Hell and welcome to Black Horizons.

I'm Chris Moore.

This is the weekend that we celebrate the birth of Doctor Martin Luther King Junior.

I hope that you will take some time to atten at least one of the many events that are scheduled in honor of Doctor King.

Today on Black Horizons, you'll hear more about one of those events called the March in Unity.

Also today, you'll meet two high school students who have worked very hard to pull off something that might b described as poetry in motion.

It's a mega production of dance, dram and song titled On Being Black.

But first, let's hear from Patricia Mitchell, the African-American programs coordinator for the Historica Society of Western Pennsylvania.

Pat has written a curriculum titled Beyond Adversity that the society hopes area educators will use in their classrooms.

Welcome to Black Horizons.

Glad to have you here.

Thank you.

You've written this whole curriculum an it must have been a mammoth job.

I'd say I would say so.

I'd say so simply because of the size of things beyond adversity.

It takes some going through, some adversity just to lift the thing.

It's big.

It's huge.

What's it all about?

Well, what it does is it tells a story of African-Americans in western Pennsylvania from 1750 through 1990.

From 1750 to 1990.

Yes.

It covers a big area.

Yes.

Who all is being profiled here?

Well, there's too many to name Im sure.

I can name a few.

We are, focusing in on, for example, the Reverend Louis Woodson, who was one of the co-founders of the first African-American school for children in Pittsburgh.

And his name is largely probably lost on not only most schoolchildren, but, most historians.

So this is probably a good resource, right?

Yes, it is.

And you're hoping that area educators will use it because it is about Western Pennsylvania, right?

Okay.

The other thing is, I think you are especially looking at even though there are special days like today and all throughout this weeken as we celebrate Doctor King's, holiday and birthday.

We are not necessarily thinking about just using it on those occasions or throughout February, which is Black History Month.

You'd like to see it incorporate into the entire curriculum?

Yes.

And it's would be very easy to integrate this entire curriculum into the classroom.

How easy is it?

Well, what it does is it chronicles the achievements of African-Americans in a variety of areas.

Not only do we focus in on, businessmen, but politicians as well, such as Homer Brown, Daisy Lampkin, also on Henry O. Tanner.

And in the field of entertainment, we focus in on Billy Eckstine.

Oh, funny you should mention that.

Here's a shot of Billy Eckstine.

Charlie Parker.

And who else is on here?

I can't.

Dizzy Gillespie?

Yes.

So, there's a shot of them right there, and, I guess the accompanying tex is biographical material, right?

Yes.

It is.

And I pull that out, and there's the first woman who ever was, on radio is a DJ that, we think of in modern times.

Mary Dee.

Right.

Exactly.

We have some more.

I won't show them all, but I'll pull another one.

And there's, Charles Cooper.

I think he was, out of Duquesne.

Came out of Duquesne University.

And for black to be drafted and play in the NBA.

Exactly.

For the Boston Celtics.

Okay.

And, there's stacks of other people here.

And you've mentioned some of them.

You really think that, educators will use this and understand the historical society, had a little confab with a lot of people who who attended.

How did teachers receive it?

The teachers received it.

Very well.

They were very excited about the, the program and the fact that we have a African-American advisory board, at the Historical society and an education committee, and we get a lot of feedback from teachers and from community representative that wanted to see the history of African-Americans in western Pennsylvania chronicled.

And this is the result.

So this is an important document, for all of us who live here in western Pennsylvania, who are concerned about everybody because, all these people that I see in the list here have contributed mightily, whether it's broadcasting, whether it's print journalism, whether it's sports, whether it's education.

There have been a lot of people here in western Pennsylvania that have been pioneers and contributed a great deal to making the Commonwealth what it is.

Right, exactly.

Okay.

You you would like to see this?

Go on and on and on.

How long is it?

Is it good?

Is it indefinit that people can use this?

Yes.

Infinitely.

Yes.

How can they ordered.

What can they do.

What they can do is contact the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.

Our, museu programs department at 281-2465.

Would you give that number again to 812-465?

Okay.

Anything els you'd like people to know about?

Beyond adversity and why of that title?

That's what I'd like to know.

Well, we know that the struggles of African Americans in western Pennsylvania and around the country, have been something that's been ongoing.

And no matter what adverse, situations or conditions, we happen to be confronted with, there is always, that desire to move ahead, to go beyond, the adversities tha we've experienced in the past.

And so it's a continual it's a continual struggle.

Will there be additional volumes that will come after this or have you completely covered the one.

No we haven't.

It would have been impossible to cover everything because the history of African-Americans in western Pennsylvania is so rich.

So what we are planning to do in the future is to do supplemental issues, to the already existent Beyond Adversity package.

Okay.

General Tanner, we had a recent project here, called the, Tanner calenda we used to do on Black Horizons, named for, Mr.

Tanner.

And I think almost everybody has a copy of, one of his paintings, The Banjo Lesson.

Yes.

The olde black man is teaching the young, black boy, how to play the banjo.

I've seen that in so many homes.

It's.

Yeah.

It's ridiculous.

People don't know that, he resided here in Pittsburgh for a short time and in Philadelphia for a while.

Exactly.

So these are the kinds of people that they can discover.

It's easy to use.

What grade levels is it appropriate?

Grades six through 12.

And again, the phone number where people can call and get more information on 281-2465.

Okay.

Well we thank you both for being here.

We appreciate it.

Oh, thanks for having me, Chris.

Okay.

You take care.

I'm sure beyond adversity will be used very well in the classroom.

Thanks.

Thank you.

You know, if we study our history through Pat Mitchell's Beyond Adversity, we will learn of great women, men and deeds in our recent past.

Here's Doctor Ralph Proctor with another of his.

Did you know black history moments to remind us that we also have greatness in our ancient past?

Did you know that the second powerful kingdom to rise on the west coast of Africa was called Mali, the land of the Mandingo?

This new empire was founded on the Muslim fait and its ruler were called Mansa.

So rich was a kingdom that when Mansa Musa, shown in this drawing, holding the gold nugget on the right, made a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324.

The entourage included 60,000 people, 2000 of whom were servants.

It was financed by 24,000 pounds of gold carried on 80 camels.

At the height of his power, Mali covered an area equal to Western Europe.

The army consisted of 100,000 men, including 10,000 cavalrymen.

It was during the reign of Mal that the University of Timbuktu rose to power, reaching its height during the succeeding reign of the Song Empire.

The reign of the King of Mal was to last from 1235 to 1468, when it was surpasse and annexed by the next powerful West African civilization.

Songhai.

In this kingdom, knowledg was a most important commodity, and the University of Timbuktu was the most important learning center in the world.

Scholars from Europe and China came to this fabled city to learn, not plunder.

Knowledge was so important that more money was made from the sale of book than was made from trading gold during the reign of Songhai.

There were learning centers throughout the region where thousands of teachers lectured on law, math, and medicine.

Songhai was also a research center.

The last days of this mighty kingdom came in the latter stage of the 1500, when Songhai fell victim to the pilgrimages of two religious wars.

From the north came the Arabs spreading the Islamic faith, and from the east came the Europeans spreading Christianity.

It is clear that at first Europeans came to Africa to trade in gold, diamonds and salt.

They also came to be educated.

Unfortunately, the scholars told others of the material wealth of the rulers of Ghana, Mali and Songhai.

So later hordes of Europeans came to conquer and exploit for gold, for land, and later for slaves.

Did you know?

Thanks Ralph.

We continue to learn from our ancient African pas while we look toward the future.

As we stated earlier in the show, we can also learn something from our recent history here in America.

January 17th, Pittsburghers will gather to remember one of our last great African American heroes, Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.

One of those people is community activist Genie Barron, who is part of the March in Unity.

The March in Unity.

This is a real grassroots effort, something Doctor King would have been in the forefront of.

Where he's still here.

You mentioned.

Oh, yes.

What the March in Unity is a vision that came out of the Bell super community, asking everyone to come together to support, on this day, the different issues, human rights issues that have been we've been experiencing in this city to call everyon to come together to be a part.

Okay.

You draw a distinctio between human rights and civil rights.

Yes.

A lot of the youth in our community feel that the civil rights era has stopped once Doctor King was assassinated.

And they think that, what's important for them to be a part is to be a part of the human rights issue, which really is more all inclusive.

And that's everybody on the globe.

Exactly.

Exactly.

And you say again, this is a grassroots effort.

Yes.

You're looking for a lot of organizations.

I've seen a flier that you have that says so many different groups are involved from the NAACP to more modern groups.

I can't say the NAACP is not modern, but, more recent groups that, have bee formed around particular causes.

So we see a broad umbrella of people coming together, almost a rainbow of people.

Yes.

It is.

I mean, we've even gotten endorsements from certain unions.

We know that the community groups in the both the African-American and the white communities are coming out to support this effort.

And we are glad to see that people also feel that there's been some injustices that have been going on in the city especially within the last year.

If Doctor King were alive right now, what do you think he would be most concerned about.

Oh he's such a rainbow that I think that the major issues that have come out as far as the blatant injustices have happened, where it just seems like it hasn't bothere anyone from, baby Byron to the, planning in the hiring of the superintendent of the school board to the out and out, execution style arrest of Manila Bay, that we have so many things that are going on in this city that we have to begin to make the powers that be understand that we're not going to accept it.

And the things have to be brought back to the tabl and looked at on a clear basis.

And that's the problem.

Now you've got a broad cross-section of people.

How many people are you expecting at the Civic Arena?

And it's 10:00 on Monday morning.

Yes, we're gathering at 10:00, and I'm expecting a sea of people.

No particular number.

I know that everyone ha responded so positively to this that the amount is going to be awesome in th eyes of the city of Pittsburgh.

So huge crowd is huge crowd.

Huge crowd.

And it's 10:00 at the Civic Arena on Monday.

The 17th.

Yes.

Okay.

As you march oof which what i going to be your parade route?

Is that the traditional parade route through downtown?

Yes.

It'll be the traditional parade route down Fifth Avenue through downtown Pittsburgh, turning on Market Street to Market Square, where there will be a rally.

And at the rally, what will happen at the rally will begin to point out and ask for certain demands or certain cries that begin to show the injustices that have been going on.

We feel that the rally is the start of a dialog that has to begin to happen in this city between the, politicians, the powers that be, and the everyday people, you know.

That kind of discourse is, is going on now.

You think every day people feel somewhat isolated or left out of of what the power brokers and politicians are doing?

I think that every day people are feeling they're not being represented the way that they would like to be.

And that's why this effor came from a grassroots effort.

But some people would say, well, simply vote.

Vote all those rascals out in the box who are not doing anything good.

And that would solve it.

What would you say to them?

What I would say to them, of course, it's simply vote.

But also you have to have an alternative on who you can vote for.

And what happens i when you begin to have dialog, you see a difference.

You see people who are coming out saying, yes, I voted you in, but I'm also holding you accountable on what I'd like you to do.

And what I'm going to accept and what I'm not going to accept.

I guess the last March where I saw a real rainbow, a whole spectrum of people come together was the one, that was held around, the Rodney King beating.

I think it was just afte the verdict, to show solidarity.

And I saw, white people, Asian people, black people, and it really reminded me of some of the, excuse me, old civil rights days where everybody was linked arm in arm and singing We Shal Overcome and Marching Together.

And there were more than 3000, I guess, about 5000 people who went down to a rally that was a little bit further down town.

It was quite interesting to see that.

Are you looking fo that same kind of cross-section?

Yes, we're looking for the same because nothing has changed.

We're still looking at human rights issues that are are just so blatant that we have to begin to cry out.

And that was a march that was talking about something that happened in another city.

And here we have incidents of police brutality and and just outright change the rules in the middle of the stream that everyone's getting tired of.

But those police brutality issues tend to divide people even along racial lines.

Who people who would say Mr.

Bay got what he deserved and we support the police.

I've heard this stuf on some of the area talk shows, against those wh would say it was an execution.

Something is wrong here.

Injustice, happened here.

Do you really expect people are going to be able to come together around those kind of issues when they divide us so readily?

Well, I think that what we have to understand is if we play into the propaganda that's been presented, then yes, we'll look divided.

But we're talking about a human rights issue.

And he was an aspect of a human rights issue that no one should feel that it's okay for anyone to be treated in that manner.

Just like we can't say that the family of bab Barron had a right to be treated in the way that they were treated, or that the the school system didn't have a right to.

They should have hired a person who was much more qualified than what they brought in.

And it basically looked like they determined that she wasn't because of her race.

We have to start crying out and saying, okay, so one more time, the march.

So march is Monday, January 17th, starting a gathering at 10:00 at the Civic Arena when it will be ending.

When we finished.

Oh, would you do?

That's right.

Okay.

And you're looking for everybody.

Come on.

Everyone registering.

Just come.

All right.

Well, thanks for being here.

Thank you.

We are learning from our past all the time.

We are also learning about the present an how it will affect our future.

Something that many present day leaders that follow Doctor King's precepts are teaching us about now is environmental racism.

What is that you say?

Well, tune into earth keeping here on WQED and you'll soon find out in West Dallas, Texas.

I'm tired.

I'm sick of it.

My mother, my father, I died.

You expect me to sit down and say nothing?

Residents figh to rid their community of lead that has poisoned their children, their homes and their lives.

They are pollution weary minorities fighting for their healt and their civil rights victims suffering from the crime of environmental injustice.

Next time on Earth Keeping Racism airs Wednesday, January 19th at 10 p.m.

at Black Horizons.

We always like to present young people who are on the move.

Here are two high school students from Penn Hills who are making things happen.

Lisa Robinson and George Butch Franklin are involved in a project that is student led, student inspired, and gives definition to what it means to be black.

Welcome to Black Horizons.

Both of you were glad to be here.

First time for you.

Yeah.

Okay.

Glad you're back here, Lisa.

Now, you were here with Monica, your partner in crime, so to speak, last time.

Because I understand, according to your counselor, this bit that you two instigated, a whole dramatic revival of Penn Hill that, really got people going.

And, now Monica's left you alone, but you carried on the good fight, right?

Right.

Okay, so what have you put together this year?

This year, I put together a play called On Being Black.

And it's about slavery and how it has and still is affecting us as a race.

It's about the negativity of gang activity, and it's also about the promotion of the black male because he is so negatively represented in the media, and we want to portray his good highlights.

George let me ask you, as a young black man, do you think the last portio of what you said about the way, black and young men have portrayed negatively is true?

Yeah, definitely.

You know, a lot of, a lot of hype about black people being all negative.

You know, you never hear about, you know, the faithful father and, you know, the good working man who supports his family.

You know, you never really hear about that.

And, I think Lisa did a good job.

And, you know, bringin that out in the play, you know, letting everybody letting the rest of the world and see, you know, the positive, the positive side to the black male.

And I think she did a good job.

And this is a, collage, so to speak, of poetry, song, dance and all kinds of stuff.

How did you put it together?

What do you what did you draw from?

Well, I wanted to do something about the here and now so we can get a message across about gangs and how terrible it is.

So I just went to the library.

A lot of the informatio on gangs I got from rap songs, and just took the words an changed them into poems, almost.

And they changed it around.

So nobody really knows that it was a rap.

So now we will give us an example with the two of you do that of the kind of thing that you did, particularly from some of those rap songs, set it up for sure and do it.

Okay.

We are going to do two poems from I'm Being Black because it is about street theme.

I'm going to do a piece called I Wasn't Born Here, and he's going to do a piece called Deep.

I wasn' born here, man, but here I am.

Everyone was sleeping last night.

Everyone was scared.

It was freezing last night.

I had this funny feel on my stomach today.

Toda these cops come around the block and beat Tito on the head.

Tomorrow they do the same thing.

But still.

I wasn't born here, man.

Tonight I ain't got nothing to do but maybe listen to footsteps.

Or maybe it'll rain and I can listen to that.

Or maybe I could sing or something.

But still, I wasn't born here.

I wasn't born here, man.

But here I am.

When you two four going.

Ain't no turning back.

That's a fact.

I live my life by the trigger.

Yesterday I was rolling in my car, kind of slumped up, and then I popped the glove box.

When I reached the block and I pop Demon in the chest.

That's how it gets done.

But now I guess I'm a man on the run now.

But I'm not going to let them take me alive.

I don't sleep because, yeah, I'm in too deep.

But I ain't never going to stop.

Because I was born a hustler.

I was raised a hustler.

And I'm in too deep.

I'm in too deep.

And a lot of that is taken out of rap.

Just like.

Yeah, okay, well, let's just turn the tables just a little bit onto that.

I take it that's what you call gangster rap, where people rather I'm talking about those kind of things that they experience in their life.

How do you feel about that kind of music?

Is it a negative influence?

Well, I mean, you talked abou all the positive things, right?

Was that right?

That about young men that we should see and you and you chose to do something like that that really reflects a negative.

Well, I think you know, gangsta rap was never not to me.

I feel that the artists don't intend for it to be negative because, you know, they do rapping about things that happen every day.

You know what I mean?

They're just pretty muc talking about, you know, what?

They live.

You know the truth.

But, I do think some negativity comes out of, you know, the listeners, you know, they take it the wrong way, you know, and they and they react, you know, they react pretty badly to, you know, a lot of rap songs, you know, they don't you know, they want to act out the roles that are rappers and, you know, they want to be more lik the rappers and stuff like that.

And that's where I think the negativity comes from.

Yeah, particularly when they call women names.

I mean, Queen Latifah says, who you calling?

Right.

That's why I would do the play.

Yeah, because we want people to not be led the wrong way by some song.

You know, have yourself established in your personality, established to know your values and your morals, and then you won't be influenced by a song that doesn't really mean anything to you or your life.

Yeah.

I don't want to take anything out of context because of the little bit that you showed us, but but I would imagine tha there's more in that that says, I don't know, the song like that influenced you.

That's exactly what comes next.

After you.

That's right.

Yeah.

Because then I did and, you know, I was a gangster and I died and when I don't want to give it away.

Okay.

No, no, but I want to come out.

Right.

Okay.

How long is this production?

About an hour and a half.

An hour and a half.

Well you put a lot of stuff together.

How did everybody come together, for instance, as you get.

Butch involve?

Well, I asked, Butch one day in English class, and he said he would like to do it, but I heard that he reall didn't want to do the beginning.

I didn't really want to do what she told.

She told me it would be a lot of fun.

And, you know, I thought, alright, I'll give it a try.

You know, you're good, man.

You never can tell.

You know, you might come back here as an actor one day.

You had to go through the listing that day.

Remember me?

But you enjoyed the performance.

Oh, yeah.

I have, you know, I have a lot of fun.

You know what I mean?

It' a whole new experience for me.

You know, I never really did anything like this before, but, you know, it's turned out to be a lot better than what I expect.

How did you boys, as you go to react?

I get teased all the time.

Oh, he's doing plays.

The little theater, boys.

You know, they make fun of me, but, you know, that' that's all part of it, you know?

But it could change a life.

And it could also provide a living for you.

I mean, look at what some of the rappers are doing i terms of the incomes they have or some of the actors that we have.

Danny Glover, Denzel, you know.

Yeah.

Okay.

It looks lik everything is going to be great.

Great.

People are hyped.

They want to be there, and you want other people to come join you, right?

What's the date?

January 27th.

Okay.

And it'll be at Penn Hills High School.

Right.

When?

Auditorium.

Yes.

7:30 p.m., 7:30.

Be on time, right.

now.

The proceeds from this.

Because there is a small admission price.

We won't talk about much, but they're benefitin two organizations, too, right?

Right.

What is that?

The sickle cell anemia Foundation and the Harriet Tubman Guild.

How did you decide on those two?

Well, we donated to the Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation last year because we felt that there needed to be we wanted to give our money t somebody, and we decided that, okay sounds like a good idea to me.

I hope that I'll be able to be there.

I'd like to see that.

Okay.

I want to see George come off the stage and say thank you.

That I go with.

Hey, thanks for being here.

And we admire you and what you're doing.

Okay?

Thank you.

Okay.

All right.

On being black will be performed January 27th at 7:30 p.m.

at Penn Hills High School.

If you want more information on the performance, simply call 793-6400, extension 288.

That number again is 793-6400.

Extension 288.

As we leave you today, I hope that you'll take time to remember Doctor King this weekend and all for which he stood.

There are many celebrations throughout the weekend, sponsored by a variety of churches civic and social organizations.

Please go out and join your friends as we celebrate Doctor King's memory.

And if you so much as see a Doctor Martin Luthe King Junior say outside anywhere you go and and tell a merchant you think it's profane.

Well, that's it for another edition of Black Horizons.

I hope that you'll also take time to check out my radio talk show on WCHA I'm there every Monday through Friday, 7 to 10 a.m.. And if I don't see you here, I'll hear you there.

Bye.