America’s best weekly Magisterial District Judge position up for grabs SEE PAGE A8
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 114 No. 17 Two Sections
APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2023
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THE PRIMARY ELECTION IS COMING, MAY 16 — THE COURIER HAS YOU COVERED
Which ‘K’ will take over for Burgess? Khari, or Khadijah? City Council District 9 up for grabs by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
One of the “Special K’s,” Khari or Khadijah, will be Pittsburgh’s next District 9 representative in City Council. But which “K” will it be? Khari Mosley, who has rubbed elbows with those in Pittsburgh’s political landscape for decades but has never held a public elected office seat, or Khadijah Harris, who also has never held a public elected office seat, but is known throughout Homewood and beyond for her community and social advocacy? Mosley and Harris are both Democrats. The state’s Primary Election is May 16. The winner of the Primary will easily win the General Election in November and be enshrined as a new member of City Council come early 2024. Early in the year, Mosley had all the momentum. He
announced his candidacy on Jan. 5, flanked by a wealth of supporters, and Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor, Ed Gainey, has already come out and proclaimed that Pittsburgh’s next District 9 City Council representative would be Mosley. Mayor Gainey spoke those words even before it became publicly known and confirmed that longtime District 9 representative, Rev. Ricky Burgess, who is Black, would not be running for re-election. “I am running to restore faith in the idea that government can get the people’s decision done, improve the quality of life in every neighborhood, and inspire our citizens to believe that Pittsburgh’s best days are yet to come. If we dare to be bold, think big and rise up to meet this moment, there is so much that we can do,” Mosley SEE CITY COUNCIL A4
DISTRICT 9 IS UP FOR GRABS BETWEEN KHADIJAH HARRIS AND KHARI MOSLEY.
Devon Taliaferro seeks re-election to Pittsburgh School Board by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Three Pittsburgh School Board members are not running for re-election this year—Pamela Harbin, Kevin Carter and Bill Gallagher. But Devon Taliaferro is serious about keeping her seat on the board. She’s running for re-election. “I’m just crazy enough to believe that our students deserve better,” Taliaferro, a Black woman, said during a Pittsburgh School Board Candidates Forum at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, March 30. Ron Sofo, who has spent more than 30 years of experience as a school superintendent, school counselor, high school and middle school principal, is challenging Taliaferro for the District 2 seat. There are nine members that comprise the Pittsburgh
School Board. District 2 represents Highland Park, Morningside, Lawrenceville, Strip District, Polish Hill, Troy Hill, Spring Garden, East Allegheny and parts of Spring Hill and Stanton Heights. In 2019, Taliaferro won the District 2 seat over a number of candidates due to her community connections, passion for students and experience working with students in Pittsburgh Public Schools. She worked as a program coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh and ran mentoring programs for students at Brashear High School. “I’ve seen experiences and interactions (at Brashear) that, if we were more intentional about creating educational spaces where students feel SEE TALIAFERRO A3
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DEVON TALIAFERRO IS THE PITTSBURGH SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 2 REPRESENTATIVE.