Social Justice

ON THE OCCASION OF THE 35TH WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, TOO MANY BLACK WOMEN REMAIN THE “MULES OF THE WORLD”   

“I've got the children to tend

The clothes to mend

The floor to mop

The food to shop

Then the chicken to fry

The baby to dry…

I've got shirts to press

The tots to dress…

I gotta clean up this hut

Then see about the sick

And the cotton to pick”

-Maya Angelou-

The pervasive presence of Black women in overworked and underpaid positions contributed to Zora Neal Hurston deeming them the mules of the world.  During the current pandemic, “These occupations include front-line workers in health care and essential businesses like grocery and drug stores, those who have borne the brunt of job losses in the restaurant industry, and the teachers and child care workers who are critical as the economy struggles to reopen and essential to fully reopening the economy when it is safe to do so…” (See, Black women workers are essential during the crisis and for the recovery but still are greatly underpaid, by Valerie Wilson and Nelat Kassa, August 12, 2020 ).  

In her review of a recent Health Affairs journal article, Julianne McShane wrote, “Black women make up nearly 7 percent of the U.S. labor force, but nearly 14 percent of the health-care workforce…  Within health care,  …Black women are most likely to work in the long-term care sector, currently making up 23 percent of that labor force, and as licensed practical nurses or aides, constituting 25 percent of those workers. These roles are characterized by low wages, lack of benefits, and hazardous working conditions, according to the study…   As co-author Janette Dill, an associate professor in the division of health policy and management at the University of Minnesota, put it: They are taking care of peoples’ bodies, and feeding them, and bathing them, and taking people to the bathroom — it’s very hard physical labor.”  (Philadelphia Tribune, February 25, 2022).

An Institute for Women’s Policy Research Report (July 27, 2021) indicated, “Before the pandemic, Black women were paid just 63.0 percent of White men’s median annual earnings—$24,110 less—even when they were able to obtain full-time year-round work. That represents a wage gap of 37.0 percent for Black women and White men and is much larger than the 17.7 percent wage gap between all women and all men. This illustrates the additional impact of race in shaping women’s earnings. It also means higher rates of poverty, much lower levels of wealth, and fewer resources to weather economic downturns such as the COVID-19 recession.”  

Perhaps one of the greatest overrepresentations of Black and other women of color is, tragically, the area of missing women.   During a recent Congressional hearing, it was noted that “About 40% of the more than 250,000 women and girls reported as missing in 2020 were people of color... Despite making up a smaller share of the overall U.S. population, committee members said Indigenous, Black and Hispanic women and girls are going missing at higher rates…”   In addition, Natalie Wilson,  founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, put the matter in bold relief when she stated, “We can all name Gabby Petito, Natalee Holloway, Chandra Levy and many other white women who have gone missing. But can any of you name a person of color that has garnered national media coverage?" (ABC News, March 3, 2022).  

  Regarding the comparative media coverage for missing White as compared to Indigenous women in Wyoming, Andrea Gonzalez-Ramirez wrote, “Today, #GabbyPetito has more than 956 million views on TikTok. Six law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI, devoted resources to finding her. Her case was mentioned 398 times on Fox News, 346 times on CNN, and 100 times on MSNBC’ in a seven-day period ending on September 22, according to the Washington Post.  But had she been an Indigenous woman, this almost certainly would not have happened.” (September 24, 2021).

Refusing to be deterred by societal forces that systematically seek to stifle their growth and development, many Black women continue to succeed in significant ways.  For example, [1] Black women are the foundations for Black institutions such as the traditional Black Church; [2] they were as important if not more significant than any other demographic when it came to electing President Biden and Vice President Harris as well as other Democrats; and [3] they constitute unwavering enablers  through a plethora of organizations with missions related to uplifting members of their race.  

In record numbers, Black women continue to rise as mayors, members of congress, major entrepreneurs, medical scientists, managers in major corporations, military pilots, metallurgical engineers, money managers, and many of the world class athletes.  They have become leading public health professionals, innovative medical scientists, entrepreneurs, senior higher education administrators, judges, and more than can be mentioned herein.  

Kamala Harris’ election to Vice President of the United States is merely a way station for Black women eventually ruling the world!  Lest one believes the foregoing statement to be a bit of hyperbole, consider what Black American women might have achieved had they not been the mules of the world  --if their lives in America had not begun as chattel slaves; if economic, race, gender, and reproductive justice had been realities not still unrealized goals; if they had opportunities to become all that they were capable of becoming unfettered by irrational patriarchy, homophobia, health disparities, and various forms of physical and psychological abuse.  In any event, as with the mythical Phoenix, Black American women will continue to rise from their ashes and their unfolding splendor will be something to behold.  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

March 14, 2022

  In memory of Mary McLeod Bethune, Hallie Quinn Brown, Anna Julia Cooper, 

Fanny Jackson Coppin, Charlotte Forten Grimke, bell hooks, Mary Jane Patterson, 

and other Black women educators/liberators.

“…Silencing happens when, for white people, hearing the truth is too much; when the truth hangs so painfully heavy on their shoulders that they’d rather get rid of the weight, than actually face the issue head on. …when the truth is held up, it reflects the false securities that our society rests on: the elitism, the capitalism, the racism, the ableism, the sexism, the homo/transphobia, the xenophobia, the anti-blackness.  And the people who benefit from those systems have a hard time letting go of their privilege within those realms. To escape these truths, silencing has very often been the answer…” (When White People Are Uncomfortable, Black People Are Silenced, by Rachel Elizabeth Cargle, 2019). 

White slave masters silenced resolute male slaves by castrating and or hanging them. “Sassy” enslaved women were silenced by beating and raping them as well as selling their children to another slave master. After chattel slavery ended, some White men donned their robes and hoods before they silenced “uppity” Blacks by burning and bombing their homes as well as churches. Maiming, murder, and other malfeasance were preferable to White racists acknowledging their crimes against humanity.

In keeping with their long history of using violence, radical insurrectionists followed their irrational leader’s call to silence members of Congress on January 6, 2021. More than a year later while seeking to silence critics, the Republican Party deemed the January 6th event to be “legitimate political discourse.”  Moreover, by “rebuking” them, the Party sought to silence Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois (See New York Times, February 4, 2022). 

Of primary concern herein is some elected officials’ and their constituents’ efforts to silence those who would teach the truth about slavery, systemic racism, and other forms of oppression in America. Over the past year, school board meetings increasingly became the venues for ill-informed “anti-CRT,” anti-facemask wearing,” and homo/transphobic folks to engage in violent disruptive acts. For example, Ms. Jessica L. Miley, the University of Pittsburgh’s 2004 Omicron Delta Kappa Senior of the Year, needed a police escort to her car after she spoke on behalf of LGBQT children at a Virginia Beach school board meeting. 

As reported by Sara Gregory (Virginia Pilot, October 9, 2021), “Shortly after she arrived at her first school board meeting, Jessica Miley watched a man with his hand on the knife in his waistband scream expletives at a security officer. She was still wiping away tears when the meeting started. Outside, a crowd kept from entering because of COVID protocols flanked the entrance and chanted ‘let us in.’ After Miley finished speaking, security insisted on walking her to her car. The officer shone his flashlight on her tires to check for tampering. He told the mother of two to get in her car, lock the doors, turn on the headlights and waste no time leaving. That’s exactly what she did.”

Across the country, members of state legislatures have joined the campaign to silence equity and social justice advocates. As Cathryn Stout and Thomas Wilburn indicated, “…So far, at least 36 states have adopted or introduced laws or policies that restrict teaching about race and racism. With 2022 state legislative sessions underway, new legislation is in the pipeline.” In Pennsylvania, several Republican State Representatives sponsored House Bill 1532 to limit how schools could teach about racism.  For details, see (Educators say teaching about race could be at stake in governor’s race - Chalkbeat Philadelphia).

Fortunately, as the equity and social justice silencers engaged higher education, faculty groups at institutions such as Ohio State University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Texas, Austin passed resolutions in opposition to outside interference with academic freedom, particularly interference coming from state legislatures. As Gene Nichol noted, “…external efforts to alter or curtail expression, research, teaching, or publication, or to impose a regime of orthodoxy upon them, threaten the integrity of strong universities and of vibrant constitutional democracies. Such interference thus sins against both our public academic institutions and our appropriately heralded form of government.” (See, Political Interference with Academic Freedom and Free Speech at Public Universities, Washington Post, February 21, 2022). 

When it comes to protecting the autonomy and freedom of inquiry by educators focused on “the elitism, capitalism, racism, ableism, sexism, homo/transphobia, xenophobia, and anti-blackness” that ail America, Trustees, Principals, Presidents, Chancellors, Chief Academic Officers, faculty members, and students must  vigorously resist all forms of silencing. Now is not the time for education leaders to act like “shrinking violets,” i.e., to engage in placation; cower in the face of fiscal threats; or, in sum, be silenced by opponents of academic freedom. If anyone is considering the abdication of their responsibilities by being silenced, then consider the following lines of verse.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.

-Friedrich Gustav Martin Niemöller-

Addendum: Since the publication of the foregoing, the following announcement was made: "Teachers need our support; they need our trust; they need to have the freedom to exercise their professional judgment.” NCTE authored a “Freedom to Teach” statement in collaboration with the National Council for the Social Studies, the NCTM - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Science Teaching Association, and the National Coalition Against Censorship to voice our support of teachers and their freedom to exercise their professional judgment.  Read the Freedom to Teach statement: https://ncte.org/freedom-teach-banning-books/  March 15, 2022  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

March 3, 2022

On the one-year anniversary of the January 6 Insurrection on the United States Capitol and attempted subversion of democracy, Mayor Gainey released the following statement: 

“Last year, the heartbeat of our country’s democracy was attacked in a violent insurrection on our nation's Capitol. Since then, I have witnessed deliberate and malicious efforts in the Pennsylvania General Assembly to attack the legitimacy of the 2020 election, attempts at a sham “audit” and  efforts to roll back access to the ballot box by ending mail-in voting. Far right-wing extremists have been emboldened and without question there is division throughout our country. These challenges cannot be avoided blindly, but rather must be addressed directly through a lens of justice and freedom. Where there is division and inequity there is also an opportunity for unity and growth. While gerrymandered maps distort representation in the General Assembly, redistricting this year provides the single greatest opportunity in decades to ensure fair maps in Pennsylvania. Most importantly, in the United States Congress, there is an opportunity to ensure every American’s inalienable right to participate in free and fair elections remains true. Congress must pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act in order to protect our democracy, ensure everyone has access to the ballot box, and get dark money out of politics. The time is now.” 

Mayor Gainey stands with US Attorney General Merrick Garland and the US Justice Department's dedicated servants for their commitment that "those involved must be held accountable, and [that] there is no higher priority for the Department of Justice."        

 January 5, 2021

Today, First Lady Frances Wolf hosted Women In Reentry: Clemency, Expungement, and Clean Slate, the fifth in a series of virtual conversations with reentry advocates. The panel discussed each process and the impact they can have on women reentrants.

Panelists included: 

• Celeste Trusty, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons (BOP)
• Naomi Blount Wilson, Commutations Specialist at the Office of the Lieutenant Governor
• Taylor Pacheco, Deputy Executive Director at Philadelphia Lawyers of Social Equity (PLSE)
• Katie Svoboda-Kindle, Senior Staff Attorney at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS)

“Pennsylvanians who have paid their debt to society and are positively contributing to their communities deserve a chance to reestablish their lives without the burden of their criminal record following them,” said First Lady Wolf. “It is imperative that we empower women to seek clemency, expungement and record sealing through Clean Slate if they are eligible as these are the kinds of mechanisms that can truly give them a fresh start.”

Clemency typically falls into two categories: pardons and commutations. A pardon constitutes total forgiveness by the state for a crime of which you were convicted, regardless of whether your sentence included time in prison. Applying for a pardon is free for individuals seeking forgiveness and the application can be downloaded online. The process does not require a lawyer. Since 2015, Pennsylvania has been leading the country in pardon reform, with Governor Wolf issuing almost 2,000 pardons.

Secretary Trusty started the conversation by defining what a pardon is and highlighting the application process for eligible individuals.

“A criminal conviction can impact opportunities for employment, housing, and education, and can even restrict parents from volunteering in their children’s activities,” said Secretary Trusty. “Clemency is a critical process in Pennsylvania, providing life-changing second chances for our community members impacted by the legal system. Applying for clemency in the Commonwealth is free, and application materials are easily accessible to the public on the Board of Pardons website. Everyone deserves the opportunity for a second chance, and Pennsylvania is proud to have become a leader in clemency reform under the current administration.”

Blount-Wilson then shared her personal experience with the commutation process. Before working in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor as a commutations specialist, Blount-Wilson served 37 years at SCI-Muncy. In 1983, she received a life sentence without the possibility of parole, but Governor Wolf commuted her sentence, and she was released in 2019. Now, she helps others seeking clemency.

She iterated her appreciation of the First Lady’s endeavor to educate the public about commutations.

“There is greater interest in criminal justice right now than any time in recent memory, and we must make sure that women are not left out of this vital conversation,” said Pacheco. “When people are shackled by their criminal records, entire families suffer. Our commitment to reducing the collateral consequences of criminal records through the pardon process is one that has the potential to change the life outcomes of entire generations, and it is work that we can and must all do together as a statewide community.”

In the United States,1 of 3 adults has a criminal record, and 1 of every 2 children has a parent with a criminal record. PLSE provides free legal representation to low-income residents of Philadelphia whose criminal records are hindering their progress. They formed the statewide Pardon Project, an initiative that empowers community leaders to create community-based hubs that educate and engage people with the pardons process. Currently, seven counties have adopted a Pardon Project including Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Erie, Lackawanna, Lancaster and Washington. Other PLSE services include assistance with seeking expungements in criminal court and pardons from the Governor.

Pacheco also discussed the difference between a pardon and expungement. Expungement is the only mechanism to permanently and completely remove criminal history record information. This process must be completed through a court.

“Nearly 1 in 3 Americans has a criminal record, and even a minor record can cause lifelong barriers to opportunity,” says Katie Svoboda-Kindle. “Clearing those records would allow access employment, housing and education, but 9 out of 10 people who are eligible for record clearing don’t get it done. Clean Slate solves this ‘second chance gap’ using technology that seals eligible records through an automated process.” Svoboda-Kindle also stated that Pennsylvania started implementing Clean Slate in 2019 and to date, over 1 million Pennsylvanians have benefitted from Clean Slate automated sealing, while over 40 million cases have been sealed.

Founded in 1996 by the Philadelphia Bar Association, CLS works to fight poverty, challenge systems that perpetuate injustice, and change lives through cutting-edge advocacy and exceptional legal representation. This includes helping individuals navigate the Clean Slate process, so their minor offenses no longer impede access to employment, housing and other basic needs. In the past year, CLS has represented approximately 10,000 people.

Governor Wolf enacted the Clean Slate law, which allows individuals to petition the courts for their records to be sealed if a person has been free from conviction for 10 years for an offense that resulted in a year or more in prison and has paid all court-ordered financial debts. Offenses eligible for Clean Slate include second- and third-degree misdemeanors, and misdemeanors punishable by two years or less in prison; summary convictions; and charges not resulting in convictions. Ineligible offenses include crimes involving danger to persons; crimes against families; and firearm offenses. The full list can be found here. The next Women in Reentry roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, January 19.

The conversation can be viewed on the One Lens Facebook page or PAcast.

Source: PA Gov.

Jan 05, 2022 

The Steelers announced another donation to their Social Justice Fund for 2021, with players making donations and the team providing a matching commitment to help support community efforts.

The Mel Blount Youth Home will receive $10,000 after a donation from wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and a matching contribution from the team.

The Mel Blount Youth Home began as a residential group home and emergency service that had the capacity to house and support a maximum of 24 youth and was started by the former Steelers cornerback and Hall of Famer. Blount's desire was to broaden the reach of the program and in 2014 he established the Mel Blount Youth Leadership Initiative, a subsidiary of the Mel Blount Youth Home. The Leadership Initiative supports and serves over 2000 youth per year.

"The Mel Blount Youth Home is honored that JuJu Smith-Schuster chose us to be the recipient of the Social Justice Funds this year," said Blount. During JuJu's rookie year he and the other rookies in his class visited the youth home and spent a day working with our youth. He was great with them! I'm grateful JuJu remembered us and the experience he had with the kids. Thanks JuJu, for choosing the Mel Blount Youth Home as your choice to receive the social justice funds grant. We appreciate your partnership with us in investing in our youth."

Since 2018, Steelers players contributions, along with the matching donations from Steelers Charities, have benefitted more than 57 charitable organizations throughout the region.

Steelers President Art Rooney II said, "I am proud that we can join with our Steelers' players in making these contributions through our Social Justice Fund that contribute to so many charitable efforts in our community."

Source: Steelers.com 

The Black Political Empowerment Project is calling for police to arrest and charge a suspect for the death of Peter Spencer. The organization is reaching out to government organizations and officials for justice. 

Re: Immediate Investigation and Prosecution of those responsible for the Murder of

29-year-old Jamaican immigrant Peter Bernardo Spencer.

December 26, 2021

Hon. Merrick Garland,

U.S. Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20530-0001

Cindy K. Chung, U.S. Attorney

Western District of PA

Joseph F. Weis, Jr. U. S. Courthouse

700 Grant Street, Suite 4000

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Hon. Tom Wolf, Governor

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

601 Main Capitol Building

Harrisburg, PA 17120

Hon. Josh Shapiro, Attorney General

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Strawberry Square, 16th Floor

Harrisburg, PA 17120

Attorney D. Shawn White, District Attorney

Venango County

1168 Liberty Street

Courthouse, Third Floor

Franklin, PA 16323

Dear All,

We recently learned of the horrific murder of 29-year-old Jamaican immigrant Peter

Bernardo Spencer who was shot 9 times while in the woods of Emlenton, Venango

County Pa with Nathan Myer and several other White men on December 11, 2021.

We were told by Mr. Spencer's pregnant fiancé, Carmela King, that on Saturday,

December 11, 2021 at about 2:45 pm she dropped off 29 year old Peter Spencer,

Jamaican immigrant, off to meet Nathan Myers at his camper in the woods of

Emlenton Venango County PA. His fiancé says although this was not the first time

Mr. Spencer had visited his former co-worker in Venango County, she thought it

strange that this was the first time Mr. Spencer had gone by himself, and the first

time he had been dropped off in the woods, in that she normally would take him to

Nathan Myers’ mother's house. Shortly after dropping off Mr. Spencer his fiancé

attempted to ping his location so she would know where he was, but was unable to

get his location because of the lack of service in the woods. As soon as she was able

to get service, she called him with no answer, but received a text saying "Just Come

Tomorrow”, and then she received a text saying "See you tomorrow". She then

texted back "Love you", but she didn't get a response which was very strange as he

always responded in the past. She felt uneasy and called him all night and messaged

Nathan Myers on Instagram @oohitsnate . She then got up at 5am to go pick him up,

attempting to call him while on her way. She arrived at the place she had dropped

Peter off at less than 24 hours before, only to receive a call from Peter’s mom telling

her he had been shot. When his fiancé arrived at 9:13 am she saw Pennsylvania State

troopers and yellow crime scene tape around a body on the ground.

A PA State trooper put her in a car and told her Peter had been shot and killed, and

told her they thought there had been an altercation, and that's why he was shot. The

state trooper then directed her to call the Franklin PA State Barracks. She then spoke

with Detective Hangan who told her that Mr. Spencer had been shot, and they had a

suspect in custody who claimed he shot Mr. Spencer in self defense, but no one had

been charged.

The Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP) finds this narrative unacceptable,

offensive and beyond troubling.

We find it impossible to claim self-defense shooting someone twice in the buttocks,

six times in the chest, and once in the mouth (or in the neck). This seems to us to be

possibly nothing more than a modern-day lynching! Again, in America a young

Black man may have lost his life tragically at the hands of one or more White racists

who it seems hunted him like an animal in the woods for sport. Even in the midst of

the killing of a Black man, shot nine times, it appears that no one has been charged,

or even accused of murdering this 29year old Jamaican immigrant, leaving his

unborn child without a father, and his fiancé without a husband.

We demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of Nathan Myers and all involved

in the death of Peter Barnardo Spencer. We demand the immediate investigation of

this murder by the Venango County District Attorney, the U.S. Attorney General,

and the PA State Attorney General, and that this murder be considered as a hate

crime and an act of domestic terrorism. This is not only an attack against Blacks in

America, but could become an international incident as these White men have

murdered a citizen of another country while he sought a better life for himself, and

his family here in America. Because he was murdered, his mother is left without a

son, his pregnant fiancé is left to raise their child alone, and to one day have to

explain to their child why his father was taken before he ever got to meet him. When

will the hate stop? How many more Emmett Tills will we bury?

We look forward to your collective immediate attention and action on this important

matter. We seek justice. We seek the full prosecution of all involved.

Sincerely,

Tim Stevens

Tim Stevens, Chairman & CEO

The Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP)

Co-convener, Greater Pittsburgh Coalition Against Violence (CAV)

412-758-7898

Two Go Fund Me Pages set up for Mr. Spencer:

https://gofund.me/41b8cc63 to assist with a second autopsy

and https://gofund.me/2536e943, which will assist with funeral expenses.

"The Pennsylvania State Police requests the public to remain patient, we are actively investigating this incident and are providing all investigative updates to the District Attorney's office as appropriate," the release said.

State police also said the department's Heritage Affairs team is now involved. The team is responsible for, in part, preventing and responding to hate or bias-related crimes.

Police ask anyone with information about the incident to contact PSP Franklin at 814-676-6596.

Following the death of James Rogers, Tasered at the hands of

Pittsburgh police on October 13, 2021, the Black Political

Empowerment Project (B-PEP) on November 1, 2021 called for a full

investigation into the death of Mr. Rogers which followed an incident

involving a bicycle. B-PEP also requested a full review and

examination of all policies and procedures involving the use of tasers

by Pittsburgh police officers. We were encouraged to learn tonight

that the City’s Pittsburgh Bureau of Police did in fact empanel an

Internal Critical Incident Review Board (CIRB) to evaluate the

officers’ actions and to gauge policy compliance. As we suspected,

there were procedural failures which contributed to the tragic death

of James Rogers.

We appreciate that this tragic death was not ignored, and that this

needless death was apparently taken seriously by the Pittsburgh

Bureau of Police and the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety. I

received a call directly from the Director of Public Safety, Wendell

Hissrich, soon after he received the letter from B-PEP stating his deep

concerns about death of James Rogers, and pledged that there would

be in depth investigation. We were heartened to learn tonight that

there will be at least some level of discipline given to some eight

Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officers, including two supervisors. We

also appreciate the admittance on the part of the City of Pittsburgh

that though the city has been attempting to implement new measures

meant to ensure additional accountability of how our Police Bureau

performs its duties, including mandating de-escalation and implicit

bias training, and efforts to further examine how trust could be

increased on the part of the Pittsburgh community toward its police

force, that they have not been able to fully meet that goal, and that

more needs to be done.

In our initial review of their recommendations going forward we

commend the City’s Critical Incident Review Board (CIRB) for

recommending that:

1. Any use of force incident will require the presence of a

supervisor on scene to complete a medical assessment and

request appropriate personnel. (We view this as crucial).

2. Any incident involving the positive deployment of a Taser will

require emergency medical services personnel to assess the

patient (which apparently did not take place following the

arrest of James Rogers).

3. Pittsburgh Bureau of Police personnel will be retrained in

accordance with established PBP Training Academy Duty to

Intervene policy. (Apparently this was a gross oversight on the

part of the other officers present during this tragic incident).

4. The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police will streamline its

organizational review of Use of Force by both appropriate

command staff and the Training Academy to expeditiously

ensure policy compliance. (Expeditious policy compliance could

be the difference between life and death in some of the critical

incidents. This use of force review is also something that I, as

member of Mayor Peduto’s Pittsburgh Community Taskforce

for Police Reform, strongly advocated for, along with the

entire Task Force.)

We also thought that it was a strong statement on the part of the

Pittsburgh Bureau that all sworn members of the Pittsburgh

Bureau of Police, since the death of James Rogers, were required

to complete a Taser refresher course, followed by an exam. It was

also good to know that this activity was in addition to the yearly

mandated Taser recertification requirement for all officers. In

addition, we feel that another important statement was made by

the Pittsburgh Bureau by requiring all of its officers to become 

fully certified Emergency Medical Responders. We feel that such

training could have possibly saved the life of James Rogers.

 We rarely hear an apology from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police

 or the City’s Department of Public Safety, or from few police

departments in the nation when a Black man needlessly dies at the

hands of police, but in this case an apology was offered to the

family, friends and supporters of Mr. Rogers by the Chief of the

Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Scott Schubert:

“Jim Rogers will serve as a sober reminder of the

tremendous responsibility all officers bear when they wear the

Pittsburgh Bureau of Police badge. Every resident and visitor to

the City of Pittsburgh is owed the highest standard of care when

they are in the custody of Pittsburgh police. In the case of Jim

Rogers, we failed our fellow citizen. The disciplinary measures

and procedural changes we are announcing today are intended to

ensure a tragedy such as this never occurs again in the City of

Pittsburgh.”

We salute that powerful statement from Chief Schubert and ask

that that statement be reinforced, on an annual basis, to each and

every Pittsburgh Police officer. We cannot bring back James

Rogers, but his death, apparently will not be in vain, and will lay

the foundation for a more just, fair, informed, and level of

sensitivity in the use of force in Pittsburgh for years to come.

Now the City of Pittsburgh must look at how it can appropriately

compensate the family of James Rogers to further assure that

such a tragedy will never be replicated going forward. 

Source: B-PEP

  THE JURY HAS SPOKEN!

“Say it ain't so, Joe, please
Say it ain't so
That's not what I wanna hear, Joe
And I got a right to know

Say it ain't so, Joe, please
Say it ain't so
I'm sure they telling us lies, Joe”

-Murray Head-

Maybe the anesthesia from Joe Biden’s physical examination was still affecting him when he was asked about the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict and he responded, "the jury system works and we have to abide by it.” Biden added later, “While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken. I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law. Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy." In any event, Biden’s statements underscore the nature of “the hill we climb” (Amanda Gorman) when it comes to Blacks seeking justice in America.  

Regarding the “jury system working,” one should keep in mind the following examples: 

· A jury did not convict the White police officer, Michael Rosfeld who shot the unarmed Black youth, Antwon Rose II, in the back while Rose was fleeing from a traffic stop. 

· A White male, George Zimmerman, claimed self-defense and was found not guilty of murdering the innocent Black youth, Trayvon Martin.

· A White male, Ethan Couch, used the "affluenza" defense to successfully fight the charges that he killed four people while drunk driving in 2013.

· A White male California judge, Michael Aaron Persky, decided to give a White former Stanford University swimmer, Brock Turner, a six-month jail and three years of probation sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman.  Turner could have received a ten-year jail sentence.

· A White male judge, Matthew J. Murphy III, sentenced the 20-year-old White male rapist, Christopher Belter Jr., to eight years of probation despite Belter pleading guilty to sexually assaulting four girls when he was 16 and 17 years- old.

Some might have forgotten that it was in 2020 that a grand jury indicted White Louisville detective Brett Hankison with three counts of a felony for killing a Black woman, Breonna Taylor, in her home. The “working jury system” is such that it is estimated that a jury might not get a chance to speak until some date in 2022. While justice has been delayed for Breonna Taylor, consider how quickly a jury spoke wrongly in the conviction of George Stinney Jr. 

“George Stinney Jr, who was 14 when he died in 1944, is the youngest person executed in the US during the 20th century. More than 70 years later, in December 2014, George’s murder conviction was overturned by a South Carolina judge. He was accused of the gruesome double murder of two white girls in the small town of Alcolu, South Carolina in March, 1944. …He was taken from his home by cops who then claimed he confessed to the double murder despite no written confession ever being produced. There was also no physical evidence linking him to the crime. …George was sentenced to death by a jury of 12 white men who returned a guilty verdict after only 10 minutes of deliberation. Just two months later, the 14-year-old child was led crying and shaking into the execution chamber.” Harrowing story of the innocent 14-year-old black boy executed by electric chair after being convicted of murder in ten-minutes by all-white jury (the-sun.com)

The juries spoke wrongly when, “Despite …no eye witnesses and no DNA evidence linking them to the crime, the (Central Park) five were convicted in two trials in 1990. McCray, Salaam and Santana were found guilty of rape, assault, robbery and riot. Richardson was found guilty of attempted murder, rape, assault and robbery. Korey was found guilty of sexual abuse, assault and riot. They spent between six and 13 years behind bars” before the actual rapist confessed and there was a positive DNA match to evidence found at the crime. Central Park Five: Crime, Coverage & Settlement - HISTORY

Regarding Joe Biden’s statement that the “jury system works,” does he not know that the “jury system” was so bad that it took a 1986 Supreme Court decision to make it unconstitutional to select jurors by race because Blacks were systematically excluded from being  jurors? Has he ever read a scholarly Critical Race Theory article? Has he not read the Equal Justice Initiative report that indicates, “In most communities in America, Black people and people of color are significantly underrepresented in the jury pools from which jurors are selected. The law requires that the proportion of Black people in a jury pool must match Black representation in the overall population, but courts routinely fail to enforce these requirements. …There is widespread racial bias in the selection of key leadership roles such as the grand jury foreperson—who has significant power to shape the conduct and outcome of legal proceedings…”?  race-and-the-jury-digital.pdf (eji.org)

Joe Biden told Black voters, "You've always had my back, and I'll have yours." However, it is difficult to ascertain just how he is doing this when, on the occasion that Kyle Rittenhouse was set free, he pronounced that the “jury system works.”  No rational Black person believes that a Black man would have been freed had he driven to a neighborhood and then used a weapon of mass destruction to kill Whites. Indeed, we know that, if a Black man had done so, then the “jury” that would have spoken might have been a lynch mob.  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

November 20, 2021

  “There’s a certain form of performative white allyship that you can tell is performative because they will spend so much money and work so hard at ineffective solutions—ANYTHING to both look like you were doing something good but also not changing anything.  It’s hard to spot cause people will make a big deal out of how much they’re investing in racial justice work.  But if they’re burning through consultants and running around with an abundance of technical solutions to what is ultimately an adaptive challenge (You get an affinity group!  And you get a scholarship!  And you get two seats on the board!  And we added with 90-page addendum on race to our employee handbook!  And you get a giant budget to train everybody!), then it’s all performative.  Real allies are effective.  Not busy.” 

The above October 7, 2021 statements by Megan Pamela Ruth Madison reflect the growing trend of folks who, once again, are “growing tired of being sick and tired” if not also nauseated because of the snail-like pace with which systemic racism is addressed in America. More than a year after the long, hot summer following the murder of George Floyd, one is reminded of the declaration, “No more forecasts of rain. It’s time to build the ark.” 

As with the many “forecasts of rain” with no completion of the ark, many have grown weary of the diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice rhetoric flowing freely from historically White colleges and universities (HWCUs). There is a rapidly decreasing appetite for seemingly unending and increasingly performative [1] “deep dives” into diversity data; [2] administrators’ proclamations on behalf of their institutions; and [3]  lectures, workshops, seminars, scholarly articles, and books regarding diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice.  In the words of Edgar A. Guest, people would 

“…rather see a sermon than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.
The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear;
And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action is what everybody needs
I soon can learn to do it if you'll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.
And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do;
For I might misunderstand you and the high advise you give,
But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

Instead of performances, those “sick and tired of being sick and tired” would rather “see a sermon” consisting of a prioritized Black agenda that is actively implemented at HWCUS. Such an agenda might consist the one outlined below. 

Black Students. 

Herein, Black students refer to those from the African Diaspora. However, because of the centuries of systemic racism in this country, it is recommended that HWCUs formally declare their highest priority to be Black students who are descendants of Africans enslaved in America. 

Instead of focusing on inputs, i.e., the numbers, percentages and goals for admitted Black students, HWCUs should provide annual data regarding the numbers of Black students retained, graduated, those who immediately enrolled in graduate and or professional schools, and the specific jobs along with salaries acquired within months of graduation. The number of Blacks admitted should be proportional to the number of Blacks in the communities served by the given institutions. Black student graduation rates should be equal to or greater than the institutional norms.

As opposed to across-the-board recruiting, a priority should be placed on recruiting Black students along with retaining and graduating them in fields where Blacks are most underrepresented and for which society has the highest need for educated professionals. Thus, for example, HWCUs should excel at and present the annual results of Blacks graduating in the Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, Engineering, Business, Law and all other fields according to institutional priorities. HWCUs’ student funding should correlate with students pursuing these fields of study.

HWCUs should not wait for a national, regional, or racial crisis to ascertain Black students’ campus satisfaction via hastily called “sensitivity sessions.”  Instead, they should conduct ongoing periodic assessments of Black student satisfaction with their campuses and surrounding communities. Moreover, Black student equity and social justice leaders should be appropriately compensated for their services.

Black Faculty. 

In principle, the priorities should be the same as those stated above for Black students. In addition, for faculty, HWCUs’ Chief Academic Officers should make an annual public presentation of prioritized outcomes such as the numbers of Black faculty members (by academic disciplines, faculty rank and tenure stream status) hired, retained, tenured, and promoted to the highest faculty ranks. For research intensive institutions, the Chief Academic Officers should also provide the specific amounts of external funding for Black faculty members as compared to institutional norms.

Black Administrators.  

Instead of hiring Blacks primarily as Assistant, Associate, and other assistants to White senior administrators along with a plethora of Black diversity and inclusion officers, HWCUs should annually present the numbers of Blacks hired as Department Chairs, Directors of Major Centers, Deans, Provosts, Chancellors, Presidents, Officers of the institutions, and, in short, Black administrators with significant fiscal, personnel, and policy responsibilities. Comparative data should also be presented by race and gender.

Black Business Contracts. 

Instead of a focus on “small businesses” and “minority vendor” programs, CEOs of HWCUs should annually present the names and contract amounts approved for Black-owned and operated companies that received multi-million-dollar business contracts.

Community Engagement. 

Given the systemic nature of racism in areas where many HWCUs are located, there should be ongoing, major intervention projects such as [1] working with a local public school system to significantly close race-related achievement gaps; and [2] the development of the local Black workforce for 21st Century employment.

Without the foregoing type of prioritized and acted upon agenda related to Blacks, we will witness is the continued performative realities described above by Madison. There will be theatrical  acts performed during Black History Month, on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, during Black Alumni Homecoming Programs, etc. However, at the end of the academic year, we will again hear things such as “We know we haven’t gotten there yet. However, we’re committed and, with your help, surely we will get there.” Then, time will pass; the leading and supporting actors/actresses will change; new “intellectual paradigms” will arise; and equity and social justice will be delayed, unless in the spirit of the Frederick Douglass Theory of Social Change, there is the essential struggle associated with progress. 

Jack L. Daniel (pictured right)

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

October 12, 2021

From its inception until today, America has been a racist, sexist, patriarchal, caste-like society as defined by the White “founding fathers” and sustained by subsequent generations of privileged White men. As such, it has been the structural enforcement of systemic discrimination, not “biological destiny” that contributed to no woman having served as President of the United States and only one known Black man to have done so. 

White men do not systematically earn higher salaries than all other men and women because they have an “inherent acumen” for functioning in a capitalistic society. Rather, many White men and their successors benefitted in extraordinary ways from doing things such as [1] stealing the land of Indigenous Americans; [2] profiting for centuries from the free labor of enslaved Africans; [3] suppressing the right to vote among women and people of color; and [4] implementing immigration policies and practices that benefitted particular groups of Europeans.

Periodically, scholars articulate theories that, in an earthquake fashion, severely shake the foundations of the world view on which the American White, male, racist, patriarchal, sexist, and caste-like society is based. When the theories sufficiently rattle these oppressive foundations by exposing the evils from which they were built, then one political response is the “dumbing down” of the theories.

Herein, “dumbing down” refers to the deliberate oversimplification of liberating theories in order to appeal in a simplistic fashion to those of low intelligence and/or education. Dumbing down is also a sloganeering, propaganda-like way to attack the scholars who articulated the theories as well as the content itself in order to defend the White, male, racist, sexist, patriarchal, and cast-like American society. Those proselytized are told that they must act against the evil scholars and their theories in order to achieve glorious goals such as “make America great again;” “restore traditional values;” and “maintain the moral fiber” of America.

We witnessed “dumbing down” decades ago when “Feminist Theory” was articulated. In response to the valid critiques of the various ways in which patriarchy, sexism, and homophobia oppressed women and others, “dumbing down” took place, for example, by labelling “feminists” as [1] “anarchists” who were determined to “destroy family values;” [2] “bra-burning” women who hated men; and [3] radical women who wanted to destroy the “sacred” institution of marriage. “Dumbing down” critics of feminism decried notions such as “women’s and men’s ways of thinking.” And woe unto the “feminists” who declared that not only was a “woman’s place” not limited to a male-dominated home, but a woman’s place was wherever she wanted it to be.

“Dumbing down” of theories that critique the “White male powers that be” is not just a matter of simple ignorance on the parts of the perpetrators. Rather, what is also operative is what Martin Luther King Jr. perhaps had in mind when he stated, “There is nothing more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity” as evidenced, for example, by a school board that sought to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) because it would make children feel rejected, sow divisions among the students, and cause some students to believe they were victims of oppression because of their color (See, The Pilot, May 11, 2021). As noted in the article, “Few speakers addressed the tenets of Critical Race Theory directly…”

Worse than sincere ignorance is deliberate lying about CRT for political purposes as was the case when Ted Cruz, a Harvard Law graduate, stated, “Let me tell you right now, critical race theory is bigoted, it is a lie, and it is every bit as racist as the Klansmen in white sheets.” Whereas Cruz has every reason to be aware of CRT’s basic tenets, others in the forefront of “dumbing down” CRT such as POTUS 45, Marjorie Taylor Green, and their propagandized followers have probably never read a paragraph of the voluminous scholarly CRT literature written by distinguished intellectuals such as Derrick Bell, Kimberle Crenshaw, and Richard Delgado. 

Those who have read a minimal amount of CRT literature know that CRT consists of undeniable basic propositions such as [1] racism has been and continues to be a systemic factor that impacts our educational, economic, legal, political and social systems in ways that contribute to race-related disparities in health, wealth and all other critically important indices relating to quality of life; and [2] as advanced by Kimberle Crenshaw, intersectionality is an analytic frame whereby multiple factors such as race, sex, religion, caste, and gender can be used to account for advantages and disadvantages in American society.  

Instead of a “well-informed citizenry,” we find ourselves in the presence of the “dumbing down” CRT with one diabolical outcome being a new “lunatic fringe” that seeks to ban the teaching of CRT from public schools as well as throughout higher education.  Indeed, “Banning CRT” might well become the “MAGA” slogan for forthcoming elections at all levels of American society. Sadly, some of those seeking to ban CRT are as ignorant as those who hated “Obamacare” but, at the same time, signed up for benefits from the Affordable Care Act. Indeed, “dumbing down” CRT can be as negatively impactful as in the case of the deadly consequences stemming from ignoring the science associated with the Coronavirus.

Regardless to whether it is simple or sincere ignorance and/or devious politically-inspired, essentially the “dumbing down” of CRT is a desperate attempt to maintain the caste-like society that was built on the foundations of Indigenous American genocide, the American holocaust of slavery, and ongoing racist, sexist, patriarchal policies and practices. As these horrendous foundational walls are attacked, of course those who benefitted most from the oppressive system are screaming the loudest. However, as in the biblical story “when the priests blew the rams horn, the army shouted, the walls came tumbling down, the people charged straight in, and they took the city,” the articulation of CRT is but the latest intellectually- inspired “blowing of the ram’s horn” that will help Americans tear down the walls of oppression.  Therefore, folks must “stay woke” regarding the “dumbing down” of CRT lest they be duped by “wolves in sheep’s’ clothing” purporting to defend American democratic ideals.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban View

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

July 21, 2021

Message from Allegheny County Common Pleas President Kim Berkeley Clark  

As a former prosecutor, lawyer and judge, I take pride in the American system of justice, including the Constitutional protections that all citizens are afforded. I still have faith in our justice system and I am particularly proud of the justice system here in Allegheny County. We are well-respected throughout the United States and we are never satisfied with doing things the way we have always done them. We continue to work to improve our system of justice by making data-informed decisions, by implementing best practices and by working collaboratively with law enforcement and other stakeholders.

Notwithstanding my pride in our justice system, recent events, including the overdue acknowledgement and celebration of Juneteenth National Freedom Day, and the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, have led me to the decision that the Court must consciously and publicly address the waning public confidence in the justice system amidst the growing and compelling evidence that persons of color are at a greater risk of death or serious bodily injury at the hands of the police and are more likely to languish in the child welfare and juvenile and criminal justice systems than white persons.

These concerns raise questions of whether the justice system in America, including Allegheny County, is actually fair, whether the citizens perceive that our system of justice is fair, and whether, despite our best efforts, the American system of justice is replete with racial and ethnic disparities or operates under the cloud of systemic racism.

While judges have a duty to uphold the law and, in many cases, impose sanctions and consequences on those who violate the law, we have an equal duty to promote public confidence in the judiciary as an independent and unbiased institution. This means that Allegheny County Courts must be at the forefront in addressing these issues. We must undergo an ongoing and critical evaluation of how justice is administered in Allegheny County. It means we must openly acknowledge and address our flaws, rather than rely on the powers and privileges that may allow us to turn a blind eye to them. Please understand that our history is calling us to work collaboratively and inclusively to make positive changes in the justice system that will benefit all citizens.

Engraved above the front entrance of the United States Supreme Court Building, is the phrase “Equal Justice Under Law”. The words stem from the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which was adopted on July 9, 1868, in the wake of the Civil War, and which, among other things, granted citizenship to former slaves. This phrase has shaped American jurisprudence and is considered the gold standard of justice.

Despite the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, our history has demonstrated that justice has not always been equal for many Americans, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities, women, persons with disabilities, those who do not fit into what society has decided are traditional gender roles, and those living in poverty. What we need to do is ensure that we develop a justice system that not only promotes equality, but ensures equity.

To truly achieve justice, the proverbial scales of justice must be balanced. We must take into account the uneven playing field on which racial and ethnic minorities, those who do not squarely fit into traditional gender roles, other disadvantaged persons, and the poor enter the justice system. The public must see members of our local judiciary and court staff working with urgency to attain this goal in equal solidarity with them, with other justice-related institutions, and with each other. The Fifth Judicial District must rise to this generational challenge.

To the hundreds of dedicated civil servants and servant leaders of the Fifth Judicial District, please know that as I acknowledge these pressing questions, I also acknowledge the sacrifices you have made in the interest of serving the public as well as the stress and trauma that many of you endure in your positions. We are fortunate to have judges and staff, police officers, lawyers, victim advocates, and others who are dedicated to public service, who are committed to justice, who demonstrate a strong work ethic, and who possess a keen sense of fairness and respect for humankind. Our Court has been working hard to address the issues of racial and ethnic disparities and systematic racism in the justice system. Some examples of this are:

• Utilization of the PA Detention Risk Assessment, which has significantly reduced the number of juveniles held in pre-trial detention;
• Utilization of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory to help identify the risk factors for recidivism, which has significantly reduced the number of delinquent youth in out-of-home placements;
• Utilization of diversionary programs to prevent entry into the juvenile justice system;
• Establishment of a robust Department of Pretrial Services of Allegheny County;
• Utilization of treatment courts (Mental Health Court, Drug Court, Veteran’s Court, PRIDE Court) to divert individuals from incarceration to treatment;
• Establishment of Housing Court to reduce evictions, and improve judicial access through a Help Desk designed to assist litigants by providing information, forms, and referral resources;
• Implementation of a Language Access Plan to promote equal access for limited or non-English speakers and deaf/hard of hearing court users;
• Fostering collaboration between Magisterial District Judges and community stakeholders to educate the community regarding procedures in landlord-tenant cases;
• The MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge with a focus on meaningfully addressing the racial and ethnic inequities in the justice system;
• The significant reduction of the population in the Allegheny County Jail and the continued efforts to reduce the population;
• Implementation of Anti-Discrimination and Implicit Bias Training consistent with the 5th Judicial District’s Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy that prohibits all forms of discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, or religion;
• Prompt investigation and redress of Non-Discrimination and EEO Policy violations to ensure that all individuals including employees, applicants for employment, litigants, witnesses, jurors, and court volunteers are treated in a dignified, civil, respectful, and non-discriminatory manner;
• Collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, the Allegheny County Executive, and the Allegheny Department of Human Services to address criminal justice reform.

We have made progress, but the struggle is ongoing. We are committed to collecting and examining the data to identify disparities throughout all divisions of the justice system and will continue to examine our processes and procedures that might contribute to racial and ethnic injustice.

It may be difficult to know where to begin in the quest to create a system of equal justice for all. Consequently, I propose that in order to achieve a system that is both equal and equitable, we begin with a thorough and critical examination of our own mission to the public that we serve. We must have a mission that sets forth the Court’s responsibility to the public and we must evaluate everything that we do in light of our mission.

The mission will conspicuously appear on our website to remind the public that they have a right to justice that is free of bias and that the Court is firmly committed to addressing and eradicating ethnic and racial disparity, implicit bias, and systemic racism in our system of justice. Accordingly, I have asked a diverse group of citizens in Allegheny County and staff of the Fifth Judicial District to assist me with creating a mission for the Fifth Judicial District that truly sets forth our responsibility to all members of the public that we serve.

I am proud to serve as the President Judge of the Fifth Judicial District and thankful for the opportunity to work with judges and court staff who are so deeply committed to public service. In the near future, I look forward to presenting the new mission for the Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania.

We will continue to examine our processes and procedures to demonstrate our commitment to equal justice under law and to keep us squarely on the path that will enable us to reach this goal. We will do our best to earn and keep your respect, and to hold ourselves accountable to the public that we serve.

I would like to thank the following people for their input, contribution to, and review of this message: Chris Connors, Angharad Stock, Lisa Herbert, Melinda Sala, Judge Mik Pappas, Lisette McCormick (Interbranch Commission of Gender Racial and Ethnic Fairness) Elizabeth Hughes (ACBA President), and the Administrative Team for the Fifth Judicial District.

“…Well, the only person talking about love thy brother is the preacher

…Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration

Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to my nation

… Fear in the air, tension everywhere…”

-The Temptations-

When it comes to police killing Blacks, the realization of justice demands that we not be victims of gaslighting, i.e., “…a form of psychological abuse where a person or group makes someone question their sanity, perception of reality, or memories…” (Jennifer Huizen, July 14, 2020).  For example, gaslighting would have succeeded if police murdered a Black person(s) and, subsequently, Blacks and others accepted the excuse that the police officer(s) were confused when they committed their heinous crimes.  Consider the following “balls of confusion.”  

• In 1999, Bronx resident Amadou Diallo was unarmed but plainclothes police officers were allegedly confused  when they fired 41 bullets into Diallo.  This so-called confusion took place as Diallo, age 22, stood in a well-lighted area.  

• In 2014, a Cleveland police officer, Timothy Loehmann, arrived on the scene and, within minutes, shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice because Loehmann claimed he confused Rice’s toy gun for a real gun.

• In 2018, Dallas police officer Amber Guyger murdered Botham Jean while he was in his apartment eating ice cream, after she supposedly confused his apartment for hers.

• In 2020, Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old woman was guilty of no crime when confused Louisville police officers  Brett Hankison and Jonathan Mattingly and Officers Myles Cosgrove executed a “no knock” warrant at the wrong home; broke down her front door; awakened Ms. Taylor from her sleep; and murdered her with eight shots.  

• In March 2021, a Chicago police officer Eric Stillman was supposed to be confused when he shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo, after Toledo had raised his hands without a gun in his hand.  Gaslighting the public, Stillman was said to be confused as he made a “split-second” decision, notwithstanding the fact that the gun in question was on the ground a few feet from Toledo.

• In April, 2021, Daunte Wright, a 19-year-old, was killed by police officer Kimberly Potter during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.  Officer Potter Wright said she confused her Taser with her Glock.  Coming to her defense, former Brooklyn Center Police Chief, Tim Gannon, attempting to gaslight the public by telling reporters, “This appears to me, from what I viewed in the officer's reaction and distress immediately after, that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright." 

It would take a tome to tell the extent of allegedly confused cops killing Blacks and, therefore, we can only take momentary solace in the guilty verdict for the vicious cop who murdered George Floyd.  

One convicted cop does not aggrieve centuries of police killing innocent Blacks.  Woke folks must remain in control of their faculties by  remembering “…Black people in America are constantly at risk of state-sponsored violence and death. Police still exist to uphold White supremacy and have been empowered by laws and the courts to inject themselves into Black life for any reason, no matter how minor – even expired registrations. And as long as police continue to act as this occupying force and mechanism for social control in Black communities – horrific acts of police violence will be commonplace…” (Paige Fernandez, Policing Policy Advisor, National Political Advocacy Department, ACLU).  

We must never forget the fact that today’s police abuse of Blacks is rooted in the South where “Slave Patrols” were created to “(1) to chase down, apprehend, and return to their owners, runaway slaves; (2) to provide a form of organized terror to deter slave revolts; and, (3) to maintain a form of discipline for slave-workers who were subject to summary justice, outside of the law, if they violated any plantation rules.  Following the Civil War, these vigilante-style organizations evolved in modern Southern police departments primarily as a means of controlling freed slaves who were now laborers working in an agricultural caste system, and enforcing "Jim Crow" segregation laws, designed to deny freed slaves equal rights and access to the political system…” (Gary Potter, 2013).  

Regarding contemporary Minnesota and alleged police confusion related to deadly choke holds, note that W. Lehren and Andrew Blankstein indicated that as of June 1, 2020, Minnesota police had used “neck restraints” 237 times and that three-fifths of the victims rendered unconscious were Black.  One victim was “…a 17-year-old fleeing from a shoplifting incident. Another involved a traffic stop where the suspect was deemed "verbally non-compliant."  Historically, lest we forget, “neck restraint” is a euphemistic term for the extreme tactic previously known as “lynching.”

No amount of “diversity and inclusion” rhetoric/workshops/sensitivity sessions/virtual meetings, etc. will change the forgoing systemic pathology.   A million public pronouncements full of pathos post the finding of guilt regarding the murder of George Floyd will abate the modern modes of murder of Blacks by police.  What is needed with all deliberate speed is a complete reimagining of what it means to serve as a police officer.  Hopefully, many more convictions of confused cops will serve as a catalyst for this endeavor.  If this does not occur, then the May and June 2021 nightly news will be filled with efforts to gaslight ongoing killings of Blacks and, once again, we are likely to experience a long, hot summer.

“If we must die, let it not be like hogs

Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,

While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,

Making their mock at our accursèd lot.

If we must die, O let us nobly die,

So that our precious blood may not be shed

In vain; then even the monsters we defy

Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!”

-Claude McKay-

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

April 27, 2021

 In times of emotional turmoil, many people may not know exactly what to say to help calm the feeling of loss, sadness, anger and fear. But today and all the days going forward, none of us can remain silent when it comes to the continued loss and suffering experienced by our friends, neighbors and co-workers of color, as well as others who are the victims of racism and social injustice.

We must have honest and open conversations around equality and racism in our country. It is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching to see our fellow citizens from the black community continue to experience inequality and racism, and, collectively, we must raise each other up as we work toward solutions. We must never forget George Floyd and the many others who have experienced abuse and senseless deaths.

Pittsburgh has thrived as a travel destination because of the diversity of our neighborhoods and the amazing arts and cultural scene that reflects the talents of artists from different race and backgrounds. 

As one of the largest industries in Allegheny County employing more than 43,000 employees, we have a powerful voice and a responsibility to ensure that our employees, neighbors and visitors are treated fairly and with respect.

We promote Pittsburgh as a welcoming city to visitors from around the world. ‘Pittsburgh. You are Welcomed Here.’ is more than a tagline, but a commitment to ensure that not only do our visitors feel welcomed, but, most importantly, that all our residents are welcomed, valued and are afforded the same dignity and respect.

While it is important for us to speak out, it is equally important for us to listen. We are receiving thoughtful, deliberate and heart-felt messaging from these protests. We must listen.

At VisitPITTSBURGH, we will actively engage with our community partners in equity and inclusion efforts, ensure we represent Pittsburgh’s diversity in our story telling, support our black and minority business partners and celebrate the region’s black and minority community members.

We aim to ensure that our voice is part of this community dialog. While we do not have all the answers, we are here and willing to do our part.

Jerad Bachar
President and CEO
VisitPITTSBURGH

On Tuesday July 28, 2020 Pittsburgh City Council finally passed five pieces of legislation sponsored by Council members Rev Ricky Burgess and R. Daniel Lavelle to reform the Pittsburgh Police.  Those five pieces of legislation include: 

1. Establishing a Hiring Freeze in the Bureau of Police: This legislation which will defund the Police Recruit and First-Year Police Officer line items in the Bureau’s 2020 Budget. 
2. Requiring the Demilitarization of the Police: This legislation  Bans the purchase of surplus U.S. military equipment and weapons by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police,  
3. Establishing a Duty to Intervene: This legislation requires ALL police officers to step in and stop other police officers from using illegal or unnecessary force or any other violation of a person’s constitutional right.   
4. Establishing STOP the Violence Fund: This legislation requires the city to dedicate dollars, equal to 10% of the Police Budget, annually for funding evidence based violence prevention social service programs. 
5. Banning Choke holds.  This legislation bans choke holds from being used by the Pittsburgh Police  

Rev. Burgess says “We can cannot ignore the large national outcry from protests including Pittsburgh residents about the unjust deaths of unarmed people of color like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. We must implement fundamental police reforms and significantly fund evidence based violence reduction social service programs. The best way to improve public safety is not just additional police officers but rather by increasing the community’s confidence in the police. It is time to have an open inclusive conversation about the future of policing in this country and here in Pittsburgh” 

Councilman Lavelle says, “During these times it is critically important that we not only acknowledge the voices of those marching in the streets but also provide a legislative platform for them to directly engage in the governance and policing of our city. The idea that more policing can solve a broad range of community problems is misguided. What our communities need, particularly communities of color, is more direct investment in things like: affordable housing, better education, counseling for trauma and addiction, youth development, workforce development, and public transit.” 

NFL clubs today adopted new procedures in diversity, equity and inclusion. In approving a resolution and other rules changes, league officials will implement wide-sweeping workplace reforms to increase employment opportunities and advancement for minorities and women across the league.

"We believe these new policies demonstrate the NFL Owners' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the NFL," said Pittsburgh Steelers owner and chairman of the Workplace Diversity Committee, Art Rooney II.  "The development of young coaches and young executives is a key to our future. These steps will assure coaching and football personnel are afforded a fair and equitable opportunity to advance throughout our football operations. We also have taken important steps to ensure that our front offices, which represent our clubs in so many different ways, come to reflect the true diversity of our fans and our country."

The resolution changes the current Anti-Tampering Policy by establishing a system that prohibits a club from denying  1) an assistant coach the opportunity to interview with a new team for a bona fide Offensive Coordinator, Defensive Coordinator, or Special Teams Coordinator position; (2) a non-high-level/non-secondary football executive from interviewing for a bona fide Assistant General Manager position. In either case, a contract could not be negotiated or signed until after the conclusion of the employer club's playing season; and 3) requires all clubs submit in writing an organizational reporting structure for the coaching staff with job descriptions for any coach who is a coordinator or co-coordinator within that structure. The resolution also requires that any dispute regarding whether the new team is offering a "bona fide" position will be submitted promptly to the Commissioner, whose determination shall be final, binding and not subject to further review.

The resolution was put forth by the Workplace Diversity Committee, chaired by Rooney and the Competition Committee, chaired by Rich McKay (Atlanta Falcons). The league also announced expansion of Rooney Rule requirements and implementation of enhanced diversity policies.

The enhancements to the Rooney Rule include changes both on and off-the-field. Clubs will now be required to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coach vacancies; at least one minority candidate for any of the three coordinator vacancies; and at least one external minority candidate for the senior football operations or general manager position.

For the first time the Rooney Rule will also apply to a wide range of executive positions. Clubs must now include minorities and/or female applicants in the interview processes for senior level front office positions such as club president and senior executives in communications, finance, human resources, legal, football operations, sales, marketing, sponsorship, information technology, and security positions. The league office will also adhere to these requirements.

"The NFL is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which I believe is critical to our continued success," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "While we have seen positive strides in our coaching ranks over the years aided by the Rooney Rule, we recognize, after the last two seasons, that we can and must do more. The policy changes made today are bold and demonstrate the commitment of our ownership to increase diversity in leadership positions throughout the league."

Comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion plans will be implemented at all 32 clubs and the league office to include education, training, and universal data collection. Additionally, an advisory panel, with input from the Fritz Pollard Alliance, will be convened to promote ideas to foster an inclusive culture of opportunity both on and off the field.

In other steps, for the first time, all 32 NFL clubs will host a coaching fellowship program geared towards minority candidates. These fellowships are full-time positions, ranging from one to two years, and provide NFL Legends, minority, and female participants with hands-on training in NFL coaching. While positions at each organization vary, these programs help identify and develop talent with the goal of advancing candidates to full-time coaching positions through promotion within.

Additionally, the NFL has two long-standing fellowship programs focused on increasing the pipeline for minority coaching and player personnel candidates– the Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship and the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship.

The NFL's Workplace Diversity Committee is comprised of owners and executive personnel to include: Chair, Art Rooney II (Pittsburgh Steelers); Michael Bidwill (Arizona Cardinals); Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons); Ozzie Newsome (Baltimore Ravens), Kim Pegula (Buffalo Bills), George H. McCaskey (Chicago Bears). E. Javier Loya (Houston Texans); and John Mara (New York Giants).

The NFL's Competition Committee consists of two owners, two club presidents, two general managers, and three head coaches: Chair, Rich McKay (Atlanta Falcons), Ozzie Newsome (Baltimore Ravens), Stephen Jones (Dallas Cowboys), John Elway (Denver Broncos), Mark Murphy (Green Bay Packers), Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints), John Mara (New York Giants), Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers), Ron Rivera (Washington Redskins).

The policy changes were developed in consultation with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which advocates for diversity and job equality in the league.

Source: NFL

White supremacy is a long-rooted destructive social determinant that contributes significantly to disparities in education, health, housing, wealth, and, in general, quality of life.  When addressing this Revelations-like “Beast,” we must understand that institutional statements about Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion are just statements unless oppressed people force institutions to also proactively pursue equity and social justice. Otherwise, we witness appalling things such as the Rooney Rule being adopted in 2003 when there were 3 Black Head Coaches and, in 2020, there are 3 Black Head Coaches. 

Because of its ability to regenerate, White supremacy deserves responses as rigorous as those made to Covid-19, i.e., systemic interventions by all societal sectors. Regarding Blacks’ responses to White supremacy, this article was stimulated by my colleague, Dr. Curtiss E. Porter (Chancellor Emeritus, Penn State Greater Allegheny)  who wrote, “I am concerned about this generation’s response to White Supremacy…  It appears to me, that they think ‘words are enough,’ which I will generalize in the headline ‘Dear White People.’ They are brilliant in articulating the vectors and intersections of racial substance, thought and action, such as the negative outcomes posed by micro-aggression but, in the end, it appears, that much is directed toward some ‘great white ear’ which will hopefully respond munificently.” 

In the spirit of Sankofa, a backward look was taken to recall what “brought us thus far” and, based on current circumstances, discern implications for today’s fight against White supremacy. This brief reflection confirms, for example, that “Freedom only comes through persistent revolt, through persistent agitation, through persistently rising up against the system of evil.” (Martin Luther King Jr.) As corroborative evidence, consider two significant periods during the war against White supremacy.

1663-1865 The African Holocaust in America, also known as slavery, remains one if not the worst example of inhumanity --one that produced such excruciating suffering that “ride-or-die” folks were needed in the pursuit of freedom. The horror produced by demonic White supremacists led to people who [1] leaped from slave ships into the seas; [2] conducted more than 250 slave rebellions; [3] implemented work slowdowns by breaking tools and setting fire to crops; [4] killed newborns rather than let them grow up as slaves; [5] served as “House Negroes” but spied on masters in order to help “Field Negroes” plan attacks against the master; and, [6] fled from plantations. These were the proverbial “desperate times that required desperate measures,” including the fact that  it took the bloodiest American war to end slavery.

1954-1980  Immediately after the Civil War, there were continued bombings, burnings, lynchings, and shootings of Blacks. Jim Crow laws were passed to enforce racial segregation. Racism became institutionalized. For more than a century, by law and in practice, Blacks were subjugated second class citizens. Therefore, the Civil Rights Movement was driven by a sense of urgency as well as commitment to a wide array of direct actions undergirded by Martin Luther King Jr’s exhortation “…that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” 

Accordingly, instead of simply hoping that White leaders would respond munificently, [1] Black students confronted and made demands on historically White institutions of higher education; [2] Black national organizations won a series of key court cases; [3] Black community activists boycotted, marched, sat-in and made demands on local governments, schools, and businesses; [4] Blacks, by way of urban insurrections, exploded like a “festering raisin in the sun;” and [5] Let us not forget that Dwight Eisenhower sent troops to Arkansas and, later, Lyndon Johnson sent troops to Alabama.

Blacks’ direct action was supplemented by a plethora of efforts to raise “race consciousness,” i.e., [1] to move from an inferior and subservient self-concept as a “Negro” to a proud and self-assertive “Black” mentality; and [2] to gain “Black power” which included Blacks doing for self as well as taking their rightful places in public spaces, e.g., to freely attend public schools as well as build Black owned and operated schools; to work in corporate positions as well as become entrepreneurs; to be fairly covered in the White-owned press as well as create Black newspapers; and to dine at any public restaurant as well as own and operate restaurants. 

2000-2020 “Diversity and Inclusion” replaced “affirmative action” but did not significantly advance “equity and social justice” for Blacks. During this period, members of the “talented tenth” became the first Blacks to occupy various managerial, political, and staff positions; Black students gained a significant but token presence in higher education; and more Blacks escaped the worst of poverty. However, by 2020, disparities were growing like a lethal virus as evidenced by widening gaps in Black home ownership, health, educational achievement, and wealth. This scenario reminds one of when more than 40,000 Blacks got back on the White folks’ buses instead of also building upon the transportation system they developed during the Montgomery boycott. 

Regarding Blacks’ addressing White supremacy, I have a dream that, one day, the very best Black student-athletes, other students, faculty, administrators and staff will choose to take their talents to several leading historically Black colleges and universities and turn them into externally verified world class colleges and universities.  I have a dream that there will be more OWN channels, Tyler Perry Studios, Black law firms, Black banks, Black construction companies, Black grocery stores, and, in general, an exponential expansion of Black entrepreneurship.

In my dream, Blacks will deal with the full implications of Carter G. Woodson’s statement, “The education of the Negroes, then, the most important thing in the uplift of the Negroes, is almost entirely in the hands of those who have enslaved them and now segregate them.” 

I dream of White supremacy withering on the vine when [1] Blacks become the largest active voting block and Black elected officers are multiplied significantly;  [2] Black civic organizations, churches, and families regain their critical importance; [3] Blacks’ undying love for their people is wed to sustained systematic actions; [4] the most talented and highest achieving Blacks constantly speak truth to power instead of being muzzled by “30 pieces of silver;” and [5] the struggle against White supremacy is joined by all people purporting to endorse freedom, justice and equality. 

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

May 13, 2020

“I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,

When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore, 

When he beats his bars and he would be free’

It is not a carol of joy or glee,

But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,

A plea, that upward to Heaven he flings-

I know why the caged bird sings.”

-Paul Laurence Dunbar-

Wearily we watch as “Black babies face double the risk of dying before their first birthday” (see Gaby Galvin, August 1, 2019).  Tragically, Black teens have the highest probability of becoming a homicide victim.  The most gifted Black child’s life can be halted when a wanton bullet finds its deadly mark.  Black men know that jogging while wearing a “hoodie” and a Covid-19 protective mask could contribute to them being murdered.  Like Sandra Bland, days after a traffic stop arrest, a Black woman can be found dead in a cell, or, as with Breonna Taylor, be aroused from sleeping and murdered during a “botched” police raid.

Far too many Black lives are ones in which hopes are routinely dashed; excruciating pain is daily delivered; spirits are constantly broken; and life is like trying to breath inside a stifling vault.  For no other reason than being Black, these harsh things and more are strapped on Blacks’ backs and, in turn, contribute to the rapid rise in mental illness among Blacks (See Cordilia James and Petersen Pedersen in the Wall Street Journal, July, 21, 2020). 

More than a century after Dunbar wrote the above poem, my father-in-law (Nathaniel S. Colley, Sr.) experienced what all highly accomplished Blacks know, i.e., that “doing the right things” does not provide him/them with a pass to escape the deleterious fate of being born Black in America.  He did his undergraduate work at Tuskegee; earned his law degree from Yale; served as an army officer during World War II; was a NAACP Western Region general counsel; and, while assisting President John F. Kennedy, he agreed to take part in an inspection of military troops stationed in Japan.  

While in Japan, a Japanese citizen sought to understand the extent of White American racism by asking, “Mr. Colley, if you go to Mississippi, will they also put dogs on you too?”  My father-in-law said, “Yes, if I go to Mississippi, they’ll put dogs on me too!”  For the rest of his life, Colley Sr. reminded himself and others that neither his Tuskegee and Yale degrees nor his many distinguished trial lawyer accomplishments would prevent “dogs from being put on him too”  ---that Malcolm X spoke truth when he asked and answered, “What do Whites call a Negro with a PhD?  A Nigger!”

Recently, I had a reminder that “dogs could be put on me too.  The rear deck of my home is about 15 feet from the water that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay.  An armed White police officer walked past my home many evenings and spoke to me as I sat on my deck.  His seemingly friendly “hellos” caused me to have a lapse in judgment, but I was reminded of who I was when I went down to the boardwalk to fish.  

As the White officer approached, I said “Hello,” and he said, “Excuse me, do you live here?” I said “Yes” and, pointing to my home, I added, “I speak to you from that deck behind us when you pass by each evening.”  He said, “Oh and, by the way, you have to move your stool off the boardwalk.  There are no chairs allowed on the boardwalk.”  Noticing the gun strapped on the officer’s hip, I knew being a Black man was in play, not “Dr. Jack L. Daniel, the emeritus Vice Provost and Distinguished Service Professor.”  Hence, I said nothing and moved my stool.  

After the officer left, I thought about what could have happened had I gotten angry, jumped up and asked, “How can you ask me if I live here when, after so many evenings, you passed by my home and spoke to me?”  In minutes, the story could have become, “After fearing for his life, officer accidentally shoots angry man who was breaking the law on residential boardwalk,” followed shortly thereafter with “#Jack L. Daniel, say his name.”

If you are Black in America, then you don’t drive your car; walk down the street; barbecue in a public park; enter your own apartment late at night; fall asleep in the reception area of a dorm hall; attempt to cash a check with “Dr.” in front of your name; or engage in any normal activity without the nagging realization that you could become a fatal statistic.  You can’t be stopped at a red light without the possibility of a White male throwing lighter fluid on you and setting you on fire as was done recently to a Black woman in Wisconsin.  Even in death, as was the case for Congressman John Lewis, racist derived inhumanity was put on full display when, in  their “tributes to John Lewis,” Republican Congressman Marco Rubio and Senator Dan Sullivan mistakenly posted pictures of themselves and Elijah Cummings.  

Notwithstanding the woes of being Black in America, we of good faith will continue to do as John Lewis commanded, i.e., “get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America.”  We will do so  because we know, as John Legend sang, “One day when the glory comes; It will be ours, it will be ours; One day… When the war is won; When it's all said and done; We'll cry glory, oh glory.”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

July 29, 2020