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The Richard King Mellon Foundation today announced that it has made a $500,000 gift to help save the former National Negro Opera Company House in Homewood – a once-proud national landmark that has been vacant 50 years and is dangerously close to collapse.

 Governor Tom Wolf and the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force announced that effective Tuesday, April 13, all Pennsylvania adults will be eligible to schedule an appointment for the COVID -19 vaccine.

"For those willing to take their heads out of the sand when it comes to America leading the world in gun violence, please note that the Boulder and Atlanta mass killings were indicators of long-standing phenomena, not a “new normal.  It is tragic that mass-killings have been normative or, as one person stated, they existed “yesterday, today, and will continue tomorrow.”   

Carlow University is pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees has named Kathy W. Humphrey, PhD, as the 11th President of Carlow University. She was recommended to the Board by the Presidential Search Committee following a national search. The Board’s vote was unanimous. Dr. Humphrey comes to Carlow with 30 years of leadership experience in higher education, a deep commitment to student success and experience, and a strong allegiance to Carlow’s core Catholic Mercy values, especially regarding matters of social justice, equity and inclusion.

 Shady Side Academy has announced the appointment of Sean Simmons as its next director of athletics, effective this summer at a date to be determined. Simmons will succeed Gene Deal, who will conclude his highly successful 31-year run as AD this summer to assume a new role at SSA as alumni engagement officer. 

“We aim to reach diverse students and communities to champion change and empower historically underrepresented populations with greater opportunities to achieve brighter futures,” said Malesia Dunn, executive director, PPG Foundation and corporate global social responsibility.."

I am a 78-year-old, retired, Black male who is deeply appreciative of the fact that, on February  16, 2021, I received my second Coronavirus vaccination.  Nevertheless, I write to describe the taxing two-month process it took to do so in the world’s most “advanced” nation.  In pursuit of being vaccinated, the difficulties encountered concretized the significance of the [1] “the digital divide,” and [2] “systemic public health issues” as a function of one’s low-income status and race. 

Freedom House 2.0, like its predecessor, is leveraging expertise from the University of Pittsburgh to train first responders from economically disadvantaged communities, many of which have been significantly impacted by COVID-19. Participants receive mentorship and financial support, as well as state-approved emergency medical technician (EMT) certification and community paramedic/health care worker training.

The City of Pittsburgh’s Welcoming Pittsburgh has announced the release of their 2020 Annual Report today, highlighting their work and accomplishments from the past year. Welcoming Pittsburgh is an immigrant, refugee, new American, and asylee support and integration initiative launched by Mayor William Peduto in 2014. 

 The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation Sports Matter Giving Truck is hitting the road again, giving sports equipment to 10,000 more youth athletes in need. The Giving Truck will travel to eight cities across the U.S. – Charlotte, Atlanta, Tampa, Mobile, Houston, El Paso, Phoenix and Los Angeles – throughout the month of March.

The Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) announces that  Mr. Michael Jones has been hired as the organization’s new director of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). In his capacity as a member of the AIU’s Executive Leadership Team, Mr. Jones will design

and implement organization-wide DEI efforts and help shape a healthy and inclusive culture where everyone can grow and thrive

 The coffee shop and gathering space is part of the Avenues of Hope Initiative.  The coffee shop and café, located at 1836 Centre Avenue, is part of the Avenues of Hope initiative. Avenues of Hope addresses Pittsburgh’s lack of community development and economic inclusion in African American communities utilizing a holistic, community-centered approach.