SUMMER 2023 INSIDE TALK WHO'S RUNNING FOR OFFICE? PG 21 BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH PG 14 FAIR AND FREE PG 18 PERSON of THE YEAR Kerry KirklandMother Bethel A.M.E. Church Pittsburgh – 1957 Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church Pittsburgh - 2023 Host Church: Bethel A.M.E. Church, Pittsburgh, PA September 7-9, 2023 Theme: "We Are Better Together" Bishop Errenous E. McCloud, Jr. 127 th Bishop A.M.E. Church Mrs. Patricia Russell McCloud, Esq., Episcopal Supervisor Rev. Thomas H. Fant, Administrative Assistant to the Bishop/Co-Host Presiding Elder Rev. Dr. James H. Harris, Host Presiding Elder Rev. Alton Dillard, Co-Host Presiding Elder Rev. Dr. Dale B. Snyder, Sr., Host Pastor September 7, 2023, Keynote Speaker, The Honorable Edward C. Gainey, Mayor, City of Pittsburgh – 7:00 pm INSIDE TALK The LJS Group / Talk Magazine / TMAG Luther J. Sewell, Jr. / Publisher Roxanne N. Sewell / President & Editor theLULAdesigns / Graphic Design & Layout Fiordaliza White / Contributing Writer Jamaal Craig / Black History Celebration Photographer PO Box 143 Monroeville, PA 15146-0143 (P) 412.823.4007 info@talkmagazineonline.com www.talkmagazineonline.com 4 College News 6 Talk Across PA 8 Business News 10 Latino News 12 Network Convention Empowerment 2.0 pg 16 Person of the Year pg 20 SUMMER 2023 PA Black Executives pg 22 PUBLISHER’S NOTES I have been the Founder and Publisher for the last 61 years and it has been a long, happy ride and a rewarding one. However, this is next to the last issue of Talk Magazine that I will be managing. I have been the Founder and Publisher of Talk Magazine for the last 61 years. It has been a long, happy ride and a rewarding one. This is next to the last issue of Talk Magazine. Brown and Black administrators are growing across the country, as we show in our salute to Black and Brown senior executives across Pennsylvania. When I started in business in 1962, they called Black businesspeople, Hustlers, not legitimate business owners. Initially, I started with a small loan from PNC Bank, known then as Pittsburgh National Bank, and the generous investment from the Black Taverns Owners Association. Demonstrating Black Businesses often started with our kinship and cooperative spirit helping to advance our own people, which started a 61- year lifetime adventure. The Third Episcopal District, African Methodist Episcopal Church will hold the 156th Session of the Pittsburgh-West Virginia Annual Conference at Bethel A.M.E. Church, Pittsburgh on September 6 – 9, 2023. We would like to salute, Rev. Dr. Dale B. Snyder, Pastor of Bethel for his work to secure Reparations for the destruction of Mother Bethel in 1957. Over the last twenty years, Roxanne Sewell, my devoted wife, and business partner, has positioned Talk Magazine on a different level of excellence. Thanks to our collaboration, we have grown across Pennsylvania in Editorial Content and recognition in what Black business can achieve. Talk Magazine, Luther and Roxanne, Thank You for 61 years of support and faith in our work, and we believe under new management, we will have 61 more years. Marketing Me For: Employment/Career Change Workshop This workshop will cover many challenges in today’s job market from exploring many ways to market ourselves to assisting with searching out appropriate job training and/ educational opportunities. The LJS Group | www.ljsconsults.com | training@ljsconsults.com ATTEND THE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP TO LEARN: How to use marketing tools to strengthen your job searches. Identifying job training programs in my area. Exploring barriers to employment and education opportunities. Create a personalized marketing plan. Living with Covid information. September 15, 2023 at 1:00 PM Learn more at www.ljsconsults.com SEPTEMBER4 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2023 COLLEGE NEWS PITT By Michael T. Nietzel, Senior Contributor A group of medical students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has started an organization that provides free, comprehensive medical school application assistance to aspiring med students who cannot afford a professional application consulting service, which often can cost thousands of dollars in fees. The volunteer-driven organization, called Giving A Boost (GAB), was founded by Pitt med student Daniel Pan in 2019. Its mission is to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those who are underrepresented in medicine, first-generation-to-college and low-in- come individuals, and students with disabilities, by providing them a suite of free, individualized peer support as they go through the medical school application process. GAB offers several forms of assistance to the applicants it serves. It provides guidance and feedback on standard med school application components, such as personal statements, work and activities, and secondary essays. It conducts mock interviews - usually virtually - to prepare its mentees to perform well during personal interviews. And it hosts informational sessions to provide guidance on topics like meeting applica- tion timelines, update letters and letters of intent, and navigating reapplications. GAB charges no fees and receives no ongoing funding. Students learn about the service primarily through word of mouth, social media, notifications from other student organizations, or by accessing the GAB website. There is no formal screening of GAB mentees as to whether they represent an underserved group or come from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background. As Pan explained to me, “we operate on an honor system.” PITT, DUQUESNE KDKA News A divided Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies. The court's decision will force universities across the nation to reshape their admissions practices, especially at top schools that are more likely to consider the race of applicants. Leaders at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University issued statements after the ruling. The University of Pittsburgh's provost and senior vice chancellor, Ann E. Cudd, said in a statement that the school's mission hasn't changed despite the ruling. "The University of Pittsburgh's mission is to improve lives through education and knowledge," Cudd said. "We believe that all of our students can and should benefit from this mission and that diversity, in all its forms, enhances our individual and shared success and improves the educational experience. In the wake of today's ruling, these guiding principles remain unchanged, and we are evaluating our ad- mission practices to ensure that they continue to be inclusive, fair, and fully compliant with the law." Duquesne president Ken Gormley said the university is disappointed in the decision but respects it "as an essential part of our democratic system." GANNON By Brian Wilk Dr. Keith Taylor’s final day as Gannon Universi- ty’s president is on Friday, June 30. Gannon University’s seventh president announced in August that he would be stepping down. Taylor has been at Gannon for 18 years — six as provost and 12 as president. He said the university has changed dramatical- ly in the last 10 to 20 years and that the changes are driven by the needs of the students and the community. “We have tried to follow along on how society is changing. How is business changing? How are dif- ferent sectors of our society and economy moving?” Dr. Taylor said. Dr. Walter Iwanenko Jr. will succeed Dr. Keith Taylor as Gannon University’s president. LINCOLN By Justin Craft, KOMU NASA has awarded Lincoln University a grant to host summer camps each year for high school students from traditionally underrepresented and underserved communities. LU is one of seven historically Black colleges and universities to receive the grants, designed to help provide a path for students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathe- matics (STEM), according to a news release from the university. As part of NASA’s Minority University Research and Education project, LU’s $424,403 grant will support two intensive camps each summer for five years, according to the release. Each nine-day residential camp will provide hands-on experience in digital agriculture, data science and robotics for 12 students, along with activities and interaction with college professors, STEM professionals and entrepreneurs. This summer's camps will run June 24-July 2 and July 8-16. The camps will be led by Sougata Bardhan, an assistant professor of natural resources manage- ment at LU. SCRANTON Summer orientation sessions for students, parents and guardians of The University of Scranton’s class of 2027 began June 20 with a health serving C.A.K.E. – not the dessert – but rather an acro- nym for advice on the keys to student success at Scranton. Lauren Rivera, J.D., M.Ed., vice president for student life and dean of students at the Univer- sity, offered incoming students and their parents and guardians a “road map” to a successful transition to college and an enriching education at Scranton. In her presentation, she used imagi- native imagery and acronyms to help convey her important message. Dean Rivera told parents their importance in their college-aged children’s lives hasn’t changed, but their role is now transitioning. She used a tandem bicycle to illustrate this point. Prior to college, parents were in the driver’s seat. In col- lege, their children will now take over the posi- tion as driver, steering their way to a transforma- tive education. Parents are still on the bike, only in a different position. She encouraged parents to consider how they will adapt to their new role as they continue to support and encourage their child’s success. LAROCHE For the 12th consecutive year, La Roche Uni- Two-day summer orientation sessions for the more than 1,000 members of The University of Scranton’s class of 2027, and their parents and guardians, began on campus June 20.From left: student orientation team leaders Julie Ciccarino, Mia Familetti and Alex Shomali. Dr. Keith Taylor continued on page 24 continued on page 24 continued on page 24COLLEGE NEWS WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 5 versity earned College of Distinction recognition in multiple categories for its commitment to academic excellence and student success. LRU earned College of Distinction recogni- tion in the following categories: • 2023-24 College of Distinction • Pennsylvania College of Distinction • Catholic College of Distinction • Business • Education • Nursing • Career Development Interim President Howard Ishiyama, Ph.D., said, “La Roche University is proud to again receive Colleges of Distinction recognition. We remain dedicated to fostering a hands-on learning environ- ment rich with expert faculty and opportunities for students to flourish academically, personally and CHATHAM By Lici Beveridge Rhonda Phillips' career path took a last-min- ute detour this week, when she was named president of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She had planned to take early retirement sometime in the next year or so to return to the Santee community near Bassfield, where she grew up, and where she and her brother Greg Phillips opened the Beaver Creek Distillery in February. Instead, she was asked by a search firm to consider applying for the Chatham presidency and ended up landing the job. "It's just like a perfect fit for me," Phillips said. "They have a big 388-acre farm that they do like a lot of training for students and sustainable farming. They have a beautiful historic campus in Pittsburgh. It is a good fit for the university as well, accord- ing to the Board of Trustees. “Dr. Phillips was the unanimous choice of the Board of Trustees based in large part on her com- mitment to fostering inclusive and transformative learning environments and opportunities, which is a hallmark of the Chatham undergraduate expe- rience,” Board Chair David Hall said in a news release. Chatham University is known for its longtime mission of maintaining an environmentally sustainable campus and education program — a tribute in part to one of its former students, Rachel Carson, author of "Silent Spring." Phillips said she hopes in her new role she will be able to develop new partnerships between Chatham University and Mississippi, with its farming history and educational programs, in- cluding the University of Southern Mississippi's Marine Research Center. "I'm excited about it," she said. "We'll see where it takes us. It's a nice detour from what I thought I'd be focusing on." Phillips said her brother and his family will take on more of her responsibilities at the distill- ery for the time being, but she still plans to be back in Mississippi as often as she can. The search committee was interested in learning about the Phillpses' distillery and seeing how something like that might fit in with the university's farm and economic development and sustainable living models. "There will certainly be field trips to Mississippi — from my colleagues and students and others," Phillips said. "They're very excited about it." She hopes her new role will help benefit her home state as well. "It's really a way to help bring some positive attention to South Mississippi and do something to add value to our (agricultural) products," Phillips said of both the university and her home state. Phillips is the current dean of the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue University, which was named by College Transitions as one of the nation's Top 20 Honors Colleges. READING COMMUNITY COLLEGE A local foundation has made a significant investment in the effort to train new nurses. The Neag Foundation has donated $300,000 to Reading Area Community College to use for continued on page 24 Rhonda Phillips continued on page 24 continued on page 24TALK ACROSS PA 6 | TALK MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2023 CAMDEN By Patrick Mcdaid Husband. Father. Friend. Hero. Those are the words that come to mind when Khadijah Butler describes her father Craig. She was just a small child in 1999, when he was shot to death while visiting a friend in West Philadel- phia. To honor the elder Butler and carry on his legacy, Khadijah started the Craig D. Butler Scholarship Foundation, which aids young adults from Philadelphia who are from under-served populations. Each year, the foundation seeks out future high-school graduates to offer financial support as they pursue college opportunities. The scholarship has four qualifications for eligi- bility: Students must be residents of Philadelphia or attend a Philadelphia high school when they apply, must be African American descent, should have a scholastic average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and must be entering a two- or four-year college/university as a full-time freshman in the fall of the year they earn the award. “(We) started the scholarship (three) years ago in my father’s name,” Khadijah said of Craig Butler, who was murdered by a 14-year-old in 1999. “We started the scholarship to help an African American high-school student living in Philly.” She also noted that she was inspired to write a book about her dad while being interviewed about the scholarship. “The person who interviewed me (about the schol- arship) was writing a book and said to me, ‘I think you should write a book,’” Khadijah recalled. “But I told him I’m not an author. If anything, I would do an e-book … “Long story short, it took a lot of handholding for me to start this (her book).” Next month, she will host a signing of that book, Laying The Foundation: Brick by Brick, at the Vision Castle venue. It will bring local authors together and raise money for the scholar- ship foundation. All proceeds will go back to the foundation. “When people ask me (about the scholarship), I try to be as transparent as possible in person and on the website …” Khadijah noted. “This does not go into my pocket. We offer two $1,000 awards for recipients, and the rest of the money we get goes to day-to-day costs of the foundation.” Something Khadijah did not expect from writing her book was a newfound sense of closure from Craig’s death. “I’m not gonna lie, there would be mornings I would wake very early. (It would be) very quiet outside (and) as I’m writing about it, it became a cathartic tool for me,” she explained. “On top of writing the book, I have been invited to these anti-violence events … “ … While I was doing the book for me, people are healing, too.” Butler was born and raised in Philadelphia but recently moved to Cherry Hill. It is her hope to grow the foundation, expand into New Jersey and help children in need throughout the local area. “I think one of the reasons I wrote the book and held these events is to expand our visibility. One thing I can say is that we got a lot of applications from (students) out of state … We’re looking for straight-A (Philadelphia) students who, despite walking through a crime zone (every day), still have those aspirations for college.” “I would love to help (places) like Camden, like Trenton,” Khadijah said. “We have had people at events ask me about expanding to places like Darby or Chester (Philadelphia suburbs). I’d love to, but it’s not cheap. The more donations we get I hope we can expand.” PHILLY By Susan Phillips, Abbey Lamb Cherelle Parker, the lone Black woman in Phil- adelphia’s crowded mayoral race, made history late Tuesday after beating eight other Democratic candidates in what was expected to be a ra- zor-thin primary. Parker, who was not in attendance for her elec- tion night watch party after receiving emergency dental treatment, is expected to win in Novem- ber’s general election — putting her on track to be the first woman elected to the office. Parker will face David Oh who ran unopposed in the Republican primary. In a statement released by her campaign, Park- er says she is “thrilled to have received the trust” of voters. Supporters began to pack the Laborer’s Local 322 union hall as the results rolled in. At one point, it was announced that Parker had won, only to have a campaign staffer take the mic and say the announcement was premature. But that didn’t seem to dampen the mood as dancing resumed and trays of food continued to come out from the kitchen. Parker’s mentor, former City Councilmember Marian Tasco, expressed pride, remembering when she first met Parker while she was a high school student. “She’s very smart and she knows how to work with people, she will do very well,” said Tasco. Catherine Hicks, President of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, and publisher of the Phil- adelphia Sunday Sun says Parker’s victory marks a win for women in politics. “It’s really exciting because it’s another glass ceiling that’s broken. Women and Black women especially have always been underappreciated,” said Hicks. As the city’s 100th mayor, Parker will be both the first woman, and the first Black woman, to be mayor of Philadelphia, a city where more than 50% of Democratic primary voters are Black. Her campaign focused on restoring mid- dle-class neighborhoods, public safety, and education. She’s promised to hire 300 new foot and bicycle police officers for a force struggling to fill vacancies. She has also proposed extending the school day from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and said she would work with state leaders to more than double the minimum wage. READING Dr. Khalid Mumin was confirmed as Pennsyl- vania Secretary of Education by a vote of 46-3 in the state Senate. Lawmakers voting against the confirmation were Republicans Jarrett Coleman (District 16, Bucks and Lehigh counties), John DiSanto (District 15, Dauphin County) and Doug Mastriano (District 33, Adams and Frank- lin counties). Mumin most recently served as superintendent of the Lower Merion School District in Mont- gomery County before being picked by incoming Gov. Josh Shapiro to hold the top education post in the state. He served in Lower Merion starting in October 2021 and had been the superinten- dent for the Reading School District in Berks County for seven years prior. He was named the Pennsylvania Superinten- dent of the Year in 2021 by the Pennsylvania Khadijah Butler is holding a book signing Khadijah Butler is holding a book signing Dr. Khalid Mumin TALK ACROSS PA WWW.TALKMAGAZINEONLINE.COM | 7 Association of School Administrators and was a finalist for National Superintendent of the Year. “I am elated to have earned the trust and confidence to serve in this position and ensure every child in Pennsylvania receives a quality education,” Mumin said in a Pennsylvania Department of Education press release Monday. “I would not be here today without the teachers and mentors who supported me. Our schools are more than buildings: they are conduits of hope. I will take the experiences I have gained through my life and career to carry out Gov. Shapiro’s vision so that every Pennsylvania student has the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. “I am firm in my belief that students learn in different ways, and highly effective educators are leaders who ignite learners’ interest, passion, and focus on meeting high expectations in all educa- tional settings,” Mumin continued. “As secretary of education, I will remain committed to supporting education systems with resources and information to provide instruction that is high-quality, engaging, and aligned with the needs of the workforce of the future.” Mumin began his education career in 1997 as an English teacher in Franklin County. LAROCHE La Roche University announced today its Center for Lifelong Learning will be named after its late president, Sister Candace Introcaso, CDP, Ph.D. Acting President and Provost Howard J. Ishiyama, Ph.D., made the announcement at a memorial Mass honoring the legacy of President Introcaso, who had served as the University’s president since 2004. She entered into eternal life on May 22, 2023, at age 69. “The idea of the Center, envisioned by President Introcaso years ago, was to create an intergenera- tional community on campus. It’s now a reality, with more than 350 lifelong learners and 200 youth on campus. This was Sister Candace’s dream, and it is now her legacy,” Dr. Ishiyama said. “In that spirit, today, I name the Center the Sister Candace Introcaso Center for Lifelong Learning at La Roche University.” The Center, which officially launched in January 2022, is designed to help learners of all ages discover the joy of learning and connect with an intellectual and social community of mem- bers and friends. The Center offers a variety of engaging and interactive classes, workshops and community programs for adults 50 and better, youth and professionals at various stages in their careers and lives. PITTSBURGH Olga George, longtime KDKA-TV assignment desk editor and producer, and longtime influen- tial member of the Pittsburgh Black Media Fed- eration, was named press secretary for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey. “I’m pleased to have Olga as part of my growing communications team to provide us with more opportunities to respond to residents,” said Mayor Gainey. “She brings a wealth of professional experi- ence to the role, and I am certain that she will help us make Pittsburgh a city for all of us.” George will serve as the primary media liaison and spokeswoman for Mayor Gainey. She has more than 30 years of media experience. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and is a graduate of Point Park University where she studied Journalism and Communications. She is cur- rently the Vice President of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, Vice President of the Western Pennsylvania Press Club, and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Historic Fairview Park and is a volunteer with the New Horizon Theater. Sister Introcaso Olga George continued on page 24Next >