New Pittsburgh Courier back issues from January 2008:
2007: Top 10 local stories
Jan 02, 2008; ... Homicide total exceeds last year, Blacks again lead statistics As of this writing, with less than a week remaining in the year, the number of homicide victims in Allegheny County stood at 96. Qf these, 79 were African-Americans. That's 82 percent, a 1 percent increase from 2006 when ...
Significant losses mark 2007
Jan 02, 2008; ... 2007 will be remembered for the loss of musicians, a griot, two public servants and a local legend. Tragic ending The year began with the untimely death of Tara Davis, a baritone player who had just become a member of the River City Brass Band, in Aug. 2006. On Jan. 28, Davis was ...
Civil rights leaders see 2008 as year of movement 'beyond freedom' to equality
Jan 02, 2008; ... WASHINGTON (NNPA)Leaving what could be described as the most intense year for civil rights activism in nearly 40 years, civil rights leaders vowed to move into 2008 with the vigor to go beyond the freedoms gained in the 1960s to the equality that is yet to be achieved. "On Dr. King's ...
A roller coaster year for city schools
Jan 02, 2008; ... At year's start, the Pittsburgh School Board voted to spend $13 million to move the middle grade CAPA program and Vann K-8 school into the closed Milliones Middle School building. By year's end, the plan had changed. Vann would still close, but middle grade CAPA was to move into the same ...
Technology is the root of all evil
Jan 02, 2008; ... MEMPHIS (Real Times News Service)-According to the history books, gun-wielding European slave traders kidnapped one in five Africans and transported them across the oceans to the Americas. A less visible, but by no means a less drastic technological tool of suppression, is the compass, a device ...
This week in Black history
Jan 02, 2008; ... Week of January 3-9, 2008 January 3 1621-Available records suggest it was on this day that the first Black child was born in America. His name was William Tucker and he was born to two of the original Africans brought to America as slaves in 1619. Tucker was born near Jamestown, ...
Black patrons allege racism in some St. Louis nightclubs
Jan 02, 2008; ... ST. LOUIS (NNPA)-As the Central West End, Midtown and Downtown continue their sprawling renewal, colored with nightlife, some Blacks say they don't always feel welcome at some white-owned clubs in the city. African-American club-hoppers allege that some clubs try to turn them away with ...
Philly mayor: 'Game over' for union exclusion against minorities
Jan 02, 2008; ... Diversity City PHILADELPHIA (NNPA) -Not content to rest on standards set for the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Black elected officials are calling for broader minority participation on every construction project in the city. "Everyone needs to play by a new set of rules," said ...
Metro Beat [1]
Jan 02, 2008; ... Art competition comes to Pittsburgh The Bayer Corp. and the United Nations Environment Programme's North American Regional Office have teamed up for World Environment Day in an effort to make children aware of the issues of the environment and to become more aware. World Environment Day ...
Metro Beat [2]
Jan 02, 2008; ... Opera acquires new building Pennsylvania Commercial Real Estate Inc., announced in a press release that Pittsburgh Opera, Inc., has purchased a new building in the Strip District in the city of Pittsburgh for $2.5 million. The building, which is located at 2425 Liberty Ave., is 33,000 ...
People are politics
Jan 02, 2008; ... Commentary When I was growing up in Omaha, Neb., I never thought someone like me could matter in politics. I didn't have the money I am blessed with now, nor the important connections. What I had, was the love of people around me-my friends, my teachers, my extended family, my ...
Hope and death in health care
Jan 02, 2008; ... The Way I See It Recent events illustrate how hope and death hang over our discussions of health care like shadows whose influence is ever present though seldom seen. Two competing specters: one so intensely focused on the present moment that it occasionally reeks of desperation; ...
Cheaper to educate than incarcerate
Jan 02, 2008; ... Commentary The United States imprisons more people than any other country in the world. The majority of these people-80 percent-are locked away for drug-related crimes; many of whom are low-level drug offenders. The country's increased prison population has led to weakened communities, ...
Pittsburghers Speak Out: What is the most important issue Blacks face in 2008?
Jan 02, 2008; ... It is now a new year and a time for new beginnings. There are many obstacles the Black community will have to face in 2008. The first step in overcoming them is identifying them and finding a solution. The New Pittsburgh Courier asked several political pundits what they thought the most ...
A Homewood legacy
Jan 02, 2008; ... Birdie Nichols and 'Glorious Rebirth' As a little girl, she begged her mother (who played by ear) to teach her to play the piano. And then, one day, a schoolmate spoke the magic words, "My mother teaches piano." And so it was. At the tender age of 11, Birdie Mae Nichols, who later became ...
Mark Cesare Taylor New beginnings
Jan 02, 2008; ... There are musicians and then there are renaissance men, storytellers whose gift and artistic purpose joins them at the hip with eternity like inseparable Siamese twins. There is a blurred line where these men end and forever begins. The world lost such a man and Pittsburgh lost a native son. The ...
Stay safe in '08
Jan 02, 2008; ... Lifestyles Report Identity theft is rampant. You hear about it all the time. Many major banks are now in the business of selling identity theft protection and practically scaring your debit card right out of your wallet. I'd like to share some tips with you that I practice and I ...
What's in a name?
Jan 02, 2008; ... The only thing that is backwards about the men's social group Emanon is their name, it's noname spelled backwards. You can always count on this group for a good time. They held their annual holiday party Dec. 9 at C.J.'s in the Strip District. The party always kicks off with an ...
Cleaning up Homewood and making a difference
Jan 02, 2008; ... In the midst of what seems like a forgotten barren street in a neighborhood with a bad reputation, one small congregation is building up and breathing life back into abandoned, boarded up buildings. John Wallace, pastor of the Bible Center Church of God in Christ on Bennett Street in ...
Make way for the young folks
Jan 02, 2008; ... In years past, gospel music and the church have been the launching pad for many of the top R&B and pop stars but in recent years gospel artists are staying right where they are. This has opened the doors for many new artists in gospel music. Darlene McCoy, Ayiesha Woods, V3 and ...
International Year of the POTATO 2008
Jan 02, 2008; ... Think potatoes are only America's favorite vegetable? Think again! potato is such an important food globally that the United Nations has declared 2008 the "International Year of the Potato." Citing the potato's strong nutrition profile, versatility and ability to feed the masses, the year has ...
2008 lineup promising for Black art
Jan 02, 2008; ... Even if your new year's resolutions fail and the number youVe been playing for 10 years doesn't turn out to be winning lottery ticket in 2008, at least youll have an artful year. In the first three months of '08, most city theaters and art houses have a lineup that is sure to educate and ...
Bradshaw's body of work shows substance
Jan 02, 2008; ... Erica Bradshaw is one of those confident and focused people who are also highly motivated; you need those qualities if you're determined to pursue acting as your vocation. This new year opens with what could be considered an anatomical fetish of the female reproductive system. In ...
Start with first 'Drama High' book in series
Jan 02, 2008; ... Start with first 'Drama High' book in series ("Drama High: Frenemies" by L. Divine c.2008, Kensington, $9.951/$13.50 Canada, 218 pages, includes book club guide.) Cover To Cover So, let's say one of your girls finally gets something she's always wanted. You know she's worked hard ...
Legendary supergroup Return to Forever will reunite in summer 2008
Jan 02, 2008; ... Return to Forever, one of the most influential groups of the 1970s, has long heard calls from their many fans for a reunion tour. Now those calls have been answered. The classic lineup of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White are planning ...
Rock n' Roll Hall snub of Summer a slap in the face
Jan 02, 2008; ... As a music fan, I am very disappointed. For a five-year period back in the mid 70s to the early 1980s, New York really was "fun city." It was different because it had no boundaries within it. The culture was the ultimate in the expression of the "freedom" provided by the vision set forth ...
It came, it went, and we observed
Jan 02, 2008; ... 2007 Here we are on the threshold of 2008 DETROIT (REAL TIMES NEWS SERVICE)-The last 12 months zoomed past at an amazing pace. If you are like most people, it is difficult to account for all of that time, but here we are on the threshold of 2008. As always, in the ...
Self-employed? Don't forget health coverage
Jan 02, 2008; ... Business Help People choose self-employment for a variety of reasons: To escape corporate bureaucracy, flex their entrepreneurial spirit or simply put food on the table after being laid off. Nearly 11 million Americans work for themselves, which means they and their families quite ...
'Resolve to evolve' spiritually, physically and financially in 2008
Jan 02, 2008; ... The Carr Report A new year is upon us. Practically everyone on Planet Earth will be making new year resolutions. The ultimate goals we strive for every year can be grouped into four categories: Better Health, More Wealth, Quality Relationships and More Efficient Use of ...
Coston opens second location
Jan 02, 2008; ... 44 years and still growing Coston Funeral Homes, Inc. added another chapter to their 40-plus-year story with the opening of a second location on the North Side. Offering a state-of-the-art facility at 3313 Brighton Rd., owner Roland Coston-Criswell says the move enables them to service ...
Personal Finance: Saving your home from foreclosure
Jan 02, 2008; ... Money Matters If you have looked around our community lately, you have probably been shocked by the number of boarded up and abandone houses. The inner-city and inter-ring suburbs have become ground zero for one of the devastating financial disasters to take place in the last 50 years ....
'Sweet' success awaits Pryor
Jan 02, 2008; ... Jeannette QB among nation's top recruits HERSHEY, Pa. (BASN)-V.Y model number PA2007 was on display Dec. 15 in Hershey Park Stadium as the legend of Jeannette (Pa.) senior do-it-all quarterback Terrelle Pryor (6-6, 220 lbs.) continued to grow. The fleet-footed multi-purpose star ...
Zellous scores 23 in Pitt's 72-54 victory over Duquesne
Jan 02, 2008; ... Walker finishes with 19 points, 14 rebounds PITTSBURGH-Pitt junior Shavonte Zellous scored a game-high 23 points as the Panthers defeated cross-town rival Duquesne 72-54 Dec. 22 at the Petersen Events Center. "This was a really good competition," Pitt head coach Agnus Berenato ...
Cincinnati Santa
Jan 02, 2008; ... Inside Conditions Ding, you are now free to move about the country. Well, if most of you don't recognize one of the airline world's most catchy slogans by now, the time has come for me to spill the beans. I am relaxing on my favorite airline in route to view the Pittsburgh ...
Serving his masters well. Can Jason Whitlock be the Negro stamp of approval?
Jan 02, 2008; ... DENVER (BASN)-Jason Whitlock, apparently has offered himself up as a "Negro stamp of approval" for white folks who can't wait to disparage, belittle and defame any African-American who has any measure of fame, fortune, power, or in Sean Taylor's case-bad luck. He's allowing himself, and his ...
Hill residents fired up
Jan 09, 2008; ... Unite in opposition to 'good faith agreement' The Hill District is flaming, literally, and it has nothing to do with race riots. After torching a proposed community benefits agreement handed down by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and County Executive Dan Onorato, Hill activists finally ...
Senators submit Williams nomination to Rendell
Jan 09, 2008; ... Despite his fifth place finish in the May primary election for a seat on the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, attorney Joseph K. Williams III has another shot at the bench, thanks to the county's Democratic senators and the election of Judge Cheryl Lynn Allen to the state Superior ...
Foundation funds group working with Black boys
Jan 09, 2008; ... It's no secret that Black boys are falling behind, dropping out and, overall, becoming the underdogs of America. And as a response, one woman has decided to step up to the plate by making these young men her number one priority. "I needed to challenge the way people look at Black boys ....
New start for District 9
Jan 09, 2008; ... Burgess sworn in; nets two leadership posts Citing the writings of Old Testament prophets and praising his new colleagues, Rev. Ricky Burgess was sworn in to thunderous applause during the new year's inaugural City Council session. "In 1758, the city's founders sought to develop ...
In 2007, 80 of 98 homicides Black lives
Jan 09, 2008; ... Violence in Pittsburgh continues to be at a steady trend. With only one less murder than in November, it is still eight murders too many. As part of an ongoing effort to heighten awareness about the effects of murder in the Black community, the New Pittsburgh Courier compiles a list of ...
The carnage continues
Jan 09, 2008; ... Still under attack, 2007 exceeds previous year Although Allegheny County's 2007 homicide rate was, at one point, on pace to surpass the record number recorded in 2003, the final tally showed only a slight overall increase from last year. While that might be cause for relief in ...
This week in Black history
Jan 09, 2008; ... For the week of January 10-16 January 10 1811-Free Blacks in Philadelphia met at Bethel AME Church to combat the efforts of the American Colonization Society. The Society was nominally organized to help free Blacks return to Africa because many of its founding white members ...
Metro Beat
Jan 09, 2008; ... Literacy Council holds tutor training The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council announced that beginning in February, will be offer a tutor training workshop for those who are looking to volunteer to teach. The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council is Pennsylvania's second largest adult ...
CBC solidified as 'Conscience of the Congress'
Jan 09, 2008; ... Commentary The pages of history should record the first year of the 110th session of Congress as a period when the Congressional Black Caucus solidified its role as the "Conscience of the Congress." As legislators and appropriators, members of the CBC left their fingerprints on ...
The health care pillow
Jan 09, 2008; ... The Way I See It In "The Scarlet Letter" Nathaniel Hawthorne writes " ...The American eagle, with outspread wings, a shield before her breast, and, if I recollect right, a bunch of intermingled thunderbolts and barbed arrows in each claw. With the customary infirmity of temper that ...
Make a difference in 2008
Jan 09, 2008; ... Commentary With the turning of the calendar year to 2008, I am reminded of how important this year will be in the United States. As citizens in a state that is a major international power broker, we must recognize that what is important to the United States is important to the world. I ...
Penalizing Black football coaches
Jan 09, 2008; ... Commentary Monday night's BSC championship game between LSU and Ohio State capped 32 college football bowl games, a TV frenzy that began on Dec. 21. On the playing field, there were so many Black players that some games could be mistaken for contests between two United Negro College Fund ...
A young positive Black entrepreneur
Jan 09, 2008; ... To Tell The Truth We live in a period of time where the overwhelming conversation and all forms of the media are centered on negative stories as they relate to Blacks and particularly Black males. In 2006, myself and two other mature Black men, were extended an invitation to ...
New year opportunity to reflect on past; plan for brighter future
Jan 09, 2008; ... To Be Equal With the holiday season over and 2008 upon us, it's time to reflect upon the past year and assess our achievements and setbacks in order to start the new year anew. Last January, the African-American community observed several firsts. Election Day 2006 paved the way ...
Kenya is breaking my heart
Jan 09, 2008; ... Beyond The Rhetoric I have been to Kenya three times and each time my love for this land and its people grows stronger and stronger. The plush green highlands and the robust savannahs have no rival. The view of Fern Valley from the mountainsides is absolutely astonishing. One can get ...
Cover me
Jan 09, 2008; ... Lifestyles Report So you want your group or event to be featured in the New Pittsburgh Courier. Well so do I. It's not that hard. I'm sure you're saying that's easy for me to say. It is easy but I need you to work with us. The New Pittsburgh Courier is published once a week on ...
92nd annual Queen's Luncheon
Jan 09, 2008; ... Each year the annual Queen's Luncheon, sponsored by the Harriet Tubman Guild, Inc., grows in attendance. At the 92nd annual Queen's Luncheon held at the Edgewood Country Club in December, every seat in the house was full. Throughout the year the six chapter guilds: Congress, Hallie Q ....
Just ordinary folks
Jan 09, 2008; ... The truth about Jehovah's Witnesses They are the butt of many jokes and well known for their door-to-door ministry, yet many do not know the reality behind Jehovah's Witnesses. Some think of them as a secretive cult, but nothing is further from the truth. They are an open door ...
Nutrition for LIFE
Jan 09, 2008; ... Eat Smart to Boost Vitality Have you ever tried eating smart? It's not just about making savvy nutrition choices like opting for whole grain over white, steamed over fried, or baked over sautéed. It's about boosting your eating knowledge to reap rewards that go beyond losing weight or ...
You'll say hello to 'Between Goodbyes'
Jan 09, 2008; ... You'll say hello to 'Between Goodbyes' "Between Goodbyes" by Anita Bunkley c.2008, Kensington Publishing Corp., $14/$17.50 Canada, 368 pages. Cover To Cover When someone you love asks for your hand in marriage, you have several choices. You could say no. You can ...
This should be a good year for...
Jan 09, 2008; ... (REAL TIMES NEWS SERVICE)-Chris Brown: In addition to having an album, "Exclusive," that has just been certified platinum by the Record Industry Association of America for selling one million copies, Brown proved to be a natural in his acting debut in the successful film "This ...
August Wilson Center gets grant for 'Big Read'
Jan 09, 2008; ... The August Wilson Center for African American Culture has announced the receipt of a $20,000 grant to host "The Big Read," a nationally known program designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The center received the maximum amount awarded for this prestigious ...
A celebration of African-American culture through music
Jan 09, 2008; ... Join the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in a celebration of African-American culture through a concert honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., through Western Pa.'s Black musical legacy. This special evening of music highlights spirituals, gospel, jazz and Dvorak's Symphony No. 9-known as the "The ...
Vivian and Belafonte recall civil rights contributions and importance of art
Jan 09, 2008; ... ATLANTA (NNPA)-Civil rights activist Rev. C.T. Vivian and actor/ humanitarian Harry Belafonte discussed their contributions to the Civil Rights Movement as well as political and global concerns during a recent candid conversation sponsored by the C.T. Vivian Institute. "We knew that ...
Fifth Third Bank tries to repair Image In Black community
Jan 09, 2008; ... Fifth Third Bank has had its share of bad press. From less than perfect minority hiring practices, high turnovers and being described as a network of good ol' boys on indeed.com blog, the bank giant had a whirl of bad press last year. But with a 10 percent minority workforce in ...
Personal Finance: Save your money
Jan 09, 2008; ... Trends suggest that 2007 will see more than 1 million foreclosures. But if there's a silver lining to America's mortgage meltdown, it's that it could finally lead us to make some radical changes in how we look at money. Americans have become enslaved by their own debt-chained to an ...
Spa business aims to give ultimate experience
Jan 09, 2008; ... With the stress of work and everyday living settling in the body, the star of the Ultimate Beauty Spa says there is no better time to relax your mind, body and soul than now. Recently consolidating her three locations into one facility at 2015 Murray Ave., spa owner Leslie Askerneese is ...
Time to tell truth about timeshares
Jan 09, 2008; ... The Carr Report More than 10 years ago while vacationing in Florida, I was given an offer that I could not refuse. "Come to this FREE two-hour seminar and you'll get twoFREE tickets to Disney World and two-FREE tickets to Universal Studios." Back then, tickets to both Disney World and ...
Entrepreneurship: Making more money in 2008
Jan 09, 2008; ... On Being An Entrepreneur Virtually everyone's ears perk up when someone doles out ideas on making more money ASAP. Especially if that money can come without a serious amount of more work, less time sleeping and a deep cut into your quality of life. Our cost of living rises all ...
Pittsburghers Speak Out: How do you honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy?
Jan 09, 2008; ... In the coming weeks our nation will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and the things he stood for. However, in light of last year's string of racial insensitivity, the dream appears to be in trouble. The New Pittsburgh Courier asked residents how they plan to honor Dr. lung's ...