In celebration of Black History Month, the City of Pittsburgh is honoring 10 individuals in an exhibit, “History in the Making: Honoring Our Young African American Leaders of Today,” displayed in the lobby of the City-County Building throughout February.
In conjunction with the month-long exhibit, Citiparks and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will host a series of lectures at community sites throughout the month.
The free events will provide an opportunity for many of the exhibit honorees to share their success stories and to inspire others to leave their mark on the greater Pittsburgh community.
The three-week lecture series will kick off the week of February 8:
Monday, February 8, 6:30 p.m.
Arlington Recreation Center, 2201 Salisbury St., South Side, 412-488-8397
Speaker: La’Tasha Mayes (honoree for Politics)
La'Tasha Mayes is the founder and executive director of New Voices Pittsburgh: Women of Color for Reproductive Justice (NVP) – the only human rights and social justice activist organization in Pittsburgh for women of color, led by women of color and about women of color. Founded in 2004, NVP serves women of color primarily ages 12-35 in Pittsburgh through social change activism, civic engagement and leadership development. Ms. Mayes is a 2005 recipient of the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP) and WQED Multimedia “40 Under 40” Award and the 2009 Choice USA Generations Excellence in Leadership Award in Washington, D.C.
COMMUNITY LECTURES IN FEBRUARY
Tuesday, February 9, 5:00 p.m.
Magee Recreation Center, 745 Greenfield Ave., Greenfield, 412-422-6548
Speaker: Paul A. Ellis Jr. Esq. (honoree for Civil Rights/Community Action)
For nearly a decade, Paul A. Ellis, Jr. has been managing his own law firm as a solo practitioner. Mr. Ellis served as president of the Homer S. Brown Law Association from 2005 - 2007, during which time he successfully raised funds and implemented programs that directly utilized the services of more than 100 African-American attorneys and provided educational services to the community. He currently serves on the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA) Judiciary Committee and is a volunteer Street Law instructor for minority elementary school students and the ACBA Pro Bono Committee. Mr. Ellis’ endeavors include an effort to designate the childhood home of his late uncle – Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson – as a historic landmark. The renovated building would provide a space for programming services to benefit local artists.
Wednesday, February 10, 4:00 p.m.
Homewood North Community Center, 10 Albertice St., Homewood, 412-241-2230
Speaker: Monté Robinson (honoree for Health & Wellness)
Homewood native Monté Robinson is head football coach at his alma mater, Westinghouse High School, where he served as captain of the varsity football team in the 1990s. After spending five years coaching Homewood Community Sports, in 2006 he became the president of the organization that serves more than 300 youth annually by providing sports activities including football, baseball and cheerleading. Mr. Robinson is employed full time as an educational liaison for Allegheny County Department of Human Service, where he assists youth who are transitioning out of the child welfare system with achieving a level of higher education.
Thursday, February 11, 5:00 p.m.
Brookline Recreation Center, 1400 Oakridge St., Brookline, 412-571-3222
Speaker: to be announced
Additional lectures featuring other honorees will take place on Feb. 15, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25 at various locations.
The City of Pittsburgh’s celebration of Black History Month is presented by Citiparks and is sponsored by Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, 96.1 KISS and Penn Brewery.
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