For the past 19 months since the election of President Barack Obama, America has been buzzing over whether or not we now live in a “post-racial America.” At the closing panel discussion of the Race in America conference June 5, the four panelists answered that question with a resounding “NO.”

“I had predicted that the election of Obama was not going to be this momentous issue that the media made it out to be,” said Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Ph.D., professor of sociology at Duke University. “If you look at the status of minorities nothing much has changed.”

RACE IN AMERICA PANEL—From left, back: Benjamin Jealous, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Alex Castellanos and Larry Davis. Front, from left: Tony Norman and Abigail Thernstrom.

Given the failure of several hip-hop events by local promoters, we asked Pittsburgher their opinion. Here’s what you said.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a failure on the promoters’ behalf. I do believe that it’s a combination of communication on some promoters ends at ‘over promising and under delivering’ in conjunction with artists that oftentimes face the wall of uncontrolled scenarios that are out of their hands.”
Emmai Alaquiva
Emmy award winner, entrepreneur
Shadyside

Emmai Alaquiva, Orlando Marshall, Nadia Souls

Since its inception in 2004, Once Vision One Life has worked to reduce gun violence in Pittsburgh’s North Side, Hill District and South Side (not including East End) neighborhoods through its unique front line intervention in turf battles, disputes and gang interactions to diffuse them before they result in homicides and shootings.

A four-year assessment of the Allegheny County program released last week by RAND Corp. researchers, however, found the program had little impact. According to the report, One Vision “had no significant impact on homicide rates but was associated with significant increases in aggravated assault and gun assault rates in the target neighborhoods.”

RICHARD GARLAND

Career fair

JUNE 9—The Career & Workforce Development Center will host its 20th Annual Community Career Fair from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Homewood-Brushton YMCA, 7140 Bennett St., Homewood. Over 30 employers, training and service providers will be in attendance looking for qualified candidates. For more information, email Carena M. Phillips at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .