Letter to Dr. Linda Lane
Jan. 25, 2012
Dr. Linda Lane,
Superintendent
Pittsburgh Public Schools
341 S. Bellefield Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Dear Dr. Lane:
Thank you for agreeing to help host a community conversation on the issues of Pittsburgh Westinghouse. As I said to you a few months ago you had committed, as you came into office, to be involved with the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP) in helping to host at least two more community conversations with the citizens of Pittsburgh. I thank you for wanting to keep your word. After further consideration on this matter however, as B-PEP Chairman, I am strongly recommending that the proposed meeting on the issues around Pittsburgh Westinghouse be hosted by you and the Westinghouse High School Alumni Association in that this group has demonstrated a profound and consistent commitment to finding positive solutions to the many problems surrounding Pittsburgh Westinghouse. They have also, for over two years, identified several of the potential problems with regard to the approaches for Pittsburgh Westinghouse being proposed by Pittsburgh Board of Education staff members. Many of their concerns and fears have, unfortunately, come to fruition.
It is my understanding that the President of the Westinghouse High School Alumni Association, Atty. Reggie Bridges, has met with you on at least three occasions to discuss various issues and concerns regarding the implementation of the proposed Westinghouse plan. I am personally aware of many of the people involved in the Westinghouse Alumni Association and know of their profound dedication to education and their appreciation of the educational, musical and sports accomplishments of Westinghouse High School. They are indeed one of the most dedicated alumni associations in the Pittsburgh community. As our Pittsburgh Superintendent of Schools I am sure that you are appreciative of having such a dedicated group willing to collaborate in finding solutions to the many problems faced by this school. B-PEP, therefore, is willing to be present at the community conversation, but only in a supportive role of the goals identified by the Westinghouse Alumni. The time, energy and commitment to the cause of a successful Pittsburgh Westinghouse demonstrated, over a long period of time, by the Alumni Association certifies them as the necessary lead organization in any community conversation on the future of this historic school.
I look forward to a powerful and successful community conversation which will hopefully produce positive results for the students, parents, guardians, alumni and concerned citizens of the Westinghouse community and beyond. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Tim Stevens,
Chairman
The Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP)
cc: Atty. Reggie Bridges, President, Westinghouse High School Alumni
Association
Valerie Dixon, Interim Vice Chair, The Black Political Empowerment Project
(Westinghouse Alumni, 1979)
Pitt Library System Opens Archives of 4 African American Pittsburghers to Public
A closer look into the lives of four prominent Black men from Western Pennsylvania who made important contributions to U.S. history is now possible as a result of new collections made available through Pitt’s University Library System (ULS).
Pitt graduate students, under the supervision of Pitt archivist Wendy Pflug, have spent the past 12 months organizing and cataloging the personal papers of:
Frank Bolden (1914-2003), world-renowned war correspondent for The Pittsburgh Courier newspaper;
K. Leroy Irvis (1919-2006), legendary Pennsylvania legislative leader;
Percival L. Prattis (1895-1980), journalist with The Pittsburgh Courier and the first Black reporter to gain access to the U.S. House and Senate press galleries; and
Tim Stevens (1945- ), past president of the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP.
“This project represents a significant effort on the part of the ULS Archives Service Center to preserve, organize, and make available a key body of material for the further study of the contributions to American history made by these important men,” said ULS director and Hillman University Librarian Rush Miller.
The four collections represent almost 200 linear feet of biographical information, correspondence, subject files, scrapbooks, images, newspaper clippings, and other materials. They are housed at Pitt’s Archives Service Center, 7500 Thomas Blvd., Point Breeze. Researchers wanting to view a collection are asked to call ahead at 412-244-7091 so an archivist is available to assist.
The ULS has finding aids in place that offer detailed information about the contents of the collections. Information on the individuals and their collections follows.
Frank Bolden
The papers of this world-renowned journalist document his career as a feature writer for The Pittsburgh Courier and as one of the first World War II correspondents accredited by the U.S. Department of War. Because of racial segregation in the military, Bolden was only permitted to cover African American units. His articles, which described the bravery of soldiers in the 92nd Infantry Division in Italy, helped debunk the myth that Black soldiers could not handle the stress of combat. Bolden, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Pitt in 1934, returned to The Courier in 1945 as a features writer after declining offers from Life magazine and The New York Times. He also covered the cultural and social life of the Hill District and was The Courier’s city editor from 1956 to ‘60.
K. Leroy Irvis
One of Pennsylvania’s most prominent politicians, Irvis represented Pittsburgh as a Democrat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1958 to 1988. Among Irvis’ many achievements was his election as Speaker of the House in 1977, the first Black to hold that position in any state legislature in the United States since Reconstruction. Prior to his successful political career, Irvis worked as a teacher, Pittsburgh steel worker, editor, civil rights worker, news commentator, law clerk, assistant district attorney, civilian attaché to the U.S. War Department, and author. He was a 1969 graduate of the Pitt School of Law. This collection contains a wide variety of materials, including the piece of legislation Irvis sponsored that made Pitt a state-related institution in 1966, as well as other legislative papers and photos, publications, correspondence, and campaign literature.
Percival L. Prattis
This collection contains documents relating to the life and career of Prattis, former executive editor of The Pittsburgh Courier. In that position, he highlighted the struggles of Blacks for fair employment opportunities, from teaching positions to sports. Prattis also had duties as a Courier reporter and was dispatched on international assignments to the Middle East, Far East, and post-World War II Europe. During World War II, he traveled extensively, covering the Black Armed Forces. In 1947 he was one of the first Black journalists unanimously granted membership in the U. S. Senate and House press galleries. Material in this collection dates from 1916 to 1980 and includes correspondence, financial reports of the Courier, drafts of articles and stories, scrapbooks, and photographs.
Tim Stevens
This collection documents the life and career of Stevens, who has remained a prominent figure in the Pittsburgh community for decades. Raised in the Hill District, Stevens earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Pitt. He has served as both executive director and president of the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP. Stevens founded the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP), an organization aimed at promoting Black involvement in local, state, and national elections. Stevens also is a well-known jazz performer and vocalist. He has released several albums, both solo and with his ensemble, the Tim Stevens Project, and has written a variety of songs, including one recorded by Nancy Wilson. This collection contains correspondence, meetings minutes, brochures, flyers, personal notes, news articles, memos, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and photographs.
The ULS is the 23rd-largest academic library system within the United States. Under the administration of the Hillman University Librarian and ULS director, it includes 21 libraries and holds more than 6.2 million volumes and world-class specialized collections, among them the Archive of Scientific Philosophy and the Archives of Industrial Society, as well as major foreign-language materials from around the world totaling 1.4 million volumes. The ULS offers state-of-the-art facilities and services, with innovative digital library collections and capabilities.
Join the Alliance for Police Accountability to demand:
Prosecute Richard Ewing, David Sisak, and Michael Saldutte!
Release the Office of Municipal Investigations report to the public!
Fire the three officers!
On January 12, 2010, Jordan Miles was attacked by three undercover police officers while he was walking to his grandmother’s house in Homewood. The officers punched and kicked Jordan, and even ripped the dreadlocks off of his head. Jordan was not committing any crime; he was targeted simply for being a young Black man in Homewood.
The Department of Justice announced on May 4th that it would not press federal charges against the officers guilty of this racist act of brutality: Richard Ewing, David Sisak and Michael Saldutte. The same day, Police Chief Nate Harper announced that they would be reinstated and put back on the streets. However, the struggle for justice for Jordan Miles is by no means over.
Regardless of the Department of Justice’s decision, District Attorney Stephen Zappala still has the power to prosecute Ewing, Sisak and Saldutte, and has not yet announced what he intends to do. Hugely successful demonstrations were held every week in May, but the people of Pittsburgh need to continue to mobilize and keep up the pressure on city officials. The DA could make a decision at any time, so this is an especially critical moment in the struggle for justice. Join the Alliance for Police Accountability and its allies for a march from Freedom Corner to the Allegheny County Courthouse.
For more information: bsfish27@aol.com or 412-628-5849
In addition to marching, Call DA Zappala at 412-350-4400 and demand that he file criminal charges against the police who brutalized Jordan Miles!
Alliance for Police Accountability
The Justice for Jordan Miles campaign:
http://justiceforjordanmiles.com
"I cannot remember in my more than 40 years of community activism seeing a picture much worse than that of the severely beaten face of Jordan Miles," said B-PEP's Tim Stevens. "I cannot fathom how the Pittsburgh police could in any reasonable way defend the beating, stomping, choking and kicking and hair-pulling of an unarmed, 5-7, 150-pound teenager by three armed police officers."
The Department of Justice announced that it will not press federal charges against the three cops who beat Jordan Miles. Join the Alliance for Police Accountability and its allies to reject this outrageous decision and demand that District Attorney Zapalla prosecute the officers. We will also voice our indignation at the Mayor's refusal to release the Office of Municipal Investigations report on the case as well as the fact that the officers have not been fired. This is a critical moment in the struggle for justice for Jordan Miles. Protest the Department of Justice's refusal to prosecute police officers Ewing, Saldutte, and Sisak! Demand DA Zappala prosecute the three officers! Demand the City of Pittsburgh fire the three officers! Demand the Office of Municipal Investigations release its buried report! The people of Pittsburgh deserve to be able to live without fear of the police and a federal and municipal system that refuses to make officers accountable when obvious police brutality is taking place!
Letter to Dan Onorato regarding Allegheny County Jail Warden
June 21, 2011
Letter to Governor Tom Corbett
January 17 , 2011
B-PEP lends support to Jordan Miles Demonstration
June 12, 2010
CLICK HERE for more information
Miles Incident Prompts ACLU, B-PEP Community Forum:
“Know Your Rights” Program Will Focus on
Racial Profiling, Youth Interaction with Police
Pittsburgh—In response to concerns over the beating of Pittsburgh CAPA student Jordan Miles by Pittsburgh police officers in January, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania (ACLU-PA) and the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP) will host a community meeting to inform local residents – and particularly young people – about their constitutional rights and how to protect those rights in such situations. The event will take place on Monday, March 15th at 6:30pm in the St. James AME Church Social Hall, 444 Lincoln Ave., Pittsburgh, 15206.
Duquesne University Law Professor and Pittsburgh ACLU Chapter Board Member Tracey McCants Lewis will present information on individual rights and responsibilities in various situations involving police encounters. “We hope to arm people with information regarding their legal rights when interacting with police so that incidents like this one won’t be repeated,” explained Ms. McCants Lewis.
The forum will also examine some of the troubling issues brought to light by the incident involving Mr. Miles. University of Pittsburgh Law Professor David Harris, a nationally-recognized expert on racial profiling, will take a critical look at the larger issues of profiling, police misconduct and accountability.
ACLU-PA Legal Director Witold “Vic” Walczak has expressed concerns over the conduct of the officers in this case, “What happened to Jordan Miles, and the program under which the officers were working, is reminiscent of the ‘jump squads’ that we forced the Pittsburgh Police Department to disband in the mid-1990’s. Our concern is that these practices have returned and Miles is just the most recent and visible victim.”
B-PEP Chairman and community leader Tim Stevens will discuss ways that the community can move forward in seeking accountability and work toward sound relations between police and the community. “In my opinion,” explained Mr. Stevens, “the Jordan Miles incident presents a significant and historic opportunity to move the reform agenda that many of us have been working towards for many years with regard to raising the standards of professionalism in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and improving police-community relations in the city.”
The ACLU-PA and B-PEP especially encourage area youth to attend this important forum to share their experiences and arm themselves with a better understanding of their constitutional rights.
More information, along with the ACLU-PA’s “You and the Police: Rights, Responsibilities, and Reality” guide and short film “Pull Over… What to Do” can be found at: http://aclupa.org/issues/policepractices or by calling 412-681-7736.
