader ship. As such, Smith will be responsible for the op eration, growth and con tinuing development of the highly regarded Black Female and Black Male Leadership Development Institutes (BFLDI & BM LDI). Participants from both Leadership programs learn skills based on the Servant Leadership mod el, a style and philosophy where individuals interact with each other to achieve authority rather than pow er.Smith has 15 years of experience in youth pro gramming, having previ ously served as assistant program manager at Fam ilyLinks in Wilkinsburg in their Residential Autism Program. He is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a Mas ters in Social Work. Ginger Underwood will lead the BFLDI (Black Female Leadership Devel opment Institute) as a Pro gram Manager. The Black Female Leadership Devel opment Institute program is a leadership initiative for African American ado lescent girls ages 13-18 liv ing in Southwestern Penn sylvania. Participants will attend seminars with civic leaders, activists and art ists, learn about advocacy communications and net work with young leaders.
Westinghouse High School. Ellis said: “While I’ve held a variety of jobs, I have continued to advocate for low-income and first-gen eration students and other marginalized groups.” Ellis will continue her mission as an Opportunity Broker.Carlos T. Carter, Presi dent & CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pitts burgh, said: “We are proud to have these talented and mission focused lead ers join our team. As the new leader of the Urban League of Greater Pitts burgh, my goal is to make us the best place to work in Pittsburgh: a place where empowered people em power others; a high per formance and innovative culture that is empowered and committed to excel lence! I am excited that these new hires will team with us to enable African American and other mar ginalized communities to achieve economic self-re liance, parity, power and civil rights.” of Greater hires & Policy Program Leaders an
Advocacy
METROA4 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER Urban League
Opportunity Broker
JOHN UKENYE GINGER
The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh an nounced on Aug. 17 the hiring for key positions to better serve Allegheny and surrounding counties, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned: John Ukenye as its new Advocacy and Policy Officer, Joshua Smith as its new Associate Director of Youth Lead ership Programs & Black Male Leadership Devel opment Institute Director, Ginger Underwood as its Black Female Leadership Development Program Manager and Loretta Ellis as an Opportunity Broker. Ukenye, the Advocacy and Policy Officer, will work in conjunction with the President & CEO Car los T. Carter, and collab orate with internal and external stakeholders to develop and deploy strat egies that reduce barriers to and create conditions conducive to the advance ment of the Urban League mission of enabling Afri can Americans to achieve economic self-reliance, par ity, power and civil rights. Currently, he is focused on a voter registration pro gram, COVID awareness and several important is sues affecting the African American community. Ukenye received his Ju ris Doctor at the Washing ton University School of Law in St. Louis in 2020, Missouri, and has a BA in Political Science from the Florida Internation al University in 2017. He is a former Policy Analyst for PennFuture (Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future) and served as a legal in tern in the United States House of civilIinopportunityamouringrightslesslyearnedburghandNationalandCommitteeRepresentatives’onOversightReform.Ukenyesaid:“BoththeUrbanLeaguetheGreaterPittsaffiliatehaveanreputationoftirefightingforhumananddirectlyservthemostinneedincommunities,andIhonoredtohavethetoplayarolecontinuingthislegacy.aimtojointhefightforjusticethathasrap
Officer, Youth
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 A5
Light of Life is a hub of outreach and hope during disasters
DR. MAUREEN LICHTVELD
Addressing racism in disaster management
Recently we had a conversa tion with the new President & CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh (ULGP) to gain perspective on the im pact of disasters on the Black Community and the bias that exists.What is your perspective on disasters and how Black Peo ple are impacted? The unfortunate reality is that families and people who are in marginalized commu nities often do not fare well when disasters and emergen cies occur. A tragic illustra tion is Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the devastation of New Orleans’ Black commu nity. There were more than 1,800 fatalities and many could have been prevented with disaster preparedness. This tragedy is one of many that demonstrates the dis proportional impact of disas ters on the most vulnerable whose lives don’t appear to be as valued as others. The sad thing is that Black people do not receive the same level of support as White people due to poverty, oppression, and structural racism. This underscores the need for governments and orga nizations to make sure that marginalized communities are prepared and have the resources to support the most vulnerable communities. What role should Black or ganizations play in helping to address this issue? Given the bias in disaster preparedness, it is critical that Black organizations are involved to make sure that our voices are heard and that critical resources are equi tably distributed. The ULGP provides information to help our clients/community save the lives of family members, maintain their property, and survive a short- or long-term emergency leveraging com munity resources. We provide emergency pre paredness information to per
HEALTHA6 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER Take Charge Of Your Health Today. Be Informed. Be Involved.
CARLOS T. CARTER
Wherever you turn—TV, radio, newspaper, or smart phone—there’s news of hu man, ecological, and economic disaster.In2021 alone, the U.S. was impacted by 20 weather and climate disasters, each cost ing a billion dollars. (climate. gov)Whether disasters take shape as hurricanes, flooding, chemical spills, mass shoot ings, or the pandemic, Black communities suffer more than White communities. (National Institute of Health) While disasters affect every one, they often reveal system ic racism in all its ugly forms. The good news is that disas ters can be managed in a way that minimizes their impact on Black communities—and may even lead to full, and bet ter,However,recovery.this can only hap pen if diversity and inclusion take priority in the process on the local level. What is a disaster? “There’s often a misunderstanding about the differences between emergencies and disasters,” explains Dr. Maureen Licht veld, Dean of Pitt’s School of Public Health and the Jonas Salk Professor of Popula tion Health. “An emergency is an event that a town, city or county can manage on its own, such as roads closing due to snow and ice. “A disaster is an event that’s too big to manage locally. The capacity simply doesn’t exist.” To receive federal aid in the city of Pittsburgh, for exam ple, the mayor, in collabora tion with the governor, must declare a State of Emergency, which allows the federal gov ernment to step in with help. Federal responders manage disasters using a five-stage cycle of 1. detection, 2. re sponse, 3. control, 4. mitiga tion, and 5. “Unfortunately,preparedness.there’s un fairness in each of the stages,” says Dr. Lichtveld. “But, in Pittsburgh, and other cities, we’re working together with underserved communities to change that.” The detection stage is about quickly and accurately identi fying the disaster in terms of forecast, warning system, im pact, and Inequalityequipment.inthis stage stems from people not rec ognizing—or not wanting to recognize—vulnerable popu lations.“Ifwe know a neighbor hood ‘always floods,’” says Dr. Lichtveld, “why don’t we take steps to prepare that neigh borhood first before a hurri cane hits?” The response stage takes place when federal govern ment agencies step in, such asInFEMA.this stage, unfairness happens when those who need help most may not get it early enough. As a result, in parts of a neighborhood where re sources are scarce, people must often fend for them selves until help arrives. The control stage focuses on how fast authorities contain and deal with a disaster— and what displaced people do in the meantime. This stage is about personal resources. “Do you have flood insur ance, for example,” Dr. Licht veld asks. “Do you have an emergency fund you can tap into? Do you have family or friends you can stay with? If you don’t, can you afford a hotel if your home is contami nated with mold?” This is where underserved communities are most vulner able.The mitigation stage is about community resources. How can key spots in a com munity become less vulnera ble during a disaster and in future disasters? “How can we protect schools, community centers, and health clinics so they can re open quickly after a disas ter?” says Dr. Lichtveld. “These places are touch stones in a community espe cially for children and elders.” The preparedness stage serves as the hub of the di saster management cycle and is most important for Black communities.“Thisstage is about getting ready for the next event,” says Dr. Lichtveld. “We tend to spend too little time and mon ey on this when we should spendWhatmore.”can Black communi ties do to help end racism in disaster management? People of all colors can start by changing disaster lan guage.“Weneed to shift from using the term ‘disaster manage ment’ to ‘all-hazard manage ment,’” Dr. Lichtveld states. “When we think about disas ter in terms of natural haz ards only, we miss opportuni ties to prepare for other types of disasters, such as the wa ter crisis in Flint, Michigan, which are man-made. “Climate disasters can also be just as devastating to un derserved communities with the same health concerns and mental health trauma.” A shift is also needed in how a community takes inventory before a disaster strikes. “Instead of making a ‘needs’ assessment, we should focus on an ‘asset’ assessment,” says Dr. Lichtveld. Assets include Black church es; small businesses, such as beauty salons and barber shops; little leagues; and oth er local licsummer’syouth.ershipgainandawillIdeally,organizations.theseorganizationscometogetheraspartofcommunityadvisoryboardworkwithcityofficialstotrustandestablishownofapreparednessplan.There’salsotheroleofBlackDr.LichtveldpointstothisfirstannualPubHealthScienceAcademy, a University of Pittsburgh program that builds bridges to younger, generations and provides a path to a career in public health. The 2022 academy included 10 juniors and seniors from CAPA, Pittsburgh Science & Technology, and Taylor All derdice.Each student logged 120 hours working directly in un derserved neighborhoods on a variety of health-related proj ects, including one studying urban heat and health ineq uity.“It’s time to get our children thinking about and under standing the role of public health in making life better for everyone –but especially people who live in vulnerable communities,” Dr. Lichtveld states.Pitt’s School of Public Health is also offering a bachelor’s degree in Public Health —the first new bachelor’s degree in almost 30 years at the univer sity.“We’re hoping some of the amazing students who worked with us in the acade my will become frontline pub lic health leaders.” While our country is experi encing more disasters, espe cially due to climate change, Dr. Lichtveld reminds us we can’t lose hope.
Northside, Goodwill, North Side Christian Health Cen ter, and others,” he adds. “Our role was to coordinate their efforts.”Onegood thing did come out of the pandemic, Jerrel notes. The Black Equity Coalition (BEC) is a network of mostly Black professionals, execu tive leaders, medical doctors, researchers, and community stakeholders. Their goal is to make sure black and brown communities receive accurate and reliable COVID-19 infor mation.“Allof us on the BEC are determined to eliminate pan demic health inequities,” Jer relJerrel’sstates. input on the BEC is another example of Light of Life’s belief in the power of people working together for racial justice. He adds, “When each of us does our little bit of good for our fellow humans, big things happen.”
sons who attend our month ly homeownership sessions. These items are covered as part of the post purchase seg ment.Program participants re ceive information that in cludes preparing a home and vehicle safety kit, emergency escape plans, disaster basics, inspections of appliances, gas/electric and heating/cool ing systems on a yearly basis. We also aid with housing via the Allegheny Link and lever age our emergency food pan try to support families during emergencies.Whatcanbe done to address bias in Disaster Response andGivenPreparedness?thebiasin disaster preparedness, it is important that we increase diversity in public health as a career. When this happens, there will be more leaders who rep resent and value Black peo ple as they help to mitigate inequities. To start, we need to expose young people to the field. Pitt, for instance, has the Public Health Academy, which provides young people with exposure to careers in public health. Offering these opportunities to our youth will increase the probability of having more Black voices involved in disaster response and create better outcomes for Black People in emergen cy situations in the Greater Pittsburgh Region and be yond.
For 70 years, Pittsburgh’s Light of Life has been help ing people who are experi encing homelessness, living in poverty, and/or suffering from addiction. The goal is to transform lives through the love of Christ. The organization is also part of the city’s “hidden” public health infrastructure, providing street-level assis tance during emergencies andThatdisasters.helpconsists of every thing from passing out hy giene products and essential clothing to victims of the re cent Shady Park Place apart ment fire in North Braddock to on-going efforts to address the inequities of the pandem ic. All without red tape. In late February 2020, Light of Life’s skills were put to the test. Reverend Jerrel T. Gilliam, Executive Director, was attending a meeting for emergency shelter providers in Washington, D.C. when he learned about COVID. “I came back waving the red flag about infection,” he re members.Whenoutbreaks occurred and Pittsburgh went into quarantine, Light of Life be gan planning. How would they protect—and contain, if necessary—their clients and themselves?Asthepandemic unfold ed, Light of Life served as a hub of help to underserved communities. Here are high lights:Partnering with a local busi ness that donated water buf faloes that Light of Life used to set up hygiene stations and handSupplyingwashing.Allegheny Coun ty’s Dept. of Human Ser vices with food and hygiene kits for the dept’s emergency COVID shelter. Some of Light of Life’s clients quarantined and received care there. Setting up a large tent in a lot next to the mission where clients received emergency shelter services during the pandemic. (Ten of Light of Life’s employees also volun teered to live in an enclosed area at the mission for quar antineDistributingpurposes.)hand sanitizer to clients during a nationwide shortage. (Pitt chemistry stu dents created the gel in labs.) Spreading information to homeless communities and clearing up any misinforma tion.Working with communi ty organizations, including Pitt, to identify and vaccinate high-risk individuals, such as elders.Coordinating vaccine popup clinics in neighborhood churches and community cen ters.Meeting with community in fluencers, including bringing together African includesduringgetherfaith-basedproviders,rel.thissionsBlackmothers/grandmothersAmericananddoctorsforQ&Asesaboutvaccinesafety.‘Wecouldn’thavedoneonourown,”saysJer“Manypartnerservicefoundations,andagenciescametotomakethingshappenthepandemic.ThatAlcosan,Buhl’sOne
Disaster preparedness
“If we look to Black com munity leaders to lend their expertise and assets to the planning process, our neigh borhoods can recover from disasters with resiliency,” she states. “Everyone deserves a healthy home. That’s our mo tivation.”
REVEREND JERREL T. GILLIAM
Carlos Carter is President and CEO, Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 A7
BRIA
ANA
MARIA
LLOYD CHEATOM, PAIGE KENDRA MITCHELL, KEVIN MCNAIR, SAM MORANT, AT ‘SNEAKERBALL,’ HELD JULY 23 AT STAGE AE. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO) The “Sneakerball” just keeps on growing. The numbers coming in show that roughly 500 people attended the fourth-annual event, held July 23 at Stage AE on the North Shore. Adults wear formal attire, but in place of the dress shoes and heels are stylish sneak ers. Proceeds from ticket sales go to 1 Nation Mentoring, a group founded by three friends, all Black males, who are determined to be a positive influence on young Black teens in Pittsburgh.KevinMcNair, Lloyd Cheatom and Sam Mo rant are those three friends. With 1 Nation Mentoring now in its eighth year, it’s estimat ed the organization has mentored thousands of students in the region.
- Rob Taylor Jr.
CHAYLA CARTER FROM PENN HILLS
SHAKEL
METROA8 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER THE ‘SNEAKERBALL’
RAYMOND AND SHARON PRITCHARD WITH MATCHING SHOES FROM THE SOUTH SIDE DIXON, DAVIS, BAILEY, HARDY JONES,
ALAYAH
ELIJAH THOMPSON
NEW EXEC. DIR. FROM A1
Black-led and prepared to stand up New Voices’ strategy “focuses on building pow er within Black women and queer folks in ser vice of the health and well-being of Black wom en and queer folks,” Da vis“Newsaid.Voices is uniquely positioned to do that be cause we are the first and only Black-led reproduc tive justice organization in the entire Common wealth of Pennsylvania.” Last year, New Voices created the #SayHER Name Justice Fund, which Davis said pro vides “life-saving mutual aid in the form of very low challenge grants to Black women, families and girls who have expe rienced all the different forms of violence—gun violence, interperson al violence, state-sanc tioned violence, including abortion restrictions.” Low challenge grants are simple to apply for, and recipients are not re quired to report how the funds are used. Born on the West Coast and now living in Phil adelphia, Davis splits her time among the cit ies New Voices serves, including Pittsburgh. She brings many years of experience in the re productive justice arena, including working over nine years for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, up to being the director of the equity and innovation unit. Her most recent roles include working as the chief of birth equity innovation for the National Birth Equity Collaborative, a public policy office in NewDavisOrleans.isthe co-found er and CEO of Kinshift, a project that works to provide customizable training and solutions for those in health care and community spaces as it relates to preventing racism and trauma and promoting health equity for people of color and LGBTQ+ communities. She has both short- and long-term goals for New Voices. Her long-term goal is to “work ourselves out of business,” mean ing, “if we’re successful in achieving our mission, there will be no more re productive coercion. … There won’t be a need for nonprofits like ours to fight for that to be real ity.”Her short-term goal is educating groups — spe cifically Black women and the LGBTQ+ com munity.Shesaid New Voices is trying to help those populations understand how Black health and well-being may be affect ed by the outcome of the midterm elections. She credits fate for her current role at the non profit.“Ilike to say I didn’t find this job, this job found me,” Davis said. “During the last two and a half years, I’ve done a lot of reflection, and I’ve had to think about where my gifts are needed. This opportunity to helm an organization led by Black people for Black people has been a truly trans formative experience. After years in govern ment and other kinds of settings, I think I needed that to support me and myDavisleadership.”iscommitted to going where the chal lenges are greatest and doing whatever it takes to achieve equality for people of color. “I really am dedicated to achieving liberation in our lifetime,” she said. “I think it can be done, and we will use whatever re sources are at our dispos al to make that a reality for everyone, but espe cially Black folks living in Pennsylvania.”
KELLY DAVIS, the executive director of New Voices for Reproductive Justice, talks as part of a panel during Netroots Nation Women’s Pre-Conference on Wednesday, Aug. 17, at The Art Room in the Strip District. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
Kelly Davis settling in as new executive director of New Voices for Reproductive Justice
METRONEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 A9
ning to be a state repre sentative in District 24, which includes East Lib erty, zation.thewhatcomplishedsition,whatherhealthrenthelpedvices.needservicesgrantsassistancetheVoicesv.Courtbeenproductivetionsburg.HomewoodLincoln-Lemington,andWilkinsThemidtermelecareNov.8,andrerightshavecentralissues.SincetheU.S.SupremeoverturnedRoeWade,DavisandNewhaverespondedtoneedforreproductivebyprovidingtoaidabortionandpeoplewhototravelforserThesupporthasthoseinneedpayoraccessmentalservices.Davisissixmonthsintoposition.Shesharedledhertothispowhatshehasacthusfarandhergoalsareforfutureofthisorgani
STOPPING PITTSBURGH
412-441-3800SummerWorship.......10:00 a.m. Taize -Wednesdays.........7:00
St. Pittsburgh,
Harris to have jersey number retired by Steelers
Superior Court panel rules all parts of license plate must be completely visible
J. Burke- Pastor Rev. C. Matthew HawkinsParochial Vicar Rev. David
“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And He (Jesus) was in the back part of the ship, asleep on a pillow, and they awaken Him, and said unto Him, MASTER carest thou that we perish? And He (Jesus) arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, PEACE BE STILL. And the wind ceased, and there was a great CALM.” -St. Mark 4:37-39
REV. WALKER SAYS: CREATOR, THE GREAT I AM, KING, LORD, MASTER, SAVIOR JESUS is with US in our STORMS. He is our SHALOM our PEACE, He is with US JESUS.
15219 emailor religion@newpittsburghcourier.us:com ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH 91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 412-281-314115219SundayMass11AM www.sbtmparishpgh.com East Liberty Presbyterian Church
Franco Harris’ No. 32 will forever be immortal ized in Pittsburgh. The New Pittsburgh Courier learned on Tues day, Sept. 6, that the Steelers will retire Har ris’ jersey number on Dec. 24, a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders. As most Steel ers fans know, Harris caught the “Immacu late Reception” against the then-Oakland Raid ers on Dec. 23, 1972, at Three Rivers Stadium, the deflected pass that almost hit the turf, but scooped by Harris at the last second. Harris then trucked it into the end zone for the playoff-win ning touchdown. The Steelers didn’t win the Super Bowl that year, but that playoff win gave the Team of the ‘70s all the confidence it needed to win four Super Bowls later in the decade. The seasons of 1974, ‘75, and ‘78 and ‘79 were the Su per Bowl-winning sea sons for the Steelers, which endured the team to millions of fans na tionwide. Steeler Nation is a vast nation, and as Steeler great and Hall of Famer Joe Greene once said, the Steelers didn’t start winning until Franco Harris joined the team in ‘72, as a rookie out of Penn State. The rest is history.
RELIGION/METROA10 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
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Join our 8302,tion,ForWorshipPraisegrowingandChurchCommunity!rateinformacall412-481-ext.128. Carson PA Rev. Patrice Fowler-Searcy and Rev. HeatherPastorsSchoenewolf p.m. www.ELPC.churchFacebook/YouTube Rev. Thomas H.
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JESUS STILLED THE STORM
which state had issued the plate.The lower court granted Ruffin’s motion to suppress on the basis that there was “no reasonable suspicion or probable cause to pull over (the vehicle) because of the obscured website.” But in the Superior Court panel’s ruling, obtained by the Courier, the panel re ferred to the letter of the state law on the matter, which reads that “it is un lawful to display on any vehicle a registration plate which (3) is otherwise il legible at a reasonable dis tance or is obscured in any manner.”Thestate law has three additional notations on obscuring plates: (1) is so dirty as to prevent the reading of the numbers or letters thereon at a rea sonable distance; (2) is obscured in any manner which inhibits the proper operation of an automat ed red light enforcement system in place...or any other automated enforce ment system...; and (4) is obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in a manner which inhibits the visibility of the issuing ju risdiction at a reasonable distance.TheSuperior Court panel said that the suppression court “failed to give effect to the plain meaning of all the words of the statute.” The panel added that the word “any” means “un measured or unlimited in amount, number or extent” or “to any extent or de gree.”Thus, the panel argued, dismissing the state tour ism website of visitpa. com on a license plate as unnecessary to be visible “contradicts the broad lan guage chosen by our legis lature.”Thepanel said that it ap preciated Ruffin’s position that the state law should be limited to the elements of a registration plate that are actually pertinent to the identification of a vehi cle’s registration. Howev er, “we may not disregard the letter of the law ‘under the pretext of pursuing its spirit.’ Additionally, the obstruction of the URL for the Commonwealth’s tour ism website on the regis tration plate of the vehicle in which Appellee (Ruffin) was riding as a passen ger constituted a violation of the Vehicle Code and subjected the operator to a traffic stop for the pur poses of enforcing the $25 fine.”However, Ruffin, who was in the vehicle with four other occupants, didn’t just get a fine due to the traf fic stop. He was eventually criminally charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, car rying a firearm without a license, carrying a firearm on public streets or public property in Philadelphia, and possession of marijua na.Critics of the Superior Court panel’s ruling said it further puts African Amer icans at risk when they’re behind the wheel, as studies have consistently shown that Black drivers are pulled over by police at disproportionate rates. The way the Pa. state law is written now, an officer could hypothetically pull over a Black driver whose license plate frame is par tially blocking the “visitpa. com” wording on the bot tom of the plate, while let ting a White driver with a similar license plate frame continue on their way. Talk to many African Americans, and they will describe instances of be ing pulled over for seem ingly minor reasons—the small light above the car’s license plate was not work ing; or the red brake light that is situated inside the rear window wasn’t work ing. Then of course there’s the infamous, vehicle “matching the description” of a suspicious vehicle re ported in the area. But be ing pulled over because the state tourism’s website of visitpa.com being obstruct ed might be a new one, even for Black people. Andy Hoover, director of communications for ACLU Pennsylvania, told the news organization Spot light PA that the decision was “another flimsy excuse for police to pull people over, and we’ve seen re peatedly how routine traf fic stops can escalate into tragic outcomes, especially for Black and brown peo ple.”In Pittsburgh, the Cou rier reported in December 2021 that City Council voted nearly unanimous ly to forbid minor traffic stops by Pittsburgh Police officers. Reverend Ricky Burgess, a longtime coun cilman, introduced the leg islation, after data found that in 2020, Blacks were pulled over more times in the city than Whites, al though Whites severely outnumber Blacks in the city.City officers can no longer pull people over for minor violations such as a tail light or headlight that’s not working, an expired registration stickers that’s fewer than two months expired, or a license plate that’s not properly mount ed. Data wasn’t readily available to the Courier on whether or not traffic stops have been reduced in this calendar year, 2022. “African Americans are three times more likely to be stopped by police than other brothers and sisters,” Rev. Burgess told KD KA-TV last year, “and that creates a chilling effect in the African American com munity.”
FRANCO HARRIS, with Steelers team president Art Rooney II. (Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Steelers)
STOPPING
- Rob Taylor Jr.
The Courieris THE VOICE of Pittsburgh.Black TELL CHURCHABOUTUSYOURNEXTEVENT! We want to place your event in our Church Circuit weekly calendar! Send info to: NewCourierPittsburgh 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh PA 15219
PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCILMAN REV. RICKY BURGESS LED THE WAY IN POLICE OFFICERS FROM MOTORISTS FOR INFRACTIONS.
MINOR
coach Jay Calfee. “So I said, ‘let’s reverse the fortunes and let’s bring this trophy home that you all so de served.’ They were locked in, they were focused. We knew what we had to do and we went out here and didTheit.”EMS Steel City Kick ers league was founded in 2015 by Eesha Sheard and Jeffrey O’Kelly, and began with teams such as; “Royal T Divas,” “Pittsburgh Di vas,” “Diva Dolls” and “Di amond Divas.” Since then, the league has grown to as many as 13 teams. Sheard, who served as president, died unexpectedly in 2016. Barb Moore then became president, followed by My lia Jackson. Jackson still serves as president. The league has been growing, some say soar ing. It secured a partner ship with Roxamore Sports Network to have its games aired on Roxamore’s social media channels and web site. It has multiple spon sors. It has three assistant commissioners in Michael Knight, Renee Robinson and Jaron McLain. Janelle McLain serves as the league’s assistant director ofSunday,operations.Aug. 14, brought the “Final Four” of sorts to Arsenal Park to determine who would be crowned EMS Steel City Kick ers 2022 champions. In the semi-finals, the “Diva Dolls” beat “Renegade,” while “Blackout” defeated the “Royal T Divas.” That placed “Blackout” against the “Diva Dolls” for the ti tle.Nya Morris, one of the stars on “Blackout,” said the championship win felt good because “we’re the most hated team in the league, so we gotta keep doing what we do every day, every week.” As for Calfee, the head coach, he said the one word to describe his team is “family.”“Thechemistry, the cama raderie...just a band of sis ters, blood couldn’t make them any thicker,” Calfee told the Courier. “We work hard, we play hard, we par ty hard, but at the end of a day, we’re a family.”
“BLACKOUT” wins the EMS Steel City Kickers 2022 championship, Aug. 14, at Arsenal Field in Lawrenceville. (Photos by Courier photographer Rob Taylor Jr.)
SPORTSA11 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER ‘BLACKOUT’ WINS THE EMS STEEL CITY KICKERS 2022 CHAMPIONSHIP
by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer On Aug. 14, there was a “Blackout” at Arsenal Field inTheLawrenceville.19women, most of whom are African Ameri can, were the last women standing on the field, af ter a ball kicked by one of the players from the “Diva Dolls” was caught, which meant addedyeartakeours,playnutgethergade.”field,onpionshipherPittsburghplayers.nut,though,Dolls,”pionshipleagueKickerswonteamship.Whichballgame.meantchampionDressedinblack,thenamed“Blackout”theEMSSteelCitywomen’skickballtournamentchamoverthe“Diva11-2.Itwasbittersweet,forEbonieChestoneofthe“Blackout”ShetoldtheNewCourierthatteamwasinthechamgamelastyearthesameArsenalParkbutlostto“Rene“We’realittlecloserto(thisyear),”Chestsaid.“Weknewhowtoandweknewthiswassowewereheretoit.”“Weknowhowitfeltlastwhenwelost,3-2,”“Blackout”head
“BLACKOUT” PLAYERS NICOLE MORRIS, TILA HARDEMAN, LIZ STEVENS, ANNA GOODE “BLACKOUT” PLAYERS RHONDA STRICKLAND, SARAH JACKSON, GINA PAGNOTTA
Back on top after losing last year’s title game
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 A12
Insurance review—We need insurance in case something happens. A review of all existing insurance policies including health, life, car, homeowners, renters, disability, long-term care and extended liability um brella policy. Goal here is to ensure you understand your insurance and that you’re properly insured.
Tax Return Review—Review of tax re turns helps to confirm that all income has been accounted for. Looks to see that in come has been stable, growing or decreas ing over the past two years. If large tax refunds have been consistent over the past two years and filing status will remain the same, recommendations made on how to modify W4 form. This will amount to more money in the paycheck and a smaller tax re fund. People trying to build wealth look for tax shelters, not tax refunds.
by Donald Williams For New Pittsburgh Courier In most circumstances, an entrepreneur should not use a credit card in stead of a loan to fund a startup and its expenses because the drawbacks of using a credit card usu ally outweigh a credit card’s benefits. The major benefit of us ing a credit card instead of a bank loan is that a credit card makes it easy to obtain abut $10,000 of credit without having to go through a cumbersome and restrictive bank loan approvalAnotherprocess.benefit is that the credit card will be widely accepted by sup pliers of products and services needed by the entrepreneur. Also, the credit card will allow the entrepreneur to initially just make small month ly payments so that they have time to start gener ating a profit to repay the credit card. The major drawback of a credit card is the ex traordinarily high inter est rates that accrue if the credit card balance is not paid off in full each month.The annual interest rates on credit cards are generally 10-18 percent higher than the interest rates on a typical bank loan. Also, if any credit card minimum payment is not paid on time, the credit card company will usually charge a late fee of about $25 for every lateThepayment.extra10-18 percent of interest and late fees by Kristen Schultz Lee For New Pittsburgh Courier
Some scholars argue that a lack of government support for raising kids is causing this “happiness gap.”Only 6.3 percent of 3-year-olds and just over 33 percent of 4-year-olds nationwide are enrolled in a state-funded preschool program, although free early childhood education is becoming more com mon. Likewise, just nine states and the District
“The Department of Education esti mates that roughly 27 million borrowers will be eligible to receive up to $20,000 in relief, helping these borrowers meet their economic potential and avoid economic harm from the Covid-19 pandemic,” the White House said. All other federal borrowers are eligible to receive $10,000 of loan forgiveness if they fall within the same income limits as noted above. For those claimed as dependents, eligi bility will be based on the income of the person claiming the dependent. Income qualifications can be based on the 2020 or 2021 tax year. This means if you earned $120,000 in 2020, but received raise and made more than the income limit in 2021, you are still eligible for debt cancellation.WhileFederal loans for undergrads and graduates as well as Parent Plus loans qualify, loans from private institutions will not be forgiven under this plan. No high-income individual or household within the top 5 percent of incomes will benefit from the plan, the White House said. SEE
When it comes to personal finances, many of us are oblivious to our current financial health/wealth position. We have several goals that require money. We work hard! We pay our bills. We spend a few dollars on things that we enjoy. After we do that, we try to focus on goals—general savings, emergency fund, college savings, retirement savings, purchasing a home. Problem is —when we look at our account to see how much we can earmark for our various goals —the money is all spent. We’re left won dering, “Where did our money go?” It’s as if our money has been wearing a mask, hiding from us in plain sight—preventing us from fulfilling our short-term and long-term fi nancial goals. In this article, I’m going to show you how to unmask your current financial health and wealth position. I’m going to walk you through the questions I ask and the process of what I review when putting together a comprehensive financial plan. What are your financial goals? It’s im portant to establish both motivation and purpose for what you’re seeking to accom plish —financially speaking. By establish ing firm, specific goals, you lay down your dreams and vision for your future on paper. What are your financial concerns? Some people are motivated by goals. Some people are motivated by fear. Most are motivated by both. Visualizing what you fear happen ing from a financial perspective can serve as a conscientious spirit—or the little voice in your head—telling you not to do it—when your heart knows taking such action can set you back financially. What do you think is holding you back financially? It’s our actions or lack thereof that’s preventing us from reaching our full potential. When you identify habits, things and/or people that’s holding you back from financial success, you have the foresight to remove those roadblocks from your life. Income analysis—Thorough review of all sources of income. Looking to ensure in come is consistent and stable. Also explor ing options to bring in additional income if necessary. Net Worth analysis—This is your true financial report card. Assets: (what you own) minus debt: (what you owe) equals net worth. Look at the two words—own and owe. Spelled relatively the same with the ex ception of the last two letters N and E. Key points here using the N and the E. Never ever owe more than what you own. The goal is to always increase the things that you own and decrease what you owe. Expense analysis Thorough review of all recurring, non-debt re lated items including utility bills, lawn ser vices, insurance, alarm system, hair salon, bar ber shop, cigarettes, lot tery, etc. Leave no stone unturned. Credit Report/Debt analysis—Thor ough review of all outstanding debts includ ing credit cards, student loans, car loans, personal loans and mortgage loans. The goal here is to ensure everything is properly reporting and to get an accurate picture of loan balances and credit score
Here’s who qualifies for Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan (Black Information Network)—Presi dent Joe Biden officially announced on Wednesday (August 24) the administra tion’s highly-anticipated plan for student loan forgiveness.Though the decision is set to impact about 43 million people na tionwide, there are some qualifications and exceptions to be aware of, per NBC News.Recipients of Pell Grants, which are awarded to students with “exceptional fi nancial need” and who fall under an an nual income of $125,000 for individuals or under $250,000 for families filing jointly, can have up to $20,000 of their debt can celed under Biden’s new plan.
Savings/Investments—Thorough re view of all savings and investments ac counts. Ensure that every saving and investment has a mission statement associ ated with it—be it emergency fund, saving for vacation, car, home. Saving/investing
of families, we’re certain that expanding access to paid leave to more employ ees would make them hap pier. Children and unhappy parents In recent years, a grow ing number of studies have indicated ness and stress.more depression, lonelitheir childrenlesshappy thanStates,particularlythat parents,intheUnitedare generallylesstheirchildpeers,especiallywhenarelittle.Parentsalsoexperience
The U.S. remains the only advanced econo my without federal paid leave, despite overwhelm ing support for this benefit. Employers are free to provide this benefit at their own expense. But only 1 in 4 U.S. workers, including federal employ ees, can take paid time off to care for a newborn or a newly adopted or fostered child. That’s problematic for many reasons, includ ing the abundant evidence that paid leave boosts healthy childhood policies andconnectionsresearchUnionMarchednowBetter package,lypaidsoughtty.ment and economicdevelopsecuriPresidentJoeBidenhasto expandaccesstofamilyleave,initialthroughhis BuildBackwhichisonhold.Hereasserthiscallstodosoinhis2022 Stateoftheaddress.Basedonourextensiveregardingthebetween socialthe happiness
How to ‘unmask’ your current financial health and wealth position BUSINESS www.newpittsburghcourier.com New Pittsburgh Courier B Classifieds Find what you need from jobs to cars to housingB5-7 There are no solutions; only tradeoffs J. Pharoah Doss Page B4 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 DONALD WILLIAMS Should a startup use a credit card instead of a loan? Paid family
The Biden administration cited Wednes day that over 60 percent of the borrower population are Pell Grant recipients.
for college or retirement. Wealth-building investments. By giving each saving and investment a mission statement, you better understand your time horizon. This also al lows you to ascertain the best financial prod ucts to park your savings or investment in — saving account, money market account, CD, bonds, mutual funds, exchanged traded funds, retirement account, college saving plan. Understanding time horizon and risk tolerance also helps pinpoint proper asset allocation within your investments. Budget Sculpting—Now that we know your income, debt and expenses, as well as how much you’re saving and investing monthly, we can budget sculpt. Budget sculpt ing is a process of see ing what percentage of your net income is going toward various debts, expenses, sav ings and investments. There are recommend ed percentages that I compare actual per centages to. We use this as a tool to quick ly identify areas of over spending or under saving.
happier, global
SEE STARTUP B2
PAID FAMILY LEAVE B2
Pension Plan—A review of projected pension: If you’re one of the lucky ones who will receive a pension upon retirement, it’s important to understand your projected pension. How much to expect? Is it a life time benefit? Guaranteed for X number of years? Will your spouse receive your pen sion in the event of an untimely death. Social Security Statement—Social Se curity used to send out a statement three months before your birthday. Now they only send to people 60 and older who are not re ceiving social security benefits. You can re quest a statement online. This will provide clarity on projected social security income upon retirement Estate Planning—Discussion about the importance of a will. Do you have a will? Is it updated to reflect your current status and wishes? Who gets your stuff? Who will be custodian of your minor children? Who do you need to designature as your health care and/or financial power of attorney in the event you can’t speak for yourself. Also discussion about items such as life insur ance, retirement plans and other property that can be bequeathed outside of a will. Is your beneficiary designation on these items updated to reflect current wishes? (Are you looking to Beat Debt, Boost Your Savings, or Make Good Financial Decisions? Contact me. Da mon Carr, Money Coach can be reached at 412-2161013 or visit his website @ www.damonmoneycoach. com) leave makes people data shows
Federal paid leave gives families a chance to find their footing after the ar rival of a new child, with out having to quit their job or take unpaid time off. It should come as no sur prise that such a safety net would make families not only economically more se cure, but happier too. (Kristen Schultz Lee, Associate Professor of Sociology, Universi ty at Buffalo and Hiroshi Ono, Professor of Human Resource Management, School of Interna tional Corporate Strategy, Hitot subashi University) (This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.)
But when fathers take paid leave, couples share their housework responsibilities and child care more equal ly.This is because when both parents take a leave after the arrival of a new child, they are more like ly to establish household routines that result in an equal sharing of household tasks. One study found that when fathers were en couraged to take a parental leave, their participation in household tasks increased by 250Whenpercent.parents are free to take more time off work to care for their infants and newly adopted children with fewer financial costs and little fear of job loss –and especially when dads are encouraged to take time off – both children and their parents are hap pier.
leavetalgreater economic and menshowshealthbenefitsofpaidforlow-incomefamilies.Recent research byotherscholarswhostudycountriesthathaveinvestedheavilyinsocialwelfarepolicieslikepaidfamilyleavefurthersupportsourfindings.Respondentsinthe world’smostgenerouswelfarestates weremoresatisfiedwiththeirwork,healthandfamilylifethanpeopleinplaceswithweakersafetynets.Asonenotableexample,
a recent study that one of us co-authored showed that the Japanese govern ment’s investments in gen erous paid leave for fam ilies with small children, access to child care, child allowances and free health insurance for children, as well as increased benefits for older adults, were asso ciated with modest gains in overall happiness. These policies made sig nificant differences for women with small chil dren and older people, who became happier between 1990 and 2010. Losing benefits can decrease happiness In addition, there is evi dence of what can happen when government benefits that meet many people’s needs are taken away. In the former German Dem ocratic Republic, satis faction generally rose be tween 1990, just before its transition to a free-market economy from a communist state, and 2004 in terms of the freedom to buy goods andOnservices.theother hand, that same study found that satisfaction in the place that also used to be called East Germany plummeted concerning health, work and child care. People had been guaranteed access to health care and child care, as well as job security, un der communist rule—but all of that changed when that system collapsed.
STARTUP
You can apply for Medicare online
Tech industry talks about boosting diversity but shows little improvement
by Josh Grant For New Pittsburgh Courier You can apply for Medicare online even if you are not ready to start your retire ment benefits. Applying online is quick and easy. There are no forms to sign, and we usually do not require additional docu mentation. We’ll process your application and contact you if we need more informa tion.Knowing when to apply for Medicare is very important! You must apply during your limited initial enrollment period. If you’re eligible for Medicare at age 65, your initial enrollment period begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after that date. If you miss your initial enrollment period, you may have to pay a higher monthly premi um. Visit www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare to apply for Medicare and find other im portant information. If you were unable to enroll or disenroll in Medicare because you could not reach us by phone after January 1, 2022, you will be granted additional time, through December 30, 2022. This additional time applies to the 2022 General Enrollment Period, Initial Enrollment Period, and Special Enrollment Period. Some people who receive Medicare bene fits may qualify for Extra Help with their Medicare prescription drug plan costs, including the monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and co-payments. To qualify for Extra Help, you must receive Medi care, have limited resources and income, and reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. Read our publica tion Understanding the Extra Help with Your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for more information at www.ssa.gov/pubs/ EN-05-10508.pdf.TheMedicarewebsite has answers to your questions and other helpful resourc es including: * What does Medicare cover? Find out
INCREASED DIVERSITY has eluded the tech industry. (Cavan Images via Getty Images) by Donald T. TomaskovicDevey and JooHee Han For New Pittsburgh Courier (Courier Newsroom)—The U.S. tech sector is growing 10 times faster and has wages twice as high as the rest of the economy. This industry also wins the race for high profits and stock returns. At the same time, the tech sector’s professional, managerial and executive labor forces are overwhelmingly White and male. It is not surprising, then, that the field is under a great deal of pressure to di versify its labor As researchersforce.who study inequality, we examined the data to go beyond the picture of diversity in the tech sector as a whole. In our most recent research, we looked at which types of tech firms in creased their workforce diversity, by how much and for which groups of people. What we found surprised us. Our research used machine learning techniques and firm-level data on em ployment diversity for 6,163 tech firms employing 2,582,342 workers. We used a clustering algorithm to identify groups of firms with similar changes in diversi ty between 2008 and 2016. We focused in particular on profession al jobs—the programmers, engineers and designers who are the core source of innovation in the sector. We also looked at the managers and executives respon sible for human resource practices. We don’t identify specific firms because this data was originally collected by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Com mission, and our ability to analyze it re quires strict confidentiality. Diversity trajectories We found that 80 percent of firms dis played a pattern of very minimal in creases in diversity in their professional labor force, primarily driven by small in creases in the employment of Asian men and Asian women, with declines among non-Asian women and no change among other minority men. We also found that this widespread pattern reflects much slower movement toward employment diversity in this sector than in the rest of the U.S. labor force. Our findings for the remaining 20 percent of firms surprised us. We found some firms with rapid increases in di versity among professional jobs, and others where diversity declined substan tially. In about 10 percent of firms, we found rapid increases in the proportion of White male professionals, in most the percentage of women fell, but in some, mainly Asian men were displaced. This latter small group of firms also saw growth in all other groups, even Asian women. This pattern permitted White male dominance at the expense of Asian men while making room for all other groups.More hopefully, we observed a rapid growth in diversity of the technical la bor force in two types of firms. In both, the percentage of White men declined by about a quarter. In the larger of these two groups, about 7 percent of tech sec tor firms, White male professionals were primarily replaced with White and Asian women, although Hispanic and Black men and women saw gains as well. The second group of firms was smaller, rep resenting only 2 percent of tech firms. In these, White men were replaced by Asian men and Asian women, while all other groups declined as well. We found similar patterns at the man agerial and executive levels. Most firms showed little change, but there were small groups with rapid increases in di versity, and others with rapid decreases. White male executives declined across the sector by 5.9 percent, and we discov ered significant increases in the repre sentation of all other groups, even His panic women, in the top jobs. It appears that the most common tech response to the pressure to increase diversity was to move more women and minorities into executive positions. This pattern has been described in previous research as being primarily a defensive response to diversity demands rather than a com mitment to promoting employment di versity. When do firms become more inclu sive? We also wanted to figure out which types of firms showed a pattern of rapid ly increased diversity. Here we have two more hopeful findings. Firms where professional diversity was growing rapidly also tended to be among those with rapid overall employment growth. Diversity looks to be good for business—or perhaps innovative, wellrun businesses are better at hiring more diverse labor forces. We wondered whether increased diver sity among managers who do the hiring and executives who set the tone was asso ciated with having a rapidly diversifying professional labor force. Here we found that those firms with strong increases in managerial diversity also tended to embrace strong increases in profession al diversity. In contrast, strong increas es in executive diversity did not reliably raise the chances that a firm would have strong diversity growth among its core professional labor force. Window dressing or diversity now? It looks to us as though the recipe for increasing diversity in the tech sector is at least in part to increase diversity at the managerial level. It also looks like increased diversity is good for business, although it is also possible that wellrun firms hire more diverse labor forces. Unfortunately, this combination is not widespread. Dramatic improvements in employment diversity are confined to only 10 percent of firms. We believe that most of the technology industry is stuck in a low-inclusion rut, and a disturbing set of firms are moving backward. However, a handful of firms demonstrate that diversity is possible now. (Donald T. Tomaskovic-Devey is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Employ ment Equity, UMass Amherst and JooHee Han is Postdoctoral Fellow in Sociology, University of Oslo)(This article is republished from The Conversa tion under a Creative Commons license.)
www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers.at* WheredoIfindformstofileaMedicareappeal?Visitwww.medicare.gov/claims-appeals/how-do-i-file-an-appealformore.* HowcanIletsomeoneelsetalktoMedicareonmybehalf?Learnmoreatwww.medicare.gov/claims-appeals/file-an-appeal/can-someone-file-an-appeal-for-me.* WhatdoMedicarehealthandprescriptiondrugplanscostinmyarea,andwhatservicesdotheyoffer?Checkoutwww.medicare.gov/plan-compare.* Whichdoctors,healthcareproviders,andsuppliersparticipateinMedicare?Seewww.medicare.gov/forms-help-resources/find-compare-doctors-hospitals-other-providersfortheanswers.* WherecanIlearnmoreaboutaMedicareprescriptiondrugplan(PartD)andenroll?Visitwww.medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d/how-to-get-prescription-drug-coverage.* WherecanIfindaMedicareSupplementInsurance(Medigap)policyinmyarea?Findtheanswersatwww.medicare.gov/medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans.Pleasesharethesehelpfulresourceswithfriendsandfamilytoday.
(Josh Grant is Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh, Pa.)
The U.S.data.ranks lower than would be predicted in that report given its eco nomic standing, while the opposite is true in the case of Denmark, Canada, New Zealand and other welfare states.We’ve also found that when governments step up their spending on social programs and ad just tax burdens to make the rich shoulder more of the costs of running the government, economic in equality declines. At the same time, the happiness levels of low-income and high-income people become moreHighersimilar.social spending especially increases the happiness of women with small children and people who are cohabiting but unmarried. Other inter national research
BUSINESSB2 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
are very expensive for the entrepreneur. Having to pay the interest and late fees result in the entre preneur not being able to use those amounts to hire employees, make invest ments, or to take a salary. Another drawback of a credit card is that the available funds are too limited, as most entre preneurs will need much higher available funds to start a business, so the en trepreneur will still need to obtain bank loans or other types of funding. Therefore, for entrepre neurs who just need about $10,000 of cash and will be able to repay the $10,000 in a few months, the ben efits of using a credit card will probably outweigh the drawback of the high interest rates. For all other entrepre neurs, however, the draw backs of the high interest rates and limited funds will outweigh the bene fits so financing a start up with credit cards should be avoided. (Donald Williams is owner of Williams Accounting & Con sulting.)(Reprinted from the The Charlotte Post)
Credit card vs. loan
of Columbia now provide paid family leave for new parents.Inother words, most U.S. families are still being left behind. And without uni versal free pre-K or paid family leave, many parents are largely on their own in terms of finding and pay ing for private child care for young children. Paid family leave of at least a month can help par ents to develop more ful filling family relationships. For example, it can allow parents to spend more time reading and singing to their child, which bene fits cognitive development. The effects of paid leave on the relationship be tween parents depends on who is taking the leave. If only mothers take family leave, then gender inequal ity in housework increases.
Global perspectives Through our re search spanning 27 coun tries, we’ve found that par ents in wealthy countries with weak safety nets — such as the U.S.—tend to be less happy than their counterparts in coun tries like Denmark where the government provides everyone with more sup port.This is one reason Fin land, Norway and other na tions with strong welfare states consistently rank at the top of the World Happi ness Report, an annual as sessment based on Gallup World Poll
Paid family leave makes people happier, data shows
FROM B1 PAID FAMILY LEAVE FROM B1
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—This August, you can’t turn on a television or open a newspaper without reading or hearing about the teacher shortage. And it is clear that current shortages are being highly publicized and politicized, with reasons for shortages ranging from low pay to teacher burnout, to teacher dis satisfaction, to COVID, and the aging of the teacher workforce. Some teachers talk about classroom conditions, a decline in respect for teachers, or the challenges of deal ing with unruly students with little administrative support. Others are frustrated by the presence of so-called “law enforcement” officers in schools and the ways these officers treat Black and Brown students differently than others. A highly publicized incident in Montgomery County, Maryland, in volved police officers verbally berating and handcuffing a watch?v=C4Sb9dzro7U), old://www.youtube.com/5-year This inci dent is just one of the hundreds where out-of-control and egomaniacal police officers treat children as adults and administer punishment, not under standing. Teachers often feel helpless in these situations. Some use them as a catalyst to leave the classroom. The classroom has become increas ingly tense when legislators attempt to influence the curriculum. Some have banned the teaching of “critical race theory,” a legal concept rarely injected into k-12 education but feared by those who also fear the truth about the flawed foundations of our nation. Other states have forbidden teaching about race or concepts that make stu dents “uncomfortable.” In Colleyville, Texas, a Black principal of a majority White high school was forced to resign because of disputes about critical race theory. The school district preferred putting him on paid leave rather than dealing with the truth. If a principal can be forced to resign, what about a teacher? Many teachers feel they are walking on eggshells when teaching our nation’s true history. Education has become so politicized that some school boards ban books because the content is considered “objectionable” by some. According to PEN America, there were at least1560 book bans in 2021-2022. Many of these books featured characters who were people of color. The Washington Post reports that books were also re moved from libraries because they had LGBTQ themes or directly addressed race and racism. Who wants to teach in an environment taken over by con servative truth-deniers who don’t want to have students learn about enslave ment, the unequal treatment of wom en, or the invisibility of LGBTQ folks? Addressing these issues is not political; it’s factual, but the conservative pres ence on school boards has made the classroom increasingly uncomfortable for many teachers. This contributes to the teacher short age, which The Economist magazine describes as “neither new nor nation al.” Indeed, for the past several years, each fall has seen widely publicized scarcity in some areas. There has always been a shortage of teachers in inner-city schools, many forced to use substitute teachers when they can’t find permanent staff. This year, Texas has about a thousand vacancies. In Maryland, 5500 teachers left the profession. Nevada schools opened on August 8 short fourteen hundred teachers. The federal Department of Education has issued a fact mostmanyextremeissupportcludingresponsesfactsheets/teacher-shortage)(https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus/sheetdetailingtotheteachershortage,ininnovativewaystorecruitandteachers.AbsentfrommuchofthisdiscussiontheattackonBlackteachersandtheshortageofBlackteachersininnercityschooldistrictswherestudentsareAfricanAmerican. DataonthedifferentialdisciplineforBlackstudents,whichincludesdisproportionatesuspensionsandexpulsions,reflecttheculturalbiasesthattoomanyWhiteteachersbringtotheclassroom. TheeducationalachievementgapispartlyafunctionofhowacademichierarchiesdiscriminateagainstBlackstudentsandteachers.Inaddressingtheso-calledteachershortage,itisessentialtoconsiderthepurposeofeducationandthefactthattoooften,studentsarebeingtaughttogoalongwithastructurethatoppressesthem. Educationisoftenapoliticaltooltoforceassimilation. ConsiderhowIndianboardingschoolswereoftenviolentlyforcedtoabandontheirIndianandIndigenousidentitiestoaccesseducation.Thereisacrisisineducation,andtheteachershortageisonemanifestationofthemanywaysthatteachersandstudentsaredevaluedas“educators”pursueafalseanddegradingnarrative. Ifeducationweremorereflectiveofreality,peoplewouldflocktoclassroomsinsteadoffleeingfromthefrustrationofbeingforcedtoembraceacurriculumthatdistortsthetruth.
Mastriano exercises horrible judgment
Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, posed in a Confed erate uniform for a faculty photo at the Army War College, according to a photo obtained by Reuters last week. Reuters reported the photo was taken three years before Mastriano retired from the U.S. Army.Reuters said it was told that faculty at the time were given the option of dressing as a histori cal figure, and while a few did so, only Mastri ano is shown wearing a Confederate uniform. Mastriano has not commented on the photo but retweeted a comment by Jenna Ellis, a se nior legal adviser to his campaign, who said “Media MELT DOWN that Mastriano apparently once posed as a civil war historical figure for a photo. And? He has a Ph.D in HISTORY “The left wants to erase history. Doug Mas triano wants us to learn from it,” Ellis tweeted. The “erase history” remarks from the Mastri ano campaign are ironic. For more than a year conservatives have engaged in race-baiting accusations that Critical Race Theory is being taught in K-12 schools. If Mastriano wanted to pose as a historical figure, why would he choose to pose as a trai tor who fought to defend slavery? As someone with a doctorate, Mastriano should be aware that Confederate flags and statues are symbols representing the struggle to retain slavery. While Mastriano does not see an offense, the Army War College, not known for being woke, clearly sees the insensitivity of the photo.
A majority of Blacks are con sumed with discussing or talking about former President Donald Trump. They include too many of our church leaders (where the civil rights movement was born), “colored” elected officials who still have the mindset, “we be all right boss,” professional talk show call ers, the untold numbers of Blacks who just talk but fail to vote for anyone, and we must remember those who have access to those people with money who fund their programs. This is just a sampling of those who allow themselves to be played out of position.
OPINION Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Allison Palm Office Manager Ashley Johnson Sales Director Rob Taylor Jr. Managing Editor John. H. Sengstacke Editor & Publisher (1912-1997)Emeritus
Julianne Malveaux Commentary Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick To Tell The Truth
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 B3
(Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, au thor, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. Juiannemalveaux.com)
Too many of us are permitting ourselves to be played out of position
There exists almost complete silence about the oldest civil rights organization in Pittsburgh—the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP— being closed. Why? When is the last time a meeting was convened to remind ourselves and our youth that Barack Obama, a Black man, was president for two terms? That’s 8 years. We fail to discuss Rev. Jesse Jack son, who was the first Black man to run for President of the United States; he ran twice. Are our youth who currently duplicate what we did in the six ties knowledgeable about Medgar Evers, Stokely Carmichael, Nelson Mandela, and Congressman Rev. Adam Clayton Powell? Who has informed the unin formed in Pittsburgh that we have often been described as “Up South?” Why? Colored folks were treated identically as in the Deep South. We were denied jobs at ev ery level—police, firefighters, ele vator operators, and unions. Banks would not accept your money (if you had any to bank). We were de nied certain cars, mortgages, and access to Pittsburgh and Allegheny County-owned recreational facili ties.To those of you that are so con sumed with discussing an ex-Re publican president, why don’t you inform yourselves and others about the current condition of Black Americans locally? This is the year 2022. If not now, then when?
What’s going on now?
Guest Editorial
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. Commentary
The Army War College said in a statement that a team in 2020 had reviewed all art, text and images displayed at the Carlisle barracks for alignment with Army values and the college’s educational philosophies, but it missed the faculty photo, which “has since been removed because it does not meet AWC values.”
Mastriano came under fire earlier in the sum mer from critics for ties to a right-wing social media platform whose founder has said there is no room for Jews, atheists and others in the conservative movement. Mastriano paid Gab $5,000 in April for “ad vertising consulting,” state campaign finance recordsDemocratsshowed.and Republicans alike have criti cized Mastriano for his association with Gab, the social media platform on which a gunman who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018 posted his anti-Semitic rants. In response to the criticism, Mastriano re moved his profile from Gab, and released a statement distancing himself from the racist and bigoted statements of its users and found er.Mastriano, a Pennsylvania state senator, has also spread former president Donald Trump’s lies about widespread election fraud in the 2020 presidential election and was a leading proponent in Pennsylvania of Trump’s drive to overturn the results of a fair and democratic election. (Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)
The teacher shortage is a crisis
This is not the first time that Mastriano has shown seriously bad judgment.
(TriceEdneyWire.com)— Through out history, humankind has been blessed with prophets whose wis dom, insight, and predictions have provided others with a pathway to prosperity. Unfortunately, as often as not, humankind has foolishly rejected the wisdom of its prophets and has suffered regrettable conse quences.Onesuch prophet for our times was Marvin Gaye. I can say with abso lute authority that we should have listened in 1971 when he sang: Whoa oh, oh mercy, mercy me Oh, things ain’t what they used to be, no Wherenodid all the blue skies go? Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east Oh, mercy, mercy me Oh, things ain’t what they used to beWhat about this overcrowded land? How much more abuse from man can she Marvin’sstand?song was a call to action, especially for Black people. He understood that most Black people were forced to focus on the daily, im mediate challenges to survival more than predicted future environmental threats. But the future is now, and “responsible living” requires us to amplify our focus on the immediacy of environmental threats and what we must do to survive this new reality.Thecurrent flooding in Jackson, MS, serves to refocus our attention on environmental issues as we observe the unnecessary suffering of people who look and live like us. As described by Michael Gold berg of the Associated Press: The forecasted flooding in Mississippi could not have come at a worse time for Veronique Daniels, who became homeless three months ago and was sleeping on her mother’s back porch in Jackson…Daniels’ mother lives in Canton Club Circle, the same Jackson subdivision that flooded two years ago. Residents on Sunday were taking precautions as the previous flooding loomed large in their mem ories.There are absolutes to this discus sion:1. We need clean air to breathe. 2. We need clean water to drink. 3. We need uncontaminated food to4. Naturaleat. disasters, toxins, and contaminants are detrimental to good5. Racismhealth. is thoroughly enmeshed in discussions of environmental concern. Fewcan disregard the issue of rac ism in a discussion of the environ ment. In part, Wikipedia summariz es Environmental Racism as: There are four factors which lead to environmental racism: lack of affordable land, lack of political pow er, lack of mobility, and poverty… minority communities are left in the inner cities and in close proximity to polluted industrial zones. In these areas, unemployment is high and businesses are less likely to invest in area improvement, creating poor economic conditions for residents and reinforcing a social formation that reproduces racial inequality. Jackson, MS, New Orleans, LA, and Flint, MI, stand out as exam ples of this definition of Environ mental Racism. All have suffered life altering disasters of immense proportion. To varying degrees, each has fallen victim to recurring environmental disasters. They all reflect a benign neglect of interest in majority communities of color and poverty, and inaction in the resolu tion of long-standing environmental issues. According to census data, Jackson is 82.5 percent Black and 16.2 percent White; New Orleans is 59.2 percent Black and 33.4 percent White; Flint is 54 percent Black and 38.4 percent White. There are multiple factors creating their re spective problems, but the common link is their disparate demographic numbers.Jackson suffers from an aging water treatment facility and inad equate flood abatement infrastruc ture. New Orleans suffered from an aging and mechanically deficient levee/flood control system. Flint’s water problems are at least a cen tury old with a history of the Flint River being used as an unofficial waste disposal for industry, a recep tacle for raw sewage from the city’s waste treatment plant and rumored to have caught fire—twice. These problems require allocation and spending money. Sadly, the choice has been the tolerance of ac ceptable human collateral damage. (Dr. E. Faye Williams, President of the Dick Gregory Society, United Nations Peace Ambassador. President Emeritus of NCBW.)
It is important that I clarify to some of the readers the meaning of the headline of this column.
Founded 1910
Even the issue of her retirement itself is following a unique path. Her stunning performance this week at the U.S. Open —which she declared to be her last—has raised questions about her plans for the near future. “I’ve been pretty vague about it, right?” she told the New York Times. “I’m going to stay vague because you never know.” Like the legend whose name graces the stadium where Serena currently is de livering her captivating performance, Ar thur Ashe, Serena is a Black player in a sport that remains dominated by Whites more than half a century after Althea Gibson blazed a trail as the first African American player to compete in a U.S. na tional tennis competition. And like both Ashe and Gibson, racism has been as formidable a challenge as any opponent across the net. Fellow players, officials, and the media have openly mocked her muscular physique with racist and sexist taunts. She was tested for drugs twice as often as her peers. Serena has been fearless both in calling out and combating the racial barriers she has faced: after spectators subjected them to racist abuse at the Indian Wells Masters in 2001, both sisters boycotted the tournament for 14 years. Serena’s exuberant expressions of joy on the court and her adamant repudiation of slights fly in the face of the demure standards of decorum imposed on Black women in the public eye. She has called out racism off the court as well: her near-death experience after giving birth to her daughter in 2017—an experience she attributes to systemic racism in the health care system—shone a light on the alarming Black mater nal mortality rate. Black women are nearly three times as likely to die after childbirth than White women from pre ventableWhethercomplications. thisU.S.Open really is her last, Serena will remain an icon of Black excellence and #BlackGirlMagic. The Na tional Urban League congratulates her and wishes her all the best in the next phase of her inspirational career.
J. Pharoah Doss
A: The fear of lawsuits.
Marc H. Morial To Be Equal Serena’s G.O.A.T. status defined
Through legislation and the courts, any law can be changed at any given time—but changing laws doesn’t guarantee that a person’s heart will change with it. When the U.S. Supreme Court decided on the case of Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, it ruled in favor of maintaining separate areas for Blacks and Whites as long as they were equal. It was a landmark decision that opened the door to Jim Crow segregation laws throughout the South, and in many ways, it erased some of the positive advancements Blacks achieved during the Reconstruction Era. Even though the Supreme Court decision was a turning point giving states the legal permission to implement a “separate but equal” doctrine, the goal of the South was never about true equality or being equal. The objective was racial separation, racial superiority, and an “us against them” approach to deepen the division and increase the advantage. Jim Crow segregation laws existed for 58 years until the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Edu cation ruled that segregation violated rights granted by the Constitution. The court concluded that in the field of public education, the doctrine of “separate but equal” has no place. Though the case outlawed racial separation only in public schools, segregation of any kind was no longer considered lawful. Unfortunately, in the hearts of men and women, unwritten tradi tions have a way of overriding written laws. In too many cases, a person’s motivation comes from the “separate and unequal” traditions passed down from generation to generation. These traditions, as cruel as they may be at times, are in plain view today in Jackson,JacksonMississippi.isnotjustany city in the state of Mississip pi; it is the largest city in the state while also serving as the seat of state government. Despite these signif icant distinctions, Jackson finds itself in a political trap by being a blue city in a red state. In many ways, Jackson is no different from other Southern cities faced with court-ordered integration of the public schools along with its subsequent White flight. The population, which soared to over 200,000, has now dropped to approximately 150,000 after being in de cline for more than 40 years. When White residents decided to flee the city for neighboring suburbs, their love for the city of Jackson was left behind. Today, Jackson is not only a blue city, it is an 82 percent Black city with 25 percent of its residents living in poverty. The goal of racial separation was achieved, and along with the White flight, there was lasting damage to the city’s tax base. With the continuing loss of residents, home values plummeted, driving down tax revenues and requiring increases in tax rates.Businesses that could provide the city with a stable tax base also chose to follow residents in relocating to areas with lower tax rates, newer infrastructure, and whiter populations. Those who chose to neglect and ignore Jackson because of the red/blue, White/ Black, or the urban/rural divide may never realize that holding back and disinvesting in Jackson will also hold back the state. Mississippi’s rural lawmak ers in the Republican-dominated state legislature are following the long tradition of “separate and unequal” by intentionally failing to provide the ma jority-Democrat city with the adequate funding and resources needed to address its aging infrastructure. The practice of “separate and unequal” will cause one to watch the suffering and misery of people of col or without being moved by it. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Republican lawmakers have repeatedly killed efforts by the city to fund essential water treat ment upgrades adequately. State lawmakers previ ously denied allowing the city to raise infrastructure funds through a sales tax increase. A 2021 bill that would have authorized a bond issuance to assist Jackson with making repairs and improvements to water and sewer systems died in the Republican-con trolled state House Ways and Means committee. In 2021, when approximately 40,000 Jackson residents went weeks without running water, Reeves told city leaders that they needed to do a better job “collecting their water bill payments before they start going and asking everyone else to pony up more money.” While water is a basic necessity of life, to have it denied by allowing critical systems to deteriorate is cruel and inhumane. Last week, in part because of severe flooding, Jackson’s treatment plant ultimate ly failed, leaving thousands of city residents without water to drink, bathe, or even flush toilets. “Ideally, infrastructure serves as a shared foundation for eco nomic, environmental and public health between dif ferent neighborhoods and municipalities,” scholars at the Brookings Institute wrote in March 2021, after Jackson faced another severe water shortage. “However, infrastructure is often poorly main tained or intentionally overlooked in particular plac es, leading to a lack of access, affordability, and safety for many communities of color.” The $1.2 trillion in frastructure bill, signed into law by President Biden, was designed to rebuild dilapidated water and other essential systems throughout the nation. Like Flint, Michigan, the ongoing water crisis was ignored by a Republican-controlled state government that didn’t rightfully respond until circumstances reached the point of catastrophe. The residents of Flint and Jack son deserve much better. With the national spotlight now being placed on Jackson, Gov. Reeves stated, “But it is incredibly important that the city of Jack son improves, gets better, is safer for individuals to live there because as a state we need our capital city to thrive.” Let’s hope the governor’s words are sincere and backed by solid long-term actions where Repub lican state lawmakers can work together with local officials. Mainly for the sake of current Jackson resi dents who have suffered enough and for future gen erations who will look back at this moment and view it as a missed opportunity. (David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America. He can be reached at www.davidwmarshallauthor.com.)
Choice B: Eliminate the threat by banning corporal punishment. This created new problem Y: Working parents did not want their children suspended because they didn’t want to leave a suspended child unsupervised at home. Apparently, the absence of the school district’s “swift pun ishment” led to long-term effect Z: The gradual increase in behavioral problems throughout the school district. In the long run, Cassville School Dis trict traded off their fear of lawsuits for more disciplinary problems. Last year an anonymous survey re vealed that parents, students, and school staff were concerned about the break down in school discipline and Cassville School District reinstated corporal pun ishment after a two-decade ban. The new policy states that corporal punishment will be used as a last resort when other forms of discipline have failed, and it can only be administered with the superintendent’s permission. This time, problem A: Is that detention and suspension have failed to achieve the desired results and behavior problems in the school district have increased. Choice B: Reinstate corporal punishment. What about the fear of lawsuits? The new policy will let parents opt their child in or out of corporal punishment, i.e., the school district has parental per mission to strike certain children. One mother was on the fence after the reinstatement of corporal punishment. The mother said paddling worked for her when she was a “troublemaker” during her school years. Also, she said, “There are all different types of kids. Some need a good butt-whipping. I was one of them.” However, she did not opt-in her 6-year-old boy because he is autistic. The mother claimed her son would strike back if spanked.Notice,the mother supports corporal punishment but not for her own child. Which raises the question: How many parents supported the reinstatement of corporal punishment for the “bad chil dren” but knew all along they were going to opt their child out? One grandmother didn’t hesitate to op-in her 8-year-old granddaughter for corporal punishment. The grandmother explained the threat of being spanked was a deterrent for her granddaughter, who has attention/hyperactivity disorder. But the threat of spanking will not deter behavior caused by a disorder. If the school is aware of the disorder, that’s more of a reason for corporal punishment not to be used on that child. Here’s a disturbing fact, the latest statistics compiled by Missouri’s ACLU indicated that students with disabilities received corporal punishment at higher rates than children without disabilities. This time new problem Y: Is parental permission for corporal punishment to be administered on children who should au tomatically be excluded from it due to dis abilities. Besides, spanking can increase the risk of long-term effect Z: Aggression, hostility, and anti-social behavior, which can lead to depression and self-esteem problems.Cassville School District is willing to barter the long-term effect on disabled student’s self-esteem in order to gain back control of their classrooms. Making the economist’s point that there are no solutions; only tradeoffs.
Serena Williams announced her retire ment, pundits and sports commentators have enthusiastically engaged in the age-old game of debating her status of the Greatest Of All Time. Her statistics have been analyzed relentlessly and measured against her contemporaries alike. As the sport and its technology have evolved, different strengths and skills have become more relevant than others. With nearly three decades of dominance over her sport, the timespan of her career is unprecedented. Comparing and contrasting athletes of different eras is as much the American pastime as any particular sport. But for those of us firmly in the G.O.A.T. camp, her place in the pantheon – not just of tennis, but of professional sports as a whole—is defined by more than just her performance on the court. Like others who have claimed the status—in par ticular the first to claim it, Muhammad Ali—Serena has been a transformational player, upending the global image of what a woman tennis player looks like, how she trains and how she plays, how she dresses, and how she behaves.
We can ‘Make America Better’
(TriceEdneyWire.com)— “A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.” – Serena Williams Inthedays since tennis phenomenon
David W. Marshall Commentary Jesse Jackson Sr. Commentary
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Benefits of a long life include lived memory and per spective. Today, it is easy to despair about America—with its extreme inequality, its continuing racial divide, its fragile democracy,Itspartisan feuds, and the shaky state of an economy hammered by pandemic and catastrophic climate change. Yet it’s important to remember how far we have come, the progress that has been made, and the possibility of change that is the promise of America. “Make America Great Again” is a popular slogan—but it’s worth remembering that in some ways, America today is far greater than it was in the past. I can remember when African Ameri cans growing up in South Carolina could barely hope for change. Now, we can vote for change. Racial divides still exist, but we have achieved greater equality under the law today than we could hardly have imagined 70 years ago. America is still a work in progress, but progress has been made. Black soldiers coming out of World War II returned to a country that would not allow them to stay in a White hotel or to use a Whites-only restroom. Across the South, schools were legally segregated andBlacksunequal.andwomen couldn’t sit on juries. Blacks were systemically denied the right toToday,vote. African American mayors govern in cities across the South. Blacks, Latinos, women and Asian Americans are competing in and often winning elections. A Black man was elected president of the country with a majority of the votes —twice. Board rooms that once were all White and male now have opened the doors, at least a crack, to minorities and women. African American actors find roles in advertisements for general audi ences. The popular culture is far more in tegrated than most of our neighborhoods. This week we will celebrate Serena Williams as the greatest of all time—in tennis of all things. Dr. King’s “dream” became famous. We’re still dreaming today, with much to be done, but some of the dream has already come true. Progress is never easy and never unopposed. Every era of reform sparks a reaction. We see that now. When Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat from the South, championed the Voting Rights Act and the war on poverty, Republicans respond ed with their “Southern strategy,” ground ing the party in the South among Whites embittered by the change. Police brutality against Blacks—some of it caught on video for the first time—sparked the largest interracial protests across the country in our history. Now the reaction against Black Lives Matter and police reform is a central theme in our elections. Inequality has reached obscene extremes, yet Republican obstruction aided by a few corrupted Democrats blocked long overdue tax reforms. As the culture has become more enlightened, the reaction has become ever fiercer. Progress is not a guaranteed outcome. A right-wing majority on the Supreme Court overturns settled law and precedent to rule that abortion is un constitutional. Justice Clarence Thomas argues that contraception, and the right to love the one you choose are similarly at risk. Conservative justices have opened the floodgates to dark money in our elections. They’ve invented gun rights that would have astounded the Founders. They’ve gutted the Voting Rights Act and are targeting affirmative action. In the end, however, democracy empow ers the people to decide. Even a reaction ary majority in the Supreme Court can be overruled. When the people in the red state of Kansas voted overwhelmingly to protect the right to abortion, they sparked a response that is spreading across the country. Now our democracy itself has come under attack. Yet it is worth noting that when Donald Trump sought to overturn the results of a presidential election, public officials at the state level—almost all of them Republican ironically—and public officials in the Justice Department and the White House, including the vice president, again all loyal Republicans — stood firm on respecting the people’s choice.Wehave every reason to be frustrated and enraged by the inequities and the injustices of today’s America. Sometimes it seems that those who want to take us backward are on the march, and those who want to make a more perfect union are in retreat. Yet, look back at the past decades, we’ve come a long way—despite the setbacks, the rancor, new unmet challenges. Despair may be fashionable, but hope is rational. And with hope, commitment and energy, we can continue to “Make America Better.”
ItCheckOut
FORUM
B4 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
There are no solutions; only tradeoffsA Blue city in a Red state
Economists always say: There are no solutions, only tradeoffs. What does that mean? Problem A has temporary fix B or C, but B creates new problem Y and C creates long-term effect Z In the long run, the choice between B or C ends up a tradeoff between problem A and new problem Y or long-term effect Z When decision makers are too busy debating the merits of B over C, and the tradeoffs aren’t factored into the equa tion, the merits of B or C are mistakenly referred to as solutions. In 1977 the Supreme Court decided cor poral punishment was constitutional but left its application or abolishment up to the states, and the states left the matter up to each school district. At the turn of the century, the United Nations began an in-depth internation al study on violence against children, and an organization called “Global Initiative To End All Corporal Punish ment Of Children” was formed to end the practice world-wide. There were 19 states in America that allowed corporal punishment, and these states followed the global trend and studied whether the practice should be abolished. Their studies concluded paddling was a “swift punishment”, but it didn’t get to the root of the problem. Plus, the threat of law suits made school administrators seek alternative measures. Cassville School District in Missouri decided to banned corporal punishment in 2001. Let’s examine that decision throughProblemtradeoffs.
Effective Monday, September 12, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. until Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 11:59 p.m., the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) will be accepting pre-applications online ONLY for the following Project Based Voucher Site Based Communities:
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BIDWELL TRAINING CENTER Provides high level operational and administrative support with minimal supervision. Serves as a point of contact for internal and external constituencies on matters pertaining to school operations. Associate degree preferred, high school diploma or G.E.D. required. Minimum 5 years high-level administrative experience, preferably in an academic or nonprofit setting. Advanced or expert proficiency with Microsoft Office applications required. Send Resume with cover letter and salary requirements Federatedhr@manchesterbidwell.orgtoEOEADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANTHermes
Contract Compliance Specialist
PUBLIC NOTICE OPENING OF WAITING LISTS
COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EQUITY AND DepartmentINCLUSIONOverview: The Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (MWDBE) Program provides maximum opportunities for Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged business enterprises (MBEs, WBEs and DBEs) to participate in county contracts. The department certifies business enterpris es as disadvantaged (per Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 49: Parts 23 & 26) and provide services and resources to help them grow their business.
PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY ADVERTISEMENT Separate sealed Bids for the Work as listed hereinafter will be received at the Purchasing and Materials Management Department of Port Authority of Allegheny County (Authority) Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222-2527 until 1:30 p.m. on Monday October 17, 2022 (Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location - all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals) and will be opened and read at 2:00 pm via teleconference at: (toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 and conference ID #4485786). Each Bidder shall be solely responsible for assuring that its Bid is both received and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department at or before the advertised time for submission of Bids. Bidders submitting bids via FedEx, UPS, USPS, or other carrier must immediately provide tracking information to the assigned contract specialist via e-mail. Upon delivery, bidder will notify the assigned contract specialist with an e-mailed receipt. Bids received or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the adver tised time for the submission of Bids shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for Award.
CLASSIFIED SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 www.newpittsburghcourier.com New Pittsburgh Courier 4 6 9 0 2 5 3 6 SONNY BOY 1 B5 JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted NEW COURIERPITTSBURGHCLASSIFIEDSGETRESULTS! NEW COURIERPITTSBURGHCLASSIFIEDSGETRESULTS! JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted GETCLASSIFIEDSPITTSBURGHNEWCOURIERRESULTS! LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals ANNOUNCEMENTS Public Notice CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!
seeks Global Support Head (Multiple Openings) in Pittsburgh, PA to manage & oversee comp sys solutions that address scientific data processing needs of pharma/biotech clients. Send resumes to: Carnegiecareers@caliberuniversal.com.MellonUniversity
• The Carina - (1, 2 and 3 bedroom units only) - 327 N. Negley Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206.
Residency: Must become a resident of Allegheny County within one (1) year of appointment.
SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking an ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER Deadline 4:00 PM, September 14, 2022 Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: STATIONARYwww.southfayette.orgENGINEER
Please see career page for further information and eligibility requirements at: Caliberwww.alleghenycounty.us/careersInfosolutionsInc.
All other questions relating to the Bid Documents must be submitted by mail or email to: Port Authority of Allegheny County Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 Attn: Cindy Denner (412) cdenner@portauthority.org566-5117
reserves the right to reject any or all Bids LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh. Read us online! www.newpittsburghcourier.comat... GETCLASSIFIEDSCOURIERRESULTS! To place a display ad in the NewCourierPittsburgh call 412-481-8302ext.128 Housing Authority City of Pittsburgh
seeks Robotics Engineer in Pittsburgh, PA for state-of-the-art R&D work in support of development of novel robotic systems & technologies. Apply online at Hilltophttps://www.cmu.edu/jobs/Alliance
Veterans’ Preference: Will be awarded to eligible candidates. Applicants must possess and maintain a valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License throughout employment.
LYNN ANN LABUN, deceased, of Aspinwall, PA. No. 05419 of 2022, Allegheny County. Lance C. Labun, Extr, 1342 E. Louis Way, Tempe, AZ 85284 or to Judith A. Lehnowsky, Esq., 102 Penbryn Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
The Bidder ’s attention is directed to the following contacts for Bidder’s questions: Procedural Questions Regarding Bidding: Cindy Denner - Authority (412) cdenner@portauthority.org566-5117
Authority
Office Clerk Greeting clients; Answers the telephone, responds to inquiries, or routes phone calls and takes messages for office staff; Operates office machines such as photocopies and scanners; Performs data entry; Scans documents into document control system; Completes other administrative tasks as necessary. Must be proficient in Microsoft Windows and Office Suite.
• New Granada Square Apartments - (1 and 2 bedroom units only) –2033 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, PA •15219.
Estate of BENJAMIN R. SINCILINE A/K/A BENJAMIN RAYMOND SINCILINE. of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, No. 5184 of 2022, Brian D. Sin ciline, Adm.,To Jennifer Roller Chontos, Chon tos & Chontos, P.C., 561 Beulah Road, Tur tle Creek, PA 15145 In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny, Orphan’s Court Division, Estate of WILLIAM O. GIST deceased, Case No. 4993 of 2022: Notice is hereby given that on August 1, 2022 a Petition was filed by Debra L. Gist to terminate the interests of the heirs and devisees of William O. Gist in the real estate located at 2450 North Charles Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15214and determine that fee simple title is vested in Debra L. Gist. Attorney Peter B. Lewis, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, (412) 586-6153. In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny, Orphan’s Court Division, Estate of LUCILLE ROBINSON deceased, Case No. 5990 of 2017: Notice is hereby given that on August 1, 2022 a Petition was filed by Peggie P. Smith to terminate the interests of the heirs and devisees of Lucille Robinson in the real estate located at 5442 Rosetta Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 and determine that fee simple title is vested in Peggie P. Smith. Attorney Peter B. Lewis, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, (412) 586-6153.
Estate of MS. SARAH DAWSON ZOLFAGHARI, Deceased, of 2410 Stratford Avenue, Apt. #1, Coraopolis, PA 15108. Estate No. 02-22-05352, Mr. Farzan Zolfaghari, Administrator, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 MS. JANET E. KLAGES, Deceased, of 1516 Vance Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108. Estate No. 02-21-03184 , Mr. John C. Schwartz, Executor, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108
In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny, Orphan’s Court Division, Estate of Doris Louise Worthy, deceased, Case No. 4994 of 2022: Notice is hereby given that on August 1, 2022 a Petition was filed by Michelle R. Worthy to terminate the interests of the heirs and devisees of Lucille Robinson in the real estate located at 1311 Grotto Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206and determine that fee simple title is vested in Michelle R. Worthy . Attorney Peter B. Lewis, 928 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, (412) 586-6153.
seeks Construction & Redevelopment Manager in Pittsburgh, PA, for facilitating redevel strategy, acquisition, predevel & execution of renovation & new construction projects. Send resumes to: bill@pghhilltopalliance.org.
Skyline Terrace - (2, 3 and 4 bedroom units only) – 385 Elmore St., Pittsburgh, PA Not15219.allhouseholds will be eligible for the specific bedroom size units listed for each of the communities, as the age, gender and relationships of household members affect the number of bedrooms for which a household is eligible. Income and eligibility restrictions of the Housing Choice Voucher Program apply. Pre-applications for the above communities will be accepted online ONLY at www.hacp.org and can be submitted from any computer, laptop or smartphone with internet access. No pre-applications will be accepted before 8:00 a.m., Monday, September 12, 2022, or after 11:59 p.m., Thursday, September 22, 2022. Printed pre-applications will not be available at any of the HACP properties or offices. Position on the waiting list/s will be determined based upon date and time the completed pre-application/s is/are accepted by the on-line system. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations to submit a pre-application can contact the HACP’s Disability Compliance Office at 412-456-5282. For those that are deaf or hard of hearing, you can also contact HACP at TDD: 412-201-5384. Additional information is available by contacting the HACP Occupancy Department at 412-456-5030 or by visiting our website at www.hacp.org. This event is for Project Based Vouchers for Harvard Beatty Housing, The Carina, New Granada Square Apartments and Skyline Terrace ONLY and is completely separate from the HACP Housing Choice Voucher and Low Income Public Housing Programs.
BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT) DOWNTOWN LOOP CONTRACT NO. BRT-002
LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
• Harvard Beatty Housing - (1 and 2 bedroom units only) - Corner of Harvard St. & Beatty St., Pittsburgh, PA 15206.
The Work of this Project includes, but is not limited to, the furnishing of all labor, materials, tools, equipment, and incidentals necessary for the construction of the Downtown portion of the Downtown-Uptown-Oakland Bus Rapid Transit project. The Work includes, but is not limited to, demolition; reconstruction/ resurfacing of roadways; traffic signals; utility coordination, drainage and waterline removal, relocations, support, and replacement; maintenance and protection of traffic; BRT station construction, BRT systems installation, testing and commissioning; roadway lighting; pedestrian facilities; pavement markings; noise and vibration controls; and control center upgrades. Bid Documents will be available for public inspection and may be obtained on or after Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at Authority’s offices at the following address (If you are picking up bid documents, please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location - all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals): Port Authority of Allegheny County Purchasing and Materials Management Department Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527
Bid Documents are available for purchase as follows: Bid Documents are available in an electronic form on memory stick upon payment of ($15) per memory stick. Payment shall be by check or money order (NO CASH) payable to “Port Authority of Allegheny County.” No refunds of payment will be made. Upon request, Bid Documents can be mailed upon receipt of payment in full. Should the purchaser wish to have the Bid Documents delivered via special delivery, such as UPS or Federal Express, the purchaser shall provide its appropriate account numbers for such special delivery methods. This Project is subject to financial assistance contracts between Authority and County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Authority, in compliance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, as amended, 74 Pa. C.S. § 303, as may be amended, implements positive affirmative action procedures to ensure that all Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“DBEs”) and certified Diverse Businesses (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts financed, in whole or in part, with federal and state funds provided for this Project. In this regard, all Bidders shall take all necessary and reasonable steps, and make good faith efforts, in accordance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, to ensure that DBE’s, and in accordance with 74 Pa. C.S. § 300, to insure that DBs, have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts. Bidders shall also not dis criminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of DOT-assisted contracts. It is a condition of this Contract that all Bidders shall follow the DBE and DB required procedures as set forth in the Bid Documents. If aid is required to involve DBEs and DBs in the Work, Bidders are to contact Authority’s DBE Representative, Susanna Broadus at (412) 566-5257.
, headquartered in downtown Pittsburgh, is seeking an Administrative Assistant Responsibilities include entering information, maintaining our CRM database, supporting Corporate Sales, and providing call center support. Collaborative environment with hybrid work schedule. Apply at com/corporate/careers.dohttps://www.federatedinvestors.
Certification Analyst Performs analysis and investigative work in the certification process. This includes the desk and field audits that verify businesses meet the criteria set forth in the certification process regulations; Creates certification reports; Uses due diligence to make certification recommendations; Reviews business documentation and performs size analysis for continued certification eligibility; Attends and hosts meetings, workshops, counseling sessions and outreach events; Performs other duties as necessary.
The Contract Compliance Specialist will monitor contracts to ensure that MWDBEs are provided the maximum opportunity to obtain and perform on county contracts while in compliance with Allegheny County’s goals. The specialist will also provide outreach and technical assistance to the business community. In addition, the Contract Compliance Specialist will review and vet prime contractors’ MWDBE inclusion plans for various types of contracts (i.e., construction, services, supplies, etc.) . The specialist will monitor MWDBE commitments and utilization through contract completion, address, and monitor MWDBE concerns and assist in conflict resolution if necessary.
In addition, the Bidder’s attention is directed to the following schedule of activities for preparation of its Bid: 9:00 am Pre-Bid Conference (MANDATORY) Friday, September 16, 2022 will be conducted via teleconference at: (Toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 Conference ID #4485786). (Attendance is mandatory)
at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. See full job description and application information at https://cathedralofhope.org/careers/.
1:30 p.m. Bids Due October 17, 2022 Purchasing and Materials Management Department Bids submitted via Fed Ex, UPS, USPS or other carrier are subject to the notification requirements indicated above. Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at the Heinz 57 location - all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals.
2:00 p.m. Bid Opening will be conducted @ 2:00 pm October 17, 2022 via teleconference at: (Toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 Conference ID #4485786).
using keywordALLEGHENY8398
Estate of DOUGLAS ALAN DAVIS, Deceased, of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Estate No. 02-22-05037 , Diane Carl, Administrator, 6904 Country Lakes Circle, Sarasota, FL 34243 or to EMILY H. HAMMEL, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017
A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on September 8, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom JLQWlYNTR2bTQvaWNPbX/83923100408?pwd=NklIZXhttps://us06web.zoom.us/jMeetingkvZz09MeetingID:83923100408Passcode:064750+13017158592US(WashingtonD.C)
The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) is accepting Letters of Statements of Qualifications from Professional Companies who wish to be considered for the following: INSURANCE BROKER SERVICES Five (5) hard copies of Submittals and one electronic copy (on a USB) are required. Submittals must be received no later than 2:00 PM on October 27, 2022, at the ALCOSAN Procurement Department office. Allegheny County Sanitary Authority 3300 Preble Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15233 Attention: Suzanne Thomas, Procurement Officer
RFQ/RFI).aspx.-Business/Solicitations-(RFP/-Services/Resources/Doingwww.alleghenycounty.us/HumanErinDaltonDirector America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 134 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com precedingDeadline/Closing/CancellationScheduleforcopy,corrections,andcancellations:FridaynoonWednesdaypublication COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS! CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS! CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!
Due Date: 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 30. For more details and submission information, visit: aspx.Solicitations-(RFP/RFQ/RFI).Services/Resources/Doing-Business/www.alleghenycounty.us/Human-ErinDaltonDirector
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Programs to Reduce Unsheltered Homelessness and Enhance Services and Outcomes for People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness.
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.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
CLASSIFIEDSB6 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SONNY BOY COURIER CLASSIFIEDS…THE ONLY WAY TO GO! America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 134 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com precedingDeadline/Closing/CancellationScheduleforcopy,corrections,andcancellations:FridaynoonWednesdaypublication CLASSIFIEDS…COURIERTHEONLYWAYTOGO! LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 134 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com precedingDeadline/Closing/CancellationScheduleforcopy,corrections,andcancellations:FridaynoonWednesdaypublication LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!COURIER CLASSIFIEDS REQUEST FOR SANITARYALLEGHENYQUALIFICATIONSCOUNTYAUTHORITYPUBLICNOTICE
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Fire Pump Testing and Repacking Authority Wide IFB#300-15-22-REBIDRebid
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Meals and Nutrition Services for Older Adults Due Date: 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 26. For more details and submission information, visit:
hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
HACP has revised their website.
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
This Advertisement applies to the following Bid Package: Project: David L. Lawrence Convention Center Bid Package Name: Loading Dock Expansion Joint Replacements Bid Package Available: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 Approximate Value: $99,000 Time/Date/Location for Pre-Bid Meeting: 10:00 AM, 1000ConventionDavidSeptemberFriday,9,2022L.LawrenceCenterFt.Duquesne Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15222
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR FIRE PUMP TESTING AND REPACKING AUTHORITY WIDE IFB#300-15-22-REBIDREBID
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.
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.
A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on September 8, 2022 at 9:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom HSWF2ejAxQlpzOHFmUlpXZz09/87697947448?pwd=NkFLbDhhttps://us06web.zoom.us/jMeetingMeetingID:87697947448Passcode:968739+13017158592US(WashingtonD.C)
All questions shall be submitted, in writing, to Ms. Thomas ALCOSANsuzanne.thomas@alcosan.orgat is seeking experienced insurance brokers to provide the Authority with a comprehensive insurance program specifically tailored to its needs. This procurement is described in greater detail in the RFQ located at ALCOSANwith-us/planned-and-active-bids.https://www.alcosan.org/workintends to award the services to multiple firms to perform these services. All submittals must be received no later than 2:00 p.m. October 27, 2022. It is Consultant’s responsibility to ensure the documents have been received. Late submittals will not be considered. Additional information and instructions may be obtained by visiting the ALCOSAN website. ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities, disadvantaged and women’s business enterprises to submit qualification statements or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to the selected Consultant/Firm. The Party selected shall be required to utilize minority, disadvantaged, and women’s business enterprises to the fullest extent possible. The goals of the ALCOSAN’s Minority and Women Business Policy are listed on the ALCOSAN website at www.alcosan.org.KarenFantoni, CPA, CGMA Director of Finance
Payroll and HR Management Software
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs documentation.CasterD.Binion,ExecutiveDirectorHousingAuthorityoftheCityofPittsburgh
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF ofTheMANAGEMENTPROPOSALREQUESTPITTSBURGHFOR(RFP)FORPAYROLLANDHRSOFTWARERFP#650-14-22HousingAuthorityoftheCityPittsburgh(HACP)
The Sports & Exhibition Authority will receive sealed bids for Loading Dock Expansion Joint Replacements as identified below for the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The contract for this work will be with the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Inquiries regarding the bidding should be made to Spencer Girman - E-mail: sgirman@pittsburghcc.com, Telephone: 412-325-6137. Bid Packages may be obtained after the date identified below through Accu-Copy at (724) 935-7055 . Additional information on the project can also be found of Accu-Copy’s website at https://accu-copy.com/plan-room
Time/Date/Location for Bid: 2:00 PM, Pittsburgh,1000ConventionDavidSeptemberThursday,22,2022L.LawrenceCenterFt.DuquesneBlvdPA15222
OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF ADVERTISEMENTPITTSBURGHFOR BIDS Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on September 13, 2022, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for: Service & Maintenance Contracts at Various Schools, Facilities and Properties: - Chillers and Refrigeration Systems Service, Maintenance and Repairs - Concrete Maintenance - Extraordinary General Maintenance and Repairs - Extraordinary Masonry Maintenance and Repairs - Extraordinary Electrical Service, Maintenance and Repairs - Extraordinary Roofing Maintenance and Repairs - Fire Extinguisher and Fire Hoses Service and Maintenance - Gas and Oil Burners, Boilers and Furnaces Inspection, Service, and -RepairsIntegrated Access Control, Intrusion Detection, and CCTV Surveillance Systems Service, Maintenance, Repairs, and Programming - Plumbing Maintenance and Repairs - Vertical Transportation Systems Preventative Maintenance and Service Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on August 22, 2022, at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
The documents will be available no later than August 29, 2022 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 AM on September 20, 2022 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 AM on September 20, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. 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 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA Parties15219. 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. James Harris Housing Authority of the City of ProcurementPittsburghDepartment100RossStreet2ndFloor,Suite200Pittsburgh,PA15219412-643-2915
The documents will be available no later than August 29, 2022 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 9:00 A.M. on September 20, 2022. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on September 20, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Proposals may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org. Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Mr. James Harris Housing Authority of the City of 2ndProcurementPittsburghDepartment100RossStreetFloor,Suite200Pittsburgh,PA15219412-643-2915
The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA) and the Stadium Authority of Pittsburgh (SA) will receive sealed bids for Gold 1 Garage (G1G), West General Robinson Street Garage (WGRSG), North Shore Garage (NSG) and Tribute to Children (TTC) 2022 Concrete and Joint Repairs (trade package) as identified below. The contract for this work will be with the SA for G1G and WGRSG and with the SA for the NSG and TTC.. Inquiries regarding the bidding should be made to the SEA, 171 10th Street, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Attention: Bill Williams - E-mail: bwilliams@pghsea.com. Bid Packages may be obtained after the date identified below through Accu-Copy at 724935-7055.This Advertisement applies to the following Bid Package: Project: G1G, WGRSG, NSG and TTC Bid Package Name: 2022 Concrete and Joint Repairs Bid Package Available: August 30, 2022 Approximate Value: $300,000 Time/Date/Location for Pre-Bid Meeting: 1:00pm, Thursday Sept 8, 2022 Tribute to Children (across from Acrisure Stadium) North Shore Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Time/Date/Location for Bid: 2:00pm, Wednesday, Sept 21, 2022 Sports & Exhibition Authority 171 10th Pittsburgh,StreetPA15222
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Interest and
As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs thedocumentationCasterD.Binion,ExecutiveDirectorHousingAuthorityofCityofPittsburgh
A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on September 15, 2022 at 9:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom 89775619263?pwd=WGJqWhttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/MeetingW54MnJmZHdXMFkwbFRxViszUT09MeetingID:89775619263Passcode:780879+13017158592US(WashingtonD.C)
To join by Microsoft Team video conference: https://bit.ly/3QrWA6W
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR MEDICAL AND RX INSURANCE FOR HACPRFP#650-19-22EMPLOYEES
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Medical and Rx Insurance for HACP Employees The documents will be available no later than September 6, 2022 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 10:00 A.M. on September 27, 2022. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 AM on September 27, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Proposals may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA Parties15219. 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. James Harris Housing Authority of the City of ProcurementPittsburghDepartment 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on September 15, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom FYS3p5MFlIc3lWK1lIdWZHdz09j/85945308421?pwd=dTNHYmhttps://us06web.zoom.us/MeetingMeetingID:85945308421Passcode:527409+13017158592US(WashingtonD.C)
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.
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR VISION INSURANCE FOR HACP RFP#650-20-22EMPLOYEES
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Vision Insurance for HACP Employees The documents will be available no later than September 6, 2022 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 11:00 A.M. on September 27, 2022. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 11:00 AM on September 27, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Proposals may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org. Questions or inquiries should be di rected to: Mr. James Harris Housing Authority of the City of ProcurementPittsburghDepartment 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on September 15, 2022 at 11:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom
j/82319507697?pwd=elRrcGQhttps://us06web.zoom.us/Meeting4YmpscmdDdFQwQklnK2RMQT09MeetingID:82319507697Passcode:825587+13017158592US(WashingtonD.C)
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. To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier 412-481-8302call ext. 128 Subscribe to the Courier today by 412-481-8302,calling ext. 136 Support the publication that is ALWAYS focused on Pittsburgh’s African American community. THE COURIER ISN’T JUST A NEWSPAPER. IT’S BLACK HISTORY.
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages cer tified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPstheHousingExecutiveCasterdocumentation.D.Binion,DirectorAuthorityofCityofPittsburgh
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.
PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY D/B/A/ PITTSBURGH REGIONAL TRANSIT (PRT) Electronic Proposals will be received online at the Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a/ Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)
To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: 412-927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) Conference ID: 368 000 514# Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by Pittsburgh Regional Transit 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/ Pittsburgh Regional Transit (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. Pittsburgh Regional Transit (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 Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a/ Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR DENTAL INSURANCE FOR HACP EMPLOYEES
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Dental Insurance for HACP Employees The documents will be available no later than September 6, 2022 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 9:00 A.M. on September 27, 2022. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on September 27, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Proposals may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA Parties15219. 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. James Harris Housing Authority of the City of ProcurementPittsburghDepartment 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832
CLASSIFIEDSNEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 B7 COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS! LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 AM on September 14, 2022 and will be read at 11:15 AM., the same day, at Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Heinz location (345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527) as well as through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)website Bid Number Bid Name 1 B220864 Cisco WIFI and Switch Equipment 2 B220866A Brake Drums - Coach 3 B220867A Nitrile Gloves 4 B220868A Environmental Sampling, Testing and Reporting 5 B220869A Magnetic Track Brake Suspension Replacement Parts 6 B220870A Trash Removal & Landscaping - Park & Ride Lots 7 B220871 Highspeed Digital Copier Replacement
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs thedocumentation.CasterD.Binion,ExecutiveDirectorHousingAuthorityofCityofPittsburgh
RFP# 650-18-22
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs thedocumentation.CasterD.Binion,ExecutiveDirectorHousingAuthorityofCityofPittsburgh
To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: • 412-927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) • Conference ID: 899 970 403# No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held via tele-conference on each of the above items at 10:00 am August 31, 2022, as well as through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conference. To join by Microsoft Team video conference: https://bit.ly/3QtTKhD
B8 SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
