The 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh (April 23-25) will be a massive, free, three-day event centered on the North Shore (Acrisure Stadium) and Point State Park, connecting the two with the Roberto Clemente Bridge. It will feature the Draft Theater, interactive games, and player appearances, with 500,000–700,000 visitors expected. 

 Details for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh:

• Location: The Draft Campus is split across the Allegheny River, featuring the Draft Theater on the North Shore near Acrisure Stadium and the NFL Draft Experience(fan festival) at Point State Park.
• Dates: Thursday, April 23 – Saturday, April 25, 2026.
• Atmosphere & Transportation: The Roberto Clemente Bridge will be pedestrian-only, and the Gateway Clipper will transport fans across the water.
• Fan Activities: Free entry, player meet & greets, autograph sessions, and interactive football games (40-yard dash, field goal kicks) in the NFL OnePass app.
• Impact: Estimated 500,000–700,000 visitors and $120–$160 million in economic impact.
• School Closure: Pittsburgh public schools will hold remote learning from April 22-24, 2026, due to traffic and safety preparations. 

The Steelers last hosted a draft in 1948. The event is designed to spotlight Pittsburgh's history and riverfront scenery.

Concerns regarding the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, which is scheduled for April 23-25, 2026, center on the inclusion of local Black-owned businesses, economic equity, security, and public safety. 

NAACP Pittsburgh Branch & Local Business Concerns

• Exclusion Concerns: Concerns have been raised by community advocates, including B. Marshall, that Black businesses are being excluded from prime opportunities and contracts related to the NFL Draft.
• Economic Equity: Advocates have held press conferences highlighting the need for the Draft to bring economic benefits to low-income neighborhoods rather than just large corporations.
• Business Advocacy: The NAACP Pittsburgh Branch has been engaged in discussions regarding these inequities, with activists advocating for fairer participation.

Other 2026 NFL Draft Concerns

• Security & Geopolitics: Pittsburgh Police are increasing security efforts due to high attendance expectations (over 360,000 people) and potential security threats related to ongoing international tensions.
• Public Safety & Crime: Local residents and authorities are preparing for an influx of people, raising concerns about potential increases in petty crime, traffic, and harassment.
• School Disruptions: Pittsburgh Public Schools are going remote during the draft, with concerns about student safety and disruptions to the academic calendar, including PSSA testing.
• Event Planning Feuds: There have been reports of disagreements between local event organizers and the city regarding permitting and inclusion for the events. 

The NAACP Pittsburgh Branch has also been active in broader civic efforts, including soliciting public input on a new police chief nominee and advocating for voting rights, as seen in their recent activities.

Approximately 165 local businesses were selected for the 2026 NFL Draft Source Program in Pittsburgh to provide services ranging from catering and security to linens and event production. While the NFL has not released a specific, public breakdown of how many of these are Black-owned, several local initiatives and businesses have been highlighted for their involvement or efforts to participate. 

Key Black-Owned/Led Initiatives & Potential Participants:

• The Pitt Building (Cocoapreneur): Located on Smithfield Street, this Black-owned building is organizing the "Cocoapreneur Market" to provide spaces for Black-owned businesses to showcase and sell products during the Draft (April 23-25, 2026).
• Ya Momz House, Inc.: A Black-owned digital media and creative agency, identified as being selected for the Source Program to provide photography and videography services.
• Cocoapreneur: Founded by Khamil Bailey, this initiative is actively working to ensure Black-owned businesses are included in the economic opportunities of the draft. WTAE +1

Context on Participation and Concerns:

• Selection Process: The Source Program aims to connect local and diverse businesses (minority, woman, veteran, etc.) with subcontracting opportunities.
• Concerns over Access: Some Black business owners and the Pittsburgh NAACP have expressed frustration regarding the secrecy of the vendor selection process and have questioned the level of representation, prompting the creation of independent, localized markets like the one at The Pitt Building.
• Event-Ready Focus: The program, run in partnership with VisitPITTSBURGH and the Steelers, requires businesses to be the direct source of goods/services. 

While an official, comprehensive list of all selected Black-owned vendors has not been published, the above entities are prominent in local coverage regarding participation. 

Press Release:

NFL & City of Pittsburgh Stop 100 Black & Minority Business Vendors From Participating In Upcoming NFL Draft 

Pittsburgh Officials and the NFL have announced that over $215 million dollars would be generated in Pittsburgh PA, based on the upcoming NFL Draft from direct spending by Draft attendees with local brick n' mortars business owners in this City.

In October 2025, Pittsburgh event producer, William Marshall submitted an City Application to host a Proposed "Pittsburgh Draft Bash" in Downtown Pittsburgh, where some 100 small Black and Minority Business Owners could sell products during the upcoming NFL Draft.

Following the Three Rivers Art Festival, Marshall has used this same location during the annual Juneteenth, Black Music Celebration and Pittsburgh Soul Food Festival as a Small Business Vendor Zone to allow Minority Businesses to sell products to event attendees, make money and then circulate those funds back into Pittsburgh's disadvantaged communities.

On Wednesday March 4th, 2026, Marshall and other small business vendors held a Press Conference to announce that because of the City's inaction on his pending Special Events Application, Marshall determined that it was now to late to produce the planned Draft Bash event, which has caused over 100 small Black Business Owners to miss out on the anticipated $215 million dollars that the City and NFL have announced that local businesses would share.

Learn More Here

However, in response to Marshall's Press Conference, the City offered Marshall the opportunity to set-up FIVE (5) Black Business Owners to participate in the Draft - Marshall declined this offer as he believed that it would not be fair to the remaining 95 businesses who had applied to sell Products at his proposed event.

But on March 2nd, at a NFL Stakeholders Town Hall Meeting at Acrisure Stadium, NFL Officials announced that they planned to set-up Vendors in Point State Park and throughout the Northshore NFL Draft Zone, and that these businesses would be allowed to sell products to Draft attendees and to keep 100% of their profits.

None of the local Black business owners who applied with Marshall for the Draft Bash have been selected by the NFL or City to participate in the NFL Vendor Program inside Point State Park or the Northshore.

Other actions are now being considered to address this inequality.

“Racism. The belief in the inherent superiority of one race over all others and thereby the right to dominance, manifest and implied. …My response to racism is anger. I have lived with that anger, ignoring it, feeding upon it, learning to use it before it laid my visions to waste, for most of my life. …My fear of anger taught me nothing. ...Women responding to racism means women responding to anger; Anger of exclusion, of  unquestioned privilege, of racial distortions, of silence, ill-use, stereotyping, defensiveness, misnaming, betrayal, and co-optation…”  (Audre Lorde, 1981, “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism”)

The effective pursuit of social justice requires that ongoing attention be paid to the systems, structures, strategies, and tactics that uphold a given oppressive system.  Accordingly, Women’s History Month is a good time to review the Angry Black Woman(ABW) stereotype which was created by racists to control the narrative related to and, in turn, the behavior of Black American women!  

The insidious ABW stereotype’s behavior controlling dynamic is as follows:  If Black women do not comply with a submissive persona, then they are deemed to be angry, castrating, intransient, hostile, overbearing, militant, and everything else but civil. Indeed, the ABW stereotype is sadistic in that its perpetrators’ pleasure is derived from Black women enduringthe pain inflicted by realties such as [1] employmentdiscrimination, [2] overrepresentation as victims of violent crimes, [3] the lack of high quality and accessible maternal health care, and, in general [4] being the “mules” of American society! At her best racist and sexist-derived adult persona, the Black woman would be an ingenue awaiting the guidance of her male patriarch.

Resisting the ABW stereotype in 1981, Audre Lorde explained as follows:  “…Black women are expected to use our anger only in the service of other people’s salvation or learning. But that time is over. …For it is not the anger of Black women which is dripping down over this globe like a diseased liquid. It is not my anger that launches rockets, spends over sixty thousand dollars a second on missiles and other agents of war and death, slaughters children in cities, stockpiles nerve gas and chemical bombs, sodomizes our daughters and our earth. It is not the anger of Black women which corrodes into blind, dehumanizing power, bent upon the annihilation of us all unless we meet it with what we have, our power to examine and to redefine the terms upon which we will live and work; our power to envision and to reconstruct, anger by painful anger, stone upon heavy stone, a future of pollinating difference and the earth to support our choices.”

When one has been hurt systemically as long as Black American women have, then their personal and collective freedom demand that they not accede to the ABW stereotype. As Maya Angelou stated, “You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn’t do anything to the object of its displeasure. So, use that anger. You write it. You paint it. You dance it. You march it. You vote it. You do everything about it. You talk it. Never stop talking it.” 

Seemingly, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman was tuned into Angelou’s advice during the following exchange.

“She’s just a poet. That was the moment the studio changed.

During a live panel discussion, Karoline Leavitt dismissed Amanda Gorman’s comments about the growing disconnect between political messaging and everyday communities, waving her off with a familiar refrain: stick to poetry. The room expected Amanda to offer a polite smile, soften the tension, and retreat into metaphor. She didn’t.

She leaned forward, calm and composed.

‘I may write poems,” she said evenly, but don’t confuse art with naivety. You may see this country through briefing rooms and polling data. I see it through classrooms, communities, and conversations with young people who are shaping its future.’

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Smiles faded. The studio fell quiet.

‘Poetry is built on truth,  …On listening closely enough to hear what others overlook. And right now, many Americans feel like their realities are being translated into slogans instead of being understood.’

For a brief moment, there was no response.

No interruption.

No comeback.

Not because the exchange was dramatic—but because it resonated.

Amanda Gorman didn’t argue legislation.

She simply refused to let her art be mistaken for silence.”

FULL STORY: https://verixo.blog/posts/just-hk-khuyen123-team-tien-tntg

In 2026, those who are deemed to be angry Black women should know that they are in great history-making company, e.g., Amanda Gorman, Angel Reese, Lena Horne, Shirey Chisholm, Michele Obama, Maxine Waters, Serena Williams, Anita Hill, Meghan Markle, Alice Walker, Simone Biles, Toni Morrison, Coco Gauff, Shonda Rhimes, and Kamala Harris as well as the multitude of Black women who demand high quality and equal treatment in classrooms, meeting rooms, medical rooms, or simply while using public transportation on a given day after being overworked and underpaid as in the case of Ms. Rosa Parks who was sick and tired of being sick and tired of dealing with the injustices faced by Black people. 

I benefitted from a Black woman whom White public-schoolofficials deemed an ABW every time she “showed up and showed out” on my behalf.  One notable instance was when, without my or my parents’ inputs, a school official placed me in Industrial Arts instead of the College Curriculum.  Unannounced, my Mama went to the school and refused to leave the building until I was signed up for Algebra I, College English, Biology, and the rest of the courses designed for students interested in going on to college.  Thanks, Mama, for harnessing your anger and, in turn, launching me on a more than half century career in higher education.

Parenthetically, it would be a significant lacuna if it were not acknowledged herein that all too many Black men have used the ABW stereotype.  Some of them have done so to justify things such as [1] their individual abuse of Black women; [2] their romantic relations with women of other races; and [3] their assignment of Black women to secondary leadership roles in Black churches and political organizations.  

An especially egregious act by some Black men is the fact that a significant number of them voted for Trump, notwithstanding the fact that “…During an interview …with Fox Business network anchor Maria Bartiromo, Trump launched into a bevy of attacks on women he's deemed his top 2020 targets of the election season. …his distaste for Harris, who identifies as Black and Indian American, stood out as he took most of his time to assail the senator's character.  ‘And now, you have - a sort of - a mad woman, I call her, because she was so angry and - such hatred with Justice Kavanaugh,’ Trump told Bartiromo. ‘I mean, I've never seen anything like it. She was the angriest of the group and they were all angry. ... These are seriously ill people.’ …Trump called Harris a ‘nasty’ woman and said she was ‘probably nastier than even Pocahontas to Joe Biden’ during the Democratic debates, referring to Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts…” (See, Trump deploys the 'angry Black woman' trope against Kamala Harris | Congresswoman Frederica Wilson).

Notwithstanding the foregoing dynamics, Maya Angeou’s words still ring true.

“You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

…Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still, I'll rise.

…You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise…”

Jack L. Daniel, Co-founder Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

March 1, 2026

Today, Governor Josh Shapiro ordered United States and Commonwealth flags on all Commonwealth facilities, public buildings, and grounds across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fly at half-staff on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in honor of Reverend Jesse Jackson who passed away earlier this month. This tribute will coincide with the last day of memorial services scheduled for Rev. Jackson.

Rev. Jesse Jackson was a civil rights activist and Baptist minister who championed the civil rights movement. Throughout his life of service, Rev. Jackson made countless visits to Pennsylvania, advocating for labor rights and civil rights across the Commonwealth — from Pittsburgh and Erie to Harrisburg and Philadelphia.

On one of his last visits to the Commonwealth, in October 2024, Rev. Jackson was hosted by the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. While in the Capitol, Rev. Jackson was recognized by the General Assembly for founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which advocates for civil rights, economic equality, voting rights and social justice.

In a post on X(opens in a new tab), Governor Shapiro said: 

“Rev. Jesse Jackson was a change maker, a boundary breaker, and a passionate and unrelenting crusader for civil rights, equality and opportunity. To be around him felt like you were experiencing history. It was an honor to share the pulpit with him back in September of 2016 at Sharon Baptist Church in West Philly. I hung on his every word and could feel how much his presence meant to the congregation. Lori and I are praying for his wife Jacqueline, his family, and everyone he inspired over the years. May the memory of Rev. Jesse Jackson be a blessing.”

The flags shall remain lowered until sunset on Saturday, March 7, 2026. 

All Pennsylvanians are invited to participate in this tribute. 

Go FUNDME: https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-maklim-support-his-familys-fight

Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) sent a formal congressional inquiry to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demanding answers regarding the detention of Maklim Gomez Escalante, an asylum seeker and constituent living in Brentwood, Pennsylvania. 

Gomez Escalante, who has a valid work permit and no criminal record, was detained in mid-January. He remains in federal custody following a recent hospitalization, raising additional concerns from his family regarding his health, access to follow-up medical care, and the basis for his continued detention. 

“I am deeply alarmed by the detention of Maklim Gomez Escalante, an asylum seeker and member of our community who followed the legal process, holds a valid work permit, and has no criminal record. When individuals who have done everything asked of them are detained without clear explanation, it sends a chilling message to immigrant families across our region that due process is being eroded. This case reflects a broader pattern of enforcement that is terrorizing communities and placing lawful asylum seekers directly in harm’s way. 

“That’s why I have sent a formal congressional inquiry demanding answers about the basis of his detention, the conditions of his confinement, and the status of his medical care following his recent hospitalization. His family and our community deserve transparency and accountability, and we will not be silent while our neighbors are taken and held without justification. We stand in solidarity with the Gomez Escalante family and with every immigrant neighbor living in fear of an agency that continues to operate with impunity, and I will keep using every tool available to defend the rights, dignity, and humanity of the people I represent.” 

Congresswoman Lee’s inquiry requests detailed information about the circumstances surrounding Gomez Escalante’s arrest, the legal justification for his detention, and the conditions of his confinement, including his medical evaluation and treatment while in ICE custody. 

In her letter, Congresswoman Lee demanded detailed responses from ICE, including answers to the following: 

1. How many people have been detained in Pennsylvania’s 12 Congressional District in January 20226? 
2. What is the status of those who were detained? 
3. What basis were they detained? 
4. Why were ICE agents not in uniform and not providing appropriate identification? 
5. Where is Mr. Gomez Escalante’s work permit that he presented to the ICE agents? 
6. Why do ICE facilities charge an exorbitant amount of fees to make outgoing calls?  
7. Why was Mr. Gomez Escalante denied contact with his wife after receiving medical care? 
8. Why has Mr. Gomez Escalante been constantly handcuffed to his bed? 
9. How many medical professionals are available in the Moshannon Valley Processing Center? 
10. What kind of continued medical care is Mr. Gomez Escalante currently receiving? 
11. Why have U.S House of Representatives been denied to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center? 

Rep. Lee has consistently used her platform and oversight authority to challenge ICE abuses and pursue accountability of DHS leadership.  

Most recently, Rep. Lee joined Pittsburgh community members and immigrant rights advocates at a “Pittsburgh Says: ICE Out!” demonstration calling for ICE to end its presence in the region. Standing alongside protestors, she condemned the agency’s enforcement tactics as harmful and destabilizing to local families and reiterated her call to abolish ICE altogether. 

Rep. Lee joined her colleagues in introducing articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, citing a pattern of civil rights violations, obstruction of congressional oversight, and failure to protect due process in ICE enforcement operations. The articles followed months of escalating concerns over DHS leadership and ICE conduct nationwide.  

Rep. Lee also introduced legislation alongside Reps. Delia C. Ramirez and Yvette D. Clarke to end ICE detention altogether and redirect funding toward community-based services, legal support, and humanitarian care. The legislation seeks to dismantle the detention pipeline and move federal resources away from incarceration and toward dignity-centered alternatives.  

As DHS funding negotiations intensified, Rep. Lee joined Pennsylvania House Democrats in urging Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick to oppose DHS appropriations that fail to include meaningful reforms.  

In October 2025, Rep. Lee led oversight efforts demanding answers from DHS after reports revealed ICE’s use of foreign spyware technology capable of covert surveillance. Alongside Reps. Shontel Brown and Yassamin Ansari, she pressed DHS to explain how such tools were deployed and what safeguards, if any, were in place to protect Americans’ privacy and constitutional rights.  

During an attempted oversight visit to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in August 2025, Rep. Lee and a Human Rights First advocate were denied entry despite credible allegations of abuse and the death of a detainee. The denial raised further concerns about transparency within ICE detention facilities and DHS’s resistance to congressional oversight.  

Rep. Lee, alongside Reps. Maxwell Frost and Delia C. Ramirez, introduced the Oversight Access Act. This legislation is designed to protect Members of Congress from violence and retaliation while conducting official oversight duties. The bill responds to increasing concerns about threats and physical assaults faced by lawmakers as they attempt to hold agencies like ICE and DHS accountable and aims to ensure that congressional oversight can proceed safely and without interference.  

Rep. Lee, serving as a Ranking Member, also joined Rep. Robert Garcia in demanding DHS explain ICE’s use of masks and unmarked vehicles during enforcement operations. She warned that these tactics terrorize communities, undermine public trust, and blur the line between lawful enforcement and intimidation.    

Rep. Lee has also publicly condemned ICE raids carried out in Los Angeles under the Trump administration, calling them an abuse of power that ripped families apart and spread fear throughout immigrant communities. She emphasized that enforcement tactics rooted in punishment rather than humanity only deepen harm and instability. 

Full text of the congressional inquiry is available below: 

February 11, 2026 

Todd M. Lyons 

Acting Director 

U.S Immigration and Custom Enforcement 

500 12th St SW 

Washington, DC 20536 

Dear Acting Director Lyons: 

On January 20th, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents illegally detained Maklim Gomez Escalante, a resident of Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District at his scheduled court appearance at the Magisterial District Court in Baldwin. According to local reports, Mr. Gomez Escalante’s wife did not hear from her husband for hours and by 8pm discovered that he was located at the Northern Regional Correctional Facility in Marshall County, West Virginia, followed by a transfer to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County the next day.1 

Mr. Gomez Escalante is a 35-year-old resident of Brentwood, Pennsylvania. In 2021, he emigrated with his family from El Salvador to seek asylum through the legal process. He and his family have Social Security numbers and have valid work permits that do not expire until 2030.  

The four ICE agents who detained him were not in uniform and upon Mr. Gomez Escalante presenting his work permit, they snapped it in half and threw it away. Mr. Gomez Escalante does not have a criminal record nor pending charges. On February 2nd, his wife learned from a fellow inmate that he had been taken to the hospital after having stroke-like symptoms. He has since been returned to Moshannon Valley Processing Center and is experiencing partial facial paralysis. 

I have questions about this specific detainment and ICE activities. I request responses to the following questions by February 17, 2026. 

1. How many people have been detained in Pennsylvania’s 12 Congressional District in January 20226? 
2. What is the status of those who were detained? 
3. What basis were they detained? 
4. Why were ICE agents not in uniform and not providing appropriate identification? 
5. Where is Mr. Gomez Escalante’s work permit that he presented to the ICE agents? 
6. Why do ICE facilities charge an exorbitant amount of fees to make outgoing calls? 
7. Why was Mr. Gomez Escalante denied contact with his wife after receiving medical care? 
8. Why has Mr. Gomez Escalante been constantly handcuffed to his bed? 
9. How many medical professionals are available in the Moshannon Valley Processing Center? 
10. What kind of continued medical care is Mr. Gomez Escalante currently receiving? 
11. Why have U.S House of Representatives been denied to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center? 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. 

Sincerely, 

Congresswoman Summer L. Lee  

Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District 

PITTSBURGH – Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato today signed a sweeping Executive Order establishing a comprehensive, countywide housing strategy, “HOUSING for All.” As part of Executive Order, Innamorato announced that Allegheny County will launch a new Housing Investment Fund.

“Creating more affordable housing and housing options across the board is a top priority for my administration,” said County Executive Innamorato. “Strong communities start with stable housing, and we’re working across every department and function of county government to deliver on a unified, long-term housing strategy. HOUSING for All is building an Allegheny County where every resident has access to a safe, affordable place to call home.”

The HOUSING for All Executive Order establishes the County’s first coordinated housing framework, bringing together production, preservation, prevention, and land use under a single strategy. The Executive Order directs county agencies to work across departments and with municipal, nonprofit, and private partners to address the full spectrum of housing needs.

The order includes a number of key directives, including:

• A countywide Housing Needs Assessment to precisely quantify housing shortages by income level, geography, and household size, and identify barriers to housing production.
• Creation of a new Housing Investment Fund, a flexible, long-term source of capital dedicated to housing production and preservation.
• A major expansion of land recycling and blight remediation to convert vacant and underused properties into new housing and restore local tax bases.
• Protecting and sustaining successful programs such as 500 in 500, 1st Home Allegheny, eviction prevention, and Whole Home Repair.
• Expanding housing supply through leveraging County-owned property, incentivizing and supporting municipal zoning modernization, and, most importantly, new investment strategies to catalyze affordable housing development.

With a goal of raising $50-$100 million, the new Housing Investment Fund will pool public and private dollars to support deeply affordable housing, workforce housing, and mixed-income development. It will be designed to help the County respond to shrinking federal housing resources and move more quickly when development opportunities arise.

“The success of Allegheny County’s 500 in 500 program in guiding people experiencing homelessness into secure housing demonstrated what is possible when County departments, municipalities and community partners work together toward shared goals,” said Rob Stephany, The Heinz Endowments’ Senior Director of Community & Economic Development. “This Executive Order builds on that model of collaboration and has the potential to catalyze genuine innovation in affordable housing deployment across income levels and neighborhoods throughout Allegheny County. We're encouraged by the County's commitment to data-driven strategies, from the Housing Needs Assessment to the focus on land recycling and blight remediation, and we look forward to supporting this work as it unfolds."

Despite mounting housing pressures, Allegheny County has made significant progress in recent years. Since June 2024, the County’s 500 in 500 Initiative has housed more than 620 people exiting shelter. In its first year of funding, 1st Home Allegheny helped 56 first-time homebuyers purchase homes by providing closing costs to income-qualified buyers. The County’s eviction prevention system has become a statewide and national model.

Hunter, an accountant for a local non-profit organization, used 1st Home Allegheny to purchase their home in Castle Shannon. "I have nothing but positive things to say about the experience - all of the people working on the program communicated clearly and quickly, getting us everything we needed" Hunter said. 

HOUSING for All is designed to lock in and scale those successes.

The Executive Order also directs the County to conduct a comprehensive review of all county-owned property to identify sites suitable for housing development and to prioritize preserving existing affordable housing through home repair, lead remediation, and proactive anti-displacement strategies.

“County Executive Innamorato’s leadership around affordable housing has delivered real, meaningful results for the residents of Allegheny County,” said Lena Andrews, CEO of ACTION-Housing. “Her focus on people, accountability, and long-term impact continues to move our region forward. Today’s Executive Order is another crucial step in building a strong foundation for the county’s future.”

HOUSING for All advances the County’s broader All In Allegheny agenda, focused on safety, connection, and opportunity for every resident.

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation. The incident has sparked protests and controversy due to conflicting accounts from local officials and federal authorities. 

Pa Governor Josh Shapiro Issues a statement on the Shooting of Alex Pretti:

"ICE’s clear abuses of power are only creating danger in our communities. We saw it with the killing of Renee Good, and we see it with more horrific videos of another killing today.

Law enforcement’s goal should always be to keep people safe and build trust with the community. That’s what the Pennsylvania State Police and our local partners do every day.

ICE, directed by Donald Trump and his Administration, is violating people’s constitutional rights. It’s past time for them to stop wreaking havoc on our communities."

Rep. Summer Lee:

"Federal agents are executing Americans in the streets. None of us are safe in a police state.

Abolish ICE."

Congressman Chris Deluzio:

"ICE agents are eroding law and order and public safety and undermining local law enforcement. They have killed Americans on American streets, masking their faces and eroding American liberties—all as directed by the Trump Administration. End this chaos now."

• Federal Authorities' Account: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims Pretti "approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun" and "violently resisted" efforts to disarm him, at which point an agent fired in self-defense. High-ranking DHS officials suggested Pretti intended to kill agents.
• Local Officials' Account & Video Evidence: Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara stated Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry and no serious criminal record. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the DHS narrative "nonsense" and "lies," citing video evidence. A CNN analysis of video footage appears to show an officer removing a gun from Pretti just before shots were fired.
• Context: The shooting was the third in Minneapolis involving federal immigration agents in recent weeks and occurred amid ongoing protests against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement surge. State investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported being blocked from the scene by federal agents. 

MAKE AMERICA GROTESQUE AND APPALLING AGAIN (MAGAA):  Why Venezuela and Minneapolis Might = Waterloo!    

 In a January 8, 2026 New York Times interview, the President of the United States responded as follows to what could constrain his power as commander in chief.  “Yeah, there is one thing.  My own morality.  My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.  I don’t need international law…”     

  Displaying some of the most grotesque and appalling disregard for human life, America [1] stole the land from indigenous people, slaughtered many of them, and placed the remainder on desolate reservations; [2] fought its bloodiest war ever rather than end centuries of chattel slavery; and [3] dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  

During 2025, led by its President, America seemed to be in pursuit of making America grotesque and appalling again (MAGGA).  Often, in doing so, the American leader turned his wrath on Americans.  Consider, for example, the deployment of National Guard troops.   

  Under false pretenses and actions later deemed illegal, throughout 2025 the President of the United States deployed military troops in 10 mostly Democrat-led American cities (See Where Trump Has Sent Troops So Far, and Which Cities Are Pushing Back - Capital B News).  In addition to disrupting the lives of impacted residents as well as the troops and their families, West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom was killed by an allegedly mentally ill assassin.  It is estimated that the  ill-advised, ill-conceived, ill-timed deployment of National Guard troops cost more than $340 million (See, Trump troop deployments to US cities have cost more than $340 million, senator says | Reuters).  As an example of his irrationality, consider the fact that the President discussed the possibility of sending troops to Baltimore, yet during 2025, Baltimore had its lowest homicide rate in nearly 50 years! (See, Baltimore records lowest homicide rate in nearly 50 years).  

  We were told that ICE agents would remove the “criminals, mentally ill, prisoners, gang members, drug dealers” etc. sent from other countries to America.  Instead, we observed American citizens not only intimidated, but also 1 killed as in the case of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on January 7, 2025.   An October 17, 2025  PROREPUBLICA article indicated that more than 170 US citizens were held by immigrant agents.  “Among the citizens detained are nearly 20 children, including two with cancer. That includes four who were held for weeks with their undocumented mother and without access to the family’s attorney until a congresswoman intervened.”  (See, https://lailluminator.com/2025/10/17/ice-citizens-arrest/)   

  Not satisfied with making life miserable for Americans, during 2025, the President displayed America’s grotesque underbelly with his unilateral declaration of tariffs on allies such as Canada, Mexico, and many European nations.  Then, to make matters worse, came the lose-lipped Presidential rhetoric regarding the annexation of Greenland which would be tantamount to an attack on a NATO nation. The President’s war-related behavior is so bizarre that one is reminded of the “dehumanization of warfare” displayed in the movie “Dr Strangelove.”   As evidence, consider the attacks on nations unable to defend themselves.   

  The 7 countries included in United States’ 2025 bombings were as follows: Nigeria, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen  --all nations populated by people of color.   It is estimated that at least 95 people have been killed in the boat strikes near Venezuela.  We don’t know the number of deaths, but the best public estimated cost of capturing Maduro is $60 million (See, How Much Did The U.S. Spend To Capture Maduro?) and various estimates are that billions have been spent on the deployment of American ships, etc.       

 As we begin 2026, it seems that we have gotten MAGAA instead of MAGA!  If there remains any doubt, consider the fact that we began 2026 with   

• Racism, homophobia, ethnocentrism, and xenophobia running rampant;
• Millions of Americans scampering to secure health insurance;
• Increasingly, higher education is an expensive dream deferred;
• Many of the current generation unable to purchase homes;
• The President recently threatened $10 billion cut to child care funds;
• 2025 was the weakest job growth since 2003
• In November 2025, Black unemployment reached 8.1%, the highest since 2021; 
• Health, wealth, and educational disparities continue to grow;
• Reproductive justice is under attack; 
• A lack of science-based policy has contributed to measles outbreaks;
• Almost 50 million people face food insecurity; and
• The cost of the proverbial egg continues to rise.

Perhaps POTUS should take a look in the mirror and ascertain if, because of what he has done, he should add America to his list of “shithole countries.”  As we daily drown in the narcissistic, unpredictable, and often irrational bull from his pulpit. e.g., “running Venezuela for years,” having “just called off a second strike against Venezuela,” “Canada becoming the 51st state,” “annexing Greenland,” “Cuba could be next,” “might makes right,” etc., there might be some hope gleaned from the fact that history is replete with battles such as those at Waterloo, Algiers, Little Bighorn, Haitian Revolution, Afghanistan, and Viet Nam.  And then there is the biblical statement regarding excessive arrogance, i.e., “pride goeth before the fall.”  Moreover, lest one thinks herein resides a bit of hyperbole, people in the streets across America bare witness to the foregoing MAGAA concerns.  Could it be possible that POTUS met his Waterloo at Venezuela and Minneapolis?   As Malcolm X often said, “time will tell.”       

Jack L. Daniel   Co-founder, Freed Panther Society   

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media 

 Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black  

January 11, 2026       

The gift creates the Rees-Chancellor’s Scholars Program at the University of Pittsburgh’s David C. Frederick Honors College.

The University of Pittsburgh celebrates a $30 million gift from Michael Rees (ENGR ’97, A&S ’97, FHC ’97) and family to create a program within its highly ranked honors college to attract outstanding first-year students and support them over the course of their undergraduate degree.

The gift creates an endowed fund that will expand the number of Frederick Honors College (FHC) students receiving full room, board, and tuition scholarships through the existing Chancellor’s Scholars program. The cohort of 64 students at a time, now known as Rees-Chancellor’s Scholars, will each receive an annual, funded enrichment opportunity to cover the cost of experiential learning opportunities, providing them financial support to pursue their passions and develop their leadership.

“Michael Rees exemplifies the possibilities of a Pitt education,” said Chancellor Joan Gabel. “His transformational gift not only ensures that the best and brightest continue to choose and be served by Pitt, but that our honors college continues its incredible momentum.” 

In addition to providing generous scholarship support and funding for research, internships, career development, networking and other enrichment experiences, the gift will add additional staff members to the Honors College, creating a team dedicated to supporting the cohort. This gift will create one of the most holistic scholarship programs and robust honors college education in the country through an individualized educational and co-curricular program supported by dedicated advisors. The new team members will establish a recruitment pipeline to attract the best candidates and will work with each student to personalize their Frederick Honors experience, receiving targeted guidance in applying and preparing for international scholarships such as Rhodes and Fulbright. 

“My time at Pitt laid the foundation for my career, and my honors program experiences are what really shaped me into the person I am today,” said Rees, an Upper St. Clair native who earned bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and political science from the University of Pittsburgh. “I’m excited to see the next generation of students enjoy even greater benefits and to help this program reach new heights.”

Throughout his undergraduate career, Rees was an active participant in the University Honors College, received a Chancellor’s Scholarship, and won the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship. He received the Department of Defense Research Fellowship and earned graduate degrees in mechanical engineering and technology policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He later founded Dyal Capital, which is a predecessor firm to Blue Owl Capital Inc., where Rees is co-president and a member of the board of directors. 

Beyond full tuition and housing support, Rees-Chancellor’s Scholars will experience funded enrichment opportunities such as research, study abroad, and specialized retreats—including experiences involving FHC partner University College, Oxford—that will give students the freedom to explore their passions in preparation for post-graduate success. 

The first cohort of students supported by this gift will matriculate in the 2027-2028 academic year. Comprehensive nationwide recruitment efforts funded through the gift will identify the most qualified students competing for spots in top college programs for this and subsequent classes. The Rees-Chancellor’s Scholars program will continue in perpetuity, adding 16 new incoming students each year, developing our next generation of leaders and scholarly change makers. Under the leadership of Dean Nicola Foote, who arrived at Pitt in 2021, the University has increased the breadth of programming in the college, attracting new applicants from around the globe and leading to a number 11 ranking on College Transitions’ 50 Best Honors Colleges list. 

This innovative program aims to reinvent the way honors students are identified, recruited, and supported throughout their academic career, in a model similar to student athletes. Rees attributes this cohort model, and the connections he made during his time in the Honors College, with many of the personal and professional relationships he has maintained since his time at Pitt.

“Adding these experiential learning and development opportunities to the Rees-Chancellor’s Scholars’ experiences will cultivate student success and propel innovation,” Foote said. “This will ensure that students know early on that the University of Pittsburgh is excited about their potential and that we have made a commitment to their education.”

About the David C. Frederick Honors College

The University of Pittsburgh established the University Honors College in 1986, building upon the achievements of the University Honors Program, which was started in 1978. In 2022, Pitt’s first Rhodes Scholar, David C. Frederick, made a transformative gift to the Honors College and the University recognized this philanthropy through the naming of the David C. Frederick Honors College. The mission of the Frederick Honors College is to meet the academic and extracurricular needs of the University of Pittsburgh’s most able, ambitious, and inquisitive undergraduate students by providing intellectual challenges, inspiring individual effort, encouraging independent thinking and self-discovery, and fostering a nurturing community. 

The Frederick Honors College is ranked eleventh in the nation by College Transition, a higher education admissions consultancy company providing guidance to high school students. FHC received 10,016 applications for the fall 2025 semester, which was an 18 percent increase over the previous year. The eventual incoming class had an average GPA of 4.46, an SAT score of 1457, and an ACT score of 33.

                      HAIL TO THE POSSIBLE: The Enhancement of Pitt Students’ Agency  

                     “The best things about any school are not what is said about it,

                      but what is lived out by its alumni.”

                                          - Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, 2002- 

The University of Pittsburgh is the top public university in Pennsylvania.  Nationally, as well as internationally, its excellence has been externally verified.  As noted by the March 31, 2025 Pittwire, “Business leaders look to Pitt as a highly selective source of talented graduates, according to a new list by Forbes that named the University a “New Ivy.”  …The list, in its second year, notes highly selective universities whose students are ‘outpacing most Ivy Leaguers in the eyes of employers,’ chosen by executives who subscribe to Forbes newsletters.  Pitt is a new addition to this year’s list, making it the only Pennsylvania university to be named as a public ‘New Ivy.’  The distinction joins other recent accolades by the University, including as a best college for future leaders according to Time Magazine, among the top 50 universities powering global innovation per Clarivate, and the No. 8 U.S. public university according to the U.S. News and World Report.”

Given its externally verified successes, the University of Pittsburgh appropriately expresses itself  in the following terms:  [1] “Hail to the possible!” and [2] “With a demonstrated spirit of tackling the unachievable for over 230 years, Pitt is making the most innovative future imaginable today.”  The University of Pittsburgh has more than 350,000 alumni.  Given the importance of alumni as the embodiment of institutional reputations, Chancellor Joan Gabel was asked how the University of Pittsburgh contributes to its students’ sense of agency.  

Personal agency is used herein to refer to people having a sense of as well as the ability to make significant choices and take related actions regarding key aspects of their lives.  The lack of agency includes a sense of helplessness; a feeling of being a victim of circumstances; and a general inability to influence your life circumstances.  Agency is also used herein in reference to how University of Pittsburgh graduates view their abilities to not only advance their personal goals, but also influence regional, national and international circumstances in ways that advance our Constitutional ideals.

Regarding the University of Pittsburgh’s contributions to its student’s sense of agency, Chancellor Gabel indicated the following: “Cultivating student success represents the first pillar of our strategic plan, the Plan for Pitt 2028. We also recognize that student success goes far beyond the classroom and must include agency to define one’s path and trust that one can turn possibility into achievement. We have approached this area of student success from multiple perspectives: academic; professional; social; economic; wellness; civic engagement; and through free speech and civil discourse.

The As a founding member of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars (C&S) Campus Call for Free Expression, Pitt deepens our focus on civic preparedness through this partnership. Through C&S’ programs, students refine their skills — speaking with confidence, listening with care, reflecting deeply and building common ground. The video “Real Talk: Across Campus, Across Divides” captures how students practice these habits, preparing them to engage responsibly in a society that depends on dialogue, resilience and shared purpose.

The Year of Discourse and Dialogue, for example, placed students at the center of projects advancing civil conversation. Initiatives such as Public Art as a Dialogue Generator, the First Amendment Rights Teach-in, and Writing Gen Q: Creating Intergenerational Dialogue through Creative Writing invited students to lead dialogue across difference. In Writing Gen Q, students bridged generational divides through storytelling, showing that agency at Pitt means more than self-expression: It is the power to shape understanding and build lasting connections.

Long-standing traditions further reinforce student voice and leadership. The William Pitt Debating Union, one of the nation’s oldest, prepares students through the discipline of reasoned argument. Programs like Pitt Votes and the Student Government Board give students a direct role in shaping campus culture, while the Community Engagement Centers extend these lessons outward as students work with neighborhoods across the region.

This commitment to agency extends beyond civic dialogue into the realm of discovery. The University underscores intellectual agency by encouraging students to be creators of knowledge rather than passive recipients. Across schools and majors, undergraduates conduct research with faculty mentors, complete capstone projects and pursue discovery-driven courses. These opportunities invite students to frame questions, generate insights and contribute to innovation at a university recognized among the world’s top institutions powering global progress.

Through civil discourse, leadership, service, and discovery, Pitt is preparing our students to elevate the communities where they live, work and serve. In this spirit, we are proud that our students are being nationally recognized for this important work, including through the naming of Pitt’s 14th Truman scholar (first since 2020). We look forward to supporting our students toward even greater impact, while also continuing the University’s important momentum in the years ahead and through the Plan for Pitt 2028.”

Pitt administrators, staff, faculty and staff are to be commended for having the cultivation of student success as the first pillar of their strategic plan for 2028. Most importantly, Pitt is to be commended for producing graduates with demonstrable agency.  For example, please consider the following accounts of distinguished Pitt Alumni.

(1)  Blue, Gold and Black 2004 (See, https://www.chancellor-emeritus.pitt.edu/sites/default/pdfs/BlueGoldBlack2004.pdf)

(2)  “Notable Pitt Women you should know this women’s History Month,” a list that includes a Nobel Laurate (See,  Notable Pitt women you should know this Women’s History Month | University of Pittsburgh);

(3)  the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Fellows (See, University of Pittsburgh Philanthropic & Alumni Engagement - Alumni Recognition) and 

(4)   the 2025 Alumni Honorees (See, University of Pittsburgh Philanthropic & Alumni Engagement - Announcing Pitt’s 2025 Alumni Awards Honorees).  

Truly, as evidenced by the above examples, Pitt alumni have in many ways made the impossible possible!  As a final bit of advice regarding the realization of agency by Pitt alumni, consider the following advice from Pitt alum,  MacArthur Genius Award winner, William Strickland (Make the Impossible Possible: One Man’s Crusade to Inspire Others to Dream Bigger and Achieve the Extraordinary), “Trust your passion, identify your dreams, and find the courage to share them with others, no matter how many times they call you a fool.”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urvan Meida

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

October 9, 2025

As noted by the University of Pittsburgh, Joan Gabel, the former President and chief executive of the University of Minnesota System and Twin Cities campus, became the University of Pittsburgh’s 19th Chancellor.  As such, Gabel became the first woman to lead the University since its founding in 1787.  On her 100th day of service as Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, she concluded her letter to Pitt students, faculty and staff with the following comments: “I’m proud to be part of a community that not only insists on a commitment to compassion, shared humanity, and mutual care and respect, but also humbly recognizes when we fall short and commits to doing more and doing better. It is an honor to walk with you, to support you, and to help ensure for everyone that anything is possible at Pitt.”  After reading the foregoing statements, I hadthrowback moment and said to myself, “Right on” and, in turn, provided Chancellor Gabel with that feedback.  Subsequently, she agreed to the following interview.

 Jack L. Daniel & Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel One on One:

As noted by the University of Pittsburgh, Joan Gabel, the former President and chief executive of the University of Minnesota System and Twin Cities campus, became the University of Pittsburgh’s 19th Chancellor.  As such, Gabel became the first woman to lead the University since its founding in 1787.  On her 100th day of service as Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, she concluded her letter to Pitt students, faculty and staff with the following comments: “I’m proud to be part of a community that not only insists on a commitment to compassion, shared humanity, and mutual care and respect, but also humbly recognizes when we fall short and commits to doing more and doing better. It is an honor to walk with you, to support you, and to help ensure for everyone that anything is possible at Pitt.”  After reading the foregoing statements, I had a 1960s throwback moment and said to myself, “Right on” and, in turn, provided Chancellor Gabel with that feedback.  Subsequently, she agreed to the following interview.

JLD: As you know very well, we live at a moment when domestically and internationally we are desperately in need of the “commitment to compassion, shared humanity, and mutual care and respect.”  Accordingly, I am especially pleased that you agreed to this interview and I begin by asking the following question. As we go forth with you leading our major research University with national and international standing, what examples would you give to exemplify Pitt’s demonstrated commitment to our shared humanity?

CHANCELLOR JOAN GABEL: This demonstrated commitment to our shared humanity begins with our values as a university. We are leaning into these shared values as we refresh the Plan for Pitt, the University’s strategic plan. These values help to serve as guideposts as we work to graduate service-minded citizens poised to change the world for the good. They help to serve our focus on research, cures and therapeutics and in eliminating disparities in areas like health and the arts and sciences. They help to serve as an anchor for our commitment to equity and inclusion, elevating us into the community of belonging we aspire to be. They help to serve us in efforts to be good stewards of resources, ensuring that we do well by all those we serve. And they help to serve us in ensuring that anything is possible at Pitt, from work of the past to discover a polio vaccine, to a shared, future-focused vision to lead the life sciences century. 

JLD: As you know, I refer to the pursuit of equity and social justice as having been a North Star for me when I was employed at Pitt.  In terms of an institutional commitment to doing more and better when it comes to the realization of equity and social justice, how do you define your leadership roles as Chancellor?

CHANCELLOR JOAN GABEL: The University of Pittsburgh has an unwavering commitment to cultivating a community and culture where a sense of belonging is strong, and equity and inclusion are actively promoted. This commitment enhances our individual and shared success and makes for a vibrant educational experience. In this spirit, and my role as chancellor, I’m focused on 1) identifing the most important ways that we need to deliver for our students, 2) setting appropriate and achievable goals in those areas and 3) being transparent and accountable when we measure our performance on those metrics. Many of those metrics are going to be in areas that help define our progress with an equity and social justice lens, from whether our student body is reflective of our broader community, to whether we are adequately supporting students from all socioeconomic levels to graduation and beyond.

JLD: I deeply appreciate the inspirational statement, “anything is possible at Pitt.”  Borrowing from a Pitt Trustee Emeritus’ book title, Making the Impossible Possible by Bill Strickland, would you please specify a key “impossibility” that you would like to see Pitt make possible.

CHANCELLOR JOAN GABEL: The more I’ve learned about the world-class talent here and the work they are doing, the more I’ve found myself repeating the words: “Anything is possible at Pitt.” As we lean into this concept as a key value in our refreshed Plan for Pitt, there are so many possibilities — from delivering new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease to restoring lost vision for the blind. And we will continue to fine-tune these areas and resources so we can continue to deliver on what is possible at Pitt.

JLD:  I commend you for the ways in which you have conscientiously reached out to all of the University’s constituents.  Now then is the time for synergistic relationships to evolve between you and them.  With that in mind, how might a diverse group of alumni best assist you and other members of the Pitt community

CHANCELLOR JOAN GABEL: In our search to strengthen our mutually beneficial long-term relationship with alumni, we connect with them through programming, social events and networking opportunities, both around the world and online. We invest in and augment the value of that Pitt degree long after graduation by keeping them engaged and involved. This requires everybody to be involved, and I am proud to have engaged widely across our alumni community since my arrival, from meetings with individual affinity groups to broader engagement at homecoming. At each turn, we’ve been seeking alumni feedback relating to the strategic direction of the Unviersity, which has been invaluable in shaping what the plan will become. 

 JLD:  Thanks very much for taking time from your demanding schedule during these very demanding times to provide the foregoing information.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

November 17, 2023