Have you ever thought, “how’d they do that?” when considering the latest gadget or product, or said to yourself, “somebody should make this,” before you wander into your fantasy of creating the perfect product. Well, it might be a passing thought or dream for you, but for Eric Anderson, an industrial designer and associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University, it’s his jo, to not just think about making products better, but to actually do it. And when he’s not teaching design or conceptualizing a new product, Anderson is advancing the nonprofit organization, Designers for the 21st Century (D421), that he co-founded with African-American designer Joi Roberts, to support Black designers.

ERIC ANDERSON

Anderson admits he stumbled upon his profession, rather than planning for it. “Most folks don’t understand where design comes from, and that was true of me when I was entering college,” he said. “I went to Overbrook High. At the time, they had one of the best art programs in the city. When I graduated, I thought I was going to be an illustrator, but took a class in design.” That one class was the beginning of his path as a designer.

NOV. 4—The National Council for Urban Peace and Justice will host the Campaign for Drug De-Criminalization & Amnesty from 6-8 p.m. at the Hill House, 1835 Centre Ave., Hill District. This is a community forum that’s part of an ongoing effort to end gang and drug-related violence and will discuss the decriminalization of drugs, the connection between drugs and community violence, the progress on the war on drugs and the responsibility of parents, educators and public officials. There will be a community discussion, input and panelists. For more information, call Khalid Raheem at 412-513-8838 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

At this year’s University of Pittsburgh Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 22 to Oct. 25, the Pitt African American Alumni Council celebrated the 40th Anniversary of a “sit-in” that eventually led to the many strides towards diversity the university has taken over the years.

A weekend that boasted the largest reunion of African-American alumni in the university’s history, saw the return of many of Pitt’s former civil rights leaders. Among them was Anthony Fountain, who was the founding member and first chairperson of the Political Action Committee of the Black Action Society at the time of the “sit-in.”

EXHIBIT UNVEILING— Pitt alumni join family and friends at the Hillman Library for an unveiling of an exhibit chronicling 40 years of African-American accomplishments at the university.

Fountain was there on Jan. 15, 1969 when approximately 50 students took over the university’s computer center. They called for an increase in Black faculty, enrollment, and overall representation, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Department of Black Studies later that year.