< Previous18 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2019 Under his leadership, Cosmos Technologies, Inc. became SBA (a) (Small Business Administration) certified in 2002 and achieved the “Small Business of the Year Award”, sponsored by the Minority Business Opportu- nity Committee (MBOC) in 2008. 2011 was an illustrious year for Douglas and Cosmos as the company began turning heads and gaining a household name around town in con- struction circles and began a dazzling almost annual run of award winning. Th at year, Douglas was awarded the Entrepreneur Award by the National Black MBA Association Inc, Pittsburgh Chapter, Th e Impact Award from Bridgeway Capital for its dedication to small business growth, and creating jobs, and was recognized by the Allegh- eny County Council as one of the New Pittsburgh Courier’s 50 Men of Excellence for con- tributions in the community. In 2013, he was given the Pittsburgh Circle of Cour- age Award by BCC Ministries for the work Cosmos Technol- ogies has accomplished and being a person of Faith. In 2015, Douglas was honored with the Annual Black History Achievement Award for Out- standing Environmental Ser- vice and Achievement by Dr. Melessie Clark and the Pastor’s Wives of the Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, COGIC. In 2017, Cosmos Technologies Inc. was honored by the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) with the Outstanding Highway Engineering Award for the infrastructure design work for the Sports and Exhibition Authority. A decade after receiving his first business award, on January 19th, 2018 Mayor William Peduto, City of Pittsburgh declared “Cosmos Technologies Day” to acknowledge Douglas for two decades of community engagement, mentoring opportunities, volunteer eff orts, second chance career path opportunities as well as his innovation of the company’s green infrastructure designs. According to Douglas, his core belief is that “Th e real value of any business is to make a positive impact on the rest of society and to generate employment.” His newest, and most consequential endeavor to southwest Pennsylvania is col- laborating with the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) on their $3.6 billion expansion program. Th e expansion, which will involve multiple communities in and around Pittsburgh and will take the next two decades to complete, is a necessary one to comply with federal clean water mandates. In order to do that, Cosmos was contracted to design a new filtration system to triple the plant’s treatment capacity for the greater flow that work will generate. Th e system Douglas and his team are designing is a temporary hypochlorite filter and is the final filter in the series of pipes, holding and settling tanks, and chemical treatments and filters the plant subject’s waste- water to before it is discharged. Cosmos is a small business engineering consulting firm started by Fredrick Douglas Cosmos Technologies, Inc. (Cos- mos) in 1998. It started as just a dream at his kitchen table with no employees and no contracts. What he did have was a new proprietary system for treating fracking wastewater with five patents in the U.S., Canada, Austria, and Chile. Now he has 19 full-time employees in offices located in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Akron, and Cleveland. Taking Giant Leaps in Engineering S.W. PA by Austin Premier Cosmos Technologies Inc. Douglas has led the company with a focus on providing Civil, Environmental and Water Treatment services to the private and public sectors including the Marcellus Shale. Douglas received his Bachelors of Science in Biology from the University of the Virgin Islands and attained a Master’s degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh Uni- versity. He put the skills learned there to good use. Douglas has led the company with a focus on providing Civil, Environmental and Water Treatment services to the private and public sectors including the Marcellus Shale. LATINO NEWS Th e Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) will host a breakfast networking event featuring Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space and second female director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, at PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO (Sept. 23-25; Las Vegas Convention Center). Ochoa will share her experiences as a his- tory-making astronaut, including thoughts on driving change and building diverse, eff ective teams during her keynote address, “Exploring New Territory,” Sept. 24 at 7:30 a.m. Sponsored by show owner and producer PMMI, Th e Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the event is part of PPWLN’s eff ort to spotlight women’s contributions to STEM fields and sup- port women in packaging and processing industries. “Ellen Ochoa’s historic career with NASA is full of experi- ences that will interest and enlighten everyone – women and men – at PACK EXPO,” says Tracy Stout, vice president, marketing and communications, PMMI. “She is a trailblazer like no other, and her passion for getting more women and minorities into STEM fields will inspire all who attend this special event.” An active astronaut since 1991, Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to go to space on April 8, 1993, when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the shuttle Discovery. In total, she has flown in space four times, logging nearly 1,000 hours, leading onboard scientific activities, and serving as flight engineer during the launch, rendezvous and entry phases of the mission. Ochoa is the recipient of many honors, including NASA’s highest awards, the Distin- guished Service Medal and the Presidential Distinguished Rank of the Senior Executive Service. In 2013, Ochoa was named the 11th Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, becoming the first Hispanic and the second female director to hold this prestigious position; she retired in 2018. In the corporate world, Ochoa has provided executive guidance to a variety of organizations. “A key factor to women’s advancement in male-dominated industries is creating eff ective networks and learning how to leverage them,” says Stout. “Th is event is an opportunity for women to hear from an innovative, accomplished leader as well as connect with their peers.” continued on page 28 GET OUT AND LIVE A LOT TM Exciting slots and table games, amazing restaurants, incredible bars and live music every week. The night out you’ve been craving is right here, so come live it up! Must be 21 years of age or older to be on Rivers Casino property. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER. 777 CASINO DRIVE, PITTSBURGH PA 15212 RIVERSCASINO.COM RIVERS_66774_PITT_July_BrandingAd_TalkMag_4-75x6.indd 17/11/19 9:30 AM in space FIRST HISPANIC WOMAN An active astronaut since 1991, Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to go to space on April 8, 1993 WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 11LATINO NEWS 10 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2019 Penn’s Landing celebrated Hispanic culture again this year. Over 20 groups scheduled to perform at Penn’s Landing 38th annual Hispanic Fies- ta. Adonis Benegas, executive director of Concilio explains it’s a celebration of Latino culture in Philadelphia: “Th e Hispanic population of Philadelphia is very diverse, especially over the last 10-15 years. In the past it was predominantly Peurto Rican, so many diff erent Latino cultures have come to the city and embraced it. Columbians, Dominicans, Central Americans, South Americans, it’s just a great melting pot of Latinos in this city and you can see it throughout the city with all the new restaurants opening up and all the Salsa nights taking place everywhere.” Mekala from Detroit says she came to visit a friend in Philadelphia this weekend and they both came out to the festival. “I’ve seen a lot of vendor tables, giveaways, just a fun environment; they’re putting on a nice concert,” she said. Fausto Ramos attended from Trenton, New Jersey. “Every culture represents their dance and their style of dress and all that. Stuff like that, I like that,” he said. Th e festival was free to enter, and food is pay as you go. Rick Olmos, most recently the director of special projects for a Philadelphia nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life of its community, has been named chief operating officer and vice president of program operations of the Daniel Torres Hispanic Center in Reading. Th e center is the largest Latino nonprofit organization in the greater Reading region. In a press release announcing the new addition, the organization touted the more than 25 years Olmos has worked in the public relations and marketing fields — most recently serving as director of external aff airs and special projects for Asociacion Puertorriquenos en Marcha in Philadelphia. “Olmos is an accomplished and seasoned senior executive with experience across a range of industries including external aff airs, development and special event services,” CEO Michael Toledo said in the release. “His skills will complement the existing executive team’s expertise.” Toledo said Olmos will help execute the center’s growth strategy and will be responsible for delivering its strategic initiatives. In addition to his work in the nonprofit arena, Olmos has worked in the film industry as an actor in front of the camera and as a casting director behind the camera. He worked on films such as “Selena,” “Th e Postman,” “Pearl Har- bor” and “Dig” and the television series “Friday Night Lights.” by Hadas Kuznits Penn’s Landing Hispanic Fiesta New Chief Rick Olmas “It’s called temporary because it will only operate for the four years it takes to complete the plant expansion,” he said. “By the end the plant will go from treating about 100 million gallons a day to 250 million gallons—and our system will handle that,” said Douglas. Douglas didn’t just get the contract for the project, he’s the prime con- tractor on the job. “I am very happy and thankful to be the prime contractor on this project,” he told the New Pittsburgh Courier in a Jan. 28 interview. “Several others, including some large companies, bid on this, but we won. I think our experience with these kinds of mechanical systems, and our process-engineering work, allowed us to anticipate and account for challenges in the system.” Recently, Cosmos received US, Canadian and South African patents for the development of an “Advanced Catalytic Oxidation” which is capable of removing diva- lent metals, high concentrations of mixed metals and oxidized oils and organics in wastewater. According to Douglas, this technology is ca- pable of removing more than 90% of these metals and oils from Mar- cellus shale and wastewater streams at a cost of less than $0.05/gallon for produce waters. Other projects Cosmos han- dles is Commercial, institutional, residential design of streets, curb & gutters, sidewalks stormwater management; permitting, envi- ronmental and safety compliance management, Industrial Hygiene assessments (inclusive of asbestos, lead, and mold testing), as well as Phase I/II/III environmental and archaeological assessments. Addi- tionally, Cosmos had a leading role in the development and design of the 28-acre site of the former Civic Arena and provides OSHA safety training and certification. Over the years, Cosmos has and continues to provide services to a number of clients including: US ARMY CORP of Engineers, whom Douglas says gave him his first contract and without whom there would be no Cosmos Inc. Th e Department of Energy, City of Pittsburgh URA, Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority (SEA), Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA), Allegh- eny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) and private compa- nies like Waste Management and Equitable Gas. Th ere have been plenty of programs across the country trying to get black children into the Science technology engineering and math fields for decades to show black young men and women that it is possible to not just get an engineering degree but to be a great engineer, own your own business and get rich doing it. Douglas is one such example. WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 1920 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2019 f government doesn’t implement an emergency direct action plan to combat barriers to access to capital for lack businesses, the generational wealth gap plaguing the largest racial demographic in the city will never close. nly 2.5 ercent of hilly usinesses re lack-wned. he ity ust ct. In recent years, there’s been a lot of discussion about how Black millennials might be able to close the generational wealth gap in our community. “Become a homeowner,” speakers at several business seminars have told me. “Start investing in tech,” a friend from college texted me at homecoming. “Stash some money aside in a separate bank account in such a way that you won’t be able to immediately withdraw from it,” my mother always tells me during the holidays. While these pieces of advice are plausible, there is something about the state of Philadelphia’s racial economic disparities that’s always made me won- der how exactly they’re going to help the quarter of our population trapped in deep poverty. My natural first thought when trying to identify additional solutions is to look to our business community: Surely with some immediate focus and determina- tion, in a city whose population is 66 percent of color, homegrown entrepreneurs can come up with scores of ways to create jobs in our hardest-hit neighbor- hoods. And then the Pew Charita-ble Trusts released its annual “State of the City” report, which shocked me with the fact that only 2.5 percent of businesses in Philly are Black-owned, despite Black people making up 43 percent of the city’s population. Meanwhile, white people — just 34 percent of the population in Philadelphia — own a whopping 76 percent of businesses in the city. And here’s an even more sobering statistic: While Asian Philadelphians make up only 7 percent of the city’s population, their percentage of business owner-ship is about the same as that of their Black counter-parts. It’s true that our number is similar to that of New York City, where only 3 percent of businesses are Black-owned — but New York is so large that that number represents 9.7 percent of Black-owned busi- nesses in the country. Compare us, then, with other cities with a majority of color demographic: In Atlanta, 31 percent of business are Black-owned. Businesses in Detroit and Memphis are 77 percent and 56.2 percent Black-owned, respectively. Even in Baltimore, a city that of late seems to lurch from crisis to crisis, 34 percent of businesses are Black-owned. Amalgam Comics & Coff eehouse Philadelphia Blac BUSINESS NEWS WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 9 Power Bites Trained chef and former juice bar owner, Sharif Rasheed came up with Power Bites by accident. When his son, Malcolm, was teething around a year and a half ago, he was looking for a healthy, soft granola bar that his son could enjoy. When he created a recipe and produced the first batch, his son devoured them immediately. That’s when he knew he was on to something. The Power Bites are made with organic non-GMO ingredients, including fair-trade dark chocolate, dates, maple syrup, cacao, oats, almonds, sea salt and almond butter. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan and tasty. “I like mixing nutrition and flavor,” says Rasheed. “I’m not going to sacrifice deliciousness because the ingredients are vegan and healthy.” Although Rasheed hasn’t changed the Power Bites recipe since he created it, he is looking to expand the line of products. He’s developing nut-fee bites and is looking for ways to reduce the cost so that they are affordable and can be brought into public schools. When thinking about packaging his bites, he did a lot of research, wanting to create a package that catches people’s eyes immediately. “I used to go to Whole Foods a lot and take a bunch of pic- tures of packaged goods and imagine how my product would look next to those,” says Rasheed. His package not only stands out, but it is resealable and can easily be tossed in a purse, backpack or gym bag. To get the word out about his prod- uct, he’s been hitting local coffee shops in Pittsburgh with samples and has been emailing shops in other states. Power Bites can be found at Reed & Co. in Lawrenceville, Ascend: Pittsburgh in South Side, Ramp ‘N’ Rise in Sewickley, Zeke’s in East Liberty, HLane Dry Goods in Swissvale, East End Food Coop in Homewood and online at eatpowerbites.com. Maggie Lena Walker, the first female bank president of any race to charter a bank, famously said, “To avoid the traps and snares of life, black women must band together, put their mites to- gether, put their hands and their brains together, and make work and business for themselves.” Great advice from Ms. Walker from more than a century ago, yet there has been very little progress since then. Key stats from the Philadelphia Commission on Women 2017 report on the State of Women and Girls of Philadelphia: • Women make up more than half of the population of Philadelphia but own less than 40 percent of businesses. • African Americans own approximately 25 percent of businesses while making up nearly 50 percent of the total population. • African American-owned businesses with city contracts declined from 45 percent in 2010 to 38 percent in 2016. • Businesses owned by African American women comprises only 17 percent of businesses receiving city contracts. That last statistic is particularly appalling in a minority-majority city like Philadelphia, where it seems that black women-owned businesses are not given a chance to compete for economic opportunities. When you review some of the traditional barrier that exist for African American wom- en-entrepreneurs you’ll start to understand why inequity in black women-owned businesses still exists. 1. RACE AND GENDER BIAS Many black women business owners are judged by false stereotypes, including assumptions that the success of women-owned businesses is because of their husbands, implying that women-run businesses are not smart enough or qualified enough to have their own accomplish- ments. 2. NETWORKING CHALLENGES There’s a reason why it’s called the “old boys club.” Women aren’t traditionally a part of informal social circles that create opportunities for professional advancement. Most networking events have very few women of color, which is an impediment to making the right connections and creating access to beneficial networks. Networks are an opportunity for mentorships, which are invaluable during the startup phase of small businesses. 3. LACK OF ACCESS TO CAPITAL Women entrepreneurs as a whole are offered smaller loans across every product from the same groups. Female entrepreneurs pursuing venture capital face the same disadvantages. For African American women, the chances of obtaining loans are exceedingly low. The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) reports that black-owned small businesses are more like- ly to be denied credit than non-black-owned small-businesses. They are also more likely to pay higher interest rates, which results in fewer black women entrepreneurs applying for loans. There also is a revenue gap between African American women-owned businesses and all women-owned businesses. Black women often start businesses by pursu- ing their passion. It is the drive that keeps them going when encountering the many barriers and obstacles they will face. One of the things we as black women business-owners need to do is to direct that passion into partnerships with other black-owned businesses. Through these partnerships, we can create our own networks and mentorships, and begin to address some of the inequities in our businesses. Power Bites creator Sharif Rasheed originall made them for his son, Malcolm (l-r) Dr. Emma Chappell, Rhonda Hill Wilson and Joann Bell by Sarah Sudar Summer travel is in full effect and the next time you think about grabbing a bag of chips at a gas station — think again. Local producers are offering up healthier alternatives. Here are a few to consider the next time you set out on an adventure or just need to satisfy a craving. PITTSBURGH POWER BITES Inequity of Black Women-Owned Businesses Still Exists / OpinionBUSINESS NEWS 8 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2019 by Jessica Guynn In the early days of Zume Pizza, visitors to Julia Collins’ robotic food prep compa- ny in Silicon Valley would greet her at the door and say, “Can you grab me a water? I’m here to meet with the founder.” When pitching her business to investment part- ners at venture capital firms, Collins was nearly always the only woman and always the only black person in the room. Then, late last year, a hairline crack surfaced in the invisible yet seemingly impen- etrable barrier that limits black women’s access to the tech world. A $375 million investment gave Zume Pizza a valuation of $2.25 billion. It wasn’t just the company she co-founded that reached unicorn status. Collins did, too, as the first black wom- an whose tech company is valued at $1 billion or more by investors. Now that she’s working on a new startup in regenerative agriculture, investors are calling her. Generating tens of billions in revenue, black women are the nation’s fastest-growing demographic of entrepre- neurs. For decades at the nexus of money and power in Silicon Valley, they’ve been underestimated and over- looked. Research shows that black women are among the least likely to get checks cut by venture capitalists. So few raise venture money that the percentage is, statistically speaking, nearly zero. The majority of entrepreneurs who land venture capital funding are white men, much like the financiers who hand it out. Venture capitalists tend to place their bets on people who’ve already succeeded or who remind them of the people who have. Black women are fighting that pattern: Good ol’ boys network, meet black girl magic. There’s Morgan DeBaun, who was just 24 when she created Blavity, a popular digital media hub for black millennials. By the age of 15, Stephanie Lampkin was a web developer and, with degrees from Stanford University in California and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she leads Blendoor, a startup that uses technology to There are a few universal facts of life: We all die. We all poop. And we’re all getting screwed by fees, pretty much all the time. According to a survey released in May by Consumer Reports, 85 percent of Americans have encountered a hidden fee over the past two years — and two-thirds say they’re getting hit with more surprise charges than they did five years ago. When I started telling people a few months ago that I was writing about fees, everyone had a story to share, and I watched as their voices rose a few octaves, their arms flailed, and their faces contorted. “When you feel powerless and are forced to do something, you get outraged,” says Alice Moon, an assistant professor of operations, information and decisions at Wharton. But there are other emotions associated with fees, too, like helplessness, guilt, and a sense of injustice. If you’ve felt any of those feelings when con- fronted with a fee — i.e., if you’re alive — take a deep breath, because your blood pressure is only going to go up from here. When you really start to examine your bills, your receipts, and what you’re agreeing to when you click “buy now” — you realize it’s not just in-your-face banking and baggage fees. We’re actually assaulted with a million tiny tariffs — all day long. I tracked the fees I paid over the course of a few months just to see how bad the situation really is. I combed through paid bills, email receipts, paper receipts, and bank and credit-card statements. I found fees on my AT&T cell-phone bill and my Xfinity bill; an annual $100 activity fee for my daughter’s daycare in Queen Village; a surcharge on tickets for a show at the Arden; a bonkers Uber surging fee from a day when it was raining; the fee for being on my husband’s health insurance because I have the option of being on my own; and some Hidden fees are everywhere. Photo by Claudia Gavin by Screwed Fees Getting by Ashley Primis There’s something perversely satisfying about learning that someone who screwed you over is, in turn, getting screwed. That was my first thought when I read recently that bankers — never ones to shy away from soaking people with all manner of fees — were incensed that the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq had been steadily inching up the fees they charge banks for access to data. Bank execs claimed they were paying 10 times more in 2018 than they had in 2010 for the same vital info. The ex- changes, bank execs complained to the Wall Street Journal, “don’t disclose profit margin for these kinds of services” and “have monopoly pricing power.” I had to wonder: Did any of the bankers who gave quotes to the Journal stop to ponder the irony? Lack of transparency? Egregious gouging? I laughed and told myself it wasn’t going to be such a bad day after all. continued on page 28 Black Female Entrepreneurs Changing Silicon Valley ARE Julia Collins / photo by Code Pickens Jessie Woolley-Wilson / photo by Jessie Woolley-Wilson Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins / photo by Sasha Craig WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 21 With Phila-delphia being the sixth-larg-est city in the country, this sit-uation isn’t just a problem — it’s an embarrassing crisis. How does a major American city where there are more Black people than any other racial community have such a dismal number? To have Black businesses represent only 2.5 percent of the total in a di-verse city with a Commerce De-partment that’s led by a Black man, a Black diversity and inclusion director, and a chamber of commerce dedicated to serving such businesses is an institutional failing of epic proportions. “Th ere’s not a shortage of minority CEOs who don’t want to grow,” said Della Clark, president of Th e Enterprise Center, to the Philadelphia Tribune about the report. “Th at is not the issue in this city. Th e issue is the resources to grow.” If Black Philadelphians have a hard time obtaining the “resources to grow” in a city where they are the racial majority, then let’s stop avoiding the elephant in the room and call it for what it is — structural racism. If white Philadelphians are overrepresented in terms of municipal employ- ment, healthcare, education, wealth generation, property ownership, and various other facets of citizenship, then it’s time to start investigating exactly why. It’s not that Black people are “overqualified” or not seeking these opportunities — it’s because once the system is set up against us, the disparities keep mounting. A recent national survey of more than 2,600 Black-owned businesses conducted by small business financing firm Guidant Financial revealed many things we already knew to be true surrounding racial disparities. According to the survey, 80 percent of Black entrepreneurs said that a lack of capital was the most challenging aspect of running their business, with most of them feeling less confident in the political state of small businesses than the national average. It’s time to call a thing a thing: Financial and governmental institutions that gate-keep the access to the capital needed for Black entrepreneurs to thrive are discriminating against them in ways that are actively suppressing their growth. Th ere’s no way to explain the appalling disparity at this point that discounts the impact of systemic racism. Unless the city implements an emergency direct action plan to combat barriers to access of capital for Black businesses, the generational wealth gap plaguing the largest racial demographic in the city will never close. One potential plank of such a plan: a proposal first made in 2015 by mayoral candidate Anthony Williams for the creation of a municipal bank that would make it easier for local small businesses and homeowners to access capital. Businesses produce jobs, property expansion, social capital, equity, political clout, and wealth. If business owners are more likely to hire employees of their own racial identity, then our woeful business diversity numbers suggest an even bleaker future for economic opportunity and access for Black Philadelphians. Sharif Abdur-Rahim, one of two founding brothers of West Philadelphia’s African Cultural Arts Forum, stands in a second-floor workshop used to store African art and to produce the oils, incense and personal-care products they sell by Ernest Owens k-Owned BusinessTalk Magazine Interview with Pennsylvania Senator Vincent J. Hughes Congratulations being selected as Talk Magazine’s 2019 Person of the Year! How long have you been in the Senate and what area does your district cover? I was sworn in as Pennsylvania State Senator on Nov 21, 1994. I represent the state’s 7th Senatorial District, which covers portions of Philadelphia and portions of Montgomery County. What committees are you currently on? Briefly, what are your committees’ responsibilities? I serve on the Finance, Intergovernmental Operations, and Rules and Exec- utive Nominations committees. My most important Committee work lies in my responsibility as the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Th e Senate Appropriations Committee is responsible with all things related to the State Budget, which currently totals $34 billion, and is the spending plan and program for all state dollars. I have been honored by my colleagues, as they have elected me to this position, to serve in this position since November of 2010. Tell about your connections and work in Africa? My wife, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and I have traveled together to Cameroon, Nige- ria, and South Africa. Most of our work has been in the international struggle to address HIV and AIDS. PERSON OF THE YEAR Senator Vincent J. Hughes Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent J. Hughes is a lead- ing progressive voice on local, state, and national issues. His colleagues elected him to be the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee in 2010 and he continues to bring proactive leadership to that role. Sen. Hughes has served the commonwealth as a mem- ber of the Pennsylvania Senate for more than 20 years. He was first elected to represent the 7th Senatorial District in 1994. He previously served as a member of the Pennsylva- nia House of Representatives from 1987 to 1994, serving as chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus from 1991 to 1994. As a key member of the Senate’s Democratic leadership team, Sen. Hughes is a champion for major policy issues such as expanding health care for low-income workers, raising the minimum wage, defending the right to vote, fighting for public education funding, and rebuilding the state’s distressed communities. Sen. Hughes is heavily involved in the rebirth of Cheyney University. He serves as a member of the Council of Trustees at Cheyney University and is working with academic, business and philanthropic leaders to propel the institution forward. He and his family have established the James Hughes Memorial Scholarship Fund, in honor of his late father. To date, the fund has awarded more than $1 million in college scholarships to students from challenged circumstances who are talented and want to “make a diff er- ence.” Th ough his work has taken him all over Pennsylvania, the U.S., and around the world, Sen. Hughes remains extremely dedicated to the progress of his 7th Senatorial District, which is comprised of parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County. He is a member of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, and is supported by his loving wife, actress, entertainer, and activist Sheryl Lee Ralph, and their blended family of four children. 22 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2019 TALK ACROSS PA WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 7 ton Center at East Seventh and French streets. Leaders gathered in the basement over a meal to identify needs and devise strategies to advance the community together. She told me she sees a need for that kind of disciplined approach now. “Any time the overall community, any organiza- tion, any foundation has something to say, we’d like this to be the platform for them to come and make an appointment and come to speak to us together,” she said. Arthur Gamble Jr., a business consultant and NFL agent, rose to endorse the need. The Erie he grew up in nurtured his potential, he said. “There was always something special and some- thing different about Erie. It was never just about individual success. It was never just about material- ism,” he said. The black community, he said, has become di- vided because it has been forced to compete over resources doled out by others. He urged unity and agency. An emerging new digital platform for the Erie Metropolitan Black Yellow Pages could help facilitate the effort. Adam L. Glover, manager of the Black Yellow Pages, explained that the publi- cation plans to create an online business registry that also will include a calendar and messaging capacity so that community events and news can be coordinated. Another attendee, Leslie Booker, CEO of Leslie’s Personal Care Services, voiced her plan to create a digital archive of Erie’s black history. “Our children don’t have our history unless we tell it to them,” she said. A letter writer recently chastised the Erie Times-News Editorial Board for an editorial that suggested racism lay at the roots of Erie’s racial disparities that register in poverty statistics and other measures. In her view, “tribalism,” personal moral failings and bad public schools are to blame. I am a middle-aged white lady and no expert, but I understand enough to know that historic excuses and strategies won’t cut it. History of hateful intention (discriminatory laws, housing and hiring policies, policing practices, you name it) created, haunted and complicated the deliber- ations I listened to on Wednesday. It will take good intentions and ample resourc- es to fix it. PHILADELPHIA by Claire Sasko In what can only be construed as a cruel attempt to prepare kids for the working world, Gov. Wolf has signed a bill that will allow schools to force students to work from home when the weather outside is frightful. It’s summer. For a few blissful weeks, children are free to romp happily, chase the ubiquitous music of ice cream trucks, devour cup after cup of cherry water ice, and splash around in crowd- ed public pools. The air is warm, the sun is (usu- ally) shining, and just about everyone’s happy. No one’s thinking about winter, or snow, or snow days — except for state legislature, apparently. In what can only be construed as a cruel at- tempt to prepare pupils for the mundanity of the working world, Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill that will allow Pennsylvania schools to force students to work from home when the weather outside is frightful. The new law gives school districts the power to turn what we currently know (and love) as snow days into “flexible instructional days” (destined to become known to children as “flex days”). RIP to spontaneous sledding and snowball fights, packaged hot cocoa on weekday mornings, and childhood fun as know (and remember) it. Under the program, school districts approved by the state Board of Education would distribute previously devised lesson plans on these so-called flex days. The plans would include information on how students and employees can use tech- nology (like the internet, laptops, iPads, phones, etc.) to conduct what would at best resemble a normal school day, only at home and with some “flexibility.” (Those of us who work from home in our sad adult lives can understand this concept fairly easily.) Somehow — though it’s not yet exactly clear — schools would also have to plan lessons for students or employees who don’t have access to handy technological devices or the internet. Flex days would count toward the state’s man- dated 180 days of instruction; therefore, schools would also have to take attendance on these days, as required by state law. Again, it’s not clear how that’s going to be possible — but we’ll see what school districts come up with. Public, charter and private schools could opt into the “flex day” program — it wouldn’t be mandatory. It’s not yet clear if the School District of Philadelphia will take part. Megan Lello, a spokesperson for the school district, said officials are aware of the bill but would need to further “look into it” to see if flex days would fit the district’s need. Lello said administrators are considering limitations like access to technology at home. Within a month, the state Department of Education is expected to post application forms for schools looking to establish flex day plans on its website. As outlined in the bill, school districts could devise lesson plans for subjects like language arts, math, and science. Applications will be due to the Department of Education by September 1st, and schools would be notified of their approval status by November 1st. DARBY TOWNSHIP by Ashley Caldwell Darby Township commissioners and com- munity members stood in sweltering heat week for a dedication ceremony changing the name of the Hermesprota Creek Park to the Arnold L. Covert, Sr. Park in honor of the beloved late commissioner. Covert, who served as commissioner for the First Ward, died Oct. 20, 2018. During the ceremony, a plaque was given to his wife, Diane, for his outstanding service in the community. The Coverts would have celebrated 49 years of marriage in January, Mrs. Covert said. “(Arnold) loved his family first,” said Commis- sioners President Richard Womack, “but he lived and breathed Darby Township. He would always call me and say ‘Richard. What are we going to do about this?’ and ‘What are we going to do about that?’ He was a great guy and he did a lot for this community.” Commissioner Racquel Holman, who hosted the ceremony, said she has been doing the best she can to fill Covert’s shoes. “I was appointed commissioner after Mr. Covert passed,” Holman said. “I’m doing the best I can to fill his shoes with what I have to make him proud.” Holman said while she did not encounter Covert professionally on a regular basis, she was connected to him through her friendship with his children. Covert, she said, was awesome and dedicated to everything he did. Park renamed for late Darby Twp. commissioner Racquel Holman, who was appointed commissioner following the death of Arnold L. Covert, Sr. last October, hosted the dedication ceremony last weekTALK ACROSS PA 6 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2019 PHILADELPHIA by Denise Clay Visit Philadelphia’s Deirdre Childress Hopkins makes history as the new president of the Phila- delphia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. As she networked around the room at Make Offices, Kyasha Woods, one of the newest mem- bers of the Philadelphia chapter of the Public Re- lations Society of America, was trying to connect with people who might be able to help her with her business, Keitt Media LLC. Woods — the founder and CEO of the boutique firm that specializes in consulting and project management services predominately in the tech sector — was there to cheer on the organization’s newly inducted president, Deirdre Childress Hopkins, director of public relations for Visit Philadelphia. While she had been a member of the orga- nization in the past, the chance to work with PPRA-Philly’s first Black president was one she didn’t want to pass up, she said. “I knew this was happening,” she said. “That’s part of why I joined.” Childress Hopkins recently became the first Black president in PPRA-Philly’s 75-year-his- tory. The Philadelphia chapter is an affiliate of the Public Relations Society of America, the nation’s largest organization of communications professionals, counting 30,000 professionals and several student chapters among its members. Before becoming Visit Philly’s public relations chief, she was the Director of Communications for the Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau. She also served as an assistant editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer and was also secretary and vice president-print for the National Associa- tion of Black Journalists. When asked what it meant to make history in this way, Childress Hopkins was philosophical about the moment and what her place is in it. “Change happens at the time it’s supposed to,” she said. “This was the right time. It’s a great feel- ing.” And it’s a feeling she plans to build on through expanding the reach of PPRA. “I want to boost the membership and bring in more PR firms,” Childress Hopkins said. “I want to have everyone share best practices so that we can make our membership better.” She also hopes to help members realize the business case for diversity in their organizations, something that makes David Brown, an assistant professor of instruction in public relations at Temple University’s Kline College of Media and Communication, hopeful. Brown, who was recently named the first diversity advisor to the dean at Kline, is the only living member of color of PPRA’s Hall of Fame. “You want to leave any organization better and stronger than you found it,” Brown said. “I’m going to support her in any way I can.” Multi-colored sunglasses, graffiti book bags, bubbles, and other toys were laid across tables, while multi-colored eggs, filled with tickets and candy, were spread across the playground. The chairman of the borough’s Recreation Committee, Councilman Joseph Williams, said the committee plans events like this to gauge the level of participation from residents. “I like to see how many people we are getting at these events,” Williams said. Williams said the committee takes data collected from events to Council meetings and discuss what took place and how they can better plan for future events. SUSQUEHANNA This summer the WITF Music project celebrat- ed the Commonwealth’s country roots at three regional music festivals including the Susquehan- na Folk Festival at Roundtop Mountain Resort. The festival showcased a variety of acoustic music styles including bluegrass, old-time, blues, and swing. The weekend was jam-packed with con- certs, dancing, jamming, an artisan marketplace, food, lots of hands-on activities. Plus, visitors saw the first public preview screening of the COUNTRY MUSIC series, local WITF Music TV and radio specials, and more. One of the festival’s headline performers was GRAMMY Award Winner, Dom Flemons. Known as “The American Songster”, his repertoire of music covers over 100 years of American folklore, ballads, and tunes. In 2018, Flemons released an album titled “Dom Flemons Presents Black Cowboys” on GRAMMY Award-winning record label Smithsonian Folkways and received a GRAMMY Nomination for “Best Folk Album” at the 61st GRAMMY Awards. HARRISBURG State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila., today expressed his dismay with the announcement that Hahnemann University Hospital plans to close its doors. “As a former program coordinator at Hahnemann University Hospital, this is personal for me,” Kenyatta said. “I know a great number of people who work at Hahnemann, who will be among the roughly 3,000 people to lose their job if the hospital closes.” “This historic hospital serves a low-income patient population, and is a teaching hospital, training doc- tors and nurses. Its closure would put more stress on other Philadelphia-area hospitals that are already experiencing emergency room wait times that are far and above the state and national averages. To close it would be devastating to residents who rely on it for accessible health care, to Drexel University and to our economy alike.” The day Hahnemann officials announced it would close, Kenyatta and other members of the Philadelphia delegation wrote to Gov. Tom Wolf, asking that he use every available power to keep Hahnemann open. Kenyatta said he would continue to work with fellow lawmakers, the governor, the city and Hahnemann officials to find a way to keep the hospital open and serving the city. ERIE by Lisa Thompson A new entry in what we have termed Erie’s most important conversation — bridging the city’s racial divide — happened over lunch at the Booker T. Washington Center. Cynthia Muhammad, the longtime publisher of the Erie Metropolitan Black Yellow Pages, convened leaders of Erie’s black community — pastors, elected officials, entrepreneurs, profes- sionals, educators, activists and social service providers — for a dual purpose. She announced a new resource to connect and promote the enterprises of black residents and those who support them. She also reached into the past to revive an institution that once bolstered unity and progress, the Black Businessman Luncheon. Muhammad and Willie McAdory explained that the luncheon, active decades ago amid the civil rights movement, occurred once a week at the former site of the Booker T. Washing- Grammy Winning Dom Flemons to perform at the 2019 Susque- hanna Folk Festival Deirdre Childress Hopkins WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 23 Senator Hughes with wife Sheryl Lee Ralph Philadelphia has a 46 percent black population, why can’t anoth- er black mayor be elected? Philadelphia can elect a black mayor. But as in all elections, issues matter, and the candidate’s issues must reflect the needs of the people. What do you suggest we do to increase voter turnout across Pennsylvania in 2020? Having traveled to Selma, Alabama, and felt the spirit of our ancestors who were beaten attempting to cross the Edmund Pettis Bridge, I’m a bit bullish on the issue of voting. In other words, there is absolutely no excuse for not voting. However, everyone does not feel like me, which makes it critical I remain active in empowering people to vote. My belief is simple: If you want people to vote, you must communicate with them. You must listen to them and hear their concerns. Listening is extremely important. Make no assumptions about what people want. And then, in partnership with those folks who you spent time listening to, develop solutions that reflect what you heard. Th en you must publicly campaign on those issues, and not be afraid to speak their truth. You must show that you can be successful not just on a campaign win, but on a policy victory. Th at demonstrates and re- minds people that voting matters. Finally, you must spend significant cam- paign money with significant campaign people in the communities where you want significant voter turnout. Th e history shows us to not expect high voter turnout if you spend low campaign dollars. How do you see your future in Pennsylvania? Will you seek a higher elected office in Pennsylvania government? One of the most important potential electoral outcomes for Pennsylvania, is for the Pennsylvania Senate and the Pennsylvania House to flip from the minority to the majority, in 2020. If at least one of those chambers flips from a red majority to a blue majority, we can more aggressively support Gov Tom Wolf. We can raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania. We can work more forcefully to reduce gun violence. We can create jobs that pay well and have a future. We can make the necessary investments to strate- gically rebuild and revitalize so many urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania that have been struggling and been forgotten for far too long. We can make every school in Pennsylvania a 21st century School so that every student in Pennsylvania can get a 21st century education. We can stamp out poverty and blight. We can end discrimination in every form. We can confront global warming and become a green state. We can build a wall of peace and solidarity and oneness that holds back the onslaught of hate coming from so many places. And we can restore hope to people. Th e people of Pennsylvania are similar to the overwhelming majority of people in this country are looking for a bold New Deal kind of leadership. Th ey want this state and this nation to take on big problems, come up with big solutions, and then fight like hell to make them happen. And they want to be involved the fight. Th ey want the public sector and the private sector to work together to implement those solutions utilizing the best and brightest diverse minds and talent to make the transformational change a reality. In closing, please share any ideas or comments you would like to share that we didn’t ask you. Th ank you for selecting me to be your person of the year and for allowing the platform to address the future of our commonwealth. I serve as the chairman of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Campaign Committee. In November of 2018, we had 16 Democratic Senators. Now we have 22 and are 3 seats from flipping the Pennsylvania Senate from red to blue. Th at is the only focus of my political career right now, because good politics can lead to good policy.24 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2019 Deacon Matt, who is to be ordained a priest in June 2020, explains: “The answers weren’t in the places I was looking.” Believe me, he looked hard. He’s the younger son of an African Methodist Episcopal minister from a long line of AME ministers. His parents, both professors at the University of Pittsburgh, expected one son to be a preach- er. I get it. My mother hoped one of her three boys would be, in order of pref- erence, a priest, altar boy or Boy Scout. My oldest brother was a Cub Scout for two years. That’s as close as we got. Yet Alexander Sr. and Mabel Hawkins threw a party at their Forest Hills home when Matt made his Catholic confirmation at age 21. “My mother was relieved. She thought I would be agnostic forever,” he says. The story of Matt Hawkins’ discernment — the process a man and his church go through to determine if God is calling him to be a priest — is a long, twisted one that includes Catholic bossa nova music, a Jewish day camp and Quak- ers in the Catskills. It took him four hours to tell, starting at an Oakland Starbucks, continuing through the 12:05 Mass at St. Paul Cathedral (sorry, Mom) and ending in the St. Paul rectory dining room. Matt grew up in Lincoln Park and attended Lemington Elementary School until his family moved to Florida. His parents were so taken with the Cath- olic school that his brother attended there that when they returned to Pitts- burgh, they sent Matt to St. Paul Cathedral School. He sang in the boy’s choir on Sundays while also attending his father’s AME church. A Missa Bossa Nova record — Catholic folk songs set to a Latin beat — fueled his curiosity. “I was too cool to sing hymns, but not this,” Matt says. For three summers, he attended the Young Men & Women’s Hebrew Association. Still, he was a rebel. “If you were a teenager in the early ’70s, you were in full rebellion against family, church and school,” he says. Sensing he needed a break, his parents sent him to a Quaker boarding school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for his junior year. He liked sitting silently for an hour, “contemplating the light within.” He returned to graduate from Churchill Area High School, where his best friends were Catholic or Jewish. “They were aware it might be hard for a black kid to come into this all-white environment,” he says. He enrolled at Clarion University and joined its Campus Crusade for Christ to please his evangelical girlfriend. “I went to a different church every Sunday, trying to figure out what was missing,” he says. He decided to become a Catholic — part time. “I told a priest I wanted to be Catholic priest and AME minister. I didn’t see the contradiction,” he says. Matt transferred to Pitt and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. He also earned a master’s in applied history from Carnegie Mellon University. He worked in community economic development for 20 years while teach- ing at Pitt, Carlow University and Imani Christian Academy in the East Hills. Sometimes he brought Imani students to his graduate classes at Pitt. When Matt told one tough-talking teen he was proud of him for the way he engaged with the college students, the student started to cry. “He said no one had ever said that to him before,” Matt says. Teaching “convinced me I could give myself fully to the service of others. It made me less afraid of the priesthood.” In a country where only 3% of Catholics are black, he believes the church needs to be more inclusive. Fewer old white guys, maybe, and don’t assume that all African Americans think like comedians. “They say, ‘We know about you because we watch Dave Chappelle.’ It’s frus- trating because they don’t know,” Matt says. Matt has met very few African American priests — most black priests were born in Africa — but has forged friendships with other clerics, includ- ing a Pentecostal minister in New Castle, Pa., where he will spend a third summer working in a soon-to-be-merged group of parishes. When invited to preach in the Protestant church, Matt tried to dispel two myths: that Catholics don’t know the Bible and can’t give a lengthy sermon. “I spoke for 45 minutes and quoted the Bible often,” he says. He is scheduled to give the homily at the 9 a.m. Mass on Sunday at Mother of Good Counsel Church in Homewood. As a lifelong Catholic, I have some advice: Keep it to 20 minutes. by Kevin Kirkland US: At 63, he will become a rarity: an African-American Catholic priest At an age when most people dream of retirement, C. Matthew Hawkins can’t wait to start his dream job: Roman Catholic priest. Why would a 62-year-old black man want the most unappreciated job in the world? Teaching “convinced me I could give myself fully to the service of others. It made me less afraid of the priesthood.” 24 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2019WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 5 COLLEGE NEWS and a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1992. UPMC/PITT Living-donor liver transplant off ers numer- ous advantages over deceased-donor transplant, including better three-year survival rates for pa- tients and lower costs, according to new research from the UPMC Th omas E. Starzl Transplanta- tion Institute and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Th e findings, published online today in the Annals of Surgery, highlight living donation as a viable, if not preferable, option for the more than 14,000 people currently on the waiting list, as well as many more who never qualify to be on the list under current allocation rules. TEMPLE Some Temple University students are about to get a break on tuition. Th e school’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to freeze tuition for undergraduate students from Pennsylvania. Th at means they will pay a little more than $16,000 for the second straight year. “Th is is a testament to the trustees’ recognition that the cost of tuition is critically im- portant for students and their families. Coupled with our Fly in 4 program and our in- vestments in student financial aid, keeping the sticker price of undergraduate base tuition flat for Pennsylvania residents for the coming year is a centerpiece in our strategy to manage stu- dent debt,” Temple President Richard Englert said. Mandatory fees for all students will also remain at $890 per year. Th is is the second time in eight years the board has frozen tuition for Pennsylva- nians. DREXEL Last month, Drexel University’s Office of Veteran Student Services and other Drexel community members celebrated the opening of a new lounge for Drexel’s 1,000+ student veterans. Since April 1, the space has been located on the lower level of the Creese Student Center, where it had been moved from the Drexel Armory building last term. Th e renovations on the lounge were made possible thanks to a generous gift from U.S. Army veteran Th omas A. Masci, Jr. ’68, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 27 with his family. Now, the space is official- ly named the Masci Family Student Veterans Lounge. It boasts a computer and printing station, a business center, study tables and a small meeting area for student veterans to meet and congregate. And, of course, the new space is adorned with patriotic art. “Th is inviting new home, dedicated to our student veterans, is an important extension of our longstanding commitment to support the academic and professional success of women and men who have given so much to our country,” said Rebecca Weidensaul, PhD, assistant vice president of Stu- dent Life, at the ceremony, on behalf of Drexel President John Fry. “Congratulations to the Drexel Veteran Students on two terrific choices you have made in your life — one to serve your country proudly and two to select Drexel University for your education.” PENN STATE CBS Sports recently put together a ‘Hot Seat’ rankings list for each NCAA team’s head coach. Penn State football’s James Franklin seems to be in good shape. Every year, the NCAA coaching carousel has an interesting twist. It’s not like a big-named coach gets canned every season, but there’s always some speculation around the NCAA as if a surprise can happen at any moment during any season. It’s been a while since Penn State football had to deal with any major coaching change at the end of a season. CHATHAM Chatham students are making the most of whatever summer sun we have by planting crops to nourish low-income communities in the Pittsburgh area. In a new partnership with the Food Bank’s mobile farmers market program, Chatham is planting crops to supply the Food Bank with fresh produce. Chatham is making the most of its 400-acre Eden Hall, which has sustainable agriculture areas like an orchard, an apiary and maple tapping. One acre was leased to the Food Bank, which helped students decide which crops would best serve the commu- nities to be fed through the program. “We’re proud to support the Green Grocer program, which is so vital for our local communities who don’t have easy access to fresh, healthy food in their neighborhoods,” says Eden Hall Farm Director Tony Miga. “Our goal on the Eden Hall farm is to make sure everything we do either benefits local food production, Chatham academ- ics or the regional community.” James Franklin. Photo by Justin Grasso continued on page 28 TRANSFERRING TO LA ROCHE WAS THE BEST THING I COULD HAVE DONE FOR MY FUTURE. THANKS TO THE DEDICATED FACULTY AND STAFF, I WAS ABLE TO EXCEL IN THE CLASSROOM WHILE PREPARING TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL. - KEVIN JOHNSON ’17 Finance and Management CLASSES START AUG. 26 laroche.edu/transfer continued on page 28 continued on page 284 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2019 COLLEGE NEWS PHILADELPHIA Community College of Philadelphia showed why it’s the premier community college in the country. Th e 2019 Black & Gold Gala was a booming success. One of the most prominent annual char- ity events featured several CCP students, alumni, and administrators in front of a crowd of several hundred people at Vie on Spring Garden St. in Philadelphia. “We’re here to celebrate the accomplishments of our honorees, some of our alumni, but we’re also here to recommit to the idea of supporting students who without community college, many of whom would have no other way forward,” CCP President Dr. Donald Guy Generals, said during the event. Rick Williams, 6abc Action News anchor, who served as the master of ceremonies of the event, praised Dr. Generals for being “the force behind the transformational forward thinking that has prompted CCP” to becoming what it is today. Th e Black & Gold Gala event recognizes outstanding individuals or organizations that demonstrate involvement in community growth in the areas of education, business, social services, health, and more. Th is year’s outstanding individuals were Malcolm Jen- kins, awarded with the Com- munity Hero Award; Hayward Bell, awarded with the Alumni Achievement Award; and Julie Coker Graham, awarded with the Corporate Leadership Award. CCP’s 50th Anniversa- ry PROMISE Scholarship provides local high school graduates the opportunity to pursue an associate degree at CCP with no tuition cost. Th is scholarship has been a force in helping Mayor Jim Kenney fulfill one of the primary points of his platform upon being elected mayor. MILLERSVILLE During the summer, things quiet down at Millersville University. It’s a good time for pro- spective students and their parents to check out the campus in Lancaster County. Th e first stop on their tour is a brand-new, $10 million building, called the Lombardo Welcome Center. It’s the first building in Pennsylvania to get a zero-energy certification from the Interna- tional Living Future Institute—a Seattle-based organization that promotes sustainable construc- tion. Zero-energy “Net-zero means it produces as much energy as it consumes in a year,” explains Kathy Schreiber, a professor of geography, who teaches about envi- ronmental issues and sustainability at Millersville. Th e discussion around climate change often focuses on how to ramp up carbon-neutral forms of energy, but if the world is to achieve the 2015 Paris climate goals, and avoid the worst eff ects of global warming, people also need to use energy more efficiently. LINCOLN Kathleen J. Butler Hayes ’89, a 24-year veteran of the School District of Philadelphia, is a librar- ian at South Philadelphia High School. Hayes served on the Lincoln University Board of Trustees from 2008-2014 as an alumni repre- sentative. She is a life member of the Alumni Association of Lincoln University, which awarded her the Frank “Tick” Coleman Alumni Achievement Award in 2010. Hayes was honored with the Lincoln University Founder’s Day Award in 2005. Several of Hayes’s family members are Lincoln graduates including her husband and former trustee, Tracey J. Hunter Hayes ’87, and her children, Tracey ’05, Dr. Jalaal ’11, and Makkah, MSC ’19. She earned Librarian of the Year from the Association of Philadelphia School Librarians in 2013 and received a Philadelphia City Council Citation as well. In 2018-2019 she was selected to participate in the Mini Regional Leaders Academy for Pennsylvania School Librarians. Hayes earned a bachelor’s degree in three years from Lincoln University, a Master of Education from Cheyney University in 1991 Community College of Philadelphia President Donald Generals (r) with Philadelphia Eagles safety & 2019 recipient of the Com- munity Hero Award, Malcolm Jenkins. Photo: Jensen Toussaint Th e atrium of the Lombardo Welcome Center at Millersville University Kathleen J. Butler Hayes ’89 has won the Lindback Award for Distinguished. Photo by Shelley Mix For African American men, the idea of freedom has always been a complex topic. History has shown a breakdown in how post slavery ‘freedoms’ have presented themselves with structural flaws. Furthermore, being incarcerated and returning ‘into’ freedom is not as seamless or au- tomatic as it appears. Examining crime and punishment through the lens of historical trauma is an avenue not often explored. With discussions regarding prison reform and mental health initiatives on the rise, it is important to understand the relationship between history, incarcer- ation, and mental health and its implication on successful reentry programming. While many have understood the idea of crime as a simplistic “good or bad”, “Guilty or innocent” approach, the idea of deviance and social othering is complex and interconnected with societal rules and social constructs. Because of that, a deeper scope into how we have not only created rules and processes around criminal behavior, but how we have chosen to maintain them, must be applied. Caged Bird, Clipped Wings is an examination of the concept of crime and punishment, the “Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome”, incarceration, and mental health. The book focuses on the historical emergence of the concept of disabilities and mental illness, the ‘creation’ of concepts of remorse, crime, punishment, and guilt, and examines how those concepts play out in how we function within systems of law enforcement. This book explores each in a way designed to help expand conversations surrounding prison reform for minority communities, in efforts of designing programming that will reduce recidivism through a more culturally competent lens. This book is designed to be read by those who are looking to understand the connections between society and systems, how culture plays a role in trauma and the development of trauma, and for those looking to expand their thoughts in how to best address reform for systems designed to rehabilitate. It not only focuses on the issues, but seeks to provide solutions that will help expand our ideology around appropriate treatment goals, recidivism services, and reentry programming. by Ana White Caged Bird, Clipped Wings Book Review26 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2019 Dr. Brooks was told by some at the time that the word apartheid was extreme and even divisive, but she felt the word was justified by the atrocities she was witnessing in front of her own eyes. As Dr. Brooks, a serving committee member for the U.N. Gender Equality Board said in her own words, “There are those individuals that do not embrace the name of the organization. The reality for many of America’s minorities and poor falls short of the ideal presented as an inalienable right. The name states acts of violence of this nature were commonplace in South Africa but were not expected to be tolerated or witnessed in America, thus the name of the organization.” The genesis of CADAprograms was December of 1989 at 2:00 A.M. when her son was threatened by phone by white boys related to a local constable. “They phoned under the pretense that it was an emergency.” She said. “I could hear them hollering the “N” word in the phone. I took the phone from my son and they threatened to harm both of my children.” Brooks called the local police but was told they would not take the complaint because they knew the constable. After calling several more times she was told by the police to “Go to Crestas for her safety.” Brooks knew times called for drastic measures. “I did go to Crestas, to arm myself with a 45, a shot gun, a rifle, and my Dad’s 38 police revolver. I informed the police of my intentions and that I would contact the Office of Civil Rights. My complaint was taken seriously.” Said Dr. Brooks Other examples of civil rights violations Dr. Brooks witnessed were: Police officers surrounding a young man who was forced to lay prostrate on the ground, handcuffed, with a shotgun to his head while the officer’s foot was on the young man’s neck. A young female who protested their actions roughed up, forced to the ground and handcuffed, later requiring medical attention. According to Dr. Brooks, North Versailles, PA could have become another Ferguson, MO or a Baltimore, MD after the Freddy Gray incident. “The news media refused to cover the events listed in our history. In fact, I was told the events were too hot to cover, by an African American newscast- er.” Dr. Brooks said. But Dr. Brooks was too proud of her community, family lineage and her fam- ily’s roots in the community going back 100 years to let that happen. She felt if any community could change things for the better, Crestas Terrace with its rich history of having the first all-black volunteer fire company in the state, home of a Tuskegee Airman, the first black commissioner, and the first Black Police Office could. Dr. Brooks reached out and started the Police Assisting Summer Students (P.A.S.S.) program which gets police officers from the North Versailles Police Department to visit the summer program to talk to the students about safety issues ranging from internet safety to stranger danger. “We work together harmoniously and have an educational program for the after school and summer programs. We en- courage the DA’s Office to actively engage in dialogue and financial support with CADAprograms and the North Versailles Police Chief to address the social issues that are causing the deterioration of Crestas Terrace and the North Versailles Police Department can be a model for other departments.” She said. In the years that followed, her organization continued to focus on education, social justice issues, and family preservation. In 1995, CADAprograms started operating its After-School program in North Versailles. The Sum- mer Camp began in 2000. In 2017, the organization restructured and changed the name to: Children and Adults Developmental Agency Programs maintaining the acronym CADAprograms. Dr. Brooks emphatically preaches that when men aren’t in the household violence and chaos ensues. Her G.A.M.E. Program (Guys & Adult Mentoring Experience) looks to suture the wound that not having fathers at home has caused for the children in her program. Aperture of Hope Dr Janis C. Brooks CADA Programs by Austin Premier From Apartheid To The “Sankofa” is a metaphorical symbol used by the Akan people of Ghana, generally depicted as a bird with its head turned backward taking an egg from its back. It expresses the importance of reaching back to knowledge gained in the past and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress. Children and Adults Developmental Agency Programs or (CADAprograms) was founded in 1990 by Dr. Janis C. Brooks (Ph.D.) as Citizens Against Domestic Apartheid (CADAprograms) as a result of several incidents of extreme police brutality in the historic African American community of Crestas Terrace in North Versailles, Pennsylvania. According to Dr. Janice Brooks, the founder of CADAprograms, the events that were occurring in Crestas Terrace were like the events that were occurring in South Africa at the time, prompting the name of the organization. PUBLISHER’S NOTES After publishing Talk Magazine for 57 years, as a minority owned and statewide distributed publication, we have learned to survive. Neither the state or local governments have been forthcoming with minority-owned businesses regarding bid and no-bid contracts. Th e state of Pennsylvania gives less than 3% of its contracts to black-owned businesses and Philadelphia gives less than 3% to minorities with their last two mayors being African American. In this issue, we are featuring Cosmos Technologies, an African American owned company here in Pittsburgh by founder and owner Frederick Douglas in 1998. He is a successful minority owned business and we congratulate Frederick! Pennsylvania has several resources to help minority owned businesses. Whether they need help registering as a small diverse business, applying for funding, finding business mentors or tract with government agencies, our government and general population should know that helping minority business owners succeed, leads to an every- increasing role in our economic growth. Please take some time and research the following offices for help. PA Department of Community & Economic Development – 1.866.466.3972 – https://dced.pa.gov for several links including PA Minority Business Development Authority. PA Business One-Stop Shop – 1.833.722.6778 – https://business.pa.gov PA Small Business Development Center – https://pasbdc.org Pennsylvania Small Business Certification – https://www.dgs.pa.gov Minority Business Development Agency Business Center of PA – 215-895-4000 – www.theenterprisecenter.com Good Luck! Th e LJS Group / Talk Magazine / TMAG Luther J. Sewell, Jr. / Publisher Roxanne N. Sewell / President & Editor theLULAdesigns / Graphic Design & Layout Austin Premier / Contributing Writer Fiordaliza White / Contributing Writer Diane I. Daniels / Contributing Writer Ricco JL Martello / Photographer PO Box 143 Monroeville, PA 15146-0143 (P) 412.823.4007 info@talkmagazineonline.com www.talkmagazineonline.com CITY OF PITTSBURGH - E/O/E PGHJOBS.NET THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH START A CAREER WITH APPLY TODAY! WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 3INSIDE TALK 04College News 06Talk Across PA 08Business News 10Latino News 12Health News 16 Diversity in Pennsylvania Small Business Contracting 18 Cosmos Technologies Talk Magazine Person of the Year pg 22 2 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018 Summer 2019 Philadelphia Black-Owned Business pg 20 Dr. Janis Brooks CADA Programs pg 26 THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH START A CAREER WITH APPLY TODAY! WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 27 “We take two male students with two adult staff members to various sporting events to form a closer bond between the male students and CADAprograms staff. The focus is on the two boys, and they discuss about doing the right things in life, share life experiences, and show them by example that males in society can be responsible, work hard, and live up to expectations.” Said Dr. Brooks Other parts of rehabbing the minds and souls of her students is a pro- gram called C.A.L.M. (Culture, Art, Language and Music.) “The intent is to help them to forget the various struggles in the com- munity that include verbal and physical lashing out at each other and to use multi- ple art forms to express and empower themselves.” Said Dr. Brooks. The L.A.M.P. (Life Awaits Me Program) is the reading component focusing on the commonali- ty of issues affecting children regardless of cultural group- ings, by reading age-appro- priate books. Running a multifaceted after school and summer camp program doesn’t come without its challenges. According to Dr. Brooks, CADAprograms was forced to relocate several times due to the owners of the property they were renting dying or just deciding to sell the place to someone else. Finally, as Dr. Brooks put it, “We stepped out on faith and purchased two double wide trailers. Others were saying that it could not be done and yet, it was, including install- ing a commercial kitchen to continue providing meals to the children and seniors.” The Watch Me Eat Program is the free nutrition program for all children and seniors who desire to eat a hot breakfast and lunch daily. “This feeding component of the program is open to any child in the community, and not only to those enrolled in the Summer Camp.” Said Dr. Brooks. Last but not least Dr. Brooks wants to expand the horizons of her children by letting them get a taste of what is beyond Pittsburgh both geographically and chronologically by showing them where they come from and where they can go. The “Living The Experience” experience is a living historical re-enactment of the Under- ground Railroad. “The live historical re-en- actment occurred at Bethel AME Church in Lancaster, PA. The students developed a greater understanding of what slaves experienced and why freedom was necessary. Select- ed students participated in the presentation and wore period style clothing. The students and staff ate a Southern-style family dinner at the church after the re-enactment.” Said Dr. Brooks The Expand The World Program gives the students the opportunity to visit and sight see in the following cities: Niagara Falls, Canada; Washington, DC; Harris- burg, PA; New York, NY. Truly this article cannot cover the exhaustive number of programs and experiences CADAprograms offers yet Dr. Brooks has one more announcement for the next step in her grand designs. “We own 3 acres of land in a beautiful location that looks like it has been kissed by God, so we are working on opening a community center.” & ffice of workforce planningbusiness & supplier diversity ceo intern fellows program for diverse groups Myneca Y. Ojo, Director • 717.831.7333 • mojo@paturnpike.com FOR JOB OPPORTUNITIES & INTERNSHIPS: www.paturnpike.com/employment FOR BUSINESS & CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES: www.paturnpike.com/purchasing/diversity Driving Diversity & Inclusion through Commitment & Opportunity community participation & cultural awareness Talk Mag_Fall 2014_4.25 x 5.5.indd 110/16/2014 2:55:16 PMNext >