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VOL. 107, NO. 32

Youth brawls draw police

Published Weekly

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AUGUST 10-16, 2016

REV. JASON BARR JR.

Rev. Barr dies at 61

FIGHTS—With hundreds of youth Downtown, fights broke all over. Pictured above, several fights in the same area with people running to them instead of away.

(Photos by J.L. Martello)

Disruptive teens roll through Downtown streets

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

Once the races and other weekend events associated with the Pittsburgh Regatta wound down, people still came Downtown to watch the fireworks display.

Another group, however, came for a different kind of fireworks. For several hours on Aug. 7, rolling packs of teens, numbering in the hundreds, engaging in multiple fistfights up and down Liberty Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Smithfield Street, Sixth Street and in Market Square were serious enough to garner a response from Pittsburgh patrol officers, SWAT and motorcycle teams, as well as Allegheny County mounted police and state troopers.

Though police blocked off several streets, the fights continued to move and erupt for several hours until a SWAT officer with a bullhorn asked for the crowd’s attention:

TRYING TO KEEP THE PEACE—Mounted police were part of the variety of police officers in Downtown to help keep the peace.

“Bus service is about to come to an end. Get on a bus and get out of town. Once bus service is over we will clear the streets. If you remain you will be arrested.”

One young mother, who asked not to be identified, and who had come over from the North Side to see the fireworks display with a friend and their children, decided to leave well before the show even started.

“We were walking down Liberty when 200 or 300 kids came bum rushing past us headed towards McDonalds and almost knocked our stroller over. It’s crazy,” she said.

“I have my kids with me and I’m afraid that if I stay down here we’ll be caught in the mix of something that’s going to be crazy and I can’t be running with a one and two-year-olds.

It’s not worth it.”

Similar violent encounters between groups SEE YOUTH A4

40 affordable units coming to Homewood

by Christian Morrow

units of affordable rental housing in the neighborhood. It’s a calling, and he plans to answer.

“That’s the challenge before us and the community—to do something of scale because there is a pressing need,” he said.

“It’s different for us, but it’s still about providing quality affordable housing, stabilizing the community, and if we’re successful, paving the way for more market-rate and for-sale

Courier Staff Writer

Reverend Samuel Ware is not entirely without experience in addressing the city’s housing needs. His Building United of Southwestern Pennsylvania has built, and sold, 13 single-family houses in the Homewood over the last six years.

But by next spring Rev. Ware will be doing something he’s never done before—building 40

housing.”

The project is one of several approved earlier this year by the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh to help address the shortfall in affordable housing units, which the city’s task force projected at 17,000.

Because Building United has, until now, worked strictly on for-sale homes, it is partnering with East Liberty Development SEE AFFORDABLE A4

A NEW CALLING—Rev. Samuel Ware to build affordable housing in Homewood.

Pittsburgh has lost one of its greatest spiritual leaders. Reverend Jason Barr Jr., pastor emeritus of Macedonia Baptist Church, in the Hill District, died Aug. 8 in his sleep due to natural causes, according to the Macedonia Church of Pittsburgh Facebook page. Barr was 61.

Reverend Barr was elected pastor of Macedonia in April 1988, where he spent 24 years as the senior leader.

He retired March 2012 due to health challenges that included a brain aneurism in 2007 and a car accident in 2010. Under his leadership the church grew to more than 3000 members, multiple Sunday worship services and more than 50 ministries. Along with the growth of the church, there was also the founding of Macedonia Family and Community Enrichment Center Inc. (Macedonia FACE), a 501(c)3 corSEE BARR A4

Mother of police shooting suspect blames Black Lives Matter

by Kristen De Groot Associated Press Writer

The mother of one of two central Pennsylvania teenagers charged with shooting at police officers last week contends the Black Lives Matter movement is to blame for his actions.

“They are in jail for doing what Black Lives Matter wanted them to do: shoot at cops,” Luz Rentas wrote in a statement given to a number of news organizations over the weekend. “The truth is SEE MOTHER A3

Gainey, Costa promote landbanks to address municipal blight

ED GAINEY

Bringing development experts from state county and municipal levels, state Sen. Jay Costa, DWilkinsburg, and state Rep. Ed Gainey, D-East Liberty, held a state policy hearing in Wilkinsburg to seek remedies to the growing problem of blighted properties across the state.

“Blight is a scourge that impedes both business and residen-

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tial interest in a community,” Costa said.

“We must do what we can to give our municipalities the resources, tools and flexibility they need to quickly eradicate blight and begin revitalization efforts.”

One of those resources, recently approved in Pittsburgh, is landbanking, a

process that allows municipalities like Wilkinsburg, with at least 10,000 residents, to acquire blighted properties, clear delinquent taxes and liens, and prepare them for investment and revitalization—all aimed at returning the property to the tax rolls and productive use.

Local governments have the option of joining and must pay 5 percent of yearly delinquent tax collections to help fund the program.

But even smaller Allegheny County communities, Costa said, could benefit by forming entities similar to the Tri-COG Landbank SEE GAINEY A4

Julianne Malveaux says

Rev. Barber’s speech at the DNC was everything Forum A7

JAY COSTA

South Africa’s ruling party suffers biggest election setback

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AUGUST 10-16, 2016

by Cara Anna

Associated Press Writer

JOHANNESBURG (AP)—South Africa’s ruling party suffered its worst election setback since taking power at the end of apartheid a generation ago, with the African National Congress losing the capital, Pretoria, and its surrounding Tshwane metropolitan area. But it won a tight race for the country’s biggest city, Johannesburg, election authorities reported Saturday night.

The opposition Democratic Alliance, which named its first Black party leader last year, made a strong move out of its stronghold in the city of Cape Town, winning in three of the country’s six largest municipalities. With no party reaching a majority in Johannesburg or Tshwane, the possible formation of coalition governments is the next challenge.

Scandals around President Jacob Zuma came back to haunt him even as he praised a peaceful vote.

As he spoke on national television, four women stood up in front of him, silently facing the crowd and holding signs that appeared to refer to his acquittal for rape in 2006.

Zuma didn’t appear to respond.

The election losses have threatened two decades of dominance by the ANC, the former anti-apartheid movement.

Since South Africa’s first all-race election in 1994, the ANC has had widespread support on the strength of its successful fight against White-minority rule, while bringing basic amenities to many people. But its hold has been weakened by corruption scandals and a stagnant economy that has frustrated the urban middle class, while poor communities demand better services in a country with one of the highest inequality rates in the world.

“Election after election, the ANC has hung on to its past glory and kept its place in the hearts of most South Africans. ... This time round, though, it’s not enough,’’ the Mail & Guardian newspaper said in an editorial. On social media, South Africans mocked Zuma’s recent claim that the ANC would rule “until Jesus comes

Elaine Effort

This Week In Black History

INTERNATIONAL

OPPOSITIOIN PARTY LEADER—Leader of the official opposition Democratic Alliance Mmusi Maimane talks to the press at the election results center in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Aug. 6. (AP Photo/Herman Verwey) back.’’

In a brief address shortly before final results were announced, the 74-year-old Zuma thanked South Africans for a vote he called largely peaceful, free and fair.

“Our democracy is maturing,’’ he said. “Let us get back to work and build our country together.’’

The election was notable for its peaceful power shift away from an entrenched government in Africa, where some leaders have been in office for decades. In

has governed South Africa with absolute impunity,’’ the party’s leader, 36-yearold Mmusi Maimane, told reporters earlier Saturday.

He said the idea that his party was a White one has been “completely shattered.’’

The Democratic Alliance angered the ANC last month by declaring that it was the only party that could realize Mandela’s dream of a “prosperous, united and non-racial South Africa.’’

Maimane immediately

“For far too long, the ANC has governed South Africa with absolute impunity. The 2019 campaign starts now.”

36-year-old opposition leader Mmusi Maimane neighboring Zimbabwe, 92year-old President Robert Mugabe has kept control since independence in 1980 with disputed elections and crackdowns on dissent.

Before this election, the ANC had never lost a major Black-majority municipality. Now it has lost two, including Nelson Mandela Bay, named for the ANC’s star and the country’s first Black president.

The Democratic Alliance already runs the country’s second largest city, Cape Town, the only major municipality where Blacks are in the minority among White and mixed-race residents. The party, which has roots in the anti-apartheid movement, has declared that its brand is good governance.

“For far too long, the ANC

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looked ahead to presidential elections. “The 2019 campaign starts now,’’ he said.

The ANC received 53 percent of votes across the country, its lowest percentage ever, with the Democratic Alliance getting 26 percent. A more radical opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, contested the local elections for the first time and received 8 percent of the vote nationwide after promising measures it says will help the poor.

The results for the ANC could put pressure on Zuma to leave office before his mandate ends in 2019, political analysts said.

The ANC has said “we will reflect and introspect where our support has dropped.’’

It retained support in many rural areas in a country where blacks make up 80 percent of the population.

Scandals swirling around Zuma have hurt the ANC. Opposition groups have seized on the revelation that the state paid more than $20 million for upgrades to Zuma’s private home. The Constitutional Court recently said Zuma violated the constitution and instructed him to reimburse the state $507,000.

(Associated Press writer Christopher Torchia in Johannesburg contributed.)

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For the week of August 10-16 August 10 1867—Famed Black Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge dies in Poland. Aldridge was born in New York, where he developed a love for the theater. But prejudice in America forced him to go to England to practice his craft. Despite running into racism there as well, he was able to find work.

He came in for harsh criticism when paired with White female actresses. But after performing Shakespeare’s Othello, he was proclaimed “an actor of genius” by several newspapers. (Note: There is some authority that Aldridge actually died on Aug. 7.)

1981—A nationwide African-American boycott of the IRA ALDRIDGE giant Coca Cola bottling company ends after the firm reaches an agreement with Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Operation PUSH. Coke agreed to pump at least $34 million into Black businesses and increase the number of African-American-owned distributorships. Critics would later charge that the beverage giant reneged on the deal and the amount of money pumped into Black businesses never came to more than $11 million.

August 11 1868—One of the greatest White heroes of Black history dies in Washington, D.C. His name was Thaddeus Stevens. Stevens, a congressman from Pennsylvania, and Sen. Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts, led the Radical Republicans movement, which favored punishing the South for starting the Civil War and taking land from the former slave owners and giving it to the former slaves. He headed the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and he used his power at every turn to aid Blacks. Indeed, many of the pro-Black measures and legislation of the period attributed to President Abraham Lincoln were actually initiated by Stevens and Sumner. After Lincoln’s assassination, Stevens led the move to impeach President Andrew Johnson in part because Johnson, a Southerner, opposed many measures which would have benefited Blacks. More than 20,000 people (nearly half of them Black) attended his funeral in Lancaster, Pa. 1921—Accomplished writer Alex Haley is born on this ALEX HALEY day in Ithaca, N.Y. Haley is best known for co-writing the “Autobiography of Malcolm X” and for “Roots”—a history of a Black family during slavery, which became a major television series during the 1970s. Haley died in February 1992.

1965—The largest, longest and possibly most destructive Black riot of the turbulent 1960s begins in Los Angeles, Calif. The Watts Rebellion lasted six days, caused between $35 million and $50 million in damage while leaving 34 people dead, over 1,000 injured and nearly 4,000 arrested. It took place during a “long hot summer” when similar riots were taking place throughout the country.

August 12 1890—This is generally considered the day that the systematic and nominally legal exclusion of Blacks from the political life of the South began. It was the day that the Mississippi Constitutional Convention began. Barred by the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution from excluding Blacks by race, the convention instead adopted a host of strategies including literacy or so-called “Education Tests” specifically designed to prevent Blacks from voting. The tests required reading and interpreting the Constitution. Blacks would be given difficult passages to interpret while Whites were either exempted or given easy passages. Soon, most Southern states adopted the so-called Mississippi Plan to exclude Blacks from voting. The racist plan was effective. In one Mississippi County, for example, there were 30,000 Blacks but only 175 were eligible to vote. Most aspects of the Mississippi Plan were not overturned until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

1922—Ophelia Devore Mitchell—the founding mother of African-American modeling—is born on OPHELIA DEVORE MITCHELL this day in Edgefield, S.C. Her family would move to New York during the 1930s, where she entered the Vogue School of Modeling at 17. She excelled at modeling, as well as in academics mastering Latin, German and French. She modeled professionally for several years before opening her own modeling school in 1946.

Her aim was to overcome stereotypes and negative portrayals of Black women. She wrote a fashion column for the Pittsburgh Courier, started her own line of cosmetics and eventually helped found the Columbus Times newspaper in Georgia. In 2004, she was formally recognized by the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion and Arts Exchange for her contributions to the industry.

August 13 1881—The first African-American nursing school opens at Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga. 1892—The Afro-American newspaper is founded. The first edition is published in Baltimore, Md., by John H. Murphy Sr. At its height, the newspaper chain would publish papers in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Richmond, Virginia and Newark, N.J. It continues to publish today in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. 1906—The “Brownsville Affair” takes place. Angry Black soldiers, who had been subjected to intense racial discrimination and insults, are accused of sneaking into Brownsville, Texas, and killing a local White bartender and wounding a police officer. Although the evidence was weak, President Theodore Roosevelt sided with Brownsville Whites and ordered 167 of the Black soldiers dishonorably discharged for a “conspiracy of silence” because they either denied involvement in the shootings or refused to say who was involved. However, 66 years later (as a result of the findings of a book) the Army opened a new investigation which cleared the accused soldiers and reversed the 1906 dishonorably discharges.

August 14 1862—President Abraham Lincoln (for the first time) meets with a group of prominent Blacks to discuss the Civil War and public policy. But before the meeting was over, he would anger those gathered. Although an outspoken opponent of the expansion of slavery, Lincoln suggested that it would be best for America and Blacks if AfriABRAHAM LINCOLN can-Americans were to emigrate to Africa or Central America. Nevertheless, a little over a month later on Sept. 22 he would issue the Emancipation Proclamation technically freeing all slaves in the rebellious Southern states.

1883—Ernest E. Just is born in Charleston, S.C. Just would become one of the nation’s most prominent biologists conducting pioneering research in cell division. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Dartmouth University in 1907 and would go on to establish the Zoology Department at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Just would die in 1941.

1959—Modern basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson is born on this day in Lansing, Mich.

August 15 1975—In another of those highly publicized “trials of the century,” which frequently grip national attention, 20-year-old Joann Little is found not guilty of murder after she stabbed a White jailer who had entered her cell in Beaufort County, N.C., to sexually assault her. The trial had been moved to Raleigh because of widespread racial prejudice in the Eastern North Carolina area where the incident actually ERNEST JUST took place.

1979—President Jimmy Carter forces the resignation of United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young after he angered Jewish groups by meeting with representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The resignation created stormy relations between Blacks and the generally uncompromising pro-Israel lobby in the United States.

August 16 1922—Author and investigative reporter Louis E. Lomax is born in Valdosta, Ga. Little is known today, but in the 1960s Lomax was one of the most prominent Black journalists in America. He was renowned for his coverage of the Civil Rights Movement and his investigative reporting. He died mysteriously in an automobile accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico, on July 30, 1970. One urban legend is that his car was forced off the road by persons working for the FBI because he was completing a book which would show that the assassination of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was part of a government plot.

This urban legend is often repeated, but there has been little concrete evidence offered to support it. Lomax’ best known books are “Negro Revolt” and “To Kill a Black Man.”

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Community Calendar 1 Hood Days AUG 11—1 Hood presents Part One of its 3rd annual Hip Hop festival, from 5 to 10 p.m. at Repair The World, 6022 Broad St. in East Liberty. Celebrating the Hip Hop culture in all it’s manifestations, 1Hood Day builds on uniting family, community, and music in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s conscious Hip Hop community.

Community Dinner AUG. 11—The Homewood Children’s Village will hold a community dinner from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Bible Center Church, 717 N. Homewood Ave., Pittsburgh 15208. Learn about the work the village is doing and its plans for the upcoming year.

1 Hood Days Aug. 12—1 Hood presents Part Two of its third annual Hip Hop Festival, from 5 to 10 p.m., at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty. Call 412-404-2347 for more details

Youth Summit AUG. 12—Community Empowerment Association presents the Next Generation: Voices of the Future Youth Summit, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 7120 Kelly St., The discussion on Race, Power and Community. Workshops and panel subjects include collective leadership; building youth economic, social and cultural institutions; police and community violence. For more information, call 412-371-3689 ext. 44.

Basketball Tournament AUG. 12—CEA Presents the Peace In The Hood Basketball Tournament and Celebrity Game, 3 to 6 p.m. at the Homewood YMCA. To register, call 412-371-3689 ext. 44.

Community Summit Unfiltered Conversation AUG 13—CEA presents two Community conversations beginning at 11 a.m. at 7120 Kelly St. One will focus on the “unfinished business of Black political, social and economic empowerment. The second forum will look at the culture of violence. Warrior Conflict Code of The Streets will examine interpersonal and statesponsored violence, and how to create a ground game to combat violence. Special guest Aaron Dixon, author and President of the Seattle Black Panther Party, will be on hand for both summits, and throughout the Black Family Reunion weekend.

Community Block Party AUG 13—CEA presents a Multi-Neighborhood Community Block Party, 2 to 7 p.m. in front of its 7120 Kelly St. Building. Celebrate family and community with vendors, entertainment, music and youth activities. Interested vendors should call 412-371-3689 ext.

44.

Black Family Reunion AUG. 13 & 14—Community Empowerment Association presents the 13th annual Black Family Reunion, 11 a.m. (Aug. 13) and 6 p.m. (Aug. 14) at the Schenley Park Oval in Oakland. The event’s theme is moving toward racial, economic and social justice.

Enjoy food, fun and music by several entertainers including, ConFunkShun and Pieces of a Dream. For more information visit www.ceapittsburgh.org.

SummerFood Program THROUGH AUG. 19—The Allegheny County Department of Human Services will begin its SummerFood program offering breakfast, lunch and recreational activities for children up to 18 years old and individuals with disabilities at more than 80 sites throughout the county. For a complete list of times and locations, visit www.alleghenycounty.us/dhs/f ood.aspx or call 800-8513838.

Market Square Farmers Market THROUGH OCT. 27—From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., every Thursday. This season will see the addition of 10 new full and part-time vendors including Two Acres Farms, A519 Chocolate and Pittsburgh Fudge Co. Again this year, Just Harvest’s Fresh Access program will allow credit/debit and food stamp EBT cards to be used to purchase fresh produce, meat, dairy and baked goods.

AUGUST 10-16, 2016

METRO

A3

RMU president gets NBC analyst criticized for Biles comment honorary doctorate (CHICAGO)—“If you’re going to be a good leader, you need to be self-aware; get a PhD. in yourself,” were the words of advice Christopher B. Howard, PhD gave to the more than 430 students graduating from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s (TCSPP) Chicago Campus, which offers courses in 29 different psychology and behavioral programs and concentrations.

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is one of the leading nonprofit graduate institutions devoted exclusively to the study of psychology, and related behavioral health sciences.

As one of the most distinguished scholars in the country, Howard was selected to receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and to serve as speaker at the University’s 37th commencement. Dr. Howard earned a doctorate in politics from the University of Oxford and an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School. He is currently the eighth president of Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh.

“We were honored to have a scholar of Howard’s distinction address our graduating students, who are ready to go out into the world and become change makers in our profession,” said Tiffany Masson, PhD,

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)— An NBC gymnastics announcer has come under fire on social media over comments he made about the adoptive parents of American gymnast Simone Biles.

The 19-year-old gymnast and her younger sister were adopted by their maternal grandfather, Ron Biles, and his wife, Nellie, after spending time in foster care. Simone Biles refers to them as her parents.

Announcer Al Trautwig, though, on air has referred to Nellie and Ron as Simone’s grandparents.

When a woman tweeted to Trautwig that he should refer to Ron and Nellie as

CHRISTOPHER B. HOWARD

dition to alcohol and drugs back in Ohio.

The couple adopted Simone and Adria in 2000 when the birth mother’s parental rights were terminated.

Ron and Nellie provided the structure that the girls needed and set the foundation that helped produce what could be the greatest gymnast of her generation.

Simone is the three-time reigning world champion who has won 14 medals at worlds, including 10 gold, since 2013, and is poised in Rio de Janeiro to become the fourth straight American to win the Olympic allaround gold.

Mother of police shooting suspect blames Black Lives Matter CONTINUED FROM A1

campus dean, The Chicago School’s Chicago Campus.

“His many accomplishments—university president, presidential appointee, Rhodes scholar—to name just a few, as well as his words of wisdom greatly resonated with our students and provided hope for many of their ambitions.”

“I was honored to be asked by this august institution to serve as speaker,” Howard said to the applause of the audience. “Mental health is so important. Thank you for going into this noble profession. Thank you for your service.”

her parents, Trautwig tweeted back: “They may be mom and dad but they are NOT her parents.”

Trautwig later deleted the tweet.

He was criticized by Carrie Goldman, an adoptive mother who writes a blog, “Portrait of an Adoption.”

Goldman said NBC needs to make sure its commentators are educated about adoption. She says the comments deeply disrespect adopted children and parents.

When she was a toddler, Simone and her little sister, Adria, still in diapers, went to live with their grandparents in Texas while their mother struggled with ad-

that these are two punk kids following the orders of an irresponsible organization and now they’re gonna pay for it.”

The co-organizer of a Black Lives Matter chapter in Lancaster said the group rejects using violence to solve societal problems.

Officers in the borough of Columbia were responding to a report of gunshots near a cemetery just before 3:30 a.m. Friday when their own vehicles came under fire.

No officers were injured.

Marquell Rentas, 17, and Trenton Nace, 18, were arrested and remained jailed

Tuesday on $2 million bail.

The two, who are cousins, face charges including attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer. No attorney information was listed in online court records.

Rentas told officers during his arrest, “I was shooting at you,” and then cursed at police, authorities wrote in court documents.

Lancaster County’s district attorney said Tuesday there was no indication the shooting was racially motivated, but he said anti-police rhetoric could fuel such attacks against officers.

“We as a society need to take a look at what’s going on

in our country,” District Attorney Craig Stedman said.

“There’s a lot of rhetoric demonizing police. It creates greater a chance to have individuals emboldened to take violent actions out on police.”

Nace’s father, Roberto Rentas, made a similar statement to WHTM-TV that the Black Lives Matter movement influenced the teens’ actions.

Kevin Ressler, a pastor and co-organizer of the Black Lives Matter chapter in Lancaster, said such violence is counter to the movement. He said Rentas’ mother reached out to him Monday night on Facebook.

Youth brawls draw police A4

AUGUST 10-16, 2016

METRO

CONTINUED FROM A1

of youths occurred each of the previous two nights. But neither of those, nor the series of Downtown brawls that resulted in 15 arrests following the July 4 fireworks display, matched the size of the Aug. 7 events.

Zone 2 police Cmdr. Clarence Trapp, who was Downtown during the multiple melees said at one point there were between 600 and 700 kids, almost all African Americans running rampant.

“Over last several days we’ve had kids coming in from different neighborhoods congregating Downtown, not here to enjoy the Regatta, not here to do anything but get in fights run up and down streets and cause problems,” he said.

“People who came here to have dinner and enjoy the regatta have left. A woman who just moved to city got knocked down and needed stitches.”

Trapp said three officers had sustained minor injuries and—at that time—six juveniles had been arrested, most for fighting, but some for guns.

“They were showing their weapons, pointing them at each other and at other people,” he said. “We tried to be patient—but its past that point. The kids that are down here aren’t here to do anything but cause problems.”

Both police and the mayor’s office have been largely silent about these brawls, which have been growing in frequency and intensity since well before the July 4 holiday weekend. In fact, the Bureau of Public Safety did not issue an official press release on the evening’s incidents until late afternoon the following day.

In it, Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich acknowledged the ongoing problem.

“We are also working closely with our law enforcement partners, community organizations, and Downtown merchants to prevent these roving juveniles from causing problems,” he said.

Rich Carrington, whose Voices Against Violence organization works with youth in Carrick and neighboring Hilltop communities, said the administration’s reluctance to address this issue may be because these brawls pup up, disperse and reorganize blocks away, driven by cell phones and so-

cial media accounts, much like flash mobs.

“We’re dealing with social media. So the kids go down, most to watch, and a few start something and you have chaos. The police say they monitor social media—but who do you monitor,” he said.

“The kids in these communities have no connection to police or authority figures.

Their discipline is limited and their supervision even more limited. Until you get cops back on the street in community, the kids won’t have any authority presence in their lives.”

Carrington added that if the administration can build the kind of police-community relations it has been working forward, people in those social media circles could clue police in to this stuff ahead of time.

“They have to let them know.,” he said.

“Once you take a fad apart and it becomes less popular, kids are less likely to participate in it.”

Commenting during a press briefing about Pittsburgh Schools Superintendent Anthony Hamlet’s initiatives, Mayor Bill Peduto insisted that, overall, Downtown is safe. He said people who said they were scared by what they saw Aug. 7, were actually reacting to the increased police presence, not 700 kids running loose.

“Kevin Acklin and I got in a car and went Downtown met with Cmdr. Trapp, and what we saw was large crowds,” he said.

“Police had set up perimeters. So, part of what people saw was a large police presence, given what happened on July 4, they decided to have a large presence Downtown. That kept the crowd from spilling into general population and few injuries.

And there was no gunfire or large numbers of injuries. That procedure will continue for light-up night and first night.”

He also admitted that they need to do a better job of monitoring social media.

“We haven’t been as up to date tracking that as we should,” he said. “Kids come Downtown to fight because they are looking for someone who came Downtown.”

Trapp said the department would review everything that happened over the weekend to determine the best way to go forward.

Inc. for this project.

“They have the capacity and expertise because they’ve done this before,” said Rev. Ware.

“I haven’t.”

Kendall Pelling, director of land recycling for ELDI said number of units could go higher, but Ware is working with the community and the recommendations made in Operation Better Block’s Homewood Cluster Plan to refine and define the project.

“We are still at the very beginning of the project. We are providing technical assistance to help them build capacity and meet their mission,” he said. “We are also helping to provide that hard-to-comeby predevelopment

funding, and will help with site acquisition.”

Once the community’s input is gathered, and the vision is made specific, Pelling said the partners would make a series of funding applications to various public and private agencies.

“It’s not uncommon for a project like this to have 10 or 11 different funding streams,” he said. “It’s a lot of work to build, preserve and restore housing. One way to do real estate development is through partnerships—producing and preserving one house at a time.”

Reverend Ware is also working on an historic preservation project that will maintain 16 units of affordable housing in the Madeira Building.

that recently received $1.5 million in start-up funds from the Heinz Endowments.

In addition to landbanks, Matt Madia, chief strategy and development officer for Bridgeway Capital Investment said other resources could be employed, pointing to its revitalization work, that includes a $9.6 million effort to revitalize Homewood He said some of their business loans have re-

sulted in new businesses occupying commercial space that would otherwise be vacant.

Gainey, who co-chaired the hearing with Costa, said the state has passed several laws in recent years aimed at assisting local governments in blight removal and revitalization initiatives.

“There are also numerous proposals under consideration in the legislature that would generate more fund-

Rev. Barr dies at 61 CONTINUED FROM A1

poration that operates community and social services with a faith-based perspective, and the Macedonia Development Corporation, which contributed to the economic development and housing in the Hill District.

A pillar in the community, Rev. Barr was loved by many in his church and in the community.

“I learned how to be a pastor from some awesome leaders. One of that number has just been called home to meet the one he preached about,” wrote Macedonia Baptist Church Senior Pastor Rev. Brian James Edmonds on his Facebook page. “Jason A.

Barr Jr. modeled leadership, discipline, and commitment to me and so many others. In my Bible his name is listed with a few others next to Hebrews 13:7—Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you.

Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Our prayers are with the Barr Family.”

According to the church Facebook page, in lieu of flowers, the family of Rev. Barr asks that donations be made to Macedonia FACE. They are also asking for no calls.

Arrangements were not available at the time of this publication’s deadline.

HUNDREDS GATHERED—There were an estimated 500 to 700 in youth Downtown Pittsburgh.

These will complement 58 units of scattered site affordable housing that KBK Development is building in the neighborhood.

“We are looking at adjoining parcels of land to that project,” said Ware.

“But again, we’re working with the Cluster Plan and the community. We hope to have site assembled and make our applications by the fall. Our vision is to take advantage of public and private dollars to transform community into a place where people want to be, where you can’t tell a subsidized home from a market rate home—and expanded mixed income community where everybody wins.”

Gainey, Costa promote landbanks CONTINUED FROM A1

KEEPING THE PEACE—Police look on as hundreds of Black youth gathered Downtown. (Photos by J. L. Martello)

(J.L. Martello contributed to this story.)

40 affordable units coming CONTINUED FROM A1

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

ing for demolition and revitalization work and toughen penalties against absentee owners,” he said.

Whatever is done, it may need to be done quickly given the grim statistics presented by Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh Director Kyra Straussman who noted that a fourth of the city’s footprint is abandoned and vacant property that the government does not control.

“While our tax base is eroding, we are simultaneously directly paying millions in tax dollars annually to keep problem vacant and abandoned property just as it is,” she said.

Others who testified were: Cynthia Whitman Daley, policy director of the PA Housing Alliance; Tracey Evans, executive director of the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation; A. William Schenck, TriState Capital Bank Board Member, Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh; An Lewis, Director, Steel Rivers COG; Daniel Lavelle, board member, Pittsburgh Land Bank; and Liz Kozub, Community Development coordinator, Turtle Creek COG. State Rep. Paul Costa, DBraddock, and state Sen. Wayne Fontana, DBeechview, also attended the hearing.

ONE OF MANY FIGHTS—Fights moved from one street to another as girls mostly looked on and boys participated.

SOME BUSINESSES SUFFERED—A busted window was part of the damage done to Downtown businesses.

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

AUGUST 10-16, 2016

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A6

OPINION

AUGUST 10-16, 2016

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Mental Health issues in the Black community

Guest Editorial

Toppling voting ID laws a win-win for democracy Two recent federal court rulings on voter ID laws are victories for minorities and democracy.

In North Carolina, a federal ruling resulted in throwing out a voter identification law that the three-judge panel said was designed to discriminate against minorities.

The state was also found to have not only discriminated against minorities, but passed tougher election rules with the intent on doing so.

The 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling last week means an additional 100,000 voters could be casting ballots in November.

In 2013, the Republican-led government in North Carolina passed a wide-ranging law that cut the number of days for early voting and eliminated same-day registrations and out-of-precinct voting. The statute also required people to show a photo ID before voting took effect with the March primary elections. Republicans said the law was designed to prevent voter fraud.

In Texas, officials agreed Wednesday to modify their voter ID law, which federal courts have said discriminated against minorities and the poor, and left more than 600,000 registered voters potentially unable to cast a ballot.

The state is working to making changes to the law before November’s election, moving from requiring voters to show one of seven forms of suitable ID—a list that included concealed handgun permits, but not college IDs—to letting those without such an ID to sign an affidavit that will allow them to cast an official ballot.

Texas must also spend at least $2.5 million on voter outreach before November, according to the agreement submitted to U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos, who must still approve the changes.

In North Dakota’s voter identification requirements are on hold after a federal judge sided with a group of American Indians who said the law unfairly burdens them.

Several other states have had election rules sidelined for the coming fall election. In addition to the North Carolina law that required photo identification, federal courts loosened a similar measure in Wisconsin and halted strict citizenship requirements in Kansas.

These changes come as judges across the U.S. are blocking several Republican-controlled states from imposing stricter election rules in November.

While some Republican state officials have not ruled out eventually going to the U.S. Supreme, the federal rulings are critical safeguards for voters, especially poor and minority.

(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)

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

Ulish Carter

Jeff Marion

Office Manager

Managing Editor

Circulation Consultant

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

Violence and mental health…Do they go hand in hand? Do mental health problems lead to violence? Or does violence lead to mental health problems?

I would say both, but the county recently received $500,000 to battle violence as a public health issue.

Violence in the Black community is no different than violence in Vietnam or any war, or the trauma people suffer when their love ones are killed in an accident or in a shooting.

Just like the families and whole communities had to receive treatment after various school shootings, residents in Black communities with high amounts of violence should receive the same kind of help but don’t.

What is the city, county or state doing in Pittsburgh or any major urban city such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Detroit, to help the family and friends address the fear, anger, hurt of a love ones or just an associate death.

Many if not most veterans of wars have serious mental problems that lead to addictions, detachment from family and friends, homeliness and sometimes--even violence. No man can be put in a situation where he sees other men killed, or he kills others or each side is trying to kill or hurt the other and it not affect him or her mentally.

This is the case in the Black community with the high rates of crime and violence, both domestic and street.

And I’m not just talking about the people involved. What about the kids who now are without a brother, sister, uncle, father, or friend? What about the mothers who can’t afford a psychologist for herself or her kids? How does she make it through this tragedy?

Yes I know a lot of people are correct

Ulish Carter

Just Sayin’ when they say that most of the killings and shootings are drug related. I shoot you and your friends shoot me.

And everybody knows it so we don’t go to the police because we deal with it ourselves and the vicious cycle just keeps going around and around. Everybody knows who did the shooting but they are either afraid or seeking revenge.

So what is the solution? Move to the suburbs?

No. Drugs are out there too.

The governor and all his top people are having a series of meetings, and conferences to find out how to curtail the heroine and Opium epidemic in Pennsylvania, which is hitting the suburbs just as hard as the inner city.

Addictions create more mental health issues. Yes drugs are behind most of the street and domestic violence but children and adults need mental health specialists to help them cope with a family member or friend strung out on drugs, or alcohol.

The $500,000 is much needed but if we are to tackle the massive problems in front of us we are going to need much more.

At least the politicians are recognizing the problem and attempting to address it.

Kudos goes out to Rashad Byrdsong who addressed this problem a few years back and was called crazy by

some people. Not to his face.

Oh yes and why we are dealing with the Mental Health Issue of violence, we need to also address the issue of why such a large percentage of Americans of all incomes and races feel the need to get high in the first place.

Eliminate the need to get high and you eliminate the drug trafficking problem. America is the getting highest people in the world. The jails are packed and we are still getting high.

I had an interesting conversation with a young person recently about police killing Blacks. What she said was what really pissed her off about the police killings is that no matter how much video shows the police killing a Black person who was not a threat to them, the first thing that comes out of the policeman mouth is, “I feared for my life.” And what the prosecutor always says is, “We need more evidence. We need to see more video.” There’s never enough evidence when it comes to a cop killing a Black man, or the standard statement of “I feared for my life.”

“If cops are that afraid of Black men, and the conditions in the Black communities throughout this country, then why do they become cops? That is a choice. They chose to be police.

They get up every morning and put on that uniform to protect all people not just White people. But we can’t get up in the morning and decide to not put on our Blackness or take it off. We are born with it. He can take that uniform off anytime he likes.

There are far too many White officers who don’t come in contact with Black people until they go on the job. If all they meet are criminals then all of us are criminals to them.”

(Ulish Carter is the managing editor of the New Pittsburgh Courier.)

The continuing fight for the rights to vote (GEORGE CURRY MEDIA)--Last week, a panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rebuked the North Carolina legislature for acting with “discriminatory intent” in passing restrictions on the right to vote that “target African-Americans with almost surgical precision.” The decision came as we celebrated the 51st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act on August 6.

Reinforced by similar rulings in the appellate court in Texas and a district court in Wisconsin, the decision is a victory for our democracy and our Constitution.

The voting impediments were passed by North Carolina in 2013 in the wake of the Supreme decision in Shelby v. Holder that struck down the central provision of the Voting Rights Act: the requirement that areas with a history of discrimination gain prior approval from the Justice Department before changing voting regulations.

Chief Justice John Roberts, the activist Republican judge, decided to rewrite the law that was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, arguing that since we now live in a “post-racial society,” requiring prior approval for voting law changes was no longer justified. The flood of legislation that followed—all erecting barriers to make voting harder for African-Americans in particular— proved the chief justice’s fantasy was a lie.

In North Carolina, the legislature acted immediately after the Supreme Court decision came down. Its motivation, the Fourth Circuit panel found, was clear. African-American turnout had surged in 2008 and 2012 (with Barack Obama at the head of the Democratic ticket), nearing parity with the turnout of White voters for the first time.

Obama had taken the state in 2008 and barely lost it in 2012. But in 2010, conservative Republicans had

Jesse Jackson Sr.

Commentary taken control of the legislature and the statehouse.

The new majority acted aggressively to fend off the threat posed by growing African-American turnout. As Judge Diana Motz, writing for the unanimous panel, summarized, the legislators “requested data on the use, by race, of a number of voting practices. Upon receipt of the race data, the General Assembly enacted legislation that restricted voting and registration in five different ways, all of which disproportionately affected African-Americans.”

The three-judge panel in Richmond, Va., unanimously concluded that the law was racially discriminatory, overturning a requirement that voters show photo identification to vote and restoring same-day voter registration, a week of early voting, pre-registration for teenagers, and out-of-precinct voting.

As Ari Berman, the voting rights expert who reports for The Nation magazine noted, the decision comes after North Carolina’s presidential primary in March provided a troubling indication of what might be expected in the general election— students waiting in three-hour lines, foreign-born U.S. citizens asked to spell their names to poll workers for no justifiable reason, and elderly voters born during Jim Crow turned away from the polls for not meeting the new ID requirements.

“The Fourth Circuit Court of

Appeals exposed for the world to see the racist intent of the extremist element of our government in North Carolina,” exulted the Rev. William Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP, on a press call Friday afternoon. “The ruling is a people’s victory, and it is a victory that sends a message to the nation.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the movement that culminated in the Voting Rights Act over a half-century ago. He understood that voting was the foundational right of citizenship. To strip someone of the right to vote is to strip them of their place in a self-governing community.

In a 1957 speech titled “Give Us the Ballot,” King argued, “So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my mind-it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen observing the laws I have helped to enact-I can only submit to the edict of others.”

King understood that discriminatory election laws not only hurt minorities or the working poor, they also undermined the legitimacy of our elections and thus of our government.

The North Carolina decision and similar decisions in Texas and Wisconsin offer the hope that the courts will act to frustrate at least the most blatant versions of new Jim Crow laws. Those decisions will remove barriers for literally millions of voters.

But the courts can only reaffirm the right to vote. That right is not effective if it is not used. The courts have lowered the barriers in North Carolina and other states. Now the citizens must mobilize and vote in large numbers to exercise the power that they have.

(Jesse L. Jackson Sr. is founder and president of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition. You can keep up with his work at www.rainbowpush.org)

We have to end the war on women in cyberspace (NNPA)—I don’t know whether you have been following this, but there is a very disturbing trend that has been underway. Women in cyberspace are under attack. These attacks are very much focused on programmers and video game designers. These attacks are nothing short of vicious.

Yet, the attacks have expanded. Just recently Leslie Jones, a co-star in the reboot of the film “Ghostbusters,” came under such a vicious online assault that she took a breather from Twitter while Twitter management decided to purge some of her worst attackers. What Leslie Jones has experienced, i.e., these vicious online assaults, is something that an increasing number of women that work in cyberspace and technology careers have been living through for years.

Subterranean assaults carried out in the dark of night that make life miserable for their targets have become a current feature of our times. This has expanded so much so that it has even become part of popular culture, such as a plotline of one of the “Law & Order” franchises.

What is motivating these attacks?

Bill Fletcher Jr.

Commentary These attacks are acts of misogyny, pure and simple. They are being carried out, quite blatantly, by men who believe that there are certain fields that should be the exclusive territory of men. As a result, they want to carry out what can only be described as the “gender cleansing” of different fields, with technology being one of them.

Yet, as is the case with Leslie Jones, these cyber assaults are not limited to women in that work in technology.

In the late 1990s, I noticed something which I coined “The Wizard of Oz Phenomenon.” In essence this took the form of people developing one personality when they were behind a keyboard and another in real life. I encountered people who were

rude, arrogant and intolerant over the Internet, yet when you would meet them in person they would be nothing short of a cuddly teddy bear.

I believe that “The Wizard of Oz Phenomenon” has expanded and it has become the means through which some very mean-spirited, arrogant men have decided to conduct a war against women. Hiding behind the “curtain” of the Internet, they harass women to the point that some have decided to abandon their field of interest entirely, simply because they have concluded that the harassment is not worth it.

So, here is my proposal. There are some good hackers out there. I think that there is a need to develop a battalion of such hackers who are interested in bringing a halt to this online misogyny. Their assignment, should they choose to accept it, would be to search out, identify and publicize the existence of these harassers and, as they say, return the favor.

Any volunteers?

(Bill Fletcher Jr. is a talk show host, writer and activist. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr.com.)

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary

Rev. Barber’s speech at the DNC was everything (NNPA)—The North Carolina NAACP President, Rev. William Barber, tore it up and then threw down in a powerful speech at the Democratic National Convention on July 28. He called on those assembled to be a “moral defibrillator of our time,” to shock our nation with the power of love and morality. Rev. Barber did not use the word “endorse,” but urged delegates to “embrace” Clinton, and his rousing rhetoric was challenging and inspirational.

Reverend Barber is a committed and tenacious activist. He founded the “Forward Together Moral Movement,” and has organized “Moral Mondays” in North Carolina. For the past three years, Moral Monday activists have gathered in Raleigh, North Carolina, and used protest and civil disobedience to shine light on the many ways North Carolina has attempted to erode voting rights, and move the state backwards on economic justice issues.

“When I hear Hillary’s voice and positions,” Barber said, “I hear and I know she is working to embrace our deepest moral values, and we should embrace her,” he said. “She nor any person can do it alone. The watchword of this democracy is ‘we.’”

What are we, the people going to do in the aftermath of the political conventions? Some have said they will stay home, but watching the difference between the gathering of Democrats and that of Republicans should remind us that staying home should not be an option. Stay home, and leave our choice of leadership to others? Stay home and co-sign the hateful comments Mr. Trump made during his convention?

Rev. Barber has called the democratic watchword “we,” and Hillary Clinton talked about Democratic inclusiveness, which contrasts with that we observed with Republicans. What are “we” going to do?

President Barack Obama set Secretary Clinton up nicely with his Wednesday evening speech, singing her praises and passing the baton. She caught the baton handily, offering a speech that exceeded my every expectation. The speech was full of grit and grace, humor and humility, respect and reaching out to the Bernie folks. Not only could I hear the glass ceiling shattering, but also I hoped that the world could see this woman as Commander-in-Chief.

Reverend Barber reminds us, though, that we are all part of the “we the people.” He reminds us that we are only committed to democracy when we are actively involved in it. It’s not just about a convention, or a vote. It is about an imperative to transform a system that is flawed. Rev. Barber talked about the “Fight for Fifteen,” the Black Lives Matter movement, and the missing morality in our nation now. Even as he urged us to embrace Hillary, he also urged us to embrace justice.

President Obama reminds us that democracy can be frustrating and messy.

Rev. Barber reminded us that it can also be moral and loving, if we make the collective decision to rally around key principles and to engage in the process of compromise. We also have to remember that democracy is practiced with more frequency than every four years.

Voting is not the most we can do. It is the least we can do. Real democracy exists when people like Rev. William Barber gather people weekly to fight for voting rights, when he speaks up with regularity on the need for political and economic transformation. We exhibit our commitment to democracy when we hold our leaders accountable, when we pressure them to do the right thing, when we remind them of their campaign promises.

Those Bernie Sanders supporters who choose to remain engaged in the political process have the responsibility to continue to push their progressive agenda at the national, state, and local levels.

Indeed, they honor their movement and their struggle by continuing to feel a burning desire for social and economic justice. If Sanders’ supporters decide to pick up their marbles and go home, because their candidate did not win, it suggests that they are committed to personality, not democracy.

Our system is far from perfect, but it’s the system we have. We can change it if we are committed to democracy. Or, we can accept imperfections, if we eschew activism.

Thank you, Hillary Clinton for reminding us of your service. Thank you, Rev. Barber for reminding us that Secretary Clinton won’t be able to achieve much, unless we work with her. If you can listen to William Barber and fail to get fired up, you have truly embraced apathy. Barber is a role model, because of his fierce commitment to democracy.

(Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist.)

FORUM

Daddy, two sons were all honorably discharged This week’s that the White column is the solders would exit Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick result of ongoing the train first and conversations, we would follow particularly in the them into the political camrestaurant and sit paign. in the back and There is a if there was not discussion about enough room to gold stars, purple sit outside at the hearts, Congrespicnic tables. sional medals of Honor, silver stars After eating we continued our journey and a focus on those who lived and to Kentucky and upon arriving we died and are described as war heroes. observed many large signs, which read However I am disturbed because there Camp Breckenridge Kentucky, Properis a segment of the military that has ty of U.S. Government, and we gave a never received the kind of recognition sigh of relief. they deserved. Who are they? Tuskegee However three months later two Airmen have received a degree of dewhite soldiers and I decided to eat on served recognition but what about the the main post and entered a restauother colored military personnel, who rant and ordered dinner. The waitress served valiantly in every branch of the was very professional and took our U.S. military service. orders, but when she returned she had Every day colored families such as two dinners on plates and a brown mine, very rarely discussed in the bag, which she explained I could not be building of this nation. Daddy was served. discharged in 1918 (World War I), my I instantly told her to look out the oldest brother Gilbert was discharged window and read the signs across the in 1944 (World War II), and I was disstreet that clearly stated property of charged in 1954 (Korean Conflict). All the U.S. Government. A young White of us received honorable discharges. officer intervened and stated that he Why is this issue so important? I was sorry, but state law superseded can’t imagine how colored troops were federal law and the restaurant owner treated or mistreated in 1918. I heard was within his rights, but there came a from colored troops how they were ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that mistreated during World War II and changed it.

I know from personal experience how There have been an untold number we were treated and mistreated during of incidents were colored soldiers were my two years. abused, mistreated, jailed and worse.

Prior to our being drafted in to the miliDo you recall we as a people were tary we were perceived and treated as forced to sue the government for the second-class citizens, but now we were right to engage in combat? Many given the responsibility to police other wanted us to just be cooks, orderlies, parts of the world. Yes we were going shoe shiners, etc. I was compelled to abroad to ensure that other countries challenge what I not only felt but knew would have freedom and justice, virtues in my heart was definitely wrong and we as a race of people in America were I was branded chief agitator, and was being denied. Off we went proudly to informed that if I did not be careful I serve our country and we were proud. would wind up being court martialed I was drafted in November 1952 and put in a federal stockade. and our first camp was Fort Meade, Yes we served our country and upon Maryland and we as colored soldiers returning to our homes across this received a rude awakening about nation much still remained the same America and how they disrespected us for us. as a people.

Discrimination, racism, unemployWe were instantly confronted with ment, injustice, and still our Black men blatant racism. All colored troops were and women continue to serve in every assigned to Baker Company. We rebranch of the military. ceived our shots, clothes and food after A high school friend of mine served in all of the White troops received theirs the military for 32 years and received and the camp commanders made no an honorable discharge. A couple of apologizes for it. They simply reminded years later he applied to join the local us that we were in the south.

VFW and was told he should apply Baker Company was assigned to in the next town where the colored Camp Breckenridge in Kentucky and persons are. off we went on the train.

Much has changed, but much remains The train stopped so we could eat the same.

(Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a contributor to the and we were instructed by the White officers (there were no colored officers) New Pittsburgh Courier.)

To Tell The Truth

When adolescence gets old A 4-foot-by-12there was no defoot #Black Lives bate in Somerville J. Pharoah Doss Matter banner about the banner has hung over the or the movement main entrance it represented. It’s of City Hall in clear Somerville Somerville, Massaofficials ignored chusetts for a year. the actual moveThe banner was ment and just suphung by the mayor ported the slogan. in collaboration But after Dallas with the Black Lives Matter chapter in police officers were killed by sniper fire Cambridge. (Somerville has no Black during a Black Lives Matter march Lives Matter chapter.) last month the banner was no lonThe deal struck probably had to do ger a progressive slogan for Michael with a two-day protest in December McGrath, President of the Somerville 2014 when hundreds of college stuPolice Employees Association. dents marched through Somerville.

McGrath sent a letter to the mayor Students wanted justice after grand stating the banner was demoralizing jury decisions did not indict two White in light of the recent violence against police officers for the deaths of unpolice. The letter also said, “The vast armed Black men in Missouri and New majority of police officers across this York. Their mission was to “call attencountry are tasked with shielding, protion to their battle cries of justice”. tecting, and assisting elements of the The local news also reported, “Police protest movement that loathe them, were their escorts following the ‘soft spit on them, intentionally injure approach’ to letting protesters air their them, and wish death upon them.” grievances.”

This point should have been made I’ll speculate phase two of Somerlast year, but since it wasn’t McGrath ville’s “soft approach” was to pacify went with the “soft approach.” Instead the Cambridge organizers to prevent of asking for the removal of the banner further activity passing through their he asked for it to be replaced with a jurisdiction. So the mayor offered to banner that stated “All Lives Matter.” support their mission so in the future The problem is in this context the they would stay in Cambridge. rebuttal “All Lives Matter” becomes the But a week after the December 2014 political statement that has no place Somerville demonstrations Black on City Hall and not the initial “Black Lives Matter protesters in New York Lives Matter” banner because it was marched through the streets chanting, hung with no political connotation “What do we want? Dead cops! When intended. do we want them? Now!” So the Mayor played hardball with Then in August 2015, the month the the police union and refused to replace Somerville banner went up, the St. or remove the banner.

Paul, Minn. Black Lives Matter chapIn response the police union orgater and other activists marched during nized a rally and more than 100 police the Minnesota state fair chanting, officers demonstrated in opposition to “Pigs in a blanket, fry ‘em like bacon.” the Black Lives Matter banner. They According to The Daily Caller, “The carried blue signs that said: Cop’s lives activists sang out the violent chorus Matter. And they wore tee shirts with chant just hours after a lone gunman the American flag that said, “Strength shot 47-year-old Harris County sheriff in Unity”. deputy Darren Goforth while he was As Somerville’s Mayor and their getting gas. The suspect approached police union fought over how to decthe 10-year-old veteran from behind… orate City Hall, Black Lives Matter, And shot him in the back of the head.”

Cambridge didn’t respond to multiple Afterwards the Harris County Sheriff media request. said, “We’ve heard ‘Black Lives Matter,’ They had no comment.

‘All Lives Matter’—Well, cops’ lives Maybe they matured in the past year matter too. So why don’t we just drop and decided to leave the adolescence to the qualifier and say ‘lives matter’ and the adults.

(J. Pharoah Doss is a contributor to the New take that to the bank.”

Pittsburgh Courier. He blogs at jpharoahdoss@ As the Nation debated the merits blogspot.com) of the Black Lives Matter movement

Commentary

AUGUST 10-16, 2016

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Lee A. Daniels

Commentary

You know things are bad for Donald Trump when…

(GEORGE CURRY MEDIA)—Since Donald Trump effectively won the Republican Party nomination by winning the New York primary in May, keeping up with every outrageous statement and small lie and Big Lie he utters has become even more difficult.

Instead of becoming “more presidential,” as he and his aides promised then, he’s become more demagogic—so much so that some politicians and pundits have begun to question what’s really going on in that mind of his.

You know things are bad when President Obama bluntly says Trump is “unfit” for the presidency—an unprecedented attack by a sitting president against the nominee of the opposite party—and no leading Republican has challenged that description.

You know things are bad when conservative and liberal pundits alike suggest “options” by that the GOP could take the unprecedented step of abandoning Trump—even while acknowledging that won’t happen.

You know the Republicans are desperate when you have the diehard conservative pundit, Jennifer Rubin, of Washington Post, writing, “There is something farcical about Republicans who flacked and vouched for Trump now complaining that he is ‘off message’ and fretting that he needs a ‘reset.’ They are, it seems, still in denial that they are responsible for lifting an unfit, unstable man to the nomination of a once-great party.”

In fact, there really is no question about who has “lifted” Trump to this position: It’s his overwhelmingly White mob of supporters. Nor is there any doubt about why they’ve been drawn to him. They reflect what motivates Trump himself—a toxic mix of racism, sexism and a ferocious need to cruelly dominate others. The examples of this from Trump himself and from his supporters began piling up from the moment he announced his candidacy in June 2015.

The latest documentation comes in a video published August 3 by the New York Times of the language that pervades Trump rallies— language that is, one can say, the soundtrack of the Trump campaign. What you see and hear in the video isn’t the behavior of a political constituency. Instead, it’s behavior so reminiscent of the mobs of Whites that once gathered in places like Little Rock, Ark. and Montgomery and Selma, Ala. and dozens of communities across the South to try their best to murder the activists of the Civil Rights Movement. Watch the video and you see people who’ve shed whatever decency they possessed and are ready to do anything evil.

This is one of Trump’s greatest sins. He and his followers have revived the lynch-mob dynamic in American life.

So, to anyone who’s even slightly followed the Trump campaign this last year, it’s no surprise that Trump has now drawn another gambit from the demagogue’s playbook: the stab-in-the-back charge.

Last week, Trump claimed that the Clinton campaign and the political establishment have “rigged” the campaign debates and the election itself against him. He said they’ve conspired to deliberately schedule the debates opposite National Football League games in order to reduce the number of people watching them—implying this was done to reduce the number of viewers watch him beat Clinton in the debates.

Of course, anyone who thinks Trump could out-debate Clinton is a fool. Again and again, Trump has shown he has a deeply disorganized mind that can barely compose two consecutive sentences that make sense. Moreover, both the National Football League and the bipartisan presidential debate commission, which set the dates of the debates last year, quickly effectively said Trump was lying.

But Donald Trump lives by lies; and the purpose of his lies here is three-fold. First, the charge is “red meat” to the majority of his supporters, who, as has been evident all along, crave a steady diet of callous insults of others, brazen lies, and bizarre conspiracy theories to feed their fantasies of White victimization.

Secondly, Trump needs to avoid debating Clinton for the same reasons he did so in the GOP primary once only he, John Kasich and Ted Cruz were left. He can’t survive a debate focused on substantive domestic or foreign-policy issues.

Finally, Trump has laid down the excuse for a November defeat—via the “stab-in-theback” charge that demagogues have forever used to undermine electoral processes and election results in other countries throughout history. Trump long ago made clear he’s willing to trash any American institution and American tradition if he can profit from it.

Of all the wrongs Donald Trump and his followers have committed against America’s national character in the past 14 months, one could say this latest attempt to undermine the American democratic tradition may be their most damnable sin.

The operative word, however, is “may”—because the frightening certainty is that neither Trump nor his mob is finished trying to build themselves up by tearing America down.

(Lee A. Daniels, a former reporter for The Washington Post and the New York Times, is also a former editor of The National Urban League’s The State of Black America. He can be reached at leedanielsjournalist@ gmail.com)

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NATIONAL

AUGUST 10-16, 2016

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

CHURCH SHOOTER—This June 18, 2015, file photo, provided by WHITE PRIDE—In this Saturday, April 23, photo, members of the TERRORISM—This poster, distributed by an Islamic state militant the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office shows Dylann Roof.(Charles- Ku Klux Klan participate in a “White pride” rally in Rome, Ga. (AP supporter to advertise a new propaganda video, shows Omar Maton County Sheriff’s Office via AP, File) Photo/John Bazemore) teen. (Militant Media Arm via AP)

Poll: Young people’s fear of White extremism varies by race

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)—The threat of violence by people inspired by foreign extremists invokes fear in a majority of young Americans across racial groups. But for young people of color, particularly African Americans, that fear is matched or surpassed by worries about violence from White extremists.

A new GenForward poll of Americans age 18-30 shows widespread anxiety among young people about attacks from both inside and outside the United States.

Sixty-two percent of young African Americans and 55 percent of Hispanics surveyed said they were very concerned about the threat of violence committed by White extremists, compared to one-third of Whites and 41 percent of Asian Americans.

GenForward is a survey by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The poll is designed to pay special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of a new generation.

Gregg Higgins, 27, was one of the Whites who said he was very worried about violence by extremists in his own race. In fact, he said he was more concerned about “the homegrown White extremists” than the threat of violence from people outside the United States or people inspired by foreign ex-

tremists.

A social worker in Pittsburgh, Higgins said the growing political tension during the current election cycle has “shown a really ugly part of our past coming through and being more heard.” He described it as “White males who are angry and who aren’t now afraid to show that anger.”

“That fear of loss of control and loss of privilege is what’s inspiring this vitriol and this hate,” Higgins said.

Worry about attacks from people currently living in the U.S. who are motivated by foreign extremists spreads more evenly across racial groups, with at least half of Whites, Blacks, Asians and Hispanics describing themselves as very concerned about that threat.

Violence committed by people from outside the country also caused unease, especially among Hispanic young adults. Fifty-six percent of Hispanics polled said they were very concerned, compared to 49 percent of African Americans, 40 percent of Asian Americans and 41 percent of Whites.

The angst comes after a spate of mass shootings.

Nine Black people were shot and killed last year at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, by a White man who officials say talked of starting a race war.

In June, a gunman born in the U.S. to Afghan immigrants opened fire in a crowded gay dance club in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people in the worst mass

shooting in U.S. history. An autopsy report identified him as a White male.

Last month, five police officers in Dallas were killed by a Black gunman during a protest against police shootings of Black men, and three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge were shot and killed by a Black man who authorities said appeared to be

country and the types of overt racism that appear in social media.

“A few years back technology wasn’t where it’s at it now, so you couldn’t see things like this happening like you see it now,” Vazquez said. “I don’t know if it’s necessarily getting worse, but we’re seeing it more now. We don’t just see what’s happening outside our window, we also see what’s going on outside other people’s window.”

Most young adults in the poll labeled as hate crimes both the shooting deaths at the Charleston church and the Orlando night club, against African Americans and against LGBT people, respectively.

But the poll shows people view the Orlando shooting differently, depending on their race Among young Whites, most also described the Orlando shooting as a terrorist attack. Fifty-eight percent of Whites considered it that, compared to only 32 percent of African-Americans, 40 percent of Hispanics and 44 percent of Asian-Americans.

Gunman Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to the targeting people wearing Islamic State group during a badge. a call with police disDarsi Vazquez, a 25-year- patchers during a standoff old Hispanic college before he was shot and student from Huntsville, killed.

Alabama, described herself A third or less of young as very concerned about people of each racial and the threat of violence ethnic group called the from foreign and domestic Charleston attack terrorextremists alike, but she ism. thinks the fear is exacerTerrorism concerns have bated by news coverage of young Americans across mass shootings around the racial groups largely in

agreement that some rights and freedoms should be sacrificed in efforts to prevent an attack. Eleven percent of all young adults polled said they believe such sacrifices are always necessary, while 54 percent said they’re at least sometimes necessary.

But most young people said Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s calls to temporarily ban Muslims from coming to the U.S. goes too far.

More than two-thirds of those surveyed said they oppose a temporary prohibition on any Muslim who isn’t a U.S. citizen from entering the country: 64 percent of Wwhites, 66 percent of Hispanics and 79 percent of African-Americans and Asian-Americans.

The poll of 1,940 adults age 18-30 was conducted July 9-20 using a sample drawn from the probability-based GenForward panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. young adult population.

The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

The survey was paid for by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago using grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation.

Respondents were first selected randomly using address-based sampling methods, and later interviewed online or by phone.

Poll: Police harassment familiar to young Blacks, Hispanics

DETROIT (AP)—Crystal Webb cringes whenever a patrol car appears in her rearview mirror. She also never wants to see the inside of a police station again.

Her personal experience with police, plus recent fatal shootings of unarmed Black men by White officers, has led the Apple Valley, Calif., mother of two to ask: Who are the good guys and who are bad?

“You are the people I’m supposed to go to when I’m in trouble,” Webb says of police.

Two-thirds of young African Americans and 4 in 10 Hispanics say that they or someone they know has experienced violence or harassment at the hands of the police, according to a new GenForward poll.

That includes about 2 in 10 in each group who say that was a personal experience, including about 3 in 10 Black men who say the same. But the poll also shows that young people still desire a police presence in their communities.

GenForward is a survey of adults age 18 to 30 by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The firstof-its-kind poll pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of a new generation.

Those poll results come after the killing of several young Black men by police around the country. Two of the more recent killings

were the July 5 shooting death of Alton Sterling during a struggle with officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the fatal shooting of Philando Castile the following day by an officer in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Those shootings were followed by the July 7 killing of five officers in Dallas by a Black gunman during a protest against police shootings of Black suspects. Two police officers and one sheriff ’s deputy were shot and killed by a Black gunman during a July 17 ambush in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

About 6 in 10 young adults consider the killings of Black people by the police and violence against the police as extremely or very serious problems, according to the poll. But young African Americans and Hispanics see killings by police as more serious problems and young Whites see violence against the police as more serious. Most, especially Blacks and Hispanics, say not-guilty verdicts for three Baltimore police officers charged in the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray give them less confidence in the police.

Gray, 25, was fatally injured while handcuffed and shackled in the back of the van.

Crystal Webb, who is Black, says she was arrested last November by two officers—one White, the other Black.

“They threw me in the police car and when I gave them my story, the other

officer who was White gave me a look,” she said.

“While the officer of color was asking questions and being nice, the other officer got in the car and started yelling at me. He told me to just shut up.”

Webb, 29, said she was four months pregnant at the time and her hands were cuffed behind her back in the rear of the car.

She said the White officer was driving and sped off.

“The car jerked and it almost broke my arm,” Webb said. “He kept doing it all the way to the jail.”

The charges eventually were dropped by a judge, she said.

Webb said she believes the White officer was rude to her because of her skin color.

“I think he looked at me like I was ghetto,” she said.

The new poll shows young people, including young Blacks and Hispanics, do want a police presence in their communities.

In fact, most support adding more police or armed security guards in public places like schools, movie theaters and malls.

“We need good (police officers),” Webb said. “We need people who aren’t going to react so quickly to a person of color.”

Billy Busby, 24, of Atlanta, says he was working a security job and helping police in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with crowd and traffic control during the popular Black Bike Beach in May when he was approached by a White officer.

“The officer came up to

me and said, ‘What are you doing here?’ I said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m doing my job.’ She said, ‘You need to move or I’m going to arrest you,’” Busby said.

Busby said his supervisor showed up, vouched for him and defused the situation.

“I think she felt intimidated because I was a Black male and doing traffic,” Busby said.

Harassment of Black

men by White officers is routine, he added.

“The majority of the time we are targeted,” Busby said. “They are going to stop us and they are going to run our names and try to lock us up.”

Some officers in southern Mississippi target Hispanics, thinking they’re in the U.S. illegally, said Patience Buxton, 28, who owns a company in Forest, Mississippi, that shuttles people

back and forth to various appointments.

Buxton identifies as White and says many of her customers are Hispanic.

“I know they are looking at me,” Buxton said of officers. “I get nervous myself.

I know I’ve done nothing wrong. They’ve called me a coyote, asked me if I’m transporting illegals. They abuse their authority completely.”

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Debbie Norrell

Lifestyles Report

In my travels summer 2016 There is a new store in Monroeville Mall and I missed the grand opening.

I was out of town visiting family in Detroit. A Kirkland’s has opened where Houlihan’s used to be. Another restaurant tried that space, but they were not successful. This is a Kirkland’s with a lot of space, if you have been to any of their other stores things are a little close. I hope it will be a success. Word to the wise, when you are in stores always make sure you know who is next in line. Some clerks don’t pay any attention and don’t bother to ask, “Who is next?”

On to something almost as much fun as shopping, ice cream. “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.” While in Detroit spending time with my 6-year-old great nephew, I heard the distinct sound of an ice cream truck. I looked at my nephew, he looked at me. I grabbed my wallet and we flew out the door in search of the ice cream truck.

With 57 years between us, I have a different expectation of the ice cream man.

In my day, the ice cream man was sometimes White or sometimes Black, but always friendly and capable of speaking to us in English. The well-worn truck pulled up to the curb and on the side of the truck we could see the limited menu. For some reason, I wanted to engage in conversation. I looked at the driver and could see that we were not going to have much of a dialogue. He appeared to be from the Middle East. He pointed to the picture menu on the side of the truck, which included the price scrawled on a piece of masking tape. We made our selections and he handed us our treats.

Despite the lack of conversation, we had a fun aunt/ nephew experience.

Speaking of experiences, how many of you are drawn to food trucks?

Buying the ice cream last week made me think how popular food trucks have become. Recently, I saw where a friend of mine is going to have a party and plans to have a food truck come to her house so she won’t have to cook. You know that is really not a bad idea. Every Wednesday until mid-September, food trucks come to Station Square from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Each week there are different food trucks with things like meatballs, pierogies, pizza, tacos, jerk chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers and more. Some of the trucks do better than the others, but the food trucks have become a big deal. I used to see them on college campuses and in the Strip District, but now they are everywhere.

I’m trying to get with the program.

Mark your calendars: August 20, at St. James Episcopal Church, across from McDonald’s on Frankstown Avenue, there will be a Men’s Health Initiative, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and I will be there with some of my gently worn fashions. Come for the health screenings, vendors and the Grillmaster Cookoff.

(Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com)

THE FROGS

by Debbie Norrell

FROGS WEEK 2016

This year, FROG Week kicked off at the FROGS House in the East End Lifestyles Editor and the gentlemen who enjoy having a good time and have done so for more than 100 years have put another FROGS Week in the books. Friendly Rivalry Often Generates Success is what their name means.

This year, the FROGS and their guests enjoyed a night at the races at the Meadows Race Track and Casino and dined in the Bisteca Steakhouse in the VIP room. The next evening, July 15, the FROGS donned their THE FROGS—Ted Roberts, Clarence Curry, Chuck Franklin, Tony Thompson and Ralph white dinner jackets Barnett with emerald green accents and gave their favorite ladies THE EFFORTS—Edmund and Elaine (Photos by a beautiful green and white corsage, and held their annual dinner party at Debbie Norrell) Futule’s Harmar House in Cheswick.

There were a lot of first timers who all enjoyed dining and dancing to the sounds of House of Soul. The week closed out with a “bring your own basket” picnic at the Westinghouse Lodge.

President Clarence Curry says the FROGS is a gentleman only social organization that has been together since 1910, making them the oldest African American GUEST OF THE FROGS—First timers Gwen and Bill Kinsel, both in black, (men’s) social group in with Pat and George Webb.

HAVING A BALL—Kathy and Theo Towns the country.

ENJOYING FROGS WEEK—Clarence and Agnes Curry with first FIRST TIMERS—Kyle and Adri- FORMAL CO-CHAIRS—Dale Purdue and Chuck Franklin with wives ana Purdue timers Vernita and Michael Beasley Rosesharon Purdue and Pamela Franklin

THE FROGS’ LADIES

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RELIGION

AUGUST 10-16, 2016

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH Crawford & Centre Ave. Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Mass Sunday 9:00 A.M. & 11:00 A.M. Sunday (Gospel Choir Mass) 11:00 A.M. www.stbtmchurch.org

METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH 22 Sampsonia Street, Northside Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412-231-2554 FAX 412-231-6395 Rev. Lacy F. Richardson, Ph.D., Pastor Church School.................................9:30 A.M. Worship Service.................8:00 & 10:45 A.M. Bible Study/ Prayer Wednesday...................6:30/7:30 P.M. www.metropolitanbaptistchurch.com metropolitanbaptist2224@gmail.com

SIXTH MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH 6556 Shetland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (412) 441-7839 Church School Worship Service Wednesday Night Bible Study

9:00 a.m.

10:15 a.m.

6:00 p.m.

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

www.cathedralofhope.com

Summer Worship........10 a.m.

Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community

FAMILY & FRIENDS of St Mark AME Church on Montier Street, in Wilkinsburg, had a unique ending to their Sunday service by accepting donations for their various church projects based on each person’s shoe size. Above, from left: Clarence Scott, June Ridley, Rev. Lawrence Thompson, Gwendolyn Dillard and Jeffrey Morgan. (Photo by Jackie McDonald)

Southern Baptists talk racial unity with Black Baptist head NASHVILLE, Tenn.

(AP)—When Ferguson, Mo., exploded two years ago with racial unrest that spread across the nation, the newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention was moved to action.

Together, with an interracial group of his fellow ministers, the Rev. Ronnie Floyd penned an article that called on Southern Baptist pastors, churches and laypeople to repent of racism and injustice. “Silence is not the answer and passivity is not our prescription for healing,” it read.

It was one of the most strongly worded denunciations of racism ever released by leaders of a denomination founded in a split over slavery, and it set in motion events leading to a “national conversation on racial unity” that took place at the SBC’s annual meeting in June.

Speaking to the membership of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination was Rev. Jerry Young, president of the nation’s largest historically Black denomination, the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A. The discussion followed a series of steps by Southern Baptists to overcome their history and address racism

PASTOR RONNIE FLOYD president of the Southern Baptist Convention, speaks in Columbus, Ohio. (Eric Albrecht/The Columbus Dispatch via AP)

REV. JERRY YOUNG president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, speaks in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

that include the election of its first African American president in 2012 and an increasing focus on opposition to racism by the denomination’s public policy arm.

But those efforts have been obscured at times as some in the denomination reject calls to be more deliberate about diversity, likening that to racial quo-

tas. And while the 15.3-million-member denomination says about 20 percent of its churches are now predominantly non-White, including many African American churches, the top Southern Baptist leadership remains entirely White.

The position of president is largely ceremonial and usually consists of two 1-year

terms. Reverend Floyd, who was replaced at the organization’s conference, made leading the conversation on racial unity one of his last acts as president.

The fact that the discussion will took place in St. Louis, just down the road from Ferguson, is more than symbolic to Rev. Floyd. “It’s providential and amazing!”

based on those recommendations.

Other events have highlighted the faith community’s desire to step up its involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS. An interfaith service held in June 2016 led to a call to action to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Following the service was a U.N. High Level Meeting on Ending AIDS, in which world leaders FAR) and UNAIDS have adopted a Political Declalaunched a $4 million two- ration on HIV and AIDS. year initiative to strength- Their intention: to end the en the capacity of faith- epidemic by 2030. based organizations to Religious leaders have respond to HIV/AIDS. The also voiced support to effort will focus on five ar- PLWHA and members of eas: collecting, analyzing the LGBT community, who and disseminating data; have been disproportionatestrengthening leadership ly affected by the disease. and advocacy; addressing For example, in June, Pope stigma and discrimination; Francis said that Chrisimproving the provision of tians should apologize to HIV-related services; and the gay community for the increasing demand for HIV way Christians had treated services and ensuring that them in the past. people remain in care.

In February, Archbishop “Faith has played a criti- Thabo Makgoba, Anglican cal role in the trajectory of archbishop of Cape Town, the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” South Africa, also adopted said Phill Wilson, presi- an accepting posture about dent and CEO of the Black the LGBT community. In AIDS Institute. “This ini- a letter describing a resotiative helps us expand the lution of the Anglican Synengagement of faith-based od of Bishops, an advisory organizations, including body to the pope, Makgoba those in the U.S., in efforts wrote, “We reaffirm our asthat are aligned with the surance to them that they UNAIDS and various ef- are loved by God and that forts to end the pandemic.” all baptised‚ believing and Cultivating better faithful persons‚ regardless relationships of sexual orientation‚ are The faith-based initiative full members of the Body of comes in response to 10 Christ.” recommendations made by Faith communities across more than 50 faith leaders the world have the rein April 2015. The United sponsibility to represent Nations General Assem- those who are affected by bly, UNAIDS, PEPFAR HIV/AIDS, particularly and Emory University in those whose voices aren’t September 2015 released a being heard, says Manoj report titled, “Building on Kurian, M.D., coordinaFirm Foundations” that is tor of the World Council of

Churches’ Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. “As communities of faith, we are powerful. It is important that we utilize this influence to do the right thing, and the right thing is to stand with people who are marginalized.”

Getting the Black community involved Not only does the initiative aim to get clergy involved, but it also wants all members of faith-based institutions to take part.

“When we think of faithbased institutions, we, too, often think only of the role of clergy, but laypeople have an enormous role to play in faith institutions,” says Jesse Milan Jr., current chair emeritus and past board chair of the Black AIDS Institute and former president of the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition. “When it comes to HIV/AIDS, we cannot rely exclusively on clergy to lead; we need laypeople to lead as well.”

Milan is working closely with Rev. Edwin C. Sanders II, founder of Metropolitan Interdenominational Church in Nashville, Tenn., and board member of the Black AIDS Institute, to bring Black faith-based institutions on board. One way the duo will do so is by sharing their own personal faith journeys as people of faith in the HIV/AIDS arena, Milan says. “I think the world does not have enough examples of both clergy and laypeople sharing. It’s when our stories are shared that people feel not only touched but inspired about how their own stories can change.”

The effort gives Black faith-based institutions the opportunity to lay out their

vision for defeating HIV/ AIDS, while also showing that the spiritual community and HIV/AIDS activists are working for the same greater good.

“In this world where we are constantly struggling with the stigma of HIV and the disparities for the Black community, the more that we can embrace HIV/AIDS as a justice issue rooted in our personal faith mission, the stronger our efforts can be to break down the stigma and to inspire greater

he said, since the meeting place was set years before the fatal shooting of Michael Brown during a confrontation with a Ferguson police officer.

Reverend Floyd said the nation’s political leaders have failed to address the racial issues facing America. “But the churches are the ones that really need to be speaking about it anyway because church is where the solution is.”

However, he said, “The church can’t call on America to repent of anything until the church repents.

And Southern Baptists can’t call on the country to repent until Southern Baptists repent.”

The convention has passed resolutions denouncing racism at least seven times at its annual meetings, including a 1995 resolution that apologized for the Nashville-based denomination’s role in supporting slavery and racism and asked for forgiveness from African Americans.

The discussion came at a time of declining membership for the SBC, which says it lost more than 200,000 members in 2015. Some leaders see more racial diversity as a key to turning that decline around.

Black Church and the response to HIV/AIDS: Where faith meets advocacy

For rate information, call 412481-8302, ext.

128. We are look- by Tamara E. Holmes For New Pittsburgh Courier ing to feature our It’s no secret that HIV/ advocates and the positive youth in AIDS Black church have not alseen eye to eye. Howthe church com- ways ever, a new faith-based inicould create more munities.

You tiative collaboration between those than ever before. can e-mail, fax or groups The United States PresEmergency Plan mail their bios and ident’s for AIDS Relief (PEP-

photo to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Fax: 412-481-1360 email: egaines@newpittsburghcourier.com

justice in our communities and the world,” Milan says.

Several significant activities took place at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, around faith. Among them were the Interfaith Pre-Conference on July 1617, and the Black AIDS Institute’s Faith Webinar and Faith Breakfast Update on July 20.

(Tamara E. Holmes is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist who writes about health, wealth and personal growth.)

Church Circuit Missionary Day

AUGUST 12—Sixth Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

Worship Service at 1 p.m.

Theme: “But God” “What have we done for him lately?” Scripture Revelation 2:19. Reverend Leola Cherry, Saint Paul Baptist Church, will preach the word.

Please join us as we worship the Lord for the spirit of giving.

Annual Women’s Conference

August 12-14—Held at Morning Star Baptist Church West Mifflin. Theme: “Living Your Change.” Scripture: Isaiah 30:21, “This is the way, walk in it.”

‘War Room’ star to speak

AUGUST 20—Karen Abercrombie, who stars in the Christian movie “War Room” as Mrs. Clara, will be the keynote speaker at the Green Tree Double Tree Hotel’s Grand Ballroom for the annual Breakfast of the State Women’s Department of the Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania. The all you can eat Buffet Breakfast is scheduled for 10 a.m.

For more information call 724375-5528 ext 133 or 412-6082166.

Music on the Hill

AUGUST 27—The sixth season of Music on the Hill at Beulah Presbyterian Church, 2500 McCrady Road, Churchill, continues with a 4 p.m. concert by the East Winds Symphonic Band. The group, formed in 1981, plays serious concert music as well as Dixieland, Broadway show medleys and marches. For information, call 412-2424570 or visit beulahpresby. org.

Women’s Conference

September 9-11—Bethlehem Baptist Church, Friday– Lady Debra Moncrief, and Pastor June Jeffries. Saturday – Breakfast, Rev. Amelia Jones. Sunday – Bishop Telma Mitchell. Registration $35.

(All announcements, events and press releases must be sent 2 weeks in advance with contact phone number and email address to newsroom@newpittsburghcourier.com.)

PEOPLE

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

AUGUST 10-16, 2016

C fir t ac fe a e ec anic engineering D

KRIESTIN MARSHEA WARREN

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: AUGUST 12, 2016

PROUD FAMILY—The very proud Warren family, from left, is brother Nathaniel Warren III, mother Martha Warren, Kriestin Marshea Warren, PhD., and father Nathaniel Warren Jr. (Photos by J. L. Martello)

WITH DEAN— James Garrett, dean of the College of Engineering at CMU, with Kriestin Marshea Warren.

WITH PRESIDENT— Subra Suresh, president of CMU, stands proudly with Kriestin Marshea Warren, the first African American female to graduate from CMU with a mechanical engineering PhD.

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Cover To Cover

‘Nobody’

by Terri Schlichenmeyer For New Pittsburgh Courier

Charges dropped.

You were surprised, but not surprised. Hopeful that it might be different, but only barely. You know that these days, the idea of justice can be a slippery issue that’s sometimes based on all the wrong things, and in the new book, “Nobody”

by Marc Lamont Hill, you’ll see how we’ve come to this.

On the afternoon of May 1, 2015, when Baltimore’s chief prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, said she was bringing charges “on six… police officers involved in the arrest and detention of Freddie Gray,” her anouncement was met with “cheers.”

Gray’s case then was the latest in a long line, nation-wide, but it wouldn’t be the last of its kind.

Gray, says Hill, was Nobody.

“To be Nobody is to be vulnerable,” he says in his preface. It’s being “poor, Black, Brown, immigrant, queer, or trans” and living in an atmosphere that’s “more rather than less unsafe.” Nobody is “considered disposable.”

Take, for instance, Mi-

CAST—From left: ‘Ringside’ cast members Jackie Long, Allen Maldonado, Raney Branch, Tyler Lepley, Sevyn Streeter, and ‘Ringside’ writer and director Russ Parr. (Photo

by Earl Gibson III/Courtesy of TV One)

TV One delivers original film ‘Ringside’ SILVER SPRING, Md.— Building on the success of the network’s original film strategy led by hits, “Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story” and its 2015 American Black Film Festival screenplay competition winner “Bad Dad Rehab,” TV One steps into the sports arena with its latest original film, “Ringside.”

Written, produced and directed by nationally syndicated radio host Russ Parr (“Hear No Evil,” “The Undershepherd,” “35 and Ticking”), “Ringside” stars Tyler Lepley (“The Haves and the Have Nots,” “Baggage Claim”) as undefeated boxer Jaxon Holley and explores the personal battles he faces outside of the ring while preparing for the biggest fight of his career.

“Ringside” premieres on TV One on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. ET with an immediate encore at 9 p.m. ET and an additional airing on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. ET. Jaxon is a fast-rising star in the tough world of professional boxing whose “street cred” and perceived worthiness to challenge his upcoming opponent—the current champion—are under fire due to his middle class upbringing and advanced education. As he trains for the title fight, the trash-talking, steroid-taking champ Spencer “Timber” Collier played by Allen Maldonado (“Straight Outta Compton,” “Black-ish”) does everything he can to take Jaxon off his game.

The stakes are high and family drama, thirsty groupies, and a manager

with a serious gambling problem are all vying for Jaxon’s attention, making it difficult for him to stay focused on the task at hand—winning the belt. In the midst of being pushed to the limit both physically and mentally, Jaxon meets a beautiful photographer Endira (Raney Branch; “The Originals,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) who captures his heart while hiding a devastating secret.

“I love portraying complex characters, and Jaxon definitely fits into that category,” said Lepley. “On the surface, he fits the mold of the stereotypical braggadocios boxer, but that’s simply a persona. In reality, he’s a hardworking, highly educated man who cares about nothing more than providing for his family and

friends. Bringing him to life onscreen pushed me as an actor in the best of ways.”

Tequan Richmond (“Ray,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” “General Hospital”), Jackie Long (“Real Husbands of Hollywood,” “ATL”), popular Atlantic Records singer/ songwriter Sevyn Streeter, Julissa Bermudez (“Meet the Browns, Empire,” “Girls”), Charlamagne Tha God (“The Guy Code;” radio personality); Kwame Patterson (“The Wire,” “Castle”); and Da’Vone McDonald (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) are also part of “Ringside’s” talented cast.

“With ‘Ringside,’ TV One continues to focus on bringing original film content to our core audience, while also introducing new viewers to all that we have to offer here as a network,”

says D’Angela Proctor, SVP of Original Programming and Production for TV One. “We’ve produced 19 original films over the past two years, and are thrilled to add ‘Ringside’ to that catalogue. This movie is set in the boxing world, but it’s really a film about the complexities of family and the downsides of fame. Tyler and the rest of the cast really created a compelling and engaging story under Russ’s direction, and we can’t wait to share ‘Ringside’ with our viewers.” “‘Ringside’ is about a boxer, but it’s not a boxing movie, per se,” said director Parr. “We all face battles at different points in life, and that’s what ‘Ringside’ is about—the battles we have to face even when we don’t feel like fighting.”

Comic World gets Black stand-alone superheroine chael Brown.

By all indications, Brown was a normal guy who acted spontaneously: he stole cigarillos from a c-store and shoved the shopkeeper, who called authorities and the rest is history. The way it happened, though, the dehumanization, and the aftermath of Brown’s “random encounter” with police will be talked about for generations, says Hill.

How did we get here? The answer is found in crowded, ill-maintained, depressing neighborhoods where schools are sub-par and few in charge care. It’s in the way the justice system operates for those who are too poor to hire a lawyer or afford their bail. Also to blame: so-called “quotas” within police departments, a lack of differentiation between serious infraction and minor annoyance, and the relative ease of targeting minorities in all of the above.

And yet, says Hill, we cannot “individualize this crisis.” We must fix housing, schools, the justice system, and the economy overall, in all corners of the country.

“We must reinvest in communities. We must imagine the world that is not yet.”

You brace yourself, take a deep breath, unfold the newspaper at the corner and quickly peek at the headline to see if it’s about yet another shooting of a young person. So begins your day. Shoulda read “Nobody” first.

Before you do, though, let’s get the elephant out of the room: author Hill isn’t anti-cop in this book. Instead, I saw a thoughtful, balanced, thought-provoking look at how today’s authorities, police departments and government entities have evolved to be what they are, and how that can be turned around.

LOS ANGELES—Fans of comics and action-adventure fiction are in for an exciting treat following the launch of the new graphic novel series, “Rayven Choi.”

The book features comics’ first standalone Black superheroine and is tipped to be made into a film.

Written by filmmaker, Shequeta L. Smith, “Rayven Choi” tells the gripping story of an African American girl who is orphaned and sent to South Korea in order to preserve her safety. For 20 years, Rayven has had to deal with the nightmares of the hitman who murdered her parents right in front of her and constant fear for her own life. Finally, ready to face her fears, she returns to America fully intent on executing revenge on the hitman who robbed her of her family and a happy childhood.

“Rayven Choi” is Smith’s debut novel.

She wrote the story in 2003, but always thought that it would make an interesting comic book/graphic novel. “Since the Blaxploitation era, there hasn’t really been a stand-alone, kickass, Black superheroine in film or in comics,” said Smith. “With ‘Rayven Choi,’ I’m looking to bring back

the badass Black heroine on an international level.”

Released in mid-July, “Rayven Choi” is already a hit with readers. The book reached the number 1 spot on Amazon’s Hot Sellers within a few days of its release and boasts a perfect five-star rating. One reader said: “A refreshing story featuring a strong female lead; fast-paced and engaging, I couldn’t stop reading! Highly recommend for fans of comics or anyone who loves a great story.”

“Rayven Choi” is the first in a six-part series. The book is a real page turner and captures the reader’s interest from start to finish. But that’s not all. Fans are in for a further thrill as the 14-minute short film version of the book is set to screen at film festivals this year. And if the trailer is anything to go by, then all indications are that the film will be just as exciting as the book.

“Rayven Choi” is available in both English and Korean. The book is now available in electronic format and can be purchased on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo and iTunes/iBook. For further details, visit: http://www.rayvenchoifilms. com.

Smith joins the cast of ‘In The Cut’ second season

ATLANTA, (PRNewswire)—Bounce TV, the nation’s fastest-growing broadcast television network designed for African American audiences and the only emerging network producing original scripted series, premiered an all-new second season of its popular situation comedy, “In The Cut,” on July 5th at 9 p.m./ ET, 8 p.m./.CT. Coming off of its highly-rated inaugural season, this acclaimed show stars Dorien Wilson (“The Parkers,” “Dream On”), Ken Lawson (“The Parkers”), John Marshall Jones (“The Smart Guy”) with Kellita Smith (“The Bernie Mac Show,” “The First Family”) joining the cast this season.

Large and in charge Jay Weaver (Wilson) is an accomplished entrepreneur and barbershop owner. Jay’s life as a San Diego bachelor is abruptly disrupted when he meets Kenny Clark (“Nobody” by Marc Lamont (Lawson), who turns out to Hill, foreword by Todd Brewster, be his 31-year-old illegitic.2016, Atria, $26/ $35 Canada, mate son from a short-lived 250 pages.) fling. Kenny wants to get

in on the family business and as these two attempt to get to know one another and build their relationship, Jay experiences a range of hilarious setbacks while

trying to keep up with Kenny’s life. The new season of “In The Cut” will follow this father-son duo as they join in on a secret jailbreak, barbershop pranks and Jay’s

growing attraction to Cheryl (Smith), the new co-owner of the beauty salon next store.

New episodes of “In The Cut” will premiere Tues-

day nights at 9 p.m./ET, 8 p.m./CT starting July 5 on Bounce TV. This series was created

by Bentley Kyle Evans and is produced by Evans and partner Trenten Gumbs, both of whom produce the Bounce TV hit original series “Family Time.”

Bounce TV is the fastest-growing African American network on television and airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage. The network features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more. Bounce TV has grown to be available in more than 93.5 million homes across the United States and 93 percent of all African American television homes, including all of the top AA television markets. Among the founders of Bounce TV are iconic American figures Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young.

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Jasiri X named Hip Hop Ambassador for State of Black World Conference NEW YORK—The Institute of the Black World 21st Century announced that Pittsburgh-based hip-hop activist Jasiri X will serve as the Hip Hop Ambassador for State of the Black World Conference IV (SOBWC IV) scheduled for November 16– 20 in Newark, N. J. The recently released Second Call for SOBWC IV states: “What if hundreds of hiph-hop activists and cultural workers assemble in Newark to rededicate themselves to translate the articulation of the ‘realness’ of the wretched condition of oppression and exploitation in America’s ‘dark ghettos’ and the Pan African world into revolution–radical, transformative change to realize full freedom, justice and self-determination for people of African descent everywhere!”

As the Hip Hop Ambassador for SOBWC IV, Jasiri X has agreed to use his considerable influence and organizing skills to answer this vital dimension of the Call.

Jasiri X is increasingly recognized as one of the foremost young leaders in the U.S. and the Pan African world. Mobilizing/ organizing with a mission of “Freeing Minds One Rhyme at a Time,” he gained national/international acclaim with “Free the Jena 6” which helped

PARADISE GRAY to galvanize the movement to exonerate six Black students accused of attempted murder after a schoolyard fight erupted over nooses found hanging from a tree on school grounds. He has continued to be a vocal voice, demanding an end to police killings of Black people, self-determination for the Palestinians, an end to the global drug war and numerous other causes.

Counseled and influenced by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam, the cultural and Civil Rights icon Harry Belafonte and Paradise Gray, co-founder of X-Clan, Jasiri X is the first hiphop activist to receive an Honorary Doctoral Degree, which he was awarded this year by Chicago Theological Seminary. He is also the founder of 1Hood Media, “a collective of socially conscious artists and activists who believe art is the best way to challenge inequality, raise awareness and unify humanity.”

“We are deeply honored that Jasiri X has agreed to serve as Hip Hop Ambassador for what could be this generation’s Black Power Conference,” Dr. Ron Daniels, president of IBW commented. “We are serious about engaging socially conscious Hip Hop activists and cultural workers from around the country and the world to come together to discuss ways to more effectively utilize one of the most powerful genres the world has ever seen as a force to end the State of Emergency in our communities. Jasiri X is the revolutionary Brother who can help us realize this goal.”

Gray, who has agreed to work closely with Jasiri X on this mission said, “We also need to use the occasion of SOBWC IV to commemorate and learn from the Hip Hop Declaration of Peace which was launched 15 years ago. The Conference can be an intergenerational space to equip Hip

JASIRI X Hop artists and activists to ored with Legacy Awards at unite and fight for the liber- SOBWC IV. (For information contact info@ ation of Black communities across this country and the ibw21.org—888-774-2921.) world.”

Daniels indicated that the Issue Area entitled, “Mobilizing/Organizing Hip Hop Activists and Cultural Workers for Black Empowerment” will include a major plenary and working session tract which will focus on Hip Hop activists devising an agenda for social justice and social change. In addition, Hip Hop activists will serve as speakers/panelists for the six other Issue Areas. IBW also announced that Chuck D KRS-1, MC Lyte and Gray will be hon-

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by Paige K. Mitchell For New Pittsburgh Courier

“Purpose By Design” Runway Show took place July 28 at the DoubleTree

by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh-Monroeville Convention Center. It was a very emotional but successful event.

“The initial idea to have a fashion show of my own came about while I was literally at a fashion show at my church and I turned to my mother and said, ‘Mom, I want to have a fashion show. I’m doing it. Next June or July.’ I wasn’t even sure if I actually believed myself or if I was just speaking it into the atmosphere,” Alia Grandison, event organizer, said.

The runway show was presented by, AI L’AMOUR by Alia. The show, which featured other designers, Sittoy by Yottis and The Bombman Shop by Sa’mon Bradley. It was hosted by Pittsburgh based model, Jasmine Santana, and included music provided by DJ Solo Dolo. Poet Nerdboy, and dance teams, Pittsburgh Dreamz Dance Team and Lady Diamonds also performed at the show.

Fashion Designer, creator and visionary of AI L’AMOUR, Alia Grandison, attended Kaplan Career Institute for Fashion Merchandising and later transferred to AIP for Fashion Design.

“I first discovered my passion for fashion as a little girl. I would cut things up and put them on my dolls.

I loved playing in my mom’s closet, dressing up in all of her fancy clothes and shoes. I’d throw things together

ALIA GRANDISON coming down the runway (Photos by Deon W. Smalley)

that no one else liked but I loved it,” Grandison said.

One hundred tickets were sold for the event.

“The most memorable was the moment I walked out onto the runway. I felt like I had crossed over from the person who people would often ask ‘When are you going to do something with your designs?’ To those, I finally did it! It was like a weight was lifted, I had said what I’d do and I actually did it,” she said. “I faced so much throughout the whole planning, I was turned down, turned away, had things going wrong left and right down to the day but it happened. It was successful. I was pleased.”

Runway Model London Mariya said, “Not only was the show so touching to watch, but I enjoyed modeling in the show just as much. Watching the show really touched my heart, because Alia’s my close friend and I’ve witnessed her designs grow and grow.

She’s so talented and I’m so proud of her.”

“My mother is my rock, she just kept pushing me the whole time,” Grandison said. “My boyfriend also did everything he could to help, even dee jayed the event. My good friend Emmau, who helped coordinate everything, even got up to emcee alongside with my mom. My family, friends, coworkers, all of the makeup artists, hairdressers, photographers, performers, the DoubleTree Hotel, people who donated and the list goes on and on! I am truly thankful to you all for making this a great event!”

Damon returns as Jason Bourne

by Merecedes J. Howze For New Pittsburgh Courier

It's time I brush the cob webs off of my imaginary typewriter for the newest Jason Bourne flick. I haven't written a film review since the April 21. This one is long overdue.

Don't get your hopes up!

“Jason Bourne” was not so spectacular that it brought me out of this maternity leave. Ironically, Matt Damon, who did not appear in “The Bourne Legacy” (2012), has finally returned as Jason Bourne and so I followed suit.

Tommy Lee Jones and Alicia Vikander also star in the fourth edition of this film series where Bourne resurfaces to expose some government agencies. Jason Bourne fans have waited almost a decade for his return. The only question is: Was it worth the wait?

I guess.

A lot of background questions about Jason Bourne are answered. As a result, this movie is probably the most bland “Jason Bourne” to date. While the audience gets the meat and potatoes of his historical context, there leaves little room for that raw action we are all accustomed to.

The little action that did occur are crammed into long scenes. One scene in

particular was a car chase that was two minutes too long. Let's just say the "ewws" and "ahhs" are few and far between.

Damon was great though.

We needed his long-awaited

return if this film series ever had a chance of redemption or success. The slow-paced, informational plot was a price to pay to get Jason Bourne back.

The film's cliffhanger

leaves a huge pool of suspense. I'm anxious to see the next series installment and equally excited to know Damon might be back permanently.

2 STARS

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Women were key beneficiaries of July job market

Charlene Crowell

WASHINGTON (AP)—Women overwhelmingly found work in July, even as the nation’s unemployment rate held at 4.9 percent for a second straight month.

The jobless level for adult women fell to 4.3 percent from 4.9 percent a year ago.

Unemployment for women ages 35 to 44 dropped a full point over the past 12 months to 3.5 percent. The rate also fell solidly for women between ages 25 and 34.

The overall unemployment rate stayed the same because more than 400,000 people began looking for work in July and some didn’t immediately find it despite solid job gains for a second straight month.

A greater proportion of adults now either have a job or are looking for one, a positive sign that the economy continues to heal seven years into its recovery from the Great Recession.

Not all groups benefited last month. The jobless rate increased for adult men, Asians and people over 55 last month.

But summer jobs meant that the unemployment rate dipped for teenagers, and fewer African Americans were unemployed.

The data for various demographic groups came from a survey of households that is part of the government’s monthly jobs report. A separate survey of payrolls found that 255,000 jobs were added last month.

Financial justice a key focus on 2016 NAACP convention

Consumer borrowing slows to $12.3 billion gain in June

by MartinCrutsinger AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP)—Consumers increased their borrowing in June but at the slowest pace in 17 months as auto and student loans registered the slowest growth in nearly five years.

The Federal Reserve said Friday that total borrowing rose by $12.3 billion in June, down sharply from an increase of $17.9 billion in May. That was the smallest monthly gain since January 2015.

The slowdown in borrowing came from a big decrease in the growth of auto and student loans, which rose by just $4.6 billion in June, the weakest monthly performance since this loan category declined in August 2011.

The category that covers credit cards rose by $7.7 billion in June, up from an increase of $1.8 billion in May and the largest monthly gain in this category since March.

Much of the slowdown in borrowing reflects a slowing in auto sales which have hit a plateau after six straight years of growth. Last year, auto sales climbed to a record of 17.5 million new vehicles. In the first half of the year, auto sales were up 1.5 percent, compared to a gain of 4 percent for the first half of 2015.

The increase in overall borrowing pushed total credit to a fresh record of $3.63 trillion. Many economists expect total borrowing will keep rising at a solid pace as consumers keep spending, bolstered by strong job growth.

In a separate report Friday, the government said that employers added SEE CONSUMER C2

Commentary

#MoveYourMoney

COMMITED TO BLACK WEALTH—Father and daughter, Richard and Erica Witherspoon team up at the Hill District Federal Credit Union to assist its members. Richard is Chief Executive Officer and Erica is Member Service Representative. (Photos by Diane I. Daniels)

Black Family Summit addresses #BankBlack social media movement

by Diane I. Daniels For New Pittsburgh Courier

In 1968, one day prior to his assassination in Memphis, Tenn. suggesting a way to build a greater economic base, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called upon his audience to take their money out of downtown banks and deposit it into a Black Memphis bank and to utilize Black owned insurance companies within the community.

Forty-eight years later in response to the recent police shooting deaths of Black men, another movement is underway for Blacks to invest in Black financial institutions.

In response to an Atlanta rapper’s appeal for one million Black Atlanta residents to place $100 in a local minority owned bank to be utilized for mortgages and small business loans it has been reported that Blacks nationwide took heed to the plea and have been investing in Black financial institutions. As a result, a Black economic power social media hashtags campaign has started, #BankBlack and #MoveYourMoney.

“In July we had 54 new memberships,” said Richard Witherspoon, Chief Executive Officer of the Hill District Federal Credit Union located at 2021 Centre Ave., one of two full service Black Federal financial institutions in the state. The other is the United Bank of Philadelphia. According to the H B C U

Money’s 2016 African American Owned Credit Union Directory there are 22 Credit Unions in Pennsylvania including Morning Star Baptist Church in Clairton who has assets of $561,217.

“Since the campaign our memberships have increased to 20 to 25 new memberships a month. People have been contacting us from all over not just the Pittsburgh region,” said Witherspoon pointing out that along with the campaign that their quality of service is another reason people are joining. “When you join the HDFCU you become a part of a member-owned organization built on the philosophy of people with a common bond helping each other.”

As a full service credit union he explained that their products and services include savings and checking accounts, Christmas clubs, direct deposits inclusive of payroll and government payments, payroll deduction, online banking and bill pay, mobile banking, over-the counter bill payments, mortgage loans including Conventional and FHA, consumer, vehicle, education and home improvement loans, money orders, debit and gift cards.

Chartered by the federal government under the National Credit Union Administration, according to Witherspoon the credit union’s field of membership is open to people with common bonds of residency and persons who are regularly employed or worship in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, within the boundaries of the Hill District and surrounding areas, employees and registered volunteers of Community Action SEE BLACK C2

SHARING KNOWLEDGE—A caring, dedicated and passionate leader, Dr. Kathi R. Elliott, DNP, MSW, CRNP, Executive Director of Gwen’s Girls will give the keynote luncheon address during the Black Family Summit.

(NNPA)—With 2,200 branches across the country and added presence on 60 military installations, five located overseas, the NAACP’s grassroots reach is unparalleled.

And throughout its 107 year history, the annual NAACP conference has addressed issues that affect people of color. From the Niagara Movement, to Jim Crow, and discriminatory education, employment and more, the NAACP still stands as this nation’s largest and oldest racial justice advocacy organization.

In 2016 another issue—just as pressing as those for which the NAACP is historically known—echoed throughout the convention by several speakers and resolutions: financial justice.

“Vote to stop the payday lenders and the car title lenders that come in like vultures and prey on our communities,” said Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, the Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, on July 18.

Similar remarks on financial justice were also offered during a legislative session by Houston Congressman Al Green, a former NAACP branch president, and Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, a marcher in last year’s “America’s Journey for Justice,” sponsored by the NAACP. On July 19, the convention unanimously approved a resolution that reaffirmed the NAACP’s forceful stance against predatory payday lending. This year, the resolution specifically called for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to finalize strong rules to stop the payday loan debt trap.

Noting how payday loans are heavily marketed in communities of color, and its hopes for regulation that would require loans be affordable, the resolution tied major banking institutions to the predatory, small dollar loan. In part it reads, “The NAACP recognizes the significant enabling/collaborative role of the major banking institutions in providing payday and other predatory lenders favorable financing.”

Other sections of the resolution stated how high-cost, small-dollar loans are designed to last months, if not years, forcing borrowers into repeated refinancing and high default rates. Making these loans affordable, in the NAACP’s view, should require lenders to take into account borrowers’ incomes and expenses.

A number of studies have found that each year payday and car-title loans strip more than $7 billion—largely from people of color and other low-income consumers. According to consumer advocates, these loans are the most predatory and further, exploit those with the fewest financial resources.

Financial justice remained the convention focus with a keynote address from Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Created as a cornerstone of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, CFPB has in five years enacted financial regulations and returned $3.48 billion in restitution to consumers who were harmed by unfair financial practices. “[F]or African-American communities in this country, credit is often unavailable, may be quite expensive, or is offered through predatory practices,” noted Cordray. “For too many consumers of color, the pursuit of prosperity can be difficult or SEE FINANCIAL C2

Can we rebuild Black Wall Street?

by James Clingman For New Pittsburgh Courier

(GEORGE CURRY MEDIA)—“There are [Blacks] who are willing to worship the pyramids of 4,000 years ago but will not build pyramids in the present so their children may see what they left behind as well.

We have a leadership who rallies the people to look at past glories but leave their children neglected; who will make great analytical and oratorical dissertations on the inadequacies of Eurocentric education and yet will not contribute one penny of their money or their time to the construction of their own schools.”—Amos Wilson, Afrikan Centered Consciousness versus the New World Order Montoya Smith, host of the Atlanta talk show, Mental Dialogue, asked: Can we rebuild Black Wall Street? “No, really,” he added, recognizing the depth of his question and assuring folks he was not kidding or just being rhetorical.

So, what was Black Wall Street? Most of what I have learned about it was obtained from a book by John Sibley Butler titled, Entrepreneurship and Self-Help Among Black Americans, A Reconsideration of Race and Economics,which contains an exhaus-

tive section on Tulsa, Oklahoma’s history and a detailed account of what took place in its Greenwood District. Some of the information below comes from Butler’s book. I also learned from face-to-face conversations with six of the survivors of the Tulsa Riot.

Black Wall Street was burned to the ground in 1921 by a White mob. The Greenwood District, located in the northern section of Tulsa, was once called “Negro Wall Street,” and “Little Africa.” It was home to hundreds of Black-owned businesses and sat on valuable land desired by White oil speculators, who even tried to buy parcels of that land from Blacks for ten cents on the dollar immediately following the Tulsa riot. Fortunately and wisely, Blacks refused to sell.

Despite hundreds of Black lives lost in the riot and all of Greenwood’s businesses destroyed, the story of that economic enclave during the ensuing 17 years was one of triumph over tragedy. By 1923, as a result of Blacks pooling their money to capitalize new enterprises, the Black business district was even larger than before, and Greenwood was completely restored by Black people by 1938.

Ultimately, urban renewal and integration, which allowed Blacks to shop at non-Black stores, led to the demise of “Black Wall Street.”

To Amos Wilson’s point, Greenwood was a pyramid built by Blacks in the early 1900s.

Instead of looking back and merely reveling in the successes of Mound Bayou, Miss. and other enclaves that came before them, Black people in Greenwood built upon those legacies. Thus, my answer to the question posed by Montoya Smith, “Can we rebuild Black Wall Street?” was and is an emphatic and unequivocal, “yes!”

My answer to that question is based on our having done it before under far worse circumstances than today. But as I listened to the other guest on Montoya’s show, Jay West, entrepreneur and president of the Lithonia Small Business and Merchants Association located on the outskirts of Atlanta, I became even more convinced.

Immediately impressed by West and the work his group is doing in a city that is approximately 85 percent Black, I sought him out to learn more. Jay West understands and promotes local business support. He explained, “I do 95 percent of my shopping right here in Lithonia because I know that one dollar spent here has the multiplier effect of three dollars, as our businesses support one another.”

West is absolutely correct, and the Lithonia merchants association will benefit collec-

tively and individually from circulating their dollars; they will grow their businesses and create more jobs. This nascent organization can be the model from which new Black Wall Streets can be built across this nation; it is on track to encourage more entrepreneurship and demonstrate the power of a cohesive, mutually supportive, self-directed, and economically empowered network of conscious business owners and consumers who are committed to growth and sustainability.

True partnerships between educated consumers and business professionals in Black economic enclaves comprise the basis for real power in the marketplace, i.e. collective purchasing programs and affinity groups, revolving loan funds, business equity funds, and financial leverage to stimulate future growth.

Lithonia is in that space right now, and there is plenty of room for more cities and segments within those cities to do the same.

To draw the discussion closer to home in Atlanta, “Can Sweet Auburn be sweet again?”

John Wesley Dobbs called it the “richest Negro street in the world.” Suffering its own riot in 1906 that left 25 Black men dead, Sweet Auburn can also be rebuilt, and with leaders like Jay West and others in Atlanta, I am confident that pyramid will be built.

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Black Family Summit addresses social media movement CONTINUED FROM C1

Agencies who work in Neighborhood Development Programs within the boundaries; employees of the HDFCU; Organizations of such persons; organizations with the propose to provide economic assistance to people within the above described area through the purchase of shares of the credit union; and immediate family members of the above mentioned.

Established in October of 1970 as a nonprofit financial organization owned and operated by its members for the benefit of all who belong, Witherspoon says the goal of the HDFCU is a sincere desire to help people help each other by providing a quick, economical source of confidential credit, and by promoting personal economic stability through a convenient systematic savings plan. “Our mission is to serve and to encourage savings.” He pointed out that its 3000 plus members have accrued over $2 million in savings throughout the years.”

A secondary goal of the HDFCU is to provide and or coordinate economic development in the community, something Erica Witherspoon, member service representative of the credit union takes very seriously. “We encourage low and moderate income members to save, spend wisely and establish a good credit rating,” she noted. She said accounts can be opened for as little as $6.

Addressing customers by names as they enter and exit the building she said, “Banking is about relationships. We meet people where they are. Realizing that everyone’s needs are different but at the same time we treat everyone the same no matter how much money you have.”

Erica with the assistance of her father Richard will discuss the benefits of being involved with a credit union and the #BankBlack and #MoveYourMoney campaign during the fifth annual Sisters Saving Ourselves Now Black Family Summit Saturday, Aug. 13 at Carlow University. They will participate on an entrepreneur panel with Danielle Davis of Davis Consulting Solutions, Sharise Hemby-Nance of Handinhand Counseling Services and Vitamin C Healing and Diamonte Walker of the

Hill District Community Development Corporation.

“We are delighted to have the representatives from the Hill District Federal Credit Union as part of this year’s summit,” said Rev. Dr. Judith C. Moore founder and director of SSON. “In light of what’s going on around us and the need for Blacks to build wealth and to improve upon our economic situation it is essential to have discussions amongst ourselves to strategize around solutions.”

While dealing with issues that affect the overall health and well-being of the Black family, Moore said other topics of discussion will include education, health and social service.

“The aim of this year’s summit is for participants to leave with solutions and an idea as to where to go for assistance dealing with everyday situations. We are very excited about the “social service corner” where area providers will be on hand for participants to make appointments or talk to someone to provide help or resources” Dr. Kathi R. Elliott, executive director of Gwen’s Girls will serve as the keynote luncheon speaker, Keith Giles, executive director of First Step Recovery Homes, Inc. will lead the discussion dealing with the male perspective.

Moore said the summit with the theme; The Time is Now: Educating and Empowering the Black Family will kick off Friday with youth night at the Community College of Allegheny County South Campus and will end Sunday at Greater Allen A.M.E. Church on the Northside with national recording artist Rev. Marcia Sapp who will also provide an inspirational message around the summit theme.

“I am overwhelmingly happy how area organizations have adopted this concept and are working together to design solutions to assist in bringing healing to ailing communities,” said Moore. Sponsors and cohosts include Carlow University’s Department of Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, the Heinz Endowment, Black Women’s Roundtable, The National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, Community College of Allegheny CountySouth Campus, Black Women for Positive Change and Soul Pitt Media.

Financial justice a key focus at NAACP CONTINUED FROM C1

even ruinous. Active discrimination, fueled by conscious or unconscious prejudice, has hindered millions of African-American consumers from getting ahead, or even keeping up.”

“We are taking on systemic efforts to deny credit to minority populations,” continued Cordray. “We are taking on credit that is offered on worse terms than those extended to others in similar circumstances.

And we are taking on credit that is offered on terms that consumers cannot afford to repay and that leaves them substantially worse off. These problems are intertwined, and they can choke off the ability of entire communities to build and sustain opportunity and prosperity. They perpetuate inequality.”

“These economic injustices deny opportunity, drain wealth, and desecrate communities,” added Cordray. “We have committed ourselves to pursue fairness and equal justice in the financial marketplace, and we will continue to bring that same commitment to every single community throughout this country.”

Cordray continued: “We will seek to attain the same dignity and respect for every one of us that each one of us de-

serves. Because that is what America must be about—making every consumer count.”

For Diane Standaert, a convention delegate and executive vice president with the Center for Responsible Lending, the resolution and speaker remarks on economic injustice provided a boost to ongoing efforts to engage communities directly impacted by predatory lending.

“We are grateful that the NAACP’s foot soldiers are actively joined with its leaders and others in the fight for an end to predatory lending,” said Standaert. “Everyone—whether with families and neighborhoods or on social media— will generate a drum beat for justice that includes financial fairness for all.”

According to Roslyn Brock, NAACP Chairman, the organization is ready and able to carry on. “There is something on the inside that is resilient in the lives of people of color who somehow, despite the odds, manage to take one more step, fight one more battle, and cast one more vote to affect the outcome. We may get knocked down, but we won’t be knocked out!”

(Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at charlene.crowell@ responsiblelending.org.)

Business Consulting Seminar

BRIDGETTE HAMES—A model and sales representative for Marjorie’s Beef Jerky, Inc.

Black woman entrepreneur takes on $100 million beef jerky industry JACHIN, Ala. (BlackNews.com)—Esteemed African American entrepreneur Michelle Timberlake has found big success with her company, Marjorie’s Beef Jerky Inc., which produces a delectable selection of beef jerky made from fine cuts of beef.

For more than 25 years, her company has been marketing, distributing and selling a beef jerky brand that is savory, high in protein, and features six flavors to choose from (Original, Hot & Spicy, Sweet & Spicy, Cracked Pepper, Teriyaki and Burnout).

Even more, the products are free of MSG and are made only with natural ingredients.

Michelle began her journey in 1991 in Victorville California. She was and still is an 18-wheeler truck driver for 26 years now but plans to hopefully get out of a truck for good soon because her body just cannot take the beatings anymore from the rough roads. In 1991, Michelle was in a bad truck driving accident that was a threat to her career. She was very concerned about her future and decided to take it up in a matter of prayer. She states, “I didn’t know what to do. I had a 5-year old boy to feed, and I really could not see a way out so I prayed about it.”

Three days later, Michelle says she was enlightened with a vision of starting a beef jerky company. Immediately, she began her journey into making “the best tasting beef jerky on this planet!” She named the business after her late mother Marjorie Leona Dawson. Michelle comments, “My mother was my number one beef jerky fan. In 2010, she told me, ‘Michelle it’s time for you to put your beef jerky through. It is going to make you.’”

She continues, “I said to my mom, ‘really?’ and she replied, ‘Yes, this beef jerky is going to make you! Only I won’t live to see it.’ I said, ‘Sure you will!’ but my mother replied, ‘No Michelle I will not!’ She then gave me this really serious look, and I told her that I am thankful that she gave me life and allowed me to be my own person. I told her that her picture will be on every bag of beef jerky that I sell in honor to the woman who gave up her life just to raise me and 10 other children as she put her own life on hold. My mother believed in me when no one else did. She died in 2010 shortly after telling me to put the beef jerky through.

She knew that she was dying, and she died of stage 4 kidney failure and a heart attack.

I was shattered! I feel her strength and her wisdom inside of me now.”

Michelle continues, “Often I have to deal with a people who say I should take the picture off the bag for fear of lessor sales because of my mother being a black woman. I say no way! I was even told that perhaps I should do an animated picture of my Mother just like they did for Aunt Jemima.

Well let’s just say I no longer have that friend after 40 years of friendship. That’s why I worked hard and raised my own money and still trying to raise money by sales to build a warehouse and to provide jobs and offer dreams to the less fortunate so that they can feed their families. We want to also build a facility for child care for the single parents so that they can be close to their babies and take their breaks and check on them or eat lunch with them to keep the bond of closeness. I do all of this from the help of my friends from over 30 years who believe and invested in me. I raised my own money so that I am not controlled using someone else’s money. So the orders from our customers will someday allow me to give back to the community. We still have a long way to go for we are a work in progress being that we used our own resources. We welcome any donation but we would just prefer you to purchase at least one or two bags of beef Jerky per month.

Where I live there is no minimum wage.

The Employers can pay a person $5.00 per hour and some do. I don’t believe in sweat camps! How can a person pay their bills and feed their families being oppressed?

Our ultimate goal is to someday own our own manufacturing plant without having to subcontract a manufacturer. This will allow me to keep the cost down having my own manufacturing plant. Without our own plant the cost will stay high for us.”

Marjorie’s Beef Jerky, based in Jachin, Alabama, welcomes wholesale buyers, distributors, as well as buyers for major food chain stores. They are able to manufacture an unlimited amount of truck loads, and all wholesale purchases can be made at www.Wholesalecentral.com or www.Top10wholesale.com Retail purchases can be made online at www.webuyblack.com or at www.marjoriesbeefjerky.com In November 2016, VIP celebrities at the American Music Awards will receive a bag of Marjorie’s Beef Jerky in their gift bags.

Five tips to manage your prescription drug costs If you feel you’re spending too much on your prescriptions, that’s not surprising.

Americans spent an estimated $457 billion on prescription drugs in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, up about 8 percent from 2014, and one-third of Americans reported recent hikes in their prescription costs, a Consumer Reports study found. Don’t despair.

The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants has some smart ideas for trimming those costs.

Check the out-of-pocket price Many chain pharmacies offer common generic medications at very low prices to customers who pay out-of-pocket. If you have prescription drug coverage, it’s a good idea to ask the pharmacist one important question: What would this drug cost me if I didn’t have insurance? In most cases, the price you pay when you use your prescription drug coverage will be lower, but it’s worth asking to see if paying out of pocket gets you a better discount.

Shop around Check how much other pharmacies are charging for the medications you need. A Consumer Reports study found that you could pay as much as 10 times more for the same drugs at different retailers in the same area. Their experts recommended checking prices at a variety of stores before buying to see if you can shave costs. You will have to do this regularly since prices can change. Don’t hesitate to ask for a discount, either, since some stores may be willing to negotiate.

Look into assistance programs Many drug companies offer discount programs for those who can’t afford their medications. Organizations such as NeedyMeds and the Partnership for Prescription Assistance provide extensive information on dis-

counts. In addition, free cost-cutting cards that can help you afford drugs that your insurance doesn’t cover or that have high deductibles include the FamilyWize Prescription Savings Card from the National Council on Aging, which anyone can use to seek cost-saving options, and NeedyMeds’ Drug Discount Card. Both can be found online and are printable or downloadable.

Think ahead In some cases, you may be able to save money if you get a 90-day prescription instead of one for 30 days. It will also save you trips to the pharmacy if you get three months’ worth of supplies all at once. Not all prescriptions are available in this amount, and the pharmacy may need to consult your doctor to make this change, but be sure to ask because it might save you some cash.

Be aware that prices for generics can rise, too This used to be an easy choice: pick the cheaper generic alternative to high-cost brand-name drugs. Today, that choice may not solve the problem. Average prices for some generic drugs have skyrocketed, jumping as much as 1,000 percent or more in some cases, according to AARP. When you’re making decisions about which medication is best for you, ask for prices on all your options. You can no longer assume that the generic alternative will always be a bargain.

Your local CPA can help If you want more tips on simple steps you can take to make your dollar go farther, turn to your local CPA. He or she can provide practical advice that can help you address all your financial questions and concerns.

And visit www.picpa.org/moneyandlife for more health care savings tips.

AUG. 10—Business Consultant Institute presents its Power Systems Workshop, from 8-5pm at the Talamore Country Club in Ambler, PA. This full day workshop is for entrepreneurs who want to create and automate systems in their business so they can work on their business; not in their business. For more information, visit www.businessconsultantinstitute .com.

Small Business Workshop August 27—The Chatham Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship presents Small Business Basics, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in the Mellon at its Shadyside Campus. Entrepreneurs will provide lessons learned and experts in areas including sales, accounting, and financing will provide brief presentations and will be available for participant Q&A at this informal workshop. The fee is $30.

PowerBreakfast SEPT. 16—The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pa. presents Robin Nicholson, director of The Frick, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Rivers Club, 301 Grant St. 15219 at its September PowerBreakfast meeting. Nicholson will discuss what the museum has in store, and will outline possible business opportunities with The Frick. Cost for members is $20, non-members $30.

Payroll Regulation Workshop SEPT. 23—The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pa., from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 9th floor board room, the Koppers Building, 436 Seventh Ave. Pittsburgh 15219, welcomes attorneys Elaina Smiley and Tony Thompson of Meyer, Unkovic & Scott to discuss changes to Overtime Pay Regulations. Discussion will include the new salary threshold, effects of bonuses and commissions, and applicability to nonprofits.

Cost is $10 for members $20 for non members and includes lunch. For more information, call 412-392-0610.

Business Energy Efficiency Grants THROUGH APRIL 15—The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has to $1,000,000 of grant funding available in the 13th year of the Commonwealth’s Small Business Advantage Grant Program for small businesses that adopt or acquire equipment or processes that promote pollution prevention and/or energy efficiency projects. Applicants must be a for-profit corporation, limited liability corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or other legal entity with 100 or fewer full-time employees. Businesses can apply for 50 percent matching funds of up to $9,500 to adopt or acquire energy-efficient or pollution-prevention equipment or procedures. Funding is eligible for those costs incurred between July 25, 2016 and June 30, 2017. For more information, contact the Small Business Ombudsman’s Office at 717-7725160.

Consumer borrowing slows gain in June CONTINUED FROM C1

255,000 jobs in July while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.9 percent.

The overall economy grew at a disappointing rate of 1.2 percent in the April-June quarter following an even weaker 0.8 percent growth rate in the first quarter. But economists expect growth will pick up in the second half of the year to a more respectable pace around 2.5 percent.

The Fed’s consumer borrowing report does not cover home mortgages or other loans, such as home equity loans, that are secured by real estate.

SPORTS New Pittsburgh Courier

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AUGUST 10-16, 2016

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Inside Conditions…One night stand

by Aubrey Bruce For New Pittsburgh Courier

“A one-night stand is a single sexual encounter without an expectation of further relations between the sexual participants.

This is regardless of whether a single encounter was originally intended by either participant to be a one-night stand, or whether further relations between the participants subsequently occur. Critics of the practice describe it as “sexual activity without emotional commitment or future involvement,” according to Wikipedia.

Playing football may not be like being intimate, but

the emotional attachment can be sorta, kinda similar. When the Pittsburgh Steelers hold their annual night practice at Latrobe Area High School it is in many ways, cruel and unusual punishment for many of the perimeter players. It is the one time that all eyes are upon them and they better be ready for the spotlight, or the “Turk,” or the man bringing bad news, as Chuck Noll used to say.

Any training camp held by the Steelers at St. Vincent’s campus in Latrobe has always been more about the survival of the “fittest gladiator,” whether it be on offense, defense or special

AUBREY BRUCE teams, camp at Latrobe will either make you, break you or fake you out. There are often free agent signings

that show up without the slightest warning.

In 2002, former first round pick of the New York Jets came to the Steelers after a disappointing stint with the junior team in Gotham City. “He went on to spend the next decade as a vital part of one of the league’s best linebacking corps.

James Farrior was part of three Steelers teams which advanced to the Super Bowl, including two that emerged triumphant,” according to www. nfl.com. The great Steelers safety Donnie Shell talked to Teresa Varley in May and had this to say about free agency.

“It was awesome to have the opportunity to come up like I did as an undrafted free agent and for them to give me an opportunity, a chance,” said Shell. “It was special. That was all I was looking for. Coach (Chuck) Noll was that type of coach. He was looking for people that were self-motivated and wanted to do well and do well for the team.”

Shell signed with the Steelers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 1974 and 14 years later retired as one of the best safeties ever to play for the Steelers. There was plenty of hitting and smack talking to go around, but aside

from the Steelers veterans, the younger players seemed to hit and worry as opposed to being worried about being hit. The Steelers currently don’t sport names on the back of their jerseys because you never know who is going to have to be reassigned that number. Camp Gladiator is what Latrobe should be renamed. These are not just football players trying out for a position, they are trying out for life. (The sources for this article were www.nfl.com and www.steelers.com)

(Aubrey Bruce can be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com or 412-583-6741. Follow him on Twitter@ultrascribe.)

Sewickley Academy’s White making a fast pitch to college recruiters

by Smokin’ Jim Frazier For New Pittsburgh Courier

Fast-pitch softball is the fifth most popular girls high school sport, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. A total of 362,488 girls played high school softball in the 201213 school year.

Sewickley Academy’s 5-foot-7 senior, Chandler White, is one of the WPIAL’s best. She is a threetime Pittsburgh Post-Gazette All-Section Softball Team All-Star and has helped her team reach the WPIAL playoffs the past three years.

Fast-pitch softball is played in the spring and is basically the girls’ alternative to baseball at the high school level and elite players, like White, also travel during the summer with their AAU teams.

“My focus have always been softball,” said White.

“My middle school didn’t have a softball team so I played volleyball and ran track. Now, I only play two sports. Softball and I play Goalie on my school’s Field Hockey team.”

High school softball is a great sport and the accessibility of the team—where fans can watch and even approach players in an intimate setting—but it’s also indicative of the rising popularity of the sport.

White has constant reminders of her growing popularity, from people who introduce themselves as fans.

With the sport of softball there’s a lot of moving parts and making sure everyone knows which way they should be moving is paramount, especially for White. She plays first base, catcher and outfield.

“I am the only high school player on my AAU team.

All the players are either college players or graduating seniors who will be entering college in the fall, (Submitted by Tim K. (ghost writer)) :10—Kudos to Bill “The Real Deal” Neal for his Armon “The Hammer” Gilliam/Leroy “Free” Freeman Memorial Hard Work Basketball Camp.

A great time had by all, 72 youths, ages 8-16, participated Saturday and Sunday under sunny skies and the watchful eyes of their parents.

The camp, sponsored by Highmark, UPMC, Gateway Health, Chief Executive of Allegheny County Rich Fitzgerald, East Liberty McDonald’s, KBK Enterprises and The New Pittsburgh Courier is in its 42nd year, 5th year under the Armon Gilliam/ Leroy Freeman banner. A very special thanks to the Penn Hills YMCA for the use of their facilities.

CHANDLER WHITE so I’m learning a lot and getting valuable experience. My high school team should be very good. We are only losing one senior. Our goal is to win section and make the playoffs.”

The biggest difference between baseball and softball is, of course, the larger ball used in softball. Unlike slow-pitch softball—which typically features 10 defensive players—fast-pitch teams use nine players in the field.

A standard high school softball game lasts seven innings and if a game ends early because of poor weather, for example, it will count if the losing team has batted at least five times.

As in standard baseball, batters draw walks by taking four balls and strike out on three strikes. Pitchers may intentionally walk a hitter by request, without throwing any pitches.

A player with two strikes who bunts the ball foul has struck out. Unlike slowpitch softball, runners may leave bases and attempt to steal when the pitcher releases the ball.

In addition to working out the kinks in her game, White has to take physicals, get educated on con-

:09—The Olympics are here. The Olympics are here. It looks to be a China, U.S. competition for most medals, with Russia, under drug suspension/ suspicion, an also-ran at this Olympics. Look for big medal hauls for the U.S. in swimming, women’s gymnastics, led by the astonishing Simone Biles, quite probably the most dominating athlete on the planet, and track and field. :08—If the U.S. basketball team does not win every game by 20+ points, it will be a huge upset. Make that 30+ points. U.S. basketball, women’s gymnastics, Simone Biles for all-around,

cussion protocols and heat acclimatization have to be covered, as well.

White, hopes to close out her career as one of the most decorated players in school history and a WPIAL and state champion.

An admittedly self-critical player, White holds herself to a high standard, measuring her game up against the best.

She is focused on having a great senior year and hopes to attract the attention of a number of college recruiters.

“I have two sisters who are good athletes.

Chaynee, 11 years old, and Chatumn, 9 years old, and both play softball and gymnastics,” said White. “I would like to play in college at either Penn State, Cal U or Division III Wooster College.”

Keeping up with schedules is one of the more flu-

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

Overtime

Katie Ledecky in the 400 and 800 meter swims and the other Dream Team, U.S. women’s basketball, are stone cold locks. Bet the house. Bet your neighbor’s house too. :07—Steelers camp is open. The annual pilgrimage has begun. Despite the suspensions, look for the Steelers’ offense to roll over the competition big time. As for the defense, we’ll just have to wait and see. Prediction? Of course, 12-4, AFC Title, Super Bowl winner. Wait, wait, wait—slow down. We’ll get back to predictions when camp breaks. :06—Back to the Olympics for one more thing.

We’ve come so far in the year 2016 that seeing a female Olympian with children now is so commonplace that it doesn’t even raise an eyebrow. And that’s a good thing. :05—The Buccos. They’re hovering near .500, middle of the pack for the wild card, holding on by their fingertips and this is all being accomplished by smoke and mirrors. If I told you in April that Andrew McCutchen would be hitting about .240, Josh Harrison .260 and the pitching staff would still be using Jeff Locke, would you have put them within striking distance of the playoffs? Me either.

id tasks that athletes and parents have to handle over the summer with traveling AAU tournaments.

“At some of these AAU tournaments there are 300400 girls competing and counting the family and friends there might be over 1,000 people in the parking lot and many times we are the only Black family,” said former Peabody High School star Robert White, White’s father. “Me, my wife and three daughters are usually the only ones at the tournaments held in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Down south and out west there are a few more Black families.”

“Chandler has gotten acknowledgments across the state, but not much attention locally,” said her father. “She is one of the trailblazer to the game of softball. She is dedicated and is an excellent student-athlete.”

White carries a 3.5 grade

point average and hopes to major in Pre-Dentistry or Sports Medicine. She is a high honor roll student and received the McKallip Scholar Award, Hansen Scholar Award, Gerwin Award, Sons of Knight Good Citizenship Award and National Junior Honor Society.

“It is very difficult to receive a full athletic scholarship in softball. Most of the full scholarships go to the pitchers. Teams need 3, 4 or 5 good pitchers so they receive the full scholarships and the other players get partial-scholarships,” said her father.

“The best way to go is to play for a Division III program like Wooster College.

Division III does not give athletic scholarships but if your grades are outstanding you can receive academic money that can cover most of your tuitions. White has the grades to qualify for academic money.”

If they make the playoffs, this year is a remarkable success and next year when Glasnow, Taillon and Josh Bell are regulars? Watch out. :04—Sticking with baseball, you read it here first, the Cubs will not win the World Series. Will not win the N.L. pennant. And that will make me very happy because they are all-in this year, trying to buy a title like a vintage Yankees team. :03—Adios A-Rod. Good riddance. And don’t let the door hit you in the youknow-what. :02—And please, please, please, don’t let it ever be revealed that Albert Pu-

jols was juicing. Watching him hit without the taint or suspicion of steroids has been an absolute joy for a died-in-the-wool, true blue (or black-n-gold) baseball fan. I hope he hits 700+ home runs. He is a class act. :01—My thanks to Mr. Bill “The Real Deal “ Neal for allowing me to substitute for him while he recovers from his fantastic basketball camp. You are the definition of “class.” And I am out.

From Bill Neal: P.S. Thanks Tim. And I want to take this opportunity to recognize Comcast NBC Universal as a major sponsor in the Breaking Barriers Olympic documentary held at the Heinz History Center.

Thank you Comcast. Job well done.

CLASSIFIED New Pittsburgh Courier

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AUGUST 10-16, 2016

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Help Wanted

Public Notice

HUD SEC. 8 OCCUPANCY SPECIALIST

Occupancy Specialist to work in a busy site rental office. Experience with current HUD regulations/EIV; experience in YARDI software a plus. Paid vacation/401(k)/health coverage. Reply to kmyers@ahrco.com or 412-687-9725 (fax)

PROPERTY MANAGER

Must have competency in managing busy, multifamily properties with 100% Section 8 subsidy. Duties include Leasing, Rent Collections, and Coordination of Maintenance Activities. Knowledge of current HUD Regulations (Including EIV) required; familiarity with YARDI software a plus. Pd. Vacation/401(k)/ health benefits. Must have valid PA driver’s license.

Respond to kmyers@ahrco.com or BY FAX TO (412) 687-9725

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN

Detail-oriented individual for multifamily housing communities. Competency in routine plumbing, electrical, carpentry and HVAC evaluation and repairs. Valid PA driver’s license is required. Benefits include: 401(k) plan, paid vacations and health benefits. Please reply, along with salary requirements and references to: amahone@ahrco.com or fax to (412) 687-9725

LANDSCAPERS/ GROUNDSKEEPERS

Full–time; needed to maintain the grounds @ apt. communities for local property Management Company. Lawn maint. snow removal, trash removal. Competitive salary and benefits package, must have valid Pennsylvania driver’s license.

Email resumes to amahone@ahrco.com or fax (412) 412-687-9725.

ASSOCIATE COUNSEL – PROCUREMENT & TRANSACTION MATTERS

Port Authority is seeking an Associate Counsel–Procurement & Transaction Matters to provide proactive and effective legal representation for Port Authority and its officers and employees in a wide range of legal matters, including procurement, contractual and other transactional matters relating to the efficient operation and business interests of Port Authority.

Job requirements include: •Degree of Juris Doctorate and membership in good standing of the Pennsylvania Bar. •Valid Pennsylvania License to Practice Law. •Minimum of three (3) years substantive experience handling procurement, real estate and/or related transactional matters for a large or mid-sized private or public entity or government agency, either in an in-house capacity or in an outside counsel capacity.

•Admission to Pennsylvania State Courts.

•Admission to U. S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

•Demonstrated ability to analyze issues and communicate legal advice, both in written and oral form, to non-lawyers.

•Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows, Microsoft Word, Outlook and Westlaw software.

•Professional and effective communication skills.

Preferred attributes: •In-house or outside counsel experience providing procurement, real estate or related general transactional advice and support to a federal, state or local public transit agency or similar municipal entity.

•In-house or outside counsel experience processing and preparing final responses to records requests submitted under Pennsylvania’s Rightto-Know Law.

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Inez Colon Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 IColon@portauthority.org EOE

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

SONNY BOY

NOTICE

The City of Pittsburgh announces the availability of the application for its 2017 Community Development Block Grant-Special Grant funds.

In order to apply, you must represent an incorporated entity providing eligible services to low- and moderate-income residents of the City of Pittsburgh. Examples of eligible activities include the following: public services to low and moderate-income residents, the handicapped and elderly; rehabilitation or construction of a public facility serving a CDBG eligible neighborhood or clientele; housing related activities; economic development activities, etc. In addition, an applicant should meet certain organizational standards to be eligible for these funds: minimum of 2 years in existence; 501 3 incorporated non-profit with a Board of Directors and written bylaws; City of Pittsburgh based or services mainly City residents; have a legitimate office with an address; show evidence of fiscal management capacity; have a federal tax identification number; possess a nine-digit Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number; have no outstanding financial liabilities with the City of Pittsburgh or demonstrate an approved payment plan.

If your organization appears to be eligible to receive CDBG funding, and you would like to be considered for these funds, please contact Kelli Dixon at (412) 255-2212 to receive an application form. The application is also available on the City of Pittsburgh’s website which can be accessed by typing http:// pittsburghpa.gov/dcp/communitydevelopment/cdbg on your internet browser. Completed forms must be received in the Department of City Planning by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30, 2016.

A postmark date does not meet the deadline.

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of BERNICE G. DAVIS and BERNICE G. DAVIS TRUST-2009, deceased of Pittsburgh, PA No.02-16-03695 onathan G. Davis, Executor and Trustee of The Bernice G. Davis Trust - 2009 c/o Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, PC, One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or to: Nancy L. Rackoff, Esquire Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 300 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

NOTICE

The Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics admits students of any race, color, age, sex, ancestry, religion, national ethnic origin to all the rights, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs and other school-administered programs.

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

ADVERTISEMENT

Sealed bid proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 (412.237.3020) on the following items: Bid Proposal No. 981 Palo Alto Maintenance Renewal Proposals will be received at the Purchasing Department until 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Thursday, August 18, 2016 at which time they will be publicly opened.

Any proposals received after this deadline will be considered as a “late bid” and will be returned unopened to the offerer.

The CCAC Purchasing Department is now publishing all bids 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.

Proposals may require Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds, and Surety as dictated by the specifications.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

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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LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

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Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

INVITATION FOR BIDS CONTRACT NO. ACHA-1559 PARKING AREA RESURFACING – OHIOVIEW TOWER 250 JEFFERSON DRIVE, McKEES ROCKS, PA 15136

The Sports & Exhibition Authority will receive sealed bids for Isolated Roof Repairs. The contract for this work will be with the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Inquiries regarding the bidding should be made to the Sports & Exhibition Authority 171 10th Street, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Attention: Thomas P. Ryser, r.-E-mail: tryser pgh-sea. com, Telephone: 412-393-0200 Facsimile: 412-393-7104.

Bid Packages may be obtained after the date identified below through Accu-Copy at (724) 935-7055. Additional information on the project can also be found of Accu-Copy’s website at http://www.accu-copy.com.

This Advertisement applies to the following Bid Package: Project: David L. Lawrence Convention Center Bid Package Name: Isolated Roof Repairs Bid Package Available: August 5, 2016 Approximate Value: $300,000 Time/Date/Location for Pre-Bid Meeting: 10:00 AM, Tuesday, August 23, 2016, Sports & Exhibition Authority, 171 10th Street, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Time/Date/Location for Bid: 2:00 PM, Wednesday, August 31, 2016, Sports & Exhibition Authority, 171 10th Street, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR INSTALLATION OF NEW BASKETBALL SURFACE AT NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS GYM REBID IFB# 300-33-16Rebid

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): INSTALLATION OF NEW BASKETBALL SURFACE AT NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS GYM REBID IFB# 300-33-16 REBID The documents will be available no later than July 31, 2016 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. on August 19, 2016 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, at which time they will be opened and read aloud.

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

Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116 Opt 1 A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Dept.

100 Ross Street 2nd. Fl. Ste. 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Thursday, August 11, 2016 2:00 P.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

HACP’s has revised their website.

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

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!

The Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) is requesting bids from qualified contractors for the PARKING AREA ASPHALT RESURFACING AT OHIOVIEW TOWER ACHA - 1559 in the community of McKees Rocks Stowe Township, Pennsylvania 15136.

Bid and Contract Documents will be on file with the Pittsburgh Builder’s Exchange, McGraw-Hill Dodge, iSqFt and BidClerk, etc. websites, and may be obtained after Monday 8/ August/2016 at the Allegheny County Housing Authority, 625 Stanwix Street, 12th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, or by contacting the ACHA at 412-402-2464. A non-refundable fee is required for each set of Contract Documents (certified check or money order only) $25 for paper documents and no charge for Emailed PDF files. A pre-bid conference will be held on Thursday 18/August/2016, at 10:00PM at the Allegheny County Housing Authority 625 Stanwix Street 12th Floor Pittsburgh, Pa 15222. Bids are due by 2:00 PM local time on Wednesday 31/August/2016 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, minority, and women owned firms, as well as firms that have not previously performed work for the ACHA. Frank Aggazio, Executive Director

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR Compensation Study Consultant RFP #650-32-16

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Compensation Study Consultant RFP #650-32-16 The documents will be available no later than August 8, 2016 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 10:00 A.M., August 26 2016 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp.org A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Development & Modernization 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Board Room Pittsburgh, PA 15219 August 18, 2016 10:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

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

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

HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sealed bid proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, Purchasing Department, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233(412.237.3020) on the following items: Bid Proposal No.924-2 Repair Pedestrian Bridge – North Wing – Boyce Campus A MANDATORY pre-bid meeting and site visitation will be onsite beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2016. The assembly point will be the Boyce Campus North Wing Bridge, around left side of the complex to the far back end, 595 Beatty Road, Monroeville, PA 15146.

Proposals will be received at the Purchasing Department until 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Thursday, August 25, 2016 at which time they will be publicly opened.

Any proposals received after this deadline will be considered as a “late bid” and will be returned unopened to the offerer.

The CCAC Purchasing Department is now publishing all bids 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.

Proposals may require Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds, and Surety as dictated by the specifications.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

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.

CONTRACT 1645 ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1645

Sealed Bids for CONTRACT 1645, REPLACEMENT OF THE LEVEL SENSING SYSTEMS AT THE FIVE SEWAGE PUMP STATIONS shall be received at the office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15233, until 11:00 a.m., Prevailing Time, September 1, 2016, and then shall be publicly opened and read. A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held at the Authority’s Plant in the O&M Building Conference Room 106, on August 16, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., Prevailing Time. A site visit will follow. Attendance at this meeting is mandatory.

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 office of the Authority. A non- refundable fee of$100 (no cash will be accepted) will be charged for each set of Contract Documents. 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.

Bidders are encouraged to obtain a copy of the Bid Documents, if they have not already done so, from the Clerk’s Office, 2nd Floor ALCOSAN O&M Building, either before or following the Pre-Bid Meeting.

Any questions regarding the Contract Documents should be directed in writing or by fax to Mr. Michael Lichte, P.E., ALCOSAN at (412) 734-6209.

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

CLASSIFIEDS

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH Digital Signage at Various HACP Locations RFP #800-38-16

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following: Digital Signage at Various HACP Locations The documents will be available no later than: August 1, 2016 Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 Or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp. org.

INVITATION FOR BIDS

The URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY of Pittsburgh will receive bids from qualified contract for the construction of a 250’ turning lane westbound on Butler Street into the URA property’s access roadway; installation of three new traffic signal poles and traffic signals at the property access road and Butler Street in the 10th Ward of the City of Pittsburgh; pedestrian crossing signals; depressed curbs for ADA compliance; 5,000 SY of asphalt paving; storm inlet installation and connection to existing PWSA storm sewers; painting of roadway symbols and traffic lines; and excavation, grading and asphalt paving of a parking pad to accommodate 3 vehicles adjacent to the intersection, and all work incidental thereto required to complete 62nd Street Industrial Park, Entrance Road Traffic Signals – Site Preparation Contract No. 3, until 11:00 a.m. prevailing time on Friday, the 2nd day of September, 2016, at its office, 11th floor, 200 Ross Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, at which time all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud in the Conference Room on the 11th floor.

Contract documents will be available on disk on Monday, August 15, 2016, in the Engineering and Construction Department, 11th Floor, 200 Ross Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, upon a non-refundable payment of FIFTEEN DOLLARS ($15.00) made payable to the URA of Pittsburgh.

CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ONLY. Contract documents will not be mailed.

A pre-bid meeting will be held on Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at the Urban Redevelopment Authority, 200 Ross Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, in the 11th floor Conference Room.

A certified check or bank draft payable to the order of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, negotiable U.S. Government Bonds (at par value), or a satisfactory bid bond, executed by the Bidder and an acceptable surety in a dollar amount equal to 5% of the total bid, shall be submitted. Each bid submittal must include the Bid, Non-collusion Affidavit of Prime Bidder, Bid Bond, Statement of Bidders Qualifications, and Certification of Minority and Women’s Participation with Exhibits.

Wages paid on this project shall not be less than the minimum wages determined by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry as set forth in the contract documents.

Compliance is required with the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act of 1961, P.L. 987, No. 442; Title VI and other applicable provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Department of Labor Equal Opportunity Clause (41 CFR 60 -1.4); Executive Order 11625 (Utilization of Minority Business Enterprise); Executive Order 12138 (Utilization of Female Business Enterprise); in compliance with the Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and the URA’s MBE/WBE Program, which sets forth goals of 18 percent Minority and 7 percent Female Business Enterprise; and the Allegheny County Ordinance #6867-12, setting forth goals of 5 percent Veteran-Owned Small Businesses.

The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements. The Contractor must assure that applicants and employees are not discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, disability, ancestry, national origin, age or sexual preference, gender identity, gender expression, political and/or union affiliation.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh requires that all bidders complete and submit Certification of Minority and Women’s Participation with Exhibits.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informality in the bidding.

Bids may be held by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days from the date of opening of bids for the purpose of reviewing the bids prior to awarding the Contract.

URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF PITTSBURGH Robert Rubinstein Acting Executive Director August 10, 2016

AUGUST 10-16, 2016

C5

SONNY BOY

The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Outreach, Education, Assessment and Referral to Behavioral Health and Other Services for Residents of Allegheny County Housing Authority Facilities. Proposals are due by: August 25, 2016.

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

Marc Cherna Director Allegheny County Department of Human Services

LEGAL NOTICE ALLEGHENY COUNTY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Department of Public Works County Project No. MA11-3511 South 10TH. Street Bridge Rehabilitation, Phase 2, MPMS# 79881 This project is bid through PennDOT’s ECMS System ATTENTION: Delay in opening of bids

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Notice is hereby given that the bids for the aforementioned project which was scheduled to be opened on Thursday August 11, 2016, has been changed so that the bids for this project will now be opened on Thursday August 25, 2016. Bids will be received through ECMS or a diskette delivered to PennDOT, Contract Awards Room, 7TH. Floor, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, Harrisburg, Pa. 17120.

Chelsa Wagner Controller County of Allegheny

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA July 26, 2016

The Office of the County Controller of Allegheny County, Room 104, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, will receive separate and sealed Bids until 11:00 A.M. prevailing local time, WEDNESDAY, August 17, 2016, and a representative of the Department of Public Works will open and read the Bids in the Gold Room, Room 410, Court House, Pittsburgh, PA, onehalf hour later, 11:30 o’clock A.M., for the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS North Park Pearce Mill Road Waterline Replacement, Town of McCandless COUNTY PROJECT NO. ZCNP-WL07 PREBID INFORMATION: Purchase and/or view the Proposal, Specifications and Drawings at the Office of the Contract Manager, Room 504, County Office Building, Pittsburgh, PA. The nonrefundable charge for the Proposal and disc containing the Specifications and Drawings is $ 107.00 including sales tax. Bid documents may be mailed for an additional fee of $16.05 including sales tax. The Contract Manager will accept only check or money order to the “COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY.” The Department of Public Works will hold a PreBid Meeting on August 2, 2016 at 1:00 P.M. in Room 505 County Office Building, Pgh. Pa. 15219.

Details of this project, Bidding Requirements and Contract Conditions are available on the Allegheny County internet website (www. alleghenycounty.us; click on “Departments,” click on “Public Works” then click on “Bids & Proposals).

Chelsa Wagner Controller County of Allegheny

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

Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 140 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/ Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations: Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication

Pick up your Courier at these locations WESTERN AREA: CRAFTON BEVERAGE CRAFTON/INGRAM SHOPPING CENTER GIANT EAGLE CRAFTON/INGRAM SHOPPING CENTER SHEETZ #353 5400 CAMPBELL’S RUN RD SHOP N’ SAVE #1686 2103 NOBLESTOWN RD SAFRANS SUPER MKT 429 WALNUT ST GIANT EAGLE #74 PARKWAY CENTER MALL SOUTHERN AREA: KEN’S 216 BELTZHOOVER AVE NELSON’S 92 SYLVANIA AVE GIANT EAGLE #61 2021 WHARTON AVE COGO’S 2400 EAST CARSON ST COGO’S 925 EAST CARSON ST DAILY MART 1125 ARLINGTON AVE SHOP N’ SAVE CARRICK SOUTH EASTERN AREA: SUPER STOP 403 KENMAWR AVE CARL’S CAFE 337 FIFTH AVE COMET NEWS 540 BRADDOCK AVE PUFFS DISCOUNT TOBACCO 1722 GREENSBUR AVE A-PLUS SUNOCO 7403 WASHINGTON ST COGO’S 1050 BRINTON RD COGO’S 2003 S BRADDOCK AVE EDGEWOOD EXPRESS 253 EDGEWOOD AVE BRAD EXPRESS 1101 S BRADDOCK AVE GIANT EAGLE #619 1705 S. BRADDOCK AVE CVS 7406 CHURCH ST HANINI MARKET 1105 SWISSVALE AVE DUKE’S SUNOCO 825 DUQUESNE BLVD 7-11 818 N. DUQUESNE BLVD GIANT EAGLE #6379 420 EAST WATERFRONT DR GIANT EAGLE—MCKEESPORT 3812 O’NEILL BLVD J & S FOOD MART 625 W GRANT AVE RITE AID PHARMACY 100 WILLIAM MARKS DR GIANT EAGLE 1356 HOFFMAN BLVD BP GAS STATION LYSLE & WALNUT DS FOODMART 929 UNION ST RITE AID PHARMACY 725 LYSLE BLVD CHARLIE’S CORNER STORE 500 LOCUST ST NEIGHBORHOOD DOLLAR 333 5TH AVE GIANT EAGLE #38 1901 MURRAY AVE JACK’S E 8TH AVE EASTERN AREA: WATERWORKS GIANT EAGLE #72 1005 FREEPORT RD— DIVINE HAIR STUDIO 10 DUFF RD GIANT EAGLE 9001 FRANKSTOWN RD GIANT EAGLE #78 230 RODI RD BP GAS STATION 11835 FRANKSTOWN RD THE SPOT 11675 FRANKSTOWN RD MASH MINI MART 4341 OLD WM. PENN HWY

GIANT EAGLE #60 4004 MONROEVILLE BLVD GIANT EAGLE #76 AMES PLAZA, ROUTE 22 GET IT QUICK 500 GARDEN CITY DESTINY’S HAIR SALON 408 RODI RD PUFF’S DISCOUNT TOBACCO 10991 FRANKSTOWN RD SHOP N SAVE 3335 WILLIAM PENN HWY SHEETZ 3457 WILLIAM PENN HWY GETGO 10525 FRANKSTOWN RD CVS PHARMACY 10600 FRANKSTOWN RD SHELL OIL 7619 BAUM BLVD KIWI SUNOCO FRANKSTOWN AVE WILLIAM PENN SMOKE SHOP II 132 NORTH HIGHLAND AVE MARATHON GAS 6680 FRANKSTOWN AVE PENN AIKEN DAIRY 5401 PENN AVE GIANT EAGLE #17 6320 SHAKESPEARE ST HOMEWOOD MARKET 7201 FRANKSTOWN AVE SALIK HARDWARE 607 NORTH HOMEWOOD AVE NEGLEY A PLUS 123 NORTH NEGLEY AVE BAKER’S 7203 HAMILTON & STERRETT AVES DORSEY’S RECORDS 7614 FRANKSTOWN AVE HOSPITAL CORNER 4201 PENN AVE PEOPLES GROCERY 5136 PENN AVE A&M MARKET 5224 PENN AVE A-PLUS MINI MART 7701 PENN AVE WOOD & PENN 902 WOOD ST AL’S FISH & CHICKEN 1000 PENN AVE SAVE A LOT 725 ROSS AVE CVS PHARMACY 520 PENN AVE GETGO 408 PENN AVE QUICK STOP LIBERTY 3349 LIBERTY AVE K-2 CONVENIENT STORE 4900 PENN AVE SHUR SAVE 4120 MAIN ST SHELL GAS 6701 FRANKSTOWN RD UNIMART 5724 ELLSWORTH AVE GIANT EAGLE #77 254 YOST BLVD PUFF’S DISCOUNT TOBACCO 234 YOST BLVD SPEEDY MART 2131 ARDMORE BLVD SQUIRREL HILL NEWS 5804 FORBES AVE MURRAY AVE. NEWS 2024 MURRAY AVE GIANT EAGLE MURRAY AVE & LORETTA ST DISCOUNT TOBACCO & NEWS 1929 MURRAY AVE UNIVERSITY OF PGH BOOKSTORE 4000 5TH AVE DANA’S BAKERY 720 N. HOMEWOOD AVE DA STORE 606 & 1/2 N. HOMEWOOD AVE BONUS TIRE SERVICE 4349 VERONA RD KANDY CAFE 4291 VERONA RD GIANT EAGLE SHADYSIDE 550 CENTRE AVE MARATHON GAS 4010 PENN AVE STANTON NEGLEY DRUG 804 N. NEGLEY AVE RON’S CORNER DRUG MT. CARMEL RD CENTRAL AREA:

GET GO #64 4924 BAUM BLVD SCHWARTZ MARKET 1901 5TH AVE SMOKER FRIENDLY 906 5TH AVE HILL DISTRICT: WONG’S MARKET 2170 CENTRE AVE ANN’S MARKET 2316 WEBSTER AVE A-PLUS MINI MART 2350 CENTRE AVE UJAMMA BOUTIQUE 1901 CENTRE AVE K LEROY IRVIS TOWERS 715 MERCER ST SHOP & SAVE SUPERMARKET 1850 CENTRE AVE ABE’S MARKET 1860 CENTRE AVE WYLIE TOBACCO 2152 WYLIE AVE DOWNTOWN: KWIK-E-MART 212-10TH ST 7-11 #167 643 LIBERTY AVE 7-11 #165 SIXTH & PENN AVE 7-11 #170 429 WOOD ST ESTER’S SNAX FEDERAL BUILDING, 2ND FL SMITHFIELD NEWS 115 SMITHFIELD ST FABER COE & GREGG 500 GRANT ST FABER COE & GREGG FIFTH AVE. PLACE FABER COE & GREGG 600 GRANT ST NIELSEN’S STORES #09 301 GRANT ST— ONE OXFORD CENTER NIELSEN’S STORES #13 437 SEVENTH AVE— KOPPERS BUILDING 9TH & PENN NEWS-NUMBERS 136 PENN AVE EXTRA EXTRA NEWS 413 SEVENTH AVE NEAL NEWS 400 CHERRY WAY CVS PHARMACY #4120 610-612 WOOD ST C&C NEWS 2 PPG PLACE NEWSTAND SIXTH & WOOD ONE STOP 300 SIXTH & WOOD EDDIE’S SNACKS 262 5TH AVE BIG DADDY 465 FORBES AVE 711 SMITHFIELD 420 SMITHFIELD ST NORTHERN AREA: W. N. GROCERY 1018 NORTH AVE. NORTH SIDE BEER & BEVERAGE 1304 FEDERAL ST ALLEGHENY GIFT SHOP— AGH HOSPITAL 320 EAST NORTH AVE GIANT EAGLE #652 318 CEDAR AVE 7-11 #158 1001 WESTERN AVE RICHEY’S BARBER SHOP 1207 N. FRANKLIN ST QUIK-IT 820 PENNSYLVANIA AVE RITE AID #3459 802 PENNSYLVANIA AVE MARSHALL SHELL 1500 SPRING GARDEN AVE SWINKO’S MARKET 2535 PERYSVILLE AVE MERCY STREET EXPRESS 6 MERCY ST HARV’S EXXON 2501 BRIGHTON RD QUICK SCHWARTZ 3235 BRIGHTON RD HANINI MARKET 3245 BRIGHTON RD

C6

HEALTH

AUGUST 10-16, 2016

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

As heart disease plagues Black community, access to medicines may be headed for crisis

by Rev. Derek McCoy For New Pittsburgh Courier

BIKERS RIDE—RiverRide100, an annual bike ride fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation, has been transformed from a small, local event into one that people all over the country can participate. By pledging to ride the mileage that fits their fitness level or personal goal, participants have the opportunity explore their surroundings by bike—which is a great low-impact activity for people with arthritis or joint pain—while also raising money for a great cause. The event is free for participants and will be held throughout the entire month of August. A group of the original event founders will also complete its annual 106-mile bike ride from Rockwood, Pa., to Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh on August 20. For more information or to donate, visit www.riverride100.com.

Heart disease is the longstanding No. 1 killer of Americans and the leading cause of death among Marylanders.

While this silent killer devastates populations of all racial and ethnic groups, African Americans are at the highest risk— deaths from heart disease among African Americans are 30 percent higher when compared to the White population.

Many African Americans are all too familiar with family members who have struggled with this disease and have witnessed firsthand the devastating effects from physical to psychological to financial.

With new breakthroughs in life-saving medicines, why

REV. DEREK McCOY

does this death toll remain so high? Access continues to be a defining problem for doctors and their patients.

Even as specialty drugs have become available to treat conditions like high cholesterol, insurance companies and others are working to keep their own costs down by limiting pawhich will manage your tients' coverage for them. body’s temperature. Or, enAn April story from the sure the pool water is warm Association Press tells the in temperature. When getstory of Christian Jacobs, ting out, wrap yourself in a a 24-year-old with a rare warm towel. form of inheritable high 4. When traveling by cholesterol. plane, the high altitude He takes eight medimay cause a crisis. Take cations, including blood your pain medication onthinners for seven stents board, walk the aisle and that keep his arteries do leg exercises (hourly) to open. When Jacobs found prevent leg blood clots. If out that UnitedHealth, needed, use a cane and ask his insurer, wouldn't covfor wheelchair assistance. er a breakthrough drug, If you have breathing probRepatha, which is designed lems, you may require a for patients like Jacobs, he portable oxygen machine. was shocked.

Also, plan some rest days “'I was floored,'” he said. after landing at your desti“'How in the world can we nation to just relax. be rejected for a medica5. While outdoor sports tion that I meet every sinTOSIN OLA (football, volleyball, soccer, gle standard for?'” Instead, etc.) are loads of fun, these his insurer said he should ly cold air conditioning) and can lead to loads of trouble maintain his current drug heat (extremely hot weath- and a painful crisis if you regimen. er outside). Avoid becoming don’t take precaution. Take Jacobs’ condition may be over-heated in the sun by frequent breaks, relax, rest unique, but his story is not. resting in the shade (under and stay hydrated.

Aggressive anti-patient maan umbrella or tree) and It’s important that you neuvers have become allstaying hydrated. Don’t talk to your doctor, openly too-common in the health forget to wear a hat. Keep and regularly, about sickle care industry in America tolight clothing layers readily cell disease, and learn how day. Even as uninsured rates available for any changes to best manage your condiplummet, especially among in temperature—such as tion and reduce the compliminority populations, out-ofa cool, unexpected breeze cations. pocket costs are growing at when the sun sets. Before To connect with more than rapid rates. walking into an air-condi- 18,000 people affected by According to the Kaiser tioned home, make sure to sickle cell disease across Family Foundation, the put on a sweater to allow the globe, and share your your body to adjust to the voice, please join the largest temperature change. online, non-profit commu3. Swimming is a quint- nity support group “Sickle essential part of summer. Cell Warriors” at https:// But, it’s best to avoid cold www.facebook.com/Sicklepool water. Wear a wetsuit, CellWarriors

Learn how to prevent painful sickle cell crisis by, Tosin Ola, BSN, RN For New Pittsburgh Courier

For most of us, the summer represents fun: playing outdoors, cooling off in a pool and enjoying a family vacation.

But for the many children, teens and adults living with sickle cell disease, these activities can trigger an extremely painful “crisis” episode–the most common manifestation of this genetic, chronic, and deadly disease.

Crisis has been described as a severely debilitating pain: sharp, intense, stabbing, throbbing, and more uncomfortable than post-surgical pain or even childbirth. Worse, crisis can occur at any moment without warning.

Enjoying a summer day at the pool can end up in the hospital if you’re not aware of the crisis triggers. Crisis is the leading cause of hospital admissions among people with sickle cell disease. And, this recurring condition hospitalizes sufferers for 4-5 days on average, but may last a week or longer. Each year, there are about 100,000 crisis hospitalizations.

Crisis occurs when the level of “sickled” blood cells rises, blocks the small blood vessels, and reduces oxygen delivery and blood flow to vital organs and bone mar-

row.

Over time, this can cause organ failure and early death. In fact, the typical life expectancy for people living with sickle cell disease is only 45 years.

On behalf of Mast Therapeutics, and as a practicing registered nurse, patient advocate and person living with sickle cell disease, I’d like to share important tips to prevent a summertime crisis so that patients, their parents and caregivers may be aware.

Top five summertime crisis triggers, and helpful tips, include: 1. People with sickle cell disease are at high risk for dehydration since they require an increased amount of liquids. Drink lots of room temperature water, and carry a bottle of water with you.

2. Changes in temperature can lead to crisis since people living with sickle cell disease have an increased sensitivity to cold (extreme-

Churches, PHEN kick off successful national prostate event

WORKING TOGETHER—From left: Pastor William Dickerson, Greater Love Tabernacle, Boston, Mass.; Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley; Thomas A.Farrington, president, PHEN; Dr. Ravi Kacker, Men 019s Health Boston; Dr. Jacques Carter, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Dr. Chiledum Ahaghotu, Carney Hospital; and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. (Photo courtesy of BlackNews.com) QUINCY, Mass. (BlackNews.com)—The Prostate Health Education Network has successfully kicked off the first in a nationwide series of 18 prostate health symposiums, as part of its “4th Annual Prostate Health Symposium” series, at Ben Hill United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Ga; Greater Love Tabernacle Church, in Boston, Mass.; St. Matthew’s Baptist Church, in Raleigh, N.C.; and First African Baptist Church, in Goldsboro, N.C. These events bring prostate cancer education and awareness to churches within the Black community, Black men are at the highest risk for prostate cancer—one in five Black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime and this group is

more than twice as likely to die from the disease than Caucasian men.

“We could not be more proud of our church partners congregations and how they have stepped up to educate their congregations and communities about prostate cancer,” said Thomas A. Farrington, president and founder, the Prostate Health Education Network. “We have seen the churches come together in remarkable ways that includes panels of caregivers and prostate cancer survivors sharing their personal stories, political officials pledging their support, moving musical performances, prayers and tributes to prostate cancer survivors and loved ones, as well as men lining up to get

tested and learn their prostate cancer risk.”

These kickoff events are part of a nationwide series of 18 PHEN prostate health symposiums taking place in cities including: Birmingham, Ala.; Brooklyn, NY; Boston, Mass.; Charlotte, NC; Dallas, Texas; Jacksonville, Fla.; Oakland, Calif.; Los Angeles, Calif.; and Richmond, Va. They are open for men and women, and structured for healthy men at high risk for prostate cancer, prostate cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. Each symposium is FREE and open to the public, includes breakfast or lunch, and some provide free prostate cancer screening.

“Ben Hill UMC is honored to have participated in the Prostate Health

Educational Symposium again this year,” said Rev. Dr. Byron E. Thomas, senior pastor, Ben Hill United Methodist Church. “It is so important for us as a congregation to get involved and raise awareness within our church and community about prostate cancer, and to show the connection between faith and healing for this disease.”

The symposium focuses on specific prostate health topics including: screening and early detection; treatment options; diet and nutrition; managing treatment side effects, including sexual health, advanced prostate cancer; the importance of faith when facing cancer; and also features survivors and their wives speaking out about their experiences.

average deductible for people with employer-provided health coverage rose from $303 to $1,077 between 2006 and 2015.

That's a staggering 255 percent increase. Insurance companies and pharmacy benefits managers are some of the most vocal opponents of high prescription drug prices, but patients are the ones really footing the bills.

People from lower income communities, as well as retirees, are especially susceptible and are being hit hard with increased cost for quality care and drugs.

The entry of “independent” non-profits into the national debate over health care costs should be of concern to patient advocates as well.

The Boston-based Institute for Clinical and Economic Review has been called the “de facto arbiter for the nation’s medicine chest.”

ICER evaluates prescription drugs that have been recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration and makes a determination if they’re too expensive. As part of these drug reviews, it has called for discounts up to 94 percent of the list price of the drug. Insurers and PBMs, in turn, cite ICER reports while pushing for lower prices from pharmaceutical companies, or to justify extensive bureaucratic requirements like prior-authorizations that effectively restrict patients’ access to medications.

ICER’s heavy dependence on the insurance and PBM industry for financial support calls its independence into question, and should give pause to those in the health care industry who’re looking for expert opinions.

With the rise in anti-patient policies already underway, the payers don’t need further justification to put the squeeze on patients from media stories that don't reveal ICER’s bias for the payers’ bottom line.

(Reverend Derek McCoy is the national director for the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and an associate pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md.)

Foods to reverse brain damage

Attempting challenging puzzles and reading up on the theory of relativity aren’t the only ways to keep your brain at its finest.

The right diet also can do wonders, improving the brain’s function and even helping to reverse brain damage. Meanwhile, the opposite also is true. Poor diet choices not only hurt the waistline, but have a negative effect on the brain.

“When it comes to the brain, sugar is public enemy No. 1,” says Daniel Amen, MD, a clinical neuroscientist and brain imaging expert who also is the Founder of Amen Clinics (www. amenclinics.com), which treat patients at six locations around the country.

Sugar is pro-inflammatory, increases erratic braincell firings and is addictive, says Amen, author of the New York Times bestseller “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.” He doesn’t hold back his disdain.

“Sugar is insidious, sort of like heroin,” he says. “It will make you want it over and over again. It’s like dating the bad boys. You fall in love with something that beats you up.”

Sugar has company on Amen’s list of unfriendly brain foods, including a few surprises, such as corn, which has one of the worst fatty-acid profiles of any vegetable. Others on the avoidat-all-costs list include artificial dyes, especially red dye; foods with trans fats, such as cookies, cakes and pie crusts; and low-fiber foods, which include many fast-food choices.

Fortunately, there are also great food options that can heal the brain and even

help reverse brain damage, Amen says. Those include: •Healthy fats. Surprisingly, fat is not the enemy.

That’s because there are “good fats” and “bad fats.”

Some examples of good fats are olives, sunflower seeds and flaxseed. Amen also points out that 60 percent of the solid weight of the brain is fat. “So if someone calls you a fathead, you should thank them,” he says.

•Fish. Salmon, halibut, sardines, mackerel and other fish are loaded with healthy oils and healthy fat. “People who eat grilled or baked fish once a week have more grey matter in their brain,” Amen says.

“You may not want grey in your hair, but grey in your brain is awesome.”

•Avocados. This nutrient-dense fruit is loaded with healthy Omega 3 fatty acids, which build brain-cell membranes, reduce brain inflammation and promote new brain-cell formation.

•Raw nuts. Go easy on the amount because they pack a lot of calories, but raw nuts are very healthy for the brain.

•Chocolate. Here’s another surprise. Chocolate also has been shown to decrease cravings and increase blood flow to the brain. It’s what usually is added to chocolate—sugar and dairy products—that makes it bad.

•Colorful vegetables.

Green is great, but with vegetables you can branch out into such choices as yellow squash, purple carrots and orange bell peppers.

“You want things that are high in fiber, that are colorful, that are really medicine for your brain,” Amen says.