WINTER 2020 INSIDE TALK THE 2020 CENSUS THE 1619 PROJECT DO BLACK PEOPLE VOTE? 2020 Black History Makers IKE & LORRAINE BROWN ANDREW GOUDY LORRAINE CROSS KOFI ATIBA KWESI (aka) JESSE O. JOHNSON, JR. FRED RUSH PHYLLIS I. BENNETTPlayers must be 18 or older. Please play responsibly. Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-800-GAMBLER palottery.com Thanks. You’ve made Pennsylvania a better place to live.INSIDE TALK PUBLISHER’S NOTES The United States Declaration of Independence states, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. We must remember that America is an ongoing experiment that was founded on the belief of open migration, laws and governance that are fair and provide opportunities for "Safety and Happiness". In other words, a better life for all citizens. That all sounds good, right? However, the wealth of America was built with free labor, better known as slave labor. The truth is, America is the best nation in the world because of the detailed consideration of many of the founding fathers but distorted by greed, a belief of superiority, racism, self-indulgence and xenophobia. Landowners, politicians and other free whites could not fathom life without free slave labor building incalculable wealth and power. However, based on the terms set forth in the founding documents the county endured the civil war, which abolished free labor, set black people free and began the struggle of enforcing the rule of law. There was high resentment of blacks being equal to whites across a large part of the county, resulting in blacks enduring Jim Crow laws, segregation, sharecropping, lynching and every indignity you can imagine. America is still an ongoing experiment and today we continue to be confronted with unequal opportunities for all in health care, housing, income equality, police brutality, equal election protection, outdated government policies and fair judicial practices. The battle for, unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness is still ongoing. We must ask ourselves these questions. How much socialism do we want to mix with our capitalism? What should we do about the underserved poor, continuous wars, our prisons filled with black men, public education and election protection? You have answers and you must speak – VOTE in every local, state and national election. It is your right as a United State citizen, and it is your civic duty. That is how we change laws and uplift our people. This is a Call To Action, one we can all participate in. I ask that you read line 10 of the Negro National Anthem "Let Us March on Till Victory is Won." God Bless Black History Month. The LJS Group / Talk Magazine / TMAG Luther J. Sewell, Jr. / Publisher Roxanne N. Sewell / President & Editor theLULAdesigns / Graphic Designer Fiordaliza White / Contributing Writer Lela Sewell-Williams / Contributing Writer PO Box 143 Monroeville, PA 15146-0143 (P) 412.823.4007 info@talkmagazineonline.com www.talkmagazineonline.com 04 College News 06 Talk Across PA 08 Resources for Minority Owned Businesses in PA 10 Latino News 12 Join the Talk Magazine African American/Latinx Network 15 The 2020 Census Black History Makers pg 16 The 1619 Project pg 21 2 | TALK MAGAZINE • WINTER 2020 Winter 2020 Do Black People Vote pg24AHN.org/Cancer From you have cancer to you had cancer. Roxann had an aggressive form of breast cancer. But Roxann had the AHN Cancer Institute. And with her team of oncology experts and an innovative treatment plan, Roxann’s cancer went from untreatable to beatable. Outsmarting cancer on all fronts is #LivingProof. If you have cancer, you have us.4 | TALK MAGAZINE • WINTER 2020 COLLEGE NEWS CLARION It’s an equity issue. Period. With the start of the spring 2020 semester, Clarion University Student Senate, Presidential Commission on the Status of Women and Cen- ter for Wellness have joined to level the playing field for students in need of menstrual hygiene products. The coin slot in restroom dispensers has been bypassed in academic buildings on both Clarion and Venango campuses, making pads and tampons available free. “As a female and a women and gender studies minor, I have seen and experienced the inconve- niences that come with not having access to female hygiene products,” said Kaitlyn Krupa, Student Senate secretary, who wrote a proposal last spring to initiate the program. “According to a 2013 study, 86 percent of females stated that they have start- ed their period unexpect- edly without having the necessary supplies to deal with the situation,” Krupa said. “Being unprepared for a period can leave students unable to complete their school day, which can negatively affect their education.” Not having menstru- al products – termed “period poverty” – takes a woman’s attention away from the lecture or academic activity and changes her focus to, “Is it soaking through my clothes? Will I have to walk across campus where it will be seen?” “I started this as an equity issue based on my own experience when younger suddenly finding myself unprepared or of meeting a desperate woman in the restroom without supplies or change,” she said. “I don’t think it’s fair to ask women to pay for an essential item for an essential bodily function if they have an emergency situation,” she said. “Women’s rights are human rights, and equitable actions make our world a better place,” Krupa said. In buildings with machines that cannot be bypassed, baskets of products will be placed and stocked by Student Senate. Those buildings in- clude the Science and Technology Center, Becht Hall and Tippin Gym. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the response that our administration and student body has had to my proposal,” Krupa said. “While we are a small university, I hope the impact of our actions will influence other universities, businesses, and organi- zations to provide free menstrual products to those in need.” The supplies are intended to meet an imme- diate need. The university’s Resource Room can supply products for students to keep at home. CHEYNEY by Jan Murphy/PennLive A start-up chemical manufacturer is the latest private industry outfit to set up shop on Cheyney University’s campus joining two other firms that are part of the university’s long-term financial sustainability plan to raise revenue while expand- ing educational opportunities for students. ASI Chemicals, which manufactures chemicals for pharmaceutical products, is launching its operations in space it is leasing in the campus’ state-of-the-art Science Center. University President Aaron Walton said having the chemistry-based company will provide internship opportunities for students as well as expand the variety of science disciplines students are exposed to. ASI’s President Rich Tyburski said he saw the campus’ science building as a good fit. He recalled his own internship while a student at Villanova that led to a job as an entry-level scientist. “I was able to work my way up from there,” he said. “Getting that real-world experience helped me tremendously. We’re looking to create that pathway for Cheyney students now.” ASI, formed by two princi- pals formerly with IsoSciences, are looking for students seeking a science degree to intern with them but also may have oppor- tunities for students pursuing business or marketing degrees. MILLERSVILLE by Jan Murphy/PennLive A surprise arrived in the mail at Millersville University recently from a 1974 alum- nae that will make the cost of college less of a burden for non-traditional nursing students attending there. The estate of Liselotte Weh- rheim gave the school a check for $3.5 million – the largest gift in Millersville’s history. Photo Kaitlyn Krupa, Student Senate Secretary Photo Aaron A. Walton, President Cheyney • Meet current students and staff • Learn about our majors and campus life • Learn how to apply and how to pay for college • Tour campus and have dinner on us Register at laroche.edu/previewnight GET A GLIMPSE OF LIFE AT LA ROCHE UNIVERSITY MONDAY, FEB. 24 | 4:30 P.M. PREVIEW NIGHTWWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 5 COLLEGE NEWS The money will be used to provide scholarships to nursing students who have unusual or special circumstances affecting the completion of their degree such as having to support and care for a parent, child, or spouse. “We are overwhelmed with gratitude to our alum, friend and supporter, Liselotte Wehrhe- im,” said university President Daniel Wubah. “Especially at this time of year, when many of us think of giving to others, the generosity of one alum will have a lasting impact on hundreds of our nursing students now and into the future. While our advancement staff had been working with Ms. Wehrheim, the size of the gift was a wonderful surprise.” LA ROCHE High school students from around the world now can receive credit for uni- versity-level classes through La Roche University’s International Scholar Credit Initiative Program (ISCIP). The ISCIP program, which is open to high school juniors and seniors, offers significant savings on a uni- versity degree, with courses at $210 per credit hour versus $700 per credit hour. Students may choose from a variety of course subjects including computer science, mathematics, sociology and philosophy. Michael Bauer, director of international admissions at La Roche, said, “This new initiative is ideal for students who want to get ahead on earning a university degree. ISCIP students will get used to the university learning environment sooner while benefitting from La Roche’s supportive faculty, competitive coursework and affordable tuition.” Visit laroche.edu/ISCIP to apply. Applicants must submit the following ma- terials to be considered for acceptance: • A completed ISCIP application form • A current transcript demonstrating a GPA of 3.0 or greater • A letter of recommendation from a high school guidance counselor • English language proficiency documents • Students must be at least sophomore standing at the time of application. LINCOLN The Lincolnian is The Lincoln University’s online student newspaper; created to allow students to voice their concerns and opinions, and raise awareness to inform the community. Established in 1854, The Lincoln University has retained recognition as the first degree-granting historically black university, and has continued to be a prestigious institution where being the first matters. Lincoln has been the home of many “first” achievements and notable alumni including Thurgood Marshall, Langston Hughes and Kwame Nkrumah. Among our most notable alumni that have left a legacy of “first” accomplishments includ- ing: Langston Hughes ‘29, world acclaimed poet; Thurgood Marshall ‘30, the first African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice; Hildrus A. Poindexter ‘24, the first African American to earn both an M.D. (1929, Harvard University) and a Ph.D. (1932, Columbia University) as well as also the first African American International- ly-recognized authority on tropical diseases. Lillian Fishburne ‘71, the first African Amer- ican female U.S. Navy Rear Admiral; Nnamdi Azikiwe ‘30, the first president of Nigeria; Kwame Nkrumah ‘39, the first president of Ghana; Sibusiso Vil-Nkomo, Ph.D. ‘81, the first Black dean of the University of Preto- ria after the dismantling of Apartheid; Tjama Tjivikua, Ph.D. ‘83, the first rector of the Polytechnic of Namibia in Windhoek; and Saara Kuu- gongelwa-Amadhila ‘94, the first female Prime Minister of Namibia. The first Lincoln student newspaper was published in 1925, when it was originally call Lincoln News. In 1933, the name changed to The Lincolnian, and from then on, the newspaper continues to be the first to bring news to the community. Articles, editorials, poetry, etc. by Lincoln University students, such as Langston Hughes, Kwame Nkrumah, and Gil Scott-Heron, have appeared on the newspaper. Now, the online newspaper provides the voice of the next generation of students to continue inspiring a legacy of firsts. Congressman Conor Lamb Black History Month joins you in celebrating February 2020 Dr. Daniel A. Wubah, President Millersville Photo Sister Candace Introcaso, CDP, Ph.D. TALK ACROSS PA 6 | TALK MAGAZINE • WINTER 2020 PHILADELPHIA by Denise Clay As she leaves Philadelphia City Council, Jannie Blackwell reflects on 47 years of working for the people and what’s next. Cleaning out three offices and more than 40 years of supplies, papers and memories requires a lot of hands. On the Friday before New Year’s Day, Jannie Blackwell and the members of her Third District City Council staff are busily boxing things up, putting things away, fixing chairs and otherwise preparing what was once the Councilwoman’s office for Kendra Brooks, the independent Coun- cilwoman At-Large that will be taking over two of the three offices Blackwell’s used since her late husband, Lucien Blackwell, brought her to City Hall to be his chief of staff. But while her staff is packing her up, Black- well is still serving Third District constituents. As she walked down the hall to go into another one of her offices, she spots a constituent, a man she’s worked with frequently. She stops to talk with the man and gives him the assistance he needs. “He comes to me all the time,” she said. “He’s one of the people I’ve helped a lot. I worry about these people. I don’t know what’s going to happen to them.” Since January 1976, when she entered City Hall as her late husband Lucien’s chief of staff, Jannie Blackwell has been working on behalf of the Third District, which includes the bulk of West Philadelphia. She lost her bid for re-election in the April primary to Jamie Gauthier, who was sworn in as the new Councilperson. Because Blackwell’s seat was considered one of the safest in City Council, the loss came as a surprise to a lot of people. But she admits that the perception of safety may have contributed to that loss. That, and the support her opponent got from Philly 3.0, a group that she says, “wants to take over our city.” “I don’t think I ran a good campaign; an effective campaign,” Blackwell said. “A lot of people didn’t know. They just assumed “she’s okay, because she hasn’t been in touch with us. She hasn’t done those things that people do in this day and time. I think we didn’t do what we should have done. I think it’s my fault. I don’t think it’s the community’s fault.” While she had always wanted a career in pub- lic service, running for Council wasn’t something that Jannie Blackwell considered initially. When Lucien Blackwell left City Council to mount a successful run for Congress in 1991, Jannie initially thought she’d go to Washington to help him run his office. But his concern about the people of the Third District and the people working in their office led to her making other plans, she said. CHESTER by Ashley Caldwell More than 150 people gathered at the Del- aware County courthouse in Media last week to witness history as four new judges took their seats on the bench. For one judge, the induction was more than achieving judicial status. Nusrat Rashid, 48, became the first African American female in Delaware County history and the first Muslim in Pennsylvania to become a Common Pleas Court judge. She credits the achievement to support from family, community, and her life’s work of providing “accessibility to the black community.” Erica G. Parham, Esq., a prominent local at- torney, said Rashid’s ascension gives young black girls “a hope of what they can become.” “This moment is not just about Nusrat or about what she represents to this county,” Parham said. “For I know there is a little girl with brown skin out there who sees Nusrat for what is possible. For our county at large, Nusrat represents an important step towards increased public trust, confidence, and the appearance of fairness in the judicial system.” Rashid, who began her career as a law clerk for Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Jacqueline F. Allen, said, “The focus of my career was providing equal access not only to the court, but more importantly to justice; providing justice to everyone who steps into the courtroom, who comes with problems that need to be solved, with solutions that need to be found. It is overwhelming to me that the citizens of Delaware County deemed me worthy to look at justice, to administrate it, and to seek it from the other side of the bench.” Rashid said she hopes to continue “to be over- whelmed for the rest of my life” and the oath she took is one she “will not forsake.” She was sworn in by Common Pleas Judge Richard M. Cappelli. Her children, Aaqyla, Numa, and Faruq, held the Quran and her mother, Ayesha Lateef, robed her. New judges Richard Lowe, Kelly Eckel, and Stephanie Klein and retained Judge Linda Carti- sano, were also sworn in. PITTSBURGH by Luke Torrance Three Pennsylvania representatives announced Monday that the Port Authority of Allegheny County would continue to accept blue or yellow Pennsylvania Senior Transit Cards indefinitely, although the agency would no longer accept Medicare ID cards. The announcement was made by Reps. Natalie Mihalek (R-McMurray), Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny) and Mike Turzai (R-Bradford Woods) announced that seniors in Allegheny County could continue to use the blue or yellow paper cards for free rides on the Port Authority. Seniors can no longer use Medicare ID cards to ride for free, starting on Jan. 1. Seniors using Medicare cards must obtain a Senior Connect- Card. The Senior ConnectCard works like a regular ConnectCard but does not need to be loaded with stored value or a pass. It just needs to be tapped at the fare box. Seniors can obtain a Senior ConnectCard by bringing an ID to the Port Authority’s Down- town service center or to the offices of the three state representatives who made the announce- ment. Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Pittsburgh) also announced via Twitter that seniors could obtain a Senior ConnectCard at his district office. HARRISBURG Governor Tom Wolf announced that 15 new commissioners and 18 returning commissioners of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs were sworn in during a ceremony at the state Capitol. “Pennsylvania is built on a foundation of inclu- sion and diversity and the Latino community is an important part of our commonwealth’s history and our future,” said Governor Wolf. “I commend all of the members of my Latino Affairs Commission for their dedication and commitment. There is a tremendous need to hear from Latinos on everything from healthcare and education to Photo of Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell Governor Tom Wolf Judge Nusrat Rashid with her children (from left) Aaqula, Numa, and Faruq “Duke,” held the Quran as she took her oath. Photo by Donna Reason. TALK ACROSS PA WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 7 economic development and the census, and I look forward to working with the commissioners to create a Pennsylvania where everyone can thrive.” Featured speakers at the ceremony included Department of Aging Secretary Robert Torres, Department of Education Secretary Pedro Rivera and State Representative Danilo Burgos. “We will continue to work with cabinet members, stakeholders, and local, state and federal officials as a united front to advocate for the Latino communi- ty across the commonwealth,” said Luz B. Colón, GACLA executive director. “The governor believes in bridging the gap to help increase accessibility to improve lives for all Latinos in Pennsylvania, and I’m extremely proud to work for this administration that believes in equality.” The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Lati- no Affairs (GACLA) was created by Executive Order and consists of volunteer members who have proficiently served Pennsylvania’s fastest growing Latino community since 1971. GAC- LA’s mission is to advise the governor on policies and legislation that impact Latino communities and to ensure that Pennsylvania’s Latinos are given the opportunity to thrive in community development, education, equal rights and equal opportunities, workforce, health and social services in Pennsylvania. CRIME DOWN IN PA Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel has released an infographic report, “Crimelines,” highlighting what he says is a significant drop in crime over the past 20 years in Pennsylvania. According to FBI data, crime rates, includ- ing those for violent crime, have consistently dropped over the past 20 years, and crime rates in Pennsylvania have remained consistently lower than the rest of the nation. “This is excellent news for Pennsylvania,” said Wetzel. “In addition to this positive news on crime trends, it comes while the state prison population is shrinking at a record rate. During this time, the (state) Supreme Court struck down certain manda- tory minimum sentencing laws – evidence that the absence of mandatory minimums does not lead to an increase in crime.” “I asked my staff to put this infographic report to- gether so we could easily tell the story of crime rates and the prison population in Pennsylvania over the past 20 years according to the data and facts. I was amazed to learn from this report that crime dropped by 45 percent during those two decades.” Crime also dropped for a variety of specific crime types, including violent crime and prop- erty crime. Murder and rape are two exceptions with increases in recent years in Pennsylvania, al- though both in large part mirror national trends. It is important to note is that in the case of rape, it also reflects a change in the FBI definition for reporting. “The historic decline in crime rates demonstrates that common-sense criminal justice reforms work and reinforces the evidence for expanding reforms while ensuring the safety of all citizens,” said Wetzel. DARBY Two returning police officers — Derrick Ray- mond and Christopher Izzi — were re-hired and two outgoing Council members were recognized for their work last week during Darby Borough’s monthly meeting. The officers, who began their careers in the borough, went to the Philadelphia and Drexel University police departments, but AT 777 CASINO DRIVE, PITTSBURGH PA 15212 RIVERSCASINO.COM BOOK YOUR EVENT TODAY! (412) 566–4486 VENUE OF ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES continued on page 28 continued on page 28 John WetzelNext >