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Judge Warren Watson turns 101! SEE PAGE A9
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 115 No. 11 Two Sections
MARCH 13-19, 2024
thenewpittsburghcourier Published Weekly $1.00
‘Break the generational curse’ African Americans learning all things financial literacy in Dr. Bey’s eight-week program
PERSONAL FINANCE SPECIALIST DR. SALOAM BEY, center, with many of the graduates of the “Understanding and Starting Your Business” program from December 2023; Sheila Clemons, Dianne C. Lemon, Shatel Abram, Darlyn Reaves, Sadir Lee, and Danielle Anderson. (Photo by Dayna Delgado)
by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Safe to say, there currently would be no “Capable Caring Hands” non-medical home care agency business in Pittsburgh if not for Sheila Clemons’ determination and the eight-week “Understanding and Starting
Your Business” coaching program offered by Dr. Saloam Bey. In the world of financial literacy, African Americans are playing catch-up. A TIAA (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America) report from 2019 found that in its Personal Finance Index questionnaire, 38 per-
cent of Blacks answered the questions correctly, compared to 55 percent of Whites. The extensive report also found that in 2016, median household income among African Americans was $35,400, compared to $61,200 for Whites; Black household net worth was $17,600 compared to $171,000 for
Whites; Black homeownership was reported at 42 percent compared to 66 percent for Whites; Blacks were 32 percent more likely to have been late with a mortgage payment in the past year; and 68 percent of Blacks engaged in expensive credit card behaviors (paying only the minimum due, incurring late
payment fees, taking cash advances, etc.) compared to 36 percent of Whites. Pittsburghers already know the financial disparities here between Blacks and Whites, including Black women earning 54 cents for every dollar a White man earned, according to the now-infamous Gender
Equity Report of 2019. Also, only one in three African Americans can call themselves homeowners in Pittsburgh, compared to almost three of four Whites. A number of African Americans in Pittsburgh SEE DR.BEY A4
Arbitrator reinstates officer to the Pittsburgh Police force Keith Edmonds to get full back pay, benefits, zero disciplinary action by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
An arbitrator on Friday, March 8, ruled that Keith Edmonds, the fired Pittsburgh Police officer who tased Jim Rogers numerous times during an arrest in Bloomfield in 2021 and who later died the following day, be reinstated to the police force. The arbitrator also ruled that Edmonds receive full back pay with no disciplinary action. The news was met with swift resistance from the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh NAACP. "First and foremost, our thoughts and our prayers go out to the friends and family of Jim Rogers.
The City is deeply disappointed in the arbitrators’ award," read the beginning of the City of Pittsburgh's statement, sent to the New Pittsburgh Courier. "Officer Edmonds himself testified that he violated the policies of the City of Pittsburgh, however this award adopts a new standard that says that even an admission of guilt by the officer isn’t enough to warrant disciplinary action. Our city deserves a police bureau that prioritizes treating every resident with dignity and respect and we deserve a system where our officers can be held accountable for their actions."
TALK MAGAZINE AWARDS
SEE EDMONDS A7
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DORIS CARSON WILLIAMS receives an award from the statewide publication Talk Magazine during an event on Feb. 23. Also pictured are Talk Magazine’s Luther and Roxanne Sewell. To see more honorees, see Page A10. (Photo by J.L. Martello)