When John Christian took on a job, he went all out.

As a pioneering disk jockey in the 1950s, he was called “Sir Walter,” and true to form, could be seen in public sporting a bowler or top hat or in tails, and sometimes wearing a monocle.

As a salesman and business owner he overcame White prejudice and excelled. And as a television newsman and producer, he won many awards.

JOHN CHRISTIAN

John Christian, Sir Walter, passed away Nov. 29 following a long illness. He was 92.

Local television host Chris Moore said Christian paved the way for him and other African-American broadcasters.

With only five homicides, November is one of the months with the least amount of deaths for 2009. With the holiday season in full force, maybe a sense of family, togetherness and good cheer towards men has come upon those who commit these senseless acts of violence. Or maybe, enough is finally enough.

As part of an ongoing effort to heighten awareness about the effects of murder in the Black community, the New Pittsburgh Courier will compile a list of homicides in Allegheny County each month. It is our hope that as the list of victims grows, so will a true understanding of how these lost lives affect the mental health, economic well-being and self-images of the region’s Black neighborhoods.

Out of 76 murders in 2009—53 were Black and 47 were Black men.

For several weeks, the Pittsburgh Chapter of the NAACP has led weekly protests outside the Pittsburgh Public School District Administrative building. The goal of their seven-week campaign is to force district Superintendent Mark Roosevelt, the school board and administrators to take action against the ever-present achievement gap between Black and White students.

SOUND THE ALARM— Marilyn Barnett, middle, joins others in the cold to rally for educational equity.

“All students don’t have the same opportunity to learn. All students don’t have access to the same resources. There’s a difference between the way we treat students,” said NAACP education chair Marilyn Barnett, Ph.D. “That’s like giving one kid a computer and another kid a typewriter. We are going to be the drum majors for justice.”

In order to close the achievement gap, the NAACP wants the district to treat African-American students with equity, not equality. This means devoting more resources to Black students, hiring better quality teachers, and ensuring Black students are expected to meet higher standards.