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Happy Birthday, Mary Jackson and Natalie Green! SEE PAGES A6-7
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 116 No.5 Two Sections
JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2025
thenewpittsburghcourier Published Weekly $1.00
DEI is under attack
But so far, local companies are standing by their DEI programs by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, more commonly known as DEI, is under attack. President Donald J. Trump, not even a full day in office, signed an executive order to effectively end DEI-based programs and DEI-based employment opportunities on the federal level, even moving to have all federal DEI-related staff laid off and eventually terminated. Trump also moved to end affirmative action principles in federal contracting. DEI-focused webpages on the federal level are gone. Kapoof. And Trump ordered members of the Office of Management and Budget to look out for any federal programs that have changed their DEI-related name but still act, in principle, as an advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Major companies are caving into the pressure. Walmart, known for "rolling back" its prices, announced after Trump won the Nov. 5 Presidential Election that it would be "rolling back" its DEI practices, including not giving priority treatment
to suppliers based on race or gender. “We’ve been on a journey and know we aren’t perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers and to be a Walmart for everyone,” Walmart said in a statement from November 2024. What really opened some eyes in the past week was Target's announcement that it would be scaling back its DEI programs. Traditionally, Target has positioned itself in the marketplace as an advocate for African Americans, those in the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups. “Many years of data, insights, listening and learning have been shaping this next chapter in our strategy,” Kiera Fernandez, chief community impact and equity officer at Target, said in a memo to employees, obtained by CNBC. “And as a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the imporSEE DEI A3
BARATA BEY IS PRESIDENT OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. HE TOLD THE COURIER SO FAR, LOCAL COMPANIES ARE TELLING HIM THEY’RE NOT SCALING BACK THEIR DEI PROGRAMS. (PHOTO BY ROB TAYLOR JR.)
THE HILL DISTRICT’S VERY OWN
Sam Clancy’s jersey is retired Honor at Pitt occurred, Jan. 18 by Bill Neal and Rob Taylor Jr.
For New Pittsburgh Courier
By now you’ve awakened from your sub-zero hibernation to join the rest of the basketball world to know that the University of Pittsburgh retired #15, Sam Clancy’s now-immortalized jersey, to be hung in the rafters of the Petersen Events Center forever more. The long-overdue event was held on Jan. 18, at halftime of the Panthers' men's basketball contest against Clemson. Clancy joins Don Hennon, Billy Knight, Charles Smith, Brandon Knight, Jennifer Bruce and Lorri Johnson to have their shirts retired. Pretty much the entire arena stood and clapped as Clancy, the Hill District native, walked onto the court in a blue Pitt sweatshirt. They remained
standing as longtime "Voice of the Panthers" Bill Hillgrove announced his career achievements when he played at Pitt from from 1977-81. Hillgrove surprised some in the crowd when he said that Clancy had been drafted by two different professional sports—the NBA's Phoenix Suns in 1981, and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks in 1982. Clancy went on to play in the NFL for the Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts. Then Hillgrove asked the crowd a question: "What 12-year pro football veteran had more career rebounds (in college) than Patrick Ewing (during his time at Georgetown)? It's Sam Clancy!" In fact, for all of the accolades dished out to Ewing in the early '80s at GeorgeSEE CLANCY A8
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SAM CLANCY, from the Hill District, was cheered by thousands at the Petersen Events Center as his No. 15 jersey was retired, Jan. 18. (Photo courtesy University of Pittsburgh athletics)