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Black History Month category

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Sewickley-born reverends return to their roots for a ‘Holy Homecoming’ celebration
The Rev. Harold Cottom III recalled a pivotal time in his childhood growing up in Sewickley and attending St Matthew’s AME Zion Church. He was involved in a Buds of Promise youth program at the church. Cottom said the women who ran the program were very focused on scripture, and...
Quaker Valley’s Black Student Union teaches valuable lessons to elementary students
Quaker Valley High School senior Olivia Jordan said maintaining traditions is important to her. An older brother, Malcolm, founded the school’s Black Student Union in 2019. Another brother, Noah, later became president of the group designed to empower Black students and create a comfortable environment to share stories, experiences and...
‘Lifting Liberty’ exhibition documents Black life in East Liberty
Njaimeh Njie’s “Lifting Liberty” exhibit at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater is a tribute to the beauty of East Liberty and a love letter to Black culture in Pittsburgh past, present and future. The installation looks at Black-led spaces in conversation with urban renewal. Through Njie’s research, she depicts expression and...
12 native Sewickley pastors to be honored March 8
A Sewickley-based nonprofit is planning a celebration to honor Sewickley born African American pastors. Daniel B. Matthews Historical Society officials will recognize a dozen religious leaders at the Sewickley United Methodist Church next month. The ceremony will include guest speakers, musical performances and testimonials. The event is free and open...
CCAC Homewood Brushton Center celebrates Black Excellence
The CCAC Homewood Brushton Center honored Black excellence in style at its second annual Black Excellence Gala on Wednesday night, marking the end of Black History Month with a powerful celebration. The evening also featured a special tribute to Dr. Ralph Proctor with the dedication of the African American Heritage...
‘Envisioning A Just Pittsburgh’ exhibit opening celebrates diversity in the arts
There was an energy of excitement on Thursday at the opening of the “Envisioning A Just Pittsburgh” exhibition at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, which hosted a special iteration of its Thursday happy hour “Intermissions” to kick off the exhibition. The space was packed with a multicultural and...
Black Brilliance at Pittsburgh Public Theater centers Black mental health and wellness
The Pittsburgh Public Theater is championing Black wellness through its event Black Brilliance on Saturday. This is the second year for the wellness celebration, which takes place between two productions about Black stories. Pittsburgh Public Theater has put on a production called “Trouble in Mind,” and New Horizon Theater is...
Journeys & Jazz celebrates Ahmad Jamal and Pittsburgh’s Jazz history
The legacy of Ahmad Jamal and Pittsburgh’s jazz roots were celebrated on Wednesday at the Community Engagement Center in Homewood at the Journeys & Jazz event. Jamal, a Homewood native whose career as a jazz pianist started as early as age 11, is having a collection of his work preserved...
Meet 3 people leading the preservation of Black history in Pittsburgh
Black history within Pittsburgh is incredibly prevalent: The National Opera House was a hub for jazz artists and musicians like George Benson, the city was part of the Underground Railroad and it has an international Black newspaper. But that legacy needs people to make sure the culture is protected and...
Pittsburgh Public Theatre’s ‘Trouble in Mind’ is a mid-20th-century play with plenty to say today
Midway through act one of Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of “Trouble in Mind,” Al Manners (played by Joseph McGranaghan) declares to the cast of actors he’s directing, “No matter how unorthodox my methods, I promise not to bore you.” That statement carries throughout Alice Childress’ still-timely satirical script. Yes, it’s...
Westmoreland museum marks Black History Month with art-filled observance for all
It was celebration time Sunday for Laurie Johnson-Wade of New Kensington, who brought her seven grandchildren and two of her daughters to Greensburg for a lesson in Black history — the arts, singing, painting and poetry. “It’s a celebration of all things good about our history,” said Wade, a descendant...
Pittsburgh Penguins Black Hockey History game celebrates P.O Joseph, Willie O’Ree
The Pittsburgh Penguins honored the legacy of the organization’s Black players and veteran Black hockey player Willie O’Ree with a portrait by Pittsburgh visual artist Ashanté Josey after the Feb. 4 game against the New Jersey Devils at PPG Paints Arena. Josey painted “Legacy on Ice” in oil and acrylic...
National Opera House recognized by City of Pittsburgh
On a whim 25 years ago, Guyana native Jonnet Solomon and the late Miriam White purchased the Homewood building that once housed the National Negro Opera Company. Since then, Solomon has taken on the preservation of the building while continuing the legacy established by its founder, Mary Cardwell Dawson. “Every...
100 Black Men of Western Pennsylvania hosts annual mentoring roundtable
Eugene Shelton, 14, a freshman at Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, navigated the various tables at the 100 Black Men of Western Pennsylvania’s 13th annual mentoring roundtable like a pro. In his suit and tie, Shelton asked questions that prompted mentors to share their own experiences growing up and took...
Editorial: Black History Month acknowledges the contributions to our communities
February is Black History Month. It is a time when we stop and take a moment to recognize the role Black people have played in the building of our country. From America’s earliest days, Black people were an integral part of the architecture of the nation — whether it was...
Historical society marks 65th anniversary of Southern lunch-counter protests
Kelton Edmonds doesn’t just know the history of the “Greensboro Four,” the group of Black freshman students at North Carolina Architectural & Technical State College, who staged the first lunch-counter sit-in protest. He got a firsthand account of it from Jibreel Khazan, who was known then as Ezell Blair Jr.,...
TribLive Black History Month series aims to preserve history, legacy, stories
I recently looked in the back of a large recipe book, searching for something I could make with ingredients I already had. From the very back of the book, a purple envelope dropped out and landed at my feet. I picked it up, smiling at the recent memory of my...
Black History Month explained: Its origins, celebrations and myths
WASHINGTON — Beginning Feb. 1, schools, museums and communities across the nation will mark the start of Black History Month —- a celebration of Black history, culture and education. The history of the month dates back almost a century, and the way it is celebrated and evolved has created history...
25th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast highlights message of interconnectedness
Despite the freezing temperatures outside, attendees turned out and filled almost every seat in the Zappala Campus Center Square room at La Roche University to hear Dr. Angela Reynolds proclaim this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day to be “a day of recommitment and a purposeful decision to not give...
‘Black Firsts’ program highlights African American pioneers
People might not know that Phillis Wheatley was the first African American author of a published book of poetry in 1773. Or that Mary Fields was the first African American female mail carrier in 1895. Retired Penn State professor Anthony Mitchell highlighted the work of these women and other African...
Daniel B. Matthews Historical Society in Sewickley to formally install new officers
A historical society dedicated to preserving African-American history in the Sewickley area has been re-formed. The Daniel B. Matthews Historical Society at the St. Matthews AME Zion Episcopal Church had its first meeting on Jan. 16 after being dormant for around seven years. Officials plan to formally install the new...
Penn Hills Middle School celebrates Black History Month with soul food experience
Penn Hills Middle School students experienced firsthand the power of soul food in honor of Black History Month. On Friday morning, the scent of sweet and savory spices wafted from the home economics classroom. Select students from sixth through eighth grades gathered in the room to learn about and present...
Imani Batts creates sustainable fashion line with Catherine Trendz
Upcycling fashion designer Imani Batts is making waves in Pittsburgh and beyond as a trendsetter and sustainable fashion designer. Her thrift store finds are reworked into strikingly distinct, one-of-a-kind pieces. The most recent fashion show for her brand, Catherine Trendz, was the “GRWM” Runway Experience on Saturday at Velum Fermentation...
100 Black Men of Western PA, Pittsburgh Public Schools host African American History Challenge
A question about Pittsburgh’s first Black college stumped participants in the 30th African American History Challenge Bowl: A Legacy of Academic Excellence. The longtime collaboration between Pittsburgh Public Schools and 100 Black Men of Western PA, Inc., took place on Friday at Pittsburgh Greenway. Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Wayne N....
Black Pa. country musicians celebrate the Beyoncé effect, invite new listeners to stick around
This story first appeared in PA Local, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA taking a fresh, positive look at the incredible people, beautiful places, and delicious food of Pennsylvania. As Beyoncé’s rootsy new country singles “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em” usher in a new era for the superstar, other...


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