Robert R. Lavelle, the man who made buying a home a reality for thousands of Pittsburgh’s African-Americans when racism and red­lining made loans from traditional banks and mortgage lenders impossible, who wrote Bible verses on billing statements and who prayed for men who robbed his bank, has died. He was 94.

Lavelle passed away July 4, after having suffered a stroke on Father’s Day while giving the keynote address at Grace Mem­orial Presbyterian Church where he served as an elder, taught Sunday school and led a weekly Bible study for nearly 50 years.

ROBERT R. LAVELLE

The foun­der of La­velle Real Estate and the past president and CEO of Dwelling House Savings and Loan, Robert Lavelle was revered throughout Pittsburgh’s Black community, especially in the Hill District where he lived and ran his businesses.

Lavelle essentially rescued Dwelling House from near ruin in 1957. At that time his real estate company was seeking a mortgage on a nearby property, but was told the loan association could not comply due to withdrawals exceeding liquid assets. Open only a few days of the month, Lavelle suggested they open full time, that they share space with his firm, so they could afford to staff the then Dwelling House Building and Loan Association until it grew.

(Part one of a series)

Since the founding of this nation, men and women have had to continue to fight for the rights proclaimed on Independence Day. Over the past century, millions of African-Americans have served in the armed forces to protect America’s freedom.

For some, the environment was one where racial discrimination ran rampant. Still, many others found the military as a place where color lines were blurred and brotherhoods were forged with men from different races and cultures.

LIVING LEGEND—Henry Parham is one of the few remaining members of the 320th Battalion for Anti-Aircraft Barrage Balloons.

For World War II veteran Henry Parham discrimination in the military was no worse than the everyday discrimination he experienced in his hometown of Green­ville, Va. After being drafted in 1942 he joined the all-Black 320th Battalion for Anti-Aircraft Barrage Balloons.

With seven out of the eight murders for the month of June being Black and all 30 years old and under, enough is enough. And it’s us killing us. Now, one cannot even attend a birthday party without worrying about getting shot. It is time for action. It’s time to stop talking about it. The vigils, marches and peace talks are fine, but there is a need for us to do more. It’s time to use all the plans and ideas that have been created and put them into action. We cannot afford to lose another person.

As part of an ongoing effort to heighten awareness about the effects of murder in the Black community, the New Pittsburgh Courier will compile a list of homicides in the county each month. It is our hope that as the list of victims grows, so will a true understanding of how these lost lives affect the mental health, economic well-being and self-images of the region’s Black neighborhoods.

Blight, education and safety were just a few of the major concerns expressed by Wilkinsburg residents at the Everything Counts community forum held on June 23 by Weed and Seed community initiative, in conjunction with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, at South Avenue United Methodist Church.

“We would like our initiative to be community- driven,” said Gail Mitchell Hall, site coordinator of the Wilkinsburg Borough Weed and Seed Initiative. “We’d like to see what the residents’ needs are. We will hold (forums) on a regular basis and we feel they are important.”

COMMUNITY COMMITMENT—Gail Mitchell Hall of Weed and Seed discusses how the organization is working to improve the life of Wilkinsburg residents.

Weed and Seed has been in existence since 2002 and is a state-funded strategy initiative to bring together residents, local government and business owners to create strategies of solutions to increase the quality of life for the Wilkinsburg community. After the former coordinator left, Hall took over in July of 2009 as the full-time coordinator after being hired as a consultant in March of the same year.