Welcome to Black Horizons.

I'm Minette Seate filling in for Chris Moore.

Tonight we'll meet two members of a group of young girls who showed how some organization believe in the willingness to stand u and let their voices be heard.

Could make a difference.

And a tribute in the name of Martin Luther King Jr.

Will help a local schools band program.

Find out how you can be a part of it.

But first, more than a dozen girls as grant maker representing the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania, were able to convince retail giant Abercrombie and Fitch to stop sellin several controversial t shirts with their girlcott.

Joining me now are Catherine Byrd and Denise Jones.

Ladies, welcome to Black Horizons.

Tell me first, Catherine, what school you're from and what grade you're in.

I'm Catherine Byrd, I' a freshman at the Ellis school, and.

Denise, hi, I'm Denise Jones, and attend South Bend High School.

How did you two meet each other?

And how did you get involved in the girlcott?

Well, we applied for the Allegheny grasses grantmakers this, winter.

Well, last winter, actually, and it just spiraled.

Yeah.

Denise, it seems like for about a couple of weeks, every time I tur on the television, on the radio, somebody was talking abou you guys and what you've done.

It's been a great achievement for us.

We really didn' expect to have this much media, and we just we're glad that it went this far.

Our voices are definitely being heard.

I think that some people might be surprised to know that there were also women, young women of color involved in the girlcott, which I think is especially telling since the history of boycotting and girl cottin in African-American community.

Did you feel like you were bringing something hom by being involved in it Catherin I absolutely felt that when first heard about the girl cut, I thought about how it would connect me to the pas and Rosa Parks and everything.

I was very excited.

Good, Denis, How about you?

I just thought that it was something that, I don't know, coul help our society and get girls.

Involves all different colors.

How you can just do a big thing.

That's one of the things that I thought was really amazing about it.

And really cool that all these different girls from every imaginable place and every different type of girl.

You guys were just hangin together to get this thing done.

How did it feel bein right there in the middle of it?

It just it was exciting.

I mean, we didn't expect it to happen this big at all.

I mean it was just something that like, just, I don't know, i just it's hard to explain, but it was just somethin that was amazing for our group.

And it kind of snowballed.

Yeah.

Catherine, here's my question.

I'm there are possibilit that there are people out there who don't know the story.

What happened with Abercrombie and Fitch?

We met wit them last Sunday, last Monday.

And we we spoke to them abou why the t shirts were offensive and what they could do, maybe to stop this offense.

If there's two people and they took us into consideration, we gave them t shirt ideas and they fed off it and spoke to us about it.

Denis what were some of the things on the t shirts that that were offensive to you personally, but just the fact that they were degrading against women, I mean, women worked so hard to get where they are today and then they're just degrading women, just putting them back where they were years ago.

And we don't want that to happen.

So was it like your typical David and Goliath that they take you girl into this huge corporate office and you met all these big shot people?

How did it happen?

Well, we were escorted into the Abercrombi and Fitch headquarters in Ohio, and we walked in an there were a lot of pictures of, like, models, and it kind of looked like a store that they would have.

And we just had the meeting there.

It was like a a smaller room, and it was only 11 girls with two of our chaperons, Heather and Leslie.

And we went into the room and we discussed to them how we felt about the shirts and they just kept saying it was like, we're not speaking up on deaf ears.

We'll take your consideration, we'll take your concerns and take into consideration.

And it was just like, I don't know, it was hard to try to get them to agree with us.

Were you shocked when they caved?

Yes.

Did you get a phone call one day?

And you?

Just how did it happe that you found out about them?

Well, Leslie called me and she spoke to me, and we were going to have a meeting about the girlcott.

And she said after five days of five days after the press conference and she said they were willing to, negotiate.

So I was really excited.

It's great.

Sometimes, especially nowadays, you hear people trying to make feminism a dirty word, but it seems like you guys are doing exactly what feminism was designed to do.

It's to make women aware of who they are and what they are and what they can be.

Do you like that idea that you're stepping into the role of a lot of famous women behind you?

Well, I love it because when we started the Girl Cut or we began to formulate the idea, we just saw a movie about, feminis and getting the right to vote.

And it was really exciting to see Alice Paul, though, one of the founders of the of the abolitionist.

Yes.

The voting thing.

So it was really exciting.

How about you?

I mean, how did you, when you guys met each other, did you realiz that you were kindred spirits?

Was it strange getting to know all these different girls when you guys were all from different schools?

It was strange because we just all came from different backgrounds and different, you know, perspective points of views.

And we came together and it was really exciting to just know that we can all think alike and that we can all do something to make something happen.

Really?

Yeah.

The spee of it is what's really amazing.

So did they ask you what your ideas for t shirts were?

They didn't personally ask us.

We just had a, a presentation, a slideshow.

We gave them some alternative t shirt ideas.

I don't know if you guys ar aware of it, but I was listening to the Wall Street Journal report this morning.

And vans, they make athletic shoes, tennis shoes, surf shoes, things like that.

They're actually trying to go out to young women, high school age women and get them to make their next advertising campaign.

Do you think you had anything to do with that?

We might have had a great, And I don't yeah, a great influence on them.

And it was just something that maybe they took, they fed off of what we were doing and tried to make the society better.

One thing I think is od anybody who lives with a teenage girl know you guys have strong opinions, and we don't usually use that until, you know, we get married or something.

I can't imagine why they wouldn't think that you guys would feel really strongly about the things that you saw in that store.

Well, during the meeting with Abercrombie and Fitch, they really were kind of confused on why we thought the t shirts were offensive.

So was it a mostly male group or was it, three men and two females and one black man?

Well, the black man was one of the, you know, the other one.

Well, what happens no is with girls as grant makers.

Like, where do you go from here?

Oh, well, we're starting to get back on trac to our main focus of the group.

Writing our RFP for their proposal, and we're going to start funding, programs that are girl lead in.

some things that, you know, ar for the girls in our community trying to help our community and our society.

I guess that' what you guys really initially are your girls as grant makers.

You didn't know you're going to go into the whole political activism arena, Oh, no, no, no.

Well is it hard to go back to class and just be a normal student now?

Yes, it really is like.

I mean, the next day I walked through the hallways and it was just like, sign this paper.

I mean, you're you're a celebrity.

I was just like, everyon heard about it and it was there.

So I was glad about i because people know that girls are 23 girls in our program are speaking out.

Yeah.

Then what about you at home?

Can you put your foot down now?

Well, I guess.

Well I know your dad, and I'm here.

He's one person who listens to you.

So I think you guys have done an amazing thing and a really great job.

You should be really proud of yourselves.

Thank you.

I don't know, I'm never going to look at a t shirt the same way.

And I guess after talking to you guys.

Well, thanks for coming to Black Horizons, I appreciate it.

Thank you for having us.

If you would like to meet a living legend, you'll want to make note of a special event, a new Horizon Theater.

Miss Ruby Dee the first lady of the theater, will be making two grand performances, reading her own work, My One Good Nurse, February 3rd and fourth.

And then on February 5th.

So introduc her late husband, Ossie Davis.

His work Purlie Victorious, moving from one art form to another.

Here's a Black Horizons flashback that many of you may remember.

Those were students from Ozanam and Suzuki.

Violins from the Hill district.

Talking about the power of music and how it can help young people.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is presenting a tribut to Doctor Martin Luther King Jr to benefit the Wilkinsburg Elementary School Band program in January.

Joining me now to talk about the event and the student it helps are BreeAunna Poindexte an elementary school student in the Wilkinsburg School District.

Lois M Clark, a Wilkinsburg teacher.

And Jessica Schmidt, Pittsburgh's Symphony Orchestra director of education and community engagement.

Thank you, ladies, for coming to see us.

Thank you for having us.

Our pleasure.

Now, Lois, just.

We were just talking.

You guys are old hands at this.

How are you doing?

Have you don since the last time I saw you?

Doing fine.

How about you?

No.

I'm well, thank you.

Now, Lois, last time you were here, the last time we spoke, the benefit was for Wilkinsburg High School.

Yes.

Tell me what's different about this event?

This event i an elementary situation in that we do not currently have an elementary band program.

During our instructional day, and that's what we're trying to achieve so that we have a feeder program going into the high school program.

Okay.

BreeAunna, how are you?

Good.

So what's your part in this?

Are you a person who wants to play a musical instrument, or do you put in his musical instrument now?

I do play an instrument now.

Okay.

And what will this program do for you?

It'll help me.

And I'll help me move on to other things.

What instrument do you play?

A clarinet?

Oh, that's a good one.

So, do you practice at home?

I practice at home, and I g to practice at the school too.

Okay, so you want to see yourself in the high school marching band someday with your own clarinet and can you read music?

Yes.

Very good Wow, that's not an easy thing.

You should be proud of yourself, Maybe you start an all girl jazz band.

Jessica, you again always hear.

Always doing something good with the symphony and the kids in Wilkinsburg.

Why do you guys keep doing this?

We are honored to do this.

We love Wilkinsburg, and we are proud to be a part of the fabric of the community of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas.

And we try very hard at the symphony to to be a part of that fabric by looking at each community individually and assessing where their needs are at, especially in the world of music.

And in this case, the need came out right away and it made itself a parent.

And we have a real champio for music and Miss Clark here.

So we're honored to present the symphony and in the process raise proceeds for the program.

Unless you really are doing something because you know how everywhere you go in education, these days, electives are disappearing, the arts are disappearing from school.

Do you feel like you're carrying a banner?

Yes, I do, but I believe it needs to start somewhere.

And I really like the feeling of, being able to contribute.

And I love to see the light.

Come on.

When students get it when they understand, when they get something out of it.

And I also like to watch them give back to the community that they live in.

So, and I feel like I need to clarify something.

I misspoke earlier, we were able to start the elementary band program last year, second semester for, fifth and sixth grade.

BreeAunna was a part of that program, and we're trying to ge it started up again this year.

Okay.

Awesome.

Second semester.

Yeah.

Okay.

So, BreeAunna, do you try to encourage other kids to join in and get in the band and enjoy music?

Yes.

How is it a hard thing to do?

That's not a hard thing to do.

Do they watch you and think, I could never learn to play an instrument?

Well they say, like I want to be able to play an instrument one day.

Like BreeAunna, they look up to me.

So you're a role model already?

That's tough work.

How about the instruments?

How are you guys fixe for instruments and the things?

Everything that you need to put a band together.

Currently.

What?

The instruments.

Because of the symphony, concert have been donated lots of times.

And then some of the proceeds that we receive from the concert, we purchase new instruments.

BreeAunna received a new clarinet that was hers for the entire year.

What we are funding, we need funding for instructional, help with our program.

After school will be different if we would be able to have it during the day, but we can't.

Whereas I could probably help more if I was able to do it during the day.

But yeah, there' only so many hours in the day.

Correct.

And Jessica as far as the PSO is concerned, you guys, everybody in the nonprofit community has had their ow share of budget woes this year.

Yet your people still come and they do this.

And and it seems lik I mean, I've seen the concerts.

They were so into it.

Absolutely.

We've got a wonderful, wonderful group of musicians that truly care about the community they're living in and playing for every day.

And this is really the heart and soul of of the Pittsburgh Symphony and and why we're here.

We wouldn't be able to have concerts if we didn't have people in th community coming in to see us.

And we also enjoy coming out into the community to see people in their backyards.

So how do you do that?

There's the performing PSO that you see on stage when you go and see or whatever, when you're going down there to Heinz Hall.

But are those the same musicians that come out to the school?

They are actually they are.

We actually build it into the schedule every year and make it a priority to go into the community.

This year we're everywher from Beaver Falls to Waynesburg, to Wilkinsburg to Monroeville.

And, we perform a good dea of community engagement concerts throughout the year as part of the season.

So the musician you see on stage in Wilkinsburg are our full tim Pittsburgh Symphony musicians.

And who is your conductor going to be?

Architecture will be Daniel Meyer and say he's a popular guy throughout Pittsburgh, and he's going to do a fantastic concert.

Yeah, I mean, I can't tell people enoug how much fun these things are.

And like from the minute the first note, the first tap of the button, everybody gets misty.

It's just it's the most it's really, really good.

So now there's this big tie in for Doctor Martin Luther King's birthday.

How do you feel about that part of it?

I feel good about it now.

That's still That's a school holiday.

Still.

How do you celebrate that?

Do you do essays?

Do you write a special piec of music or perform something?

Music.

Perform something.

Okay, so you guys are going to play during the symphony performance?

Yes.

So tell me more.

Oh, I know that's not quite right.

We were able to do that last year.

We won't be able to do it this year because the program is already set.

But we do have a community choi that will be singing Symphony.

Okay.

As far as BreeAunnas band is concerned, how many kids are we talking about?

32.

And that's what you want to be able to give 32 kids lessons again for this semester.

And that will move that sixth graders to seventh grade into the seventh grade band.

And, you know, beef up the existing numbers there.

Okay, I don't want to pin you down to dollars and cents, but this sounds lik a fairly expensive undertaking.

It is.

Definitely is.

Yeah.

How do you raise money for this ticket sales, donations, monetary donations and what has helped tremendously In the last two seasons is that, people donate instruments in good condition, and we were able to take them from the case to the player and they were able to use them.

So we have fully taken car of our high school band program in that way.

So we're we're starting a new venture in trying to get the elementary band going.

Okay.

Now just you're like a perfect conduit to good use musical instruments.

People must throw them out, you guys, all the time.

It's interesting with it, but.

And word of mouth is so important to you that this is something you'r working on and struggling with and that this is a situation not just in Wilkinsburg, but really throughout the country with many music programs.

So getting that word out along with the physical donations, that's so important.

Yeah.

You've got the community's ear and eyes, but how do you get the legislators and people who are in the Department of Education and say, kids need this stuff this is what keeps them grounded and keeps them from getting into trouble?

What do you do.

You show them the results.

I think that's it's a very powerful thing to loo at the dropout rate of students.

Who are involved in musi as those who are not to look at.

I know Brian would tell us this, the ability of music to teach you teamwor and to teach you independence.

Sitting in a, in a practice room teaches you self-discipline.

There are a lot of very, very important things that music teaches you that other things can't teach you.

And we see that in the results of our kids and how, successful they are throughout life after being musicians and being musicians is that true BreeAunna, have you learned other things from being a musician?

Yes.

Like what?

Oh, I learned that you can do a lot of stuff.

Do you find yourself being able to to to participate in things that you never thought you'd be able to do before, like Charli and I think, they helped me too, but I think that instrumental will help me better.

Yeah.

You've got, like, discipline now and patience.

And it's hard to have discipline and patience when you're in your age.

Yeah, it's hard to have it when in your mind.

I am a Wilkinsburg High School graduate.

Very proud of that fact.

My mom was in the school district for years, involved in different things.

And so it makes me really happy to see all this things going on.

The school's not as bi as it used to be, though, is it?

How many students do you guys have nowadays?

At the elementary level?

There's like, like 330 in, two of the elementary schools.

So that's around 660.

And there are a few less at Johnston Elementary.

At the high school I would be taking a, big.

Yes.

So I'd rather not say.

But I know we currently have about, 30, 35, 40, maybe even more in the band.

Okay.

That's good.

I was in I was in the color guard.

I carried the Pennsylvania state flag and I was asked to leave for my bad, bad showing in the hoagie sales and my inability to keep step on the parade field.

Not good with the flag.

You're welcome to back here.

You can you can carry your flag and have a flashback at your expense.

Please let me give you a hug if you need know one thing.

My dad always said one thing about music.

He said, nobody sits on the bench.

You get to participate and then you're a part of it and you have ownership of it, and it it just feels good to be able to do that.

Music is a big, must be a big part of your life, too.

You sing and play the piano.

at home.

Yes I do that in the community and I'm, church musician as well.

Do you do weddings?

Yes, I do, I'm not getting married, but I just thought I should so I might be able to pass your name.

I can recommend a good organist to.

Okay, well, tell me about the program.

The Martin Luther King Junior tribute program.

What kind of music can we expect that evening we have all sorts of music no matter what you like, you'll love this concert.

We have Duke Ellington, the orchestra playing Duke Ellington.

We have a piece by George Walker, who's an African American composer, beautiful, beautiful string piece.

We also have a piece of famous piece by Aaron Copeland, Lincoln Portrait, which calls for a narrator.

And actually, we have our friend Neil Barclay, who is the executive director at the African American Cultural Center.

I love him, he is going to be our narrator for that.

And we're so excited about that.

And, actually, incoming Mayor John Thompson of Wilkinsburg will also be there that evening to introduce the concert.

So we have some local celebrities and great music and everything you could ask for.

And it's less than the price of a movie ticket.

So, and probably way more quality in that whole thing.

You the movie.

It jus sounds like a really fun evening and I'm really looking forward to it.

And I hope there's some wa that we can entice people to go.

If you could just add one last thing.

As we're sitting here, what would you wan people to know about the evening that we probably haven't covered?

Please come invite your friends, invite your neighbors, invite your family members.

We just have to get the word out.

And the other thing is about our community choir that will be singing two selections.

We have rehearsals on Tuesday, January 3rd at 6:45 till 8:00 and again on January the 10th.

And then we're having the opportunity of actually going and, singing at Heinz Hall with the orchestra in preparation for the concert that right.

Good, yes I think I need to say thank you.

Also, I think, representative, the furlough.

Furlough, Jim furlough.

Forgive me.

Jim furlough.

He was there.

He was sitting behind us.

He's also been very generous to this program.

So I feel like I need to give him a nod to back to the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Yeah, I'm a really nice man.

Well, I thank you three ladies for being here.

It's a wonderful thing.

I don't care that I' cheating for the home team.

It's my symphony.

I can do whatever I want Chris isnt here.

BreeAunna I hope you do wonderful things.

And I do hope I see you someday.

Your name up in lights and big and famous.

Thank you.

Not to sneak me in the stage door.

Okay?

Okay.

Remember, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is a tribute to Doctor Martin Luther King Jr Junior will take place at 7 p.m.

January 14th, 2006 at Wilkinsburg High School Auditorium.

For more information, cal (412)371-9667, extension 2104, and for that number again, (412)371-9667.

Extension 2104.

Well, that'll do it for tonight's show.

Be sure to join us next week.

And every Friday and Sunday right here on WQED TV 13 for more interesting chitchat.

I'm Minette Seate for all of us here at Black Horizons, including Chris Moore and Olga George.

We wish you a Happy New Year.

See you in 2006.

Said peace i provided by the History Store, Craig Street in Oakland and Chris Moore's wardrobe provided by Larrimors of Pittsburgh.