by Pharoh Martin

(NNPA)—Legendary singer, actress and dancer Lena Horne died Sunday night at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center at the age of 92. The Brooklyn-born entertainer was the first Black performer to be signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio. She went on to achieve international fame as a singer. The cause of her death has not been reported.

LENA HORNE

Horne was the epitome of African-American beauty, and as a versatile and iconic performer made her name from a variety of entertainment platforms including the big screen, where she was the first African-American actor to sign a long-term contract to a major Hollywood studio; in music, where she won four Grammy awards, and in night clubs, where she extensively toured despite the racism that plagued her era.

Pittsburgh School Board Director Mark Brentley Sr. has long said the city’s North Side residents are perennially ignored by their city council and state House representatives because both offices are located in the Hill District. So, once again, he is trying to change that by challenging incumbent state Rep. Jake Wheatley for the District 19 seat in the Democratic primary May 18.

MARK BRENTLEY

Brentley is also, again, running against former city councilwoman and Democrat-endorsed Tonya Payne, whom he challenged last year for the city council seat she eventually lost to Daniel Lavelle.

Brentley is trying to bank on anti-insider sentiment noting both Payne and Wheatley are former aides to longtime Hill councilman Sala Udin, even though Payne ousted Udin from his council seat in 2005.

For the past 28 years, Rep. Joe Preston Jr. has defeated many opponents in elections for the 24th Legislative District seat. In the May primary he will take on William Anderson and Todd Elliot Koger, who also opposed him in the previous election.

JOSEPH PRESTON JR.

Preston represents Wil­kinsburg, East Liberty, Aspinwall, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar, Point Breeze, Larimer, Homewood, Highland Park and East Hills. Looking back on what he’s done in recent terms, he sees the revitalization of East Liberty as a symbol of what’s to come for other areas of his district.

“Seeing East Liberty, its going and we’re getting close to looking at other things. Wilkinsburg is turning around,” Preston said. “We set the tone, the turn around.”

All elections are important but the May 18 primary election is exceptionally significant because the governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. Senate races and two critical state representative seats are up for grabs.

Battling for the right to represent the Democratic Party in the U.S. Senate race are Joe Sestak and Arlen Specter. Both have impressive records and would make outstanding senators but we lean toward Specter because over the years when it wasn’t popular to do so in the GOP, he has proven to be a friend to the African-American community. He has, time after time, stood up for causes and offered solutions to some of the many problems facing the Black community. Sestak will have his day, but now is the time for us to support the man who has supported us so many times when it wasn’t the popular thing to do. We endorse Sen. Arlen Specter.