Funding fo this program was made possible by the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh.

With additional support from the Allegheny Regional Asset District.

The Pittsburgh Foundation and the members of WQED.

Thank you.

I really do think Pittsburgh is a livable city for everyone.

The cost of living is so affordable.

Housing everything is not taxed like I know when you go down south, you have to pay taxes on your road, taxes on clothes, taxes on shoes.

But we don't have all those taxes imposed on us here in the city of Pittsburgh.

So it's really affordable.

What I love about Pittsburgh is diversity the friendship, the stadiums, the games.

It is that really very nice place to be.

It's been a long time since Pittsburgh was a steel city.

Although the nickname lingers, it's now home of the leaders in technology, education and business and some of the most desirable neighborhoods in the country.

This Pittsburgh evolves through the 21st century.

Will its promising future extend to all its citizens?

Where will we find the city's next leaders?

Can we build a Pittsburg that's inclusive and affordable?

And how do we prepare a sustainable workforce?

The state of black Pittsburgh is up and coming because we've we've gone through a lot as a whole but it's all about progression.

Stay with us as we discus the state of black Pittsburgh.

A community forum.

Welcome to the State of blac Pittsburgh, a community forum.

I'm Chris Moore.

Thank you for joining us for this special broadcast live from the WQED studios.

Tonight we'll discuss topics that affect our changing city and its African-American community with some of Pittsburgh's most vibrant voices.

And we'll share your Twitter and Facebook questions with our panelists.

You can tweet your questions to @WQED.

and use the hashtag SBPGH.

And speaking of social media curating those questions is Lisa Washington and Lisa, how's it going over there?

It's going well.

Chris, thanks so much.

I'm delighted to be her and to be fielding the questions that will come in via Twitter and Facebook with those who have specific concerns and thought about the state of Pittsburgh.

I know this promises to be a robust conversation and quite meaningful, so looking forward to it.

All right.

Well, we'll get back to you later and get some of those questions that are coming in through social media.

Thank you Lisa.

The state of black Pittsburgh is more than a television special.

It's also the name of a longstanding report released by the Greater Pittsburgh Urban League, which has always taken an unflinching look at the roadblocks, progress and potential of black Pittsburgh.

And sitting next to me is the president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, Esther Bush.

Esther the Urban League has been here in Pittsburgh for almost 100 years, and though you've only been here a fraction of that time, what is your frank assessment of the state of Pittsburgh, especially for African-Americans?

Well, Chris, really, when you look at the state of black Pittsburgh, you first have to look at it in its proper context.

Pittsburgh, again is in a transformational state.

And as usual, black folks want to make sure that we are a part of that transformation.

Pittsburgh was just named, again, the coolest city.

Neighborhoods are changing.

And what is it going to do for black folks?

There's a lot of conversations, even around the typ of employment, that is offered.

But we still look at African Americans who are at 30% living in poverty.

We still look at the Africa American working age, individual who has the highest unemployment and underemployment rates as the in the top 40 metro areas.

But are you still upbeat despite those statistics and by still upbeat about Pittsburgh?

And of course, I'm upbeat about Pittsburg because we have an opportunity, I think, at this transformational period for us to get involved.

Some reports that were jus released, say, by the Allegheny Conference, the Alleghen Conference, the CEOs have stated we need to bring more people in to prepar for the careers of the future.

But I just saw a report that we've lost population by about 13,000 people.

We've lost 1300, we've lost population, but it is still an issue that corporate America needs to upskill the individuals that are working for them.

They need to recruit people who are not currently in the workforce.

And I believe that the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and other organizations nee to take advantage of this period because it is a period that if we don't change within the next ten years, our workforce, a whole lot of corporate America isn't going to be where it is today.

So I have to tell you, I take calls, liv in a lot of places where I work, and some black Pittsburgher think that they have been left behind, despite all those great designations that our fair city gets.

I'm in total agreement and that's why the Urban League is focusing now more so on economic self-reliance, which is part of our mission statement, and we're focusing on leadership development.

We need those two things because under economic self-reliance, we need to educate, prepare, trained, certified, sit in the college for these new jobs.

And we need leadership from every perspective, meaning leadership working with corporate leaders, meaning leadership, working with elected officials and meeting Joe Blow on the street, speaking up and advocating.

We want to teach from youth through senior citizens how to speak up and be heard and be a part of the growth of this area.

And that's the key to it, reaching that diverse population age wise, in every other, I guess, economic factor to get them involved in their own personal, self-reliant development.

We have to own it ourselves and not point the finger.

But we want to work with everybody that is looking at moving us.

I will say this, Chris, from the report from the Allegheny Conference, it is very clear they are in a new place.

They are concerned that they do not have adequate employees.

All right.

Well preparation is going to be key.

It seems like with our fair city ranking high on national lists, like most livable and safest cities, we wondered is Pittsburgh a livable city for all of its citizens?

Pittsburgh, famous fo its bridges, its neighborhoods and its innovative spirit, we're recognized nationally as one of the country' most livable cities, attracting new businesses and new people.

I think Pittsburgh is an truly livable cit because it has a lot of culture, a lot of, things for you to do.

It's a livable city for families.

Yes, I do think Pittsburgh, is a livable city, I mean, it's very diverse.

Yeah.

I mean, a lot of people come from different countries and prosper.

I believe that Pittsburgh is a livable city for the fact.

Look at this place.

People come in shop different vendor.

They gather together, they sit down and chat.

A lot of places to work, places to eat.

So I think it's a very nice place to live and to come and shop and just see where we are.

I strongly fee that a lot of the neighborhood improvements happening in the different communities, I mean, they could be very inclusive, but I think with some of the intentions that certain things are done on purpose to not include, it's kind of like goes back and forth.

And this, I think, is on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis.

Currently, the city of Pittsburgh is not livable for all residents.

There are residents that have been left behind, their residents that still are considered socially and economically disadvantaged.

They're underserved, underrepresented, etc.

what we have to do in the cit is to address all populations.

The mayor had used an expression in a past interview that if it's not for all of us it's basically for none of us.

In other words, it has to be for all of us.

What benefits all of us is for all of us.

And, it's the all of us that needs to be addressed.

It's Pittsburgh, a livable city for all of its citizens.

No, I mean, it's there are large swaths of Pittsburg that are positively unaffordable for certainly for poor people and and increasingly for middle class people.

And it's all segregated as it's ever been, unfortunately.

So my definition of livable, probably does not line up with the definition that gets, Pittsburgh all the kudos, when all of these charts that we see, periodically.

I feel that Pittsburgh is, the most livable city for all of its citizens.

Well, it's disproportionate in regards to jobs, housing and entertainment, especially for minorities.

It's not as fair as it should be in the 21st century.

Our next guest are no strangers to neighborhood advocacy and the hard work it takes to move a community forward.

Ronell Guy is the executive director of the Northside Coalitio for Fair Housing and Pittsburgh City councilma are Daniel Lavelle of District six and the Pittsburg Affordable Housing Task Force.

Mr.

Lavelle, in looking at that first rule in peace there, when the narration said most livable city, and affordable housing and desirable neighborhoods.

I noticed those two shot of houses in the Hill district.

That's your district?

That has changed quite a bit, hasn't it?

It has.

And more importantly, it's going to continue to change.

And that's.

Well, the good if we assume that everyone living in that community can still stay in that community and thrive.

Part of the reason we created the Affordable Housing Task Force was to make sure that all our neighborhood stay mixed income, stay vibrant.

Because the reality is, many of us cannot afford to continue up with the rates that some of the housing is occurring within the city.

Ronell Guy on the north side.

Is the situation the same?

How goes development there and is it affordable for all of Pittsburgh's black citizens?

No, it's not.

The reality is that right now, the housing wage is $16.80.

In order for a market rate unit, you have to earn $16.80.

And I have people that are working two jobs who live in our communities that are not even in both jobs, and not only $16 an hour.

Let me be very vigorous with you.

I take calls from people, on some of the shows that I host who say, well, that's their fault They didn't get the education.

They didn't work hard like I did.

They didn't do what my dad and mommy told me.

And I'm gonna tell you something.

There was a time, Chris when I really do believe that.

But as I've grown older, people function at different levels.

There's always going to be people who need that job at the gas station.

There's always people that's going to have to say, welcome to Walmart.

People function at different levels, and it's our most vulnerable populations that are being left out.

I see housing being developed in the East Liberty section of our city that they now call the Eastside House.

And I wonder who's going to afford all those, apartments at the rates that they're talking about, right now.

Do you think a certain segment is going to be left out?

Of course.

I think a certain segment was already pushed ou to make room for those houses.

People have been pushed out.

People have been mistreated.

And then what kills me like the East Side, for not only are you pushed out, but even the name wasn't good enough to keep where you're from, even though it's the same streets, the same amenities, the same things.

It's we.

We changed in the name because you were here, and your neighborhood is in inextricably tied to your identity.

So we don't even have an identity left in a lo of neighborhoods in this city.

So what happens to people who can no longer affor to live in those neighborhoods?

And there's a lot of development going on on the North Shore there now.

What's going to happen to people there?

People are doubled up.

People are homeless.

A couple months ago, we picke the family up off a back porch.

They had been living there for, like, a couple of weeks.

They had got foreclosed upon.

I didn't know anything else to do, but to live on their porch.

It ain't not like seeing a family with 3 or 4 little girls all living on the porch, you know?

And I mean, so people are becoming homeless.

People are doubling up.

People are leaving our city.

People are leaving our city for, the outer ring suburbs and finding them not even that affordable.

And then they've got transportation calls to do, childcare costs and other supports are here, and they're way out there Its a mess.

Mr.

Lavelle How did you manage it?

In the Hill district to make that transition.

I remember when, McCormack Barron first came in, they started talking about gentrification.

But the powers that be, trie to fight it and keep affordable housing there.

How successful have you been?

We were successful in at least having the fight and getting to an agreement.

Does that mean you lost it?

We haven't.

No, we haven't lost it.

Unfortunately, it's in.

It's in the works.

There was a group of stakeholder from the Hill District community who came together to fight to ensure tha whatever happened, specifically in the redevelopment of the Lower Hill District would be for the benefit of those already living in that community.

So they weren't as misguided, is simply just pushed out of the community.

But that's going to be an ongoing battle.

The reality is it's disproportionately affecting black folk.

But the reality is when you look across the city and I made the argument then, before the planning Commission, that much of what we're building is only for upper income white men.

When you look at the fact that the average income in the city of Pittsburg is only $40,000 for the $40,009, I believe for African-Americans, about 23,000?

23 for African-American.

And in the Hill District is about 18.

That says a lot.

Let's check in with social media.

Lisa, what do we got?

Chris, we have some great questions coming in that go along with what you guys are discussing.

The first one is Carly from Twitter.

And she says as a student, city living seems to be getting more expensive.

What do you think is the best alternative for affordable living?

And if I may, I'll try on the second one that asks, what is the next hot Pittsburgh neighborhood, next hot Pittsburgh neighborhood, neighborhood and affordable living, particularly for students.

Well, two things.

One, if you actually sort of look at the market trends, one of the neighborhoods o targeted is actually Manchester, another historically African-American neighborhood that now people are actuall beginning to really invest in.

And so that can have a, disparate impact on African-Americans in this community.

But in terms of affordability, one of the most important things we have to do is maintain the housing stock that's already here.

By and large, across the city.

We actually do have an affordable housing stock, but it hasn't been invested in.

Many of it is not livable.

But if we really put our dollars and resources into what's already here, that will provide long term affordability because we can't simply build our way out of this.

This guy used to long complained about some of that housing that lies vacant and not on the tax rolls anymore.

Are we doing enough to get slumlords out of ownership of those kinds of properties and get people into them?

No we're not.

I mean, the reality is that a lot of the multifamily and affordable owners, even some public owners, have advocated the responsibility of managing their properties.

And while we're focused on development Developmen development nobody's focused on maintenance.

Nobody's focused on maintaining what we have.

And I mean, there's loads of public money coming into these properties, and our citizens are living in squalor and nobody's complaining.

There's many owners in the Northside and in Homewood who have substandard units.

They continue to get public subsidies for and we don't complain about it.

And it's time for us to stand up and come together as, as, as African-Americans and complain, no, I don't want my grandkids living with me.

I don't want my kids living with me.

And right now, my daughter got a college degree, but she can't find a job in Pittsburgh.

She can find a job, but not in her field.

She got a job just $18 a night.

But that ain't enough.

You know what I mean?

That's not even enough.

So, you know, with the economy the way that it is, if we don't have homes that families can afford to live in.

My daughter about to go.

I want to see my grandbaby.

I want to see my grandkids.

I'm about to lose them to Atlanta.

You know what I mean?

We have a healthy neighborhood, has housing for everybody, has some low income housing has some middle income housing and some affordable, I mean, and some high end housing.

There's housing, people with disabilities.

There's housing for all kinds of people in a healthy neighborhood.

Mr.

Lavelle, that mixed use was, tried in your district six.

How successful was it?

I hear that the Pens are trying to back out of that community benefit, agreement that they, seeded to, to have affordable housing there.

So that's not going to happen.

The reality is, we fought too long, to hard to get to that agreement.

So we're not going to allow them to back out of what they've already agreed to.

But as Ronell points, the real test is to make sure that.

And you mentione the Hill district in its heyday.

The reality was the doctor live actually right next door to, as she put it, the greeter at Walmart.

And we have to make sure that a truly vibrant, successful neighborhood has both levels.

And so that's what we're fighting to ensure.

But I would also say is the reality is the economics aren't there.

People shouldn't have to be scrounging around severely find somewhere to live.

We should be working to ensure that they're making a decent living, that they're making enough.

So this actually is an issue.

How do you do that whe developers often talk about the, extravagant cost of developing adequate housing, and some people just simply can't afford it and they don't want to rent to other people at discounted rates.

You force them.

Yeah.

So other cities do you do that?

Well, when zoning, grants, I mean, they give public dollars to for infrastructure.

If there's no development that happens basically in anywher where there's no public dollars.

So stop restrict tax abatement.

Would that be somethin you would vote for, Mr.

Lavelle?

Yes.

As a city council person.

You can vote.

We can do that.

We can put forward inclusionary zoning, which has mandates that a certain percentage of the housing would actually be affordable.

And as she mentioned, anytim they look for a public subsidy, whether it's infrastructure costs, whether it's fee waivers or anything of that nature that we can attach conditions to that.

But most developers say, if you don't let us do that kind of thing, we're going to go elsewhere.

Does that leave you high and dry?

Well, we got an amazing community of community development specialists.

I mean, we have some non-profits that have been doing development for Let Them Go.

You know, we could work it out.

We could figure it out.

If we each got to put in $10 apiece to build.

You know what I'm saying?

We need to come together.

We need to invest in ourselves, invest in our own communities and rebuild them.

I mean, there's ways that just like they invest in tax but we can invest in that stuff.

We need to learn how the stuff works and become the creator of our own spaces and our own.

That's what Esther Bush was talking about, some self-reliance and doing that.

But how many people are going to allow you to do that if you don't have that kind of experience in developing?

But what I'm saying is there are people in the city that do.

I mean, we certainl we develop affordable housing.

Certainly we own 333 affordable units.

It's just not the political will to give us the resources to be able to do it.

But if at some time not for profit developers step out the picture, they gotta get that money to somebody.

Which is the biggest issue that's going to be before us relative to affordable housing or anything else, which is how much is African-American community and the powers that be?

The man, government, foundations and others begin to shift the way they provide resources to these communities.

I've made the argument for some time now that if you have $10 and ten communities, we can we cannot give each community $1, because African-American communities have been shyster that for so long that we need five of those dollars.

And until we demand that we're getting our adequate share, that's not going to change right now.

Power concedes nothing without a demand.

You've been making these demands.

What success have you had?

Well, feel like we're very successful.

Like I said, we we I receive one of those letters that said, you got 90 days and you got to get out.

And I have seven kids.

And they said.

And I mean, it brought tears to my eyes.

But today I'm part of a collective that owns the property that we onc were about to get evicted from.

So we organize and we thank you.

And we came together and we bought our property.

And it's possible.

It's possible for so many more people to be determined and get it done.

An outstanding example.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for having us.

There was a time when many southwestern Pennsylvanians built their American dreams o good paying manufacturing jobs.

Fast forward a few decades and it's careers in Steam that science, technology, engineering, art and math that will build the future.

But are we prepared for the challenge in these tech savvy times.

Many sustainable job will depend on a Steam science, technology, engineering arts and math heavy education.

With Google, Uber and other high tech firms opening offices here in town.

How do we make those job accessible to African Americans in terms of the Stem and Steam related field?

I feel like the field is already open to African Americans.

I think the barriers that are there aren't visible or tangible, but I don't think we're doing all that we can do to make these career options viable for the young people in the city.

And it's really a shame because we have world class institutions, whether they are corporations or, institutions of higher learning, that have all of these resources.

And there needs to be a greater bridge between the kids who need to kno that these are viable options.

And those resources.

I think an aggressive outreach by corporate Pittsburgh by foundation Pittsburgh by, the Pittsburgh public Schools, to to reach those those pockets of people who are just shut out.

So there needs to be a more aggressive education, minority students about these opportunities and more aggressive outreach.

We do have minorities, very much so in the Stem and Steam fields, but they're not African American.

Okay.

They are from different ethnicities.

So what do you do to make sure that that feel looks like home looks like where you live?

Where are they?

We have to start early.

And I'm not talking about elementary school.

Middle school, high school.

I'm talking preschool.

I'm talking pre-K.

If you give the youth something to do, they won't turn to crime and drugs and stuff.

Like, they have a lot of opportunities here.

You see, all the construction is going on.

You don't have any black males being represented.

And it's bad because all of the all of the mone is being invested in community.

The people in the community should have jobs.

I think they should puts more into the urban community and Pittsburgh to create more jobs for young people.

Education, education, education.

You gotta get in school.

You got to take the classes.

You know, I mean, these kids coming, a diverse city.

And so you have t align yourself to the blessing.

If engineering's worse going?

We need to get into more engineering classes, more mathematical classes, more science, which has always been a problem.

So we need to get more diverse in terms of our education as well.

Joining us to discuss preparing the next generation for these sustainable jobs are president and CEO of Urban Innovation 21, Bill Generett.

and founder and CEO of Dignity and Respect Incorporated.

Candi Castleberry.

Singleton, welcome, both of you.

Bill, let me start with you.

In that lead in piece, one individual talked abou getting prepared for these jobs.

Are we doing a good enough job especially in public education, of preparing our young people for the jobs of the future?

No, no.

If you look at, Pittsburgh public schools, while we have seen some progress, overall, we're not doing well.

And, that's the most important time we really k through 12.

And that's where that that foundation is built to really, participate in the, the high end, jobs, in Stem or in Steam and no, we're not doing a good job.

And the results speak for themselves.

We're not doing the job.

So the big achievement gap, particularly in public schools between the white students and the black students.

Candi, what are we going to do?

Will it take private organizations like yours to bridge the gap?

So I, I think that sometimes we make small attempts to do things as individual organizations, individual nonprofits, or, sometimes even perhaps as an individual schoo as opposed to a school district.

And if you think about sort of this is actually not a new issue.

It's new to Pittsburgh, but it's not new to steam, in the sense that having spent, some part of my career in the Silicon Valley, what happens is, is tha we are banned dating the problem by doing individual things when the reality is, is that we have to have a pipeline that pulls young people through it, making sure that they have access to programs and tutoring or whatever thing that they need along that way.

And then organizations have to decide, rather than going after the 1 or 2, that they're going to collectively invest in making sure that there are 10 or 20 to choose from, or 200 to choose from, rather than doing their one thing that gets them to 1 or 2.

If we multiply that exponentially as a community of schools, as non-profits, as corporate private, I think that we can actually do a much better job.

You know, I had to be vigorous with both of you.

I've been in this town since 1980.

I've seen a number of superintendents go out of Pittsburgh public schools.

I've seen all the jargon.

It may change, but the results don't.

I'm not.

I'm not actually disagreein that the results don't happen.

I'm suggesting there's little collaboration to make that happen.

There is lots of tal about the need for it to happen.

And then we have these conversations and we all leave and go home and do whatever it is that we do individually, as opposed to thinking about what the action is that we need to take.

Definitely, we don't scale the good things that are that are happening because there are good things that are happening.

But, you know, as Gandhi said if it's one, two, ten, 15, 20, we need to figure out how to do a thousand.

And what's difficult is in this city, we scale the things we want to scale.

If you look at, the transformation, all the things that now make this the quote unquote, number one city was because all sectors came together, supported and they scale things.

They said gains.

But when it comes to a lot of the issues that we fac in the African-American meaning there's no scale, there's no scale.

And, and and until there is scale, of of of the good things, you know, not everything but the good things, we're going to be having this conversation five, ten years from now.

The educators try so many different things, but I wonder what the role of parents, might be in getting their child ready to go to schoo and having them ready to learn.

There's definitely a role that we all play.

I actually think of the gateway, Medical Society who has taken a sixth graders, and they take it upon themselve to nurture these sixth graders through medical school.

The gateway.

The gateway.

Exactly.

And they are the black physicians of Pittsburgh who decided rather than us sayin we are not going to have enough, black doctors will grow our own.

And they have committed to it themselves, both in time, both in energy as as well as gone to all of those other organizations, foundations, private health care, as well as ensuring that the parents are involved in order to make sure that it happens, but to the point that Bill made, it's not scalable.

So if we think about that as a workable model, how do you actually do that kind of thing on a grander scale?

When we think about all the other things that we fund that don't actually create that kind of result.

We're urging you to participate in social media, too.

So let's go over to Lisa and find out if questions are coming in.

Lisa.

Yes, Chris.

Questions are coming in.

In fact we have a question from Twitter.

This is from Cachoeira.

And she asks, what can we do to retain black young professionals in the region as we lack and equity and job opportunities?

And in wages?

This is a very good question.

We mentioned in the last segment, as Ronell said, she didn't want her granddaughter to have to go off to Atlanta, to get a decent job in her field.

Yeah.

I think one of the things we have to do is we have to make sure that, we're paying, our, our grads what they're worth.

And I say that, you know, the Heinz endowments just, did a report that talked about all the structural barriers that exist here.

And, the elephant in the room in Pittsburgh is, there's racism, and we don't do a, a good job of talking about it.

We don't do a good job of, crafting solutions.

And when I say that, I'm talking about, many cases, the employers.

Right.

We have, a corporate community that is poised to do some really great things.

But unfortunately, they're not doing what they should be.

You mean to tell me that as a whole, eight years of having a black president, social equity has not been achieved.

Well, you know, nowhere.

I mean, you know, the issues that we're facing here, you know, every place is facing, you know, but, you know, we've relied on the foundation community.

But if you go to a place like Cincinnati, you know, their corporate community is giving as much as, you know, our foundation community is giving.

And and so, enough pressur is not put on our corporations or corporations in many cases, not in all cases, because we do have some that are doing doing good, but they're outliers.

They have, in many cases abrogate their responsibility to others.

But don't corporations realize a healthy community translates into a healthy workforce?

It's possible.

When you are ranked like 200, you know, 226, 207, 2 out of 228 cities for diversity for you not to even realize that you're not competitive.

It's possible for people to live in this city to hire the next person the next person, and the person after that without ever realizing that they have never considered anybody different.

So I would sa favoritism is as much a problem in the opportunity for, brow people as it is discrimination.

I'm not suggesting discrimination is the leading factor.

Clearly there is some.

But favoritism is the greatest challenge that we have in creating opportunities.

Because if people go to their same circles, their same circles look like them, and they're not willing to be open to somebody new, whether they're from anothe city or a different demographic, then we therein lies the challenge.

Lisa, more questions from social media.

Yes, we have a question that's a great follow up for Candy's point.

This from comes from the double Q the email, and it asks, what are the most accessible Steam careers in our area?

Accessible Steam careers.

Well, that's a that's a tough question.

But I would say the challenge with th A writes, in Steam is arts, righ So the A unfortunately is probably more accessible, but probably isn't the one that's going to pay the kind of revenue dollars that you need to sort of do the kinds of things that, they were talking about, you know, Councilman Lavelle as well as, right now, because steam requires pipeline development, it's not as though you're going to just be able to all of a sudde come out of a four year program and have a job.

So I do think educatio as one of the sort of audience participants said, education.

Education is probably the primary focus because things change, particularl when you think about technology.

What's popular toda won't be popular tomorrow 100%.

I mean, but there are some you know, health care jobs that, you know, the Allegheny Conference did, did a report.

And, I think this was on of their better reports.

Right.

Because we've seen other reports that that weren't necessarily so accurate in terms of predicting what the jobs are in the future.

But, you know, occupational therapists, pharmacist, you know, so engineers, you know, if you look at cybersecurity, so there are you know, fields, in jobs where, with kind of reasonable certainly we know that, you could graduat and have, have, have a good job.

But, you know, those require, developing a skill in, as Kennedy said, if you don't have the educational background, it's not happening.

I read a report, just the other day that said, what we learned today will be obsolete in 20 years.

100%, will be obsolete in five years.

Absolutely.

So how are we going to plan for that if things are changing so fast?

So you have to be smart.

So it's not enough to, you know, we can't teach people a certain widget, you know.

And so that's some, som sometimes where I get a little, a little upset with steam because it's like, well, if you learn to code, you're going to have all these jobs.

And it's not true.

It's not true.

But if you are smart, if you, have the good fundamentals, you can learn to do anything and your skills a transferable.

And I would say on a positive note, we're at a time period where, the cost of, of getting additional credential is cheaper than it's ever been.

You know, you can go to a traditional school.

Well, you don't have to.

They're, they're onlin learning platforms like Coursera and other that can provide you university.

They're not that one, not that one.

Not that on won't stay away from that one.

And and the $35,000 fee, you know.

But ther but there are others that might you can take a course for $100, you can take courses free and so and not graduate with all that college debt that people are graduating with now.

Absolutely.

You know, now I'm not going to, you do have to have a basis.

We just have to make sur it's a good college education.

I think that steam obviously is obvious.

I mean, is there's a need for that.

But, you know, when you think about what Bill suggested around health care jobs, sometimes people don't think of health care.

They think of health care as only doctors and nurses.

They don't think about the infrastructure of engineers and programing an coding and all the other roles that are considered technical, but perhaps don't require you to have a four year degree in a particular area.

But things do change.

I mean, I study C++ Fortran and Pascal, giving sort of my age.

Right?

And none of those things are in use today.

Yeah, you're right, but I' still paying the bills for it.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you all for being here.

From Global Affairs to the local PTA, true leaders can emerge anytime, anywhere and anyplace.

We ask Pittsburghers where does leadership come from?

As we build towar a more inclusive and enlightened Pittsburgh, a next generation will be called upon to lead the way.

Which begs the questio where does leadership come from?

I think the leadership at and the future Pittsburgh will come from the youth.

What I do like a lot of my documentary work, when I listen to the kids talk about issues going on, they understand everything what's going on in their communities and nothing for them.

They really want to have the opportunity to to have their voices heard or to be involved with a lot of the things happening.

What makes a good leader?

I think, you know, th flexibility, the understanding.

Of course.

You know, I mean, there's no bias.

There's at least a respect not just for you and the next person, bu just everybody around the world.

You know, there are many issue that are going to be brought up.

You know, there has to be a level of understanding and the level of commitment to you can't sit there and understand things and don't put in full commitment to do it.

Leadership must bring up organically and it is springing up organically.

I think Pittsburgh is actually blessed, with a whole generation of new leaders who are coming up, in various communities.

I'm very, very impressed by a lot of grassroots stuff I see happening over in East Liberty and in the Hill District Citizens are taking, they're taking possession of their own futures.

Theyre taking agency.

Young people taking a role in leading us.

Some young people will there's young people out there that have motivation to want to better themselves.

So I think, yes, it's hopeful.

I feel like the leadership is already around us because, you know, there's there's young peopl who are taking leadership roles.

And, you know, we have leaders who are already in place that all they have to do is reach back.

And once they do that, you know, the younger, the younger generation, like people in my generation, even in the younger generation they will know what's going on.

And they will take the first step in moving forward into a positive direction.

I'm the oldest of five children as a whole.

So at a young age, I had to have that leadership in me because I had to set the rules for my younger brother and sister.

So it definitely starts at hom and it starts with the parents.

And you know what they teach their kids.

And also it comes from the kids within, you know, comes within themselves as well.

Because if they know that they're leaders and they know that they're making a difference, then they can continue making that difference.

And, you know, change the lives of other people.

Educating young people to meet the challenges of the future and nurturing leadership wherever it's found, ar the jobs of our next two guests.

Jessica Ruffin is chief operating officer and site director of Coro Pittsburgh, and Doctor Quentin Bullock is president of the communit College of Allegheny County.

Mis Ruffin, finding leaders and develop them.

Developing them is what Coro has always been about.

It's its core mission.

Mission is leadership, something that's integral and part of someone.

Do you recognize it as a future leader of America, or does it have to be developed or both?

I think it's a little bit of both.

I mean, I think that anyon has the capacity to be leaders.

I think that, when we speak specifically about, some of the challenges that folks in th African-American community face, they've not necessarily been given the opportunity nor the tools to do so.

And so I think that, from that aspect that everyone can lead and everyone has the capacity to lead.

But I do think that there are some folks that that could benefit from, more the professional development and really just to give them some, courage and some confidence to go out there and do some things.

Doctor Bullock, I've read that community colleges are the bes places in the world to develop, transferable skills for other jobs, to restart your career, to re-energize yourself.

Is that all about the missio that you're going to undertake?

At CCAC?

Well, the community college traditionally has always been known as the, first choice to come and access and to explore opportunities.

Generally, you will find individuals that have experienced life an are looking for that next step and to be transformed, or to learn a new skill set that will offer additional expansion.

And it's through those experiences and exposure to different faculty and staff, extracurricular activities, community service that begins to transform and develop persons to really embrace this new beginning or to celebrate the, new career that he or she is selecting to integrate into.

But that sounds like that should be the core mission of almost any, university or colleg or institute of higher learning.

I wonder how you find your students and how you help them get to that next level and develop them as leaders?

Well, the community college is just like it states.

It's in the community.

We are easy to access, and we have a very strong commitment to developing the studen and reaching them where they are through those skills and personal relationships, aligning them with the opportunities that we offer to the student through clubs and organizations, extra curricular activities, and then the mentorships and the entering co-ops through all of those different initiatives.

You begin to see the studen evolve and then that helps them affirm their excitement for wha they're doing, their readiness for continuing to achieve and then the continued success that they would get beyond the two year experience.

Miss.

Ruffin, Esther Bush talks about, relying on oneself to do better in the community.

Ronell Guy talked about the leadership that is at the grassroots in the community, and that they can get things don by developing their own housing.

How does one recognize that they've got that kernel within them to be a leader and learn the skills that they need to go out and make a difference?

Well I think it's a personal journey.

One of the things that we do do at choro is one we help the people.

We help give people the tools to help to develop themselves professionally.

As I said before, to gain the confidence, to feel like they can go out there and do some things.

We also give them access to networks, and I think that's really important, and I think it touches on some of the things that we talked about earlier o in the earlier segments about, you know, it's it's sometimes it's about who you know.

And so I think that that that fundamentally when you get access into network and actually you get those skills in place and you kind of know how to do those things, then you can go out and actually and actually do them.

And you actually have, the support in order to be effective.

But once you learn that you also place people in an environmen where they can learn as interns in those kinds of positions, but also absolutely a great a large part of our program and most of our participants spend a good bit of time, working with different non-profits out the region.

Like the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, as well as with different corporations, so that they can help to, to build up their professional skills.

I think that when we, we think about, kind of leadership withi the African-American community as opposed to some other communities that, we don't necessarily always have the privilege to kind of take the time off of work and, and not and really just focus and be outward facin and not think about ourselves.

And so, part of the beauty of, of what we do is, is not only give people opportunities to step into leadership positions within their communities, but we also give them the space to develop professionally at the same time.

All right, Lisa.

Social media.

Is that all of us over there?

Yes, it is to do that.

I wish we could get to all of the questions that are coming in.

Here's one from the net she sends us via Twitter.

She asks, what about entrepreneurship for blacks in Pittsburgh?

Entrepreneurship.

In fact, that's one of the areas that the community college is beginning to embrace because there are many individuals who really want to have their own businesses.

And what we are developing and plan to launch in the upcoming yea is Entrepreneurial Certificate, which teach the basics for launching a business and the planning component so that they are not only successful in the craft that they enjoy, but also have the fundamental foundations for really developing a business and running it successfully.

And that's part of your core mission to develop that?

Absolutely.

It's already in progress.

We hope to have it, available t students, by the spring of 17.

Can you point to any successes you've had in the past?

I know you're relatively ne there, but you're an educator.

Have you can you point to, the kinds of successes tha community colleges often have?

Absolutely.

If you look at the health care, we're number three nationally for producing the number of graduates in nursing, the number six nationally for producing all the graduate in the allied health programs.

When we talk about the preparation and the transferability into some of our sciences, the community college is a point of access for students to begin the foundations in the Stem and then transfer to somehow competitive four year colleges and universities.

So where are we going to get those leaders when we find our economy here in Pittsburgh changing from that manufacturin base to Eds and Meds and more.

How do you steer students either one of you, Miss Ruffin?

I think it's just I think initially, and I think this came up in the earlier segmen that's really all about exposure and really looking to try to develop this pipeline to the work that we do really is really focused on building those pipelines and starting as early as, as really high school students and helping to give them just access to opportunities because they know that they exist.

So, I mean, that's wit within the realm of our program, that's really where our focus is, is really just giving them access and knowing tha those opportunities are there.

When we talk about success as that pipeline gets narrower and narrower, the further you go, I would say it depend on the individual's motivation to want to really advance.

And having that suppor and encouragement to encourage you to advance.

I think I think about the three, the arch the attract, retain and elevate.

And as we look at how do we retain the students that we have graduating from our colleges and universities?

And then when we attract, how do we attract and ensure that they have the abilit to also elevate in the positions and to grow and become future leader of our corporate organizations?

But I'm hearing so many acronyms, from Steam to Arts to everything else.

Do they really have practical applications in getting a person from where they are now to where they need to be, especially if they are to become one of our future leaders?

Absolutely.

I think once you understand the basic foundations and the opportunities that Steam offers, and you get a young man and woman that's motivated and excited about learning the sciences, you begin to see that transformation.

If you take the gateway experience through that early exposure, you have the young minds energized and read to really continue their studies and to master the science and to become future physicians and other doctors in the in the field of study.

Miss.

Ruffin where do you find our students when they first enter a Coro program?

Do they need some remedial education to get them to that position where they're going to be leaders?

No, they need a high school diploma or GED, and they can join our American Coro program.

They have the passion for service, and they wanting to learn.

And I think one of the things that Doctor Bullock said, that was really important and I really want to kind of go back to that, is the importanc of being excited and motivated, in addition to just seeing what's out there and being you see that motivation in young African-American students?

Absolutely, I see that, but I also see that there's sometimes a lack of opportunity and they see kind of where they want to be, but they just aren't sure how to get there.

Doctor Bullock, do you agree?

I do agree, but I think sometimes it takes an extra step because many times many of our young African-American men and women don't think they can.

And I think it takes us as educators and teachers to say, you have a potential.

And I'm committed to ensuring you can achieve your greatest educational attainmen and put you in line to achieve many, many more opportunities.

But what accounts for that that self-defeating attitude that they don't think that they can?

We have a model in our journalism workshop that you ca and you will is the only answer an instructor gives them.

When a student says, I can't do this.

How do we motivate them?

How do we get them energized?

I think we still have to continue to find more teaching faculty that represent our community and embrace the community and work very closely with the students that that we are interacting with, because there's a different relationship and attraction.

That African-American male or woman has with me because they see me.

They said, wow, you did it.

Can I?

And then I take the time to explain to them it's a commitment.

It's hard work.

It's dedication We only have a few seconds left.

Do you agree?

The last point I'm going to make is that our institutions are there to support.

Our children need to also understand what equity is and understand that there are other levels o support that need to be in place in order for them to be.

Including Sweat equity.

Right.

That's right.

All right.

Thank you.

Finally we asked people to take a look at their changing city and tell us what is the state of black Pittsburgh.

Here's what some people had to say.

The state of black Pittsburgh, I believe, is evolving.

I'm not going to say it's improving, and I'm not going to say it's deteriorating.

I don't know what to call it.

I know it's evolving with the times.

We cannot gauge our success by the by years ago old norms.

I think that Pittsburgh and the state of black Pittsburgh will be judge by the success of home ownership of jobs, of college degrees, of successfu schools of peace in the Valley.

That's going to be the gauge of success which transcends all times.

I feel tha the state of black Pittsburgh is is always improving.

But I think one of the major problems is, we're the community is ver fractured, and it's not united.

We we need to be united more for all issues put into the community.

Not just for this pocket here, not for this pocket there.

And and I think what' the community unite all together for the for the greater good for like, all.

Then it starts working.

The state of black Pittsburgh is one of untapped potential.

A lot of promise.

I'm hopeful, though sometimes I get a little discouraged.

But ultimately, I think it's one of, just looking around us and seeing the potential in people, that we've not wanted to recognize in the past.

The faces need to change.

The resumes need to change.

The bios of our leaders need to change, and become more inclusive and more grassroots.

The state of black Pittsburgh is up and coming because we've we've gone through a lot as a whole, but it's all about progression.

And throughout the years we have progressed.

And each year we're getting better.

And that's really all that matters.

Joining me again wit some final thoughts Esther Bush president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh.

Esther has the last hour left you more upbeat and hopeful or discouraged?

Absolutely more upbeat.

We have to deal with the reality of where we ar as an African-American community living in America, in Pittsburgh.

But a couple key points that we really need to underscore is the fact that we absolutely must not need to must remove all of the issues.

Work together.

Leadershi is critically important across organizations, across, different, fields.

We have to meet together on behalf of our community.

I have to trust yo because I love all of my people, and I want their potential realized.

That also includes corporate America.

Those CEOs, like I said earlier, they must have a decent workforce.

They have to work with us.

So leadership across the board and we do have to believe in our self.

I'm so proud of the work that the Urban League does teaching, kids in our techno teen program.

Cisco, I'm so proud o the African American volunteers that come out and support many of our teenagers and sit down and talk to them about what they can be, and erase all of the doubt about why they are only where they are.

That's irrelevant.

You accept where you are, and then as you teach kids in your workshops as well over the summer, you let them know where they can go and how you can help them get there.

And that's what's exciting about living.

I want young people and young adults pumped about being who they are and what their potential is, and seeing how to make that change.

Identify the barrier.

But you can knock that barrier down, all right?

It's self-reliance.

It's what you say.

It's self-reliance.

All right Lisa, the social media platform was abuzz tonight.

It was indeed.

We got a number of questions.

As I said I wish you would have been able to get to all of them.

I can tell you, though, Chris, this has been a very enlightening conversation for me.

I can take away that there have been some significant strides that have been made, but yet there's still a long way to go.

I agree with the person who said that the city of Pittsburgh.

It seems to be evolving, but again, there's still a lot more work to be done.

But very happy to be here and to take the questions from social media.

All right.

I just want to say thanks to our panelists, our opinion makers, and you, all of our audiences at home and on the web for joining us tonight.

If you missed any part of this program you can watch it on our website at wqed.org/state ofblackpittsburgh.

I'm Chris Moore and for Esther Bush, Lisa Washington and all of us here in the studio.

Thanks for watching.