< PreviousTALK ACROSS PA 8 | TALK MAGAZINE • WINTER 2021 COATESVILLE James Logan, City of Coatesville Manager, recently stated that the City has been very present in local news sources lately and that these positive articles have truly supported Coatesville in driving forward. Additionally, the City Manager is also high- lighting the importance of diversity, inclusion and transparency as the City moves the commu- nity forward, after a year where the Black Lives movement has brought forward concerns in our society. He stated that these issues affect the way organizations operate and are issues are at our front door. Logan expressed that local residents want to know what the City is doing to address these issues, which speaks to the change needed in the way people do business and the way communi- ties are governed. One of the projects Coatesville has arranged is to begin looking at these issues very intently and partner with others to develop programs that will help the community grow together. “I encourage all municipal leaders to open the doors and invite residents in to see what you’re doing. When we become more transparent, we cer- tainly will move in a good direction,” said Logan. HARRISBURG The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus this week installed officers to serve in the 2021- 22 legislative session, announced Chairwoman Donna Bullock, D-Phila. “We came together to install our officers and acknowledge the importance of our voices in Har- risburg and across the commonwealth in what has turned into a very concerning time for Pennsylvania and this country,” Bullock said. “The events of Wednesday in Washington and Tuesday in our own Senate chamber in Pennsylvania further highlighted the need for our leadership at a time like this in our history.” The following members were installed as officers: • Chairwoman Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Phila. • Vice Chairwoman Rep. Summer Lee, D-Allegheny • Secretary Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York • Treasurer Rep. Manny Guzman, D-Berks • Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Carolyn Nichols administered the oath to each officer. In addition to officers, the following members were appointed by Bullock to lead subcommittees: • Subcommittee on Health Equity and Justice – Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila. • Subcommittee on Education – Rep. Regina Young, D-Phila./Delaware • Subcommittee on Budget Equity – Rep. Napoleon Nelson, D-Montgomery • Subcommittee on Women and Girls of Color – Rep. Darisha Parker, D-Phila. • Subcommittee on Gun Violence and Public Safety – Rep. Amen Brown, D-Phila. Founded in 1973 by then-Majority Leader K. Leroy Irvis, the caucus was formed to serve as an information and advocacy vehicle to advance the interests of African American, Latino and other people of color in the commonwealth. Irvis, who eventually went on to be the first Black Speaker of the House, saw the need for the caucus be- cause he felt that legislators representing minority districts needed to speak with a united voice regarding the issues and concerns of their constituents. Many of the original members of the first cau- cus were afraid to meet in an open forum. They met in secret for the first few meetings and were successful in establishing an agenda most of the members favored. Speaking at the installation were members of leadership in the Pennsylvania General Assembly including House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton, also a member of the caucus; state Sens. Vince Hughes, Senate Appropriations Committee Democratic chairman, and Anthony Williams, Senate Democratic Whip, both former caucus members; and U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, Phila., also a former member of the PLBC and a current member of the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington. PHILADELPHIA The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) announced that tickets to the 2021 Philadel- phia Flower Show, June 5 – 13, are available for purchase at: www.PHSonline.org. Attendees are asked to select their preferred date and session at the time of purchase. To allow for social distance protocols, a limited number of tickets will be available for each day and time segment. Early purchase is highly recommended. The Philadelphia Flower Show, typically held each March at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, will be held outdoors for the first time in its history this summer at the historic Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park (FDR Park) in South Philadelphia. Given the pandemic, the move will allow PHS to present the show safely, at the height of the gardening season and with the added health benefits of the outdoors. The park features inspiring natural beauty and an expansive setting that also provides show designers with an exciting new layout for creative expression and horticultural displays. Visitors will experience the show through three distinct “Districts” that feature all manner of Plants, Design, and Gardening created for all skill levels. The Flower Show “footprint” will span 15 acres of FDR Park’s 348 acres parallel to Pattison Ave- nue allowing the vast majority of FDR Park and its amenities to remain accessible to the public during the Flower Show dates. PHS is working closely with local community leaders and Phila- delphia Parks and Recreation on show planning. “We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the outdoors and offer joy and beauty after a year that has been marked by so many challenges,” Sam Lemheney, PHS chief of shows and events, said. “This experience is a wonderful example of the en- during and combined power of green space, plants, and gardeners to create impact and inspiration.” FDR Park, a registered historical district, was built to the design of Olmsted Brothers, the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and John Charles Olmsted, in the early 20th century. With walkable pathways, majestic trees and breathtak- ing views, FDR Park is an inspiring venue that contributes to the splendor that the Flower Show is known for. HERSHEY by Valeria De Leon A teacher went above and beyond to help his students. Matthew Pierce, a teacher at Milton Hershey School, knew right away what he wanted to do with his stimulus money when he got it. Pierce saw the need to support his students' families. He decided he was going to try and solve one day's worth of problems. Pierce said he used his stimulus money to buy several Uber Eats gift cards and provide families with a meal. "Whatever situation that they begin with is not Matthew Pierce James LoganTALK ACROSS PA WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 9 the situation that they have to end in, and along the way, you can do good things for other people," added Pierce. The Dauphin County teacher said it's import- ant to set a good example for kids. YORK by Kate Sweigart Judge Maria Musti Cook is now York County’s first female President Judge. She was sworn-in on Monday by outgoing President Judge Joseph Adams. Cook was also the first fe- male President for the York County Bar Association 25 years ago. After taking the oath, President Judge Cook thanked Judge Adams with an elbow bump–probably another “first” for York County courts since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cook was elected to her position in 2005, and earned her law degree from Dickinson School of Law in 1984. She will maintain the role of President Judge for York County for a five-year term until 2026. WESTERN PA by Paula Reed Ward State Sen. Jim Brewster knew the initial Jan. 5 swearing- in for members of his chamber could get dicey. He had been declared the winner of the 45th District race by the Pennsylvania secretary of State, and a legal ruling from the state Supreme Court concurred. But his Republican opponent, Nicole Ziccarelli, wasn’t done fighting. After losing in Pennsylva- nia’s highest appellate court, she filed a challenge in federal court in Pittsburgh. Ziccarelli argued 311 undated mail-in ballots — which gave Brewster a 69-vote lead in the district that includes portions of Westmoreland and Allegheny counties — should not have been counted by Allegheny County. Without them, she would be the winner. As the candidates awaited a ruling by U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan, Ziccarelli filed a petition in the Republican-controlled state Senate, asking that Brewster not be seated until the decision was handed down. There had been closed-door discussions among leadership leading up to what Brewster jokingly calls “Swearing-In One.” As the 25 senators were set to be sworn in by Superior Court Judge Jack Panella, tempers started to flare. One Republican senator made a motion that Brewster not be sworn in. When Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who was presiding over the body, objected, he was removed from his position by Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre. The episode was marked by shouting and anger. Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, paced back and forth, trying to figure out what his caucus should do. Brewster ap- proached him. “ ‘Let’s temper this. Slow it down,’ ” Costa said Brewster told him. “ ‘I don’t want to hold my colleagues up. I’m just going to leave.’ ” "‘I’m not going to exacerbate this anymore.’ ” Brewster and his wife of 50 years, Linda, who was there to hold his Bible, walked off the Senate floor, and 24 newly elected senators took the oath of office. “I have tremendous respect for how he handled things,” Costa said. “I think he’s dealt with it extremely well, with class and integrity.” Brewster, who was sworn in officially Wednesday, begins his third term rep- resenting 38 communities in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the Mon Valley, in eastern Allegheny and northern Westmoreland counties. Despite the frustration and disappointment of the past two months — and, really, the whole of 2020 — the 72-year-old is eager to continue working in the seat he’s held for 10 years. “You want to last in a stressful job like this?” Brewster said in an interview Friday. “You have to be mentally tough, physically tough and intellectually tough. “It’s not about anger. It’s about doing the right thing.” State Sen. Jim Brewster Judge Maria Musti CookBUSINESS NEWS “My job is to try and go in and convince construction companies that I, a brown woman, can do the job as well, if not better than, another individual in the industry,” said Brown, 50. “It is always an uphill battle.” Still, before last spring, Brown won more battles than she lost: building a company she started with her sister in the mid-2000s into an organization with five part-time employees and roughly $200,000 in annual revenue. The pandemic reversed that momentum. When the commonwealth paused construction projects in March, Brown’s work dried up. A construction company manager who regularly passed leads on to Brown lost his job. For weeks, her company had nothing under contract and no prospects. “It got stressful, and scary,” Brown said. COVID-19 hit business owners of color particularly hard. In Philadelphia, for example, in the first few months of the pandemic, the number of Black-owned businesses decreased at a rate one and a half times faster than the number of white-owned businesses. But Personal Touch is not part of any of those grim tallies. The business survived and is now thriving thanks to training and contracts provided by the Disinfect-US coalition, a new partnership between Philadelphia-area social impact investors and The Enterprise Center, a West Philly nonprofit that primarily serves business owners of color. Its goal is to use training, financial aid, and networking to help cleaning company owners of color across the state weather the pandemic and compete for contracts from government agencies and other large anchor institutions — contracts that historically have gone largely to white-owned companies. Members of the Personal Touch crew undergo a training at the Workplace Hub in Harrisburg, PA (courtesy of Shariah Brown) "Level Up" by Miles Bryan Shariah Brown is used to skeptical looks when she shows up to bid on construction clean-up projects for her Harrisburg-based cleaning company, Personal Touch Cleaning Service. She’s often the only woman and only person of color at the table. Business owners of color don’t often get those types of contract with so-called “anchor institutions.” The nonprofit Philadelphia-based economic advocacy group The Econ- omy League analyzed the 2019 spending of seven anchor institutions in the city — including The University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Independence Blue Cross Health Insurance, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Those institutions spent $2 billion on services contract- ed out such as catering, construction, and janitorial services. About 11% of that spending went to businesses owned by people of color. After A Personal Touch joined the coalition in August, The Enterprise Center helped it obtain a part of a large contract issued by the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania to clean dozens of government offices, museums, and other state buildings in Harrisburg. The contract has doubled the businesses’ pre-pandemic revenue, Brown said. She now has ten-full time employees, and has invested in new equipment and a human resources system. The influx of cash has not only kept her afloat, Brown said — it will make her more competitive for big contracts in the future. “It’s a game-changer,” she said. “It’s a level-up.” Making in-roads with ‘anchor institutions’ Soon after the pandemic began, Blessy Thomas saw an opportunity. Thomas, who works with businesses affected by COVID-19 at the En- terprise Center, realized that the coronavirus was creating a new market for cleaning and disinfecting services. “We have a base of commercial cleaning businesses,” Thomas said. “And we knew that — given the right investment tools and support — they can really optimize this time and have the potential for success.” The biggest challenge? Access to capital. Before the pandemic, Black and Latino business owners across the country were more than 1.5 times likely as white owners to have appli- cations for business financing rejected, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. It also found about 30% of Black and Latino business owners relied on personal funds or credit to pay for busi- ness expenses, compared to only 16% of white owners. The Disinfect-US coalition is aiming to close that gap by providing low- or no-interest loans of $55,000 on average, as well as grants, to cleaning business owners of color. It has raised $500,000 since getting off the ground over the summer and provided assistance to seven businesses so far. The coalition is hoping to raise another half million dollars by the end of February, with a goal of doubling the number of businesses it assists within the next few months. Companies involved have to commit to raising the hourly salary of their employees to at least $15 an hour. In return, in addition to the financial support, they get training on pandemic cleaning strategies, and, crucially, help obtaining cleaning contracts with large institutions like universities or government. 10 | TALK MAGAZINE • WINTER 2021BUSINESS NEWS After opening a retail store near the end of last year, Tal & Bert is taking another big step in 2021 by adding new headquarters. The creators behind the sparkling line of con- crete and geode vessels, Val and Ray Talbert — who mine the raw natural stones featured in the vessels themselves — opened lifestyle shop Tal & Bert Mercantile in Dormont in November. Last week, they announced they would be leaving their Mt. Lebanon studio — which is separate from the retail store — and open- ing new headquarters in Sharpsburg. In an announcement on Instagram, the couple noted they had outgrown the Mt. Lebanon studio. “This space finally allows our production team, product design team and fulfillment team to be under one roof and space for each department to expand and hire,” the couple wrote. Although the flagship store will remain in Dormont, the new location on Sharpsburg’s Main Street will feature a second Tal & Bert storefront. Besides housewares from Tal & Bert, the minimalist-chic retail space in Dormont carries hand-selected products by a variety of makers and small businesses from across the country. As Black business owners, the Talberts noted they are committed to stocking more than half of the store with goods by Black- and minority-owned businesses. “I feel there are a lot of awesome makers that don’t have the spotlight compared to these larger brands,” Val Talbert told Pittsburgh Magazine before the Dormont location’s opening last year. “We wanted to make a store that shows how awesome these small brands are and to showcase them.” While the couple is excited to open the new location, a lot of construction needs to be com- pleted first. “While we got this space for a great price, it does require A LOT of renovations, about $50,000 to $60,000 worth for just the basics — new floors, walls, building rooms, fixing lights, creating use- able loading dock and more,” the couple wrote. The Talberts say they hope to be settled in the new space by April, with a grand opening taking place near the end of June. “So stay tuned for the transformation of this space,” they said. TAL & BERT by Jessica Sinichak WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 11LATINO NEWS by John Laidler At a time when the nation is grappling with the issue of racial injustice, newly released data is highlighting the deep inequities faced by Black and Latino residents in the region west of Bos- ton. In an online report issued this month, Foundation for MetroWest presents statistics underscoring the racial and ethnic disparities in areas ranging from infant mortality and adult education levels to poverty and incarceration. Among the findings are that in 2014-2018, 27 percent of Latino children under the age of 18 and 21 percent of Black children lived in poverty, compared with 7 percent of white children and 8 percent of Asian children. Fifty percent of white residents and 65 percent of Asian residents age 25 and older had a bache- lor’s degree or higher, compared with 33 percent of Black residents and 27 percent of Latino residents in that age category. In 2015, 38 of every 10,000 Latino residents were incarcerated, compared to 32 among Black residents, 10 for white residents, and 4 for Asian residents. “The perception is that the MetroWest is a family-oriented place, a place with access to quality education, with opportunities for well-paying ca- reers, and a good quality of life,” said Jay Kim, the foundation’s executive director. “Yet the data tells us we are not immune from the complex challenges of racial disparities that exist in America.” The data serves as an update to Impact MetroWest, a report issued a year ago by the foundation that features thousands of data points about the region in areas from demographics and the economy to education and cultural life, illustrating its strengths as well as challenges. The foundation plans a full update to Impact MetroWest in January 2022. “When incidents of racial violence and police brutality became huge focal points of conversation across the country this past summer,” Kim said, the foundation joined others in wanting to learn more about “why the country was struggling so much with racial injustice.” He said that prompt- ed the group to compile data focusing on that issue in the region. Norman Bristol Colón and David Brinton on Smart Talk by Anthony Orozco Norman Bristol Colon, with the state’s 2020 Census Complete Count commission, says the ethnic group can no longer be ignored. “We have a new emerging one million strong Latino community that we cannot forget, especially when we are drafting, political, educational, economic agenda in the commonwealth,” he said. But census participation lagged in urban areas, notably where many Latinos and immigrants live. Cities like Reading, York, Allentown, and Lebanon had self-completion rates under 70 percent. The pandemic, economic insecurity and long-standing mistrust of the government made many Latinos — especially immigrants — hesitant to fill out their census. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to rule on the Trump Administration’s effort to exclude undocumented immigrants, which could ultimately affect congressional apportionment. The Trump Administration doesn’t even know how many undocumented immigrants it wants to exclude or where they live. Texas, Florida, and California each could potentially lose one congressional seat, according to the Pew Research Center. Pennsylvania is expected to lose a seat, but due to this effort. This year’s effort to count Latinos was paired with the push to have them participate in the democratic process. Colon is also the founder of the PA Latino Convention. The event was held mostly virtually this year in Reading and focused on the importance of voting. Jose Rosado, the state’s first Latino mayor and founder of the Latino-focused political action group Alianza, joined others in pushing for engagement. “Latino voters are loaded with the untapped potential to influence — even determine — local, state and federal elections,” Rosado said at the event held days before the presidential election. An analysis of voter turnout by UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Initiative showed Black and Latino voters were integral to Joe Biden’s victories in Philadelphia and Lehigh counties, which helped him win the state and the presidency. Latino candidates vied for state legislator seats in each of three counties in the Route 222 Corridor. Democrat and Lancaster City Councilwoman Janet Diaz aimed to boot incumbent and Republican State Sen. Scott Martin out of office. In Allentown, Enid Santiago had a close and controversial primary and then a write-in campaign against incumbent State Rep. Peter Schweyer. And in Reading, Democrat State Representative-elect Manuel Guzman Jr. ran against Republican Vincent Gagliardo Jr. Guzman Jr. of Reading made history in the Route 222 corridor, becoming the first ever Latino from Berks to win a contest for state legislator. Berks stands out from other counties with similar demographics such as Lehigh and Lancaster — mostly Caucasian areas with largely Latino or even Latino-majority urban hubs. Two Latinas fill seats in Reading City Council, Mayor Eddie Moran is the city’s first ever Latino mayor, and Michael Rivera is the county’s first-ever Latino commissioner. But Guzman said Latino voters want more than just someone with a Spanish name. “I think we’re past the point where just base representation is enough. I think people in general are looking for more from their politicians, from the legislators, from their influencers,” Guzman said. Latinos overwhelmingly supported Biden, and Pennsylvania put him over the top in the electoral college. President Donald Trump also made some inroads with Latinos, though he received only a sliver of support from the electorate. For Pennsylvania Latinos, more than anything 2020 was about visibility. In a year of simultaneous crises, a turbulent census effort and a historic presidential election, Pennsylvania’s nearly one million Latinos did not go unnoticed. Black and Latino residents face deep inequities 12 | TALK MAGAZINE • WINTER 2021 Latinos Increase Across Pennsylvania Visibility and InfluenceLATINO NEWS WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 13 SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL TOOLS Using social media to your maximum advantage is a cost-effective way to market your business, strengthen customer relationships, and sell through new channels. Social media is an indispensable tool to help level the playing field and grow your business during good and challenging times. • Facebook offers a Latino speakers’ series, free online training, and tools for Hispanic entrepreneurs using its services to market their business. • Google offers digital coaches, online workshops, training, and videos to help Latino business owners maximize the use of their tools. • HootSuite offers free online training in Spanish on the use of its platform, and the deployment of social media for small business, in general. BUSINESS ACCELERATORS Start-up accelerators can help early-stage entrepreneurs find training, mentorship, resources, and potential funding for their new ventures. Some are focused exclusively on Latino-owned start-ups, and can be found in metro areas throughout the United States, including: • EmprendeLatino, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. • The Rutgers Black and Latino Tech Initiative, based in New Jersey. • The Latino NonProfit Accelerator, with national reach. • The Manos Accelerator, focused on tech start-ups in Silicon Valley. NETWORKING & BUSINESS SUPPORT GROUPS The Latino small business community enjoys support at the local and national level from a variety of organizations that help Hispanic business owners find the resources they need to succeed. A good starting point: Most major cities have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce that can help you access local support, and some heavily Latino- populated cities, such as Miami, have many other networking groups. At the national level, there are several others: • The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce promotes the interests and development of 4.37 million Latino-owned businesses in the United States through a variety of programs. • The Latino Business Action Network promotes entrepreneurship. • The Latino Economic Development Center helps promote the interests of Latino small business owners in the Mid-Atlantic region. FUNDING The Small Business Administration’s Minority and Woman-Owned Business program can help Latino entrepreneurs locate appropriate funding for their businesses, including Covid-19 relief. Similarly, many banks offer funding programs for minority entrepreneurs, and there are multiple other funding sources worth exploring for businesses at every stage of development. If you’re a Latino entrepreneur or small business owner, know that you’re not alone, and that there are tools, funding, and mentorship available to help you succeed through this crisis. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some essential tools that can help Latino small business owners rebuild and thrive. The Covid-19 crisis has hit Latino small businesses particularly hard, including not being able to access PPP funding at a similar rate to other business owners. And many individual proprietors or small, family-owned businesses may feel the impact of Covid more directly, as the pandemic has disproportionately impacted the Latino community. by Janet Alvarez, CNBC + Acorns hard by Covid-19 have been hit Latino businesses WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 1314 | TALK MAGAZINE • WINTER 2021 HARRISBURG Homer C. Floyd (Former) Executive Director Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Homer C. Floyd was Execu- tive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, a position he held from February 1970—January 2011. Before com- ing to Harrisburg, Mr. Floyd held positions in agencies at the local, state, and federal levels in Kansas, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C. and has amassed an impressive record of accomplishments in civil rights. He has provided leadership and direction in many precedent setting cases which resulted in removal of barriers that limited opportunities for minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and many other protected class members. Over the years, thousands have bene- fited from his work. From 1966—1970, Mr. Floyd was Executive Director of the Kansas Commission on Civil Rights and a consultant to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, serving North and South, Nebraska, and Kansas. He also served as consultant to the Government of the Virgin Islands. Mr. Floyd’s career in human rights began as a Recreation Department Supervisor in Kansas City, Missouri. Joining the Kansas Commission in 1961, he left in 1964 to become Executive Director of the Topeka Human Relations Commission. From there, Mr. Floyd went to Washington, D. C. to assist in the preparation of rules, regulations, procedures and training programs for the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 1965, he became Executive Director of the Omaha Human Relations Board. Additionally, he was a professional football player with the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League. Mr. Floyd has served and continues to serve on many Boards and Com- missions, sorry we can’t list them all. Here are several, including Treasurer and Member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies, member of the PA Housing Advisory Committee, U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Standing Committee, past Chair of the Central PA Advisory Board to the United Negro College Fund, past President of the Boys’ Club of Harrisburg, former member of the Board of Directors of the Tri-County United Way, Board of Directors of the Harrisburg Area YMCA, a life member and former Polemarch of the Harrisburg Alumni Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, life member of the NAACP. Mr. Floyd holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kansas. Homer was married to the late Mattie M. Longshore and has three children and three grandchildren. PITTSBURGH Randall Taylor Randall Taylor is a long standing activist and former member of the Pittsburgh Board of Educa- tion where he served more than a decade. He spent years creating and directing programming for youth before his election to the Board and after and remains an outspoken advocate for educational equity and excellence. In 2015 things took a dramatic turn in the activist career of Randall Taylor as he fell victim to a mass hous- ing eviction in the neighborhood that he up grew in. The Penn Plaza apartments were a 50-year-old 315 apartment complex in the heart of the east end of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh had long seen mass displacements in East Liberty, but this time would be different. The move to evict over 400 people in a 90-day period outraged an entire city. Randall would become a core organizer and very visible leader in the fight not only for the residents of Penn Plaza, but against gentrification and displacement and for affordable housing in Pittsburgh. Mr. Taylor, in 2017, helped found the housing justice organization Penn Plaza Support and Action Coalition (PPSA). PPSA was founded to support displaced residents in moving and securing new housing. This organization helped dozens of residents to navigate the challenges of a sudden displace- ment. PPSA also was able to secure a preference for former residents of Penn Plaza Apartments in any new housing built in their former neighbor- hood. Currently, 37 families are moving back into new housing in their old neighborhood. It also has secured financial assistance, from the Heinz Foundation of Pittsburgh, for their first month rent, security deposit, and moving expenses. The Penn Plaza Support and Action Coalition secured funding to explore affordable housing solutions for the City of Pittsburgh. Mr. Taylor as a core organizer of PPSA is currently working to bring Tenant-owned cooperative housing back to the City of Pittsburgh. He believes that this is a viable model for low wage workers to gain ownership of their home, yet stay affordable. Randall Taylor and PPSA continue to offer visionary leadership. Their goal is to preserve the unique character of our Pittsburgh neighbor- hoods, stop displacement of longtime residents due to rising housing costs, and to work to bring people back to the communities they love. Randall Taylor believes that housing is a human right. BLACK HISTORY MAKERS 2021 PENNSYLVANIA 14 | TALK MAGAZINE • WINTER 2021WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 15 PHILADELPHIA Lisa Rhodes Lisa is the Chair of the PA Democratic State Committee Black Caucus and the former State Party Treasurer. She was the first African American to sit on the Executive Committee of the PADems. Lisa initially participated with the PA Democratic Party to ensure African American representation in the electoral process. She has been rec- ognized for successfully establishing local chapters of the Black Caucus in 8 counties throughout the Common- wealth, as well as advocating for the representation and support of qualified African Americans running for statewide positions. She introduced the first Resolution to increase the number of African Americans in Elective Office in Pennsylvania that was accepted and passed in June 2019. She has orga- nized workshops, lectures, and introduced the first DEMinar on Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, which has become part of a workshop series in the Democratic Party of which she coauthored. Lisa believes in equity and parity for all. Her motto, "If an invitation isn't extended to you, then take your own chair and have a seat at the table". This has been her driving force behind what has become a part of her life's work. ‘When we work toward cultural awareness and appreciation for diversity, inclusion becomes simple as it negates the fear that ignorance and intoler- ance breeds.’ First as a Software Engineer for a Fortune 100 corporation, then as a consulting contractor for the Federal government, Lisa learned first-hand the importance of cultural diversity. As a young, black female in a predom- inately white, male industry, she was often mistaken as the "new secretary" upon her arrival on a job site rather than the Engineering Project Manager or consultant. Often considered a trailblazer in her own right, one of her goals was to ensure that any female and or successor of color would not suffer the indignities she suffered simply based on race and/or gender. Lisa has been recognized for two consecutive years as one of the most influential African Americans in Pennsylvania as well as one of the 100 most Influential African American Women in Pennsylvania for her work in Community Service and Politics. Lisa is a native of Philadelphia, and a proud graduate of Cheyney Uni- versity, the nation’s first Historically Black College and University where she received her Degree in Computer and Information Science. She matric- ulated to Johns Hopkins University where she co-authored two technical publications. Lisa is currently completing her doctoral studies at Fielding University in the area of Leadership for Change. PITTSBURGH Jesse J. McLean, Jr. Mr. Jesse J. McLean, Jr. is a human services professional with over 30 years of experience in Pitts- burgh’s nonprofit sector. Mr. Mc- Lean serves as Executive Director of Western Pennsylvania for Pressley Ridge, where he is responsible for overseeing the fiscal, operational, and clinical integrity of programs throughout Western PA and will help to support the advancement of the organization's mission and strategic positioning. Prior to joining Pressley Ridge, Mr. McLean served nearly 5 years as Executive Director of Every Child, Inc. In this role, he created a national presence for Every Child, Inc. with being awarded the "Organization of the Year" in 2012 by the National Alliance for Children and Families, now known as The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. Mr. McLean currently serves as Chairperson of the Advisory Committee for Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Council (GPNP), is a member of the “Bar- bershop “roundtable discussion on issues of race for the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, Advisory Board of Strong Women Strong Girls, Tickets for Kids, Chairperson of Trustee board of New Hope Church, and President of the African American Alumni Society at California University of Pennsylvania. Over the years, Mr. McLean has had many honors, including the William H. Moore Award for Excellence in Education for his development of the V.U.L.C.A.N. program to prepare middle school students for college. He has also received the YWCA Racial Justice Award and Pittsburgh Circle of Courage Award and has been named one of the New Pittsburgh Couri- er’s “50 Men of Influence.” Jesse was presented with both the Distinguished Service Award and the Jennie A. Carter Award from by his alma mater, California University of Pennsylvania. Mr. McLean received both his Bachelor of Arts Degree and his Master of Arts Degree from California University of Pennsylvania. WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 15HEALTH NEWS DOING THE CORONAVIRUS MATH About 70% of people in the U.S. need to take the vaccine for the population to reach herd immunity. Whites make up about 60% of the U.S. population. So, if every white person got the vaccine, the U.S. would still fall short of herd immunity. A recent study suggested that 68% of white people would be willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. If these estimates hold up, that would get us to 42%. African Americans make up more than 13% of the American population. But if up to 60% of African Americans refuse to take the vaccine, as a recent study suggests, it will be difficult to reach that 70% threshold likely needed to reach herd immunity. Latinos make up just over 18% percent of the population. A study suggests that 32% percent of Latinos could reject a COVID vaccine. Add the 40% to 50% rejection rates among other population subgroups and herd immunity becomes mathematically impossible. Further exacerbating the problem is that mass vaccination alone won’t achieve herd immunity, as the effect of COVID vaccines on preventing virus transmission remains unclear. Ongoing preventive measures will likely still be needed to stop community spread. As the resistance to facts and science continues to grow, the need for credible information dissemination and trust-building related to vaccines becomes more important. My research offers some possible explanations for lower vaccination rates among Blacks. Historical wrongs, like the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments, which ended in 1972, have played a major role in contributing to Black mistrust of the health care system. In another case, the “immortal” cells of Henrietta Lacks were shared without her consent and have been used in medical research for more than 70 years. The most recent application includes COVID vaccine research, yet her family has received no financial benefit. A study led by Dr. Giselle Corbie-Smith at the University of North Carolina identified distrust of the medical community as a prominent barrier to African American participation in clinical research. Another of Corbie-Smith’s peer-reviewed studies found that distrust in medical research is significantly higher among African Americans than whites. African Americans also disproportionately experience unequal treatment in the modern-day health care system. These experiences of bias and discrimination fuel the problem of vaccine hesitancy and mistrust. Lower prioritization for hospital admissions and lifesaving care for COVID-19- related illness among African Americans was reported in Massachusetts in April 2020. Massachusetts subsequently changed its guidelines, yet across the U.S. there is a lack of data and transparent reporting on this phenomenon. The current messaging of vaccine importance may seem tone-deaf to those in a community who wonder why their health is so important now, at the vaccine stage. Black health didn’t appear to be a priority during the pandemic’s first wave, when race disparities in COVID emerged. QUESTIONING THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS Perhaps even Operation Warp Speed has had the unintended consequence of decreasing vaccine acceptance in the African American community. Some ask why wasn’t such speed applied to vaccine development for HIV, which still has no FDA-approved vaccine? As of 2018, AIDS-related illness has killed an estimated 35 million people globally. It continues to disproportionately affect people of color and other socially vulnerable populations. If African Americans were honored and acknowledged in these COVID vaccine conversations and told “we need you” instead of “you need us,” perhaps more Blacks would trust the vaccine. I encourage our nation’s leaders to consider a radical shift in their approach. They must do more than pointing to the few Black scientists involved in COVID vaccine development or making a spectacle of prominent African Americans receiving the vaccine. These acts alone will likely be insufficient to garner the trust needed to increase vaccine acceptance. Instead, I believe our leaders should adopt the core values of equity and reconciliation. I’d argue that truth-telling will need to be at the forefront of this new narrative. There are also multiple leverage points along the supply and distribution chains, as well as in vaccine administration, that could increase diversity, equity and inclusion. I’d recommend giving minority- and women- owned businesses fair, mandated access to contracts to get the vaccine to communities. This includes procurement and purchasing contracts for freezers needed to store the vaccine. Minority health care workers should be equitably called back to work to support vaccine administration. These issues, not publicly discussed, could be transformative for building trust and increasing vaccine acceptance. Without a radical shift in the conversation of true COVID equity, African Americans and many others who could benefit from the vaccine will instead get sick. Some will die. The rest will remain marginalized by a system and a society that hasn’t equally valued, protected, or prioritized their lives. I believe it’s time to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. WHY AFRICAN AMERICANS NEED TO TAKE COVID-19 VACCINE The concept of herd immunity, also referred to as community immunity, is fairly simple. When a significant proportion of the population, or the herd, becomes immune from the virus, the entire population will have some acceptable degree of protection. Immunity can occur through natural immunity from personal infection and recovery, or through vaccination. Once a population reaches herd immunity, the likelihood of person-to-person spread becomes very low. The big lie is one of omission. Yes, it is true that African Americans will benefit from the COVID vaccine, but the full truth is that the country needs African Americans and other population subgroups with lower reported COVID-19 vaccine acceptability rates to take the vaccine. Without increased vaccine acceptability, we stand little to no chance of communitywide protection. I am an epidemiologist and health equity scholar who has been conducting research in the African American community for 20 years. Much of my work focuses on strategies to increase community engagement in research. I see a significant opportunity to improve COVID vaccine acceptance in the African American community. Dr. Anthony Fauci and other national health leaders have said that African Americans need to take the COVID-19 vaccine to protect their health. What Fauci and others have not stated is that if African Americans don’t take the vaccine, the nation as whole will never get to herd immunity. Dr. Debra Furr-Holden, Associate Dean for Public Helath Integration, Michigan State University 16 | TALK MAGAZINE • WINTER 2021HEALTH NEWS WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 17 You may have concerns about the safety of the vaccine. Due to the per- ceived rapid development of the vaccine, reports of severe allergic reactions and some mistrust of the government, concerns exist and misinformation amplify the concerns. There is especially mistrust in the African-American community due to the horrific 40 year Tuskegee Experiment that left black men untreated for syphilis until as late as 1972, just to see what would happen. All of these concerns are understandable but must be considered in the context of today and current science and facts. Two COVID-19 vaccines have been approved by the FDA, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. They are both what are called mRNA based vac- cines. This is a new approach to making vaccines that uses messenger RNA, genetic material that our cells read to make proteins. Instead of using weak- ened virus material to stimulate the immune system to create antibodies, this new approach uses mRNA to cause the body to produce proteins that stimulates the immune system. The mRNA is then automatically eliminated from the body. So this is seen as a safe way to stimulate the immune system. Although it appears like this approach was developed very quickly, scientists have been working on it for over 17 years. The COVID-19 pandemic offered the first opportunity to put the research into action. What we have learned will likely improve how we develop vaccines going forward and enable us to create vaccines for more conditions. The FDA emergency use authorization means that expert scientists agree that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks to most Americans. This board of scientists are experts in their field and have knowledge of the sci- ence behind the vaccine and the risks and benefits. This board also ensures that there is transparency and accountability for FDA approved treatments. In addition, an African American scientist, Kizzmekia Corbett, Ph.D., was at the forefront of developing the Moderna vaccine—which was reported to have 94 to 95% efficacy against clinical disease and almost 100% efficacy against serious disease. Before the vaccine could be approved, it was tested on thousands of volunteers. These volunteers included 10% African Ameri- cans, consistent with the African American share of the U.S. population. Some may recall that there was an African American nurse, Eunice Rivers Laurie, who facilitated and recruited participants for the Tuskegee experi- ment. Although we don't know the exact circumstances and how much she knew or didn't know, we can safely assume that she had little power and control over the experiment itself. Since the unethical Tuskegee experi- ment was exposed, new laws and ethic boards were established that require transparency and accountability for any human based experiments. As it relates to the COVID-19 vaccines, the association of black doctors, the Dr. Charles DeShazer, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Highmark Health Plan WILL YOU GET THE COVID-19 VACCINE? continued on page 28 Will you and your family get the COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you? That is a very important and potentially life-altering health decision in the midst of a global pandemic. Next >