I’VE GOT THE BLUES—Chicago Blues artist Vince Agwada performs at The P.R.O.M.I.S.E. group’s annual Blues and R&B Showcase, April 6. (Photo by J.L. Martello)

Music for a cause was the unofficial theme at The Hard Rock Café last Saturday at the P.R.O.M.I.S.E. group’s 5th ­annual Blues and R&B Showcase on April 6 in Station Square. People jammed and listened to classics while raising money for the cause that supports youth activities in the community.
“It was everything I expected and more,” said Jay Donaldson, founder of the P.R.O.M.I.S.E. Group. “I want to thank all of the bands who volunteered their time and those who worked with the event. (It) was the best we have ever had in the five years and we are growing.”
The P.R.O.M.I.S.E. Group is a nonprofit organization that serves youth, men and women who have been impacted by the loss of a loved one. It began in 2007 after the loss of Donaldson’s son, Jehru Donaldson, then 18, who had been shot and killed by two teens during a carjacking on the North Side while on his way to a Pittsburgh Pirate game.

“We wanted to turn a negative situation into something positive,” Donaldson said. He added that his son had already showed promise of being a positive impact in the community.
The Blues and R&B Showcase featured acts such as the Muddy Kreek Blues Band; the Danetts, which included songs from some of Motown’s popular female groups; and from the Chicago Blues Front, singer, songwriter and slide guitarist Vince Agwada and his band, and more. According to Donaldson, there were approximately 150 tickets sold to annual showcase.
Along with the annual showcase, P.R.O.M.I.S.E., which stands for Protecting and Restoring the Order of Mankind with the Initiative of Serving Elders, also hosts a summer gathering in the park for those who have lost loved ones, a P.R.O.M.I.S.E. Day with the Pittsburgh Pirates, a cleanup day with youth around the City of Pittsburgh, a career day, which used to be held at Oliver High School before it closed and the Jehru M. Donaldson scholarship fund. They also host their three-day annual basketball camp for boys and girls ages 8-18. Donaldson said they have recently begun planning for the camp, but they are now looking for a facility to hold it in, since Oliver is now closed.
“Our mission is to provide excellent opportunities for young people through mentoring and providing valuable skills along with promoting a working and caring relationship with the elderly,” Donaldson said.  
When it comes to the youth violence, Donaldson said it is because, “Parents aren’t doing a good job teaching them. It starts at home. Not everybody (all parents), but it’s just enough to make it noticeable.”
According to the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner’s 2013 homicide list, 15 of the 20 homicides have been Blacks and most of them are occurring in the city. Also, of those 15, the majority of them are under the age of 30.
“We have to encourage young people to go further. Go somewhere, do something because if you don’t you’ll get caught up,” Donaldson said. He added that there are usually only three endings to getting caught up in the streets-death, jail or addiction.
In an effort to provide a safe place for the community, Donaldson said he is working with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh to acquire a vacant building of theirs that sits at the corner of Wilson Avenue and West Burgess Street in the Perry Hilltop section of the North Side. While things are still in the talking phase, he said he plans to use it as a healing center and a center of learning and care for the youth and elderly. It will house space for community meetings, workshops, mentoring, music education and more.
“There is nothing for Black people on Perry Hilltop. There are other things out there than bars and clubs and jails and crack houses.  We need to show there are alternatives and P.R.O.M.I.S.E. is trying to be that alternative,” he said.
While Donaldson said he has received a number of support from the North Side community, especially Councilwoman Darlene Harris and Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle, he said he needs more. He said the organization needs additional funding; grant writers; and volunteers to serve on the board, just to name a few.
“I am dedicated to bringing joy back into the community, into my heart and the hearts of others,” Donaldson said. “It helps me through the grieving process. There is a great joy in serving and we need to practice things that will bring us joy and others.”
Donaldson plans to make DVD copies of the April 6 showcase available for purchase.
(For more information on the P.R.O.M.I.S.E. group and its activities, visit www.promiseonthemove.com)

CANDIDATE FORUM—A.J. Richardson stood out against the other mayoral candidates. (Photo by J.L. Martello)

Whether the topic was economic development, gun violence, or diversity, most of the candidates running for mayor had similar answers to questions posed at a debate on April 6. All of them that it is, except for mayoral candidate A.J. Richardson who was arrested last week for drunk driving.
“I think most of you know I just got out of jail,” Richardson said in response to the opening question about employment opportunities for ex-offenders. “People need to be given second and third chances because if they don’t have that, they’re going to get their hustle on to provide for their families.”
In his comments, Richardson seemed to be advocating for a second chance for ex-offenders, but also himself, and the audience was quick to oblige as they laughed at his remarks and ferociously applauded. However, by the end of the debate as Richardson’s responses veered wildly from his opponents, the audience’s applause died down.
Candidates Jack Wagner, county auditor general, District 8 Councilman Bill Peduto, State Rep. Jake Wheatley, and Richardson were asked to address city-county consolidation, diversity on the police force, education and more over the course of the 90-minute debate sponsored by the African American Leadership Association, Black Political Empowerment Project, Western Pennsylvania Black Political Assembly and other organizations.
In many situations, such as questions about community development block grants and blight, Richardson reiterated the problems in the Black community without saying how he would address them.  And when it came to a question regarding sole source contracts, which many believe hinder minority contractors, Richardson didn’t have a response at all and said he would have to do more research and consult with experts.
While Richardson proposed increased support for jitney drivers, when asked about improving public transportation, his opponents discussed Port Authority’s service cuts.
“I will advocate for more funding, but it’s not just about more funding. We have an antiquated system,” Wheatley said. “My district has been hurt hardest by cuts.”
One area where all four candidates agreed was with regard to the relationship between employment and crime. The men said increased economic opportunity could lead to a decrease in gun violence.
“If you don’t have a job and you get a job, a lot of your problems go away and no community knows that better than the African-American community where the unemployment rate is double that of anywhere else,” Wagner said.
The candidates also discussed recent issues with the Pittsburgh police, the appointment of a new police chief and the importance of the Citizens Police Review Board. Here Peduto differed from his opponents in advocating for a national search for the next chief and focusing on the importance of holding the city’s public safety director accountable.
The mayoral primary is May 21.

BLACK AGENDA—Sala Udin speaks in front of a coalition for a Black Agenda to be presented to the mayoral candidates. (Photo by J. L. Martello)

Joined by Blacks from across the city who want more African-Americans included in creating and benefiting from city policy, former city Councilman Sala Udin announced the formation of the Pittsburgh Black Political Convention, and put forth a Black Agenda for Mayoral candidates to review and respond to.
He said, during an April 4 press conference, it is to create a unified, Black voting bloc to support a single mayoral candidate who will address the narcotics and gun trafficking, and unemployment at “Great Depression” levels that haunt Pittsburgh’s African-American neighborhoods.
“But we are not so deprived of spirit that we are not able to stand up and say to the mayor and political leaders of our city, ‘You will respond to our needs and to our demands for a quality of life in Pittsburgh, or you will not be elected to high political office,”’ he said. “We have joined together to demand that Black people in Pittsburgh become visible to the political leadership of our city.”
To that end, the convention presented its Black Agenda to all the candidates, and has invited them to respond to it during a community meeting at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, April 19.
The following day, registered Black voters from across the city will return to Mt. Ararat for a vote to endorse the candidate who best articulates his commitment to the agenda’s priorities.
Of the four mayoral candidates, two are Black; state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Hill, and community organizer A.J. Richardson. Richardson, however, he further hampered his long-shot chances with an April 3 DUI arrest.  Before Wheatley won his house seat 10 years ago, he served as an aide to Udin.
Given that close tie, when asked if a White candidate could win the convention’s endorsement, Udin said, “absolutely.”
“We’ve been waiting for a White candidate to speak up for the Black Community for years.”
Udin said the unique opportunity for a Black community endorsement only came about because sitting Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who probably would have won the Democratic Primary endorsement, declined to run. Then City Controller Michael Lamb, who won the endorsement by default, also dropped out to support Jack Wagner.
Udin said while the Agenda and vote only apply to the mayor’s race, that would not be the case going forward.
“Other elected officials should be on notice that we will probably be visiting their offices soon,” he said.
The Black Agenda itself, released to media the following day, covers 12 areas of concern ranging from employment and contracting to police brutality and street violence. It has not yet been posted on the convention’s website, www.blackconvention.com.
(Send comments to cmorrow@new­pittsburgh­courier.com.)

EVERETT McELVEEN
(Photo by J.L Martello)

In the two decades since YouthWorks Inc. was created, the nonprofit has provided more than 23,000 at-risk youth with the career training vital to gaining meaningful employment. Now, the organization will be able to expand its reach through a recently announced merger with Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
On April 4, at Goodwill headquarters, the two organizations announced the merger set to begin July 1. Under the merger, YouthWorks will operate as a program of Goodwill offering career exploration and job readiness training to at-risk youth.
“It really expands the opportunities we have for youth and these resources will allow us to focus more on programming,” said Everett McElveen, YouthWorks board chair. “There are always more kids that can be served than there are services that can be provided.”
Recent statewide funding cuts to nonprofits have left many local organizations in the lurch, including YouthWorks, which completed the 2011 fiscal year with a more than $70,000 deficit. The merger with Goodwill, which boasts annual revenues of nearly $50 million, should eliminate the organization’s financial hardship.
“We all know we need to address youth who need a little extra help to become productive citizens,” said Yvonne Campos, Goodwil board chair. “The idea is it expands both of our capacities and our reach. We have very similar cultures; our hearts are in the right place.”
Goodwill provides a number of opportunities for youth to gain employment experience with 30 retail stores throughout the region, a soon to be completed greenhouse, and cafeteria where workers learn about the food service industry. In addition, their programs include a CareerLink center, GED classes, and even driver’s education.
“It’s a perfect partnership between the two organizations,” Goodwill President and CEO Michael Smith said. “We have so many nonprofit businesses that we can offer youth work experience as they’re transitioning out of school.”
Both organizations have a strong commitment to helping youth and families reach economic empowerment. While YouthWorks has been working with youth to move beyond challenges such as poverty, homelessness, and foster care, one of Goodwill’s most popular programs helps disabled individuals overcome barriers to employment.
“Our board started this strategic alliance process two years ago and Goodwill really rose to the top,” Stephanie Bechel, YouthWorks executive director. “They said they were identifying at-risk youth as an area of growth, and Goodwill already offers so many employment opportunities to youth and families.”
In 2012 Goodwill provided services to nearly 60,000 individuals. The organization also employs more than 1000 people throughout the region.