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JUNE 10-16, 2020

FEARFUL FOR THEIR SONS A COURIER SPECIAL REPORT

As George Floyd and others have died in police custody, African American parents’ concerns for their children’s interactions with police are heightened

by Merecedes J. Williams and Renee P. Aldrich For New Pittsburgh Courier

LISA PERRY is the mother of Justice Perry, left, and Xavier Perry. She made sure that police in Aspinwall knew her sons were residents of the community. “It was the only way I could show them (the police) that we are here and we are not a threat,” Perry said.

The most fearful weapon Black men possess is the color of their skin.

As protestors have poured out into streets across America and the world to fight the executions of those like George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, Black parents are terrified now more than ever for their Black sons.

Coronavirus, teleworking, and school closures are on the backburner as Pittsburgh’s Black parents are

concerned about their children’s interactions with law enforcement.

As we’ve all recently witnessed, it is a matter of life and death.

It was about a month ago—17-year-old Thurgood Moses, his brother, 16-yearold Langston Moses, and their father, Darnell Moses, were in a vehicle that Darnell was driving in Green Tree, a Pittsburgh suburb.

That’s when a police car came up behind them and pulled them over.

According to the Moses family members in the vehicle, the officer said he SEE FEARFUL A4

‘I felt like my voice was being silenced’ Post-Gazette reporter Alexis Johnson and photographer Michael Santiago gaining nationwide support after being banned from covering local George Floyd protests

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

On a picture-perfect Monday mid-morning, June 8, as it neared noon, Alexis Johnson, with a mask, chatted with fellow Pittsburgh reporters and media members, awaiting a press conference on the North Shore.

Then, when the press conference began, it was Johnson who stood in front of the microphones.

In an unusual twist, the media members had come to hear her story.

“I never expected to be here in front of you guys today. None of you should be here today. We should all be covering one of the biggest moments of our generation, and instead we’re here talking about another issue of racism and diversity and discrimination on another level,” Johnson, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter, said.

What happened to Johnson, she said, was anything but usual.

She took to her private Twitter account Sunday morning, May 31, with an eye-opening revelation—she posted four photos of nothing but trash and destruction left behind in the City of Pittsburgh, MICHAEL SANTIAGO is the Black photographer who was banned though she never identified Pittsburgh by from covering protests for the Post-Gazette. name. Johnson then wrote: “Horrifying scenes and aftermath from selfish LOOTNEW ERS who don’t care about this city!!!!! … oh wait sorry. No, these are pictures from a Kenny Chesney concert tailgate.

Whoops.”

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SEE REPORTERS A2

ALEXIS JOHNSON is the Black reporter who was banned from covering protests for the Post-Gazette. (Photos by J.L. Martello)

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PG reporter Alexis Johnson: ‘I felt like my voice was being silenced’ REPORTERS FROM A1

She had received high praise for the tweet, with more than 162,000 “likes” on her @alexisjreports Twitter page. It showed the accurate notion that the recent George Floyd protests, only a few of which have been destructive, aren’t the only thing that’s caused a mess in Pittsburgh. A mostly-White crowd tailgates for hours and hours before a Kenny Chesney country concert at Heinz Field, leaving a monstrosity of trash and an air of drunkenness. But the annual concert continues, no sign of it stopping.

The next day, Monday, June 1, Johnson, the Pittsburgh-area native, was informed by Karen Kane, managing editor of the Post-Gazette, and other editors that she would not be permitted to cover any “social justice” stories for the foreseeable future, including any George Floyd protests happening in Pittsburgh.

The reason? Apparently, Johnson had shown “bias” with her tweet. And reporters are to remain unbiased when covering and reporting stories.

But was it “bias?” Or was it just, the plain old “truth?”

When word got out that Johnson, 27, had been banned from covering the protests, support for her and condemnation of the Post-Gazette began coming

out the wazoo.

The Pittsburgh Black Media Federation said on June 5 that they were “outraged” by the removal of Johnson from covering social justice protests, including the ones for George Floyd.

“To deny the African American reporter the opportunity to cover this news removes an opportunity for the Post-Gazette to present a more fair, nuanced, and informed portrait of what is happening in local communities,” the PBMF statement read. “More so, the Federation is baffled by the management’s justification used for removal.

Johnson’s social media communications was from her private Twitter account. It was there that she raised a question and offered a comparison that challenged stereotypes. There was no malicious bias and nothing to suggest her reporting would be compromised or slanted if she continued telling the story of the protests. The Federation is in sharp disagreement with the action taken by the Post-Gazette’s managing editor.”

Brian Cook Sr., president of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, added that “it is unfortunate that Ms. Johnson’s voice has been silenced at a time when diversity in the media is needed more than ever.

To remove one of very few African American news reporters—in the entire City

MICHAEL FUOCO, the president of the local Newspaper Guild, said at a June 8 press conference that it is discriminatory for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette management to keep Black journalists Alexis Johnson and Michael Santiago from covering the local George Floyd protests. “Prove me wrong and put them back on this coverage,” he said. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello) of Pittsburgh—from a beat where she could make a difference, is not only troubling, it is abhorrent.”

went viral. It came to the attention of the powers that be, who on Monday (June 1) confronted her in a con-

KDKA-TV received this statement from Post-Gazette reporter Joshua Axelrod, a few hours after the June 8 press conference.

The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, which represents the Post-Gazette newsroom and full-time faculty at Point Park University, wrote in part to its members, in a letter first obtained by the Pittsburgh City Paper on June 4: “With Alexis Johnson’s permission, we are letting you know about an extremely troubling situation. Attached please find a tweet that Alexis posted, which

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ference call, told her she showed bias and as such, could no longer cover anything related to the protests of the police murder of George Floyd and the systemic racism that for too long has been a dirty segment of our national fabric.

“Forget for a moment that Alexis’ tweet was innocuous and that the Post-Gazette has no social media policy at all, only guidelines that do not include discipline. Or the fact that in disciplining Alexis, the Company violated the contract. The company’s disingenuous position is that the discussion with Alexis was purely ‘educational’ and that by barring her from reporting on one of the most consequential news events in the region’s history, Karen Kane and her deputies are merely exerting managerial prerogative over news coverage.

“We see right through that nonsense. Preventing a reporter, particularly a Black reporter, from covering civil rights issues of national significance because of a benign tweet—a decision made exclusively

by White editors, we might add—is clearly punitive.”

The news made its way to Harrisburg, where John Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor and

former Braddock mayor, tweeted on June 5: “I stand with the Guild. The PG immediately apologize to (Alexis) + reinstate.”

Dozens of fellow Post-Gazette journalists have tweeted their support of Johnson by retweeting Johnson’s original tweet. Michael Santiago, an African American photographer with the PG, also tweeted on June 5: “I’ve said this plenty of times this past week but I’ll say it again! I will continue to wholeheartedly support” Johnson.

That same day, Santiago learned that he would not be covering the protests for the Post-Gazette.

He joined Johnson at the June 8 press conference, dumbfounded at the realization that he, a member of a Pulitzer-prize winning photo team, was banned from covering the local protests.

During the press conference, Michael Fuoco, a longtime PG reporter and president of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, hinted that PG management had an issue with a social media post that a White reporter made, but that reporter was not taken off covering the protests. Fuoco, Johnson and Santiago declined to give the reporter’s name, but KDKA-TV learned later in the day that the reporter in question wanted to make his name public and support his cohorts, Johnson and Santiago.

“I was initially treated in a much more lenient manner by newsroom management than Alexis Johnson or Michael Santiago were and was only taken off protest coverage retroactively,” said the reporter, Joshua Axelrod, to KDKA-TV, June 8.

None of the top management at the Post-Gazette have made a public comment on the matter.

Johnson said she was very “upset and frustrated” when she was informed by PG management that she was taken off protest coverage. She called her tweet “funny,” “clever,” and “food for thought.”

She was told by management that she violated its

social media policy, but Johnson said there is no social media policy at the PG, “just a set of guidelines that the Guild never agreed to.”

Johnson added: “I really did take it personal. I argued, I pushed back, I said I felt like my voice was being silenced; I asked how that tweet showed any opinion or bias, and I never really got a clear answer.”

Fuoco, representing the Guild, demanded at the press conference that PG management apologize to Johnson and Santiago, and reinstate them to local protest coverage. Even Johnson said that while she was never told to take her tweet down, she would gladly take it down if management asked, so that she could cover the local George Floyd protests.

Johnson, who is 27, grew up in Penn Hills, and graduated from Penn Hills High School in 2010, the Courier has learned. She then earned a bachelor’s in Communications Media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2014, and a Master of Arts in Media Studies and Production from Temple University in 2017. Johnson was a reporter for WWVA-TV in Bluefield, W. Va., from June 2017 to Feb. 2018.

Later, Johnson attained the position as digital news editor for the Post-Gazette in Oct. 2018 and began having bylines in the Post-Gazette print editions in 2019.

Johnson said at the press conference that as the “daughter of a retired state trooper and retired probation officer, who better to cover the protests than Johnson. “It’s a shame that I wasn’t able to bring all of those experiences and my background to cover this story,” she said.

“Knowing how she posted it (the tweet), she didn’t say anything about any race, she just posted some pictures,” Johnson’s cousin, Ruthie Walker, a Stanton Heights resident, told the Courier, June 5. “It was a general statement that she made, and somebody took offense to it...because it was the truth.”

“It was a general statement that she made, and somebody took offense to it...because it was the truth.”

— RUTHIE WALKER

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

JUNE 10-16, 2020

‘Steel City Beauties’ aiding the community

DENICE MOTT gives Robert Logan dinners, at the Homewood House Apartments along Frankstown Avenue in Homewood, May 23.

The Steel City Beauties are a community-based social club that believes in helping and supporting any positive happenings in the Pittsburgh area.

“PROBIE,” aka Toi Jones, making a plate during the function.

SAMANTHA BLACKWELL, better known as “Princess Monroe,” taking dinners to the community where the Steel City Beauties served over 200 members of Homewood and the seniors in the apartments.

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FEARFUL FOR THEIR SONS A COURIER SPECIAL REPORT

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pulled them over because a tail light was out. The stop went smoothly, they said, as dad was able to demonstrate what he teaches his boys to do. But, in an interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier, Darnell said: “I’m sure we were stopped just for the heck of examining a car with three Black men in it in Green Tree. We did our due diligence, and it was one of the better outcomes.”

Unfortunately, when the Minneapolis police were called to a relatively minor situation on May 25 where a Black man, 46-year-old George Floyd, was accused of passing a counterfeit bill, the outcome wasn’t how it was for the Moses family. As the world has seen, former officer Derek Chauvin somehow found it as proper protocol to pin

Floyd to the pavement via Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck—for nearly nine minutes.

Floyd was laid to rest in his longtime hometown of Houston, Tex., on June 9.

Add to that the vigilantes, as the McMichaels believed they were earlier this year, as father (Gregory) and son (Travis) chased down a jogging Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man from Georgia, and the son eventually shooting Arbery dead with a shotgun.

Prior to them, there were others, unarmed Black men who were found dead at the hands of police, like Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and who in the Pittsburgh area can forget about Antwon Rose II—shot three times as the 17-year-old ran away from the East Pittsburgh police on that fateful day, June 19, 2018.

ANTHONY HALL, with son, Brennan Harris.

And for many seasoned Pittsburghers, they remember where they were in 1995 when Johnny Gammage, a Black motorist driving a Jaguar in the Pittsburgh suburb of Brentwood, was stopped by police and later died via suffocation caused by pressure on his back and neck during the arrest by police. Gammage, again, like so many other Black men, was unarmed.

In addition to the Moses family, the New Pittsburgh Courier spoke with multiple Pittsburgh-area Black mothers and fathers who have sons, and thus, have fear. You hope for the best, but in the back of your mind, you just never know what will happen if your son gets confronted by the police.

The fears of Darnell and Kim Moses, the parents of the aforementioned Thurgood and Langston, are centered around the fact that the two sons already look like grown men.

They’re tall, with broad shoulders and facial hair.

“They have looked older for quite a while,” Kim told the Courier, “and we have been intentional in letting them know that in hanging out with their friends, many of whom are White and considerably smaller, they need to remember that they will not be able to do what their White counterparts can do, even down to having on the proper gear when biking—(which includes) wearing a helmet.

We made sure they knew to never give the police a reason to have to question you—as unfair as that seems—you must work to not bring additional attention to yourselves. It is just the reality of the world we live in.”

As for Darnell, the father: “When we learned that Langston traveled with his White friends in places like (Pittsburgh neighborhoods) Highland Park and Shadyside, we took him aside and got into that conversation; helping him to understanding that as he is a Black teen, in general, if the police have to make a decision about him or his White friends—most likely it won’t be in his favor.”

Both of the Moses sons have gotten driver’s licenses and the driving experience opens an entirely different form of discussion.

“We keep the insurance card and registration in a lanyard, hanging from the rear view mirror,” Darnell said. “When they are driving, I encourage them to place their license in there as well. Additional instructions include keeping their hands on the steering wheel and rolling down all the windows (if stopped by the police). They should remain calm and be compliant—the goal is always to get back home safely. We’ll take up any problems after you get home.”

The potential for a Black son’s untimely death at the hands of the police weighs heavily on the hearts and minds of Akia Wiliams, 40, of the Hill District, Gina Mitchell, 50, of Forest Hills, and Lisa Perry, 52, of Aspinwall. Sometimes, it feels like Black boys and men are on the endangered species list.

Williams has two sons— 9-year-old Rishani and 20-year-old Amaru. Amaru, a graduate of CAPA High School, has been active in local theater since he was 13.

“I began having the ‘what to do if you have an encounter with the cops’ conversation with Amaru when he was 8 or 9,” Williams told the Courier. “At that time, we were living in Wilkinsburg—and it felt commonplace for hyper-vigilant officers to watch for perceived criminal activity. To me this meant his chances of being targeted or approached negatively were doubled—even though he was still quite young.

At that time, he did not see himself more ‘different’ than anyone else—he

didn’t quite get the importance of the conversation.

By the time he was 15/16 he did begin to understand, and began listening to his mother, clearly beginning to see the differences between he and his White peers.”

Williams said her fears “often flared up during the theater season. He often found himself in many neighborhoods including Polish Hill, the North Side to meet his aunt, Swissvale and Penn Hills, hanging with friends. I knew I couldn’t be with him 24 hours a day. The conversations were ongoing efforts to get him home alive. My two greatest fears were around mistaken identity on the part of the cops—it seems to them one Black man or teen is just like the other, and they tend to approach with aggression first, and ask questions later.”

The other big fear for Williams is having any of her sons being roughed up by the police.

Perry never gave her children a false sense of security, living in the quiet borough called Aspinwall, a mostly-White area, near Fox Chapel, another mostly-White area. “We never lost sight that as Black men, they are still subject to being targeted by the police,” Perry told the Courier. “Though the police here (in Aspinwall) are community-oriented,” she said she would introduce the police to her children (Morgan Perry, Justice Perry, Xavier Perry) at National Light Up Night events. “It was the only way I could show them (the police) that we are here and we are not a threat,” Lisa Perry said.

According to the U.S. Census, Aspinwall, which most locals know as the community you travel through right before Waterworks Mall, has about 3,000 residents. The census states that the Black population is zero percent. Of course, that’s not factually correct; there are a few African Americans that call Aspinwall home. A few.

“I knew from the gate that fostering some kind of relationship with the police would go a long way in creating a safer landscape for my children,” Perry told the Courier in an exclusive interview. “I felt compelled to let them know who we are, what street we live on, and that my expectation is that my sons would be kept safe, also. That way, if we have to call them, they may recognize we live in this community, and at the same time, if there is ever a need to approach one of my sons, they may recall I took the time to let them know who we are.”

Perry said she let the police know that her eldest son, Justice, a Duquesne University graduate, has a developmental disorder called Asperger’s, and it could hinder Justice’s ability to properly respond to certain police commands.

Gina Mitchell, 50, and her son, Anthony Bryson Perkins, enjoy an extremely close relationship. He’s 21, a Woodland Hills High School graduate, and was an aspiring football player.

However, a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) in his knee halted his football-playing dreams. “Over the years I was always his transportation, reducing the risk of any police encounters. We lived first in Uptown before moving to Forest Hills, and we always had the conversations right away,” Mitchell said. “I told him the cold hard truth that there were ways he had to conduct himself in any encounter with the police so that he could make it home safely every night.”

What are Mitchell’s exact words to her son that she constantly preaches?

“Whatever happens, do not run, do not resist.” She said that police expect Black men to resist and run. “Always say to yourself, ‘I just SEE FEARFUL A5

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want to return home tonight—I want to still be standing.”

It would be unfair to paint a broad brush and say that all police officers are bad, or racist, or treat Black people differently than they treat White people. Countless officers across Pittsburgh and the country are credited with saving lives, being a mentor, and being deeply entrenched in community service projects.

Officers were seen during numerous protests in this country walking side-byside with protesters, and even taking a knee with protesters. Taking a knee is what Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert said felt “right” when he did so this past weekend during a protest in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Beechview.

The chief went on the record recently to state that “excessive force” is “unacceptable” and “will not be tolerated at any level” in the Pittsburgh police force.

Still, ask most Black people in Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas, and the relationship between African Americans and the police would be best described as, “a work in progress.” There is a fine line in constant motion between trust and distrust, like and dislike, when it comes to Blacks and the Boys in Blue.

Residents are still steaming in Louisville, Kentucky, as undercover police detectives stormed a residence

THE MOSES FAMILY—Darnell, Thurgood, Kim and Langston. If his sons are ever stopped by the police, Darnell reminds them to “remain calm and be compliant—the goal is always to get back home safely. We’ll take up any problems after you get home.” letic size, Brennan could make “one small mistake that can change or end his life.”

With Brennan heading to college, Anthony Hall wants his son to remember the things he has taught him about interacting with

GINA MITCHELL, with son, Anthony Bryson Perkins. there on March 13, looking for a suspect and drugs.

A Black man and his girlfriend, Breonna Taylor, were inside the home, and the man, thinking that intruders were breaking in, fired his weapon. Officers returned fire, striking Taylor, 26, eight times, killing her.

Turns out, the suspected drug dealer that the police were looking for had already been apprehended 10 miles away by another set of police.

Simply put, Taylor should be alive today.

“We were able to see what happened to George Floyd,” said Lonita Baker, a lawyer for Taylor’s family, to the Los Angeles Times. “We have to tell what happened to Breonna.”

Back at home, Anthony Hall, 38, of McKees Rocks, is the father of two Black sons, and he is most afraid that one day he will receive that devastating call. “It is my biggest fear that I will lose my sons to some remnants of gun violence or police brutality.”

Brennan Harris is Anthony Hall’s son. Hall describes Brennan, his oldest son, as a “gentle giant,” the same moniker that George Floyd was referred to by many. Brennan is headed to Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the fall to play football. But his father knows that because of the color of his skin and ath-

the police. “I want to make sure he keeps his hands visible or showing on the dashboard with no sudden movements and I implore him that he adheres to the

same rules even when he’s not with me.”

Hall continued: “His size and skin color, which is something he can’t turn off, poses a threat to society and the thought process of police officers on how they approach Black men.”

Carlos Jay, 18, of Garfield, has a routine when he is operating a vehicle. Before he does anything, he puts his wallet on the dashboard, so that just in case he’s pulled over, his information is in plain sight.

“A piece of me broke inside knowing he doesn’t want to reach for anything,” said Carlos’ mother, Cherise Daniels.

Daniels has always taught her son to be “careful, cautious and to think before he speaks.” But she continues to feel broken every time her son takes those necessary precautions in fear of having an encounter with the police.

“It’s heartbreaking to know he feels that as a Black man, he can’t even ‘reach.’ When it should be a normal ability to do so.”

Especially during these times, Daniels feels it is important for Carlos to know his rights. “I told him, ‘we need to learn our rights.’

So, if he ever gets pulled over by an officer, he knows his rights.”

Carlos, who loves playing football and shined as a defensive tackle for the USO (Pittsburgh University Prep, Sci-Tech, Obama) football team, is 6’7” and weighs 280 pounds. Daniels is worried about her son and his stature posing another threat to police.

IVA FREEMAN, with son, Keeshawn.

“Every second he’s out of my sight, I am concerned about his safety. He’s an easy target because not only is he Black but he is big and tall,” Daniels told the Courier in an exclusive interview. “So, what? Does that make him intimidating enough for an officer to abuse their authority?

I pray for my son without ceasing. I am believing and trusting God to keep my son in the midst of it all.”

Iva Freeman, 42, of East Hills, knows that all police

aren’t bad. She constantly reminds her 21-year-old son, Keeshawn, of that very fact. “There are Black cops that have sons that look just like mine,” she said.

Shortly after graduating from Pittsburgh Allderdice High School, Keeshawn joined the workforce and immediately took pride in purchasing his first car. As a result, “Driving While Black” is in effect, and that forces extra precautions to be made. “We inspect his car daily to make sure his

lights work, tags are in place, his driver’s license is on him, and his proof of insurance and registration is in in the car and a copy is on his phone,” Freeman said.

Freeman also encourages Keeshawn to never get out of the car and call her as soon as he’s pulled over. “If he is on foot, never run, remain calm and comply.”

She fears that one day, “he is going to fit the profile of whatever the police are looking for and kill my son.”

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HEALTH

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Take Charge Of Your Health Today. Be Informed. Be Involved.

MobileDerm addresses disparities in skin health

ESTHER BUSH

Skin Health This month, the “Take Charge of Your Health Today” page focuses on the importance of your skin and its relationship to your health. The current COVID-19 pandemic has caused hospitals and community clinics to use tools like telehealth and virtual appointments to help care for patients. Erricka Hager and Bee Schindler, community engagement coordinators, CTSI, and Esther L. Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, spoke about this topic.

EH: Good afternoon, Ms. Bush.

This month we’re taking a more specific look at a health topic that sometimes doesn’t get much attention—skin health. I think it’s an important topic for us to discuss, especially when our community might not understand the importance of protecting their skin from the sun. In the overview, Alaina J. James, MD, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, reminds us why it’s crucial to wear sunscreen.

EB: It sure is, Erricka. I’m glad that this page helps to debunk myths about different medical topics. Dr. James goes on to mention that African American communities still suffer from disparities in skincare. These disparities include limited access to dermatologists or physician observations and some people having little to no insurance.

BS: Yes, Ms. Bush. I think it’s important to mention that dermatologists and their perceptions play a major role in the increase of skincare disparities. Dermatologists should be mindful that skin cancer can look different with African American patients. Different presentations of skin cancer can cause delayed diagnosis and treatment.

Questioning your doctor about bumps or spots that you notice on your body could help to flag issues.

Results from the Health Information National Trends Survey show that misperceptions about skin cancer are higher in African American communities. It’s important for people to understand how skin cancer plays a large and scary role so that they can advocate for themselves by taking small steps to lower their overall risks.

EB: I’m curious: What are researchers doing to dispel some of these misperceptions about skin cancer? I’m sure Dr. James and others at the University of Pittsburgh are identifying ways to address these misperceptions.

EH: Absolutely, Ms. Bush. I think the key thing to combat these misperceptions is education. Education for both patients and providers will help to reduce skin health disparities. Dr. James has created a wonderful program called MobileDerm. MobileDerm uses a telehealth model that allows the dermatologist to care for their patients virtually after first meeting in person. I think what’s unique about MobileDerm is that it provides direct education to communities in spaces where they feel comfortable.

MobileDerm is essentially meeting people where they are.

BS: I second that, Erricka. Education is crucial for all sides. We often encourage our readers to get involved with research studies but rarely provide similar requests for providers. While it is important to increase the knowledge and awareness of skin health in African American communities, providers and researchers must also do their parts. It’s vital that providers listen to and honor patients’ inquiries about skin health and then have the same level of follow-up that they would have with their white patients.

EB: Thank you so much for your time and thoughts, Bee and Erricka. As usual, we have continued to provide our readers with the necessary resources to help them navigate the changing landscape due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to hearing your thoughts next month as we discuss vaccine trials and the community.

Skin is the largest organ in the human body. It helps to regulate body temperature, boosts body immunity and provides sensation. It is our body’s first barrier against disease and infection. As such, it is important to remember to protect skin and keep it healthy. Protecting skin includes keeping it moisturized, seeing a dermatologist for any concerns and using sunscreen.

One of the most basic ways to protect skin is to be aware of sun exposure. Though sunlight can feel good, uplift our mood and provide the body with essential vitamin D, its ultraviolet (UV) radiation is harmful to skin. It can cause wrinkles and other skin damage and is a major risk factor for skin cancer for everyone.

“All skin types and colors have to be protected from the sun using clothing or sunscreen and by not using tanning beds [which use UV rays],” says Alaina J. James, MD, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “People of color who may not burn with sun exposure still need to use sunscreen—at least SPF 30, reapplying every two hours and making sure they are using zinc- or titanium-based sunscreens.”

Dr. James reminds us that, while people of color may have a lower risk of developing skin cancer, their risk of becoming ill and dying from skin cancer is greater than that of other people. This disparity exists partly because people in Black and Brown communities often receive a diagnosis very late in the disease process. She says that access to care, insurance coverage and provider awareness are barriers to health care and contribute to disparities in skin health.

To address some of these disparities in skin health, Dr. James has created a program called MobileDerm. For a number of years, providers in the field of dermatology have successfully used telemedicine for purposes like looking at a patient-provided photo of a mole (a model of care that has prepared them well for the physical distancing required during the COVID-19 pandemic). But a care model she has developed in the past few years takes telemed-

ALAINA J. JAMES, MD, PHD icine one step further toward skin health equity.

To improve access to dermatologic services, Dr. James, Pitt medical students and UPMC dermatology residents are doing outreach dermatology clinics in Pittsburgh community health centers. Dr. James developed MobileDerm, a program where dermatology health care providers meet patients where they are—in community-based health centers and clinics where patients have easier access and are often more comfortable.

“There aren’t many dermatologists in general,” says Dr. James. “Many are concentrated in bigger cities, which leaves people in outlying or lower-resource communities without a dermatologist in their community. We’re seeing that people who don’t have easy access to dermatologists have skin problems that go on for a long time and are much worse than they need to be. We want MobileDerm to help reduce that wait time.”

Dr. James thinks that meeting patients in the patients’ communities helps to build and sustain relationships and trust.

“There is something special and empowering about partnering with a community and learning about that community and trying to develop a relationship with patients and local providers,” she says. “Having discussions about things that I may

not know or understand about a community is important.

Once we build relationships through in-person, face-toface contact and discussion, from there we can follow up using different tele-visits and video platforms.”

Dr. James sees even international trips she has done to provide dermatological care as influencing MobileDerm’s model of care. During a service trip to Honduras in 2019, she and a dermatology team of Pitt undergrads, medical students and residents would diagnose and treat many patients at a full-service, pop-up dermatology clinic with onsite pharmacy and procedures. Dr. James would like to recreate this traveling dermatology service program in our local Pittsburgh area and neighboring rural communities.

Overall, Dr. James wants people to remember that their role in skin health— gentle hair and nail care, noting concerning skin lesions, rashes or nonhealing wounds, and as well as guarding against UV exposure—is essential. With increased sun protection, people’s vitamin D levels, which are important for a healthy immune system and strong bones, are often lower.

It is important to eat nutritious, vitamin D-rich foods and monitor vitamin D levels. Recent studies suggest that very low vitamin D levels may be associated with severe COVID-19 infections. Skin health is not just acne, warts or mole checks (see information on moles elsewhere on the page); skin can sometimes reflect what is going on inside the body. Many systemic diseases can present with changes in the skin.

Dermatologists can help coordinate health care with other health care providers to make sure patients are receiving the proper treatment.

Lastly, Dr. James wants people to know that, despite COVID-19 physical distancing, if they are having urgent skin problems, providers are available for in-person patient appointments, as well as video visits and E-Dermatology. She and the UPMC dermatology team are here to help and serve communities.

UPMC makes shift to telemedicine solutions

Hospitals around the world look to technology to help them care for patients and to help limit the potential for exposure to the novel coronavirus. Telemedicine is taking off in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A similar trend is underway at UPMC. Because of the organization’s significant investments in laying the groundwork for telemedicine over the last few years, UPMC is positioned to meet new demands.

UPMC has experienced a massive shift in patient volume to its primary telemedicine solutions, MyUPMC Video Visits and UPMC AnywhereCare. Last year, UPMC expanded its telemedicine capabilities to surgeons and other physicians

who perform medical procedures. In 2020, UPMC quickly provided telemedicine capabilities to the vast majority of its primary care physicians. These strategic decisions prepared the system for the rapid escalation of telemedicine because of COVID-19. This preparation has enabled UPMC to continue to provide quality care, safely, during the pandemic.

UPMC is encouraging patients to schedule appointments with their primary care physicians and specialists as virtual video visits through MyUPMC. This tele-ICU (intensive care unit) capability is making it easier to provide the very highest level of care to more patients.

“Telemedicine has worked so well that

it’s unlikely providers will switch back to the old way of performing medicine for certain patient populations post-crisis,” says Carla Dehmer, director of telemedicine, UPMC. “More patients will receive high-quality care within the convenience of their own homes. Patients will be able to see their providers without having to find transportation, child care or take time off from work. The way we perform medicine will forever be changed. And UPMC is ready.”

As needs change and develop, UPMC will continue to be at the forefront of technological care to ensure that the community is cared for, both now and into the future.

RELIGION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

JUNE 10-16, 2020

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

THE WALK MUST GO ON

The coronavirus pandemic didn’t stop a local organization from holding its annual “Hope For Haiti” 5K Walk, which benefits the people of the country known for its gorgeous mountains, beautiful beaches and delicious cuisine.

The Functional Literacy Ministry of Haiti (FLM-Haiti) hosted its walk, virtually, on May 16. With a registration fee of $25 per person, those involved

Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 Worship Online on Facebook/YouTube www.ELPC.church Journey Worship...........8:45 a.m.

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

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

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

Pittsburgh Friends Meeting 4836 Ellsworth Avenue

FLM-Haiti’s ‘Hope For Haiti’ 5K Walk went virtual this year Courier Staff Writer

East Liberty Presbyterian Church

Curious about Quakerism?

KATHY BYNUM, among those who still participated in FLM-Haiti’s “Hope For Haiti” 5K Walk, even during the coronavirus pandemic.

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got their 5K walk (equivalent to about 6,000 steps) in via numerous ways—the living room, the basement, or outside in the neighborhood.

The pandemic wouldn’t allow for the normal situation—dozens of people gathering at one outdoor location, and then walking in unison.

“I congratulate and extend gratitude to all who decided to participate in this virtual walk in spite of the circumstances,” said Leon D. Pamphile, founder and executive director of FLM-Haiti.

LINDA STEPHANS “Keep on doing good as a means of bringing hope to those who are less fortunate than us.”

Russell Bynum, FLM-Haiti board president, told the New Pittsburgh Courier between 50 and 60 people participated, and more than 100 people made financial donations. Due to the new normal of “virtual” events, there were participants not only from Pittsburgh, but also Florida, New York, Ohio and Maryland.

The proceeds from the walk support medical, education and technical training outreach for the people of Haiti. FLM-Hai-

ti, a Christian nonprofit organization, has been in existence for more than 35 years.

The Line Dance King, Roland Ford, and Cornerstone TV Network also contributed to the event’s success, Bynum said.

“It was very encouraging to see all the support received from all over the country for Haiti during this pandemic,” Bynum added. “Haitians do not have the safety net afforded by the United States. It was wonderful, we are so grateful that God spoke to the hearts of our 5K Walkers and sponsor.”

For rate information, call 412481-8302, ext.

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Marketing your business during a crisis

by L. A. Tucker For New Pittsburgh Courier

Your clients are people first. Before you create your marketing strategy, check on your clients and see how they are holding up right now; find out what their needs are and the hurdles they’re facing; ask about their families. Be a human first.

That personal touch may be the difference between your client choosing to continue doing business with you during the crisis or waiting until it’s over.

A thoughtful, creative marketing campaign could be just the added boost a brand or business needs to push through this pandemic.

Audit Your Marketing Plan Review the campaigns that are already running or are in the pipeline.

Take a look at your imagery and language. Avoid images of large crowds and language that implies close interactions.

Beyond multimedia campaigns review your communication channels and explore ways to boost your social media engagement or increase your subscriber count.

Adjust Your Messaging Your communications should be compassionate, informative, clever, and on point. Don’t be someone you’re not. The important thing is to let your customers know that you are still there for them and able to provide the service or products they expect from you.

Key messages:

Classifieds

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Doing more, with less— protecting frontline workers As the nation begins to slowly emerge from quarantine brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, many remain in shock by the health and economic carnage we are all experiencing. From Wall Street to Main Street, business and financial leaders are stunned by the virus’s impact on nearly every facet of our lives.

No sector of our economy has been disproportionately stymied more than Black-owned businesses from coast to coast.

For more than a decade, U.S. Black Chambers has led the fight on Capitol Hill and in corporate board rooms on behalf of the country’s more than 3 million Black businesses.

In the wake of the pandemic, data revealed what many of us have always known—Black businesses are financially fragile. Most of our businesses are Ron Busby family-owned and regularly confronted with cash flow, operational and legal hurdles that are eating away years of hard work and sacrifice. The challenges faced by Black business owners often mirror those we see in the communities where they are located, hire from, and committed to serving.

Like Black businesses, medical facilities located in minority communities are facing many never-before-seen challenges as well. Since the outbreak, doctors, nurses, and other essential workers have been forced to ration care and perform unfamiliar jobs because of staff and equipment shortages. Medical facilities such as Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC, and Prince George’s Hospital Center in Maryland, have served Black communities for decades and are vital partners who provide opportunities for small business growth. Workers in these facilities perform heroic duties in unprecedented conditions. They deserve our support, but today are under the threat of over-reaching lawsuits.

Perhaps the most vulnerable health care sector is nursing homes and long-term health facilities. These facilities, which care for thousands of low-income, aging members of the Black community, were already short on medical supplies and personal protective equipment. They are now struggling to adapt to an ever-changing virus and rising COVID-19 caseloads. These facilities need federal and state funding to help support patients, families, front-line workers, and community partners.

As Congress continues to debate proposals related to liability protection, we urge them to do so with the collective good in mind and not allow over-zealous legal actions to punish those who are already doing more, with less.

Commentary

• Explain changes to procedures that current customers may be accustomed to • Communicate your brand/business’ benefits, tailor your brand promise to address the current climate • Create content that can inform, entertain or inspire people. Even if people aren’t ready to spend money, constant touchpoints will keep your brand in their mind.

Remember, it’s not just about you.

• Be personable and involve your employees.

Make it personal and connect on multiple levels.

• Create a video or two that could be a how-to in an engaging way, or a

behind-the-scenes sneak peek, Now is a good time to position your brand as an expert in your industry, generate conversations and reach new people.

Don’t Capitalize Very few brands have the ability to tastefully go viral right now—don’t try. You risk creating a tone-deaf campaign that alienates your customer base. Again, your messaging should resonate with your customers and acknowledge the seriousness of the situation.

Buyers react to authentic and conscious brands.

Please no: • COVID-19 Flash Sales! Or something else equally offensive • Bragging about suc-

cess. The quarantine is affecting everyone differently. Be mindful that this is a scary, difficult time for most.

• Doomsday posts or emails.

Look Forward Although there isn’t a hard date on when this will be over, we know that it will not last forever. Consider where you want your brand to be post-pandemic. Hopefully, you’ve been reinventing your brand as needed during this time and preparing for the post COVID-19 landscape as best you can. Your marketing efforts now can pay dividends in the future if you’re consistent, creative and true to your brand and your vision.

(Ron Busby is the president and CEO of U.S. Black Chambers Inc.)

The reason why Black millennials burn out in Corporate America

by Andre Ellington The Michigan Chronicle

“To be young again” is a quote that many Baby boomers and Generation X members use to laminate their younger years. While some things have changed over the years, some things remain stagnant, with substantial resistance to change.

Let us use corporate America for example.

To be successful before 1976, the requirements include: * 40-hour workweek * Company car * Decent house * Pension and retirement fund Elders may have the current technology needed to communicate, but their men-

tality is outdated like a plastic-covered couch.

What can initially start as a dream job for many millennials end up being a nightmare due to unrealistic demands, pressure and downright nonsense. Many millennials graduate college, intern, and end up working at a corporation that looks at them as a badge number rather than a human being.

The corporate environment chokes the life out of many millennials, which begs the question of, “Why do Black millennials burn out in Corporate America?”

Historically, this country was built off the servitude of black and brown individuals.

Every time we started an independent movement (ie, Black Wall Street) it was de-

stroyed by members of other races. What we built with our own hands has always been torn down by someone else. This means the mentality of saying “forget” a corporate job started way before we even arrived on Earth.

Every generation has a specific way they operate within

society. For millennials, their pride and personal security don’t lie in making sure they stay at a company for 20 years. This over-commitment to one job is the catalyst for burnout. I’ve worked a multitude of jobs over the years, and most of them didn’t push me in any area of my

life. Every time I challenged an opinion, I was ostracized.

When I had a suggestion, it was looked over. There were times when my work hours suffered as a result of my outspoken nature. The older generation won’t ever understand why millennials quit lucrative jobs, but it’s a reason behind every departure.

The true reason why Black millennials burn out is due to an unyielding effort to undo the workplace fabric of our forefathers. Recently, Inc.com revealed that the three areas millennials will change in the workplace is: * An increase in workplace technology * Collaboration between counterparts * Flexibility You can’t work properly

if your sick days are short, you’re overworked and there’s no evidence of a worklife balance. This is also the reason why entrepreneurship is increasing in the millennial generation.

There are a lot of things you can say about millennials, but we’re changing the core of modern society. Every corporate gig isn’t a horrible experience and knowledge from elders will never fall on deaf ears. But we must begin to question why other fellow millennials are burning out of corporate America like beautiful fireworks on the 4th of July. For now, let’s make sure we do our part in continuing to help them break the glass ceiling in the constrains of Corporate America.

Are we on the brink of ‘Making America Great?’

I decided to interrupt my normal weekly Financial Column to offer my observation on something far more reaching than money – LIFE! I usually try to stay in my lane and allow the social and political pundits to address social and political topics. What’s going on in the world today simply cannot be ignored by anyone. Events that have been transpiring over the last few months do not seem real.

America, The Great—a country that touts itself as the best place to live seems to be operating like a third-world country. What are the prevailing issues at hand? Many, many things. Tremendous health, financial and racial upheaval – that our President ISN’T doing a good job at handling. You cannot control certain external forces and circumstances but you can control how you respond to it.

A viral tweet recently crossed my desk that read, “People dying of Covid-19. Millions out of work. Black men being murdered in the streets. Riots nationwide. You know what America needs right now? A President!”

This day and time in history demands a need for Great Leadership who embodies vision, compassion discernment, and the ability to develop and execute a plan that will lead The American People to a positive outcome.

An election year is a great time and a great opportunity for President Trump to demonstrate sound leadership and win the respect and ultimately the vote of those of us observing and crying out for sound leadership. He’s failed miserably.

When the Coronavirus first reared its highly contagious presence, he sneezed at it as

something trivial. Any good leader knows that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Because of his mishandling, we the people were delayed in adopting preventative measures that could reduce the spread of the virus—causing more people to become stricken with the virus and more people to die as a result.

The world witnessed the brutal murder of an unarmed, restrained, compliant George Floyd, which happened on the heels of the killing of Ahmaud Arbery who was running in an effort to preserve and extend his life expectancy. Both heinous murders are eerily similar to the recent murders of Travon Martin and Eric Garner. How did our fearless leader respond to the murder of both George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery? Trump’s response to Arbery, “I think it’s horrible” but shortly thereafter he suggested that there could be something we didn’t see on tape. Trump’s response to Floyd, “it was a grave tragedy that should have never happened” but shortly thereafter he’s raving about law and order and threatening to send armed troops in the streets to aggressively deal with protestors.

You’d expect leadership at The President of the United States level to be more uplifting and unifying during this time. Yet, he comes across as self-aggrandizing, callous, mean-spirited and always quick to quip.

His campaign message was/is “Make Amer-

ica Great Again”. As a Black Man in America I can’t speak of time nor have I read about a time where America has been great to Black people. I’m reminded of a joke Chris Rock said, “Not one White person in the audience would trade places with me, and I’m rich.” The audience roared in laughter. Funny because there’s truth in jest.

Ironically, no credit to Donald Trump, the devastation that we’ve witnessed as a country over the past several months seems to be bringing about some positive change. Are we in the midst of Making America Great?

Coronavirus forced us to slow down and take stock of what’s really important in life. It’s not money; it’s not the accumulation of stuff that becomes clutter at some point. It’s having great relationships with family and friends and life itself. Immediate families are spending quality time together. Households were spending less, saving more, eating less and exercising more—a passage to a more healthy and wealthy lifestyle.

The death of George Floyd has created much needed conversation about racial bias, racial inequality and racial injustice across the globe. I recently received a business call. I was wrapping up a review of a file so I asked the caller to hold. Instead of placing the caller on hold, I muted the phone. What I heard surprised me. I heard a lady talking to her colleague about the need to leave work early

because of the protest. She said I understand why African Americans are so upset. They’ve been through enough. They’re sick and tired of it. When people get sick and tired, they’re going to react. That’s human nature. I jumped back on the phone, told her I heard what she said and thanked her for her empathy. Racial inequity is the leading story across all forms of media. People of all hues and various ethnic, political and religious backgrounds are doing protests across the globe.

The Donald, a poster child for manifesting without flaw that “White privilege” and “the good ole boy network” can get you a seat at the table whether you’re qualified or not. Donald Trump is the first sitting president whom I felt that I was smarter than—and I don’t consider myself to be all that smart. Don’t allow his wealth to fool you. Being smart and being wealthy are two different subjects. He seems grossly unfit for the job of President Of The United States Of America. I cringed at his lack of diplomacy and his limited command of the English language. Politics aside, he’s simply not presidential. Clearly, The Apprentice must have been a scripted show.

Through pregnancy and labor, we learn that pain precedes the birth of new life. It’s my desire and prayer that what we’ve experienced and witnessed over the last few months isn’t in vain. Perhaps the pain we’ve experienced thus far in 2020 can birth new life to a more family oriented, more culturally unbiased, less prejudiced way of living.

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

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OPINION

JUNE 10-16, 2020

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We demand justice in the name of George Floyd May George Floyd rest in peace and may we bring lasting justice for African Americans in his memory.

Before protests began over his torture and murder and the failure to arrest immediately the policemen who killed him, Black mothers rocked with grief. How do we make sense of a world where the state and vigilantes can execute us? How do we teach our children to value themselves and each other when the larger society does not?

We know that was the collective us under the knee of Officer Chauvin. We felt him squeezing the life out of us as he squeezed it out of George Floyd, just as Trump and his enablers are squeezing the life out of American democracy. Our dream for a different America bled out as we watched a White cop brazenly strangle a Black man literally in front of the eyes of outraged bystanders who implored him to stop.

The police murder of George Floyd might have disappeared like so many other murders of Black people by police, even when witnessed by the community. But fortunately this modern lynching was documented by a courageous 17-year-old, African American Darnella Frazier. With that evidence for the world to see, we started to protest and fight back.

George Floyd is a part of the collective us. We are part of all the African Americans who have been tortured and executed by police with impunity. They knew they could get away with it because of our race. A piece of us suffered and died with George Floyd. But we rose up in his name and are fighting back.

Some new, outraged young activists have linked their words and purpose with veteran organizers to seize the moment. Even some elders are willing to face the dual risk to their lives, with careful precautions, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of police violence when they protest police brutality and systemic racism in the streets.

Protests are growing larger with support and involvement beyond the Black community. People of all races are showing up to protest again and again. They are multiplying. While some infiltrators try to hijack the movement, the movement grows in size, power and strength. It grows with a spirit that appears to increase with every attack despite some aggressive policing and the National Guard.

The intractability of racism in this country that we are fighting can be measured by the tribalized sector of White America that supports Trump. Even with his abysmal mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the vast, needless loss of life, and despite recent polls that show that little more than 20 percent of Americans approve of his handling of these protests, still 33 percent of Americans hang on tightly. It is our duty to vote our strength, defeat them by punishing Trump at the ballot box on November 3.

The killers of George Floyd—hopefully, all four of them—will come to justice, we pray. The movement sparked by his torture and murder will continue to outlive him and bring justice from his senseless killing. Our brave young leaders in the streets and new, responsive officials in elected office face the daunting challenge of bringing lasting justice from the ashes of this tragedy. We must remake this into a country where police officers no longer feel entitled to harass and kill Black people with no consequences. We must remake this into a country where, when police officers do others harm, they face the same system of justice they are paid to enforce. We must remake this into a country where Black people enjoy equal justice and treatment under the law. We must remake this into a country where Black lives matter.

(Reprinted from the St. Louis American)

Founded 1910

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

Rob Taylor Jr.

Jeff Marion

Office Manager

Managing Editor

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John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—In his poem “No Man is an Island,” John Donne wrote, “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.” I’ve always been involved in humanitarian issues and the universality of justice. This past week has been exceptionally difficult for me and anyone else with even an iota of human compassion. Two unnecessary Black male murders have monopolized our airwaves, and will be the topic of discussion for the foreseeable future. The current social turmoil pushes me to the limits of my endurance.

Sunday, May 24th, readers of The New York Times were greeted with a front page listing the names of 1,000 COVID-19 victims. Following was the announcement that the US had surpassed the unwelcomed milestone of 100,000 deaths. While shocking and heart-rending numbers, I’m sure others were woefully desensitized to the full scope of loss from COVID-19.

To put these COVID-19 numbers into perspective, a comparison to the Viet Nam War isn’t unreasonable. By official measure, the number of American deaths in Viet Nam is 58,220. That number was matched and surpassed in late April for COVID-19 deaths. Reaching the 100,000 milestone signifies a point of nearly doubling the loss of life in Viet Nam. The greater tragedy is that it took US Forces 19 years in Viet Nam to reach 58,000. We’ve nearly doubled that number in 3 months!!

uncertainty of living under the threat of the disease. There is genuine trauma in wondering, “Who’s next?” or “How can I avoid it?”

If one cannot understand the terrorism that Professor Glaude describes, imagine being apprehended, tried and executed by a rogue police officer. Backing-up from George Floyd on the ground and begging for mercy, we learn of the initial allegation Arguably, had the Trump adminthat brought Mr. Floyd and the police istration begun efforts to combat in contact. A store owner called the this virus one week earlier, the loss police with an allegation of passing of life could have been reduced by counterfeit currency. Whether he at36,000. Instead, we add those names tempted to pass bogus money or not, to the list of those we’ve lost. Althere is no charge of counterfeiting though not lost to COVID-19, one that results in execution. other name MUST recently be added George Floyd joins Eric Garner, to those we have lost – George Floyd. choked for selling single cigarettes, By now, most Americans have seen Ahmaud Arbery, killed for jogging, the video of Mr. Floyd being suffoTamir Rice, killed for playing as a 12 cated by a police officer. The officer year-old child would, Trayvon Marapplied near-total force of his body tin, killed for walking home wearing to Mr. Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes. a hoodie and eating Skittles, Emmitt During that time, Mr. Floyd repeatTill, killed for allegedly whistling at a edly begged for mercy and, probably White woman, and on and on.. from past life-lessons, remained reGeorge Floyd endured suffocaspectful to the police. Mr. Floyd even tion AND ridicule to the point of his addressed his assailant as “Sir.” In death. These killings are the result an MSNBC interview, Princeton Proof ideation that denies the humanifessor, Eddie Glaude Jr., described ty of the victims. They cannot be exthis problem as one of African Amercused because of mental illness. They icans having to live under the “trauare deluded expressions of superima” of Coronavirus and the “terrorority and control over selected vicism” of lawless policing. tims. This MUST stop!! We need no Those who have lost relatives or more names on this list!! friends to the Coronavirus, or even (Dr. E. Faye Williams is National President had relatives or friends contract the of the National Congress of Black Women.) disease, understand the trauma and

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary

The murder of George Floyd was a lynching in broad daylight (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Three police officers stood and watched as a fourth, Derek Chauvin, knelt on Floyd’s neck. They watched for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, with Floyd unresponsive for 2 minutes and 53 seconds of that, according to the criminal complaint against Chauvin. They did nothing to stop the murder. Their silence was as much an act of violence as Chauvin’s knee.

And if there were no video recording of the murder, they likely would have upheld the Code Blue loyalty, and lied about what happened.

Floyd’s murder sparked peaceful demonstrations in cities across the country, demonstrations that, in Minneapolis and a few other places, turned toward riots. Chauvin and his co-conspirators weren’t immediately arrested for the murder. Had Floyd, an African American, done this to a White person, he likely would have been jailed immediately, with a bond too high to reach. For too long, for too often, African Americans have been brutalized without consequence. Floyd’s plea for mercy —“I can’t breathe”—was an echo of Eric Garner’s last words. Laquan McDonald, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, too often the killers walk free.

The signs say Black Lives Matter.

Yet the very people who are supposed to protect us too often, in too many places, don’t seem to agree.

Instead of accountability, police have been given impunity. There were 17 complaints filed against Chauvin in his 19 years on the force.

Only one resulted in even a reprimand. Too few of the police live in the communities they patrol. Too many see themselves as enforcers, not protectors. There are only a few bad apples, we are told.

But the Code Blue wall of silence protects the abusers, and too often rots the entire barrel. Young officers learn that if they want to advance, if they want better assignments, better pay, more security, they have to fit in. And the rot keeps spreading.

The demonstrations are necessary.

The rioting understandable but regrettable. Already, the damage done to property, the exchanges with the police becomes the subject, not the

Jesse Jackson Sr.

Commentary agenda that is necessary to focus on the outbreaks of rage that are inevitable. “In the final analysis, the riot is the language of the unheard,” Dr. King taught us, “What is it that America has failed to hear?” In the last years of the Obama administration, peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrations occurred in cities across the country.

In a stunning display of discipline and self-control, demonstrators protested police brutality and murders peacefully, shutting down major thoroughfares. The Obama administration began an effort to encourage police reform. The sentence disparities between crack and cocaine —the “black” drug and the “white drug”—were reduced. Transfers of military weaponry to police forces were restricted. The Obama Justice Department entered into a series of consent decrees with more than a dozen police departments to encourage them to change their practices —to become more a guardian than an occupier.

The consent decrees couldn’t root out racism, or dismiss the sadistic or the disturbed, but they could encourage a change in tactics, and perhaps in attitudes. When Trump was elected, he immediately torpedoed the reforms, and terminated the consent decrees. He reopened the spigot on military weaponry and encouraged the police directly to get tough with offenders. Last October, Bob Kroll, the president of the Minneapolis Police Union, appeared at a Trump rally to celebrate the president for freeing the police from the mild reforms of the Obama years.

“The Obama administration and the handcuffing and oppression of police was despicable,” he told the crowd. “The first thing President Trump did when he took office was turn that around, letting the cops do

their job, put the handcuffs on the criminals instead of us.” Those trumpeting law and order offer African Americans neither. Those peaceful protests were met with harsh reaction. The voices were not heard. And now, Minneapolis is in flames and the streets of America’s cities are filled with protesters. What America has failed to hear—decade after decade—is the demand for equal justice under the law, the demand for equal opportunity, the call for basic rights—not only for African Americans but for all—the rights to a livable wage, decent housing, health care, a safe environment, a protective, not a dangerous police force.

The suffering is real; the gap documented over and over, most recently as poverty, hunger and illness makes African Americans disproportionately the victims of the coronavirus. This isn’t complicated. The solutions are known.

From the Kerner Commission in 1968 on, the analyses have been done; the needed reforms detailed— and shelved. There is money enough for top-end tax cuts, for bailing out banks and CEOs, for waging endless wars across the world. There is never enough money to fund the gap. And so the anger and frustration build, kindling ready to ignite.

And time after time, an act of outrageous police brutality sets the kindling aflame. The demonstrators are showing courage. We’ve also seen, in a few cities, police leaders show real leadership and wisdom. I pray that all also show caution.

We demonstrate not only against the threat of Code Blue, but in the time of COVID-19. Masks, social distancing, care for one another are vital so the demonstrations for life don’t end up sacrificing lives to the virus. In the midst of a pandemic, some march in the hope that America will listen. Some march without hope but because silence is no longer acceptable. Yes, Minneapolis needs to charge, try and convict the murderer and his accomplices. Yes, the Minneapolis police force needs to cleanse itself, inside and out.

America too needs to listen and to change. We will come together, or we will surely come apart.

OWN, TV One and BET ignore functions of the Black Press (TriceEdneyWire.com)—As a child growing up in Tuskegee, Alabama in the 1950s, my only connections with the national Black community was the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper and JET magazine. I could hardly wait for them to be delivered every week. That’s why no one has ever had to convince me of the importance of the Black Press.

When hearing Black pontificators from the broadcast press so cavalierly predict the demise of Black newspapers I get extremely agitated. If they are right, then we, as a people, are in much more trouble than even I thought because of Black-owned TV One, OWN and Black-oriented BET are not up to the job. I came to this conclusion after watching them religiously during the home-bound-

A. Peter Bailey

Commentary ness brought on by the COVID-19 virus. I enjoy programs such as Living Single, Martin and a couple of Tyler Perry films but they presented not one second of news coverage or one second of discussion focusing on issues such as COVID-19 and the lynching of George Floyd. In fact the only program on the three that one can say has any cultural relevance is Unsung on TV One.

A friend, Dr. Lionel C. Barrow Jr., who was dean of Howard University’s School of Communications, defined the role of the early Black Press in a 1977 handbook that celebrated the sesquicentennial of the Black Press. He stated that it has four major functions: “to perform as a watchdog function for the Black community that the White press was either are unable or unwilling to perform, to answer the attacks published in the White press, to present a viewpoint that differed even from that of liberal Whites and to be a carrier and preserver of Black culture.”

I am not saying that Black newspapers are all that they can and should be in carrying out the functions cited by Dr. Barrow but at least many of them make an effort to do so.

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HOUSEKEEPING POSITIONS Pittsburgh Technical College is seeking qualified applicants for the following positions: • Housekeeper – Full-time - Day Between the hours of 7:00 a.m.

– 5:00 p.m. (8 hour work shift) 3 years prior office/institutional cleaning experience • Housekeeper – Part-time – Evening Between the hours of 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. (4 hour work shift) Prior office/institutional cleaning experience preferred Must pass criminal background check. Immediate opening at our North Fayette campus near Robinson Towne Center. Apply to www. ptcollege.edu (Employment with PTC) or www.workforptcollege. com.

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ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS PITTSBURGH, PA JUNE 1, 2020 The Office of the Director of the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY will receive Letters of Interest with current SF 330 for professional services until 4:00 p.m. on July 31, 2020 for the following assignment: COUNTY PROJECT NO. MS4N-PDES 2020 OPEN END MS4 SERVICES This is a County funded project with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) oversight. A description of permit requirements is available from PADEP. The selected consultant will assist in providing field and office work required to maintain permit compliance on a time and material basis, as directed.

Submit five (5) copies of your Letter of Interest and current Standard Form 330 (SF 330) to: Stephen G. Shanley, P.E., Director Allegheny County Department of Public Works County Office Building, Room 501 542 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15219 ATTENTION: Kevin Lemon, EIT Place five (5) copies and one (1) electronic copy of your Letter of Interest with required SF 330 forms in a sealed opaque envelope with firm’s name, the title, the number of the Project, and the words “Letters of Interest” written on the front. When delivering the Letter of Interest to the Department of Public Works, please adhere to all COVID-19 safety procedures. If you mail the Letter of Interest, insert the sealed opaque envelope containing the Letter of Interest and SF 330 form inside a separate mailing envelope.

The Director will receive Letters of Interest with accompanying SF 330 until the day and hour stated in this Public Advertisement. The Director will not consider any Letter of Interest received after the set day and hour and will return it to the addressee unopened. The firm is responsible for ensuring that the Director receives the Letter of Interest by the set day and hour.

The County will use only SF 330 of firms responding with Letters of Interest to prequalify firms for consideration for these services. The County encourages responses from small firms, minority and women owned firms and firms that have not previously worked for the County.

The County will preselect or shortlist three firms for consideration for this Project assignment on the following evaluation criteria: Experience, Record, Size, Workload, and Related Work. By a Request for Proposal the Department of Public Works will notify the top three short-listed firms to submit proposals. The County will base final selection of a firm for this assignment on the following evaluation criteria: Project Proposal, Organization, Design Ability, Experience, and Special Criteria such as community involvement and other sensitive areas of Project development. One shortlisted firm may be selected to enter into contract.

The County’s minority business enterprise and women’s business enterprise goals for this Project will be 13% of the total price for MBE participation and 2% of the total price for WBE participation. Certification of MBEs and WBEs by the County is mandatory on or before proposal due date. Firms submitting a Letter of Interest must have their MBE/WBE participants in place and noted in their letter and/or SF 330 form information in order to be considered for this project.

The Director may reject any Letters of Interest/Proposals and may waive any irregularity in the Submission of Letters of Interest/Proposals.

For further information contact Mr. Kevin Lemon, EIT, Project Manager, at 412-350-2517.

Stephen G. Shanley, P.E., Director Allegheny County Department of Public Works

SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT POSITIONS AVAILABLE Positions available for a variety of grade levels and areas of content including Guidance Counselor and School Psychologist Complete job descriptions and deadlines are available at: www.southfayette.org EOE LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of DOLORES LEE, Deceased of the 28th Ward Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Allegheny County Court. Claims may be filed as follows: Bonita Pannell Exec Admin. 110 Silo Court Oakdale, PA 15071 Estate of LORETTA D. ALBRIGHT Deceased of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania NO.02-20-02307, Sandra A. Brown, Executor, 129 Drake Drive, Wexford Pa 15090 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of CLARE MAUREEN THEBERGE, Deceased of Oakdale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No.02-20-02366, MARGARET D. FEST, Administrator, 3320 Woodwind Drive Jefferson Hills, PA 15025 or to Robin L. Rarie, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of Frances M. Labella No. 022001803 Date of Death: December 04, 2019.

PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION ATTN: SHARON L WHITNEY, VP 300 FIFTH AVE, FL 31 PITTSBURGH, PA 15222 And/or: TRACEY L. ZIHMER, ESQ. 3244 WASHINGTON ROAD SUITE 210, MCMURRAY, PA 15317 Estate of MR. GEORGE F. WHARTON, SR., Deceased, of 8 Peppertree Drive, Coraopolis, PA 15108. Estate No. 02-20-2447, Mr. Scott B. Wharton, Sr., 8 Peppertree Drive, Coraopolis, PA 15108, Administrator, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of MS. MARY R. LEITNER, Deceased, of 2025 Wightman Street, Pittsburgh, Pa 15217 Estate No. 02-20-2448, Mr. Albert Leitner, 1412 Ridge Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108, Administrator, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COLLEGE Sealed bid proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 (412.237.3146) on the following items: Bid Proposal No. 1068 – Aruba Maintenance Renewal Bid Proposal No. 1069 – Dell Maintenance Renewal Due date for above: 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 The CCAC Purchasing Department publishes all bids and RFPs via the CCAC website at https:// www.ccac.edu/Bid-RFP_Opportunities.aspx It will be each vendor’s responsibility to monitor the bid activity within the given website (“Bid and RFP Opportunities”) and ensure compliance with all applicable bid documents inclusive of any issued addenda. Failure to incorporate any applicable addenda in the final submittal may result in the rejection of your bid.

The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

The Community College of Allegheny County is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/Disadvantaged owned businesses.

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

Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 a.m. on June 19, 2020 and will be read at 11:15 a.m., the same day, at Port Authority’s Heinz location (Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information for the Bid Opening), for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)

Bid Number Bid Name 1 B200432A Articulated Bus Bellows 2 B200434A Hybrid Powertrain Rotor Assemblies - Coach 3 B200437A Antifreeze / Coolant - Ready to Use 4 B200538A Wiper Arm Assemblies - Coach 5 B200539A Oil Fuel & Antifreeze Analysis Services No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held via tele-conference on each of the above items at 10:00 a.m. on June 3, 2020. Please contact the respective Contract Specialist for Tele-Conference dial-in information. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the Port Authority within five (5) business days of the scheduled bid opening.

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

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

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

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

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AREA AGENCY ON AGING PUBLIC HEARING, JUNE 19, 2020 PITTSBURGH –The Advisory Council of the Allegheny County Department of Huma Services, Area Agency on Aging (AAA) will hold a public hearing on Friday, June 19, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. The purpose of the hearing is to solicit public comment on the 2020-2021 Budget Prospectus.

Due to the health and safety risks associated with public gatherings during this time, the public hearing will be conducted as a teleconference. To receive the call-in number and conference ID for this event, contact Matt Beall by email at Matthew.Beall@alleghenycounty. us or telephone at 412-865-7179.

If you wish to give testimony at the public hearing, you may pre-register for an assigned 5-minute slot by contacting Matt Beall.

The hearing is also an opportunity for older adults, caregivers and other interested individuals to ask questions and offer comments on aging services in general. All oral or written comments will be recorded in the official proceedings of the hearing.

The week of the public hearing, the budget prospectus will be posted on the DHS website www.alleghenycounty.us/dhs/plansbudgets. aspx. To request a copy, contact Matt Beall by email or telephone.

Written testimony will be accepted before and after the hearing. All testimony must be received no later than Wednesday, June 24, 2020 by email to Matt Beall, or mailed to the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Area Agency on Aging, 2100 Wharton Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203.

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LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT INVITATION FOR BID ACHA-1628, REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICES The Allegheny County Housing Authority is requesting bids from quailed firm/individuals to provide Refuse Collection Service, per specifications for it locations throughout Allegheny County.

Invitation for bids and contract documents are on file and may be obtained, at no charge, in the Purchasing Department of the Allegheny County Housing Authority, Pleasant Ridge Community Center, 251 Jefferson Drive, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 or by contacting the ACHA at 412-402-2435 or email at: gphillips@achsng.com.

A pre-bid conference will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. in the Pleasant Ridge Community Center, 251 Jefferson Drive, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 (Not Mandatory).

Bids are due by 10:00 a.m. local time, Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at the Allegheny County Housing Authority, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

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

ALLEGHENY COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY Frank Aggazio, Executive Director

ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1725 Sealed Bids for CONTRACT NO. 1725 CIPP REHABILITATION OF THE LOWER SAW MILL RUN INTERCEPTOR shall be received at the office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15233, until 2:00 P.M., Prevailing Time, Wednesday, July 15, 2020, and then shall be publicly opened and read. A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held via a video conferencing call on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at 10:00 A.M., Prevailing Time.

ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities and women to submit bids on Authority Contracts or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to successful Bidders.

Successful Bidders are to use minority and women’s businesses to the fullest extent possible.

Contract Documents may be examined and obtained at the Engineering office of the Authority. A non-refundable fee of $100 (no cash or credit cards will be accepted) will be charged for each set of Contract Documents received. Bid Security shall be furnished by providing with the Bid a Certified Check or Bid Bond in the amount of 10% of the Bid Price.

Any questions regarding the Contract Documents should be directed in writing and submitted to Mr. Shawn McWilliams, ALCOSAN via email at shawn.mcwilliams@alcosan.org.

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

ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY Jan M. Oliver Director, Regional Conveyance

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Law and Order, and White supremacy As a young child, I was unfortunate enough to have a trace of reddish hair and relatively pale skin for a Black person—remnants of an interracial rape three generations distant in my family tree.

While I measured my misfortune in personal terms – being taunted by my elementary schoolmates as “a little White boy”—the greater dilemma my physical appearance evidenced was the catastrophe of White supremacy that has plagued the entire world over the past four centuries.

The rape of my African American great-grandmother by a White man was ignored by law enforcement authorities in the western North Carolina county where the crime was committed because it was not that unusual an occurrence. The rape of Black women by White men at that time and in that part of our nation occurred frequently.

On the other hand, any suspicion of rape of a White woman by a Black man produced howls of rage and an execution, usually by lynching after torture.

The lynching of Black folk was almost always done in the name of “law and order.” Something of value to the White community had to be protected. It was

Oscar Blayton

Commentary this way during the days of slavery. It is this way today. And to clearly understand how this was able to take place all these years, we must understand what law is.

Law is a process of authoritative control, where certain empowered community members establish and maintain a particular public order.

In the 1880s in North Carolina, that particular public order allowed White men to rape Black women with impunity while dealing a death sentence to any Black man who was believed to have assaulted a White woman.

The laws were not written in the books that way, but neither are today’s laws that allow armed White murderers to be taken into custody alive, while unarmed Black men are summarily executed by police for selling cigarettes without a license. Law is more than the written statutes and the constitutions.

It is also the implementation and execution of written and unwritten notions of public order.

If a police officer or a judge deems it in the best interest of public order to treat Blacks one way and Whites another, then that is the law unless and until a higher authority steps in. That is the law, but it is not justice.

Americans usually are not taught the difference between “law” and “justice,” and by conflating the two, we are blinded to the injustice of many laws and the manner of their execution. When the Nazis were empowered to establish and maintain their public order, it was “legal” in Germany to do the horrific things they did to Jews and members of other minority groups. But after World War II, the Nazis were no longer empowered, and under a new law of that land, their acts were declared criminal and several were hanged.

Many laws in America are unjust, and many more are executed in an unjust manner. Until we confront this and acknowledge it, we will live in a land plagued with injustice.

Race-based laws reigned supreme in the American South until the federal government developed the will to strip Southern states of their powers to allow the rape, murder, robbery and dehumanization of African Americans.

But this was low-hanging fruit. The segregationists and race haters were so disgustingly vile that America could not hold its head up in the global community if it allowed their crimes to continue unchecked.

Unfortunately, it took tragedies like the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till for America to stop and reflect on what was happening. But once the low-hanging fruit was plucked and the Ku Klux Klan and segregationists like Alabama Gov. George Wallace were driven back into the shadows, the cancer of White supremacy was left to fester and metastasize throughout the body politic of this nation.

Today, we have the murder of George Floyd, yet another unarmed Black man, by yet another White police officer and there is a new awakening of the American conscience. Floyd’s murder is a clear symptom of the out-of-control cancer of White supremacy in this country. The whole world sees it and their protests let us know that they do not like it.

Americans who claim to be law-andorder advocates can now be asked: What law? What order? What justice?

Why do those elected officials who claim to champion law and order go silent when a police officer breaks the law and murders a Black victim?

I do not expect the “law-and-order politicians” to respond to these questions. However, fair-minded Americans should weigh those hypocrites on the scales of justice, and if they find them wanting, remove them from office.

FORUM

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Violence, morality, and Earl “Butch” Graves the destruction of property Commentary Last year New York’s Govdefinition that dehumanized ernor Andrew Cuomo signed J. Pharoah Doss the fetus, which creates moral a new abortion law. Pro-life ambiguity, in order to justify critics claimed the new law alher pro-choice position. lowed abortions up until birth.

Now, Nikole Hannah-Jones, That wasn’t true, but the false New York Times Magazine reclaim started another round porter and creator of The1619 of arguments about abortion.

Project, attempted to create Pundits on the right and left the same moral ambiguity seized the opportunity to around the destruction of grandstand and denounce their opposition property. on social media. One brief Twitter exchange After the police killing of George Floyd in between a New York Times contributor and Minneapolis, riots erupted across the U.S. a pro-life radio host became a story of its Naturally, concerned citizens denounced the own. violence, but Hannah-Jones told CBS News, The NYT-contributor tweeted: A fetus is “Violence is when an agent of the state not a baby. A baby is not an unborn or a pre- kneels on a man’s neck until all of the life is born baby or child. If your goal is to legislate leached out of his body. Destroying propermedical care you have to use medical termi- ty, which can be replaced, is not violence. To nology. use the same language to describe those two The pro-life radio host copied and past- things is not moral.” ed the Oxford Dictionary’s definition of the In the abortion example the moral ambiword fetus. The reply looked like this: Fe·tus guity is derived from the difference between (noun): An unborn offspring of a mammal, the medical and non-medical definition of in particular an unborn human baby more the term fetus. Hanna-Jones’ distinction than eight weeks after conception. about violence isn’t based on different terms The NYT-contributor didn’t respond. within different definitions, it’s based on her That made the pro-life radio host the vic- refusal to accept the definition of violence. tor of the exchange in the eyes of many The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines pro-lifers. But the contributor could have violence as: The use of physical force to inresponded with the second definition of the jure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Injury and word fetus from the “Medical Dictionary for abuse apply to people and damage or destroy the Health Professions and Nursing” that applies to property. Two things can be true states: Fetus—in humans, the product of simultaneously. conception from the end of the eighth week It seems Hanna-Jones redefined violence to the moment of birth. in order to justify her support for those that Now, it would have been easy to conclude took to the streets after the police killing. both the NYT-contributor and the pro-life Her redefinition of violence may get rid of radio host were right according to their own her moral dilemma, but it doesn’t change the definition. The pro-life radio host used the fact that destroying property is a violent act. definition that emphasized the humanity of Meanwhile, protesters are marching the fetus to justify his moral stance against through the streets with signs that say: Siabortion, but the NYT-contributor used the lence is Violence and White Silence Kills.

Check It Out

George Floyd’s killers and the vigilantes who share their beliefs don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt (TriceEdneyWire.com) Some White officers —and —“Those who commit the Marc Morial self-appointed vigilantes—are murders write the reports, and so accustomed to the benefit hence these lasting blots upon of the doubt that even their the honor of a nation cause but knowledge of video evidence a faint ripple on the outside does not faze them. world. They arouse no great Minneapolis has erupted in indignation and call forth no outrage. The primal scream adequate demand for justice.” of anguish—what Martin – Ida B. Wells Luther King Jr., called “the The casual brutality of a language of the unheard”— White officer’s knee squeezing the life from reverberates across the nation. We pray for a helpless Black man in handcuffs, caught those who have taken to the streets, that on a gruesome video, underlies Amy Coo- they will refrain from violence—and for the per’s smug tone as she announces her inten- police who are responding, that they exertion to lodge a false police complaint against cise restraint and de-escalate tensions. a Black man who’d inconvenienced her.

The officers who participated in the deadly “I’m going to tell them there’s an African assault of George Floyd were fired within 24 American man threatening my life,” she hours, and shortly after the National Urban announces as she is recorded by the man League and the Urban League of the Twin who’d simply asked her to leash her dog as Cities demanded their names, have been required in that area of Central Park. Un- identified. They are Derek Chauvin, Thomspoken, but understood, is her certainty as Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng. that her word, the word of a White woman, These men no longer deserve the benefit would be accepted without question. She of the doubt. Their word can no long be has no doubt about this, even as she glares trusted. Their records—which, in the case directly into the camera that is document- of Chauvin and Thao, include a disturbing number of use-of-force incidents and civilian ing her lie.

Her certainty that a Black man’s guilt complaints—must be thoroughly examined will be presumed, and White lies accept- for evidence of the racism and inhumanity ed, was shared by the Minneapolis police they displayed during George Floyd’s deadofficer who taunted George Floyd while he ly assault.

The National Urban League and the Urcrushed his neck beneath his knee for eight long minutes. It was shared by the officers ban League of the Twin Cities further dewho stood by, passively, while Floyd begged mand: • Arrest and criminal prosecution of the for his life and onlookers pleaded for the assault to end. Even though they knew they four former police officers.

• Immediate public release of all bodycam were being recorded, they filed a police report that was wholly refuted by video—they footage of the incident captured by MPD and Minneapolis Parks Police. were that certain.

• Appointment of an experienced, indepenThat certainty was shared by the White men who chased down Ahmaud Arbery and dent expert from outside the department to ruthlessly shot him in the street, claiming investigate the conduct of the four officers.

This nation is haunted by the souls of the with no evidence that he was a burglar.

It has long been the agonizing truth that, thousands of Black men and women whose without video evidence to the contrary, po- killers never were brought to justice. We lice who shoot unarmed Black people will owe it to them to see justice done for George always be given the benefit of the doubt. Floyd.

Commentary

Letter to the Editor

The cumulative impact of acts of racial violence Dear Editor: Death comes too swiftly, too easily to African American communities.

COVID-19 has proved this, as it ravages our people and continues to destroy life in many ways: killing our loved ones outright; terminating jobs, food, and housing; and annihilating dreams for a better future. Yet death also comes too often, too unrelentingly from acts of racial injustice. As if a death knell announcing the murder of George Floyd

by Minneapolis policemen, protest rang out so loudly and furiously in cities across the nation that it silenced calls for self-quarantine and social distancing despite COVID-19. The callousness of the police officers had been captured on video for the world to see in real time. And we were reminded of more Black lives ended, such as that of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky in March and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia just a few weeks earlier in February.

African American history confirms that the cumulative impact of acts of racial violence—from Black enslave-

ment to convict leasing, from lynching to racial massacres (for example, Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921 and Rosewood, Florida in 1923), from segregation to voter disfranchisement, and from mass incarceration to killings by the police in the twenty-first century—has proved to be a far more virulent threat to and killer of Black lives than any epidemic in our nation’s past.

What must we do, then, if we truly seek to build a better world for ourselves and our children? African American history provides a three-fold answer. First, we must continue to protest, but we must do so nonviolently. Second, we must support organizations and efforts that seek to create a more just society for all people (inclusive of race, religion, and sexuality), but we must do so also by calling out acts of injustice when and where we see them. Last but certainly not least, we must vote in every election, but we must do so especially in 2020.

Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham ASALH National President

I am tired... the pandemic of racism must end Over the past few days, civil unrest has gripped our entire nation. This was due to the unwarranted and senseless murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week by a police officer who placed his knee on the neck of Mr. Floyd for nine minutes as he begged for his life, while three other officers charged to protect and serve, did little—none of them displaying a shred of decency or humanity. It represents the latest, and perhaps the most disturbing, incident of police brutality against an African American man. As such, I feel compelled to share my personal thoughts because I cannot in all good conscience remain silent while the continuation of unchecked violence results in the loss of Black lives without regard or consequence.

I am a proud African American man who loves this country. I have close friends and family of all races, and I pride myself on being measured and fair. I have always tried to view the circumstances of life as “the glass 3/4 full instead of 1/4 empty,” but my patience has truly run thin...and now I am tired!

I am tired of watching innocent Black men being targeted with violence at the hands of law enforcement.

Tired of ignorant bigots taking the law into their own hands and feeling justified to confront Black citizens.

Tired of the media-driven, negative stereotypes that shape the dangerous narrative surrounding young Black men.

Tired of White people calling the police on Black people, and weaponizing the police because they are entitled, scared, or distrusting.

Tired of overlooking the purposeful or passive suppression of talented Black professionals in Corporate America.

Tired of watching Black-owned businesses struggle without access to capital.

Tired of Corporate America loving the fruits of Black culture, but not nurturing the tree that bears it.

Tired of the word “Diversity” which has been nothing more than a diversion away from Black.

Tired of systemic and institutionalized corporate racism which is masked by flowery mission statements and codes of conduct that are rarely enforced.

Tired of the rise of the digital and social media economy without commensurate reinvestment in the very market that has often led to its success.

Tired of being disrespected in restaurants as if I were invisible.

Tired of being followed in retail establishments as if I were a threat to rob them.

Tired of not being afforded the same assumption of competence and associated opportunities as my White high school, college, and business school classmates.

Tired of explaining why I like to spend time with Black people...while White people are never asked to explain why they like spending time with people that look like them.

Tired of the overall physical and psychological toll that being a Black man takes on me every day.

As the father of two talented, charming, educated, young Black men with unlimited potential, it pains me deeply that I needed to have “the conversation” with them while they were innocent teenagers regarding their possible interaction with cops that my Dad had with me almost five decades earlier, and that no doubt his Dad had with him. Every evening before I go to bed I must say a prayer that my boys will not be targeted and killed by law enforcement who mistake them as a threat which is something none of my White friends or classmates ever have to endure much less think about.

Why are we still facing the same problems, and having the same conversations surrounding racism in 2020 that we’ve had over the past 50, 100, and 200 years? The reason is we have never truly had any desire to actually address and cure the “Pandemic of Racism.”

I guarantee you we will soon find a vaccine for Covid-19 just like we have found cures for other health crises that have plagued this country throughout centuries. We are a nation with vast resources of money and intelligence, and this Pandemic of Racism can be cured, but Black people alone cannot put an end to this virus. We need the commitment and assistance of consciously aware White people to bring an end to this virulent disease.

Let me be clear: I do not condone violence and looting as a methodology to fix racism. On the other hand, I fully understand the frustration and outrage at yet another incident where the lives of Black people are considered worthless. My heart is warmed to see so many of the protesters across this country and around the world to be a full mix of young white, black, yellow, and brown people. I have great hope for the next generation because they are fed up with the nonsense and determined to do something.

Corporate America is uniquely positioned to be true leaders in this discussion and to drive lasting change—especially those companies that sincerely are committed to inclusion and equity. As it has done throughout history, American business can offer viable solutions while helping set the tone for our nation and world. It starts with being intentional, accountable, vocal, and fully engaged. I am truly optimistic about the initial response I have seen from fair-minded CEOs and other corporate leaders. I now challenge all of Corporate America to make an effective strategic plan to unlock the greatness that America can become, and to embrace everyone equally with fairness, love, and compassion.

(Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. is Black Enterprise’s CEO.)

NATIONAL

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

JUNE 10-16, 2020

B5

More than 50 years later...

THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mathew Ahmann at the Civil Rights March in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963. (National Archives)

And still, so much to be done

by Ray Curry For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King Jr. The citizens of this country are in the midst of a battle that we have been fighting for a very long time. A battle of racial inequality, systemic abuse, and injustice.

It is time to win this battle once and for all.

Across the nation over the past weeks, protesters are saying they have had enough. They are weary of the ongoing struggle for equality and equity, of the battle against systemic injustice, and the fear of being a person of color in America. The horrific, needless death of George Floyd on May 25 at the hands of four police officers in Minneapolis is tragically all too familiar. And we are seeing our nation cry out in pain. It is the pain of generations of inequality and the pain of a nation divided.

It is shocking that in 2020, mothers in African American and minority communities still have to worry about the safety of their sons and daughters when simply going off to the store, going out for a jog and or being stopped at a traffic light.

This must end.

Generations of misery George Floyd is sadly one of many, many African Americans who have been the victim of racial profiling and brutality. The larger tragedy of our society is that this criminal activity did not start with Mr. Floyd. Or with Breonna Taylor or Tony McDade, who also lost their lives in the past month for similar reasons. Nor did it start with Eric Garner, killed in 2014 due to a police stranglehold—or Rodney King’s brutal beating in 1991. The names

and stories stretch back generations and our past. To vote in local and federal elecare part of the ongoing racial disparity tions for leaders that will represent men and injustice that permeates our system. and women of this country and no longer A product of 400 years of oppression, prej- their self-interest. udice and fear.

I truly worry if we cannot do this, this How many stories like George Floyd’s wound will continue to tear our nation must we hear? How many lives cut tragi- apart. cally, brutally short?

In today’s marches across the country, At the UAW, we have we are seeing histobeen fighting for genry repeating itself. erations against sysAgain, our community temic racism. Think members are joining back to August 28, together, young people 1963, when more than especially, and taking 200,000 demonstraup the cause to detors took part in the mand change. And the March on Washington UAW, with its long hisfor Jobs and Freetory of supporting and dom in the nation’s fighting for civil and capital. Two men human rights, is right participating in that beside them. march—Dr. Martin It is not just police Luther King Jr. and brutality that affects UAW President Walthe African American ter Reuther—were community. Because of dedicated to breaking socioeconomic and enthe color lines and vironmental factors— fighting for equality many due to continued RAY CURRY in wages, opportunidisparity in opportunities, housing, healthties—when COVID-19 care and fair societal struck this country, it treatment. hit people of color especially hard.

A wound that will not heal Currently, the UAW is working with The 1963 March on Washington suc- Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s ceeded in getting those in power to sit up office serving on the Michigan Coronaviand take action. It was successful in pres- rus Task Force on Racial Disparities. The suring the administration to initiate a task force will act in an advisory capacstrong federal civil rights bill in Congress. ity to the Governor and study the causIt was a time that gave Americans—espe- es of racial disparities and the impact cially minorities—hope. But how far have of COVID-19 and recommend actions to we come since then if we still are march- immediately address such disparities and ing, if we are still protesting? the historical and systemic inequities Not nearly far enough. that underlie them.

It is time for this country to transform We need real change from the ways of the past. To turn our But we cannot just talk about it. We backs on the prejudices, fear and hate of must DO something about it. Just like

we saw civil rights legislation that came out of the demonstrations in the past, this tragedy and these demonstrations and clashes will need to result in legislation and reforms passed. PASSED and ENFORCED. And while I do not want to vilify all men and women in blue—we cannot not turn away from the horror of George Floyd’s death. An American citizen begging for his life on an American city street for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

This is not an on-the-sidelines hurt for me. I am an African American man born in raised in the South and now living in an urban center, but I am speaking here as an American, as a union member, and I am speaking to all of us.

When we look at the many tragic incidents over the past decades, most recently Mr. Floyd’s horrific death, I can only think that we as a nation failed this young man, as we have failed so many others. This cannot continue.

As Americans, we need to serve a warning to all who have the power—our representatives, our law enforcement officers, our leaders, our detractors—we are watching. And we are all committed to the safety and personal rights of ALL Americans.

We will hold those accountable, regardless of who they are, if they put any of us in peril. While doing so, we must remember the legacy of two men, two friends, who worked tirelessly for so many years.

We must honor that relationship, as well as our fellow men and women, as we address the challenges that we still face today.

But we must take action now—and we must make permanent change—for all of us.

(Ray Curry is Secretary-Treasurer, UAW.)

Black-owned laboratory uses artificial intelligence-based drug discovery platform to develop treatment for COVID-19

by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—The novel coronavirus has ravaged most of the globe, but in the U.S., African Americans and other communities of color have disproportionately born the lethal impact of the pandemic.

Darnisha Harrison, a Louisiana State University grad and founder and CEO of Georgia-based Ennaid Therapeutics, says that scientists working for her company are developing a drugbased therapy whose laboratory tests continue to show promise. If successful, her scientists’ solution could be instrumental in blocking the continued spread of COVID-19.

Ennaid Therapeutics uses artificial intelligence (AI)-based drug discovery platforms to develop antiviral drugs.

The drug that shows so much promise has been labeled ENU200, a repurposed, patent-pending, and orally deliverable antiviral drug that was previously approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a different indication. The development of ENU200, as a therapeutic, is targeted to treat the up to 80 percent of asymptomatic, mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 viral infections.

“Our science strongly suggests that ENU200, a repurposed drug with a well-established clinical and safety profile, has the potential to be a broad solution to address the COVID-19 pandemic and, specifically, the near 80 percent of coronavirus cases that are asymptomatic, mild to moderate,” said Harrison. “Key to ENU200 is its target of two proteins on the SARS-CoV-2 virus that interfere with the virus’ ability to enter healthy cells and its

replication.

Addiis responsible for tionally, unlike other host cell attachment COVID-19 drugs in and mediating host development, which cell membrane and must be adminisviral membrane futered via injection sion during infecor intravenously tion.” under the care of a “The in-silico prephysician, ENU200 dictions hint that can be administered ENU200 matches orally, thus enabling the receptor-bindin-home treatment ing domain (RDB) for COVID-19 infecby simultaneously tions.” blocking the key res“The FDA has been idues for binding to very supportive at ACE2, e.g., Gln493 fast-tracking reand Asn501. This view every step of function is key to the the way, and that viral life cycle and a is true around the major target for anDARNISHA HARRISON world,” Harrison told tiviral drugs, such WBRZ-TV in Baton as ENU200 and vacRouge. cines,” said Harrison.

“We anticipate the clinical trials All available data demonstrate that could start within 90 days. The clini- Mpros are largely conserved struccal trial itself could take a month. We tures, Harrison added. “The combinafeel quite optimistic that in the 120- tion of such unique features reveals day window, when our clinical mate- that ENU200 blocks COVID-19 and rial would be ready, we could have a other coronavirus action by specifically drug that could be safe and effective at targeting the Mpro active site. Before treating COVID-19.” showing specific blocking/antiviral acIn a statement posted on the com- tivity against S glycoprotein and Mpro pany’s website on Monday, April 27, of COVID-19, ENU200 had previously Harrison noted that the rationale for shown protease inhibition of a differdeveloping ENU200 arose from a bio- ent virus, indicating that ENU200 ininformatic search for in-silico iden- teracts with two targets.” tification of prior-approved chemical The in-silico drug discovery platform compounds blocking the CoV proteins, applied state-of-the-art codes by comspike S glycoprotein and Mpro. A Mpro bining virus targets and a wide range is a key CoV enzyme. of libraries of compounds, Harrison The results suggest the use of added.

ENU200 as a current, viable treatComputational steps include: ment for COVID-19 and other CoV • A first geometrical and electronic infections, Harrison stated. “ENU200 optimization of the drug-candidates blocks the S glycoprotein of CoV, which based on quantum chemistry within

density functional theory (DFT) methods.

• The resulting refined structures were next implemented in blind docking calculations, an approach that allows to scan the whole protein surface in the search of main binding pockets.

• Only the best poses are retained for the analysis, so that the provided structures correspond to the drug-target interaction with the largest affinity.

Harrison said in vitro work is now being completed.

“Currently, we have in vitro and in vivo data supporting ENU200’s inhibition of a viral protease in a different viral infection. Both viruses are RNA viruses. We think it is noteworthy to mention as proof that ENU200 is indeed an antiviral,” she stated.

Since ENU200 has a well-tolerated safety profile, Ennaid is confident that being allowed to treat the up to 80 percent asymptomatic, mild/moderate cases of COVID-19 infections will reduce COVID-19 viral shedding and severity, Harrison noted.

Ennaid believes it can quickly bring ENU200 to market by treating patients with COVID-19 in a Phase 3 in-home, self-dosing clinical trial of patients with asymptomatic, mild to moderate coronavirus infections utilizing their iClickCare® secure clinical reporting software service to monitor the in-home trials.

“ENU200 would also reduce worldwide fear and allow continued economic and operational development worldwide. ENU200 can mitigate COVID-19 and may even cure coronavirus,” she said.

B6

METRO

JUNE 10-16, 2020

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

The New Pittsburgh Courier is unveiling its huge 2020 ‘Celebrate The Graduates’ edition on June 24, and we want you to include your high school or college graduate’s name, photo and school in our print edition and our website, for all to see!

We’ve had many parents and grandparents ask us if they could place their graduate’s photo in the paper...And the answer is, yes!

We’ve also had school administrators and representatives ask if they could place entire graduating classes in our paper, and yes, now’s the time!

Email your graduate’s photo, name and school (if college grad, also list degree earned) right now to Courier managing editor Rob Taylor Jr. at

rtaylor@newpittsburghcourier.com

for school officials, email rob to inquire about placing an entire class in the special edition.

Rob will email you back, confirming he’s received the information and photos.

ANY 2020 high school or college graduate can be recognized in our special edition! (Cost is $15 per graduate photo, which also includes

Tyrell Minniefield was celebrated in our 2018 edition!

a free three-month subscription to the courier) HURRY! only the first 125 photos sent in (and payment) will be included in our special edition and on our website. The deadline has been extended to

wednesday, June 17, 2020, at 5 p.m. start sending graduate photos in now!

To: rtaylor@newpittsburghcourier.com

Congratulations to your outstanding 2020 high school or college graduate! From all of us at the New Pittsburgh Courier, the voice of Black Pittsburgh.

Former pro athlete trades NFL games for story time Football made Darnerien McCants’ dream of educating children possible

by Mark Gray Zenger News Service

From the moment he stepped on the yard at Delaware State University, Darnerien McCants was a game-changer. He wanted to play basketball at the only historically Black college and university in America’s first state, but it was football that came easily and gave him the platform achieve in education.

“Playing in the NFL was never a dream of mine,” said McCants.

“I don’t really watch sports that much on TV. I’ve met legends of the game and didn’t know who they were.”

McCants, a fifth-round draft pick in 2001 by the NFL’s Washington Redskins, has taken reading time into the world of distance learning to help young children develop a passion for the fundamental necessity that is a key to personal and social success during the pandemic. As he finally launched his nonprofit Finding Me Foundation, schools around the country were forced into distance learning and stay-at-home measures. Through mobile devices and video conferencing, he made the adjustment to the new normal of teaching for those who are used to working in a classroom while capitulating to social distancing policies.

“Every week has been a learning experience for me,” McCants said. “I’ve had to learn to teach a whole different way while getting better at using technology. This is the future of education we’re living now.”

The foundation’s mission is to combat juvenile delinquency by introducing kids to reading.

Each Thursday, McCants keeps his date with elementary-aged students who join him through the organization’s website as he reads some of his favorite children’s books. Unlike most pro athletes, who saw heroes from the game as professional role models, McCants’ drive to stress the importance of reading began during his elementary years, when he was introduced to actor LeVar Burton’s “Reading Rainbow” series as a part of the curriculum.

“I wasn’t born when he acted in ‘Roots,’ but I do remember him a little bit from ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’” said McCants, who is an alternative education instructor in the Howard County, Maryland, school system.

“But when I saw him on ‘Reading Rainbow’ as a child, it really stressed just how important reading is and the message was coming from someone who looks like me.”

“It was like my son living the first eight years of his life and seeing a Black president,” said McCants. “That lets him know he could aspire to hold that office one day. When I grew up, all I saw were pictures of presidents who were White men with wigs on and that was never going to be me.”

That McCants played pro football gives him credibility with his students. Most of the youngsters—primarily boys—he regularly teaches are consumed by media-hyped role models who create unrealistic expectations

for professional success.

As a teacher, it can be harder for him to stress reading as the most important life skill they will learn while the children are bombarded with images of athletes and rappers flashing jewelry and promoting lifestyles of the rich and gangster.

McCants finds his former career helps him guide students to create reasonable goals and aspirations while laying a solid foundation for achievable outcomes away from sports and entertainment liveli- DARNERIEN MCCANTS, a former NFL player, with his family. McCants has adjusted to the hoods.

Implementing pandemic by reading to children via the internet. his teaching strategy is easier, especially with old. lege level he was drafted despite minority kids, particularly boys.

“We have to overcome the slave not being invited to the NFL com“Boys are visual and kinetic tradition of dumbing down our bine. learners and it has been statis- kids because if they were too He played 41 games in the NFL tically proven that if you engage smart, they would be taken away for Washington and Philadelphia them by 8 or 9 years old it will from us,” McCants said. during a career that lasted four promote learning and cut down McCants’ raw athleticism re- seasons. McCants caught 58 passon delinquency,” said McCants. mains legendary at Delaware es while averaging 13.3 yards and McCants said generational fac- State. He was a better basketball scored eight touchdowns. He also tors dating to slavery have in- player than he was at football. played with the Hamilton Tihibited the passion for reading But basketball coach Greg Jack- ger-Cats of the Canadian Football in low-income communities. He son wouldn’t allow him to play for League before he was released by believes that it is critical for par- the Hornets, despite his routine his hometown Baltimore Ravens. ents to help kids develop an ap- domination of team members in “Football was just the platform,” preciation for reading by spend- offseason pickup games. said McCants, whose degrees are ing 40 minutes per day sharing “It was like watching a man in art and education. “Educating literature. against boys playing those was always my dream. I’ve alThe theory is 20 minutes spent games,” said Omarr Bashir, presi- ways known there was something in the morning and evening read- dent and CEO of Heritage Sports greater than me since I was 13 ing gives them a head start on Radio Network and former assis- years old.” achieving in school and may also tant sports information director (Edited by Michelle Adelufosi and Allioffset behavioral problems for at the university. Football came son Elyse Gualtieri) children between 3 and 8 years so easily to him to play at the col-