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MARCH 18-24, 2020

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GOING OUT ON TOP

8 of 12 homicides Black lives

Tim Tyree’s Vincentian Academy basketball team wins WPIAL title, two days after learning school would close for good

Five homicides in February were Black

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Vincentian Academy High School junior Angelo Reeves had no choice but to “trust the process.”

The basketball player would be in practice multiple times per week, and boy, those practices, especially when head coach Tim Tyree is at the helm, are tough.

“It’s a little hard; sometimes you wanted to give up,” Reeves said. “But I stuck with it, and as it turned out, we won a championship.”

Most are aware by now that the administration at

Vincentian Academy has decided to close the school for good at the end of this school year, due to financial problems. The news broke just a few days before Vincentian’s boys basketball team was due to play in the WPIAL 1A Championship game against Cornell, the team representing Coraopolis.

“To wake up on Tuesday (Feb. 25), and you’re gameplanning…and then…they (the players) texted me, and I didn’t believe them,” Tyree said about news of the school, located in the North Hills, closing. “Then they showed me and I was

RITA CANTON, principal of Vincentian Academy, congratulates head coach Tim Tyree after winning the WPIAL Class 1A title, Feb. 27.

still in disbelief. I probably won’t really believe it until the doors are locked and the key doesn’t work anymore.”

“I just took it as motivation,” Reeves added, “so we could go out with a bigger bang.”

R e e v e s, the 6-foot6 forward, grabbed 17 rebounds, scored 12 points, and the Vincentian Royals dominated on Thursday, Feb. 27, in the championship game over Cornell, 63-51, in a game played at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center.

With the win, Tyree joined Pittsburgh Obama Academy head coach Devas Simmons as the local Black head coaches SEE VINCENTIAN A3

After three homicides in Allegheny County in January, the homicides spiked to nine in the month of February, the month with the fewest days. It’s very unfortunate that the homicides have failed to stop, and as you’re reading this, there are homicides still occurring. Still, we at the New Pittsburgh Courier will countinue to denounce this type of violence.

FEB. 3—Cindy Woods, a 58-year-old White female from

TIM TYREE, head coach of the Vincentian boys basketball team, who won the WPIAL Class 1A Championship, Feb. 27. It was Tyree’s second WPIAL championship as a head coach. (Photos by William McBride)

Hays, was killed in an apparent murder-suicide by her son, Douglas Woods, 41, of West Mifflin.

Police found the pair inside a duplex on Baldwin Road. Both died of gunshot wounds.

FEB. 3—Kevin Hall, a 23-year-old Black male, was shot and killed while walking with a 5-year-old relative on Winston Street in Wilkinsburg. The incident happened around 1 p.m. near the intersection of Winston SEE HOMICIDES A2

HONORING YOUTH WHO ARE STAYING ON THE RIGHT PATH The HOPE Awards honors many North Side youth

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Countless studies have shown that youth, in the long run, are better served when offered a “second chance,” so to speak, after committing a non-violent, low-level offense, rather than being sent to a jail or detention center via a conviction or prosecution.

Pittsburgh’s North Side

is the home of the Foundation of HOPE, and its “HOPE Diversion Program,” which provides local youth that second chance.

Jeff Williams, the diversion program’s director, told the New Pittsburgh Courier that the program is best described as a “pre-arrest/pre-booking initiative,” which gives young people, most of whom are African American and from

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the North Side, “the opportunity to remain in the community while addressing their most immediate needs. The program serves as an alternative to being formally charged with a delinquent offense,” he said in an exclusive interview, March 13.

On Feb. 6, 21 youth were recognized and honored for “doing the right thing after being given a second chance,” Williams said, at an event tapped “The HOPE Awards,” at Alloy 26 inside Nova Place. The 2020 edition was the second of its kind.

SEE HOPE AWARDS A4

DIONA HAWK, EDLISHA HOWARD AND HEAVEN PORCH, three of the 21 youth honored at the second HOPE Awards, Feb. 6, on the North Side. (Photo by Gail Manker)

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MARCH 18-24, 2020

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Pittsburgh Public Schools under emergency response plan Coronavirus has schools closed until at least March 27 Following the sudden closure of all schools across the Commonwealth, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Hamlet, Ed.D., swiftly activated the District’s Comprehensive Emergency Response Plan.

In this press release sent to the Courier, the plan details operation protocols for the District’s nearly 4,200 employees and 23,000 students during the unprecedented 10-day closure of 54 schools, eight early childhood education centers and three center programs. The Courier has learned that schools in Pittsburgh and the state of Pennsylvania could be ordered to remain closed for a period longer than March 27.

Superintendent Anthony Hamlet is visiting locations across the District to assess the state of operations and inform further action.

“As a large urban district, we have to be prepared for any public safety crisis. Fortunately, significant planning has been underway in anticipation of the need to close schools to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Hamlet in this press release. “As an educational institution, we are compelled to balance the need to act in an abundance of caution to ensure student and staff safety with meeting the needs of our staff and students, especially those students who are most vulnerable.”

From securing meal service for students to ensuring financial security for staff and their families the Dis-

trict has put the following customers would receive operation protocols in place. services free for 60 days.

Student Meals Student Medication Grab and Go meals will Parents were able to pick be available at all 54 school up their child’s medicalocations, as well as the tion from the school nurse District’s two alternative on March 16-17. After schools (Clayton Academy March 17, prescription pick and Student Achievement up will not be available until Center) and stand-alone schools reopen.

Early Childhood Education Staff Access to Closed Centers (Chartiers, Crescent Facilities and Spring Garden). Meals While schools and facilities will be distributed between are closed, there remains 11 am to 1 p.m. Monday a need to prepare school through Friday until March buildings for reopening, con20. Students do not have to tinue communications, orgo to their current school der supplies and food, mainThe New Pittsburgh Courier has static machine this week. As an addand can grab a meal at the tain financial operations, learned late Tuesday afternoon, ed precaution, Grab and Go lunches school located closest to pay employees, make and March 17, that the Pittsburgh Pub- will cease at each location. Grab and their home. Deliveries of distribute student meals lic Schools District was alerted of a Go meal service for students who refood to the East Hills Com- and provide a level of securelative of students who attend Pitts- side in Brookline will be relocated munity Center, Northview rity. Essential Central Office burgh Brookline that reportedly test- to the Tree of Life Church, located Heights Recreation Center personnel have been identied positive for COVID-19. at 1036 Brookline Boulevard, Pittsand Housing Authority loca- fied and will report to work.

The District alerted families of the burgh, 15226. Due to low attendance, tion in Glen Hazel will also Staff Compensation case of potential exposure last week the Grab and Go site at Milliones was take place. The District will during Closure and closed the school for deep clean- set to close this Friday. Jubilee Kitchevaluate student participaThe District understands ing. The District was notified on en, Pittsburgh Miller, Oak Hill and tion in meal distribution to the need to ensure financial March 17 that a Pittsburgh Milliones Pittsburgh Weil remain available to determine regional sites for security for staff during the student might have been indirectly provide Grab and Go meals for Hill the second week of closure. emergency work stoppage. exposed. All schools have been closed District students.

Supplemental Student All semimonthly employees Parents at both schools have been Activities and biweekly employees since Monday.

Both Pittsburgh Brookline and notified via the District’s parent notiOn Wednesday, March 18, who have regular standard Pittsburgh Milliones will receive deep fication system. optional grade-level activity hours will continue to be cleaning with the District’s electropackets will be available on paid during the closure. All Schoology, which is acces- biweekly employees will sible through the District’s receive the base standard CLEVER portal located at hours of pay. Time will be www.pghschools.org/stu- entered centrally and paydentresources. A helpful days will continue to folvideo on how to use and low the 2019-2020 payroll login to CLEVER can be schedule posted on the Disfound on the District’s VI- trict’s website.

MEO page at https://vimeo. com/354396666.

Spring Break Printed packets will be At this time, the District HOMICIDES FROM A1 available for students does not anticipate an innext week. Completion of terruption to Spring Break Street and Laketon Road. the shooting. Pritchard told zhoover around 11:30 a.m. grade-level activity packets scheduled to take place The 5-year-old was not seri- police he was sleeping with No additional information ously injured. a shotgun under his pillow. has been made available is optional and will not count April 6-13.

FEB. 4—Joseph Per- FEB. 16—Jason Lewis, about this case. towards student grades.

(January homicides—3) In response to COVID-19, All athletics and events lick-Spernak, a 25-year- a 39-year-old Black male, JAN. 1—Ladea Terrell, Comcast is offering free ac- are canceled during the clo- old White male, was shot was shot and killed while cess to its Wi-Fi hotspots. sure, as well as all building and killed after a physical leaving the Sahara Temple a 33-year-old Black female, alteration that began inside after-hours club in Brad- was shot multiple times The District has had a permits. long-standing partnership A detailed FAQ is avail- a home in Clairton. Police dock. Lewis died around in Wilkinsburg on Dec. 17, with Comcast to promote its able on the District’s web- believe 28-year-old Gerald 12:15 p.m. at UPMC Pres- 2019. She died of her injuInternet Essentials resource site at www.pghschools.org/ Johnson was responsible byterian hospital, about ries on Jan. 1. Terrell was for the shooting. Johnson nine hours after he was shot around 9 p.m. in the for eligible low-income cus- coronavirus. remained at the scene as wounded.

200 block of Eastgate Drive, tomers. Comcast announced police arrived.

FEB. 17—Jeremy Den- which closely borders East that new eligible low-income FEB. 9—Anthony La- tel, a 28-year-old White Hills. There have been no marr Orosco, a 20-year- male, was shot and killed, arrests in the shooting old Black male, was shot police say by 21-year-old death. and killed while trying to Adam Rosenberg, after the JAN. 10—Issa Noor, an break up a fight between a two met in person from 18-year-old Black male mother and her son, both of a dating app. Dentel was from Grove City, was shot whom were armed with a killed with a gunshot to the multiple times near Robgun. The incident happened head in Baldwin Borough. erts Street and Bedford in West Mifflin, as 21-year- Rosenberg will stand trial Avenue in the Hill District old Dante King told police on homicide charges. around 6:45 p.m. There that he shot Orosco, of Pine FEB. 26—David How- have been no arrests in Knot, Ky. ard, a 47-year-old White the shooting death.

FEB. 9—Chassity Clan- male, was shot and killed, JAN. 12—Joshua Brancy, a 3-year-old Black fe- police say by his own son, in don Long, a 22-year-old male, was shot and killed Harmar Township. Shane Black male from West Miffwhile sleeping in a home Howard, the 23-year-old lin, was shot by a homeownin Beltzhoover. While the son, told police he shot his er inside a home in Baldwin shooting death is wide- father after his father bad- Borough. The incident ocly believed to be acciden- mouthed his girlfriend and curred shortly after 7 p.m. tal, 51-year-old Marlin their baby.

Anyone with information Pritchard, of Beltzhoover, FEB. 26—Robert Ful- on the incident can call the faces homicide, child en- ton, a 33-year-old Black Allegheny County police tip dangerment and gun male, was shot and killed line at 1-833-255-8477. charges in connection with on Taft Avenue in Belt-

Relative of students at Pittsburgh Brookline school test positive for COVID-19

8 of 12 homicides Black lives

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MARCH 18-24, 2020

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Going out on top—Vincentian wins WPIAL Championship Private high school to close at year’s end VINCENTIAN FROM A1

to win a boys high school championship this season.

Simmons’ Obama squad upset Allderdice in the City League Championship, 5039, on Feb. 15, also at “The Pete.”

Allderdice’s girls basketball coach, Ellen Guillard, was the lone African American woman to lead their team to a basketball title this year, when the Dragons defeated Westinghouse prior to the Obama/Allderdice showdown on Feb. 15.

For Tyree, it was his second WPIAL Class 1A title as a head coach—the Royals won the championship over Union, 54-51, on March 1, 2018. It was Tyree’s first full year as head coach after being officially named to the position in May 2017. He was elevated to head coach from assistant coach, taking over for Shelton Carney.

As one would expect, Tyree is no stranger to basketball. He starred at Monessen High School, graduated in 2008, then played at California University of Pennsylvania.

During the day, he’s a client analyst for Fiserv.

When the sun goes down, he’s known around Western Pennsylvania as not only a coach on the rise, but a coach who has arrived.

Tyree’s team made it to the WPIAL Class 1A Championship game last year, but was defeated by the upstart Nazareth Prep team, coached by another African American, Nehemi-

VINCENTIAN’S ANGELO REEVES

ah Brazil.

So, it came as no surprise when, on Feb. 20, Vincentian began the WPIAL playoffs with a crushing of Geibel Catholic, 99-51.

Four days later, Vincentian took care of Nazareth Prep, 65-54, in the WPIAL semifinals.

But when the news came the following day, Feb. 25, about the school having to close, that was a surprise.

“You always tell the kids, control what you control,” Tyree said. “So we controlled going out in the semifinal game on Monday (Feb. 24), we controlled coming out here (in the championship game) and playing for four quarters THE VINCENTIAN ACADEMY ROYALS, champions of the WPIAL Class 1A title, won on Feb. 27 with a win over Cornell. (Photos by Courier and leaving everything out photographer William McBride) on the court. But sometimes, in life, some stuff is above you. We don’t control administrative decisions.

But these guys worked hard day in and day out to get to this point, and I’m really happy to see them go out there and lift that gold.”

But Tyree and the players weren’t done. The PIAA state playoffs were coming next. It seemed only fitting that Vincentian, the small, private school that’s been in existence for more than 80 years but now must close, would finish with a state title, in addition to their WPIAL title.

“Earlier this year I couldn’t stop watching those high school highlights from when Kobe Bryant was at Lower Merion (High School) at Hersheypark (Arena),” Tyree said at the news conference following his team’s WPIAL title win, Feb. 27. “I told the kids, the reality of me coaching at the Staples Center (in Los Angeles, where Bryant played for the Lakers), the reality of you playing at the Staples Center, is very slim, but we can go to Hersheypark and we can go down in history with Kobe Bryant and that ‘96 Lower Merion team as the state champion.”

And when the PIAA playoffs began for Vincentian on March 6, they were ready.

They defeated Allegheny-Clarion Valley, 93-63.

Then it was onto their second-round opponent, Berlin Brothersvalley, on March 10. But Berlin Brothersvalley, the team from Somerset County, was too much for Vincentian. The Royals fell, 74-54, ending the true storybook ending.

Still, for Tyree, he knows he and his players made history, winning that WPIAL title in the school’s final year. They were the “2020 champions forever,” Tyree said, “because after these guys, nobody else will put on a Vincentian jersey.”

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METRO

MARCH 18-24, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

FOUNDATION OF HOPE

The

HOPE

Awards

February 6, 2020 Alloy 26 at Nova Place

THE NORTH SIDE ORGANIZATION FOUNDATION OF HOPE honored and recognized youth who have completed its HOPE Diversion Program.

Photos by Courier photographer Gail Manker HOPE AWARDS FROM A1

The HOPE Diversion Program serves youth from age 12 up to the adult age of 26, but most of those in the program are not adults. The organization partners with local law enforcement agencies, juvenile probation, the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office and other community agencies to identify a youth who commits a low- to mid-level, non-violent offense, but can be better served in the program rather than a prosecution.

Examples of those offenses include theft, fighting, loitering, trespassing, disorderly conduct, or drug offenses.

After the HOPE Diversion Program staff provides the youth with health care and mental health evaluations, the organization’s team develops an individualized plan of action for the youth, which focuses on counseling, treatment, and behavior modification measures.

If the youth meets all the pre-determined obligations, the HOPE Diversion

Program team requests for the case against the teen to be dismissed. If the youth does not comply with the obligations, a formal prosecution could occur.

“The program helps the youth learn from their mistakes, repairs the harm they caused to their family and community and holds them accountable for their actions while ensuring they make amends for the harm they caused,” Williams told the Courier.

Other parts of the implementation plan for the youth include housing assistance, grief counseling, job-readiness skills and performing community service.

According to a HOPE Diversion Program brochure on the organization’s website, what’s unique about the program is that it “helps communities to understand that certain offenses can be viewed as a public health problem rather than a crime against society.”

And from a state government perspective, diversion programs for youth are encouraged. The Penn-

DR. THERONE WADE was the guest speaker.

DARCEL MADKINS

sylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee has a subcommittee dedicated to promoting the creation of pre-adjudication diversion programs for youth across the state.

While the HOPE Diversion Program reaches out to youth who have committed a non-violent offense, there are other diversion programs in the state, such as the Good Shepherd Mediation Program, in Philadelphia, that works with schools and community agencies to help youth who have committed or have yet to commit a non-violent offense.

Funding for the HOPE Diversion Program is provided by the Youth Services Investment Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, the Buhl Foundation, the Dollar Bank Foundation, The Pittsburgh Presbytery and individual donors, among others, according to the organization’s website.

Family Engagement In Education Family engagement is a critical issue in education today. It refers to the mutual dedication, cooperation, and support that educators and parents as well as other caregivers share as students are being educated. Regardless of the type of school students attend, parents and educators must be determined to work together as a team to support the growth and development of learners.

Building genuine parent and school relationships requires effort. Educators need to take the lead in developing partnerships with parents and other family members who are caregivers. Families must also play an active role building a strong alliance with school personnel.

There is specific information that both educators and parents need to know to build robust levels of family engagement.

Information for Educators Educators need to realize that events organized to bring families to school are typically examples of parental involvement and participation. Sharing school news, discussing student progress, and celebrating student success during performances does not embrace the meaning of family engagement.

Relationships will only be established with parents when educators accept them unconditionally.

Teachers and other school staff also need to hold parents in high esteem by respecting them.

This fails to happen to some African American parents because some educators lack cultural sensitivity. Many racially diverse parents are tolerated and disrespected by some school employees.

The best way for school staff to develop authentic partnerships with parents is by getting to know them and becoming familiar with

their culture. School leaders must establish this as a priority so that improvements are made. According to research, one of the best ways to build powerful authentic relationships with parents is by going into the communities where students reside to establish interpersonal

DR. DEBORAH M. VEREEN

COMMENTARY

able to partner with their child’s educators, they must be engaged in their child’s educational development from birth on. Parents should expose their youngsters to learning each day. They should not wait until their children enroll in school so that a teacher assumes this responsibility. Additionally, parents must be a positive example in their child’s life.

This includes teaching them appropriate behavior. Doing so will make a positive difference for the child when they begin school. Disruptions in student learning will decrease, too.

It is important for parents to be open when educators connect with them by getting to know them. Parents must be willing to participate in training opportunities held at school so they help their children become strong learner. This will also build their capacity to advocate for their children.

Parents must respect school personnel.

Trust grows when mutual respect is established between teachers and educators.

When concerns are presented to the parents by the school, conflict is reduced when a collaborative relationship exists. Through team work, parents will seek to understand the problem and will work cooperatively to find solutions.

It’s Time to Take Action Increasing family engagement in education is a significant issue that must be addressed in all schools. School personnel and parents must advocate for greater accountability within schools to prepare educators to build genuine partnerships with parents. It is time to ignite family engagement in education.

connections with them. Popular examples includes making home visits and meeting with the parents in the community where they most comfortable. It may also include educators and families worshipping together. Some educators may even get invited to student homes for a meal for the sake of relationship building.

Once the spirit of collaboration is established, schools must develop parent training programs. As family engagement increases, students will perform at higher levels. Students will also make better behavioral choices because parents and teachers communicate more openly. While some schools that educate a high percentage of diverse students periodically provide cultural competency training, more school districts need to do so.

This will enable educators to (Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is the interact with all parents apCEO of Families With Us, LLC propriately.

Information for Parents and has been an educator for more In order for parents to be than thirty-five years.)

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

METRO

MARCH 18-24, 2020 A5

ABOVE AND BELOW—Some of the youth honored at the HOPE Awards, Feb. 6. The HOPE Awards are a production of the North Side organization Foundation of Hope. (Photos by Courier photographer Gail Manker)

ZONE ONE POLICE COMMANDER CHRISTOPHER RAGLAND

HOPE DIVERSION PROGRAM DIRECTOR JEFF WILLIAMS, left, with a young one.

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A6 MARCH 18-24, 2020

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THE YOUTH DANCERS

The Annual Black History Month Program, at Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ

by Jacquelyn McDonald For New Pittsburgh Courier

The pageantry abounded at the Annual Black History Month Program at Pentecostal Temple Church Of God In Christ, 6300 East Liberty Blvd., held Feb. 23. It saluted and themed Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Pittsburgh’s newest opera talent, Chantal Braziel, electrified the program from the start with her rendition of writer Harry T. Burleigh’s spiritual song, “Ride On, King Jesus.” Drama director Bridgette Ways presented her actors and rhythmic dancers while the psalmists captured every extraordinary note of their individual solos. Joseph Dukes offered a liturgical mime to the delight of all

who attended.

The Rachel L. Randall Education Department President, Evangelist Denise White, known for her dedication and tenacity in enlightening the youth of the church, displayed a Plaque of Accomplishment for veteran host and broadcaster Chris Moore. Moore has provided commentary on WQED, PCNC, as well as KDKA Radio, challenging Pittsburghers to think about specific social issues for more than four decades.

Evangelist White emphasized the importance of acknowledging and encouraging our community leaders who continuously present a positive impact on our future generations.

Dr Herbert V.R.P. Jones was facilitator and assisted in programming.

EVANGELIST DENISE WHITE, President, Rachel L. Randall Education Department. (Photos by Courier photographer Jacquelyn McDonald)

CHRIS MOORE, HONOREE

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CHURCH MOTHER, DELORES RODGERS

OPERA TALENT—Chantal Braziel, with mother, Lady Valda Braziel.

IN MEMORIAM Irene Claytor Morris

Church Circuit PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN IN GRACE MAY CELEBRATION

MAY 17—Presbyterian Women in Grace Memorial Church, 1000 Bryn Mawr Road, invites you to attend their Annual May Celebration at the 11 a.m. worship service. The speaker for the morning will be Ms. Lynne Hayes-Freeland of KDKA. For more information, please call 412-681-0229.

Sorely missed and greatly loved.

Lavel, Bonnie, Stormie, Irene, John, Elijah, Jerome, Joshua

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WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

The Courier Recognizes African American Women Trailblazers MARIAN ANDERSON

MARIAN ANDERSON is known as the first Black person ever to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1955.

In 1939, Anderson, an opera singer of classical music and spirituals, was rejected by the organization Daughters of the American Revolution to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. But on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, Anderson was able to perform on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in front of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and first lady Eleanor, which thrust her into the national spotlight.

Two months later, Eleanor Roosevelt gave Anderson the 1939 Springarn Medal for distinguished achievement at the NAACP’s

conference in Richmond.

In 1957, Anderson sang for President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s inauguration, and in 1961, she did the same for President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration.

Anderson received numerous awards.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1974, the Congressional Gold Medal in 1977, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991, and honorary doctorates from Howard University, Temple University and Smith College.

Anderson died in 1993 at age 96 in Portland, Ore.

MARY MAHONEY

Who was the first licensed Black nurse in the United States? MARY MAHONEY, in 1879. She was also a co-founder of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) with Adah B. Thoms.

According to Bustle’s Ayana Lage, “she couldn’t work in a hospital because of the discrimination people of color faced in the 19th century, so she spent years as a private nurse instead. Later, she cofounded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in 1908, and gave its convention’s opening speech the very next year, womenshistory.org highlighted.

And after the 19th Amendment was ratified years later, she became one of the first women registered to vote in Boston.”

Mahoney was working at the New England Hospital for Women and Children with positions such as cook, janitor, washerwoman and an unofficial nurse’s aide, according to a biography on the Jacksonville University website. Then, at age 33, the site reported, Mahoney entered the 16-month nursing program at the New England Hospital for Women and Children. Mahoney was one of four students who handled the rigorous workload, and she received her nursing certification in 1879, as mentioned.

Mahoney was inducted into the Nursing Hall of Fame in 1976. In 1993, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

MARCH 18-24, 2020

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AMELIA BOYNTON ROBINSON

AMELIA BOYNTON ROBINSON was a civil rights activist who lived to be 104 years old.

Born in Savannah, Ga., in 1911, she was nearly beaten to death in what’s become known as “Bloody Sunday,” the march that occurred in Selma, Ala., in 1965. The voting rights march took place across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, as state troopers teargassed and beat the marchers as they tried to cross the bridge.

A newspaper photo showed an unconscious Boynton Robinson lying on the ground, drawing national attention. Eventually, president Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act on Aug. 6, 1965. Boyton Robinson was there to see it happen.

The year prior, she became both the first African American woman and the first fe-

male Democratic candidate to run for a seat in Congress from Alabama, according to biography.com.

Boynton Robinson was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Freedom in 1990. In 2015, she was honored as a special guest at President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. Two months later, in March 2015, according to biography.com, she held hands with Mr. Obama as they marched with Congressman John Lewis across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 50th anniversary of the march.

In the movie “Selma,” Boynton’s role in the march was portrayed by actress Lorraine Toussaint.

Boyton Robinson died on Aug. 26, 2015.

AMELIA BOYNTON ROBINSON, shown here with President Barack Obama.

JANE BOLIN

JANE BOLIN was the first Black woman to graduate from Yale Law School in 1931.

She passed the New York state bar examination in 1932. She became the nation’s first Black woman judge in 1939, according to the New York Times.

Also according to the Times, “The ‘lady judge’ was frequently in the news at the time of her appointment with accounts of her regal bearing, fashionable hats and pearls. But her achievements transcended being a shining example. As a family court judge, she ended the assignment of probation officers on the basis of race and the placement of children in child-care agencies on the basis of ethnic background.”

Bolin came to love the art of law from her

father, Gaius C. Bolin, who had his own legal practice and was president of New York state’s Dutchess County Bar Association.

But the Times reported that Jane Bolin would see articles and photos of lynchings in Crisis magazine, the official publication of the NAACP, that further inspired her to practice law.

“It is easy to imagine how a young, protected child who sees portrayals of brutality is forever scarred and becomes determined to contribute in her own small way to social justice,” Jane Bolin wrote in a letter at the time of her retirement in December 1978, according to the Times.

Jane Bolin died in 2007 at age 98 in New York City.

A8 MARCH 18-24, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

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Clyburn endorsement demonstrates the power of the Black vote Marc Morial B4

BUSINESS New Pittsburgh Courier

MARCH 18-24, 2020

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TINA FORD, left, a Clairton resident and member of Mothers of Murdered Sons, speaks with Congressman Mike Doyle and Pittsburgh resident Ginger Underwood, second from left. (Photo by Diane I. Daniels)

The Black Women’s Roundtable National Women of Power Summit Unnerving gender equity report concerning Black women in Pittsburgh among topics discussed

by Diane I. Daniels For New Pittsburgh Courier

Flashback to 1970, when the Temptations had a hit song called, “Ball of Confusion, That’s What the World is Today.”

Fifty years later that phrase still holds true.

Addressing confusion and issues affecting Black women and girls, The Black Women’s Roundtable, the women and girls empowerment and power-building arm of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, recently released its seventh Annual BWR Report entitled, “Black

DIANE I. DANIELS ON BUSINESS NEWS

Women in the U. S., 2020: The Power of Black Women’s Leadership to Move a Justice Agenda Forward in the 2020 Decade.”

Their Ninth Annual BWR Women of Power National Summit also took place March 4-8, in Arlington, Va., addressing issues affecting Black women and girls. Hundreds of women representing educational and religious institutions, advocacy groups and the political arena attended the summit.

Concerned about Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Gender and Race report conducted by the City of Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission, Rev. Dr. Judith C. Moore said it was important for women from Pittsburgh to attend the summit.

“The spotlight has been cast on the dire circumstances that Black women in Pittsburgh face daily. The results of the report indicate that Pittsburgh is the ‘most unlivable city’ for Black women, particularly in the areas of health, employment, poverty, and

education. These areas were addressed during the summit as well as in the BWR Report,” said Moore, the head of the Pittsburgh-Mon Valley Black Women’s Roundtable and Sisters Saving Ourselves Now. The Public Policy Education and Action Day on Capitol Hill, a popular component of the summit, was helpful to Tina Ford, a first-time participant.

“Meeting with Congressman (Mike) Doyle provided the opportunity to express my concern about family medical leave for grieving mothers of children who have been murdered.”

Last year she lost her 23-year-old son, Armani, to gun violence in Clairton. She and the Pittsburgh contingent also discussed affordable housing, proposed federal budget cuts for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, access to technology for young people and equal access to employment opportunities in construction jobs throughout Allegheny County. Moore said the conversation opened the door for the groups represented at the table to begin planning actionable steps and continuous conversations with the Congressman. Even though the group’s March 28 Pittsburgh-Mon Valley Black Women’s Roundtable Solutions Forum has been put on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak, Moore said Doyle’s meeting has energized the women. “Our first annual Forum was designed to galvanize Black women leaders from the region to collectively address challenges and develop a published report with actionable steps.”

Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO of the NCBCP and Convener of the BWR along with Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, president of Incite Unlimited, LLC, and major contributor of the BWR reports, are scheduled participants.

In addition to the knowledge and resources gained at the summit, Moore is delighted that the PMBWR is one of six BWR affiliates slated to participate in the

MELANIE CAMPBELL, left, is president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

Coca-Cola 5by20 Take It to the TOP Entrepreneurship National Challenge that was launched during the summit. The entrepreneurship challenge focuses on investing in Black women and girls entrepreneurship, social innovation and business leadership skills. It helps connect top participants to resources and mentorships to launch, grow, and or sustain successful minority women-owned businesses. “The five-day summit was an awesome experience,” said Moore.

“Returning home with the opportunity to offer a Shark Tank-style entrepreneurial program to women and girls in this region is great. Even though we were looking forward to announcing it during our own summit, we look forward kicking it off within the next few weeks.”

The PMBWR is comprised of passionate Black

women leaders working to develop strategies and solutions to address the challenges in the Mon Valley and Pittsburgh. “We

justice work,” Moore explained.

The 2020 BWR Report, as it has for the past seven years, provides an in-

DR. JUDITH MOORE, leader of the Pittsburgh-Mon Valley Black Women’s Roundtable and Sisters Saving Ourselves. advocate for marginalized Black women and girls by focusing on grassroots efforts on public policy, economic stability and social

depth assessment of the challenges Black women face, as well as the triumphs. “The report is focused on lifting up the is-

sues and policy priorities impacting Black women, our families and communities and highlights the power of Black women’s leadership and political power that gives a real-time view of how Black women are key to victory for any progressive candidate that needs the Black vote to win on a national, state or local level,” stated Campbell.

Topics covered in the report all addressing Black women and girls included: the impact of racism and hate crimes within communities; building economic power—economic justice, equity and opportunity; stopping violence against Black women, girls, and communities; criminal justice—policing and gun reform; education—educational opportunity, equity and access; reducing health disparities—health, gender and reproductive justice, equity and opportunity; saving our democracy from peril—voting rights, cybersecurity and racial bias; global power—foreign policy and international affairs, the power of the Black Vote in 2020 and Black women owning their power in the 2020 Presidential Election Cycle.

A copy of the Black Women in the U. S., 2020: The Power of Black Women’s Leadership to Move a Justice Agenda Forward in the 2020 Decade report can be downloaded from the following link: bit.ly/ BWR2020Report.

Additional highlights of the 2020 BWR Women of Power National Summit included plenary, organizing and training sessions, special girls tracks and a Power of the Sister Vote Town Hall Meeting, an “It’s All About You” health, healing and inspiration day mini-expo, enrichment and self-care sessions, a Black Women Authors Luncheon plenary session and a siSTAR Power Awards Reception. During the reception, Fawn Walker Montgomery, co-founder of Take Action Mon Valley was awarded the siSTAR Leadership Award.

The Summit ended with a Faith in Action Prayer Breakfast and a Global Empowerment Closing Brunch.

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HEALTH

MARCH 18-24, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Take charge of your health today. Be informed. Be involved.

ESTHER BUSH

‘Coronavirus’

This special edition of the “Take Charge of Your Health Today” page focuses on COVID-19 (also called “coronavirus”) and our communities. We hope this special edition can be a guide for residents in Allegheny County. Erricka Hager and Bee Schindler, community engagement coordinators, University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and Esther L. Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, spoke about this topic.

BS: Good morning, Ms. Bush. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today regarding the global outbreak of COVID-19. We want to help keep our community members safe during these uncertain times.

EB: Erricka and Bee, thank you for meeting urgently to discuss this pandemic. I’m so grateful that we are discussing how COVID-19 may affect us locally and, specifically, communities of color. This is a rapidly evolving situation. We are committed to sharing relevant information with the communities we serve.

EH: I agree, Ms. Bush. This health page reflects our dedication to advocating for communities that are negatively affected by injustices embedded in our country’s policies and systems—especially when we think about our health.

EB: In times like these, we, together as a community, can make an impact by doing our parts. Protecting the most vulnerable means that the healthiest people need to take action. Taking action is doing things like staying at home, avoiding large crowds, washing hands and being aware of the symptoms of COVID-19.

BS: Yes, the CDC says if you are not feeling well, staying away from public spaces will lessen the chance of sharing the virus, while also decreasing the spike—or curve—of new infections.

EH: As noted elsewhere on this page, “flattening the curve” does not mean that we will have fewer cases overall. It means slowing down the number of new cases each day. That means less stress on our hospitals. The fewer people at hospitals or doctors’ offices, the better chance there is for very ill people to receive the life-saving medical care they need.

BS: Another important way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to practice “social distancing.” We in the community enjoy hugging and embracing one another when we meet, but, in times like this, avoiding contact with people who are sick is a safe practice. We need to think about elders, including parents, grandparents and loved ones, who are at risk of getting really sick from COVID-19. People whose immune systems are weaker are also at a greater risk for becoming seriously ill. Younger and healthier folks can help by limiting social and professional outings so as not to put our most vulnerable people in danger.

EH: Absolutely, Bee. As we wait to see how local communities will be affected, we know that some of our community members have less access to resources to help with added stressors. Think about workers having to decide between lost wages or taking care of kids at home because of school closures, people who lack health insurance, or people who experience an increase in racism because of being incorrectly associated with COVID-19. These are mounting concerns.

EB: You’re right. There are a lot of concerns and still a lot of questions that need to be answered. Thank you, Bee and Erricka, for having this conversation with me. Now truly is a time to Take Charge of Your Health. We hope that our readers are doing just that during this pandemic. To close our conversation, I want to include here a message that we received from our friends from regional foundations: Statement from regional philanthropies on COVID-19: Our organizations are deeply concerned about the economic, health care and human services challenges that the COVID-19 crisis presents across Southwestern Pennsylvania, especially to our most vulnerable residents.

We know communities of color will face disproportionate harm, and we are developing a plan to provide support and assistance that will happen quickly and go broadly.

While we can’t predict the full measure of what this region will face, we know the keys to getting past this emergency are to work together to build our capacity to solve the problems we’ll face and care for one another so that we emerge stronger and more resilient. · Bobbi Watt Geer, President and CEO, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania · Grant Oliphant, President, The Heinz Endowments · Sam Reiman, President, Richard King Mellon Foundation · Dave K. Roger, President, Hillman Family Foundations · Lisa Schroeder, President and CEO, The Pittsburgh Foundation

TRACEY CONTI, MD

TAAFOI S. KAMARA, MPH

RICKQUEL TRIPP, MD, MPH

Advice from Physicians “Everyone—moms, dads, children, all relatives—should talk openly about COVID-19 and how all of us can help curb the disease’s spread.

Answer children’s questions truthfully in words they understand. And it’s OK to admit not knowing an answer and to suggest working together to find one.

For example, children may be confused by social distancing. Explain how it helps protect others from getting sick. So, instead of hugs and kisses to Grandma and Grandpa, youngsters can show their love creatively—perhaps through drawings, handmade greeting cards, digital photos of their crafts or videos of their day.

‘No physical contact’ doesn’t mean ‘no love,’ which is an important message to everyone—young and old—and can make this frightening time far more safe for all of us.”

—Tracey Conti, MD, assistant professor of family medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and program director, Family Medicine, UPMC McKeesport “COVID-19 (sometimes called coronavirus) is a respiratory disease with symptoms that include fever, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. As we learn more about this virus and its impact on our communities, it can be hard to know what steps to take to keep ourselves and those we care about healthy. The five tips below are a great place to start making smart and healthy choices that help reduce exposure to the virus.

1. Wash your hands. It’s a very simple step that has a big impact. It is an easy way to ensure that you are minimizing your exposure to the virus.

2. Avoid touching your face. Many of us do this several times an hour without even realizing it. Avoiding touching your face and eyes can reduce your exposure to the virus.

3. Rest and eat a healthy diet. Getting enough sleep and making sure you are eating meals complete with fruits, vegetables and healthy sources of protein can help keep bodies strong.

4. Practice social distancing: Now is a good time to stay home and avoid groups and crowds. Staying six feet away from others can help to reduce exposure.

5. Maintain social connections: During stressful times, connecting with others is important. Using telephones and social media are ways to do so from a distance.

Be sure to connect with family and friends to make sure you have a strong network of support.

Resources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; https:// www.cdc.gov/) and the Allegheny County Health Department (https://www. alleghenycounty.us/healthdepartment/ index.aspx) are constantly updating their information with the latest recommendations and guidance. Visit these websites to make sure you have the information you need to keep yourself and loved ones safe.”

—Taafoi S. Kamara, MPH, director, Innovation, Education and Outreach, UPMC Senior Services “COVID-19 has a high infectious rate.

Transmission occurs mainly by respiratory secretions from coughing, sneezing and even talking. Therefore, keep at least six feet from people who may be infected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that anyone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 wear a face mask while around other people and animals. People who are older than 70, immunocompromised (e.g., people with HIV, chronic steroid use) and/ or have underlying comorbidities (e.g., diabetes, COPD) are at higher risk of death.

No specific clinical features can reliably distinguish COVID-19 from other viral

respiratory infections. But most confirmed cases have had fevers, fatigue, cough and shortness of breath.

What should you do if you had close contact with a person with COVID-19?

What should you do if you have recently been to areas where COVID-19 cases have been widely reported? Symptoms develop within 14 days following exposure.

Individuals who have traveled to high-risk areas or are in direct contact with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients should be monitored for symptoms (fever, cough or shortness of breath). It is important to reduce spread by recognizing these symptoms early and then performing immediate self-isolation with social distancing. Disinfect all furniture and objects, and call your primary care doctor for evaluation.

According to the World Health Organization, recovery time is around two weeks for mild infections and three to six weeks for severe cases. If a person does not need emergency care, such as not having respiratory distress, the person should call a primary care doctor before visiting any health care facility. Most patients can be evaluated over the phone regarding COVID-19 testing, especially since the test is not easily available and has limited quantities. According to the CDC, routine cleaning and disinfection procedures are appropriate for COVID-19 virus. It is unknown how long COVID-19 can live on surfaces. But it may survive on inanimate surfaces for six to nine days without disinfection.”

—Rickquel Tripp, MD, MPH, clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine, University of Pittsburgh; attending physician, UPMC St. Margaret and UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, command physician MD-12, UPMC Communication Center, EMS medical director, UPMC Prehospital

HEALTH

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

MARCH 18-24, 2020

B3

Take charge of your health today. Be informed. Be involved.

Flattening the Curve By now, you’ve probably heard a lot of people saying that we need to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19. The curve is how many people get infected over time. As noted in Ms. Bush’s commentary, “flattening the curve” doesn’t mean our region will have fewer cases overall. It means slowing down the number of cases each day.

Under normal conditions, Pittsburgh’s hospitals have enough equipment and medicines to help people who have trouble breathing because of illness or injury.

But if too many people get really sick at the same time, hospitals couldn’t treat them all. That’s why we want the infection curve to stay

low. Flattening the curve starts right now. We can do it by practicing regular handwashing, “social distancing” and staying close to home, if possible.

National and citywide states of emergency have been declared. Schools, churches and restaurants are closed. Authorities are canceling events and asking people to avoid large crowds.

When you are with other people, try to keep 3 to 6 feet between you. This is the distance that droplets could travel when people cough or sneeze without covering their mouths. (You should always cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze; use a tissue or your

elbow—not your hands.)

Even if you are healthy, you probably know people who are at higher risk of infection because they are over 60 years old or have a chronic illness like lupus, asthma, diabetes or heart disease. Ask your health care provider if you have questions about your specific situation.

Other tips: Wash your hands frequently, especially after using the bathroom and before preparing food.

Use soap and water and wash for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizers in a pinch. (https://washyourlyrics.com/ is a website that will help. Just type the song and artist in the des-

ignated area and the website pulls up the lyrics and places them, line-by-line, over a graphic that shows the best way to effectively wash your hands.)

Avoid touching your face, cover your cough and practice other routine precautions against infection.

Use surface disinfectants frequently on things you touch—telephones,

doorknobs, kitchen counters, faucets, keyboards and other fi tures.

Practice social distancing routinely—even if you’re not infected yourself.

This means staying home as much as possible, avoiding crowds unless absolutely necessary, maintaining 6 feet of distance between individuals when you can, not shaking hands, covering coughs, washing hands and

other similar social distancing measures.

You can be a role model for the community and help prevent the spread of infection.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines also give more information: https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019 -ncov/ index.html

Resources during COVID-19 Shutdowns Note: If you have a fever or cough or have any questions about your health, please call your primary care provider. If you do not have a primary care provider, please call the Allegheny County Health Department (412247-7800). If you or someone you care for are in distress, please call 911.

Schools often provide critical meals during children’s days.

School closures can interrupt easy access to food. Here is a short list of food pantries in the city. e suggest calling first, if possible.

Northside Community Food Pantry 412-323-1163 | 1601 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 | Hours: 9:30 a.m.-noon on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday The Squirrel Hill Food Pantry 412-421-2708 | 828 Hazelwood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 | Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Tuesday, Thursday 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 1:30–3 p.m. | Monday 5-7 p.m.

Oakland Community Pantry of Community Human Services they have modified their flow to include waiting outside to be served one at a time) | 412-2461615 | 370 Lawn Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 | Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. and Fridays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. *** After Governor Tom Wolf closed all Early Head Start programs and pre-K through grade 12 schools in the Commonwealth, the United States Department of Agriculture gave the PA Department of Education permission to serve meals to all students offsite. Pittsburgh Public Schools notes “grab and go” meals will be available at all schools from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. until March 20.

Folks are advised to go to the school closest to their homes. The district is working on a plan to

deliver to housing communities ne t week.

(Northside) Northview Heights Clinic 412-322-7500 | 525 Mount Pleasant Road | 15214

*** Access to clothing and household items, including toiletries (Hill District) Hilltop and snacks, can be found at two Community Health Center Free Stores in the region. These 1 - 11 Clima spaces allow shoppers to choose Street | 15210 items at no cost: (East Liberty) East End Free Store 15014 Community Health Center 420 Braddock Avenue, Brad412-404-4000 | 1117 N. Negley dock, PA 15104 | 201-532-1722 Avenue | 15206 | Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. and Fridays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

(Homewood) Alma Illery Medical Center Free Store Wilkinsburg 412-244-4700 | 7227 Hamilton 619 Penn Avenue, Wilkinsburg, Avenue | 15208 PA 15221 | 412-436-9836 | Open every Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 *** p.m.

Comcast is offering two months free to new Internet Es*** sentials customers in response Access to medical services with to recent and anticipated emersliding-scale fees: Contact health gency measures associated with care providers by phone before COVID-19. It is also increasing coming to a clinic or hospital, if the speed of the program to 25 you meet the following criteria: Mbps downloads and 3 Mbps symptoms like fever, cough or uploads for all new and e isting shortness of breath; travel to customers. Visit https://www. countries with coronavirus alerts internetessentials.com/covid19 within 14 days of symptom onset; for more details. or contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19 within 1 *** days of symptom onset.

Think about identifying and

asking a friend, family member or coworker to check in on you with regard to your safety and support needs should you have to quarantine yourself at home.

We also know that isolating at home is not safe for everyone.

Know that supports like the National Domestic Violence Hotline are available by phone at 1-800-799-7233. *** Your mental health is critical during the time of preparedness.

The Mayo Clinic suggests connecting to supports, reading, getting outside or e ercising inside, laughing, listening to music and dancing, practicing yoga at home, keeping a journal and managing intake of social media and news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest calling the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Disaster Distress otline 1-9 - 99 or te t mental health e perts by typing the message “TalkWithUs” to the number 66746. *** Note that spiritual places are also working around the clock to

maintain support and a sense of community. Check in with your house of faith as recent updates include movements to webbased services and changes to their programs.

United Way’s PA 2-1-1 Southwest is ready to help people facing difficulties. Its resource navigators can help connect individuals and families with food pantries, health care services, ta prep assistance, utility and eviction prevention assistance and more. Those seeking help should dial -1-1, te t their zip code to 898-211, or visit PA211sw.org. *** Financial relief resources: PNC is prepared to offer assistance, as needed, to affected customers through a range of measures. Should you, as a current PNC customer, encounter hardship as a result of COVID-19, call 1-888-762-2265 (7 a.m.-10 p.m. | Monday-Friday; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. EST, Saturday and Sunday).

PWSA and Duquesne Light will discontinue water and electricity cutoffs.

PWSA’s waiver will remain in place until May 31.

Duquesne Light’s waiver will remain in place until May 1. *** Online resources: www.cdc.gov The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to serve as a center for national messaging and updates on COVID-19. www.naacp.org The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People continues to update the public on the COVID-19 situation. www.achd.gov The Allegheny County Health Department is providing up-to-date information and guidance for the region.

B4

OPINION

MARCH 18-24, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Clyburn endorsement demonstrates the power of the Black Vote

Guest Editorial The World Health Organization has labeled COVID-19 a pandemic, citing its alarming spread and severity Health officials say that for most people, the new coronavirus causes moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

The pandemic is causing widespread damage to critical economic sectors of the global economy.

Airlines are dropping routes because people are not flying, workers are staying home and sports leagues including the National Hockey League, National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer have suspended their seasons. Major League Baseball has delayed the opening of its season by at least two weeks. High school and college conference basketball tournaments have also been suspended or canceled.

In his address from the Oval Office last Wednesday night, President Donald Trump announced a 30-day ban on most Europeans entering the United States.

Trump has been woefully inadequate in handling this crisis.

He previously downplayed the pandemic. He has now shifted to casting blame.

Trump said U.S. restrictions on people coming from China and other countries with early outbreaks of COVID-19 had held down the number of cases in the United States compared with Europe.

He blamed the European Union for failing to immediately stop travel from China “and other hot spots,” which he said had led to clusters of outbreaks in the U.S being “seeded by travelers from Europe.”

Trump has called the disease a “foreign virus.” He announced that all European travel would be cut off, but U.S. officials later said that restrictions would apply only to most foreign citizens who have been in Europe’s passport-free travel zone at any point for 14 days prior to their arrival to the United States.

In response, Chinese leaders have blamed the U.S. for fanning anti-China propaganda and European leaders have criticized Trump for not consulting with them before announcing the travel ban against European nations.

“The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation,” European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement.

The worst possible response to the pandemic is for leaders to start blaming each other.

Trump’s decision on Friday to declare a national emergency is a step in the right direction.

As the leader of the world’s top superpower, Trump should also be calling for an international conference to respond to the crisis. On the national and global level, the president needs to lead a coordinated and comprehensive approach to the pandemic.

(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)

Founded 1910

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

Rob Taylor Jr.

Jeff Marion

Office Manager

Managing Editor

Circulation Consultant

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

“One of my colleagues said to me, this is the first time I’ve seen a political billboard without a picture on it.

Why isn’t your picture on it? I said, because it ain’t about me. It’s about the message on that billboard and the message is simply thus: making the greatness of this country accessible and affordable for all. We don’t need to make this country great again. This country is great. That’s not what our challenge is. Our challenge is making the greatness of this country accessible and affordable for all.” — U.S. Rep. James Clyburn (TriceEdneyWire.com) — The 76-yearold great-granddaughter of an enslaved woman in South Carolina may be responsible for singlehandedly changing the trajectory of the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary.

During a funeral in the church where Jannie Jones serves as an usher, she beckoned Congressman James Clyburn and whispered, “I need to know who you’re going to vote for.”

He replied: “Joe Biden. Are we together?”

She offered a thumbs up and replied, “What are you going to do for him, for the people?”

That question, Clyburn told the New York Times, moved him to action.

“I decided then and there that I would not stay silent,” he said.

Clyburn’s endorsement spurred Vice President Biden to sweeping victories—not only in South Carolina, where he won 39 of 56 delegates and almost 48 percent of the vote in a field

Marc H. Morial

To Be Equal of six candidates—but also in 10 of the 14 states that voted three days later.

Clyburn, who has held his Congressional seat for 27 years, is the third-ranking Democrat and highest-ranking African American in the House of Representatives. He is, so far, the only high-ranking Congressional leader to have endorsed a candidate in the primary.

Vice President Biden was expected to win South Carolina’s primary even before Clyburn’s endorsement, but according to exit polls, nearly half of voters there, said Clyburn’s endorsement was an important factor in their vote and almost a quarter said it was the most important factor. Pollster Patrick Murray told USA Today he’s never seen such a high percentage of voters cite an endorsement as the most important factor in their decision.

In Southern states, which have a higher percentage of Black voters, Biden dominated the primaries. He won 63 percent of Black voters in North Carolina and Virginia, and 72

percent of Black voters in Alabama.

He won a majority of Black voters in Arkansas, and 62 percent of Black voters in Tennessee.

Clyburn’s endorsement, and the response of Black voters, has put Biden on what appears to be an inevitable path to the Democratic nomination.

South Carolina is the only early primary state where a majority—or even any significant percentage—of Democratic primary voters are Black.

Consider that 98 percent of Black Americans consider themselves Democrats, and Black voters in recent Presidential elections have comprised nearly 20 percent of the total votes for Democrats. It’s no wonder that many Americans are starting to question the wisdom of starting the primary process with two states—Iowa and New Hampshire —that are more than 90 percent White.

The National Urban League has long maintained that addressing the concerns of Black voters is key to winning elections, for office-seekers at every level and of every party. At the start of the primary season, I urged the candidates, via a personal letter, to address issues such as housing affordability, educational equity, and voting rights—including the ongoing campaign by hostile foreign actors to suppress the Black vote through misinformation and deceit. As the reaction to Clyburn’s endorsement has shown, responding to these issues with a comprehensive plan is the key to winning the Presidency.

Only time will tell whether Opportunity Zones live up to their promise (NNPA)—The potential for Opportunity Zones to reinvigorate thousands of communities throughout the United States is regularly praised by civic leaders and politicians, including President Trump during his State of the Union Address.

While Opportunity Zones clearly hold significant promise for attracting investment in otherwise neglected neighborhoods, it is still too soon to say they will be an unqualified success, according to Venroy July, a Baltimore-based attorney and partner with Miles & Stockbridge.

“I think Opportunity Zones are good, but you are not going to see if they live up to their real potential until later in the cycle,” July said. The first investors to take advantage of this tax-saving opportunity, according to July, will be wealthy individuals who want to make major investments in “super attractive” projects.

“It will take time to see if capital goes into the next layer of projects and into areas that are not as attractive,” July added. “Once we get into the second and third layer investments, we’ll begin to see the true potential of what Opportunity Zones can accomplish.”

Opportunity Zones were created as a component of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in December of 2017. Their purpose is to encourage investment in economically distressed communities by making it possible for investors to

Christopher Cox

Commentary receive preferential tax treatment for investments made in businesses operating within nearly 9,000 Zones that have designated in every state in the U.S., as well as in the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.

An example of a Baltimore-area Opportunity Zone that July is familiar with is Yard 56, which is converting a former industrial site into a 20-acre, mixed-use project. In its first phase, expected to open this year, Yard 56 will have a retail center, grocery store and fitness facility, among other shops and restaurants.

Plans for Phase II include a variety of office spaces, residential units, more retail stores, and a hotel. Located near the Johns Hopkins Bayview medical campus, Yard 56 is being developed by P. David Bramble, principal with MCB Real Estate LLC, and his partner Peter Pinkard.

One frequently voiced concern, even among the staunchest supporters of Opportunity Zones, is the potential they have for causing gentrification in communities

that see a sudden infusion of investment capital.

“Gentrification is going to happen as a result of investment in Opportunity Zones,” July predicts.

“Early investors are not going to be looking to do small investment projects; they will be looking to participate in huge projects that will be very capital intensive.

If you put a big project in these neighborhoods that have been historically underinvested, in some cases the communities are going to be overwhelmed,” he added.

July believes the real power of Opportunity Zones will be seen when smaller investments of several hundred thousand dollars, as opposed to tens of millions of dollars, create a significant benefit by “building on what is already in neighborhoods.” He would like to see minority participation in such projects pursued by churches, fraternities, sororities and other organizations that can pool their resources and invest in their own communities.

“There is already a trust relationship within these organizations,” July notes. “If they plan strategically, members can put together a well-thought-out plan for urban renewal in the communities where they live, without bringing about displacement. Such investments can actually enhance these communities, while also helping to create generational wealth for African Americans and others.”

Black students must be taught the pivotal legacy of Medgar Evers (TriceEdneyWire.com)— Recently, while delivering a lecture on my extensive overwhelmingly Black, magazine collection, I showed the students the June 28, 1963 issue of Life Magazine which cover showed a grieving Mrs. Myrlie Evers consoling her young son at funeral services for the great warrior, Medgar Evers. Brother Medgar had been assassinated by a White racist terrorist in the War Against White Supremacy. During my lecture, I stopped and asked the students if they knew who Medgar Evers was. Only three of the 50 students raised their hands affirmatively.

This means that 46 of the 49 Black students (one was White) had no idea of the major contributions that Brother Medgar had made in the fight for equal rights, equal opportunity and equal justice in the violently White supremacist state of Mississippi and throughout the former Confederate states of America.

My immediate reaction was anger at the students, but I caught

A. Peter Bailey

Commentary myself when realizing their ages.

However, I did explain to them that Brother Medgar’s son was crying hard for a father who had given his life to help the students and others enjoy some of the opportunities they have today. “If Medgar Evers and hundreds of others had not put their lives on the line, you would not be in the position you are in today,” I told them. “It is absurd that someone from your homes, your churches, your schools, your fraternities and sororities etc. have not made you aware of such a talented intelligent, determined and committed warrior.” The situation once again confirmed my position

that the education system in this country will never, in the foreseeable future, teach the real history of Black folks in the United States.

It’s time for the aforementioned institutions and organizations to make teaching our history an integral part of their agenda.

In a February 1981 must read Ebony Magazine article, “Why Black History Is Important to You,” the brilliant journalist/historian Lerone Bennett Jr. stated that our history is a bet that our ancestors placed that we must now cover.

When 46 of 49 Black students in a university classroom don’t know who Medgar Evers was, it is clearly evident that we, as a group of Black people, are not covering the bet made by our ancestors. It also reinforces my belief that we, at least thus far, as a group of people we have not proven worthy of the supreme sacrifice made by ancestors such as Brother Medgar and numerous other warriors who were murdered and assassinated by White supremacist terrorists.

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MARCH 18-24, 2020

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JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

COMPUTER/IT Argo AI, LLC seeks Integration and Test Engineer II (Multiple Openings) to work in Pittsburgh, Pa & work closely with software & systems engineers to test & evaluate various hardware & software components/systems for self-driving vehicles under various conditions.

Degree & commensurate exp. req’d. Apply online at www.argo.ai/ join-us/#j2125050

MARKET SQUARE PARK AMBASSADOR 2020 The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is seeking to hire Market Square Park Ambassadors for the 2020 events season (May through September). Park Ambassadors will welcome visitors and provide guest services in Market as well as assist with special event logistics, management, and oversight.

This is a part-time position, approximately 20 hours a week, multiple Ambassadors will be hired. ull ob description can be found online at https://downtownpittsburgh.com/about-pdp/staff/employment/. Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to jdougherty@downtownpittsburgh.com.

MENS PROGRAM FACILITATOR CONSULTANT Employment position available at the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.

This position will provide group facilitation for men who use abusive and controlling behavior, return phone calls as necessary and complete accurate & timely invoices for monthly submission. *Please send cover letter & resume to careers@wcspittsburgh.org *For additional information regarding this position, please visit our website www.wcspittsburgh.org and find this ob posting under the “Who We Are” menu.

PROJECT ENGINEER ort Authority is seeking a ro ect Engineer to be responsible for managing engineering and construction activities related to Authority structures, facilities, buildings, bridges, tunnels, subways, roadways, busways, light rail transit system, and related infrastructure. Ensures pro ects adhere to the scope, budget, and schedule as well as interfaces with consultants, contractors, operating, community and external stakeholder representatives.

Essential Functions:

erforms all pro ect management functions necessary to implement the design, construction and closeout of funded capital pro ects in adherence to established scope, schedule, budget and quality metrics. Provides support for state of good repair programs related to structures, facilities, buildings, bridges, tunnels, subways, roadways, bus-ways and light rail transit system.

• Responsible to review drawings, specifications and contract provisions for compliance with Authority and outside agency requirements and standards in the preparation of construction and procurement contract documents.

Provides necessary review/ comments to ensure pro ect scope and Authority standards are met. rovides pro ect and construction management oversight for field inspections, review of field design changes, resolving technical problems and methods regarding codes, permits, and municipal construction requirements as applied to maintenance, facility modification, and repair or reconstruction pro ects. Assists in obtaining permits, as needed.

Job requirements include:

• BS Degree, in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related technical ma or from an accredited school. A two-year degree in a related technical field and directly related experience may substitute for education on a yearfor-year basis.

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in progressive responsibility for pro ects in design and or construction work.

• Professional and effective communications skills.

• Valid PA driver’s license.

• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows.

Preferred attributes:

• Experience/education in construction, maintenance and/or construction management.

• Registered Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the ability to obtain such registration through reciprocity within one year of appointment.

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package.

Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Robyn Taylor Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 RTaylor@portauthority.org EOE

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PROJECT MANAGER– TRANSPORTATION SCHEDULING SOFTWARE Port Authority is seeking a ro ect anager Transportation Scheduling Software to serve as a technical and functional expert for the Transportation Scheduling Software (TSS), including customer service software, as used in all garages, rail, and customer service locations. Provide implementation, training, and ongoing support for operators, dispatchers, shifters and others who utilize TSS to increase efficiency of operations.

Essential Functions: •Implement, train, maintain and plan for future upgrades of the Transportation Scheduling Software (such as GIRO HASTUS) •Provide 24- hour oversight and support for the TSS services.

•Provide assistance to all customers of TSS, including Operations, Scheduling, Planning, Customer Service, and Service Delivery.

•Oversee that all operational function s as defined by the nion’s Collective Bargaining Agreement are executed correctly within the TSS. •Provide data analytic output via reports or dashboards of efficiency of scheduling aspects as utilized within TSS. •Identify gaps between delivered software and agency’s needs. Propose solutions and work with both internal agency areas and external vendor to implement solutions.

Job requirements include: •BA/BS Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Data Analytics, Business Administration, or directly related field from an accredited school. Directly related experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.

•Minimum of four years in applications or software management.

•Experience evaluating, implementing, configuring, and managing transportation scheduling systems, or related technical and application management experience.

•Strong analytical and problem solving skills •Highly effective and professional communication skills.

•Excellent organizational skills •Customer-centric approach to both use of TSS for internal optimization and ultimate end-result for patrons.

•Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows, Microsoft Word and Excel.

Preferred attributes: •Minimum of three (3) years dispatcher and / or operational experience in public mass transit.

•Experience training on software systems.

•Previous TSS or similar software systems experience.

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package.

Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Deborah Slocum Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 DSlocum@portauthority.org EOE

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

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LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Legal Notices

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

ESTATE NOTICES

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT INVITATION FOR BID ACHA-1626 FLOOR COVERING SERVICES

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR GRASS CUTTING OF VACANT LOTS IN THE MIDDLE HILL IFB #300-05-20

Letters have been granted on the estate of each of the following decedents to the personal representative named who request all persons having claims against the estate of the decedent to make known the same in writing to him or his attorney, and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment to him without delay: Estate of JANET MARY FONG a/k/a JANET M. FONG a/k/a/ JANET FONG, deceased of 151 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Unit 801, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, No. 02-20-01416, Co-Administrators: George L. Fong, 500 Glen Malcolm Drive, Glenshaw, PA 15116 and May G. Fong, 720 Fernhill Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15226 or to American Wills & Estates, Lloyd A. Welling, Esquire, 2100 Wharton Street, Ste. 302, Birmingham Towers, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 Estate of IRENE MORAN, deceased of West Homestead, No. 022001186 of 2020, Mildred A. Moran, Extr or to c/o: Jacqueline H. Brangard, Esquire, Scolieri Law Group, P.C., Attys., 1207 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Estate of NANCY A. STANKEVICH a/k/a Nancy Alice Stankevich a/k/a Nancy Stankevich, deceased of 52 Vincennes Avenue, Oakdale, PA 15071, No. 02-20-00460, Norma J. Partin, Administratrix, 52 Vincennes Avenue, Oakdale, PA 15071 or to American Wills & Estates, Lloyd A. Welling, Esquire, 2100 Wharton Street, Ste. 302, Birmingham Towers, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 Estate of GERALDINE M. DEL DUCA a/k/a GERALDINE M. DELDUCA, deceased, of 5619 Kentucky Avenue, Unit 301, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, No. 02-20-01414, Executrix: CAROLINE F. GIONTA, 363 Fernhill Avenue, Apt. 104, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 or to American Wills & Estates, Lloyd A. Welling, Esquire, 2100 Wharton Street, Ste. 302, Birmingham Towers, Pittsburgh, PA 15203

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that Articles of Incorporation have been filed with the Department of tate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the purpose of engaging in any lawful act concerning any or all lawful business for which corporations may be incorporated under the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988 as amended.

The name of the corporation is: A. Dennis Corporation Articles of Incorporation have been filed on February 26, 2020 NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that a corporation is to be or has been incorporated under the Business Corporation Law of 1988, approved December 21, 1988, P.L. 1444, No. 177, effective October 1,1989, as amended. The name of the proposed corporation is: Liferz Universal Inc. And has been delivered to the Secretary of tate for filing. The initial registered office of the corporation is located at unnyfield Dr., Allegheny County, Monroeville PA 15146

By Thomas Young ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

Port Authority of Allegheny County has rescheduled its Committee meetings from Thursday, March 19, 2020 commencing at 8:30 a.m. until Friday, March 27, 2020 commencing at 8:30 a.m. The Board of Port Authority of Allegheny County will hold its regular monthly meeting immediately following the conclusion of the Committee meetings on March 27, 2020.

Diane Williamson Assistant Secretary

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the College will be held on: April 2, 2020 4:00 PM CCAC Allegheny Campus- Byers Hall 808 Ridge Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

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The Allegheny County Housing Authority is requesting bids from uailed firm individuals to provide floor covering services, per specifications for it locations throughout Allegheny County.

Invitation for bids and contract documents are on file and may be obtained, at no charge, in the Purchasing Department of the Allegheny County Housing Authority, 625 tanwi treet, 1 th floor, ittsburgh, PA 15222 or by contacting the ACHA at 412-402-2435 or email at gphillips@achsng.com.

A pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. in the Allegheny County Housing Authority Board Room on the 12th Floor.

Bids are due by 10:00 a.m. local time, Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at the Allegheny County Housing Authority, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

The Allegheny County Housing Authority encourages responses from small firms, minority firms and firms that have not previously performed work for Allegheny County Housing Authority.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY Frank Aggazio Executive Director

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR EMERGENCY GENERATOR AND FIRE PUMP MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR AUTHORITY-WIDE IFB #300-09-20

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from ualified irms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Emergency Generator and Fire Pump Maintenance and Repair Authority-Wide IFB #300-09-20 The documents will be available no later than March 9, 2020 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 A.M. on March 27, 2020 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, at which time they will be opened and read aloud.

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

Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Dept.

100 Ross Street 2nd. Fl. Ste. 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 March 19, 2020 10:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

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

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

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby reuests bids from ualified irms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): GRASS CUTTING OF VACANT LOTS IN THE MIDDLE HILL IFB #300-05-20 The documents will be available no later than March 16, 2020 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 1:00 p.m. on April 3, 2020 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

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

HACP.org.

Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre-submission meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Dept.

100 Ross Street 2nd. Fl. Ste. 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 March 19, 2020 1:00 p.m.

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

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

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

THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES LEGAL AD REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Allegheny County Department of Human Services recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Providers of Drug & Alcohol, Tobacco and Gambling Intervention Services and Other Treatment Related Services.

Proposals are due by 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.

For more details and submission information, visit: www.alleghenycounty.us/ Human-Services/Resources/ Doing-Business/Solicitations-(RFP/RFQ/RFI).aspx.

Marc Cherna Director Allegheny County Department of Human Services Services

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MARCH 18-24, 2020

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Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

ARTICLE 1 – ADVERTISEMENT 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 April 21, 2020 and will be publicly opened and read immediately thereafter at the same address. 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. Bids received or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the advertised time for the submission of Bids shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for Award.

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TUNNEL LIGHTING AND CONDUIT REPLACEMENT CONTRACT NO. SYS-20-02 The Work of this Project includes, but is not limited to, the furnishing of all supervision, material, equipment, tools and labor for the installation of new tunnel LED luminaires with stainless steel conduit, tunnel emergency blue lights, power receptacles and associated hardware in the Central Business District Tunnel.

Bid Documents will be available for public inspection and may be obtained on or after ednesday, arch 1 , at Authority’s offices at the following address: 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 compact disk upon payment of $15 per CD. 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 may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and/or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Authority, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, as may be amended, reuire that certified Diverse Businesses “DBs” have the ma imum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts for this Project. In this regard, all Bidders shall make good faith efforts in accordance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, to ensure that DBs have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts. Bidders shall also not discriminate 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 contracts for this Project. If aid is required to involve DBs in the Work, Bidders are to contact Authority’s DB Program Manager at (412) 566-5257.

The Bidder’s attention is directed to the following contacts for Bidder’s questions: Procedural Questions Regarding Bidding: David Hart - Port Authority (412) 566-5415 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: David Hart dhart@portauthority.org In addition, the Bidder’s attention is directed to the following schedule of activities for preparation of its Bid: 9:00 AM March 25, 2020 Pre-Bid Conference Port Authority of Allegheny County Heinz 57 Center 5th Floor Neal Holmes Board Room 345 Sixth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 (Attendance is mandatory) Pre-Bid Site Tour [immediately following the Pre-Bid Conference] All Participants must wear safety vests and proper footwear.

1:30 p.m. April 21, 2020 Bids Due Purchasing and Materials Management Department Authority reserves the right to reject any or all Bids ARTICLE 2 – PRE-BID CONFERENCE A Pre-Bid Conference may be held with prospective Bidders to review the Bid Documents and generally discuss the Project. The time and place will be specified in the Advertisement. All Bidders are encouraged to submit their questions in writing to the respective individuals listed in the Advertisement prior to the time specified in the Advertisement for the re-Bid Conference. A response may be provided during the Pre-Bid Conference or by Addendum thereafter.

ARTICLE 3 – PRE-BID TOUR If a site tour is to be conducted covering the area(s) of the Work, it will be held at the date and time indicated in the Advertisement.

ARTICLE 4 – PUBLIC OPENING OF BIDS Bids will be publicly opened and announced at the advertised time and place set for such Bid opening.

America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

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Bids/Proposals

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ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR Professional Physical Capital Needs Assessment (PCNA) & Energy Audit Services for the Manchester Redevelopment ARMDC RFP #2020-30-REBID

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHER INSPECTIONS and MAINTENANCE IFB #300-04-20

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA MARCH 12, 2020 The Office of the County Controller of Allegheny County, Room 104, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA., will receive separate and sealed Bids until 11:00 A.M. prevailing local time, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, and a representative of the Department of Public Works will open and read the Proposals in the old oom, oom 410, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA., one-half hour later, 11:30 A.M., for the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS LATERAL SUPPORT OF MCOY ROAD NORTHWEST OF DUNN STREET MCCOY ROAD STOWE TOWNSHIP COUNTY PROJECT NO: 61960201 As a prospective bidder please note the following general Project information regarding Pre-Bid Information, Bidding Requirements, and Contract Conditions. See the Project Manual and Drawings for detailed information, responsibilities and instructions.

PRE-BID INFORMATION: View the roposal, pecifications and Drawings at the Office of the Contract Manager, Room 504, County Office Building, ittsburgh, A. The non-refundable charge for the Proposal and a disc containing the pecifications and Drawings is $107.00 including sales tax.

The Contract Manager will accept only check or money order to the “CO NT O A N ” in that amount and WILL NOT ACCEPT CASH OR EXTEND CREDIT. The Department of Public Works will hold a Pre-Bid Meeting on Thursday, March 24, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 505 County Office Building Further details of this Project, Bidding Requirements, and Contract Conditions are available on the Allegheny County Website (www.alleghenycounty.us); click overnment, ublic orks and Facilities Management, Public Works, Bids and Proposals.

The Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation (ARMDC) hereby request proposals from ualified irms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Professional Physical Capital Needs Assessment (PCNA) & Energy Audit Services for the Manchester Redevelopment The documents will be available no later than March 16, 2020 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 11:00 a.m., April 9, 2020 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 may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Chief Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www. hacp.org A pre-submission meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Conference Room Pittsburgh, PA 15219 March 26, 2020 11:00 A.M. The Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation strongly encourage certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

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

Caster D. Binion, President & CEO Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation ARMDC & HACP conduct business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

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E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/ Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations: Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication

To Pittsburgh’s African American community, the Courier is family.

Subscribe today by calling 412-481-8302 ext. 134

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The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from ualified irms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Fire Extinguisher Inspections and Maintenance IFB #300-04-20 The documents will be available no later than March 9, 2020 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 11:00 A.M. on March 27, 2020 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, at which time they will be opened and read aloud.

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

Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Dept.

100 Ross Street 2nd. Fl. Ste. 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 March 19, 2020 10:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

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

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

BID

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, in partnership with the City of Pittsburgh, is accepting bids for the Allegheny Commons North Promenade Rehabilitation-Segment A Construction Project. Sealed bids must be received by April 10, 2020 at 2PM EST at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, 45 South 23rd St, Suite 101, 15203, where they will be publicly opened on the same day at 3PM. For the complete Invitation to Bid visit www.pittsburghparks.org/ ac or the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy office. Bid submissions must be made in accordance with the instructions, terms, and conditions described in the complete Invitation to Bid and Bid Package. There will be an optional pre-bid conference at the project site on March 26th, 2020 at 2PM. The Bid Package (Project Manual and Drawings) will be available on March 17, 2020 from Accu-Copy Reprographics at https://planroom.accu-copy.com/ public.php.

Chelsa Wagner Controller County of Allegheny NOTICE TO PROPOSERS The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA) will receive proposals for Solid Waste Services at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center D CC as identified below. The agreement for this work will be with the SEA. The Request for Proposals may be obtained after the date identified below from r. oseph arcia –E-mail:jgarcia@pittsburghcc. com, Telephone: 412-660-7486 Project: Solid Waste Services RFP Available: February 24, 2020 Time/Date/Location Pre-Proposal Meeting:11:00 AM, Wed., March 11, 2020 DLCC, East Lobby 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pgh, PA 15222 Date/Location for Proposals: 2:00 PM, Tues., March 24, 2020 DLCC, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd Pgh, PA 15222

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Corona confusion and March Madness (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Basketball fans were looking forward to March Madness, those weeks when the best college teams face off against each other. Madness is replete this March, but it isn’t on the basketball courts.

The dangerous coronavirus which can be transmitted by a cough, a touch, or “direct contact” is spreading all over the world. It is madness that the United States, which loves to brag about our world superiority, comes up short when it comes to coronavirus testing.

Many who have been exposed to the virus have not been tested because test kits are in short supply. In reaction, March Madness has been canceled, as has professional basketball and other sports. In New York and other locations, public safety prohibits large gatherings, causing St. Patrick’s Day parades to be canceled. Broadway is likely to go dark because of the prohibition of groups of more than five hundred people, and most Broadway theaters hold more than a thousand people. Some colleges and universities have told students to stay home for spring break and offered online classes. Some K-12 schools are closed for weeks because of the virus. And

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary millions of workers have been told they should work from home because of the virus. All of these factors contribute to the volatile stock market; all of the gains shareholders realized since 2016 have now been wiped out.

Much of this might have been avoided, but for the fact that 45 did not initially take this virus seriously.

Instead, when informed of this pandemic, the President’s initial reaction was a wholly vacuous assurance that the virus was “just like the flu,” and would go away “when it gets hot.”

Instead, the repercussions from the coronavirus are massive. The stock market tanked during the week when 45 first dismissed the virus, and then imposed travel restrictions, preventing some people from traveling to the United States.

The spread of the coronavirus reveals weaknesses in the armor of the country, some describe as “the greatest country” in the world. The coronavirus has been declared a pandemic, a world emergency. The United States is woefully unprepared to manage this emergency. The focus of this administration has been to slash the public sector and provide tax breaks for the wealthy. Public health (or any other kind) has not been a priority for this administration. Managing a world pandemic is beyond the capacity of the private sector.

Both Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have given substantive speeches on their approach to this coronavirus.

Unlike the President, these Democrats were concerned with the children who get school lunch when schools are closed. They were concerned with the contingent workers who won’t get paid when they don’t work, unlike government and other employees who will be paid no matter what. Both Biden and Sanders talked about the weakness in our public health system, and the ways that hospitals will be burdened if this virus gets worse. Yet, 45 addressed this matter with a pithy eleven-minute speech that was full of outright lies and misinformation.

When 45 campaigned four years ago, he said he’d fix infrastructure, which is a bipartisan issue. As soon as he entered the Oval Office, the infrastructure plan was forgotten. A strong and resilient public health system should be part of our infrastructure. Instead, that sector has been ignored by an administration that would rather feather the nests of billionaires than ensure that everyone who has been exposed to the coronavirus can be tested.

The National Society of Civil Engineers issues a report card on our nation’s infrastructure every two or three years. The most recent report card, from 2017, gives us a D+ grade on our infrastructure, our highways and bridges, public buildings and waterways, and more. We get a D+, and yet some brag about our “greatness.”

Once we were a world leader, but now we are a laughingstock, especially when our country has abdicated from leadership, blaming the pandemic on China and Europe. Anyone who understands globalization knows that our countries are intertwined, and there are no borders strong enough to eliminate disease.

Will March Madness turn into Adversity April and Miserable May? Will the Congress pass measures that will ameliorate the effects of this virus on our health, and on our economy? Candidates Biden and Sanders have offered ideas to minimize the impact of the coronavirus. Is anybody paying attention?

(Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, media contributor and educator.)

FORUM

Labor pains of progressives Let me test your lot of Ocasio-Cortez’s memory.

J. Pharoah Doss political statements Do you remember were incorrect. Do ACORN (Associayou remember her tion of Communidefiant response? ty Organizations She said, the fact for Reform Now)? checkers were “missThe organization ing the forest for the focused on voter trees”, there’s a lot registration, afof people more confordable housing, cerned about being and increasing the minimum wage. precisely, factually, and semantically ACORN dissolved in 2010 after a vidcorrect instead of being morally right. eo surfaced of ACORN staff members The next month Ocasio-Cortez played coaching a couple to defraud the IRS. an activist role in Amazon’s decision not Before ACORN’s demise the organizato build its new headquarters in New tion sued California in order to be exYork. The Amazon deal would have empt from the state’s minimum wage provided the city with 25,000 jobs with requirement.

ACORN argued, the an average annual salary of $150,000, more they must pay each individual but Ocasio-Cortez opposed the Amazon outreach worker … The fewer outreach deal because $3 billion in tax breaks workers they could hire. But at the was offered to the corporate giant. Ocsame time ACORN demanded for emasio-Cortez told reporters after Amazon ployers that signed contracts with govpulled out the deal, “If we were willing ernment agencies to pay their employto give away $3 billion in this deal, we ees higher than the minimum wage could invest that $3 billion in our disbecause it was morally right. trict ourselves, if we wanted to. We could ACORN’s lawsuit was unsuccessful. hire out more teachers. We could fix our Do you remember in 2016 when Calsubways. We can put a lot of people to ifornia’s democratic governor signed work for that money.” But Bill de Blasio, a bill to increase the minimum wage New York’s Democratic mayor, explained against the objections of small busiOcasio-Cortez had no idea what she was ness owners who couldn’t afford to talking about. There wasn’t $3 billion pay it? Do you remember what the given to Amazon. The $3 billion went governor said at his celebratory press back in tax incentives after the city got conference? He stated, the minimum the jobs and the revenue. wage increase might not make sense But I guess Mayor de Blasio was too economically, but it makes sense morconcerned about being “precisely, factually. ally, and semantically correct” instead of Now, I’ve heard the phrase—the end being morally right. justifies the means—but I’ve never Finally, last month, Cenk Uygur, creheard— the end justifies the moral. ator of the progressive news network Do you remember Baltimore’s demoThe Young Turks, (Uygur was also a cratic mayor Catherine Pugh (2016congressional candidate in California’s 2019)?

As a candidate Pugh anrecent democratic primary) discovered nounced, “I am aware of the current that the employees at The Young Turks initiative to raise the minimum wage had intentions to form a union. Uygur in the city council to $15 an hour and called a staff meeting and urged the emwhen it reaches my desk, I will sign it.” ployees not to unionize. Uygur argued But as Mayor, she didn’t sign it. Afthat a union does not belong at small, inter extensive economic research, Pugh dependent, outlets like The Young Turks, said the economic repercussions were if there had been a union at the network potentially dangerous enough to harm it would not have grown the way it did. the entire city. Pugh told the press Uygur explained a unionized work force Baltimore would become “a hole in the would bring new legal and bureaucratic doughnut” if a $15 minimum wage becost that his company couldn’t sustain. came the requirement.

But Uygur supports unions at large corWas it immoral of Mayor Pugh to porations that aren’t profit sharing with make economic sense? their workers.

Do you remember Alexandria OcaThere’s an old saying: Practice what sio-Cortez’s 60 Minutes interview in you preach or preach what you practice.

2019? Interviewer Anderson Cooper Progressives do neither. pointed out that fact-check proved a

Check It Out

Historically Black Colleges and Universities are an American asset Vice President Mike Kay C. James and Pence’s recent visit to Hampton University’s Proton Therapy Institute drew virtually no national media attention, but it should have.

Sure, it offered no political drama.

Such visits appear routine. Yet this visit highlighted an important initiative that has been largely overlooked: ensuring the continued success of our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at a time when declining enrollment and financial struggles threaten their existence.

For more than a century, HBCUs have played an essential role in America’s higher education system. They provided an education for Black Americans at a time when they were excluded from segregated universities. Even after desegregation, students who daily endured hostilities and humiliations in desegregated schools found acceptance at HBCUs. They met professors and administrators who cared about them, who knew the struggles they faced, and who were deeply invested in their success.

In the post-slavery era, abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass stressed the importance of education for every Black person, declaring that education was another form of emancipation for newly freed Blacks—emancipation from a life of ignorance. Education also meant emancipation from a life of poverty, as students learned the skills they needed to get good jobs, be truly independent, and earn a living for themselves and their families. Douglass’ words apply today just as they did over 130 years ago.

Today, HBCUs continue to play a critical role in providing a quality education to Black Americans and those of all races, serving hundreds of thousands of students across the country. By honoring Black traditions and Black history and also understanding the unique challenges that some minorities experience, HBCUs provide an environment that many students find more conducive to their success. The data back this up, showing that HBCUs do a better job of helping young minorities develop the skills they need to have fulfilling careers, with graduates often ending up in the top 20 percent of income earners.

Vice President Pence’s visit to Hampton University was about more than witnessing the ground-breaking scien-

tific work being done at its Proton Therapy Institute.

His visit also shined a light on something of which few Americans are aware: the positive role that Hampton and other HBCUs have played in American history and will continue to play.

Hampton’s Proton Therapy Institute is just one example. It’s one of the largest proton therapy centers in the world and is producing new scientific discoveries and innovations. Proton therapy has changed the way we treat a variety of cancers by delivering doses of highly targeted radiation to tumors while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.

This kind of innovation isn’t surprising. Students at HBCUs represent just one-tenth of one percent of all college students in America, yet these schools produce 22 percent of all science, technology, engineering, and math bachelor’s degrees earned by Black American students. These are the kinds of degrees that bring us such incredible advances like proton therapy.

Despite this, financial struggles have been a constant problem for many of the nation’s 100-plus HBCUs, so the Trump administration has been taking steps to ease the burden and enable these schools to stay focused on their core mission.

Early in his presidency, President Trump issued an executive order to create a White House initiative to promote excellence and innovation at HBCUs. Then in 2018, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos canceled the repayment of more than $300 million in federal relief loans that four HBCUs took out in 2005 in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. More recently, President Trump signed the bipartisan FUTURE Act to provide more than $250 million a year for 10 years to HBCUs. This isn’t just good news for HBCUs, this is good news for America. With the administration highlighting the accomplishments of HBCUs through visits like Vice President Pence’s to Hampton, the American people can better appreciate the kind of return they’re getting on their investment and can begin to see how these institutions are not only creating brighter futures for minority students, but for the entire nation.

(Kay C. James, a graduate of Hampton University, is president of The Heritage Foundation. Dr. Harry L. Williams is president & CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.)

Harry L. Williams

Commentary

MARCH 18-24, 2020

B7

Jesse Jackson Sr.

Commentary Why I support Sen. Bernie Sanders (TriceEdneyWire.com)—I am proud to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders for president of the United States. While I consider Joe Biden, his opponent for the Democratic Party nomination, a decent man, I stand with Sanders.

Here is why. I stand with Sanders because it is vital that President Donald Trump be voted out of office in November. Poll after poll has shown that Bernie Sanders leads Trump, generally with a greater margin than other contenders.

Sanders has the highest popular approval rating of any public official in America.

That is not because he is warm and fuzzy.

It is because people know that he tells it like it is. Integrity and credibility are two essential attributes in taking on a con man like Donald Trump who lies constantly.

Sanders has the history, the vision and the platform to defeat Trump.

He is best situated to expose Trump’s fake populism. He voted against the corporate trade treaties—and can expose the president’s broken promise to workers on trade. He opposed the war in Iraq—and can expose Trump’s broken promise to end the forever wars. He led the call to build an economy that works for working people—and can expose the reality that what Trump calls the best economy ever still does not work for most Americans.

Sanders champions an agenda that will address the fundamental challenges facing working people. That includes Medicare for All to ensure that health care is a right, not a privilege—something particularly imperative in the age of coronavirus.

A Green New Deal that addresses the existential threat of climate change while creating millions of good jobs. Tuition free college and large investment in education and advanced training so that every child can get the education he or she needs. A $15 minimum wage, politics to empower workers and unions, and a trade policy that works for working people. Comprehensive immigration reform, universal childcare, criminal justice reform to end mass incarceration and more.

Sanders will beat Trump by summoning America to a new day, not by calling for a return to yesterday. Democrats cannot defeat Trump without inspiring young people to come out and vote in large numbers. Sanders is the only candidate who has inspired a new generation and earned their overwhelming support. In the face of Trump, many seek shelter in the safe, the establishment, the so-called moderate. We should not forget the record of moderate, establishment candidates—from Walter Mondale in 1984to Mike Dukakis in 1988 to Hillary Clinton in 2016.Democrats do not fare well as the party of Wall Street or the credit card companies.

We win when we bring the working class and the middle class together, when we stand for diversity against division, for the poor against greed. No candidate has done more to forge that coalition than Bernie Sanders. Dr. Martin Luther King would be proud that African American voters are called the “black firewall” in the 2020 campaign. He would ask a simple question: What will be the return on the firewall’s investment? With the exception of Native Americans, African Americans are the people suffering the greatest social and economic distress in the United States.

Our needs are not moderate.

The most progressive social and economic path gives us the best chance to catch up and Sanders represents that path. Biden is a decent man, but he has a different record.

We said no to Clarence Thomas, he said yes.

We said no to the Crime Bill, he championed it. We said no to the Iraq War, he cheered it on. We favored affirmative action, he sought to limit it. Biden has done well among African American voters largely because he is seen as connected to Barack Obama. Yet he was placed on the ticket to balance it, not to enhance it. Biden has offered no vision and no bold reforms. He offers safe haven and moderation. But his moderation does little to address the pain of African Americans, or of working people generally. What does moderate mean when people don’t have affordable health care?

Or when students are crushed by debt in order to get an education? Or when workers are undermined by trade treaties written in executive suites? Sanders, on the other hand, is called a radical, a man of the left. But he represents not the left wing, but the moral center. Health care for all is the moral center. Tuition free college is the moral center. A Middle East policy that recognizes both Israel and Palestine, the moral center. When he asked for my endorsement, I expressed my concerns about pressing issues. Sanders was happy to confirm his commitment to almost all of them, ranging from Medicare for All, to a wealth tax that would provide funds to reinvest in America, to large-scale investment in public education, to ensuring that every teacher is paid at least $60,000 per year, to putting an African American woman on the Supreme Court, to promising an end to endless wars. In 1988 when I ran for president championing a Medicare for All plan, Sanders, then mayor of Burlington, endorsed me. Now I am proud to stand with him not only because he stood with me, but because he stands with working people across this country.

NATIONAL

B8 MARCH 18-24, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

On NAACP phone conference, Surgeon General appeals for trust

By Hazel Trice Edney For New Pittsburgh Courier

(TriceEdneyWire.com) —American life as usual has drastically come to a halt around the nation and world due to the Corona virus that has infected approximately 4,900 in 49 states and the District of Columbia at this writing. Churches, schools, sports events; even graduations and other large and even small gatherings are being postponed to abate the spread of the virus.

There have been 95 deaths reported (1.9 percent) with the hardest hit states being Washington State, New York and California. West Virginia is the only state that had not reported any infections as of March 17. Washington and New York are the hardest hit states, both with more than 900 cases each. California follows with 450 cases.

According to the World Health Organization, symptoms may include runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, pneumonia, and difficulty breathing in the most severe cases.

But none of these facts are any good unless the people hearing them trust the people stating them. That’s the reason the NAACP held a Sunday evening teleconference that engaged more than 21,000 people March 15. What the listeners may not have expected was the matter-offact, straight to the point introduction of himself

by U. S. Attorney General Dr. Jerome Adams: “Many of you don’t know me and frankly some of you don’t have a lot of trust in me or this administration. So, I’m going to take just a quick moment to give you some background,” he began.

“I personally grew up in a rural mostly White Southern community. I benefitted from WIC, reduced lunch and other government assistance.

All four of my grandparents died prematurely from chronic disease, my brother’s incarcerated due to his problems with and struggles with substance misuse; my mother had a major stroke last year and I’m currently on eight different medications myself.”

Adams continued, “I know what it’s like growing up poor, Black and with minimal access to health care. And I’m personally experiencing the life-long impacts that stem from that. I want you all to know I don’t affiliate with a party and I didn’t take my current job, which pays a whole lot less than being an anesthesiologist does, for political reasons. I’m a Christian and I believe God doesn’t put you where you’ll be comfortable. He puts you where he needs you to be.”

He concluded, “Our issue as people of color are too important to go four years without representation in the highest levels of government. And I have personally had faith that I am put where I am most needed. That said,

I spent my life fighting and will keep fighting for the poor, the disadvantaged, the people of color, and I—along with the other health officials on the coronavirus task force…but I want you to hear it from me. I hope I can earn your trust.”

Adams’ words were quite timely given that President Donald Trump who appointed him had, early in the coronavirus spread, publicly dismissed it as a “Democratic hoax.” The now pandemic, which Trump has described as “bad”, has resulted in Trump and top federal medical experts, including Adams, standing front and center on almost a daily basis giving updates on the spread, now declared a “National Emergency”

by Trump.

The key now is mitigation, Adams said. “Mitigation means limiting the impact within our communities by social distancing and also protecting the most vulnerable,” Adams said.

According to Coronavirus.gov, the following are the strongest ways to protect yourself: * Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. * If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

* Avoid t o u c h ing your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. * Avoid close contact with people who are sick. * Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick. * Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.

Learn what to do if you are sick. * Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. * Throw used tissues in the trash; then immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. * If you are sick: You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If

DR. JEROME ADAMS, U. S. SURGEON GENERAL you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then you should do your best to cover your coughs and sneezes, and people who are caring for you should wear a facemask if they enter your room. Learn what to do if you are sick.

Adams also suggested connecting with each other through Facetime and skype in order to continue social connections and “establish buddy systems” and check in on elderly and vulnerable people by phone to make sure they are alright.

“Connections can give people strength to keep

up and fight a national threat. There are resources for managing stress and anxiety at CDC.gov or Coronavirus. gov and the Hotline number 1-800-985-5990.”

According to his official bio, Adams, the 20th surgeon general of the U. S. called, the “Nation’s Doctor”, has a bachelor’s degrees in both biochemistry and psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a master of public health degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and a medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine.

Report: companies owned by women of color account for 89 percent of all new women-owned businesses

by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—Crystal Etienne is a businesswoman, wife, and mother of two children.

She’s also the founder of Ruby Love, a $10 million personal care company that she built in just four years.

“My dream was to always work for myself,” Etienne, a New York native, stated in an email to NNPA Newswire.

“However, I did have thoughts about going to law school. Understanding the political side of things, certain laws, and the rights of those around me always excited me, especially if I felt someone was wronged,” she said.

“I ended up going a different route and landed a job in finance,” Etienne continued. “Math, equations, and anything that had to do with business was something I was always good at. It was my strong suit, which is ironic because I disliked accounting and finance as a student.”

But her dreams have come true, she said. “The end goal was to always work for myself,” Etienne stated. “I am now in a position to make my own decisions and take control of my course in life.”

Etienne’s success helps to underscore a growing trend highlighted in the most recent State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, which noted that women of color account for 89 percent (1,625) of the new businesses opened every day over the past year.

The annual report, based on U.S. Census Bureau data adjusted by Gross Domestic Product data, found that women-owned businesses continue to trend above all others.

Over the past five years,

CRYSTAL ETIENNE the number of women-owned businesses increased by 21 percent, while all enterprises increased by only 9 percent.

Total employment by women-owned businesses rose 8 percent. At the same time, to all companies, the increase was far lower at 1.8 percent, and total revenue for women-owned businesses also rose slightly above all others: 21 percent compared to 20 percent, respectively.

The State of Women-Owned Businesses Report also found that as work has trended toward side hustles and the gig economy, so had female entrepreneurship.

Over the last five years, growth in the number of women “sidepreneurs”

grew nearly twice as fast percent compared to 32 46 percent for Latina/ Hispanic women, and 36 as the overall growth in percent.

When looking at specific percent among Native female entrepreneurship: Americans/Alaska Native businesswomen.

The annual report, based on U.S. Census The report concluded that women of color Bureau data adjusted by Gross Domes- are starting businesses 4.5 times the avertic Product data, found that women-owned at age rate, and, in nearly businesses continue to trend above all oth- every category, women color are leading the ers. Over the past five years, the number of of women-owned business women-owned businesses increased by 21 charge.

The rise in businesses percent, while all enterprises increased by owned by women of color could correlate to the only 9 percent. power they’ve displayed 39 percent to 21 percent. minority groups over the at the ballot box.

Since 2000, the number Minority women are last five years, growth responsible for a large in sidepreneurship is up of eligible women of colportion of that growth 99 percent among Afri- or voters has increased from 2014-2019, where can American women, by 59 percent—a gain of “sidepreneurship” among compared to 70 percent more than 13 million pominority women-owned for Native Hawaiian and tential voters, according businesses was two times Pacific Islanders, 63 per- to the Center for AmerProgress (CAP). higher than others: 65 cent for Asian Americans, ican

Black, Latina, Native American, Multiracial, and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women voters are emerging as a collective powerhouse, CAP officials stated.

In CAP’s “Women of Color: A Powerhouse in the U.S. Electorate,” report, authors Danyelle Solomon and Connor Maxwell used new survey data to explore the voter eligibility, electoral participation, and distinct interracial and intraracial policy perspectives of women of color.

The report examined a host of issues from health care and economic inequality to public safety, racial and gender discrimination, and immigration.

“In the past decade, the voter-eligible population of women of color increased six times faster than that of white women, yet candidates, journalists, and policymakers rarely acknowledge their ability to affect elections,” stated Solomon, the vice president of Race and Ethnicity Policy at the CAP, and co-author of the report.

“Women of color are the canaries in the coal mine.

When you center them in your policymaking agenda, outcomes for all Americans will improve.

Continuing to ignore the policy priorities of this powerhouse of voters will only further undermine the health of our democracy and further exacerbate racial and gender inequalities,” Solomon stated.

“This report affirms what we already know: Women of color are an important —and growing—a catalyst for change in our democracy,” said Aimee Allison, the founder and president of She the People.