America’s best weekly Roc Nation calls on Emmai Alaquiva for new exhibit honoring JAY-Z SEE PAGE A3
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
thenewpittsburghcourier $1.00 Published Weekly
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 114 No. 33 Two Sections
AUGUST 16-22, 2023
South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace ‘quarterbacking’ new anti-violence programs Allegheny County giving organizations ‘Community Violence Reduction Grants’ by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
The South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace has been named a “Community Quarterback” by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS), meaning that the organization will be the pivot point for three programs that aim to stop violence in and around the city. The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Community Violence Reduction Grants (CVRG) were dished out earlier this summer by the county’s DHS, as the county believes that “people have been working on solutions without the sustained funding and technical assistance needed to support programs proven to reduce gun violence,” according to a document published by the county on its website. The Courier has learned tens of millions of dollars has been committed over the next five years for what’s called, “Evidence-Based Programs” to tackle the issue of violence in the county.
The three Evidence-Based Programs being funded by Allegheny County are: “Cure Violence Global,” which attempts to treat the spread of violence like a disease and disrupts it through credible violence interrupters; “Becoming a Man” (BAM), a schoolbased program from the Youth Guidance organization that employs fulltime licensed counselors who work with young men in grades 7-12; and Rapid Employment and Development Initiative (READI), a paid transitional jobs program focused on at-risk men ages 18-34 and puts them through a 9-to-5 workday, five days per week. In addition to the South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace, five other organizations were named “Community Quarterbacks” throughout the county, the Courier has learned exclusively: Focus on Renewal, for the Sto-Rox area; Penn Hills School District, for the Penn Hills SEE SPCP A5
REV. EILEEN SMITH, WITH THE SOUTH PITTSBURGH COALITION FOR PEACE. (PHOTO BY J.L. MARTELLO)
‘Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For,’ the musical, to debut in Pittsburgh Westinghouse High graduate had ‘irreplaceable contributions’ to jazz by Marcia Liggett
For New Pittsburgh Courier The O’Reilly Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh will be home to the world premiere of the Broadway-aimed musical, “Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For,” placing a long overdue spotlight on Strayhorn’s life and irreplaceable musical contributions to American jazz. William “Billy” Thomas Strayhorn was born Nov. 29, 1915, in Dayton, Ohio, and moved with his family to a humble homestead in Homewood during the early 1920s. As a child he learned to play the piano and later immersed himself in musical studies while attending Westinghouse High School. After graduating, Strayhorn continued his education at the acclaimed private
Pittsburgh Musical Institute, headquartered in Oakland. The institution was in existence from 1915 to 1963, boasting numerous accomplished graduates, including Ahmad Jamal, Vivian Reed and Earl Wild. Recognized as a local jazz phenom, Strayhorn was well known throughout the Pittsburgh area for his musical genius. However, it was an encounter on Dec. 1, 1938, that altered his life and professional career. George Greenlee, nephew of Gus Greenlee, owner of the infamous Crawford Grill nightclub in the Hill District, took Strayhorn backstage at the Stanley Theater (now known as the Benedum Center). SEE STRAYHORN A4
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BILLY STRAYHORN