Antonio Brown

ANTONIO BROWN SUSPENDED FOR FIRST 8 REGULAR-SEASON GAMES OF 2020 SEASON FOR VIOLATIONS OF NFL’S PERSONAL CONDUCT POLICY

Antonio Brown was notified today by NFL Special Counsel for Conduct Todd Jones that he has been suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games of the 2020 season for multiple violations of the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy.

Brown, who played one game in the 2019 season for the New England Patriots before being released, is an unrestricted free agent and may sign with any team. If he is signed before the start of the 2020 season, Brown would be eligible to participate in all of his club's preseason activities. Brown's suspension would take effect as of the final roster reduction on September 5. He would be eligible to return after the team's eighth game.

As part of the discipline, Brown was directed to continue his program of counseling and treatment, and that he is expected fully to cooperate with his clinicians. 

Brown was advised that any future violation of the Personal Conduct Policy will likely result in more significant discipline. 

Source: NFL

This month, Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” turns 60. In recent years, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has sparked criticism for how it addresses race and racism. Some have labeled it having a White savior complex.

The novel, set in the 1930s in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, is anchored around the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. Atticus Finch, a white man, serves as Robinson’s lawyer. Widely considered a coming-of-age novel, the story is told from the perspective of Scout Finch, Atticus’ daughter, who is six years old when the book begins.

As the book marks its 60-year milestone, and as teachers prepare for fall, Pittwire reached out to Geoffrey Glover, a lecturer in the Department of English in Pitt’s Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, for a conversation about the book amid renewed controversy—and guidance on how to approach it in the classroom.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is studied in classrooms across America. More recently, the book has come under scrutiny. Where do you see it being problematic?

That’s one of the things I’ve been getting my students and teachers to focus on. The very idea that this novel actually speaks about racism as a complex well-rounded treatment is a bit of a misnomer.

Rather, it approaches racism from one direction—from an external, White outsider mentality. The focus of the novel is zeroed in on either Scout as an innocent character or Atticus, a paragon of moral virtue standing up against injustices. But what’s lost in that is the focus on Black humanity and Black complexity. We have Tom Robinson, who is literally killed by the system of judicial practice that is going on during this time period. That’s often neglected in these discussions. The text moves us away from that and moves toward a portrait of white courage, even white guilt to a certain extent.

That said, if we can’t modernize the discussion of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” we’re doing a disservice to the spirit of the book.

So, do you think the novel should be taken out of curriculum altogether?

I still believe this text should be taught, but how it’s taught should be carefully contextualized.

It also matters when it’s taught. The discussions are different in middle school, high school and college classrooms. I would argue that you may need to teach it more than once. Revisiting it would encourage students to actually see their growth in their understanding of racism as a systemic process and their growth in their participation in that system, whether voluntary or not.

What are reasons that the novel should be taught?

We can hold the novel up as an early attempt of dealing with racism. It deals with race as a problem of personal morality. That’s the implication you get. There’s a loss of innocence we see in the story, that gaining of experience and the moral compass of the story. Especially if you locate it in Scout versus Atticus. Race is a problem that can be addressed through multiple generations. It acknowledges that White America needs to own this problem too.

The story also recognizes the interconnectedness of race, class and gender. The crime that’s investigated is a rape of a White woman of lower class by a Black man. The woman is questionable in her credibility because of her class, and the Black man isn’t believed because of his race. It reflects the story of Emmett Till. It’s not just an issue of race, but also of class and gender.

The book does promote an early form of anti-racism that we are building off of and adding to now. You can see it as a process novel. It’s an early step in formulating an anti-racist mentality for the majority of the United States. It does imply that White Americans should fix inequality following years of inequality.

What are some better ways to approach this novel?

One way to approach it is to de-center Whiteness. You can have an oppositional reading of the text that focuses on the few instances of Black characters and give students the opportunity to create their own meaning for some of the scenes.

Teachers can also have their students act out certain scenes. You have White characters who are given a whole lot of direction through the text, but consider asking students, “What are Tom’s motivation for scenes, how is he acting? How would you portray that?” You can go into depth into these characters by changing the medium.

In the book, the Ewells are poor White individuals; they aren’t good or upstanding. That’s a good thing. It shows there are ranks of power and control within Whiteness. In classrooms, we can talk about how those are constructed and maintained. Important questions to ask are: “What does whiteness mean in the 1960s, when it was written? What does it mean in the 1930s when the book is set? And what does it mean now?” Those are three historical contexts we have to balance as readers.

How about framing Atticus, the classic hero figure in the story?

I think we should be de-romanticizing Atticus. The reasons why are clearer when you look at Lee’s second novel, “Go Set a Watchman.” In that story, Scout returns to her hometown later in life and is dealing with her father, who hasn’t aged well. He’s more than arguably racist in this second story. That suggests that his actions in the novel may not be motivated by a heroic need to right the wrongs of racial inequality in America. Rather, he just likes the idea of fairness, order and continuity and dislikes the idea of chaos and illegal behavior of all kinds.

This is a discussion that can be valuable to students. But if you hold him up as a hero, it undermines the complexity that we don’t like to see in our heroes. It’s an interesting way of teaching the text.

You mention pairing the novel with something else is also a good approach. Do you have any suggestions?

There are a host of different readings you can pair it with to meet different purposes. For talking about a Black child’s interaction with racism versus white child’s interaction with racism, and the loss of innocence they both experience, I’d pair it with “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison—obviously for college students.  

“Recitatif,” a short story also by Toni Morrison, is another. The characters in this story are never defined by their race; there are no racial markers. We, the readers, bring race into it. So, consider reading this short story and then bring that process into “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

There’s Octavia Butler’s “Kindred.” It humanizes Black experiences and the legacy of slavery and racism. Compare that that approach to “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It’s interesting because “Kindred” a time-travel story about a Black woman in the 1970s who travels back in time and is enslaved.

“Internment,” by Samira Ahmed is another one. It talks about being crushed under institutional racism from a Muslim’s perspective. That in and of itself is valuable because it’s talking about different vectors of the same problem.

Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man,” or “Battle Royale” both focus on the failure of institutions to support help or free African Americans during the middle of the 20th century.

“They Eyes are Watching God,” by Zora Neale Hurston is another.

My personal favorite: “If He Hollers Let Him God,” by Chester Himes. It’s very much about Black rage and rage against institutions of racism. It links to the despair Tom felt as he went to escape.

How are conversations about this book different today than they may have been as recent as last year?

Just in the past three months, we’re seen a massive transformation in the kind of social discussion we’re having and the awareness of policing and law enforcement.

You can actively see an awareness by larger groups of people. Folks that may not have concerned themselves with race at all may now be thrust into these conversations they can’t help but deal with. They may feel indicted or oppressed themselves. We may not have been able to have that conversation last year. I don’t think the same people would’ve shown up.

Source: University of Pittsburgh

Clyde Wilson Pickett, a leading expert in higher education diversity and inclusion strategy, has been named the University of Pittsburgh’s vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion. Charged with ensuring a welcome, inclusive and equitable environment for students, faculty and staff across all campuses, Pickett is set to start in July 2020.

Pickett is no stranger to Pittsburgh. An alumnus of the Doctor of Education (EdD) program in Pitt’s School of Education, he served as chief diversity officer for the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), and most recently, as chief diversity officer for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. While at Minnesota State, Pickett was responsible for leading and developing system-wide diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and policy guidance for Minnesota State’s 54 campuses.

In his new role, Pickett will collaborate with University leadership to ensure that Pitt’s mission, vision and strategic priorities are aligned with creating a more inclusive, diverse culture of belonging. He will also lead proactive initiatives, services, connections and education across Pitt’s campuses pertaining to diversity and inclusion. In the last academic year, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion underwent a strategic restructure to position itself toward more focused, proactive work with an emphasis on prevention and education.

“There is no one better to serve in the position of vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion than Clyde Pickett,” said Kathy Humphrey, senior vice chancellor for engagement and secretary of the Board of Trustees. “I am delighted to welcome Clyde to the University of Pittsburgh, where his experience and leadership will help us live up to our commitment of making Pitt a more equitable place.”

“I am very excited about joining the University of Pittsburgh and working collaboratively on strategies to further advance equity, access, inclusion and belonging at the University,” said Pickett. “I am appreciative for the opportunity and am committed to working hard to establish strong relationships built on trust, integrity, authenticity, visibility and transparency.”

Pickett has assumed various leadership roles over the course of his career including advancing best practices for diversity; recruitment; and the retention of students, staff and faculty of color. He is an expert in organizational leadership development and data-informed decision-making related to diversity and inclusion. An administrator and scholar with considerable experience translating theory into practice, he has expertise in strategic planning and Title IX.

Pickett’s professional accomplishments include:

• Establishing and implementing the Minnesota State Equity and Inclusion Council, composed of stakeholders from eight bargaining units consisting of faculty, staff, students and administrators.
• Developing a system-wide framework to examine campus climate at the 37 Minnesota State institutions.
• Developing and executing a strategy to apply equity as a formal component of policy review.
• Developing and facilitating a leadership training for new career and aspiring senior diversity officers.
• Organizing a systemwide cultural competency training for all employees at CCAC.
• Developing initiatives at Ohio Northern University, where he served as director of multicultural development and director of new student orientation, that resulted in a 43% increase in retention of students of color and consulting on projects that increased the University’s population of students of color by 7%.
• Established a multicultural center at Ohio Northern University.

At Pitt, Pickett will succeed Pamela Connelly, who served as the University’s first vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion and stepped down in January 2020. Katie Pope, associate vice chancellor of civil rights and Title IX, served as interim vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion while a national search for Connelly’s successor was conducted.

Homewood is home to many of Pittsburgh’s most admired small businesses, who for decades have lined the neighborhood’s main streets -- from Salik’s Hardware, to Wade’s Barber Shop, or Dana’s Bakery, the neighborhood is home to over 100 independently owned businesses.

Since launching in 2014, The Homewood-Brushton Business Association (HBBA), whose goal is to foster the development and growth of the Homewood-Brushton Business Community, has been dedicated to marketing their neighborhood businesses, hosting events and small business workshops, connecting entrepreneurs with resources, and building a strong network of small business owners within the community. 

COVID-19 has left Pittsburgh’s small business owners and neighborhood business district organizations wondering how to overcome the economic impact of small business closures and slowdowns after many years, or even decades, of efforts were made to reinvest and build their local commercial corridors. Since first feeling the impact of COVID-19 as a nation, HBBA was at the forefront of creating solutions to best serve their small business community.  With the understanding that Homewood small business would be hit hard by the economic consequences of Pennsylvania’s mandated stay-at-home order, HBBA worked to connect with local leaders and agencies to compile and distribute resources.

HBBA was awarded $10,000 by The POISE Foundation to support the HBBA COVID-19 4-key Priorities Plan (Wellness, Continuity, Outreach and Needs Assessment).  As an outreach objective, HBBA has created, assembled, and is distributing “Back to Business” boxes to dozens of businesses. The kits contain masks, hand sanitizer, bleach, hand soap, paper towels, gloves, social distancing floor decals and arrows, CDC guidelines and tips for safety, neighborhood updates and upcoming events hosted by the organization.

HBBA, an all-volunteer board of neighborhood small businesses and stakeholders, purchased the supplies, packed the boxes, and has distributed 31 “Back to Business” kits to Homewood businesses with another round to come.  The hope that the kits could both ignite engagement and support safe reopening. 

With the development of commercial retail facing another uphill battle, the work of the HBBA is more important than ever. The group hopes to continue its efforts to promote the purchase of gift cards, take-out, and online shopping through their up-to-date website:  http://homewoodbiz.org/giftcards/  and continue to raise funds to help support Homewood-based businesses in small ways, and every day.

Brittee Clay, owner of Jones Printing and President of HBBA notes: “As long as there is life, there is a potential; and as long as there is a potential, there will be a success! You will sprout again when cut down! You will rise again even when you fall!”, and that’s just what businesses in Homewood will do. 

If you are interested in supporting the ongoing efforts of HBBA, PayPal donations can be sent to hbba.payment@gmail.com.  To follow our upcoming events, please stay tuned to https://www.facebook.com/hbbapa.  For more information, check out our website here http://homewoodbiz.org/.