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Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Awards Dinner SEE PAGE A6
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 116 No.12 Two Sections
MARCH 19-25, 2025
thenewpittsburghcourier Published Weekly $1.00
Daylon A. Davis resigns as NAACP Pittsburgh Branch president National NAACP won't hold new election until local membership increases by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
On Friday, March 14, 2025, Daylon A. Davis turned in his resignation as president of the NAACP Pittsburgh Branch. The National NAACP accepted his resignation. Three days later, on Monday, March 17, 2025, members of the National NAACP held a meeting with members of the NAACP Pittsburgh Branch. It was held at Freedom Unlimited, on Wylie Avenue, in the Hill District. The meeting turned out to be closed to all media, even though a Facebook post from the NAACP Pittsburgh Branch instructed that "all community members," not just current local NAACP members, "show up and make their voices heard." The Facebook post sent shockwaves throughout some of Pittsburgh's Black community, as the post stated that the meeting would be "more than just a meeting—it is a defining moment for our community. This meeting will de-
termine whether there is a future for the NAACP in Pittsburgh." The waves caught the attention of former NAACP Pittsburgh Branch President Tim Stevens, who is now the Chairman and CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project, which, in many ways, mirrors the overall mission and vision of the NAACP. Stevens attended the special meeting. It was the first NAACP Pittsburgh Branch meeting Stevens said he attended in 20 years since his days as Pittsburgh Branch President. When the New Pittsburgh Courier showed up to attend and report on the meeting, the National NAACP requested that no media be present. The Courier obliged, but remained outside the Freedom Unlimited building until the nearly two-hour meeting concluded. Davis had been president of the NAACP Pittsburgh Branch since Jan. 1, 2023. His tenure as president SEE DAVIS A4
THE NOW-FORMER NAACP PITTSBURGH PRESIDENT, DAYLON A. DAVIS.
DEI under attack; local community leaders fight back B-PEP wants local companies to keep its DEI programs in place by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
U.S. President Donald Trump may be all about eliminating DEI altogether, but that's not going to fly with Black Political Empowerment Project Chairman and CEO Tim Stevens. Or Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh President and CEO Carlos Carter. Or Dr. Kyaien O. Conner, a local college professor and associate dean for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. The three individuals were joined by a host of others at Freedom Unlimited in the Hill District, Monday morning, March 17, to denounce the elimination of DEI programs on a federal level being implemented by the current U.S. president. But they also had a message for all Pittsburgh-area companies and organi-
zations: "Today we ask that leaders of corporations, companies, universities, colleges and major non-profits to not turn your back on what many of you have put into place, implemented and supported for years," Stevens boastfully said. Many DEI policies were implemented following the death of a Black man, George Floyd, by a White police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020. "For a moment, civil and human activists, and regular citizens, felt we had new friends and new partners in our multi-decade efforts to find true equality, fairness and opportunity throughout this nation," Stevens continued. "Apparently, there are those who now feel that these goals have been met, within a mere four-plus years. Obviously, such an interpretation of history SEE DEI A5
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DR. KYAIEN O. CONNER speaks at a press conference at Freedom Unlimited in the Hill District, March 17. Dr. Conner and others contend that DEI programs and principles are good for companies and organizations, despite what President Donald Trump says. (Photo by J.L. Martello)