Our communities matter, Hello Pittsburgh, We see You!

 "Black professors at historically White institutions must understand that, notwithstanding their distinguished academic credentials, they were not hired simply because of their academic credentials. They were hired because Black student, faculty, administrator, and alumni activists pushed such institutions to implement an array of Black faculty hiring initiatives! As such, they were not hired to assume a privileged position whereby they avoided what they rather myopically believe to be a “Black Tax.”  

 The board of directors of the Women and Girls Foundation is proud and excited to announce that, after an extensive search, it’s named Camila Rivera-Tinsley as its new CEO. 

Rivera-Tinsley is the former director of education for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and brings to her new role extensive experience in advocacy, nonprofit management, issues of equity and diversity and environmental justice. 

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC have selected MaCalus V. Hogan, M.D., MBA as the new David Silver Professor and Chair of Pitt’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at UPMC, following a thoughtful yearlong national search to succeed Freddie H. Fu, M.D., whose legacy as department chair from 1998 to 2021 attained a stellar international reputation for leading key scientific and clinical innovations. 

The Heinz Family Foundation  announces the recipients of the 27th Heinz Awards, which will present unrestricted cash awards totaling $1.5 million to seven Americans for outstanding contributions in the categories of the Arts, the Economy and the Environment. Recipient, Vanessa German, Visual Artist and Founder, ARThouse, from Pittsburgh,  is a visual and performance artist whose assemblage sculpture, installations, spoken-word poetry and community-based work confront racism, violence, homophobia and hate, while also expressing hope for healing.

Seeking a better Pennsylvania for all of the commonwealth’s residents is what public service is all about for me. I’ve spent the better part of my adult life seeking ‘what is better’ for my community in many different capacities. And after serving a term as the chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus (PLBC), here is what I know: listening to and investing in Black Pennsylvanians will pay major dividends- boosting both the commonwealth’s economy and social justice efforts.

  The City of Pittsburgh and Computer Reach announced the successful donation of 324 desktop computers, 74 laptop computers, 427 monitors, 243 keyboards, and 170 mice to Computer Reach. This first donation, completed in early August, is the culmination of multiple years of work by the Department of Innovation & Performance (I&P) to give back these devices to the community and avoid paying an e-waste recycler for proper disposal.

Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank is

celebrating its 10th anniversary of serving families in the region on September 29th at the Energy Innovation Center with longtime supporter Mayor Ed Gainey.

The nonprofit was founded in 2012 by Rev. Phillip and Cathy Battle, who has

led the organization as its Executive Director since its conception. The

organization has grown from a grass-roots effort at one church to a robust

partner distribution model that serves over 12,000 families in three counties. 

 Gavin Benjamin, former resident artist at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, returns to the Museum for an exhibition featuring photographic portraits of local community members taken during his residency. Gavin Benjamin: Break Down and Let It All Out, the inaugural project of the Museum’s new contemporary series to be featured in its historic paneled rooms, will be on view from October 16, 2022 through February 5, 2023. Through this exhibition, Benjamin works to acknowledge the past while also visualizing possibilities for the present and gesturing to a more equitable future.

 Anthony T. Browder is an author, publisher, cultural historian, artist, and an educational consultant. He is a graduate of Howard and has lectured extensively throughout the United States and five continents. Mr. Browder is the founder and director of IKG Cultural Resources and has devoted 43 years researching ancient Egyptian history, science, philosophy and culture. He has traveled to Egypt 65 times since 1980 and is currently director of the ASA Restoration Project, which is funding the excavation and restoration of three 25th dynasty tombs of Kushite noblemen on the west bank of Luxor, Egypt.

 Per Scholas, a national nonprofit committed to advancing economic mobility and increasing access to tech careers, awards Mike Tomlin, the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL), its Diverse by Design North Star Award. This award celebrates change makers who are leading the charge when it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).

While Seton Hill University Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Tricia Shelton recently received the Black Excellence in Education Lifetime Achievement Award from the State of Black Learning, she won’t be leaving education anytime soon.  "I feel so affirmed,” said Shelton, who also serves as Director of Field Placement for Seton Hill’s School of Education.

Dr. Charlene Newkirk, Southeast Region President, Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), has been appointed to the Commission on Structured Pathways of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Dr. Newkirk, one of two dozen commission members, will serve a three-year term. The Commission on Structured Pathways focuses on strategies for scaling community college pathways across systems, states and the nation. 

Koppers Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KOP), today announced that Kevin Washington has joined the company as Vice President of External Affairs, effective June 13, 2022.  In this role, Mr. Washington is responsible for managing relationships with federal, state and local government agencies, leading the company's legislative and regulatory public policy strategy, and engaging with local community and industry stakeholders.

FAME (Fund for Advancement of Minorities Through Education) announced that The Neighborhood Academy joins FAME as their newest partner school. This partnership will help change the educational landscape for Pittsburgh's African American community.

According to Public Source, from 2017-18, statewide numbers show achievement gaps between white and black students across Pennsylvania of 34 percentage points for English, 36

percentage points for math, and 39 percentage points for science.

F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB) announced it is making a $2.5 million equity commitment to Black Tech Nation Ventures (BTN.vc), a majority Black-owned venture capital fund based in Pittsburgh, PA. BTN.vc provides funding and resources for Black-led technology startups and firms with diverse founders and teams, with a goal of enabling wealth creation for underrepresented entrepreneurs in FNB’s seven-state footprint and across the United States.

 The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA)  announces that its URA Ventures Pilot has closed on its first cohort of Main Street investments: Hazelwood Cafe LLC, Blanket & Board LLC, and Live Fresh Cold Pressed Juice + Smoothie Bar. 

"The Ventures Pilot is the type of program we need to address the inequities in the business community when it comes to access to capital for MWBE companies," said Mayor Ed Gainey.

 U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (D-PA) announced that the City of Pittsburgh received $11,320,000 in funding for the “New Pathways to Equity” project to invest in human-focused infrastructure in the Hill District. The funding comes from a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Grant, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

 The year 2020 was one of unrest: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted society while the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black people in America sparked a wave of global protests. During this already turbulent time, Black youth were also experiencing an uptick in online racial discrimination, a new University of Pittsburgh study has found.