February 3, 2021 - Pittsburgh City Paper

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FEB. 3-10, 2021

Remembering Black Horizons, Pittsburgh’s long-running Black public affairs show, and its continued legacy

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FEB. 3-10, 2021 VOLUME 30 + ISSUE 5 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Director of Advertising JASMINE HUGHES Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD News Editor RYAN DETO Senior Writer AMANDA WALTZ Staff Writer HANNAH LYNN Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Art Director ABBIE ADAMS Graphic Designers JOSIE NORTON, JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Sales Representatives ZACK DURKIN, OWEN GABBEY, NICKI MULVIHILL Operations Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, MIKE CANTON, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM Interns COLLEEN HAMMOND, KAYCEE ORWIG National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

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FIRSTSHOT

BY JARED WICKERHAM

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COVER PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM SEE THE STORY ON PAGE 4

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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEBRUARY 3-10, 2021

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THE BIG STORY

REDISCOVERING HISTORY

Remembering Black Horizons, Pittsburgh’s long-running Black public affairs show, and its continued legacy

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

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N 1986, LEGENDARY PITTSBURGH COURIER photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris was swindled out of his life’s work by a street vendor, who convinced Harris to sell his 100,000 photos and negatives for only $3,000. At the time, Harris was nearly 80 years old and didn’t have a lot of money. Even though Harris’ work is legendary now, in Pittsburgh circles and beyond, it didn’t really start to receive widespread recognition — especially outside of Black media — until very late in Harris’ life.

Several years later, Harris and his family sued the street vendor and claimed the Harris estate was entitled to one-third of all profits from sales and exhibition of his work. In 2001, a few years after Harris passed away in 1998, the estate won that suit, and the collection was back in control of the Harris family.

Part of the success of that lawsuit was Harris’ 1997 appearance on the long-running WQED public affairs show Black Horizons. Chris Moore, who hosted Black Horizons for more than three decades, says that he was told by sources close to Harris that the Black Horizons episode was used as evidence and played a part in winning the lawsuit.

This is just one example of the impact Black Horizons had on Pittsburgh and beyond. The public affairs show ran for more than four decades, leaving the air in the early 2010s, and was the longest running Black public affairs show in America.

CONTINUES ON PG. 6

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

WQED Digital Producer Willy James, former Black Horizons host Chris Moore, and WQED Senior Producer Minette Seate in the WQED Studios

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEBRUARY 3-10, 2021

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REDISCOVERING HISTORY, CONTINUED FROM PG. 5

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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Minette Seate and Chris Moore look at archived tapes inside the WQED tape vault room.

As Black History Month kicks off, Pittsburgh City Paper believes there’s never been a better time for Pittsburghers to rediscover Black Horizons. The show’s importance to the city is likely not fully explored, much like many aspects of Pittsburgh’s Black history. The region has often failed to archive official documents, and some local media companies have been reluctant to dive deep into the Black Pittsburgh experience.

From interviews with the man who was supposed to become the world’s first Black astronaut, to documentaries confronting racism throughout Pennsylvania, to highlighting local dance troupes and music groups, Black Horizons’ hundreds of episodes can help Pittsburgh discover aspects of its history that is likely unknown to many.

Most of the analogue archives of the show are still available and stored at WQED. Moore believes the archives

have historic value, and there is a demand in the community to allow for easier access to them, perhaps even converting many of them to digital.

Moore says he often has people contacting him, curious about appearances their family members had on the show.

“Some people just throw it in the dustbin of history, but my mentors taught me that some things have historical value beyond what we can immediately recognize,” says Moore.

Black Horizons started in 1968, shortly after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Protests and riots filled cities throughout the nation, including Pittsburgh, and many television stations knew they had to respond. Thus began a slew of public affairs and news shows dedicated to the Black experience in the U.S., and Black Horizons was the country’s first.

Moore says that beginning shaped

Black Horizons, with advocates speaking truth to power, and artistic acts that strongly represented Black culture.

“The program was really militant in its early days,” says Moore. “And they had a real artistic bent too, from quilting to jazz music and other things. … I think that it was always a force in the community. That’s probably why it was so militant because no one had had their voices heard.”

Moore took over as host and producer in 1980. He says the show started to expand to cover things directly happening in the Black community.

That meant taking heavy cameras to neighborhoods like Homewood that usually didn’t get a ton of coverage, speaking to imans at mosques, or to Black state representatives.

It went beyond Pittsburgh, too.

Black Horizons interviewed Ed Dwight, an air force pilot who was set to become CONTINUES ON PG. 8

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REDISCOVERING HISTORY, CONTINUED FROM PG. 6

CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

Chris Moore looks at an archive tape of Black Horizons.

the nation’s first Black astronaut, only to be controversially denied years later.

Moore also interviewed Calypso legend, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte.

Moore says Black Horizons provided documentation of important events not covered by traditional media at the time, including labor movements of Black service and construction workers that were ongoing in the late 1960s and 1970s.

He adds that getting the show to air wasn’t always easy. Stories about the Black experience in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania, especially when Black Horizons sought to make documentaries, didn’t always get support from higher ups.

Moore says this is all the more reason for people to rediscover and appreciate the work of Black Horizons.

Eventually, the show became a place where many Black people could get cov-

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erage, and where people could see Black Pittsburghers adequately represented.

But even that hyper-local focus included some likely historical footage.

Moore says one Black Horizons appearance apparently waiting to be uncovered is of a young Billy Porter performing on the show when he was a student at Pittsburgh CAPA. Porter is now a Broadway star, TV actor, and is quickly becoming a fashion icon for his standout appearances on the red carpet.

Moore, who now hosts a radio show on KDKA Radio, says this is likely one of many potential hidden treasures of the Black Horizons archives.

Moore says digitizing the archives could even provide a revenue-generating opportunity for WQED, which he would welcome since Black Horizons ran for years without generating revenue and

stayed around thanks to underwriters.

“I still get calls from a younger generation, they learn about it when WQED reruns the programs,” says Moore, noting that documentaries Black Horizons produced like Wylie Avenue Days and Jim Crow Pennsylvania are still shown on WQED from time to time. “I guess the episodes do have historical value.

If they were able to catalogue it, and people who were on it, they would rush to buy that video.”

WQED senior producer Minette Seate started on Black Horizons in 1990, initially doing movie reviews. She eventually became a series producer. Seate says shows like Black Horizons were often the only way that coverage of the Black community made it into local media.

“I think that Pittsburgh should remember Black Horizons because it

was special,” says Seate. “There were a lot of things going on that wouldn’t make it into the Pittsburgh press.”

Although Black Horizons went off the air in 2010, and Pittsburgh is down to just one Black-focused public affairs television show (the Lynne Hayes-Freeland show on KDKATV), Seate says the atmosphere for public affairs shows focusing on representing people of color is different today than it was when Black Horizons was on. Seate says that large, even national news programs are more willing today to interview leaders in the Black community, and that even commercials and advertisements are doing a much better job at including people of color.

She says the representation has become more prominent since the Black Lives Matter demonstrations of

Archived episodes of Black Horizons in WQED’s tape vault room

“NO MATTER HOW SMALL OR BIG, THERE WAS ALWAYS A SPACE FOR YOU ON BLACK HORIZONS.” last summer. Locally, she points to the rise of 1Hood Media as an organization that is blazing a path similar to what Black Horizons did, but in a digital format.

“1Hood Media has done an amazing job at responding to the Black Lives Matter movement,” says Seate. “And they have also taken a huge step in addressing COVID for the Black community.”

In its day, Black Horizons showcased a similar spirit. It was a show for the community and, largely, by the community. “No matter how small or big, there was always a space for you on Black Horizons,” says Seate.

This is what has WQED digital producer Willy James — who has worked at the TV station since September — excited about combing through the Black Horizons archives. He says the show deserves more recognition.

“It really is a cultural treasure for Pittsburgh,” says James. “I think we should celebrate all history and the

things that are underspoken. Black Horizons is one of those things that Pittsburgh is not really discussing, and I would be super interested in seeing it explored more.”

James, a Pittsburgh native, admits that not every minute of the show’s archives is groundbreaking television. But he says the show can provide a boost of nostalgia for many, and his time watching some of the Black Horizons archives has shown him how Black Pittsburgh is still confronting the same problems.

“The most interesting things to me — beyond it highlighting important cultural spots, or different businesses — is how Black Horizons shows the problems of back then are the same dialogue as now,” says James. “Back then, they were talking about Black women not getting proper health care, and gun violence, and how we need more Black entrepreneurs. We are still talking about those issues.”

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Follow news editor Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEBRUARY 3-10, 2021

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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Black Lives Matter protesters in East Liberty on June 1, 2020

.NEWS.

POLITICAL FOOTBALL Black Lives Matter protester claims they’re being unfairly targeted for refiled charges

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

J

AY YODER, A RESIDENT of Pittsburgh’s Morningside neighborhood, was asked by protesters to be a medic for a Black Lives Matter demonstration that took place in East Liberty on June 1, 2020. They have experience as an international human rights observer, documenting conflicts in Columbia and the Middle East. Yoder documented and filmed the melee that occurred on June 1, when Pittsburgh Police fired tear gas, sponge rounds, and pepper spray at a group of about 100 marchers on Centre Avenue. Some were injured by the police projectiles, and several people, including Yoder, filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Pittsburgh and the police as a result.

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Now, they tell Pittsburgh City Paper they are having to relive those memories and rehash the associated trauma due to the decisions of Allegheny County prosecutors and Pittsburgh Police officers.

Yoder was part of 22 people initially charged by police on June 1, but then later had all charges dropped by Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala. Yoder has now had their charges refiled by police, and they are wondering why.

The refiled charges are apparently part of an effort announced by Zappala on Jan. 8, when the District Attorney said the initial charges set last summer against protesters were “badly lacking evidentiary sufficiency,” but after

Pittsburgh Police presented his office with new evidence, Zappala said he approved the refiling of 24 of the charges as summons, which he describes as “equivalent to a parking ticket.”

In addition to the 22 initially-dropped charges in connection to protests in East Liberty, 39 out of 45 adult protesters had their charges dropped in connection to a protest in Downtown Pittsburgh on May 30. That day, the first protest in Pittsburgh in honor of George Floyd, thousands of people marched Downtown peacefully for hours, and then a group of protesters damaged two empty police vehicles and shattered some Downtown windows.

Police eventually fired less-lethal weapons at Downtown protesters. All told, more

than 90% of protesters had their charges dropped for actions on those two days of Black Lives Matter protests.

But as of Jan. 28, only five charges have been refiled against people who participated in Black Lives Matter protests on May 30 and June 1. And all of those refiled charges are for misdemeanors, not summary offenses.

On top of that, Yoder is questioning why they are being recharged at all, saying they have video evidence of themself complying with officer’s orders shortly after police cleared the street on June 1. Yoder’s lawyer is also suspicious of the selective nature of the refiled charges so far, as Yoder is named in the class action lawsuit filed against

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SCREENCAP FROM VIDEO POSTED BY JAY YODER

Morningside resident Jay Yoder after Pittsburgh Police demanded they drop to the ground on June 1, 2020.

“I FEEL LIKE A POLITICAL FOOTBALL, BUT I DON’T KNOW WHO IS KICKING ME.” Pittsburgh and its police force for their aggressive actions on June 1.

The DA’s office told Pittsburgh City Paper that questions about the charges should be directed to the Pittsburgh Police. The police said questions should be directed to the DA or the mayor’s office. The mayor’s office said it couldn’t comment, due to ongoing investigations.

“I feel like a political football, but I don’t know who is kicking me,” says Yoder.

Yoder posted video of their June 1 encounter with police on Facebook on June 2, the day after they were arrested and spent time in the Allegheny County Jail for charges that were later dropped, but have now been refiled.

Videos show Yoder on Centre Avenue in the thick of the confrontation between police and a group of protesters. In the first video, police can be heard issuing their unlawful assembly dispersal order; however, no one in the crowd, including Yoder, appears to be starting to disperse.

This police order was given before the issued curfew for that evening. Most of the crowd is standing still, with their fists raised in the air.

Pittsburgh City Paper witnessed the events on June 1, and there was no violence or property damage carried out by Black Lives Matter protesters. (A window

was smashed in the East Liberty business district, but the perpetrator was not part of the marchers and was actually told by the marchers to stop.) Videos and first-hand accounts show that police in helmets, armor, and full riot gear formed a line near the corner of Centre and Negley avenues, and then fired sponge rounds and tear gas at protesters. Immediately after that, some protesters threw what appeared to be water bottles and possibly other projectiles at the police, while many other protesters ran away.

As the police cleared the streets, they used pepper spray on some kneeling protesters, who were apparently asking for medical assistance for another protester. On Jan. 25, another lawsuit was filed against the Pittsburgh Police and city of Pittsburgh by a man who was injured during the incident.

“I never felt as afraid as I was in Pittsburgh that day, not even during my time in Iraq and Columbia,” says Yoder, who says they observed negotiations and talks between paramilitary forces and local groups while overseas. Yoder says they were especially afraid for the Black protesters in the crowd and says, as a white person, they feel privileged enough to get through the charges, while still acknowledging the trauma CONTINUES ON PG. 12

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CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

SWAT officers in East Liberty on June 1, 2020

from the day. “It took a lot for me to use that footage and go through it again. I was worried people were going to die in front of me.”

Yoder points out the contrast with another recent violent incident: this January’s Capitol insurrection where former President Donald Trump supporters smashed windows, stole furniture, and beat police officers. While the insurrection created national headlines and led to Trump getting impeached for a historic second time, Yoder couldn’t help but compare how the Capitol police treated some Trump supporters to how Pittsburgh Police treated Black Lives Matter protesters.

“What has been striking over the last few days is that this summer, I was watching people kneeling or not moving because there was an advance on them by the police, and then police spraying and shooting them anyway,” says Yoder of the June 1 events in East Liberty. “In the Capitol, I saw the opposite. I saw the police opening doors for them.”

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In another video taken by Yoder later on June 1, 2020 — after the police had fired less-lethal weapons at protesters — police can be seen clearing the street.

The video shows Yoder walking towards Whole Foods and attempting to leave the scene and telling police they are trying to return to their car. (Police had blocked off the other side of Centre Avenue at Negley Avenue.)

“My car is this way,” Yoder can be heard saying in the video when officers see them walking. “Just trying to get to my car.”

Seconds later, police yell at Yoder to get on the ground, and Yoder immediately complies. The video cuts off, but Yoder says they were arrested shortly after. “They had just performed the maneuver to let [an armored SWAT vehicle] thorough, and they formed a line on the other side of us,” says Yoder.

“And there was nowhere to go.”

It’s unclear what actions Yoder is being charged with, or when they occurred. In a reply to questions about

Yoder’s charges, among others, Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety spokesperson Chris Togneri wrote in an email that CP’s question “appears to be for the DA and Mayor’s Office” and that the police department does “not speak for them.”

“As for Public Safety, there are ongoing investigations into this incident, and we cannot comment on ongoing investigations or legal matters,” wrote Togneri.

When directing questions to the office of Allegheny County DA Stephen Zappala about the refiled charges and why they were filed as misdemeanors and not summary offenses, Zappala’s spokesperson Mike Manko replied that CP’s requests “refer to charges that were filed by the Pittsburgh Police Department” and “Therefore, any questions concerning the validity or merit of those charges should be directed to them.”

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s spokesperson Tim McNulty said the city can’t comment on the charges because of pending litigation and the two independent investigations that are ongoing.

In his Jan. 8 statement, Zappala said he would be refiling 24 charges because Pittsburgh Police provided him more evidence of the event. Zappala said this was at the direction of Peduto, which Peduto vehemently denied and said Zappala was spreading misinformation. Peduto is up for re-election this year, and he kicked off his campaign on Jan. 14. Zappala and Peduto have a well-documented history of disagreements.

But now, Zappala is denying participation in the refiling of the five charges against protesters, which are also more serious than the summary offenses Zappala said would be coming.

Yoder’s lawyer Christine Elzer doesn’t buy it, and says the District Attorney would be involved in recharging people, and that Zappala basically said as much on Jan. 8. She believes Peduto has some level of responsibility too, and says he could issue a statement against the refiles if he wanted.

“It’s passing the buck, it doesn’t surprise me,” says Elzer. “It’s failing to

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

Pittsburgh Police clash with Black Lives Matter protesters in East Liberty on June 1, 2020.

claim responsibility when I believe all three of them have some responsibility.”

In addition to a misdemeanor failure to disperse charge, Yoder is also being charged with a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge under the statute that they were causing public inconvenience and making unreasonable noise.

Yoder says they are confused because when they were first arrested, they complied with officers immediately upon command.

“It truly feels like they are competing statements. They are talking about real human beings in the middle. It is making me wonder if it is related to the civil rights lawsuit,” says Yoder, who is a named plaintiff in a class-action suit against the city. “Here they come back at me eight months later, and I don’t know what is going to happen. It’s honestly really overwhelming.”

Elzer says the level at which Yoder is being charged is “outrageous.”

“Jay is not being charged with any property damage, nor did they commit any,” says Elzer.

She also finds it suspicious that Yoder has been recharged, and that so

few others are also facing renewed charges in relation to the protests.

Three, possibly four, people have faced refiled charges in connection to the May 30 protests. Only two people have seen refiled charges so far in relation to June 1, and Yoder is the only person who is a named plaintiff in the class-action suit.

Elzer says that part of the classaction lawsuit against the city is that Yoder was wrongfully arrested on June 1. And she says that now that Yoder has those charges refiled, the city, the police, and Peduto benefit in their defense against the class action lawsuit, even if Peduto isn’t directly responsible for the charges. Elzer says that Peduto could come out and disavow the refiled charges if he really believes they are wrong.

“Now they are seeming to rewrite history to justify the fact that they didn’t have probable cause eight months after the fact,” says Elzer. “Peduto certainly benefits from this arrest, as do all city officers. Whether he had anything to do with them is up for debate, but he certainly hasn’t condemned the charges. Time wise, it is certainly very suspicious.”

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CP PHOTO: MAGGIE WEAVER

The Bistro Burger

.RESTAURANT REVIEW.

TAKEOUT REVIEW: BISTRO BURGER AT POULET BLEU

BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

P

OULET BLEU WAS ONE of the city’s biggest restaurant openings of 2018. It marked the first restaurant the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group opened outside of Downtown, turning a small building in Lawrenceville into a bright, intimate, French bistro.

Many in the city practically vibrated with excitement about the new eatery — more specifically, the discovery of Poulet Bleu’s bistro burger. It was all I saw across social media, the dish plastered on the Instagram pages of food bloggers, repeatedly named everyone’s “new favorite burger.”

I decided it was time to see what this bistro burger was all about.

In normal times, the dining room at Poulet Bleu is the perfect spot in which to cozy up, taking refuge in one of the cush corner booths, or sitting a bar’s width away from the chefs cooking in an open-concept kitchen. But this kind of intimacy is not what I’m looking for in the middle of a pandemic, so I opted

for burger takeout.

(It felt a little wrong to order just the bistro burger from the list of otherwiseelegant dishes. I couldn’t get the scene from Passport to Paris, the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie I watched on repeat as a kid, out of my head: the twins horrify their Parisian chef by sneaking fast food burgers and fries into his kitchen, after being equally-horrified by the chef’s escargot. Cue the chef’s line, “Le McDonald’s? In my kitchen? I think I might faint.”)

There were a few things that I found immediately notable when I opened my cardboard takeout container. First, the sandwich was small compared to those that you can get from burger-only restaurants. No stack of bacon or onion rings making the handheld impossible to eat; it was just the right height for a big bite.

Second was the “American” cheese; the yellow, processed, cheesy goodness oozing out of the bun in waterfall

fashion. I love that Poulet Bleu decided to go with what many consider to be the lowest-of-the-low cheese offerings. It was rich, savory, and unassuming, taking the burger out of the “too fancy” category that the rest of the restaurant often falls into.

POULET BLEU 3517 Butler St., Lawrenceville. pouletbleupgh.com

The burger lived up to its hype and then some. The patty, which I ordered medium rare, was salted just under the point of being too much; the flavor lingering on my tongue with a tangy, savory taste. Stringy onions added an acidic cut to the almost overwhelmingly rich meat, which further mellowed out with the still-crispy lettuce and bite of bread and butter pickles. A surprising, heavily umami aioli, not listed on the

Follow staff writer Maggie Weaver on Twitter @magweav

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menu, gave me the same savor of a mushroom. The burger, finished with an everything seasoning on the top of the fluffy brioche bun, came together seamlessly.

It was paired with shoestring-style fries, the type you want to eat in handfuls. They were as thin as the name implies, which I’d typically trade for a thick, British-style fry. But these were crisped superbly not too crunchy or burnt on the edges, perfect with a quick dip in ketchup.

Poulet Bleu’s bistro burger makes the restaurant feel more approachable. I’ve dined inside, pre-pandemic, absorbing the trimmings: slow, methodical service, overpriced entrees that taste better because of the experience, water and wine glasses that never go empty.

The bistro burger takes these charming, yet sometimes overdone, touches down a notch, making me feel like I could spend an evening alone at Poulet Bleu with a burger and a glass of wine, feeling perfectly in-place.

•

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WHY SO MUCH EXCITEMENT? Despite the billions men spend annually on older nitric oxide therapies, there’s one well-known problem with them.

They don’t always work.

A very distinguished and awarded doctor practicing at a prestigious Massachusetts hospital who has studied Nitric Oxide for over 43 years states a “demciency of bioactive nitric oxide… leads to impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation.”

In plain English, these older products may increase levels of nitric oxide. But that’s only half the battle. If it’s not bioactively available then your body can’t absorb it to produce an erection.

Experts simply call it the nitric oxide “glitch.” And until now, there’s never been a solution.

NEXT GENERATION NITRIC OXIDE FORMULA FLYING OFF SHELVES Upon further research, America’s No. 1 men’s health expert Dr. Al Sears discovered certain nutrients mx this “glitch” resulting in 275% better blood now.

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boosters in a new formula called Primal Max Red. In clinical trials, 5,000 mg is required for satisfying sexual performance.

Primal Max Red contains a bigger, 9,000 mg per serving dose. It’s become so popular, he’s having trouble keeping it in stock.

Dr. Sears is the author of more than 500 scientimc papers.

Thousands of people listened to him speak at the recent Palm Beach Health & Wellness Festival featuring Dr. Oz. NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath recently visited his clinic, the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine.

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A new discovery that increases nitric oxide availability was recently proven in a clinical trial to boost blood flow 275% showed depleted.”

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The Hotline will be open for the next 48 hours. After that, the phone number will be shut down to allow them to restock. Call 1-800-586-8519 to secure your limited supply of Primal Max Red and free bottles of Primal Max Black. You don’t need a prescription, and those who call in the mrst 24 hours qualify for a signimcant discount. Use Promo Code NP0121PMAX567 when you call in. Lines are frequently busy, but all calls will be answered.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY 327892_10_x_10.25.indd 1

1/26/21 5:17 PM

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEBRUARY 3-10, 2021

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PHOTO: ALISHA B. WORMSLEY

Alisha B. Wormsley, The People Are The Light: White Sheets

.ART.

THE ART OF MOTHERHOOD

BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

B

EING AN ARTIST presents enough difficulties without the added challenge of parenting, especially for mothers, who often bear the brunt of child-rearing. In response to this, local artist and activist Alisha B. Wormsley created Sibyls Shrine, an artist residency program. Launched in 2019, the program centers on “Black women, womxn, trans women, and femmes who are mothers and identify as artists, creatives, and/ or activists in Pittsburgh” according to Wormsley’s website.

This week, the program will present Sibyls Shrine: Taking Care, a group photography exhibition opening on Tue., Feb. 9 at the Silver Eye Center for Photography. Curated by Sibyls Shrine’s administrative director Jessica Gaynelle

Moss, the show depicts how Black mothers find ways to care for themselves, especially in a city that cares so little for them.

“Black women are not valued in Pittsburgh,” says Moss, a Pittsburgh native.

She references a now well-known 2019 study from Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission confirming what many already knew — that Pittsburgh is “arguably the most unlivable for Black women” in the country. The data presented stood in stark contrast to the “Most Livable City” label Pittsburgh had been touting for years.

In terms of overall quality of life, the study found that Black women and girls in Pittsburgh suffer from higher rates of poverty, unemployment, and

SIBYLS SHRINE: TAKING CARE On view Tue., Feb. 9-Sat., April 24. Silver Eye Center for Photography.

4808 Penn Ave. Bloomfield. silvereye.org

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death compared to demographically similar cities, including Baltimore, Buffalo, and Philadelphia. The study found that Black mothers in Pittsburgh also face higher rates of fetal death and maternal mortality.

Moss says that while she understands that people may want to retreat from Pittsburgh based on this research, she and others choose to stay.

“I’m invested in this place,” says Moss, who attended Carnegie Mellon University.

She then earned a master’s degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before returning to pursue a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. She also created and runs The Roll Up CLT, a residency and redevelopment project in Charlotte, N.C. that provides free housing, transportation, and other valuable resources to Black artists. “What can I do to make this better for me and future generations?”

One way is to elevate their voices and experiences, something Moss, Wormsley,

and Sibyls Shrine community artist liaison Naomi Chambers all set out to do with the help of the city’s Office of Public Art, which provides additional support as the collaborating organization for the program.

Moss believes Sibyls Shrine — named for Mami Wata, the priestesses of Black African deity — had been brewing in Wormsley’s mind for years “because of her experiences that she’s had as a mom and being turned away from residency programs.”

Coincidentally, Moss says she was pregnant during the program’s early development.

“I was really excited for [Moss] to put the show together,” says Wormsley, who also serves as creative director for Sibyls Shrine. “Lifting the work of Black mothers who are artists with an organization that I love.”

Taking Care features work from several local mothers, including Wormsley, Kahmeela Adams, Nakeya Brown, Tara

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“I tried to pull in as many moms who have a photographic practice and whose work could really speak to the concept of care, for yourself and your community,” says Moss.

The Silver Eye website says Taking Care “presents a diverse collection of Black women demonstrating care for themselves in a multitude of ways — in their own personal spaces, their homes, beauty salons, nail salons, and even at the laundromat.” The show presents different ideas of self-care, from getting a mani-pedi to doing yoga.

In order for the show to reach as many eyes as possible during the pandemic, Silver Eye will display the photographs in its storefront windows so that they can be viewed from the street.

“It’s a weird time to be exhibiting visual art in spaces that are closed to the public,” says Moss. “This is a space that is addressing that in a way that makes the work still accessible. ... I really hope that people see this work and see these artists and continue to engage with them.”

The show is just one part of Sibyls Shrine’s goal of helping Black mothers “further develop their craft and create a sustainable arts practice.” Moss says they also organize a Home Residency, which provides stipends and childcare

PYRAMIDTATTOO.COM

to chosen artists so they can work from home. In December 2020, Sibyls Shrine announced that Jamaican-American photographer and mixed-media artist Renee Cox would become their first Visiting Artist-In-Residence.

Moss says they also wanted Sibyls Shrine to have a more vast definition of what it means to be “creative.”

“It encompasses many things,” says Moss, pointing out that Taking Care includes women who, in addition to being photographers, are painters, podcast producers, musicians, DJs, and more.

“So often we don’t realize that we have creativity, or that we have a practice, or that we are makers … I think one of the brilliant things that Alisha has made an effort to do and really focus on with this residency is broadening our own definitions of who is an artist.”

She adds that Sibyls Shrine has another exhibition planned for this year and has been trying to support other women behind the scenes.

Moss says she wants Sibyls Shrine to continue expanding its network and create an ecosystem of creative Black mothers in Pittsburgh.

“I really value the community we’ve made over the past year,” says Moss.

“These are women who, I not only look up to their mothering, but I also look up to their artistry.”

BRIDGEVILLE, PA

•

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEBRUARY 3-10, 2021

17

Screencaps from theglowt.com

.PROFILE.

PARODYING PERFECTION

BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

I

F YOU’RE A READER of the lifestyle website Goop, you might follow their recommendations for “7 Ways to Renew Your WFH Space,” including buying an $800 countertop herb garden and a $345 coffee maker for those who have shifted to working from home.

These kinds of lofty recommendations are part of the reason why three Pittsburgh women took their quarantine downtime to start The Glowt, a parody website that mocks the absurdity of lifestyle brands and wellness culture.

Pronounced like “gloat,” the website looks and acts like a Goop-style site in the spirit of other parody sites like The Onion or Reductress. Founders Emily Wentworth, Tegan Silva, and Jennifer Bouslog created the site when the pandemic hit because they wanted somewhere to channel their quarantine boredom. They launched The Glowt on Election Day in November 2020, figuring that plenty of people would be glued to their phones, doomscrolling, and could break up the news with a laugh.

THEGLOWT.COM twitter.com/theglowtmag

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While politics are divisive, Silva says that it was strangely nice to see that readers on both sides of the political spectrum could find common ground in laughing at the lifestyle tips and tricks of the rich and famous.

“We just shared it to all of our friends and family regardless of their political leanings. We got a lot of good responses, which was really encouraging to hear,” she says. “It’s nice to see that people from both sides were willing to loathe rich, stupid people like this.

Hopefully we can see this as a unifier in some way. Not to be cheesy but humor usually is.”

The design of The Glowt has the

minimalist glossiness of a site like Goop, with stories broken down into sections like wellness, relationships, fashion, and beauty. Headlines ridicule lifestyle advice (“I Tried Minimalism and Now I Need to Borrow Your Toothbrush”), deranged food trends (“I Tried a Coffee Enema and Now I’m Haunting This Gas Station Restroom for Eternity”), and dubious wellness advice (“How I Learned About Portion Control After Watching This Obese Squirrel At The Park.”)

Some of these hit a little too on the nose — after they wrote the article about coffee enemas (injecting coffee into the butthole), The Glowt team saw that Goop included the method in a “detox guide.”

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Call to get your FREE Information Kit While Goop was one of the first lifestyle sites of its kind — founded by celebrity Gwyneth Paltrow, hawking expensive nonsense — it’s just one of many in the genre. Poosh, a lifestyle site founded by Kourtney Kardashian, offers gluten-free recipes and articles on “simple ways to be happy.” Before she married a prince, Meghan Markle ran a (now-defunct) lifestyle site called The Tig. But it’s not just celebrities with blogs, it’s the entire influencer industrial complex — including and especially on Instagram — that promotes an unhealthy way of living, full of sponsored content for detox teas and haircare gummy vitamins.

“I’m personally not on Instagram, but the reason I’m not is just because it’s so toxic,” says Wentworth. “There’s this weird, strange thing happening where there’s this supposed body acceptance, but then you also need to be improving yourself. It’s just kind of the same thing like growing up in the ’90s where you had to be super skinny, it’s

just wrapped up in a different package.”

In order to get the full effect of a lifestyle site, The Glowt team created “Diedre Sabazios,” a fictional socialite who runs the site. Diedre is the daughter of an arms dealer who went to boarding school in Italy and was once married to Mickey Rourke. In her “about me” section, Diedre says that when founding The Glowt, she “recruited only the best and brightest wellness authors who in some way owe me a debt.” For creating Diedre, Silva says they took inspiration from figures like Paltrow, but also Schitt’s Creek character Alexis Rose, known for randomly spouting off stories about her elite globetrotting.

Currently, every article on the site is written by Wentworth, Silva, and Bouslog, but the hope is to one day be able to expand the project to include contributors, as well as video content and podcasts.

For now, the three founders will keep plugging along. Of course, they always have the help of Deirdre’s numerous unpaid interns.

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Follow staff writer Hannah Lynn on Twitter @hanfranny PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEBRUARY 3-10, 2021

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SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH THU., FEB. 4 MUSIC • VIRTUAL Indie rock band Essential Machine is a family band, composed of married couple Karen and RJ Dietrich on drums and guitar, and their son Robert on keyboard.

Tonight, they’ll perform live from The Palace Theatre in Greensburg for The VIP Experience (Virtually in The Palace), a new series featuring regional bands, presented by the Westmoreland Cultural Trust.

The series kicked off last week and continues through March, with each concert livestreamed through the Palace Theatre and Westmoreland Cultural Trusts’ Facebook pages. 7:30 p.m. Free. facebook.com/thepalacetheatre and facebook.com/wctrust

MUSIC • VIRTUAL Prepare for a night of incredible jazz and soul music from one of the world’s all-time best songwriters during The Music of Nina Simone, part of The August Wilson African American Cultural Center’s monthly AW Studio Sessions. Vocalist Carol Riddick and bassist Gerald Veasley will perform the beautiful music of the singer and pianist, and both artists “share a deep appreciation for Ms. Simone’s music and her desire for social justice,” according to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust website. 8 p.m. $12. trustarts.org

FILM • VIRTUAL City of Asylum and the Pitt Jazz program at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Music will present a virtual screening of The Honest Struggle as part of a two-day event looking at life after incarceration. Directed by Justin Mashouf, the documentary tells the story of vocalist and pianist Sadiq Davis, a Muslim convert who re-enters society in the South Side of Chicago after 25 years of incarceration to face the same streets that ruined his life, according to a PittWire description. It’s also described as a testament to music as a saving grace for those facing extreme challenges. 7 p.m. Continues Fri., Feb. 5 with a panel discussion and performance.

Free. Registration required. alphabetcity.org/ events/the-honest-struggle

FRI., FEB. 5 ART • VIRTUAL Between the virus and the news, things have been a little dark lately. Take a trip

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PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CP PHOTO: JARED MURPHY

^ Essential Machine at Virtually in The Palace

to the light side with a virtual opening event and neon demonstration from Pittsburgh Glass Center’s newest exhibit, Light in Transmission. Curated by the Glass Center’s Percy Echols II, who specializes in plasma and neon, the show features light work by 15 artists. “Past, present, or future, there will be light,” says Echols in his description of the exhibit. 7 p.m.

Exhibit continues through Sun., May 9.

5472 Penn Ave., Friendship. Free. pittsburghglasscenter.org

SAT., FEB. 6 THEATER • VIRTUAL Come see the young talent of Pittsburgh show off its stuff at City Theatre’s Young Playwright’s Festival featuring plays written by students from Pittsburgh CAPA, Winchester Thurston, and Sharpsville High School. See stories of a paranormal history lesson, a banshee who wants to be a star, and a family drama with siblings divided by different career paths. 7 p.m. Continues

Sun., Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. Free with advanced registration. citytheatrecompany.org

SUN., FEB. 7

COMEDY • VIRTUAL

OUTDOORS • IRL

A certain popular game would have you believe that choosing a partner is easy as deciding whether to f*ck, marry, or kill them. But as Valentine’s Day draws near, Steel City Improv thought it would be a good time to expand everyone’s options with Marry, F*ck, Kiki, Ghost. Inspired by television dating competitions, the show features a contestant trying to decide between four potential dates. A series of hardhitting questions asked by the audience helps the contestant determine which dates they want to marry, f*ck, ghost, or invite to a kiki, aka get together to trade gossip or just chat. The event description says, “We are no longer limited by heteronormativity, monogamy, or gender rigidity, and this show is representative of that.” 8-9 p.m. Free.

View at the Steel City Improv Twitch channel. twitch.tv/steelcityimprovtheater

Join Venture Outdoors for a geocaching (outdoor treasure hunting) event at Frick Park to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Geocaching experience is not required, and registration for the event includes the cost of renting a GPS unit. Each cache will have information about different women in sports. 1 p.m.

1981 Beechwood Blvd, Squirrel Hill. $6-8. ventureoutdoors.org

MON., FEB. 8 THEATER • VIRTUAL See a less whitewashed view of the Wild West when New Horizon Theater presents a production of Layon Gray’s play Cowboy.

Set in 1888, the show follows real-life U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves, one of the country’s first Black law enforcers, and, many believe, the inspiration for the Lone

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^ Detail of John Grillo’s 1951 Untitled from Pattern Makers at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art

Ranger. Cowboy finds Reeves and a Native American companion stuck in a saloon with two wanted criminals. The performance will stream on Vimeo.

Continues through Sun., Feb. 14. $15. newhorizontheater.org

HISTORY • VIRTUAL It’s hard to tell from walking around now, but Downtown Pittsburgh used to be home to a robust Chinatown, with several bakeries, markets, a temple, social hall, and roughly 500 Chinese residents. Over the years, the history of this since-disintegrated neighborhood has failed to be recognized by most Pittsburghers, but you can learn more about its history with Pittsburgh’s Lost Chinatown, a virtual presentation from Doors Open Pittsburgh. 7:30 p.m. $5. doorsopenpgh.org

TUE., FEB. 9 WELLNESS • VIRTUAL Staying active in the midst of winter and a pandemic is tough, to say the least.

Carnegie Museum of Art has a way to get you up and moving with Online Chair Yoga, a 30-minute virtual class that invites viewers to enjoy art and gentle exercise all from the comfort of their homes.

Instructor Lydia Kilian takes viewers of all ages and abilities through a series of poses

and relaxation techniques, all of which incorporate a chair for those who need to sit for extra support.

Each class begins with a dive into a work of art from CMOA’s collection.

11-11:30 a.m. Pay-what-you-wish.

Ticket holders will receive a Zoom link. cmoa.org/event/online-chair-yoga-february

WED., FEB. 10 ART • IRL Take a trip to The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg for Pattern Makers, a new exhibition described in a press release as tracking “the presence and meanings of patterns across a selection of over 60 works” from the museum’s permanent collection. Created in collaboration with students from the University of Pittsburgh, the show focuses on how patterns are made, and questions why abstract patterns by modern painters are more highly valued than intricate designs made by anonymous craftspeople for everyday objects. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

221 N. Main St., Greensburg. Free.

Advance registration required for admission. thewestmoreland.org/ exhibitions/pattern-makers

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Become a medical cannabis patient. We provide low-cost certifications and expert assistance, over the phone. $125 - New Cannabis Card Certification $75 - Card Recertification $75 - New Certification for Veterans/SSI/Disability

www.herbalcarerx.com • 215-554-4044 • HELP@HERBALCARERX.COM PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEBRUARY 3-10, 2021

21

QUILT AT THE ALTER

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

You’re worth crossing a river How do Pittsburghers celebrate Valentine’s Day? Whether it’s a partner, a lover, or a friend, we yinzers have our own language of affection. These whimsical T-shirts and buttons are a playful twist on Pittsburgh expressions and landmarks, and the perfect inexpensive gift to grab for anyone who’s ever complained about being stuck in the Squirrel Hill Tunnel or waited all winter to see that Point State Park Fountain come back on.

ACROSS

HURRFeYb. 7

Order byranteed

for gua Day Valentine’s ry e v li de

YINZ

WILL LOVE ‘EM

Check them out and much more at pghcitypaperstore.com 22

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

1. “The Ultimate Driving Machine” vehicle 4. Blood-bank stock 10. Footsie player 15. Org. that offers a tire and wheel protection plan 16. Actress Phylicia who was nicknamed “The Mother of the Black Community” at the 2010 NAACP Image Awards 17. Confuzzled 18. The basics, in academics 19. Disreputable doctor who also has trouble seeing?

21. Pain in the neck 23. Betting location 24. Evil alter ego 25. Author Hurston’s middle name 27. Room full of drips?: Abbr.

29. People who gave up on using Robinhood?

35. Chance to possibly make it home 36. Alternative media name 37. Gate closer 40. Deadhead’s hero, briefly 41. Jazzy quality 42. “Now I get it!”

43. Acrobat’s parent 46. Time to give up 47. Breakfast sandwich bread

49. “Don’t joke, everybody knows a knight looks for the Holy Grail!”?

52. Joe, to Hunter 53. Appears to be 54. It’s a mixed bag 57. Make feasible 62. Racks up, as hours 64. Returning to one’s upswept hairstyle?

67. Ballplayer with a W on his cap 68. “That wasn’t clear ...”

69. Stifle 70. Jawbreaker’s genre 71. Participants in some reaction videos 72. Major headache 73. “Darn right”

DOWN 1. Toy’s cry 2. Like some steak tips 3. Bugs’ co.

4. 100% behind 5. Big name in medical journals 6. On the briny 7. ___ Country (Jason Aldean hit) 8. Question before doing a demonstration 9. Middle East port city 10. Page for some confused browsers 11. USS Enterprise communications off.

12. “Oi!,” only much more posh

13. Warehouse stamp 14. Grab 20. “Act now!”

22. Mononomic soccer star who was the first athlete to have 10 million Twitter followers 26. Allow 28. Olive picture?

29. Goya painted a clothed one 30. Squash 31. Chase on the baseball diamond 32. “___ way, shape or form” 33. Nearing the hour 34. Green prop 38. The Queen’s Gambit highlight 39. Put an end to 44. Cheap Trick At ___ (classic live album)

45. Historian’s bailiwick 47. Hwy. to the Battery Tunnel 48. Earth’s Children author Jean 50. Garden with a snake 51. Worth keeping 54. Final words?

55. Rather unconvincing 56. Frozen treat brand name 58. Brooklyn Nets coach Steve 59. Blue hue 60. Buddies 61. Canister coverings 63. “That’s enough of that” 65. Election Day winners 66. Uber Eats add-on?

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

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CALL Homeowners Relief Line NOW for Help 1-855-4395853 Mon-Fri : 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Sat: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm(all times Pacific) (AAN CAN)

MARKETPLACE

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1789 S. Braddock Ave, #410 Pittsburgh, PA 15218 To make an appointment: (412) 247-2310

FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISEMENT, CALL 412-685-9009 ext. 106 HELP WANTED

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855-620-9426. John C. Heath, Attorney at Law, PLLC, dba Lexington Law Firm. (AAN CAN)

FINANCIAL

AUTO

AUTO INSURANCE STARTING AT $49/ MONTH! Call for your fee rate comparison to see how much you can save!

Call: 855-569-1909.

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DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes.

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LEGAL

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Need Help with Family Law? Can’t Afford a $5000 Retainer?

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Bill Gordon & Associates, a nationwide practice, represents clients before the Social Security Administration. Member of the TX & NM Bar Associations. Mail: 1420 NW St Washington D.C. Office: Broward County Florida. Services may be provided by associated attorneys licensed in other states.

North Shore - 127 Anderson Street - Suite 101 Timber Court Building, PIttsburgh, PA 15212 Phone: (412) 322-4151 washington, pa - 95 Leonard Avenue Suite 203, Washington PA 15301 Phone: (724) 249-2517 beaver county - 2360 hospital drive Suite 1, aliquippa, pa 15001 Phone: (724)707-1155 Erie - 3104 State Street, Erie, PA 16508

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEBRUARY 3-10, 2021

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