By the time the new Thelma Lovette YMCA is completed on Centre Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Urban Redevelopment Authority Director of Diversity says about 43 percent of the work on the project will have been done by minority contractors, most of them Black.

“The majority of those minorities will be African-Americans,” he said. “We wanted the project to show a true appreciation to an iconic figure like Thelma Lovette. So I approached the YMCA, and we agreed to surpass the city goal of 25 percent. They are the owners of this and they mandated it. They said 40 percent but we think it might be 43. Right now, we’re at 38 percent.”

NEW FACE ON CENTRE AVE—An artist’s rendering shows the facade design for the Thelma Lovette YMCA under construction and scheduled to open next year in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.

Over the past few weeks an ambiguous advertisement evoking the civil rights struggle of the 1960s has been popping up in newspapers across Pennsylvania. The advertisement features a picture depicting one of many standoffs in public school integration, and carries the message, “Someone New is Blocking the School House Door.”

Likening the current school choice debate with school segregation, the advertisement, sponsored by the Center for Education Reform and a number of non-profit education organizations primarily based in Philadelphia, is being used to promote a tuition voucher system that would give more options to families with students in failing schools. The legislation, proposed by Philadelphia Sen. Anthony Williams and Dauphin Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, would give low-income parents a state education subsidy to be used at their choice of a public, private or charter school.

ANTHONY WILLIAMS

At a meeting with representatives from Pittsburgh’s remaining minority media outlets, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl pledged to improve communication between the city and the African-American community.

While the journalists, talk show hosts, and publishers commended the mayor for his efforts, many came to the meeting armed with a list of complaints from their constituency.

LUKE RAVENSTAHL

“There’s a disconnect between the officials in Pittsburgh and the African-Americans in Pittsburgh. The African-Americans I talk to don’t feel connected to the city. People feel that they are being ignored,” said Bev Smith, a radio talk show host with American Urban Radio Networks. “I think there should be some kind of meeting where the message gets out there that we’re being included.”

The consensus among the group was that communication with the mayor’s office, and the mayor in particular, had ranged from being intermittent to nonexistent. Like the community they represent, many from the media felt they too had been ignored by the mayor.

Last month Westinghouse High School Alumni saw their several time champion football team play what will probably be their last game as true Bulldogs. Now they already have their eyes set on the future legacy of their alma marter set to be combined with Peabody High School in the Fall of 2011.

On Dec. 1, the Westinghouse Alumni Association hosted a community education forum to discuss the East End High School Reform Plan, which includes Westinghouse, Peabody and Allderdice High Schools. They brought in former Pittsburgh Public School teachers and administrators who could now speak freely about the district without fear of repercussions.

REGGIE BRIDGES

“When they looked at schools in the East End, they didn’t consider All­der­dice. Those of us who have lived in the area know that some schools are untouchable. There was no discussion about the kids at Allderdice,” said Reggie Bridges, Westinghouse Alumni member. “Today we decided we should hear from some of the people who have taught in our school systems.”