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TAKE THIS VIRUS SERIOUSLY Local African American news anchor tests positive for COVID-19 Page A3

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www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 111 No. 14

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APRIL 1-7, 2020

COVID-19, NOVEL CORONAVIRUS

PANDEMIC OR NOT, MAIL DELIVERY CONTINUES African Americans play a prime role in Pittsburgh’s Postal Service

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Rain or shine, sleet or snow, and apparently, even with a coronavirus pandemic that has nearly shut down the U.S., one thing never stops.

Mail delivery.

With Pittsburgh, along with the rest of the country, entirely focused on the destructive COVID-19 bug that is being described by some as the “invisible enemy,” opening your front door and seeing today’s mail in your mailbox is a pleasant surprise.

But of course it wasn’t a robot that brought it to your home. It was a man or woman from the United States Postal Service, some of whom across the country are happy to get the mail to you, but angry about its employer not ensuring their safety against the coronavirus outbreak.

The New Pittsburgh Courier’s J.L. Martello on

March 23 talked with Dana Harris, a Hill District resident who delivers mail on the North Side. He’s not among those who feel as though the USPS is putting him in harm’s way.

“To be honest, I feel like maybe we’re blowing it out of proportion a bit,” Harris told Martello about the coronavirus pandemic as a whole. “Of course we need to take the necessary precautions, but I feel like some people are just…too riled up about it. Take the precautions, clean up, don’t touch your face, make sure your hands are clean, sanitize, but all the buying out the stores of toilet paper, and conspiracy theories, I feel like it’s a bit much. We still have to maintain peace and some type of civility.”

But other USPS workers across the country were so fed up with the company that they placed an online petition demanding that the USPS ensures “rights and safety for employees

DANA HARRIS, a letter carrier for the North Side with the U.S. Postal Service, says he’s primarily concerned about those spreading “misinformation” about coronavirus. (Photo by J.L. Martello) and customers” during the pandemic.

The petition, which has more than 77,000 signatures, demanded that “employees who are at high risk (including those 65 or older, those with chronic long-term illnesses, and

those with compromised immune systems) or who live with and care for high risk individuals, should be given leave with full pay for the duration of the pandemic.”

The petition also demanded “hazard pay at time and

a half the rate they would otherwise be paid,” and “emergency protocols must be put in place to ensure the safety of employees and customers alike.” The petition read that direct delivery should be suspended to nursing homes, assisted

living facilities, clinics and “other locations where carriers may come into contact with vulnerable populations or with people who already have the virus.”

The petition also read: “By continuing to work as SEE POSTAL SERVICE A2

Essay contest gives youth a voice in the fight against community violence

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

What do you think could be done to change the violence in your neighborhood? What kind of plan would you develop to stop violence in your community?

Those were the two questions local youth were asked to answer for an essay contest recently sponsored by the Pittsburgh chapter of Black Women for Positive Change.

Violence in communities is a topic that’s necessary to tackle. The New Pittsburgh Courier, for more than a decade, has “aired the com-

SRILEKHA SAPRAM, a junior at Gateway High School, won first-place honors in an essay contest sponsored by the Pittsburgh chapter of Black Women for Positive Change.

munity’s dirty laundry,” so to speak, by placing on its front page a running total each month of how many Black lives were lost in Allegheny County due to homicide. The Courier has consistently advocated for violence to cease, but particularly in Black communities in Pittsburgh and neighboring areas.

In a release sent to the Courier by Maureen Anderson, with Black Women for Positive Change, “Many of the (essay contest) participants shared firsthand experiences of the loss of a loved one or the fear they carry with them after having a ‘close call’ with gun violence,” she said. “These insightful writers consistently honed in on the painful truth that this has been the norm for everyone they know for as long as they have been alive, and questioned why, over the generations, have the adults, both in their community or in positions of power, not taken the steps necessary to keep them safe.”

Richard M. Carrington Sr., executive director of Voices Against Violence and a veteran with more than 30 years of experience in street-level gang and violence intervention, said that the essays from the students “cut right to the heart,” in the press release.

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DARRYL STRONG, a seventh-grade student at Manchester Academic Charter School, won honorable mention in an essay contest sponsored by Black Women for Positive Change. He’s pictured with Carla Knight, left, a MACS teacher, and Phylissa Thomas, MACS middle school principal.

“I work daily with the repercussions of violence, the senseless loss of life and potential, and these young people are absolutely right.

We aren’t doing enough to ensure they are safe and give them the promise of a brighter future. As communities and leaders, we can do more. It is a matter of life and death for our children.”

Srilekha Sapram, a 17-year-old junior at Gateway High School, won first-place in the competition. Her essay analyzed

violence not just at a community level, but also nationally and globally. Her essay addressed racism and stressors like social media, and she noted the need for improvements in education and access to and acceptance of mental health care. Tkai Ekunfeo, a freshman at South Allegheny High School, was awarded second-place and attends South Allegheny High School as a fourteenyear-old freshman. Ekunfeo’s essay essay focused on the need to “refurbish”

distressed areas; mindfully select, train, and assign police officers; and for youth “anti-violence” programs.

Central Catholic High School freshman Aiden Nicholas took home thirdplace honors. In his essay, he proposed creating a new organization, called ZEAL, which would not only cultivate a stronger sense of community but also provide forums for the discussion of issues and concerns.

Honorable Mention was awarded to Darryl Strong, a 12-year-old seventh grad-

er at Manchester Academic Charter School, who advocated for youth activism in reaching out to people with power to discuss violence, gun laws, availability of drug treatment options, and fair wages, according to the news release.

Diane Powell, Co-Chair of the Pittsburgh chapter of Black Women for Positive Change and creator of the essay contest, said that it was “important to seek the student voice SEE ESSAY CONTEST A2

METRO

A2 APRIL 1-7, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

COVID-19, NOVEL CORONAVIRUS

PANDEMIC OR NOT, MAIL DELIVERY CONTINUES POSTAL SERVICE FROM A1

normal, postal employees are put at great risk of contracting the virus and/or spreading it to customers. If the Postal Service fails to act swiftly and boldly, many employees and customers alike will die as a result, and countless more will suffer illness. The gravity of this can hardly be overstated.”

When Harris is at Pittsburgh’s Main Post Office location on the North Side, “they’ve basically pushed for more cleanliness, more frequent handwashing,” and he said that only employees can touch the scanner that weighs the mail packages at the counter. USPS management, according to Harris, holds daily service talks “on the best way to avoid catching the virus, what to do if we get the virus and how to handle the public if they ask us about the virus.”

Of the more than 325 people in Allegheny County who have tested positive for coronavirus, there have been no reports as to anyone within the local Postal Service community that’s been infected. But across the country, it’s quite the opposite. In early March, a Postal Service employee at the Seattle Network

Distribution Center, in Washington state, tested positive for COVID-19.

On March 25, it was reported in Portland, Ore., media outlets that two Postal Service employees in that region have COVID-19. One of the employees is a letter carrier, the other works at the Portland Processing and Distribution Center plant.

Also on March 25, an employee who works at the Main Post Office in Tyler, Tex., tested positive for coronavirus. In a release from the USPS in that region, the employee did not have direct contact with the public, and, “We believe the risk is low for employees who work at the Tyler Main Post Office,” the release read.

And on the same day, in North Syracuse, N.Y., there were reports that an employee at the local USPS Facility and Processing Center tested positive for COVID-19.

Roughly 40 Postal Service employees have contracted coronavirus across the country, according to numerous reports.

The Courier spoke with a letter carrier based out of the East Liberty branch on March 26. She wanted to remain anonymous, but told the Courier

that “we’re all concerned” when asked about fellow letter carriers possibly contracting COVID-19.

She expressed that she and others, for all intents and purposes, “took an oath” to continue to get the mail to residents during these trying times.

Harris, the letter carrier for parts of the North Side, said he wasn’t as concerned about contracting the virus as he was about people “spreading misinformation.

Make sure you have the right information before you spread it…that can rile people up more, cause more panic,” he told the Courier.

On March 22, the USPS released a statement that it is “offering liberal leave and have worked with our postal unions to temporarily expand leave options for our employees.”

USPS also has instructed its letter carriers to “step back a safe distance or close the screen door/ door so that they may leave the item in the mail receptacle or appropriate location by the customer door.”

There is no evidence that COVID-19 is being spread through the mail, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World

Health Organization and the U.S. Surgeon General.

Catching COVID-19 “from a package that has been moved, traveled, and been exposed to different conditions and temperature” is low, the World Health Organization has said. Coronaviruses have a “poor survivability” on surfaces, especially those that are on “products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures,” the CDC has added.

Better to be safe than sorry, though. Many local Postal Service employees are wearing gloves as they deliver the mail, or inside a post office location with the public. The Courier spotted Harris sporting a pair of black surgical gloves during his route on March 23.

Harris said more people ask him during his route these days about the latest information on the pandemic. He lets them know the latest news.

When he gets back to the Main Post Office after his route is complete, for the most part, it’s “business as usual,” he said, with one exception.

“A lot more jokes at the office,” Harris told the Courier. “People tend to laugh to keep from pan- DANA HARRIS, a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service on the North Side. (Photo by Courier photographer J.L. Martello) icking.”

Domino’s Pizza locations across Pittsburgh looking to hire more than 100 team members Full-time and part-time positions available The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Domino’s Pizza franchise-owned locations are looking to hire more than 100 new team members across more than 39 stores throughout Greater Pittsburgh. The positions include delivery drivers, customer service representatives, assistant managers and managers.

As the coronavirus pandemic has forced thousands of restaurants to close their dine-in services, it has increased business for mostly-take out locations such as Domino’s.

“Domino’s works hard to serve local communities across the country and Pittsburgh is no different,” said Sheldon Port, a Pittsburgh-area Domino’s franchise owner, in a release sent to the Courier. “Stores across this area are continuing to provide pizza to

those who are looking for a delicious, hot meal, and at times like this, staffing is critical.”

Domino’s stores throughout the U.S. provide a contactless delivery option to customers, while also offering carryout to those who prefer it. To make sure service levels remain strong, Domino’s franchise-owned locations throughout the region need additional team members.

“While many local, state, and federal rules are closing dine-in restaurants, the opportunity to feed our neighbors through delivery and carryout continues,” Port said. “We want to make sure we’re not only providing food to people, but also delivering opportunity to those who are looking for work.”

Those who are interested in applying for a position should visit jobs.dominos.com.

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Essay contest gives youth a voice in the fight against community violence

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SRILEKHA SAPRAM, right, with Gateway high school principal Justin Stephans.

ESSAY CONTEST FROM A1

when addressing concerns in their community. I am incredibly pleased with the responses from the participants, touched by their

stories, and impressed by their practical suggestions.

Violence prevention is a thankless task, but it is literally about protecting

lives. As caring adults, we not only need to listen but also take action to make communities safer for our children.”

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

APRIL 1-7, 2020 A3

WPXI-TV anchor Ryan Houston tests positive for coronavirus Houston feels ‘blessed to be doing as well as I am’

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

WPXI-TV (Channel 11) anchor Ryan Houston is a newcomer to Pittsburgh.

Over the past three months, you’ve seen him primarily anchoring the weekend newscasts, and at times, reporting from the field.

But over the past weeks, Houston’s been absent from the airwaves.

And now, we know why.

In a county of 1.2 million residents, covering 745 square miles, with 130 different municipalities, it’s Houston, the man who gives viewers updates on the coronavirus outbreak, coming down with the virus

himself.

For Houston, it was simply implausible. WPXI made the decision, March 27, to “be as transparent” with the viewers as possible, revealing on-air that one of their anchors had COVID-19.

From his residence, Houston said in a WPXI interview that a few weeks ago,

Dear Partners, Supporters, and Friends: We are living in unprecedented times. As the COVID-19 pandemic forever changes our lives, Real Times Media and the New Pittsburgh Courier are doubling down on our commitment to the community.

Over its 109 years of operation, the New Pittsburgh Courier has seen crisis before, but we’re resilient, we are survivors. As our community transitions to the new normal of being home-bound, we have a heightened responsibility to keep us all together. Through stories, news and updates, we are committed to providing our loyal readers with access to quality content that they can trust—any time, any place.

We are built on the foundation of providing vital information to underserved communities, and now is a time when people need us most. We will not let you down.

We are here, committed to bringing the community the news and information that it needs. We are additionally committed to delivering the value our partners have come to expect. As soon as we are able, our events will resume as well, and we will emerge from this crisis stronger.

These are challenging and sometimes frightening times, but we feel confident that as a company and community, we can get through this together.

Please visit www.newpittsburghcourier.com to stay abreast of the everchanging landscape of the COVID-19 crisis.

Stay safe! Stay healthy!

Rod Doss Editor and Publisher New Pittsburgh Courier

RYAN HOUSTON, weekend anchor for WPXI-TV, tested positive for coronavirus, the station said on a March 27 broadcast. he felt sick. “I was thinking it was just a sinus cold because that’s what it felt like…a headache, sinus pressure, I didn’t have a fever, I wasn’t coughing then, so I was just thinking it was just a regular sinus cold,” Houston said in the interview that aired March 27.

WPXI’s Lisa Sylvester said that a friend of Houston told him to get tested for coronavirus, as Houston had traveled recently.

Houston did get tested on the North Shore, and it took him nine days to get the positive test results back. As he waited for the results, “I couldn’t get out of the bed, my chest start-

ed to harden, it was hard to breathe, I couldn’t sleep at night because I was in pain in any way that I laid down in the bed,” Houston said on WPXI. COVID-19 takes no prisoners. What was found in one man in Washington state a few months ago has brought the U.S. to a stunning halt. As of Tuesday afternoon, March 31, there were 181,099 coronavirus cases in the States, with 3,606 deaths—a numbers that rise by the hour.

In Allegheny County, of which, at the time of Houston’s diagnosis, he was one of 158 county residents with COVID-19, there were

325 confirmed cases with two deaths as of March 31.

Houston will recover from coronavirus. You’ll see him back on WPXI soon. The Arkansas native who came to Pittsburgh from WCPO-TV in Cincinnati is looking forward to returning to the airwaves.

“I feel blessed to be doing as well as I am, especially when I’m on the news and I’m reading how many people have died in China, and how many people are dying in Italy, and now how many people are dying in the U.S.,” Houston said.

“You never think it’s going to be you on the other side of that.”

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APRIL 1-7, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

The Bennett Place Apartments...

February 14, 2020, a day that won’t soon be forgotten at Bennett Place Apartments, 7245 Bennett St. in Homewood.

Deborah L. Brown, the social service coordinator at the apartments, led the way in holding a “Red Carpet 2019 Awards Ceremony” to honor or recognize the residents who have “gone that extra mile” to add quality to their lifestyle, or for someone else. Courier photographer J.L. Martello captured the event in pictures.

ETHEL BROWN

REV. DOROTHY STUBBS

JOANN HARRIS

ROBERT MITCHELL

MICHAEL DERENZO

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APRIL 1-7, 2020

...Red Carpet 2019 Awards Ceremony

A5

Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH Crawford & Centre Ave. Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Sunday Mass 10:30 A.M. www.stbtmchurch.org

East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 116 S. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206

www.cathedralofhope.com

Worship on Sunday: Journey Worship...........8:45 a.m.

Sanctuary Worship...........11 a.m.

Taize -Wednesdays.........7 p.m.

Curious about Quakerism?

You Are Welcome at our Meetings for Worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Pittsburgh Friends Meeting 4836 Ellsworth Avenue

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APRIL 1-7, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

How do you maintain your health and wellness while being quarantined? Black therapists weigh in

by Racquel Coral For New Pittsburgh Courier

During this time of social distancing, it can be frightening and cause increased levels of panic, stress, anxiety, and depression. Schools are closed, and businesses are either shuttered, have asked their employees to work from home, or furloughed their entire staff, forcing people to spend more time indoors to slow down the spread of the deadly virus known as COVID-19.

For introverts, this time of being home can be a dream come true, and for extroverts, this can be their worst nightmare. And while no one knows precisely how long this will continue to go on, one thing’s for sure— Americans across the country have found themselves searching for new and innovative ways to maintain their sanity all while adjusting to this new normal.

Mental health professionals have stressed that along with taking the proper measures to protect oneself from coronavirus, it is also important to take the same amount of care when it comes to preserving mental health and wellness. They have advised remaining calm and participating in activities such as getting fresh air, meditating, staying active, and keeping a routine, as ways to cope during this quarantine season.

Florida resident, Tamia McEwen, Ph.D., CEO of Be Well, Friends, says, “Breathe and find your happy. Allow your breath to bring you back to awareness. Maintain a pleasant disposition and laugh. We tend to gravitate towards worrying, and instead of looking at what everyone is saying about what’s going wrong, choose to focus on the positive aspects of what you can do.”

She also advises, “Be active.

If you can do that, go outside and interact with nature, without an agenda. Walk, breathe, and understand

that maintaining your mental health through what you have access to eat is important as well. Get friendly foods such as leafy greens, ginger, and blueberries help to bolster us. As well as drinking plenty of water.”

“I think the first important thing is to have a schedule, but be OK with switching it up. Don’t feel like you have to do the same thing in the same order. Find variety in the things that you do and break up your day”, says Lauren Jackson, LPC and Founder/CEO of Chicago nonprofit, SLAY. “Take this time to also do some journaling. This is a time for self-reflection. A time to grow, a time to have some ‘me-time’ that we typically don’t get daily. While journaling, talk about the things that you haven’t been able to talk about and find the time and space to make room for them.” For families that have small children or are looking for ways to keep them entertained, Jackson advises, “There’s an app called Happify, and they have tons of activities and

videos for younger children and adolescents. We’re now doing homework with them and e-learning, and it’s im-

people can do to maintain mental health are first to limit the information that you’re watching. A lot of

TAMIA MCEWEN, PH.D., CEO of Be Well, Friends. portant to switch it up with them.” When asked about therapy, Jackson stated, “You can still see your mental health provider. If you have a therapist or even if you don’t have one, many are still working. Some of us are doing teletherapy, especially in the state of Illinois.

The governor has allowed for mental health providers, regardless of license level, to practice online. They are also putting in an emergency order to allow for therapists to practice over the phone, through Skype, Facebook...all different social networks that we didn’t have the authority to use to service someone in the past.

So if you find yourself battling with suicidal thoughts or ideations, we still want you to reach out to your mental health providers.”

Bianca J. Clark, LCSW, LPHA, and Clinical Program Supervisor of General Behavioral for Children/Adolescents and Adults at Chicago’s Metropolitan Family Services, says, “Some things

times, what’s being reported isn’t always correct. Look at different websites or reliable sites that give accurate information. Also, I think it’s important to maintain your daily routine and meditate.

Meditating is important because it helps to connect you with your inner self.” She then went on to say, “In addition to staying connected to yourself, stay connected

with relatives, friends, loved ones. This helps to decrease those feelings of isolation.

So make sure to check on our loved ones, especially the elderly.”

Counseling Graduate Assistant for University of North Carolina Greensboro’s Nicole Osborne says, “With my clients and students, I use a Self-care Wheel. It breaks down self-care into different components and helps with a lot of mental health processing through self-care.

During this time, which can be a blessing and a curse, it helps with reflecting on who you are, how you take care of yourself, and ways in which you want to improve during this time of solitude.

It gives you different ideas that you can further springboard into a way for you to better care for yourself and your goals.”

Osborne also advises, “Shifting your mindset and reframing your thoughts. Instead of saying you’re stuck at home, look at it as being safe at home and spending time with your family. So rather than shifting to a more positive view, shift it to something more beneficial. Or instead of panicking because everything is shutting down, shift your mindset to the fact that the

most important places, such as medical centers, pharmacies, and grocery stores, are still open.” When asked about other ways to take advantage of this time, she went on to say, “Take the time to explore different skills or hobbies that you wouldn’t necessarily have had the time to do. Also, create a balance. If you need a break for a few days, take it.

It’s a form of rest. When you think about all the time you spend working versus resting, this, in a way, is making up for it. And understand that you deserve this break, so don’t feel guilty about it.”

“One of the best ways is to keep a schedule. Especially if you have kids, making sure that they have a consistent routine. Or find different things to do besides being glued to your phones and television. It’s important to find something to do to stimulate your mind.

Maybe that looks like writing, reading a book, or even something as minute as coloring. Whenever we find ourselves with too much idle time, it can cause us

“Instead of saying you’re stuck at home, look at it as being safe at home and spending time with your family.” to go stir crazy,” says Baltimore resident, Brittany Harris, LMSW, TYCM, and Behavioral Health Therapist at The Honeycomb Collective. As far as resources, she says, “I love the Calm app. Also, because I am a yoga instructor as well, and I guide through meditation and yoga, I always recommend that. www.therapyforblackgirls.com is also a great resource, as it has a great directory that can help with finding a therapist. I’m also doing free yoga sessions via Zoom. Knowing that the feelings of being trapped in your home can produce adverse psychological symptoms, this is my way of helping people. The information for that can be found at Instagram.com/ vibez.yoga.sessions.”

During this time of uncertainty, where maintaining increased mental health and wellness is paramount, it is important to not only adopt the methods listed above but as Dr. McEwen says, “Take better care of yourself and just get back to the essence of just being human.”

Jails, prisons struggle with spread of coronavirus

by Brianna Nargiso For New Pittsburgh Courier

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—As COVID-19 continues to spread globally and the U. S. has now become the first country to top 100,000 cases, prisons and jails across the country continue to house inmates and employees who have tested positive for the Coronavirus and authorities are desperately trying to abate the spread.

For example, due to the severity of the virus that had killed 32,137 around the world and 2,054 in the U. S. as of Sunday, March 29, The Board of Corrections, an agency providing oversight of New York City jails, urgently recommended that all people with a high risk of dying from the virus be released from the jail immediately. The board also asked that the jail take the necessary steps to significantly decrease the jail’s population immediately since social distancing has been among the keys to preventing the spread of the virus along with thorough hand washing and decontamination of surfaces.

In response to the recommendation, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio released 40 people from New York’s Rikers Island last Friday and another 23 people on Sunday who were considered at a high risk of dying from the virus.

De Blasio took to Twitter to tell New York-

ers “...an additional 200 being evaluated right now for release who have less than 90 days left in their sentences.”

However, the release of 63 people is just

followed similar precautions to protect inmates, staff and the general public: * As states struggle for answers and public health advocates encourage release of

not enough to stop the spread of the virus, which easily moves from person to person and can also be contracted from surfaces and the environment where an infected person has coughed or sneezed. Therefore, advocates for the incarcerated are pressing authorities to do more.

Jails throughout the United States have

non-violent inmates endangered by the virus, the federal prison system on Sunday, announced its first death. Patrick Jones, 49, who was housed in a minimum security prison in Oakdale, La., has died from the virus after testing positive on March 19, according to widespread reports. * California has also begun releasing large

numbers of inmates in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. According to the L.A Times, Los Angeles County reduced their jail population by 6 percent in February. * Pennsylvania, Maine, Texas, Illinois and Ohio have also begun releasing inmates amidst state outbreaks. * The Bureau of Prisons has suspended all visits for 30 days. Inmate transfers has also been with few exceptions. * Many inmates who are assumed to have had contact with the virus are being quarantined. * The New York City’s union for corrections officers have demanded to be given more protective materials like masks, gloves, soap and hand sanitizer. * According to NPR, Arizona and Minnesota prisons have waived copays charged for inmates seeking medical visits and waived fees for personal hygiene supplies amidst the outbreak.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said in a letter to The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), “Our incarcerated population faces severe threats to their health and safety every day, and BOP must prioritize and work diligently to improve prison conditions nationwide.

As the country prepares for coronavirus, it is also incumbent upon BOP—in coordination with HHS—to prevent outbreaks and to safely and humanely treat all affected individuals.”

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FINALLY--After the closing documents are completed and the funds have been transferred, you’ll receive the keys to your new home.

(Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

Prepare for purchasing and closing on a home Once you’ve found the right property, learn what you can expect ahead of the actual purchase and closing.

You’ve reviewed your spending plan, been preapproved for a mortgage, and made an offer on the home of your dreams. Now, it’s time to close—the final steps before transferring of the property deed to your name after satisfying all the conditions of the purchase contract. Here are some things to consider as you finalize your purchase.

What should happen leading up to the purchase?

• Schedule a home inspection and appraisal. This is something your lender might require you to do before providing a mortgage, depending on the state you live in. Some lenders want to make sure the home is worth the purchase price and that there isn’t any structural issue that may cause problems, which is also in your own interests.

• Don’t open any new accounts during this crucial time, because it could impact your financing if your credit takes a hit. Opening a new account is a hard inquiry on your credit, causing a dip in your score. It may also lower the average age of all your accounts. If you need help reading your credit report, take a look at the resources on the Hands on Banking® website.

Prepare your documents for the

closing Double-check that you have everything your lender asked for, or else the completion of your loan and purchase may be postponed: • About three days before closing, you’ll likely receive closing documents.

This package will include copies of everything you’ve turned in to your lender, as well as additional documents and paperwork you should read over.

• Review the closing documents to understand all the terms of financing, and the responsibilities of the lender, seller, and buyer. Take note of what you can do if your lender or seller does anything you haven’t agreed to, and don’t sign documents without fully understanding them.

Also prepare your: • Required documents, which typically include a government-issued photo ID, copy of the contract, home inspection reports, and proof of homeowners insurance.

• Banking paperwork laying out your means of paying back the loan, and your down payment funds.

What are some things to expect at closing?

Multiple parties will be present at the closing, such as: • Your and the seller’s real estate agent. The real estate agents may choose to attend to ensure the closing transaction goes through.

• An escrow company. Depending on your location, an escrow officer may need to be present to handle funds that need to be exchanged.

• Your attorney and/or the seller’s attorney. In some states, an attorney may need to be present to complete the legal transfer of the title.

• Your lender. Your lender may be present to ensure the transaction goes smoothly.

Here are some examples of items you may consider reviewing before you close: • With your lender, confirm if anything has changed since approval, such as your annual percentage rate (APR)—i.e., your interest rate—or any other term.

• With the seller, confirm: • Copies of repair receipts • Utility company information • Trash and recycling collection days When you’re ready, you and the seller will sign off on the purchase documents, and you will sign off on the loan documents. You may be required to wire your funds, or you may need to bring in a cashier’s check for closing costs.

After the closing documents are completed and the funds have been transferred, you’ll receive the keys to your new home. (© 2019 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved.)

(StatePoint)—From fitness apps monitoring daily activity to calendar apps that send appointment reminders, having high-quality, real-time information in the palm of your hand can be an effective way to stay accountable to your goals. So if you’re looking to better manage your money, it may be time to consider how an app can help.

First, think about what your financial goals are and them find a solutions-based app that can help you achieve them. Keep in mind that like other lifestyle apps, the most effective financial apps go beyond tracking behaviors to proactively notify users when something is amiss and offer tangible strategies for changing course.

One such example is the free LendingTree app, which not only monitors your holistic financial state, but is also a smart money guide offering tailored advice. For example, with the app, you can not only check your credit score, but also receive tips on how to improve it and get notified when your score gets you in range for a better credit card or loan rate. The app, available at the Apple App Store and Google Play, also offers such tools as cash flow management, which includes recommendations for ways to make room in your budget based on your habits, a library of free financial wellness courses, as well as savings alerts when you could be saving money on your monthly expenses.

After finding the personal finance app that’s right for you, here are just a few ways to get the most out of it: • Get quick overviews: With a streamlined app, you can quickly get the big picture regarding your financial health, so you don’t have to log into numerous accounts to assess your standing.

• Get personal: When it comes to certain questions you may have, generic answers won’t necessarily help. Find an app that’s already monitoring your personal finance and is equipped to answer specific-to-you questions like “Would a personal loan work better for that purchase?” and “Do I have enough equity in my home to borrow against it?”

• Set an example: Kids are naturally attracted to tech. So by using an app that’s helping you save money, pay off debts and plan for the future, you’ll be setting an example that your kids will notice, helping pave the way for their own healthy financial futures.

• Lean on it during big moments: Life’s big moments are often when people are most in need of financial guidance. Use tools that can help you make better decisions. For example, rather than worrying over interest rates or trying to time your loan based on the market, the LendingTree app taps into its nationwide network of lenders to find immediate and long-term savings opportunities for users.

Remember, the goal of using a personal finance app isn’t to give you one more reason to look at your phone, but to gain confidence and reduce financial anxiety. The right tools will help you do just that.

Congressional Black Caucus focuses on economic recovery of African Americans in COVID-19 crisis

by Lauren Victoria Burke For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—The coronavirus health crisis that hit America in the middle of March has compelled Governors to shut down states, requested citizens to stay in their homes and moved Congress to pass an unprecedented stimulus of over two trillion dollars.

As the COVID-19 crisis hit its peak, the Congressional Black Caucus began to fight to “support the needs of Black families, seniors, workers, businesses, and communities. On March 20, the CBC submitted an extensive 11-page proposal to House and Senate leadership with recommendations to support the recovery of Black America.”

The first draft of the COVID-19 Senate stimulus bill focused money to bailout large corporations and the top one percent. But after days of negotiation that included President Trump big footing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the legislation was changed to focus more on the needs of main street Americans.

Those priorities included a higher direct payment to

individuals from $600 to $1200. Another change was an additional $500 child tax credit per child and a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions. Black Caucus members also added $447 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Several other provisions asked by members of the Congressional Black Caucus were an expansion of unemployment benefits to $600 per week in addition to the base max eligible for unemployment insurance, $15.5 billion in additional funding for SNAP, a temporary mor-

atorium of 6 months for federal student loans and funding the Minority Business Development Agency $10 million to make grants to minority-owned businesses.

There is also a provision adding $1 billion for the Community Services Block Grant and $750 million for

Head Start and $4 billion in homeless assistance grants.

The U.S. House is expected to pass the Senate bill on March 27. Other stimulus legislation is expected in the future but Congress is also expected to take much of April off because of days added to the Easter recess

in the wake of the COVID crisis.

(Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist for NNPA and the host of the podcast BURKEFILE. She is also a political strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail. com and on twitter at @LVBurke)

B2

NATIONAL

APRIL 1-7, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Can we handle the truth about coronavirus?

More than half of all Black folks in this country are a vulnerable population!

BISHOP T.D. JAKES stands before about 30 people in his Potter’s House sanctuary that seats 8,200 in Dallas.

People facing new ways of life as COVID-19 has changed everything

by Hamil R. Harris For New Pittsburgh Courier

(TriceEdneyWire.com)— Rev. Grainger Browning, pastor of the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Washington, Md., is used to preaching to two packed sanctuaries every Sunday. But on Sunday, March 22, Browning and a skeletal staff preached to a mostly empty sanctuary while his members watched on the Internet.

“I feel like a spiritual first responder,” Browning said. “It’s called Live from the church.

We try to duplicate church as much as we can. We have members of the praise team and a skeletal staff.”

Browning’s situation is one example of a new reality for churches around the nation.

Even the 8,200-seat sanctuary of Bishop T. D. Jakes’ Potter’s House in Dallas has been virtually empty. As the Coronavirus spread around the nation and world and as state governments and health experts increasingly issue stay at home orders and suggest social distancing, life as usual has become non-existent.

Members of the Class of 2020 are still hoping for their proms, commencement exercises and celebrations that are normal milestones for generations past.

In sports, there are no NBA basketball games, NCAA tournaments or baseball Spring training. And in terms of mass gatherings, going to the movies, eating out, and even worshipping God in church pews has been forbidden for a season. Even weddings and funerals have been curtailed.

As a result of the Covid 19 virus, this lethal strain of the Corona flu, America is a stranger to herself with frightened and helpless citizens “sheltering in place” behind locked doors in a society where toilet paper has become priceless as indicated by the empty shelves in grocery stores.

“People are losing it. My brother drives a bread truck and he said that his colleague was robbed, said Sean Brown, 39, a financial manager in Severn, Md. “They took his entire bread truck.”

As of this writing, March 22, America had nearly 30,000 people diagnosed with COVID 19, which means America is now number three in the world in terms of a disease that has now killed more than 13,000 around the globe. This is despite glaring headlines and weekly White House briefings that produced more arguments than solutions.

“If ever there is a time to practice humanity—it is now,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a tweet on Sunday. “The time to show

kindness, to show compassion.

New Yorkers are tough—but we are also the most courageous community that you have ever seen.”

On Sunday, Sean Brown, the financial manager, a husband and father of two, watched a taped worship service from the University Park Church of Christ. Despite the change, he still has hope through his faith. “It is important to remember who is in control. God is still in control.”

COVID 19 has ushered in an era of “social distancing.” And yet it is easy to find examples of hope in cities and towns and communities across America in terms of faith, family and every aspect of life.

On Twitter, there was a video of a group of Cuban doctors of color in White lab coats and masks arriving in Italy and being greeted by people waiting in the international airport. As restaurants closed, many soup kitchens that regularly feed the homeless, such as Miriam’s Kitchen in Northwest Washington, DC, kept their doors open. But among the most notable changes are the churches which quickly adjusted their empty sanctuaries to computer screens and conference calls.

Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune, Chief Operating Officer for the National Council of Churches, said despite the Corona Virus “Most churches are

using creatives to remain connected. They are using zoom, video conferencing, prayer calls. My home church in New York is having prayer callers at 6 a.m.”

With Easter two weeks away, Browning said that he will have Lenten services every morning between six and seven a.m. that will be rebroadcast “people can start their day,” but Browning added, “I really missing the people it is like being away from your wife.”

“My concern is for the people. There is concern about people dying but I don’t think I hear a heart for the people who survive. They literally don’t know how they are going to eat.”

Browning of Ebenezer in Maryland said he is really concerned about conducting funerals when there is a restriction. “Right now, can’t have more than 10 people. I can’t imagine having a love one dying and there are only 10 people there.”

Even medical doctors are taken aback by the new realities. “We had our church by telephone conference,” said Tracey Burney, a retired urologist who attends Bethany CME Church in Clearwater, Florida. “Being a physician, we are always ready for the worst. But I have never seen anything like this in my wildest dreams.”

Spokesman: Cosby lawyers to seek early release because of pandemic

by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—Lawyers for Bill Cosby are preparing to petition the court for his release amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A spokesman for Cosby, who is in the second year of a 3-to10 year prison sentence for aggravated indecent assault, said Cosby doesn’t have the virus, but his age (82), blindness, and high blood pressure does make him vulnerable to COVID-19.

“Mr. Cosby’s lawyers are now considering filing a motion asking the court to release Mr. Cosby from prison and place him under house arrest for the duration of his sentence,” Cosby’s longtime spokesman Andrew Wyatt of the Birmingham, Ala.-based Purpose PR Firm, stated.

Specifically, the lawyers are focusing on whether states are granting early release to elderly inmates from prisons due to the coronavirus, which could be a valid legal argument for Mr. Cosby, Wyatt noted.

Prisons and jails around the country are becoming infested with Coronavirus cases—and it’s only a matter of time before SCI-Phoenix in Montgomery County, Penn., experiences an outbreak, Wyatt stated.

Montgomery County is at the epicenter of Pennsylvania’s coronavirus outbreak.

SEEKS PRISON RELEASE—“I’m very concerned for Mr. Cosby’s health in prison during the Coronavirus epidemic,” said Cosby’s longtime spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, of the Birmingham, Ala.-based Purpose PR Firm.

The county, which is home to about 800,000 residents and a senior population of almost 18 percent, has recorded more than 145 cases of the coronavirus. Philadelphia, with more than 1.6

million residents and the largest county in the state, has about 170 cases. No other county has reported more than 58 cases.

“I’m very concerned for Mr. Cosby’s health in prison

“Mr. Cosby is elderly and blind—and always needs to be escorted around the prison by support service inmates, known as Certified Peer Specialists. Those inmates could fall victim to the coronavirus and easily spread the disease to Mr. Cosby as they wheel him around in a wheelchair.”

ANDREW WYATT

during the Coronavirus epidemic,” Wyatt continued.

“Mr. Cosby is elderly and blind —and always needs to be escorted around the prison by support service inmates, known as Certified Peer Specialists (CPI). Those inmates could fall victim to the coronavirus and easily spread the disease to Mr. Cosby as they wheel him around in a wheelchair.

Among their duties, the inmates bring Mr. Cosby to the infirmary for his doctor appointments and clean his cell.

“In addition, Mr. Cosby is constantly in contact with the correction officers who could contract the disease on the outside and bring it inside the prison, potentially exposing Mr. Cosby to the virus.”

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Don’t you already know everything you need to know about coronavirus? What else is there for you to know that you haven’t already heard, you ask?

Every media outlet we turn on and everything we read in the papers inundates us with information about this rapidly evolving coronavirus crisis. On top of that, our “friends” are showing how smart they are by rushing to post every single natural/miracle cure, conspiracy theory, and prediction on the end of the human race. Even people I have known for years have all of sudden become epidemiologists; medical doctors; scientists; and researchers! Regrettably, we have been done a disservice by both the media, as well as our well-intentioned friends. In spite of the best intentions, these new “experts” promote beliefs and folk remedies that could result in dangers equally as bad as coronavirus infection.

During this unprecedented disruption brought to all of our lives, some people are expressing concern that information was held back from them. Folks were upset because they wanted to hear the truth; or so they thought. Instead of continuing to pass on the mounds of gross misinformation and fear-driven behaviors, we should all be only interested in the truth. Well, I’m not so sure we can handle the truth.

Let me share a few “truths” that not only have many of us heard about, but many things are specific to poor people and African Americans in this country.

Call your doctor: For millions or Black, brown, and poor people in this country, that is not an option. As of 2019, roughly 27.5 million people didn’t have health insurance at any point last year, according to figures from the Census Bureau. In addition, an analysis from the CDC and the Kaiser Foundation, 31 percent of Blacks, 47 percent of Hispanics don’t have a per- Glenn Ellis sonal doctor! I have looked and not been able to find any data on how many people who are newly insured under Obamacare actually have a primary care doctor they can call.

Get my point? This “truth” shows that a whole lot of people are left out when the CDC and other officials tell folks who are already bunkered down, that if they think they have symptoms, “don’t go to the hospital; call your doctor first”.

Stay in place: This guideline to prevent the spread of coronavirus is probably among the most baffling to me. Let’s start with the complexity of many households and families in most of the urban cities where the majority of the poor, Black, and brown people live. One of the most recent studies to look at family household composition was published in the Journal of Black Studies (2007) reported that 39 percent of African American children did not live with their biological father and 28 percent of African American children did not live with any father representative. Some families have people live with them that aren’t related. Don’t forget, the communities where marginalized populations are the places where you find homeless shelters, halfway houses, safe houses, and boarding houses. Add to that, the many seniors and “sick and shut-in” (many who live alone). The daily challenges in these scenarios means reliance on a variety of support systems in their social network (friends, families, caregivers, neighbors, etc.) as survival tools in everyday living is disrupted or no longer available.

Vulnerable populations: As defined by the World Health Organization, Vulnerability is the degree to which a population, individual or organization is unable to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from the impacts of disasters. For purposes of the coronavirus pandemic, this includes those who have weak immune systems, elderly, chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, obesity), cancer and transplant patients. It has been long established that Blacks have the highest mortality rate (of all causes) and arguably the worst health status of any racial group in the United States. Now think about what we know about the significant percentage of the Black population in this country that has high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, kidney failure, heart failure, cancer, asthma, COPD, and cast of other diseases. Just doing some rough calculations, it seems like no stretch of the imagination to conclude that more than half of all Black folks in this country are a vulnerable population!

I felt it was important to write this particular column, so that we are all clear about the specific impacts of this pandemic, and how it will disproportionately impact Black, brown, and poor people in ways that others won’t be affected. Somebody has to (sadly) always look at what happens in this country, and ask the question, “how will this affect my community”.

COVID-19 (coronavirus) is real, it’s deadly; and it’s going to be with us for possibly the rest of this year.

Please continue to pay attention to the information from credible sources. Don’t become a victim to your friend who all of sudden has become a “master healer”. Stick to factual information. Always make sure that you understand, with every piece of information or official directives, seek the truth.

We know this is wreaking havoc on our families, our communities, our nation, and our world. It is the great equalizer. Just be sure to ask yourself if you can say you have thoroughly considered how this pandemic is affecting you and your family…if you can handle the truth.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.

Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

(The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. I do not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a replacement form of treatment for physical, mental or medical problems by your doctor either directly or indirectly.)

Commentary

(Glenn Ellis is Research Bioethics Fellow at Harvard Medical School and author of “Which Doctor?” and “Information is the Best Medicine.” Ellis is an active media contributor on Health Equity and Medical Ethics.)

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

APRIL 1-7, 2020

B3

Nation’s governors and mayors admirably step in to fill the leadership vacuum left by president’s failure on coronavirus crisis

Commentary

Small businesses and workers will need help Small businesses and workers are going to need the most help from the government to recover from the economic distress caused by the coronavirus.

While the pandemic is having an adverse effect on many aspects of the U.S. economy, local small businesses and average American workers need urgent help even more than big companies.

Philadelphia Tribune Staff Writer Ayana Jones reported Sunday that Blackowned establishments in the area are starting to feel the impact of the pandemic.

“It’s catastrophic for everybody,” said Keven Parker, who owns Ms. Tootsie’s Restaurant Bar and Lounge and Keven Parker’s Soul Food Café. “I’m just trying to stand firm and support my employees.”

Parker said some food vendors are not getting orders, so they are afraid for their survival.

He is particularly concerned about whether many of the city’s African American-owned businesses will be able to survive this crisis.

“How many of these minority businesses are going to bounce back from this?”

Parker asked.

“What will happen if they can’t bounce back?”

Jones reported that the city and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation “are working on a program to support small businesses, including a mix of new grants and zero-interest loans for those that make under $5 million in annual revenue. Officials are still working on the details, and they are asking businesses impacted by the coronavirus-related closures to fill out a survey to help them in their planning.

The survey can be found at https://www. surveymonkey.com/r/NHZR5JQ.”

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)

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—“We’re all competing against each other. This should have been a coordinated effort by the federal government, and the national defense authorization that the president has to essentially push this manufacturing really hasn’t gone into effect in any way.

And, so, yes, we’re competing against each other. We’re competing against other countries. It’s a ... Wild West, I would say, out there.”—Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker When I was mayor of New Orleans, I was called upon to lead my city through troubled times. I confronted a crisis of violent crime, I worked to keep my city safe during natural disasters. I often relied on support from the Governor and the President.

One of the worst national crises in American history struck during my mayoral tenure, on September 11, 2001. As Preside of the U.S. Conference of Mayor, I was proud to support the President. I led the effort to create a National Safety and Security Plan for American Cities, including the recommendation for a Department of Homeland Security, and the federalization of airport security screens.

Now, the coronavirus pandemic has turned these traditional relationships between local, state and federal leadership upside down.

President Trump appears more concerned about his reelection prospects than the rampant spread of a deadly disease, forcing the nation’s governors and mayors into unprecedented roles.

On a conference call with governors, who pleaded with President

Marc H. Morial

To Be Equal Trump for help in acquiring lifesaving medical supplies like ventilators, the President told them to find the equipment themselves—even as the federal government was outbidding the states who were trying to purchase it.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker told President Trump that his state lost out to the federal government three times on purchases of critical supplies.

President Trump laughed.

As the President has faltered, governors and mayors have risen—most notably, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, whose state has been the hardest-hit. Governor Cuomo’s orderly, informative briefings—with everyone present observing recommended social distancing—stand in stark contrast to President Trump’s rambling, contradictory briefings marked by misinformation and angry attacks on journalists.

A few days after President Trump stunned the public by saying, ““I don’t take responsibility at all” for the nation’s lag in testing, Governor Cuomo firmly took responsibility for closure of non-essential businesses.

“If someone wants to blame someone,

blame me,” he said. “There is no one else responsible for this decision.”

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine was far ahead of the curve on ordering school closures and banning large gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer—before a single case of coronavirus had been identified in her state—announced the creation of special task forces and developed a plan for free testing and treatment.

By the time President Trump finally called a national emergency on March 13, the nation’s mayors had been fighting the battle in their towns and cities, unassisted, for weeks. Even as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis resists a statewide shelter-in-place order, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez—who has tested positive himself—canceled large gatherings and closed bars and restaurants.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, whose city was one of the first to be struck, was quick to ban utilities from cutting services and ordered a moratorium on residential evictions for non-payment of rent.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed —an outspoken critic of President Trump’s crisis response—was among the first in the nation to issue a widespread stay-at-home order.

Now President Trump, in defiance of medical experts, wants to end the social distancing efforts that are our only hope to contain the virus. It will, once again, fall to the governors and the mayors to provide the sensible leadership that the President will not.

Setting the record straight (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Every time I hear Donald Trump blame President Barack Obama for everything bad, while he takes credit for everything good, I want to scream, but instead, I thought I would do a bit of research. As my friend Dick Gregory would remind me, “Write and speak so your grandmother can understand you.” Let me give that a try.

Before President Obama and his team left the White House, they took the time to brief Trump’s team on everything—including handling pandemics. Afterall, they had successfully taken us through Ebola.

Here’s what I found. Officials took the time to brief Trump’s incoming administration on a scenario remarkably like the one we are facing now about a possible pandemic. Trump’s team was told about potential challenges. Among them were shortages of ventilators, anti-viral drugs and other medical essentials.

The Obama team pressed the importance of pandemic preparedness to the persons who would come into the job once the Obama team left the administration. How did the Trump team show their appreciation? They dismantled the National Security Council section that would have helped them in handling a global pandemic such as the one we are facing. How did Trump respond to a question about this? “I don’t know anything about it” and called the reporter’s question “nasty.”

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary The story doesn’t end here.

Trump’s administration eliminated a key American public health position in China intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China.

Had Dr. Linda Quick remained in China, she might have been able to give the administration an early warning. She is not being allowed to speak to the public on the issue about what she knew and when did she know it. She might have been able to tell the appropriate persons about the emergence of the virus in China late last year. Now, Trump finds every way he can to blame China for not having the information our then public health person in China could have warned us.

This man takes the responsibility for nothing. He’s been in his job as President for over 30 months—but his go to excuse is to blame President Obama!

At this time, Trump doesn’t seem to care about the tragedy that the delayed information about COVAD-19 is causing is getting people back to work. His responses are in direct conflict with what health experts are advising since there is

no concrete information on containment of the virus. We already see that when several Asian nations tried that approach, they experienced a resurgence of the virus; but, Trump wants to open up our country by Easter no matter what!

While he interferes with what medical experts are saying, he wants to have the country and the economy “raring to go by Easter!” Further, he says, “It’s (the country) is not built to shut down. Our people are full of vim and vigor and energy. They don’t want to be locked in a house or an apartment or some space.”

Something is wrong with our laws about presidents when they can be recorded with over 16,000 lies in less that one term in office and still be in office with no consequences!

How can a sane person lead the American people to believe that even as the virus spreads rapidly, we should drop all the precautions and rush back out to save the economy!

This is a time many of us wish we could just skip ahead to November, vote and bring sanity back to our country! In the meantime, continue exercising care by listening to the health experts, washing your hands frequently, practicing social distancing, being kind and helpful to others and praying that you aren’t guilty of being the cause of spreading the virus.

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

Fear and loss in a time of plague (NNPA)—The anniversary of the loss of my first born has, by coincidence, landed right in the middle of this time of fear and pandemic.

We have witnessed, over the past weeks, a President of the United States who perpetrated denial and lies about the overall situation, allegedly in an effort to calm us; more likely to calm the markets.

Our collective fear rests largely in facing the unknown. We have no idea what to expect and how severe the situation will become.

The results of this plague may ultimately be no worse than a very bad flu, but all indications are that, at a minimum, it will place severe stress on an already problematic medical system. And, yes, people will die.

For far too long as a country, we have lived in denial regarding the ever-present threat of pandemics. Trump was not alone in that self-deception. Scientists have warned us that these dangers existed and, in the context of environmental catastrophe, the dangers associated with viral pandemics have increased. Yet, too many of us have thought that we personally, or we-the USA, would be immune. We have assumed that others would suffer and die but that somehow there was a wall or forcefield that protected us. Denial is easy and innocent; and seems safe.

When my wife was first preg-

Bill Fletcher Jr.

Commentary nant, thirty-five years ago, there was nothing that would have led us to believe that there would not be a happy ending. Yes, we knew that there were such things as premature births and other complications. But we were both healthy and took the pregnancy seriously.

With each month, our excitement grew. And then the unexpected happened and our first born emerged alive but too young and too undeveloped in order to survive. Three days later she was gone.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not blaming us for being naïve. I am saying that the shock of reality threw us in ways from which we have never fully recovered. There is a level of insecurity that emerges out of such a crisis that never completely vanishes because you have faced a disturbing reality: tragedy can hit in the most unexpected ways and the pain is excruciating.

This planet—and not just ‘America First’—is living through yet

another crisis. We regularly face wars, poverty and pestilence. But for many of us in the so-called global North—the more developed countries—there is a tendency to believe that immense tragedy is exceptional. Yes, it can happen, but it usually happens to someone else.

And even when it is bad, it is temporary and, well, ‘they’—whoever ‘they’ is—will get over it.

We are facing a different reality with Covid-19 and economic collapse. Both are affecting everyone, in one way or another. We now know that all of us can be shaken, very directly, by global tragedies.

And, no, this situation is not something that someone can just ‘get over.’ This is a situation that will take time to heal and will necessitate a full break from denial. It will also necessitate, as Senator Sanders and others have so eloquently articulated, solidarity rather than exclusivity.

The pain resulting from fear and loss does not completely vanish in time. Rather, we get used to it and adjust to it. But it leaves us with a sense of insecurity that also does not easily disappear because we have had to face a daunting fact: it can happen here and, yes, it can happen to us.

(Bill Fletcher Jr. is the executive editor

of globalafricanworker.com and a past president of TransAfrica Forum.)

CLASSIFIED New Pittsburgh Courier

B4

APRIL 1-7, 2020

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Help Wanted

Legal Notices

SENIOR ROBOTICS ENGINEER (MULTIPLE OPENINGS) Carnegie Mellon University, The Robotics Institute seeks Senior Robotics Engineers in Pittsburgh, PA to perform advanced design & development of systems-level software, components & equipment used in robotics research & development. Duties incl: testing & analyzing feasibility, design, operation & performance of robotic systems; identifying operating & installation problems & recommending design modifications &/or new applications for robotics equipment; developing, modifying & maintaining operating protocols & procedures & related technical documentation. Req: Master’s deg/foreign equiv in robotic systems development/mechanical engineering/related field. 6 months exp in robotics development. Exp must incl: Robot Operating System (ROS); developing navigation & sensing algorithms for autonomous mobile robots operating in outdoor environments; prototyping robotic applications in C, C++, Python or Matlab. Must know (through course work/exp): 3-dimensional & projective geometry algorithms for computer vision & robotics; (ii) machine learning techniques incl neural networks, decision trees, Bayesian learning & convolutional neural networks; robot motion planning & navigation algorithms; kinematics of robotic arms, robot control & manipulation algorithms; designing full lifecycle of robotic products from conceptualization to architecture & commercialization.

Travel req about 2 x/year, 2-3 days/ trip for testing at client locations incl.

Mississippi, Louisiana. Apply online: https://www.cmu.edu/jobs/ Job # 2015047.

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

NOTICE The City of Pittsburgh’s Office of Management and Budget-Community Development (OMB-CD) announces the launch of this year’s 2020 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) sub-recipient grant programs.

Two grants are available to support nonprofit activities: Public Service and Neighborhood Economic Development. The Public Service grant can go towards a wide variety of qualified projects that serve people with low to moderate incomes.

The Neighborhood Economic Development grant provides funding to community development corporations (CDCs) to engage in activities that support economic development and neighborhood planning.

OMB-CD will host two virtual information sessions for each of the grant opportunities: Public Service grant information session will be: Wednesday, April 1, 2020 6:00 – 8:00 PM Neighborhood Economic Development grant information session will be: Thursday, April 2, 2020 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM For more information on the virtual information sessions and applications please visit the following website: https://pittsburghpa.gov/ omb/grant-opportunities. Completed applications should be sent to community.development@pittsburghpa.gov.

You MUST register to get information on accessing the virtual meeting and meeting presentation. Videos of information sessions will also be available online following the event.

Please note that the deadline for applications is Friday, April 24, 2020.

For more information, please contact community.development@ pittsburghpa.gov or call 412-2552211.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Estate of ROBERT H. LYONS, deceased of Aleppo Twp., PA, January 1, 2020, No. 0220-0805, Personal Representative: Robert J. Lyons, c/o Judith A. Lehnowsky, Attorney., 820 Evergreen Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15209

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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 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 Estate of JACQUELINE ANNE MIKOLAJ a/k/a JACQUELINE MIKOLAJ Deceased of the borough of Jefferson Hills, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania No.02-20-01614 Mark S. Mikolaj, Executor 215 Aber Drive Clairton, PA 15025 or to Todd A. Fuller, Atty. Brenlove & Fuller LLC 401 Washington Avenue Bridgeville, PA 15017 NOTICE OF TRUST ADMINISTRATION. The Trustee named below gives notive of the death of LEONA M. CHOBOT, late of Ingram, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania who died on February 15, 2020. During her lifetime, the said Decendent established a revocable trust under Trust Instrument dated November 8, 2001, of which Richard J. Chobot, Jr. is the Trustee. The Trustee requests all persons having claims against 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; Richard J. Chobot, Jr., Trustee 27 Willina Drive Carnegie, PA 15106 or to: Todd A. Fuller, Atty.

Brenlove & Fuller LLC 401 Washington Avenue Bridgeville, PA 15017

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS The Westmoreland County Housing Authority (WCHA) is requesting construction bids for (1) prime contract consisting of: Exterior Restoration Construction (ERC) associated with the following project: EXTERIOR FAÇADE RESTORATION Located At IRWIN MANOR IRWIN, PA 15642 Sealed bids will be received by Michael L. Washowich, Executive Director, until April 15, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. (Eastern Standard Time) at the office of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, 167 South Greengate Road, Greensburg PA 15601, at which time they will be opened publicly via a video conference.

Interested respondents can obtain bid documents by downloading from www.wchaonline.com.

Bidders shall be registered on the WCHA – Procurement Database to obtain said documents. Inquiries and plan holder registration can be emailed to eriks@wchaonline. com. A non-mandatory Pre-Bid Conference Call will occur on April 3, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. (E.S.T.).

THE WASHINGTON COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS CANCELLED THE FOLLOWING INVITATION FOR BIDS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: CRUMRINE TOWER ANNEX EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS (WCHA 2020-G1 Contract; A/E Commission 317/2) At Washington, Pa 15301 VALLEY VIEW TERRACE APARTMENTS RENOVATIONS (WCHA 2020-G3 Contract; A/E Commission 4019) At Canonsburg, Pa 15317 BOTH PROJECTS ARE CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE !

724-228-6060 ext. 122 STEPHEN K. HALL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Meetings

COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY Due to the college’s extended closure because of COVID-19, the April 2, 2020 Board of Trustees meeting is canceled. A new date will be determined later.

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Bids/Proposals

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HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFBs) FOR Hamilton – Larimer Demolition, AMP-39 HACP IFB NO. 600-15-20 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH will receive sealed bids for the Hamilton – Larimer Demolition, AMP-39 The construction work is estimated to begin in Summer of 2020.

Bid Documents will be available on or about Monday, March 23, 2020 and may be obtained from the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s webpage, www.hacp. org. Bidders may register on the website and download the bid documents free of charge. Electronic versions of the Bid Documents, including bid forms, project manual, and drawings can be picked up in person, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement A Pre-Bid Conference and Site Visit will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.: Environment and Energy Community Outreach Center (EECO) 200 Larimer Avenue Pittsburgh, PA, 15206 A site visit will be conducted thereafter. Bidders shall come prepared to review all aspects of the construction site necessary to prepare a bid.

Bids will be received at: HACP Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Attn: Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement until 2:00 p.m. April 21, 2020 at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH reserves the right to waive any informality in, or reject any and all bids.

No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the opening of bids without the consent of the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally Assisted Construction Contracts. The Contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sexual preference, handicap or national origin.

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

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH STRONGLY ENCOURAGES CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement at (412) 643-2832.

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.

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Contract No. ACHA-1627 Audit Services The Allegheny County Housing Authority is requesting proposals from qualified CPA firms or Certified Public Accountants to audit financial statements under the Single Audit.

The Audit is to be prepared according to generally accepted accounting principles, government auditing standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, and the provisions of The Uniform Grant guidance (UGG).

Request for Proposals and Contract Documents are on file and may be obtained at no charge from the Allegheny County Housing Authority, 625 Stanwix Street, 12th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, or by contacting Guy Phillips, Purchasing Manager at gphillips@achsng. com, 412-402-2435.

A pre-proposal conference (Not Mandatory) will be held in the Authority’s Boardroom on Friday, April 24, 2020 at 2:00p.m.

Proposal submittals are due no later than 12:00 p.m., Monday, May 11, 2020 at the Allegheny County Housing Authority.

The Authority encourages responses from §3 business concerns, small firms, minority firms and firms that have not previously performed work for the ACHA. The Allegheny County Housing Authority reserves the right to reject any and all submissions.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY Frank Aggazio, Executive Director

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Billions for Boeing, pennies for the people (TriceEdneyWire.com)—The development of the $2.2 trillion stimulus package was extremely flawed. The Republican bullies in the Senate, led

by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, wrote the bill with absolutely no Democratic input, then suggested that Democrats amend their legislation. The first draft of the bill, unsurprisingly, was a goody grab for corporations with much less for individuals. Initially, the Republican Senate would have given Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin a slush fund of $500 billion to assist troubled industries with absolutely no oversight.

The last version of the bill does include both monitoring and an inspector general to look for fraud and abuse. Republicans would have doled the money out to their cronies. But the Dems, led

by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, stood their ground. The stimulus legislation is better than the 2008-2009 bailout legislation; it is gratifying to see that the Senate rose above partisanship to get

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary this done.

Republicans even conceded that Mr. Trump, his grafter family, other cabinet heads and senior leaders, along with their families, cannot benefit from this stimulus legislation. It is unfathomable that this provision has to be put in writing, but 45, a hotel owner, pushed hard for hotels and cruise ships to get bailout benefits, but some in Congress have apparently peeped 45’s hole card.

It takes extreme hubris for our nation’s chief executive officer, who has used the United States Treasury as a piggy bank, to be as self-serving as 45 is. Good for Democrats for recognizing the pattern of double-dealings makes it clear that written prohibition of these shady practices is necessary Michigan Congressman Justin Amash, an independent who used to be Republican, tweeted, “This bipartisan deal is a raw deal for the people. It does far too little for those who need the most help while providing hundreds of billions in corporate welfare, massively growing government, inhibiting economic adaptation, and widening the gap between the rich and the poor.” The legislation (which still must be approved by the House before it goes to the President) is likely to be hundreds, if not thousands, of pages long. And it’s got lots of fine print. For example, $17 billion in loan funds are set aside for “businesses deemed critical to maintaining national security. While Boeing isn’t mentioned by name, the Washington Post quoted s a confidential source who says this money is partly set aside for Boeing. This is the same Boeing that manufactured faulty, crashing planes. And they’ve imperiously said they will take assistance only on their terms. Some think the federal government should take an equity stake in companies that get bailout funds. Boeing’s CEO said he wasn’t interested in such a deal. If the feds wanted to play hardball, they’d force Boeing into bankruptcy, since bankruptcy doesn’t mean the cessation of operations, it means the restructuring of debt.

Meanwhile, there’s no helpful fine print for ordinary people. Sure, people will get $1200 checks, plus $500 per child. That’s better than nothing, but compared to Boeing’s billions, it’s pennies. The ability to get unemployment insurance for extra weeks will also be helpful for those who lose their jobs.

More food stamp funds will be available. But there is some confusion over whether gig works will get the benefit.

Instead, it seems that those who have good jobs will get great benefits, while those who have part-time jobs, gig jobs, or are unemployed won’t get much. As Congressman Amash says, this stimulus package will widen the wealth gap.

Inequality is at the very foundation of our economic system, so it isn’t surprising that the coronavirus stimulus package reflects the biases that are hard-wired into our system. We need committed, vocal, progressive members of Congress (Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Ayana Pressly, Bobby Scott, AOC, and others) to shine a bright light on this inequality, and to either modify the legislation or develop legislation to address some of these inequalities.

On March 23, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) introduced HR 6379, the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act, that provides protections for workers and families mostly because the stimulus package does not.

And there is a rush to pass the stimulus quickly as more and more people are out of work.

Stimulate the economy if you will, but don’t ignore the people on the bottom.

If we are injecting $2.2 trillion into our lagging economy, make sure that some of it trickles down to the poor.

FORUM

Abortion crisis: essential or non-essential?

The COVID-19 agree with ACOG, pandemic has J. Pharoah Doss but authorities in forced governors some states agreed across America to with the pro-life poshut down their sition. states in a colOhio’s attorney lective effort to general mandatstop the spread ed all of the state’s of the contagious abortion clinics to coronavirus. The “immediately stop shut downs temperforming non-esporarily stopped the operations of sential and elective abortions.” The public and private entities whose ser- attorney general in Texas included vices are not life-sustaining. The pre- abortion in a list of “non-essential” cautions have divided Americans into surgeries for suspension. Texas diessential and non-essential workers. rected providers to stop performing Who determines the essentials? abortions unless the mother’s life or According to the USA Today, federal health was in danger or face fines and guidelines gave the states leeway to 180 days of jail time. And Mississipdetermine what each state considered pi’s governor called for abortion to be essential and non-essential during an halted in the state during the coronaemergency. virus pandemic. At a press conference But leeway isn’t license, or is it? the governor vowed to levy whatever Recently, the American College action necessary to protect, not only of Obstetricians and Gynecologists the lives of unborn children, but also (ACOG), along with other reproduc- the lives of anyone who may contract tive health organizations, issued a the virus. joint statement. They stated, “AborThe national health crisis has tion is an essential component of com- turned our elected officials into crisis prehensive health care. It is also a managers that have to confront public time-sensitive service for which a de- health concerns and prioritize public lay of several weeks, or in some cases economic concerns to determine the days, may increase the risk or poten- best course of action to achieve the tially make it completely inaccessible. most beneficial outcome. But doesn’t The consequences of being unable to an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy obtain an abortion profoundly impacts also turn a woman into a crisis mana person’s life, health, and well-being.” ager with socioeconomic concerns to But a coalition of pro-life leaders is- prioritize in order to determine the sued a statement of their own warn- best course of action? If you answered ing that the “abortion industry” will yes, then abortions are essential and exploit the anxiety of women by con- if you answered no, then abortions are tinuing to promote abortions across non-essential. But if you answered no, the country. The pro-life coalition then politics comes before people. called on public officials to oppose the Laura Bassett, a columnist for GQ, practice of abortion during the nation- wrote, “It’s much easier to advocate al health crisis. The pro-life coalition for the life of a fetus than of a person claimed this will protect women, who in the world. They don’t require food might need follow-up care due to abor- or housing or government support. tion complications, from being an ex- If a politician doesn’t also value the tra burden on emergency centers who lives of American citizens, then spendare overwhelmed with coronavirus ing time defending a fetus is nothing cases. more than a disingenuous attempt to A lot of people, regardless of their le- control and punish the woman who gal or moral stance on abortion, would carries it.” Harsh, but true.

Check It Out

The Shame—It took a virus for America to finally bail out its workers and the poor Moments besourcing of labor, the fore the House flight manufacturing took a final vote Earl Ofari Hutchinson jobs, and the marginon the COVID al pay retail and serstimulus packvice industry jobs is age, a handful yet another. of progressive The issue has never House Demobeen one of resources crats railed that but the lack of politithe bill gave the cal will and outright heavy cash to political hostility to the major corporestructuring the rations. While workers and the poor, economy to increase benefits for workthey said, got crumbs. This was also ers and the poor. This resistance was pretty much the attack line from Ber- on horrid display when the handful of nie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and GOP senators screamed that the unother progressive Democrats in the employment insurance benefits add on days before the final vote on the stim- of $600 in the stimulus package was ulus bill. They all ticked off the grab way to extravagant. They blasted it as bag of goodies for the major industries, an incentive for workers not too work.

Boeing, the mega real estate develop- The workers that would receive the ers, the big hotels, and the airlines all increase weren’t working not because they were lazy or had gotten canned, fed well at the government trough.

Yet, in the end nearly all the dissi- but because they were dumped from dents voted for the package. They did their jobs as a result of the pandemic for a good reason. It actually does far forced business closure. Even when the more for workers and the poor than victims couldn’t logically be blamed for any other stimulus package ever did. being victims, they still were.

The stimulus package hardly repIt took the horrific threat of massive illness and death and economic col- resents any great change or epiphalapse from a virus to do that. There’s ny that workers and the poor deserve the generous ramp up in unemploy- more support. The change came about ment insurance, small business loans, solely because of the unprecedentstudent loan payment temporary sus- ed magnitude off the crisis and it is pensions, rent and mortgage tempo- a crucial election year. Trump, Mitch rary deferrals, freeze on evictions and McConnell and many GOP senators utility disconnections for non-pay- are up for reelection. The political opment. This seemed to point to a new- tics would look terrible for them to apfound well-spring of public and politi- proach it as business as usual. Trump cal sympathy for the plight of workers and the GOP’s revered base also lost jobs, had businesses shut down, and and the poor.

But the gargantuan stimulus amount farm production drop. Trump and doled out in the package and the speed the GOP could not pull a rerun of the in which it was agreed on out was 2008 financial crisis when they shoved glaring proof of what progressive ad- billions to the banks and Wall Street vocates for workers and the poor have and did virtually nothing for the very long shouted. That is that the wealthi- workers, and homeowners who were est nation on the planet more than has the victims of their irresponsible, unthe resources to radically expand and checked lending and borrowing.

There were enough Democrats this improve education, health care, and wage and job security and protections time around who were willing to make for its workers. Every Western Europe- enough noise to ensure there would be an nation and Canada with much less no repeat of the one-sided corporate wealth than the U.S. has long since and bank giveaway of a decade ago. done just that. In every annual survey This time the workers had to be fitted of quality of life determinants among in the equation. McConnell and Trump the globe’s nations, these countries got just enough of that message and consistently rank among the top tier warning to sound for the moment like nations on the globe. The U.S. just as the second coming of FDR. They even harangued Democrats to get moving consistently ranks way down the list.

The reasons for the gaping lag on passage of the stimulus package. are well-documented. There is the The half trillion in benefits that mildeep-seated notion in the US that the lions of small business owners and poor are poor not because of structural low-income persons will receive is still economic inequality but because they way out of balance to the backing that are lax, lazy, uneducated, and unmo- the corporations will get. However, if tivated. For more than a half century, measured against the past attacks, inGOP and conservatives have driven difference, and resistance to providing this laissez faire notion into public the most minimal in improvements policy. The systematic gut, attack, and and concessions for workers and the mute of funding for health care and poor, it represents a marked and welpublic education has been one glaring come departure. The shame is it took a indicator of this. Another is the whole- virus for that to happen.

(Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and posale assault on public employee unions that has virtually reduced them to litical analyst.) non- existence in many states. The out-

Commentary

APRIL 1-7, 2020

B5

New York City is moving on up

by Destiny Hamilton (BlackPressUSA)—Every decade since 1940, New York has lost at least one congressional seat due to an undercount in the decennial census. The census is a survey taken every 10 years to count the United States population. The information collected is used to determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives, and how much federal funding each state will receive.

Crowned “The Melting Pot,” New York City is one of the most diverse places in the world. There are roughly 8.6 million residents in NYC and yet every decade, only a little over half of those individuals are actually counted in the census. This year the New York City Council and the City University of New York (CUNY) has allocated $19 million to community-based organizations across the five boroughs to mobilize and educate the community about the census. This funding is known as the Complete Count Fund. No other city in the nation has allocated such a large amount of funding towards census related work. The goal of the Complete Count Fund is to increase the self-response rate for the 2020 Census to ensure that every person residing in New York is accurately counted.

In December 2020, Mayor DeBlasio and the New York City Council announced more than 150 awardees of the Complete Count Fund. Each awardee received from $15,000 to $250,000 to engage in direct mobilization around the Census in their neighborhoods. The awardees and volunteers are known as Neighborhood Organizing Census Committees (NOCC). The organizations were strategically chosen to serve the most hard-to-count neighborhoods in the five boroughs.

The NAACP Metropolitan Council of Branches, under the leadership of Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, is amongst the many organizations to receive funding. Prior to receiving the funding, the New York State Conference was already organizing for the Census to serve their Civic Engagement Game Changer. Some of their Census engagement initiatives include hosting Census information sessions at local NAACP branches, tabling at events, and hosting workshops about the importance of the Census. Other awardees include, but are not limited to, LIFE Camp Inc., Rockaway Youth Task Force, African Communities Together, and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration.

New York City must overcome many adversities to increase the Census count this year. The idea of strangers going into communities to solicit personal information evokes fear for many residents. For the Black community, this fear stems from millenniums of violence and deception caused by racism and hatred. From slavery to the Jim Crow era, the United States government has proved time and time again that they are capable of manipulating Black people. Although social conditions for Black people have somewhat improved, there are still systems of oppression such as mass incarceration and police brutality that continue to evoke fear for Black and brown people and make them hesitant to willingly share personal information.

Under the Trump administration, deportation has surged in New York City by 150 percent. Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE) raids in the city have also significantly increased. These raids and deportation efforts target immigrants of color in mostly Latinx communities. Once taken by ICE, the families are then placed in detention camps where they wait to face a judge and most likely be deported. Many undocumented immigrants come to the United States to live a better life, and they do not want to sacrifice by giving out personal information to unfamiliar faces.

Many individuals in New York City are also subleasing apartments. Due to family dynamics, there are more people living in their houses than stated on the lease. This situation causes conflict because those individuals do not want to fill out the Census, fearing that they will be evicted and forced to search for a home during a time where New York City rent is at its highest ever.

These struggles prove why a highly diverse group of individuals are needed to execute the groundwork and persuade unique individuals in New York’s historically undercounted neighborhoods to fill out the Census. The people from NOCCs live in and speak the languages of the communities they are based in. Therefore, they have the best ability to connect to individuals on a personal level in order to overcome the adversities that NOCCs have to educate the community about the Census. There are only 10 questions asked in the Census, and under Title 13, your information is not allowed to be shared with anyone.

This includes ICE, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and the New York Police Department (NYPD). If information is shared, it would result in a fine up to $250,000 and jail time.

Now that you know about New York City’s efforts to ensure a Complete Count, let’s spread the word about the Census to others so NYC can move on up!!! #NYCcounts.

(Destiny Hamilton is with the Jamaica Queens NAACP.)

METRO

B6 APRIL 1-7, 2020

Northside Common Ministries supplies food to Northview Heights Senior Home

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SIRAJI HASSAN helps carry food into a Northview Heights Senior Home, March 23. Everyone is pitching in to help others during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)

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