EVERY WEDNESDAY
PITTSBURGH’S ALTERNATIVE FOR NEWS, ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT SINCE 1991
29-FEB 5, 2025
THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND DEATH OF JOHN BRISKER
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
The Pittsburgh basketball legend protested for civil rights and dominated opponents before disappearing without a trace in 1978
BY: MICHAEL C. KOVAC
MICHAEL C. KOVAC
MAIA WILLIAMS
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
PHOTO: EMMAI ALAQUIVA
PHOTO: KARLIE RAE PHOTOGRAPHY
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
“A BRIEF STINT WITH THE DALLAS CHAPARRALS ENDED WHEN THE TEXAS TEAM DUMPED BRISKER SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN.”
pay the rent. I lived in a project when I was in high school. I had a lot of things frustrating me, so I’d take my frustrations outside and get rid of them shooting a basketball.” Brisker became star at Hamtramck High School, playing alongside future NBA All-Star and champion head coach Rudy Tomjanovich, before setting off for the University of Toledo in 1965.
As was the case for all college freshmen at the time, Brisker was not permitted to play varsity basketball, but his freshman team dominated the varsity team every time they scrimmaged. When he did play varsity ball, Brisker excelled, averaging double figures in points while he played tight end for the
school’s football team and even took up tuba for Toledo’s marching band.
Brisker brought a football-type toughness to the basketball court. Throughout his college career, Brisker didn’t instigate fights, but he never backed down from any, either. In Dec. 1968, Brisker was suspended after missing a practice. A week later, his college career came to a close when he was declared academically ineligible to compete the rest of the season. He didn’t go quietly, helping to lead the aformentioned protest.
In 1969, the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers selected Brisker in a supplemental draft; however, Brisker opted to sign with the Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball
Association instead. As a member of the Pipers — later the Pittsburgh Condors — Brisker was a scoring machine, averaging as many as 29.3 points per game. Pittsburgh coach and general manager Mark Binstein compared Brisker to NBA all-time greats Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. NBA legend Spencer Haywood later likened him to LeBron James.
Even in the wild world of the ABA, Brisker’s antics stood out. Brisker was a bruiser — so much so that he earned the nickname The Heavyweight Champion of the ABA. Brisker disliked that reputation and referred to himself as nothing more than “an aggressive ballplayer, a competitor.”
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
He rationalized that he only fought players who were bigger than him.
At the same time, however, Brisker made statements that didn’t help his reputation, once saying that he would “do anything to put Pittsburgh in the layoffs, even if that eant breaking so eone’s leg ccording to one itness, hile on the oor for the 1971 All-Star game festivities, Brisker intimidated the ABA’s commissioner to dig into his own wallet to pay Brisker his $300 All-Star bonus on the spot.
explained: “Last year Dallas had only two white players … compared to 10 black players, and we drew less than fans ho ere colored e continued, “A bunch of people want white faces, so eone they can identify ith
Seattle SuperSonics ownership didn’t share those racist concerns and signed Brisker to a six-year, $1 million contract. Brisker’s three seasons with Seattle were inconsistent and disappointing (at least in comparison to his performance in the ABA), but still res ectable uring his first t o
“BRISKER MOST LIKELY SUFFERED THE SAME FATE THAT SO MANY OTHERS IN UGANDA SUFFERED DURING AMIN’S REIGN OF TERROR.”
ther incidents included a fight with police at Three Rivers Stadium and an impromptu sparring match with Muhammad Ali inside a Miami airport. Teams intimidated by Brisker resorted to tactics never seen before or since, as when the Utah Stars tried to keep Brisker in line by surrounding the court with several professional boxers. Brisker responded by dropping 37 points in a six-point Condors victory.
By late 1971, Brisker considered laying in ittsburgh to be a hassle and said he as tired of it n one of Brisker’s many attempts to increase his pay, he refused to practice or play for the Condors toward the end of that final B season The ondors filed a la suit to sto hi from signing with another team. Brisker threatened to make the jump to the NBA.
Ultimately, the Condors folded after that 1971-72 season, and a brief stint with the Dallas Chaparrals ended when the Texas team dumped Brisker simply because of the color of his skin. A part-owner bluntly
seasons, he averaged more than 12 points per game despite receiving just over 20 minutes of playing time per game.
Trouble managed to follow Brisker to the NBA even when he wasn’t to blame. Though a fan favorite, Brisker and Seattle’s new coach, NBA great Bill Russell, mixed like oil and water. As his time in Seattle progressed, Brisker increasingly found himself in Russell’s doghouse, and his playing time plummeted.
Russell’s treatment of Brisker didn’t sit well with the fans who recognized Brisker’s talent. “We want Brisker chants fre uently broke out during Seattle’s home games. When given the opportunity, Brisker roduced n a atchu with the rival Portland Trail Blazers, he led the SuperSonics to a victory with 28 points.
ff the court, Brisker had a re utation for being great with children, helping to organize a charity basketball game (starring the likes of Connie Hawkins) to raise funds for a basketball program targeting the
PHOTO: 1967 UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO “BLOCKHOUSE” YEARBOOK
University of Toledo Rockets basketball player John Brisker from the 1967 “Blockhouse” yearbook
youth in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. He, along with Pittsburgh Pirates’ greats Willie Stargell and Dock Ellis (among others), spent hours volunteering to raise funds for sickle cell anemia research.
Regardless, Russell — who was also the SuperSonics’ general manager — was deserate to get rid of Brisker e offered Brisker up in trades, but there were no takers. Ultimately, in the early part of 1974, Russell demoted Brisker to the Cherry Hill Rookies of the Eastern Basketball League (which, in essence, served as the NBA’s primary minor league at the ti e n his first ga e ith the Rookies, Brisker set a league record with 51 points. He followed up that performance with 58 points in his next game.
While Brisker often expressed his desire to return to the NBA — and still had the talent to do so — he had burned all of his bridges. In 1977, with three years left on his contract, he accepted a buyout for half of what Seattle owed him.
Brisker’s final years ere tough n ittsburgh, his ife filed for divorce e was held in contempt for failing to pay child support. In Seattle, he had a child with another woman, Khalilah Rashad. He owned businesses that were drowning in debt.
Brisker made several trips to Africa in pursuit of other business opportunities.
According to Rashad, in March of 1978, Brisker traveled to Africa for the purposes of starting an import-export business. Rashad stated that Brisker had called her several times, and that she last heard from him on April 11, 1978.
Brisker made that last call from Kampala, Uganda. His brother, Ralph, believed that he may have been taken as a prisoner of war. Others speculated that he was killed after crossing paths with Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Still others reported that Brisker may have been killed hile fighting as a ercenary/bodyguard for Amin.
Brisker ost likely suffered the sa e fate that so any others in Uganda suffered during Amin’s reign of terror — death via
Uganda’s State Research Bureau.
Records recovered after Amin’s ouster indicate that the already-paranoid Amin was being fed information that would have made Brisker a prime target of his wrath. Around the time of Brisker’s visit, Amin received a letter from Bob Astles (a British soldier who was close to Amin and was described in his 2012 obituary as “the most hated white man in postcolonial Africa”) that read: “Your excellency. We have evidence through documentation and interrogation that foreign companies are working against the Ugandan economy. We also have evidence that the C.I.A. is working against you. We would like to give our intelligence verbally. Your obedient servant, Bob Astles.” Such communications undermine rumors that Amin would have recruited Brisker — a United States businessman — to work for him in any way, let alone as a bodyguard.
Brisker’s brother and Rashad both previously speculated that Brisker may have simply disappeared on his own accord, possibly under an assumed name, to avoid the growing debts and obligations he faced in the United States. However, he had quite a few close friends and family members, none of whom have heard from him in over 40 years. Moreover, Brisker went to Africa with a friend from Seattle named Benjamin Taylor, who likewise disappeared. There is little chance both Brisker and Taylor left the country, assumed new identities, and successfully avoided detection for such a long period of time — especially in light of the fact that both of their families, as well as a United States congressman, made multiple inquiries ith the tate e art ent in efforts to ascertain their whereabouts.
The State Department does not have any record that Brisker had entered Uganda, let alone died there. Nevertheless, State Department records do indicate that a source — whose name is redacted — provided the following information:
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
"Benjamin Lewis Taylor [identified as Benjamin Lewis in the records] visited Uganda in the spring of 1977 and approached Amin with a deal to bring a black American business group to the country. Brisker joined Taylor. Subsequently, the two were accused of criminal activities, abducted from their rooms at the Kampala International Hotel, sent to the State Research Bureau, and never seen again".
During that time, the Kampala International Hotel was certainly not a safe place, as State Research Bureau agents used to frequent its rooftop nightclub and, when interested in a woman there, would so eti es thro co etitors for her attention off the roof State Department record states that Brisker and Taylor “probably ere in Uganda in and that they ay have been killed t here ny Ugandan records relating to Brisker are likely long gone n ril after in’s failed attack on Tan ania Tan anians and anti in Ugandans forced in to ee the country New York Times article indicates that, two days before the State Research Bureau headquarters were abandoned, “smoke rose from the incinerator, leading to speculation that the most incriminating records had been burned or those closest to Brisker, life had to go on n une , Brisker’s divorce as finali ed n ay , , at ashad’s re uest, the ing County Superior Court issued an order declaring that Brisker was officially resu ed to be deceased
Unsatisfying as it may be, that King County order will likely remain the ost definitive state ent on Brisker’s fate Brisker’s chaotic life ost robably et a violent end, but any records that could be used to fill in the ga s of his story likely ent u in a es hen in as forced into exile Brisker ay not have survived ast the age of , but he left an inco arable legacy behind •
SOARING IN WILKINSBURG
Over 30 years, Hosanna House has grown to provide community services and train future aviators
BY: MAIA WILLIAMS //
Hosanna House is a Black-led charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources to the Wilkinsburg community with the mission of ending the cycle of poverty. Their goal is to help children and families reach their maximum potential physically, spiritually, and economically.
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Hosanna House in Wilkinsburg
The organization offers a range of services including child development, health and wellness programs, youth programming, workforce development, summer camps, and, recently, aviation training. Hosanna House staff says these resources are essential for developing growth and support within the community.
Founded in 1989 by the Covenant Church of Pittsburgh and now-Chief Executive Officer, Leon Haynes III, Hosanna House was born out of a desire to create positive change in Wilkinsburg.
“Hosanna House is an anchor in the community that has provided programs and essential services for the most vulnerable population. Our mission is to help people who are facing difficult life issues beyond their control: to end the life cycle of poverty for future generations,” Haynes tells Pittsburgh City Paper
Under Haynes’ leadership, Hosanna House developed partnerships, secured funding, and gathered more than 500 volunteers to renovate the building. In 1996, the fourstory, 125,000-square-foot facility
“WE ARE ABOUT PEOPLE, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS WHAT THEY NEED.”
In the early to mid-1990s, Wilkinsburg faced significant challenges, including an increase in gang violence, widespread business closures, and abandoned homes. According to a 2016 TribLive article, this aligned with a broader national trend, and the country’s violent crime rate dropped recently to half of its early ’90s peak.
Haynes and his team worked to reclaim the community, create job opportunities, and restore hope. What was once an abandoned building — formerly Horner Middle School — was transformed into a thriving community resource hub, Hosanna House.
officially opened to the public.
In 2020, the organization celebrated 30 years of service to the community.
Lucille Plummer, Chief Administrator to Haynes, says, “at one point, Wilkinsburg was industrial. It did have thriving businesses and homes, and it was the place to come.” Through Hosanna House’s efforts, they’re working to reclaim that vibrancy in the community.
Hosanna House has built a network of key partners, including Pathways to Work, WIC, and Action Housing. The organization’s drive is rooted in listening to the needs of residents and finding solutions
SOARING IN WILKINSBURG,
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Hosanna House CEO Leon Haynes III
to fill critical gaps. “We are about people, and we want to make sure that everyone has what they need,” Plummer says.
Helping people overcome poverty and addressing negative mindsets in the community remain to be core challenges for Hosanna House. As a Christian organization, Hosanna House leans on prayer, collaboration, and engagement to understand and meet the needs of the community.
James Tigner, Hosanna House’s Director of Marketing and Aviation says, “We rely heavily on prayer. We pray to get insight. We talk to people in the community.”
Plummer adds, “We also invite our local churches to come and tour Hosanna House to see the resources that we have. Then, they can take that back to their congregation and spread the word more.”
The organization collaborates with several local churches, includ ing Covenant Church of Pittsburgh, Shekinah Tabernacle, and Living Word Congregational Church.
One of Hosanna House’s standout
initiatives is its focus on youth and In 2022, the organization launched the Tuskegee Airmen Museum, which highlights the history of Black aviators. The museum addresses the lack of representation in the aviation industry
“The significance of it is that we wanted Black and brown kids to see themselves outside of just being in Wilkinsburg,” Tigner says. “We wanted them to be able to envision themselves as being more, and when they’re able to look at it, to touch it, to feel it, they start to embody it.”
Hosanna House also offers aviation classes to students at Propel Braddock Hills High School,
Woodland Hills High School, and Nazareth Prep.
“We have four classes with 40 students total in our program that are going through part 107 drone operation to become licensed drone pilots,” Tigner says. “We have a certified flight instructor on staff, and so we teach them how to become pilots.”
The curriculum is through the Air Line Pilots Association. The program aims to help students become professional pilots before they graduate high school.
“We did a study, and found that over the next 10 years, there’s going to be a shortage of pilots and individuals in the aviation industry of about 700,000. We wanted to empower the
people in our community with the skills they need in order to fill those positions.” Tigner tells City Paper. Hosanna House aims to encourage students pursuing aviation to achieve generational wealth and break the cycle of poverty.
In honor of Black History Month, the Tuskegee Airmen Museum will be open to the public for free every Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. through all of February. “It showcases the Tuskegee Airmen in a really valuable way,” Plummer says.
On Thu., Feb. 27, Hosanna House will also host an event titled Celebrating Black History: Honoring Our Past, Shaping Our Future at the Sherwood Event Center. The event
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Hosanna House in Wilkinsburg
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Leon Haynes hugs Gary Bates III, Gionni Payne and E'Zhuri Newsome at Hosanna House
will honor the contributions of Black professionals in the aviation industry while exploring career opportunities for Black communities.
Titus Sanders, Programs Chair of the Board of Directors at the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals , will serve as the keynote speaker. The event will also feature a panel of aviation experts from Aerium, Republic Airways, and other organizations.
“This event is going to open up so much understanding to the students and to everyone about how essential aviation is and the opportunities within aviation,” Plummer says.
Tigner adds, “We’ll have panelists discussing job opportunities and the future of aviation for Black and brown
people, and we’ll talk about what is going on in the industry right now and how we can impact change.”
Through their Black History Month programming and year-round initiatives, Hosanna House continues to inspire hope and provide transformative opportunities to the Wilkinsburg community and beyond.
“Black History Month means intentionally taking the opportunity to express, inspire, and acknowledge who I am and the contributions made by my forefathers who went before me,” Haynes says. “Expressing my appreciation for inspiration from those who went before me. As a result, I know that I matter, those who lead the way before me matter, and those who follow after me matter.”
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Lucille Plummer poses in front of a visual history of Hosanna House that she organized.
LOUNGE LOVE
Shadow Lounge, an East Liberty venue closed over 10 years ago, offered a haven for artists, musicians, and, most importantly, Pittsburgh’s Black community
BY: KAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON //
The idiom “lightning in a bottle” best describes Shadow Lounge. The creative Pittsburgh oasis was like walking into your friend’s house and posting up on their much loved couch. Incense burning, warm lighting, work by local artists adorning the walls, and vinyl records within arms reach. It was the place to go if you didn’t have plans for the evening. “Hey, let’s just see what’s happening at the Lounge,” you would say to your group. It was a place to go, and that particularly mattered to members of the Black community.
PHOTO: EMMAI ALAQUIVA "A Great Day in Pittsburgh." March 30, 2013. Shadow Lounge
Author Damon Young describes Shadow Lounge, which shut down in 2013, as “a gathering place, a conduit, a launching pad [that] served so many purposes you didn’t recognize until it was gone.” It was co-owner Justin Strong’s “piece of art and a community” that “really left its mark on everybody who was involved.” he tells Pittsburgh City paper
The name evokes a flood of memo ries and emotions for those who were part of this vibrant cultural scene in Pittsburgh. What made this iconic East Liberty venue, which included the Blue Room and AVA Lounge, more than just a party place for live music? What transformed it into a sanctuary for artistic expression and commu nity connection?
“WE
WANTED DOPE EVENTS,
This year marks Shadow Lounge’s 25th anniversary, and its legacy lives on despite being closed for over 10 years.
In Pittsburgh’s arts and culture scene, few places have captured the essence of community and creativity like Shadow Lounge. From 2000 to 2013, owners Justin Strong and Tim “DJ SMI” Guthrie crafted a judgmentfree space, treating everyone like family as long as they respected the vibes and house rules. “We weren’t chasing money. We both believed in the art,” Guthrie tells “We both had lived life with all types of people, friend groups … We could move in between rock and hip hop easily and that kind of stuff, and jazz and all that.”
The Black-owned venue quickly became a hub for live performances, poetry readings, and art exhibitions, offering a platform for local talent to then, of course, from the artist side, started to partake in whatever open mics I was around. So I’d say I became a regular pretty fast.”
Shadow Lounge quickly became a
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Justin Strong, former co-owner of Shadow Lounge
second home to Guthrie, as he transformed from a regular to an integral part of its leadership. “We wanted dope events, dope art, dope people,” Guthrie says, adding that he appreciated the “very intimate experiences” shared with other artists. “You shared this super real stuff on the stage with me, you know what I mean? And then we talked about it for an hour after.”
As the years went by, the vision for Shadow Lounge expanded into the Blue Room — a smaller, more intimate room just off the main Lounge area — in 2005. This marked a significant milestone, transforming the venue into a multi-faceted space catering to diverse musical tastes and artistic expressions.
“I’m not an interior designer by, you know, any school, but I think I am. And
so, that was a really fun thing for me to do,” Guthrie says. “Let’s make this a really cool space. We wanted to be sexier and cooler. We were getting older.”
Shadow Lounge became known for hosting diverse events that resonated with the community’s interests. From intimate poetry nights to lively, sweaty dance parties, these events were not just about entertainment, but about creating opportunities for people to connect on a deeper level.
Young has fond memories of seeing who would be his wife for the first time at Shadow Lounge. “It was 2008, Reggae night, I met my wife,” Young recalls. His wife, he says, doesn’t remember it that way. “She just remembers a dude asking for her number when it was dancing time.”
These interactions contributed to
a sense of belonging, which fostered long-lasting relationships for many. “The sense of community was always there, no matter what,” Guthrie says.
“It was a family.”
In 2006, the adjoining AVA Lounge was opened, creating an entertainment trifecta that invited patrons to move easily through the rooms depending on the mood and vibes they sought. The expansion was fueled by a shared vision that prioritized art over profit and embraced the eclectic mix of music and culture.
Local, international, and legendary acts made their way through Shadow Lounge. During their humble beginnings, both Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa were among the many musical acts to rock Shadow Lounge’s small stage.
Everyone felt welcome at Shadow Lounge, regardless of how they dressed or who they were, but the space was especially important to Pittsburgh’s Black community. “This spot for misfits and mismatched folks that didn’t have a place to be. They just didn’t work out in the Top 40 mainstream crowds, just kind of eventually found [their] way to this room,” Strong says.
On March 30, 2013, the home to so many Pittsburgh “misfits” closed its doors for good. On that day, everyone who had spent significant time surrounded by those yellow walls and on that worn couch came out to say a formal goodbye.
Emmai Alaquiva, a former Shadow Lounge employee who would go on to become a four-time
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Justin Strong, former co-owner of Shadow Lounge
Emmy award-winning director, paid tribute to his one-time workplace by snapping a photo of everyone there. He titled the picture “A Great Day in Pittsburgh.” The moment and title were undoubtedly inspired by Art Kane’s “A Great Day in Harlem” photograph, taken in 1958, featuring 57 legendary jazz musicians, including Art Blakey, Count Basie, and Mary Lou Williams.
So many Shadow Lounge “kids” grew into their power as integral leaders and artists of our community and beyond. Many life partners were made in that space who now have families of their own. My now husband and I first exchanged “I love you"s in the Blue Room, so
maybe I’m a tad romantic about the place.
Is this what it was like for those at the end of the Harlem Renaissance? Or, more locally, the Crawford Grill? Maybe it was.
“You can’t tell the early 21stcentury East Liberty story without Shadow Lounge,” Young says. On that day, we honored the spirit of Shadow Lounge with stories, tears, and laughter. What was most evident was the love — the love we had for each other, the space, and the memories. As Strong says, “Once you put art out in the world, it’s not yours anymore.”
We are all thankful to experience that lightning in a bottle. •
PHOTO: KAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON
The stage in between performers at Shadow Lounge
PHOTO COURTESY OF VAUGHN WALLACE Knowledge and Jon Quest at Rhyme Calisthenics
“SO MUCH OF TECHNOLOGY IS DRIVEN BY A FIXATION WITH THE ‘FUTURE’. IF THERE’S BEEN ANY CHALLENGE IN DESIGNING WITH THE INTENT OF BRIDGING PAST AND PRESENT, IT’S BEEN MAKING PEACE WITH THE RESISTANCE TO THIS GOAL.”
PTHROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
Looking Glass bridges the city’s Black past and present through immersive augmented reality
BY: TARA FAY COLEMAN // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
ittsburgh’s Black history is a multifaceted narrative shaped by culture, resistance, and resilience. The city’s African American community has been a cornerstone of its identity, contributing to the arts, labor movements, and civil rights efforts. The Great Migration brought many Black families to Pittsburgh, where they supported the city’s industrial growth and laid the foundation for a thriving cultural scene.
But urban renewal projects in the 1950s and 1960s saw the displacement of thousands of Black residents, leaving behind a fragmented cultural legacy. These waves of displacement, often masked as “beautification” or “revitalization,” have been part of a broader, troubling trend of exclusionary urban policies. Today, Pittsburgh’s Black community continues to face the challenges of gentrification, economic inequality, and the erasure of this cultural legacy.
PHOTO: KARLIE RAE PHOTOGRAPHY Adrian Jones
This cultural erasure motivated artist Adrian Jones to create Looking Glass, an iOS app that brings Pittsburgh’s Black past into the present through augmented reality. Jones cites writer bell hooks, specifically her work on the practice of remembering, as living “at the heart of Looking Glass.“
“Remembering can involve traveling to a site of memory, gazing at a photograph, or digging through an archive,” Jones tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “This practice acknowledges that any visit to the past has the potential to change your perspective on the present and thus influence the future.”
predominantly Black communities such as the Hill District are gradually fading.
It’s not just about physical displacement; it’s about a larger, more insidious erasure of cultural history, an aspect too often overlooked in the broader conversation about revitalization and urban growth. This leaves many Black residents feeling like strangers in once-familiar spaces.
This isn’t just about new development or economic growth — it’s about the slow but steady erasure of the culture and history that made these neighborhoods vital.
“For folks whose culture and
“THE KIND OF ERASURE THAT LOOKING GLASS CONFRONTS IS NOT LIMITED BY GEOGRAPHY. WHAT I’VE OBSERVED IN PITTSBURGH IS VISIBLE IN OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND, FRANKLY, THE WORLD.”
The app allows users to explore historical sites in real-time, offering an interactive way to engage with a history being lost to gentrification. Adrian’s connection to the city’s history contributed greatly to the app’s creation.
“Looking Glass grew out of three core experiences,” he shares. “Tracing my family’s history, discovering the work of Charles ‘Teenie’ Harris, and actively listening to elders here in the city all formed the foundation of this work. Gaining access to these stories was like collecting fragments of myself and my people that I didn’t even know I was missing.”
This exploration coincided with witnessing the effects of gentrification on Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods. “In this context,” Jones shares, “emerged a vision of a lens that could unearth the stories that were buried in gentrified spaces.”
The rapid pace of gentrification has affected many Pittsburgh neighborhoods, particularly in the East End, where long-time residents have been and continue being displaced. Cultural landmarks that once defined
history directly into the spaces being reshaped by gentrification.
Jones shares that “in each story from Black Pittsburgh’s near and distant past, I’ve seen vibrancy, ingenuity, and enormous resilience.”
“From the color palette to the language used in the story summaries, I wanted to embed celebration and reverence within Looking Glass,” he says. The stories it reveals aren’t just historical facts — they are living narratives that challenge us to reconsider the present and, by extension, the future.
Pittsburgh. Looking ahead, Adrian plans to expand Looking Glass with an Android release, guided tours, and an audio library with original music and oral history interviews. He expresses excitement over upgrading the app’s AR capabilities in ways that would allow users to interact more deeply with the city’s history. “Stay tuned,” he says, hinting at even more upcoming developments.
history have long been subject to erasure, these cycles of disinvestment and displacement pose a significant threat to our collective memory and identity,” says Jones.
Adrian explains that his goal was never to elevate the future over the past but rather to bridge the two.
“So much of technology is driven by a fixation with the ‘future’." If there’s been any challenge in designing with the intent of bridging past and present, it’s been making peace with the resistance to this goal,” he says. “I don’t believe in elevating the future over the past or the present. Every conception of the future contains a set of assumptions about the past, and often these are faulty or incomplete understandings. In order to realize a just and equitable future, we need to make redress for past harms, gather ancestral wisdom, and fill the gaps in our memories.”
Resisting the future-centric nature of technology makes Looking Glass a unique and necessary tool. By allowing users to engage with augmented reality, the app brings Black Pittsburgh’s
Jones relied on collaboration and community input while designing the app. Before writing any lines of code, he spent time with residents and experts, including Charlene Foggie-Barnett, archivist for Carnegie Museum of Art’s Charles “Teenie” Harris Archive; Joe Trotter, a professor of history and social justice at Carnegie Mellon University; John M. Brewer Jr., a historian and consultant for the Pittsburgh Courier archive project; University of Pittsburgh history professor Laurence Glasco; and Terri Baltimore, creator of the Black-Jewish history tour of the Hill District.
“It was critical that I was able to listen and verify whether Looking Glass would provide any value to the community,” he says. “Looking Glass is ultimately accountable to the people whose stories are represented in the archive.”
Adrian highlights the importance of remembering the past in conversations about urban revitalization.
“To me, terms like renewal and revitalization are charged,” he explains. “Black homes, businesses, and institutions were razed in the name of beautification and renewal. In the eyes of others, decades of disinvestment and neglect have created the present conditions for revitalization and redevelopment.”
The app underscores the need for “real repair and restitution,” which many see as an urgent priority as gentrification reshapes
Jones cites the work of multimedia artists Alice Yuan Zhang, Bayeté Ross Smith, and Jeffrey Yoo Warren as demonstrating what can be further explored within VR and AR spaces, and is optimistic about the potential of immersive media being used elsewhere to challenge narratives.
“The kind of erasure that Looking Glass confronts is not limited by geography,” says Jones. “What I’ve observed in Pittsburgh is visible in other cities across the country and, frankly, the world. I believe it’s certainly possible to replicate Looking Glass elsewhere, and I’d love to explore that in the future.”
As Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods change, Looking Glass ensures that Black Pittsburgh’s history remains visible. By connecting people to place, amplifying underrepresented narratives, and fostering community engagement, the app offers a blueprint for how technology can be used to preserve cultural memory and inspire action.
Jones hopes that “folks who engage with Looking Glass are able to see that history is not lifeless or irrelevant.” For anyone concerned about the future of Pittsburgh’s Black communities, Looking Glass offers an opportunity to both remember and participate in shaping a more equitable future. •
TUE., FEB. 4
SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH
BY CP STAFF
THU., JAN. 30
MUSIC/LIT • NORTH SIDE
Thursday Night Jazz: Aaron J. Johnson’s Jazz Radio America. 7-8:30 p.m. Alphabet City at City of Asylum. 40 W. North Ave., North Side. Free. Registration required. Livestream available. cityofasylum.org
THEATER • NORTH SIDE
New Hazlett Theater presents an original play from its CSA Performance Series. My Sister’s Lipstick explores themes of identity and mental health through the story of a recluse rejoining the outside world with the help of a family member. Playwright Anna King Skeels calls the new work “a lionhearted queer/trans-centric play diving headfirst into siblinghood, nostalgia for a life you haven’t lived, and a desperate need for togetherness.” 8 p.m. Continues through Fri., Jan. 31. Six Allegheny Square East, North Side. $20-34. newhazletttheater.org
FRI., JAN. 31
MUSIC • SOUTH SIDE
Certainly So with Brie Stoner. 6:30 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. Smiling Moose. 1306 E. Carson St., South Side. $15. druskyentertainment.com
LIT • BLOOMFIELD
I Am Wild: A Charley Harper Exhibit at Children’s Museum
PIttsburgh Book Launch: There is a Deep Brooding in Arkansas by Scott W. Stern with Deborah Brake 7-8 p.m. White Whale Bookstore. 4754 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Free. RSVP required. Livestream available. whitewhalebookstore.com/events
MUSIC • DOWNTOWN
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presents Shostakovich’s Final Symphony. 7:30 p.m. Continues on Sun., Feb. 2. Heinz Hall. 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $25-104. pittsburghsymphony.org
PARTY • ALLENTOWN
Lizzie McGuire Party with DJ Paula Jean, Lemonline, and Ms.Tiza 10 p.m. Bottlerocket Social Hall. 1226 Arlington Ave., Allentown. $10. bottlerocketpgh.com
SAT., FEB. 1
SPORTS/KIDS • STRIP DISTRICT
The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum invites kids, families, and caretakers in from the cold for a day of play. The NFL PLAY 60 Training Camp allows young athletes to live out their football fantasies with hands-on activities presented in partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Children and teens can
train like the pros with drills, a touchdown contest, and other physical challenges, learn about sports history, or compete for prizes and giveaways. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 1212 Smallman St., Strip District. Included with regular admission. Free for guests 17 and under. Registration required. heinzhistorycenter.org
CONVENTION • OAKLAND
Native Plant and Sustainability Conference 9 a.m. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. One Schenley Dr., Oakland. $95-120. Registration required. phipps.conservatory.org
LIT • OAKLAND
Lefty Blondie Press presents Ghost Friends–In Praise of Jean Valentine by Gail Langstroth. 2 p.m. Carlow University-Gailliot Center. 3333 Fifth Ave., Oakland. Free. instagram.com/leftyblondiepress
ART • POINT BREEZE
Opening Reception: Environmental by Brent Pheto 6-8 p.m. Continues through Wed., Feb. 22. Bottom Feeder Books. 415 Gettysburg St., Point Breeze. bottomfeederbooks.com
ART/MARKET • ALLENTOWN
Most Wanted Car Club Artist Market and Art Opening. 7-10 p.m. Harris Event Group. 401 E. Warrington Ave., Allentown. Free. instagram.com/mostwantedfineart
MUSIC • STRIP DISTRICT
Stephen Kellogg with Will Varley. 7:30 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. City Winery. 1627 Smallman St., Strip District. $35-45. citywinery.com/pittsburgh
SUN., FEB. 2
ART • WILKINSBURG
John Tronsor: Photographs and Works. 12-2 p.m. Continues through March. WorkshopPGH. 700 S. Trenton Ave., Wilkinsburg. Free. instagram.com/workshoppgh
BOWLING • SOUTH HILLS
Alley Up for Animal Friends 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Legacy Lanes. 5024 Curry Rd., South Hills. $45-225. thinkingoutsidethecage.org
FILM • LAWRENCEVILLE
Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day 12 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. Row House Cinema. 4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $12.50. rowhousecinemas. com/lawrenceville
THEATER • BRADDOCK
Clown VS. Puppet with MK LeBeaux. 7-11 p.m. Glitterbox Theater. 210 W. Eighth Ave., Homestead. $10. theglitterboxtheater.com
MON., FEB. 3
GAMES • LAWRENCEVILLE
Queen Yourself! A Women’s Chess Meet-Up 6-7 p.m. The Salon Pgh-Field Day. 3706 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $15-20. Registration required. grouper-sailfish-cjy4. squarespace.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PITTSBURGH
of Pittsburgh
TUE., FEB. 4
EXHIBITION
• NORTH SIDE
I Am Wild: A Charley Harper Exhibit
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Continues through Aug. 31. Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. 10 Children’s Way-Allegheny Square. North Side. Included with regular admission. pittsburghkids.org
MUSIC • MILLVALE
Jessica Lea Mayfield with Margaux. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $20-25. mrsmalls.com
WED., FEB. 5
MUSIC • NORTH SHORE
A founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan heads to Stage AE for a nostalgic show. GZA, who joined the influential rap group with his cousin, RZA, will perform the entirety of his 1995 solo release Liquid Swords in celebration of its 30th anniversary. The night also includes an appearance by Lettuce, a six-member funk band that has been performing for over three decades.
7 p.m. Stage AE. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. $39.50-75. promowestlive.com
THEATER • DOWNTOWN
Pittsburgh Public Theater presents Trouble in Mind. 7 p.m. Continues through Sun., Feb. 23. O’Reilly Theater. 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. $35-103. trustarts.org
MUSIC • STRIP DISTRICT
Matt Pond PA with Anya Marina and Bathtub Cig. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. The Original Pittsburgh Winery. 2809 Penn Ave., Strip District. $18-20. pittsburghwinery.com
MARKET PLACE
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-24-013189
NAME CHANGE
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HELP WANTED SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
Pittsburgh, PA & various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S.: Invol in UI dsgn process & delvrabls thruout dvlpmnt LC. Dsgn, dvlp & test HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript & ReactJS that meet accesiblty & web brwsr stds. Dsgn Eficnt & scalbl Rest APIs U/ NodeJS, Express, Mongoose, & MongoDB. Use JSON for data xchng btn client & srvr. Use Vrsn cntrl sys GIT & bitbucket as code repostris. Anlyz Prodtn rltd issues, & perf RCA. Use JIRA as bug trakng sys to trak & mntn histry of bugs/issues. Skills req’d: HTML, JavaScript, Bootstrap, Angular, Ajax, JSON, CSS3, Eclipse, Jasmine & Jira. Bachelor’s in Sci, Tech, or Engg (any) w/6 mos exp in job o ’d or rltd occup is req’d. Mail resume: HR, iMinds Technology Systems, Inc. 1145 Bowerhill Rd, Ste 102, Pittsburgh, PA 15243
•
OFFICIAL
ADVERTISEMENT
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on February 18, 2025, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
PITTSBURGH OBAMA
• Finish Floor Replacement and Miscellaneous Work
• General and Asbestos Primes
Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on January 27, 2025, at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
We are an equal rights and opportunity school district.
In petition of Ashley Tierno, Parent and Natural Guardian of Justice Navada Vone for change of name to Justice Navada Tierno. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 12th day of February 2025, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.
Robb.D. Bunde, Esquire Attorney for Petitioner 223 Fourth Avenue, Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-24-12856, In petition of Abigail Welteroth, parents and legal guardians of Brayden Robert Dobras, minor, for change of name to Brayden Robert Welteroth We. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 5th day of February 2025, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.
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THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
PITTSBURGH ALLDERDICE HIGH SCHOOL
• Install Steam Boilers
• Mechanical, Electrical, General, and Plumbing Primes
P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
THANK YOU, MAIN
ACROSS
1. Supreme Court with a recusal, e.g.
6. “Don’t need it!”
11. Funky fresh
14. Actress Scott of the live-action Aladdin
15. Brown shade
16. Rock in a vein
17. Yarn made with Bitcoin and Ethereum?
19. One of 16 in a game of Boggle
20. Non-album track releases
21. G-rated
22. Bolted forward
24. Mule’s cargo
25. Cousin of a 38-Across
26. Makes gravy?
29. British mid-size luxury car
32. Felt sore
33. Check fattener
34. “___ Know”
(De La Soul single)
35. Thing in Nestea’s logo
36. “Careless Whisper” band, only if you change it the way you do with the all the other theme answers
37. Strasbourg sons
38. Cousin of a 25-Across
39. Titular opera character who jumps o a parapet to her
death in the end
40. Protections for some tomato plants
41. Reddish-brown steed
43. “No surprises, please”
44. Declutter
45. Ramadan fasting, e.g.
46. “Give me some more time”
48. Cries of terror
49. Snowboarding legend Chloe
52. Ornamental pond fish
53. Smuggle old magazines that were similar to Sassy?
56. Really big stretch
57. Judah’s wife in the Old Testament
58. Line from the heart
59. Jurist Fortas
60. Strong glue
61. Hose material
DOWN
1. Never before done
2. Be overcritical
3. Play things
4. Roadie’s box
5. Copied
6. Start of the chorus for “Anti-Hero”
7. Create
8. Seek damages
9. Words after the story
10. Weak or insubstantial
11. Abdicate the throne?
12. Lake in mysteries?
13. Cater
18. Stately trees
23. Cybersecurity dept.
24. Sous ___ 25. Food from heaven 26. Bears QB Williams
27. Amtrak express train 28. Unreliable Senator Tim 29. Dubliners author 30. Tree tissue
31. Eisenberg of A Real Pain
33. Low man in the chorus
36. It automatically moves text to
the next line
37. Uber cost
39. Simple flute
40. Kind of x-ray image
42. Cooperstown, N.Y. or Springfield, Mass. attraction
43. User-edited information site
45. Prepare frijoles refritos
46. Global chain whose name is an acronym
47. First-time gamer
48. Legal transmission online
49. Lagerfeld of fashion
50. Really intrigued by 51. Nasty
54. “Hang on just ___” (“Almost done”)
55. Elation
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage for their entire working life, throughemployer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to put off or even go without care.
Simply put — without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.
When you’re comparing plans ...
Look for coverage that helps pay for major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures — or pay for preventive care only.
Look for coverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.
Shop for coverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.
Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1
That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meant to cover everything. That means if you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance.
Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.
The best way to prevent large dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice a year.
Previous dental work can wear out.
Even if you’ve had quality dental work in the past, you shouldn’t take your dental health for granted. In fact, your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2
Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need.
Consider these national average costs of treatment ... $222 for a checkup ... $190 for a filling ... $1,213 for a crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.
“Absolutely
