If you would like to have your organization featured in this section, please send information to Robin@PittsburghUrbanMedia.com. 

PARDONING ALL 2021 INSURRECTIONISTS 

WOULD PALE IN COMPARISON TO THE PARDONING OF 

THE MOST EGREGIOIUS TRAITORS IN AMERICAN HISTORY

Many people remain in a tizzy regarding President Biden having recently granted a historic number of pardons, after having committed the faux pas of singularly pardoning his son.  Others languish in suppositions regarding to whom the newly elected President will grant pardons in January 2025.  Ignorant of American history, many don’t recall infamous pardons such as the following:

·  Bill Clinton pardoned his brother. 

·  Richard Nixon pardoned Jimmy Hoffa. 

·  Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon. 

·  George W. Bush commuted the sentence of “Scooter” Libby.  

·  Jimmy Carter pardoned Viet Nam draft dodgers. 

·  Donald Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner.  

All of the foregoing pardons as well as those that might be forthcoming in January 2025 pale In comparison to the pardoning of those who committed treason during the war that killed most Americans!  

Various estimates indicate that at least a half million soldiers died during the Civil War.  To put this number in perspective, more Americans died during the Civil War than all other wars combined, until the Viet Nam war deaths were included in the total.  Keeping in mind the fact that treason is one of the few crimes punishable by death, consider what former President Andrew Johnson declared on Christmas Day, 1868. 

“Now, therefore, be it known that I, Andrew Johnson President of the United States, by virtue of the power and authority in me vested by the Constitution and in the name of the sovereign people of the United States, do hereby proclaim and declare unconditionally and without reservation, to all and to every person who, directly or indirectly, participated in the late insurrection or rebellion a full pardon and amnesty for the offense of treason against the United States or of adhering to their enemies during the late civil war, with restoration of all rights, privileges, and immunities under the Constitution and the laws which have been made in pursuance thereof.”  

Today, states place various restrictions on convicted felons right to vote (See https://vote.gov/guide-to-voting/after-felony-conviction).  For example, convicted felons are generally prohibited from joining the U.S. military, yet we now face the prospect of one serving as Commander in Chief.  Other restrictions such as the right to own firearms are placed on convicted felons.  As noted earlier, treason is punishable by death.  Nevertheless, all rights, privileges, and immunities under the Constitution were restored for the more than one million Confederates who committed treason and, in the process, contributed to approximately a half million deaths!

As the current “powers that be” continue to “bind up the nation” for themselves, the anti-woke voices behind the curtain of the current Oz, soon to be President, do not want us to recall the continued extent to which “pardons”/miscarriages of justice, etc. occur when violence was heaped on Black Americans for things such as seeking to end chattel slavery; daring to vote in the Jim Crow South as well as Up North; sitting in a formerly segregated classroom, restaurant, or some other public facility; integrating publicly funded institutions of higher education; purchasing a home only to see it burned down in a formerly all-White neighborhood; merely worshiping in church; or simply driving while Black.  

Sadly, we live in an America where a Black man died when a White policeman put a choke hold on him and, recently, a White, male private citizen did so while riding public transportation, but was acquitted at trial.  In the latter case, not only was Daniel Penny not found guilty for killing Jordan Neely, mere days after being acquitted he was invited by Donald Trump and J.D. Vance to watch the 2024 Army-Navy football game.  According to Vance, “Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone?  I’m grateful he accepted my invitation and hope he’s able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage.”

Going forward, there is no reason to believe that Presidential pardons will be anything more than an extension of White, male, patriarchal privilege in a race-based, caste-like society.  If there remains an iota of doubt regarding the biased nature of pardons, consider the fact that President Biden’s recent pardons included, “A judge who helped orchestrate one of the worst judicial scandals in U. S. history — a scheme to send children to for-profit jails in exchange for kickbacks — was among the 1,500 people whose sentences were commuted by President Joe Biden this week.  Biden’s decision to commute the 17-year prison sentence of Michael Conahan angered many in northeastern Pennsylvania, from the governor to the families whose children were victimized by the disgraced former judge…”  (See https://apnews.com/article/kidsforcash-judge-conahan-commutation-biden-d32ee4cda3615469032d166a0f38814d).  At the same time, the NAACP and many other organizations partitioned for Biden to pardon former Baltimore State’s Attorney, Marilyn Mosby, who was convicted of perjury and mortgage fraud.  Although many Blacks believed Mosby’s to have been a targeted prosecution, she was not on Biden’s pardon list.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

December 16, 2024

As we continue to deconstruct the November 5, 2024 election, we should keep in mind some words of Carter G. Woodson, i.e., "History shows that it does not matter who is in power or what revolutionary forces take over the government, those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend solely on others never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they had in the beginning." (See Mis-education of the Negro).  Also worth remembering are lessons emanating from the Montgomery Alabama bus boycott.

Ending the Montgomery Alabama bus boycott, in June, 1956 “…the federal district court ruled in Browder v. Gayle that bus segregation was unconstitutional, and in November 1956 the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed Browder v. Gayle and struck down laws requiring segregated seating on public buses.” (See Montgomery Bus Boycott | The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute).  Appropriately, Blacks returned to making their rightful use of the Montgomery public transportation system.  Of long-lasting importance is the fact that they didn’t immediately institutionalize a Black-owned-and-operated system of transportation and, instead, depended primarily on others to address their transportation needs  --a very dangerous thing to do in a race-based, caste-like America.

A critical catalyst to the success of the Montgomery bus boycott was the collective grassroots effort of Montgomery Blacks, i.e. [1] Blacks were unified in boycotting the buses on which the Montgomery economy was dependent; [2] significant numbers of Blacks chose to walk to work rather than ride segregated buses; [3] Black church and other leaders organized carpools to help Blacks in need of transportation; and [4] Black taxi drivers charged Blacks lower fares (See Montgomery Bus Boycott ‑ Facts, Significance & Rosa Parks | HISTORY).  

In addition to the foregoing critical success factors, “Drivers needed something else: funds for gas and maintenance. To get them, they relied on donations and the unpaid labor of women within the movement.  …Women who worked thankless domestic jobs in white homes opened their own homes to civil rights workers from the North, drove others to and from work, and spent their evenings and weekends cooking for bake sales and food sales. They sold sandwiches, They sold chicken. They sold cake and pie. And they made money for the movement…” (See, How Automobiles Helped Power the Civil Rights Movement | Smithsonian}.  

In the spirit of Sankofa, consider what might have transpired if Blacks [1] as needed, not only got back on the Montgomery public buses, but also [2} turned their carpools into Black-owned-and-operated transportation services; and [3] empowered the Black women to develop their owned- and-operated food services.  These Blacks could have been the forerunners of DoorDash, Grubhub, Lyft, and Uber.  

The November 5, 2024 election results as well as previous adverse developments underscored the fact that Blacks are still overly dependent on others and, as such, a major consequence is that they are being forced to the backs of various “buses.”  For example, given the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to gut affirmative action, Black students are being forced to the back of the higher education “bus.”  (See Supreme Court reverses affirmative action, gutting race-conscious admissions : NPR).  (See https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/black-enrollment-dips-colleges-affirmative-action-ruling-rcna169575).  

Whereas “DEI” was once fashionable in the corporate sectors, Blacks are being forced to the back of the corporate “bus.”  As CNN reported in 2024, “When the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police set off a wave of racial unrest across the country in 2020, corporate America responded swiftly with renewed and public commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).  Major companies created new DEI positions or expanded teams dedicated to DEI and the phrase became a buzzword across the business landscape. Many corporate leaders pledged to hire more people of color, removed branding perceived to be racist and invested in historically Black colleges.  …But nearly four years later, the very public ousting of Harvard’s first Black woman president earlier this week has led to a new firestorm of debate about DEI efforts in corporate America and beyond.” ( DEI efforts are under siege. Here’s what experts say is at stake | CNN).

Across other American sectors such as []1 home ownership, [2] educational attainment, [3] health, and [4] generational wealth, Blacks are being forced to the back of the “buses.”  Although there is no panacea for this racist retrogression, one thing is certain, i.e., it is long past time to have a renewed Black commitment to doing for self.  Consider an example from sports in higher education.

The nature of NCAA athletics experienced a sea change with the implementation of NIL, i.e., Name, Image and Likeness.  The new rulings permit student athletes to do the following types of things:

• appearing in ad campaigns
• selling ads on their social accounts
• selling merchandise
• starting their own sports camps
• starting their own businesses
• selling signed memorabilia
• making paid appearances
• delivering speeches for money
• arranging autograph signings

(See What is NIL in college football? Need to know, what's next - College Football HQ).

If Black athletes are to avoid being in the back of the “NIL Bus,” then Black entrepreneurs as well as other Black professionals must become heavily involved with the burgeoning NIL industry  --helping students from Pee Wee Leagues to Travel Teams to College and beyond.  Now is the time to do for self and obtain results such as “Meet Nicole Lynn, the Black woman agent who negotiated Jalen Hurts' $255 million contract, making him the highest-paid player in the league.”  (See Who is Nicole Lynn? The trailblazing Black woman behind Jalen Hurts’ historic deal - TheGrio).  Otherwise, Black student athletes not only will find themselves in the back of the “NIL Bus,” it might also be the case that some of them who should be in the front of the “NIL Bus” will never board the “NIL Bus.”

In sum, Blacks must return to the old landmarks related to doing for self and, simultaneously, obtain their just benefits from American society.  We must build modern Tulsa, Oklahoma “Greenwood Districts”/“Black Wall Streets” where Blacks enjoy the very best in terms of homeownership, owned-and-operated businesses, excellent schools, the very best health facilities, viable families, and all else that contributes to wholesome communities that facilitate Blacks successfully negotiating a historically White, homophobic, patriarchal, misogynistic, racist, caste-like, xenophobic society.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

November 11, 2024

The United States Postal Service today unveiled a new stamp design honoring Kwanzaa, a Pan-African American holiday observed annually from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. 

The ceremony, in partnership with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), took place at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. 

“The Postal Service’s goal is to create stamps that resonate with people from all walks of life,” said Roderick Sallay, USPS director of legislative policy and strategy development. “The issuance of this Kwanzaa stamp is a powerful symbol of the enduring principles of the holiday. It recognizes Kwanzaa’s ability to inspire and unite people through its emphasis on community, self-determination and collective responsibility. By placing these values on a stamp, we affirm their universal relevance and their potential to enrich our daily lives.”

Joining Sallay for the ceremony were master of ceremonies Jourdan Hicks, a community correspondent and community educator; William M. Dulaney, ASALH president; Ekua Holmes, the stamp artist; Sala Udin, a community organizer; Anyah Nancy, vocalist; and the Balafon West African Dance Ensemble.

“The Association for the Study of African American Life and History commends the United States Postal Service for its recognition of the extreme cultural significance of Kwanzaa and its seven foundational principles,” said Dulaney. “By its issuance of a holiday stamp that honors Pan-African family and culture, the USPS affirms its belief that diversity is America’s strength, and thereby invites all Americans to celebrate with us in late December.”

Each year, millions of African Americans gather with friends and family throughout the week of Kwanzaa to honor the Pan-African holiday’s seven founding principles — unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba) and faith (imani).

Kwanzaa is a festive time for rejoicing in the prospect of health, prosperity and good luck in the coming year. It is also a time for contemplation and recollection of past hardships, faced by both individuals and communities, and the ways in which history can inform and affect future happiness. 

With origins in ancient and modern first-harvest festivities occurring across the African continent, Kwanzaa incorporates and reimagines many communal traditions as a contemporary celebration and reaffirmation of African American culture.

The Postal Service’s 10th Kwanzaa stamp since 1997 was inspired by a live performance by dancers from OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center, witnessed by artist Ekua Holmes, during a Kwanzaa event in Roxbury, MA. The stamp depicts three young performers — a male drummer and behind and to either side of him, two female dancers. He wears a dark blue, green, and orange kufi; a white shirt, and pants with a geometric black and white mud cloth-like pattern. His djembe — blue with a white drumhead — hangs from his neck by a red strap. The two dancers wear orange dresses and gold jewelry. One has a red hair band and all three figures have silhouetted black skin and hair. The floor beneath their feet is diamond patterned in shades of green, while the background features triangles in shades of red. Each dancer extends a knee and a bit of orange skirt beyond the image frame, into the white margin of the stamp.

The composition highlights the colors of the Pan-African flag — black, red, and green and West African designs on the floor, background and the drummer’s pants. 

Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with original artwork by Holmes. 

The Kwanzaa stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp in panes of 20. These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price. News of the Kwanzaa stamps are being shared with the hashtag #KwanzaaStamps. 

Teaching Associate Professor | Director of Outreach, Department of Biological Sciences at the  University of Pittsburgh to learn more about the GENE TEAM program.

The GENE TEAM  Aims to engage students in current research in Biological Sciences and provide college preparatory mentoring. The goal of the program is to increase participation in biological research from groups that are historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math. 

WHAT IS THE DAY LIKE FOR A GENE TEAM PARTICIPANT? 

Gene Team students are immersed in the world of science in a very authentic way. This means that each day brings its own activities, successes, and challenges. Nearly every day, they are engaged in hands-on experiences to set up experiments and/or collect their data. They also meticulously record the work they do in lab notebooks. As in research labs in the department, they spend a lot of time communicating their findings to their peers to help analyze their data. Gene Team also provides college prep to our students so on any given day they could be participating in a workshop to help teach them skills like creating online STEM portfolios and resumes/CVs or to help them navigate the Common App. No day is the same and I think students appreciate that aspect of the program.

TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT THE 2024 SUMMER GENE TEAM IS WORKING ON AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE STUDENTS GET OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE?

The Summer 2024 Gene Team students are partnering with the Rebeiz Lab at the University of Pittsburgh to explore the regulation of gene expression. Gene Expression is the process by which genes are “turned on and turned off” which makes organisms look and function the way that they do. What they learn can provide insights into the evolution of morphology or in other words how organisms look and function changes over time. They are doing this by looking into small proteins in the cell called transcription factors which act like switches to control when genes are expressed. They were able to use lab techniques like RNAi and CRISPR to shut down the genes for these transcription factors (or in other words shut down the switches) to see how the fly’s appearance, in this case the pigmentation, changes. 

Beyond the students gaining a strong understanding of genetics, we hope that the students gain confidence in their own abilities to participate in science. Often, they have experiences in school that shape how they view themselves based on metrics like test performance. We want students to understand that there are places for everyone in science. They all have unique strengths and the team they work with is stronger because of it. Additionally, we hope they feel ready for the college application process once they’ve completed the program. 

HOW IS THE GENE TEAM PROGRAM MAKING THE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF STUDENT PARTICIPANTS?

Our hope is that Gene Team impacts our students in many ways beyond just learning biology. Of course, we want our students to gain a deep understanding of the biological world and to think critically about how interconnected concepts they may have learned in school are. Moreso, we aim to improve students’ critical thinking skills, data analysis skills, ability to design experiments, and work as independent scientists as well as collaborate within their groups. These transferrable skills will allow our students to be successful in any future endeavors. We also see firsthand how building these skills and being part of a research team increases students’ sense of belonging in STEM. After completing the program, students really see themselves as scientists and believe they can be successful in STEM careers (we see this anecdotally backed up by assessment data). We see tremendous growth in so many different areas of each member of our team which they carry with them throughout the rest of high school and beyond.

HOW IS THIS PROGRAM HELPING ESPECIALLY MINORITY STUDENTS GET ENGAGED INTO BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND RESEARCH? 

Studies have shown that a critical factor in success in STEM is a student’s STEM identity. Role models, a sense of belonging, and authentic STEM experiences all build that STEM identity. Students who are ultimately successful in STEM tend to have a broad STEM community, which include both in-school and out-of-school supports who nurture learning. STEM identity and sense of belonging has been cited as a major component of STEM retention, and that women and underrepresented minority students often lack a sense of belonging. Through Gene Team, students are building relationships and fostering a STEM community, and we believe that students are more likely to pursue and persist in STEM as a result.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE STUDENTS CONSIDER AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE?

After they’ve been completely immersed in an authentic biology research experience, they now know what it is like to be in that career path. While of course we’d be thrilled if they all decided they were so inspired by the experience that they all want to pursue a career in biology, we know that won’t be the case. Some of them will learn that this career path is not for them. Either way, we hope they feel more empowered that they’ve learned something about themselves and their interests. In addition to this knowledge about their own interests, we equip them with many tools for success in the college process. We also hope that they consider utilizing these tools in ways that work for them as they continue carving out their own futures.

THE Gene Team has been accredited by Middles States Association for broadening participation in STEM. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HELP PUSH FOR EQUITABLE FUTURES IN STEM?

The MSA-CESS accreditation is a ground-breaking step towards elevating the critical learning and skills development provided by Gene Team through increased visibility and value in the higher education admissions process, promoting greater equity in college admissions. Out-of-school educational programs experiences are disproportionately important for students who systematically have reduced access to advanced STEM experiences in their high schools, and accreditation validates these underrecognized opportunities. This creates a mechanism for admissions officers to understand and recognize our students’ experiences in Gene Team. We are thrilled to be accredited, which can lead to more holistic admissions reviews for our students.

WHAT SORT OF PLANS FOR THE FUTURE TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM OR SUSTAIN IT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF GENE TEAM PARTICIPANTS?

Gene Team is part of the STEM PUSH Network, a nationwide initiative to develop a new admissions model for evaluating students who have participated in pre-college STEM programs. The network developed the accreditation process that allowed Gene Team to be one of the first precollege STEM programs (PCSPs) in the country to be accredited for broadening participation of traditionally excluded populations in STEM. STEM PUSH partner programs are committed to continuous improvement on evidence-based quality standards for broadening participation in STEM across six areas (Program Goals, Student Recruitment, Program Design & Implementation, Student Services, Assessment & Evidence of Performance, and College Going Pathways).Partner programs to strengthen their programming for racially/ethnically minoritized students along the quality standards, and to generate effective practices which contribute to the broader field of equitable design and implementation in pre-college programming. We examine STEM education practice and systems through an equity lens, reflect on our strengths and areas for growth, apply improvement science tools and routines to facilitate program and systems change, and build program capacity for continuous improvement and evaluation. Therefore, we are constantly looking at ways to strengthen our programming and make sure we are serving our students well. 

AT THE END OF THE EXPERIENCE, WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD WATCHING THE STUDENTS ENGAGE IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES?

Historically, there has been a lot of gatekeeping in fields like biology which means the barriers needed to overcome the inequities of the past are immense. As we walk around the room and watch the students, who are from a variety of backgrounds and schools, do biology research, little cracks start to form in the mountain of the problem. Watching the students pick up on complex concepts like CRISPR and RNAi in just a few days is awe-inspiring. These kids, our future, are ready. All they need is to be given that chance and when given the chance, they rise to the occasion. We are proud to run Gene Team that puts the spotlight on the students and gives them the opportunity to shine. We are proud to be part of the STEM PUSH network which unites dozens of programs like Gene Team all over the country with the common goal of letting the student’s shine. Most of all, we’re proud of the students continuing to show us there is hope if we all keep working to give the students these opportunities to shine.

Learn More about the GENE TEAM program click here 

The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works (DPW) Forestry Division began work on the 2024 Homewood street tree project.  

The tree project includes the addition of 100+trees to the neighborhood as well as the pruning of overgrown trees and the removal of hazardous ones. DPW Forestry will be working with a contractor to perform all of the pruning which will begin Tuesday, June 18th including removals that will continue throughout the end of the summer.  

"Planting trees in lower-income neighborhoods improves air quality, provides shade, and beautifies our streets, fostering a healthier and more equitable Pittsburgh for all," said Mayor Ed Gainey.  

This project comes after extensive engagement and feedback from Homewood residents. The goal is to plant street trees to provide house-friendly shade and residential green spaces. Additionally, trees are shown to help protect the health of residents and lower the average temperature.  

Visit the DPW Forestry Division website to learn more about the project, follow current progress, and request street trees in your neighborhood.   

On March 26, 2024, a megaton cargo ship struck the 1972-77 built Francis Scott Key Bridge, leaving in its wake horrible deaths and unfathomable world-wide negative economic impact.  For more than two decades, from the deck of our waterfront home, the sky’s landscape featured the Francis Scott Key Bridge.  Daily, we could see vehicles pass over and under the Bridge.  As this article is being written, it has not been possible for me to adequately describe the eerie feeling experienced when I look into the empty sky where the Bridge was once featured or I stare across the water where the cargo ship sits loaded with hazard waste and supporting huge steel fragments of the former Bridge  --a gloomy sight that now serves as a call for action by the national collective.  

Speaking shortly after the collapse of the  Francis Scott Key Bridge, President Biden declared "It is my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort.”  If indeed the “federal government” pays for the Bridge’s reconstruction, perhaps the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, like the mythical Phoenix, should serve as a catalyst to help bridge the pathway for America’s unfinished democratic dream.  

If Congress supports President Biden’s determination to use “we the people’s dollars” to build a new bridge, then we should not build a new bridge bearing the name of Francis Scott Key given that “In 1814, Key was a slaveholding lawyer from an old Maryland plantation family, who thanks to a system of human bondage had grown rich and powerful.  When he wrote the poem that would, in 1931, become the national anthem and proclaim our nation “the land of the free,” like Jefferson, Key not only profited from slaves, he harbored racist conceptions of American citizenship and human potential. Africans in America, he said, were: ‘a distinct and inferior race of people, which all experience proves to be the greatest evil that afflicts a community.’” (see https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/wheres-debate-francis-scott-keys-slave-holding-legacy-180959550/).  

Given his direct involvement in slavery, how could Francis Scott Key possibly have included Blacks when he wrote, “O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave” as these words were  written in 1814 and it was not until 1863 that the Emancipation Proclamation was issued?  Instead of rebuilding in the name of a long-time practicing racist, would it not be better to name the new bridge the Harriet Tubman Freedom Bridge?

“Born around 1822 in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Tubman is one of the most lauded, recognized, and revered figures in American history.  …The middle child of nine enslaved siblings, Harriet Tubman was raised by parents who struggled against great odds to keep their family together.  …Tubman successfully escaped to Philadelphia in 1849. Once free, she became an operator of the Underground Railroad — a secret network of people, places and routes that provided shelter and assistance to escaping slaves. She courageously returned to Maryland at least 13 times over the course of a decade to rescue her parents, brothers, family members, and friends, guiding them safely to freedom.”  (see Harriet Tubman - Harriet Tubman Byway).

Imagine, when passengers cross over and under the Harriett Tubman Freedom Bridge, they are reminded of America’s promise to truly be the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”  As the multi-billion-dollar construction project unfolds, imagine in the name of freedom, Blacks, women and others currently adversely socio-economically impacted receiving equitable proportions of the construction contracts.  Consider the implications of a booming Baltimore-based economy that contributes to the elimination of widespread poverty in Baltimore and elsewhere.  Think about how much healing might take place if the new Bridge became a frame of reference for what truly can transpire in terms of America making good on its most sacred promises!  

Let’s not rebuild a bridge in the name of a person with a very unsavory past  -a person who committed crimes against humanity by profiting from chattel slave ownership and used his legal education to defend the institution of slavery in general as well as to help slave owners regain their “property,” i.e., runaway slaves.  Let’s build a new bridge in the name of a true American heroine, i.e., the Harriet Tubman Freedom Bridge.  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

April 2, 2024

Steelers announce new community field and youth-recreation complex at Hazelwood Green; state-of-the art facility, to be developed by Tishman Speyer, will serve young people in Hazelwood and across the region.

Richard King Mellon Foundation awards $10 million for construction.

The Pittsburgh Steelers today announced an historic expansion of their longstanding commitment to local youth: A new, state-of-the-art community field and youth-recreation complex at Hazelwood Green.

The complex will be operated by the Steelers Charities and branded with the Steelers logo. Activities will include youth football; clinics with current and former Steelers players and coaches; boys and girls flag football; soccer games and clinics; and renovation of a 10,000 square-foot building on the site to enable indoor sports and recreation activities, so the site can be utilized year-round. As it grows, the complex also could include top-tier food and beverage concessions; and enhancements to the main field so that it also could be utilized for high-school sports.

Tishman Speyer, which was selected in 2022 by Almono Partners to serve as the master developer of the 178-acre Hazelwood Green site, will develop the youth sports and recreation complex on behalf of the Steelers. Construction will begin next year with a grand opening planned for 2025.

"We are excited to be part of this special project which will provide the young athletes of our region access to a state-of-the-art facility at Hazelwood Green," said Dan Rooney, Steelers Director of Business Development & Strategy. "Not only will the field be utilized for various clinics and games in the community, but the Steelers plan to use the field for community programming and player-led initiatives. It is a very exciting announcement, and we are appreciative of the efforts of so many people in the community to help make this a reality, in particular the Richard King Mellon Foundation and Tishman Speyer."

Tim Smith, Founder and CEO of Center of Life, a Hazelwood community-empowerment organization, said, "Center of Life (COL) is thrilled to welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Greater Hazelwood community. COL has partnered with the Steelers for several years, providing tickets for our families, students and staff to attend football games and engaging our students in the NFL's "My Cleats, My Cause" program. The players have volunteered and participated in our community events, filling bags with food for Thanksgiving meals, delivering turkeys to families, and helping students with homework. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been great community partners, but now they'll be partners in the community. "Here We Go!" Together!

The project is a collaboration of three generational, community-focused organizations: The Steelers; Tishman Speyer; and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

The Steelers, one of the NFL's oldest franchises, were founded 90 years ago by Art Rooney Sr.; today the organization is led by his grandson, Art Rooney II. Tishman Speyer, an internationally admired developer focused on building vibrant communities, traces its roots back 125 years and is led by CEO Rob Speyer. And the Richard King Mellon Foundation is Pittsburgh's largest philanthropy and one of the 50 largest in the world; the foundation was founded 76 years ago and today is led by Richard King Mellon's grandchildren.

The new Steelers field is centered on a shared belief between the three organizations in the central importance of sports and recreation in youth development, and a shared commitment to assure that such opportunities are available to all. The project is meant to decisively address a well-documented shortage of youth-centric sports and recreation destinations in the City of Pittsburgh.

The complex will be built in the section of Hazelwood Green most easily accessible to the Hazelwood community. It will serve youth from Hazelwood and across the Pittsburgh region.

"The Steelers organization has a long history of giving back to their community of fans," said Sonya Tilghman, executive director of Hazelwood Initiative, Inc. "It's exciting that they want Hazelwood to be their home. But, not only will this facility provide a place for Steelers-sponsored programs and events -- the facility will be a resource for community organization's programming as well. This facility will be a great addition to our community, and we're looking forward to having the Steelers as our neighbors!"

The Richard King Mellon Foundation has awarded a $10 million grant to Steelers Charities, the team's charitable arm, to fund construction of the new community field.

"Our Board approved this funding because this historic project advances so many of the Foundation's philanthropic priorities," said Sam Reiman, Director of the Foundation. "This new community field will become a destination to advance the health and well-being and future economic mobility of youth in Hazelwood and across our region. It will spur economic development in Hazelwood and all of Pittsburgh. And it is yet another compelling demonstration of the unique potential of Hazelwood Green to attract nationally respected organizations to work together to create a new model of community and economic development to benefit the people of Hazelwood and our region."

As master developer of Hazelwood Green, Tishman Speyer will draw upon its experience and expertise managing similar community-focused partnerships with the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Harvard University. In addition to its partnership with Steelers Charities and the Foundation, Tishman Speyer is working with Carnegie Mellon University on the new Robotics Innovation Center and the University of Pittsburgh on a new biomanufacturing center at Hazelwood Green, the BioForge.

"A key objective of this historic redevelopment is to harness the energy and dedication of Pittsburgh's most beloved institutions to enrich the neighborhoods surrounding Hazelwood Green," said Tishman Speyer CEO Rob Speyer. "The Steelers' field and youth recreation complex embodies that commitment and will give back to the community, the city and its families for decades to come."

The field will be located at the site's southeast entrance on Hazelwood Avenue between Gloster Street and Tecumseh Street.

Hazelwood Green is directly across the Monongahela River from the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, the Steelers' Southside training complex and offices.

"I want to thank the Pittsburgh Steelers, Richard King Mellon Foundation, Tishman Speyer, and Almono for coming together in partnership to create a safe place for our kids to learn and play," said Mayor Ed Gainey. "These types of partnerships are what make Pittsburgh great, and I'm excited to see just how big of an impact this investment will have on the community of Hazelwood. This field will help children across the city and provide opportunities for them to learn and have a healthy future."

"There is huge demand for additional playing fields in the City of Pittsburgh," said Barbara Warwick, District 5 City Council Member. "And youth football is particularly important here in Hazelwood. I'm really excited to see the Steelers, Tishman Speyer, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation coming together to bring this much-needed asset to the community."

"Congratulations to the Hazelwood Green team for the partnership with the Steelers to build a community field," said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. "Thank you to the Steelers, Tishman Speyer and RK Mellon for your commitment to Hazelwood. We are fortunate to have such partners in this region."

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About Hazelwood Green Hazelwood Green is the site of the former LTV Steel mill. A 178-acre riverside tract with a Downtown view, it is owned by three Pittsburgh foundations – the Benedum Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation. The three foundations – working together as Almono LP – have collaborated to prepare the site for development, and in partnership with Tishman Speyer are establishing a new model of community-focused economic development, with affordable housing, community recreation and a site-wide commitment to sustainability. Hazelwood Green is the emerging home to Pittsburgh's most advanced and promising industries. Carnegie Mellon University – already operating in the Mill 19 building – will construct its new Robotics Innovation Center at Hazelwood Green. And the University of Pittsburgh will build the BioForge at Hazelwood Green, a sophisticated biomanufacturing center. The Richard King Mellon Foundation has awarded $175 million in funding for the CMU and Pitt projects.

Source: Steelers

City Theatre’s Lester Hamburg Studio Theatre has been renamed the Lillie Theatre.

City Theatre has paid tribute to the legacy of Kuntu Repertory Theatre founder and artistic director Dr. Vernell Audrey Watson Lillie by renaming its studio theater in her honor.

The former Lester Hamburg Studio, the 102-seat black box that is part of City’s South Side campus, is now the Lillie Theatre, a tribute to the award-winning Pittsburgh educator, artist, advocate and Black theater leader, who died on May 11, 2020. 

The announcement noted that Dr. Lillie “was a co-founder of the Black Theatre Network and served as a mentor, director and inspiration to countless artists through Kuntu and as a long-time professor at the University of Pittsburgh.”

City Theatre founder Marjorie Walker consulted with Dr. Lillie on the company’s formation in the mid 1970s, and Dr. Lillie went on to assist on more than a dozen City productions. 

A steering committee was formed after her death to explore ways to formally honor and celebrate her, City’s press release said, and the theater was renamed with the unanimous support from its board of directors,

“With the naming of the Dr. Vernell Audrey Watson Lillie Theatre at City Theatre, we honor her legacy of excellence and accomplishment, and recognize the critical and transformative impact she had on African American artists and lovers of theater nationwide,” said City Theatre co-artistic director Marc Masterson, who knew and worked with Dr. Lillie for more than 20 years. “Dr. Lillie was an inspiration to me and so many others and she made the world and community a better place through her art and her influence. We are so honored to memorialize her legacy for generations to come.” 

Charisse R. Lillie, speaking on behalf of her sister, Dr. Marsha (Hisani) Lillie-Blanton, and their families, said in a statement, “Our mother was the ultimate mentor, mother-figure, consultant, confidante, and even a source of financial support for her students, and sometimes their families. She loved her students, the Black Theatre Network, and Kuntu Repertory Theatre – which we used to joke was her third child and for which she dedicated her heart and soul. She viewed Black theater as a tool for educating, elevating and uplifting the African-American community which would, in turn, educate, elevate and uplift the nation and the world. We are very grateful to City Theatre for this wonderful gift they are giving our family.” 

“Dr. Lillie was a pioneer. She created a path, she created opportunities – specifically for Black artists and Black people who didn’t realize that they were artists until they tapped into that strength inside of them,” said City  co-artistic director Monteze Freeland, who first worked with Dr. Lillie in a production of August Wilson’s Radio Golf in 2010. “Dr. Lillie was an encourager; she taught me – and told me – that I needed to love myself and she led by example: No one else was going to knock her down.” 

A ceremony that was to unveil the new Lillie Theatre name and signage on May 22 was postponed due to rising Covid-19 concerns, and will be rescheduled for this fall. Prepared remarks for the postponed event from Charisse Lillie and Dr. Lillie’s long-time colleague and collaborator, Eileen J. Morris, are available at CityTheatreCompany.org/LillieTheatre. The company welcomes additional remembrances of Dr. Lillie which will be shared online and on screens in the City Theatre lobby.

Source: onStage Pittsburgh

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.

“This property once was the center of Black cultural life in Pittsburgh, and a national artistic destination,” said Foundation Director Sam Reiman. “The National Negro Opera Company – the first permanent African-American opera company in the nation – called it home. And it was a safe house for great musicians, such as Cab Calloway, Lena Horne and Duke Ellington, and for visiting athletes, such as heavyweight champion Joe Louis  and our own Roberto Clemente.

“But the property has been vacant for half a century, and now is dangerously close to becoming unsalvageable. The National Trust for Historic Preservation rightly has named it one of the most endangered historic places in the nation. Jonnet Solomon took the first and most important step, buying the property to save it from demolition. But now she needs help – and not just to save it, but to make it special once again, converting it into a self-guided museum, with powerful programming for disadvantaged young artists of today.

“The Foundation is hoping its initial gift will inspire other Pittsburgh community leaders – and leaders across the nation – to support Jonnet in this noble quest. Together, we can save a landmark before it’s too late. We can help young artists today to find a welcoming place again. And we can bolster Homewood’s ongoing efforts to return to its rightful place as a cultural and community hub.”

“This has been a 20-year, life-altering labor of love,” said Solomon, an accountant by profession who purchased the Queen Anne-style house, with the late Miriam White, in 2000. “And I’m more hopeful now than ever that we can preserve this historic house, and make it an artistic hub for the community once again. This gift is the catalyst that will inspire others to do the same.”

The house first rose to national significance in the 1940s, when opera singer Mary Cardwell Dawson rented space there for the National Negro Opera Company.  The company disbanded in the 1960s.

Solomon’s vision of saving the property and restoring it to new vital uses requires more than $2 million. Solomon has launched a website to tell the story of the home’s history and future vision, and to raise funds. The story has captivated national attention. But donations have been sparse.

So the Foundation stepped in to get things started.

Grammy and Emmy award winning mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, along with her team and a network of singers, also have been highly instrumental in the attention being given to the National Negro Opera House. “I feel a great obligation to this important monument of American history that has been so long neglected,” she wrote in a fundraising appeal to fellow artists. Graves founded The Denyce Graves Foundation to support projects like this. Raising funds and national awareness for the National Opera House is the foundation’s first philanthropic project. 

The Richard King Mellon Foundation’s $500,000 grant will go through Pittsburgh Opera, which is assisting Solomon with the effort and serving as fiscal sponsor for the Foundation’s grant.

“Pittsburgh Opera is working as a key collaborator in developing the artistic programming that will be based in the renovated facility to celebrate the rich operatic history of our region and to fulfill the dream of Mary Cardwell Dawson by providing opportunities for children in Pittsburgh most affected by racial inequalities in education and the arts,” said Christopher Hahn, Pittsburgh Opera’s General Director.