Shaylah Brown stories, Page 5
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council report shows racial inequity in arts funding
Arts and culture funding in Pittsburgh is inequitable, according to a new report released by the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. A Second Look: Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh is supported in part by a National Endowment for the Arts research grant, a follow-up to the Greater Pittsburgh...
Michelle Walker teaches Pittsburgh employees ASL and advocates for disability awareness
Michelle Walker placed her left palm underneath her right hand, forming a thumbs-up with her right hand. The palm of her left hand moved the right hand upward. This sign is part of American Sign Language and is a lifesaving contact sign that means “help.” She demonstrated emergency signs to...
‘Black Therapy 101’ event addresses mental health stigma, promotes healing in Black community
According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than white adults to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress. Yet, according to the American Psychiatric Association, only one in three Black people receive mental health treatment. Mental health awareness, counseling...
Immerse yourself in arts and culture: A weekend of diverse events in Pittsburgh
If you’re looking to fill your weekend with all things arts and culture, there is no shortage of events happening in and around the city this weekend. From performances that reflect the beauty of the African diaspora to the Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh’s Summer Picnic, start planning out your...
Black women in Pittsburgh react to Kamala Harris’ presidential bid
More than 44,000 Black women from across the country gathered on a Zoom call Sunday, mobilizing swiftly when President Joe Biden announced that he would not seek reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Some Black women from Pittsburgh joined the call and came away energized. “I can’t contain myself,”...
Melanie Marie Malloy Boyer champions Hispanic business growth
Melanie Marie Malloy Boyer is a business whisperer, curator of connections and proud Colombian. How does this skillset wrap all into one person? For the executive director of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a multi-hyphenate — someone who has multiple skillsets and professions — it comes...
Whitehall Public Library honors Freedom House Ambulance with summer reading program
Whitehall Public Library is dedicating its summer reading program to the remarkable and largely untold story of the Freedom House Ambulance Service, a pioneering Pittsburgh initiative that revolutionized emergency medical care. John Moon, a former Freedom House emergency medical technician and retired assistant chief of Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Service, wasn’t...
Pittsburgh vocalist Aryana Kapree heading to Grammy Camp
Woodland Hills High School rising senior Aryana Kapree is just a few days away from heading to Grammy Camp 2024 at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles — the highly selective music program begins July 13. Cheerleading is one of her many passions, along with football and live music; she...
Rapper Jeezy highlights hip-hop’s political influence at Pittsburgh event
Rapper Jeezy — folks may remember him as Young Jeezy, which he was known as when he released his first major label album in 2005 — was in Pittsburgh on June 27, the same day as the first presidential debate. The Grammy-nominated, Atlanta-proud rapper and one of the architects of...
FusionFest: Pittsburgh’s Juneteenth celebration honors ancestors and embraces future
“Before I Let Go” by Maze, Frankie Beverly & The Butlers, and other tunes courtesy of WAMO could be heard from Market Street in Downtown Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon, pulling attendees into FusionFest: Echoes of Our Ancestors, Beats of the Future. FusionFest was the culminating event for Juneteenth this year...
Celebrating Black Music Month: Pittsburgh’s rising stars
June was Black Music Month, and Pittsburgh has no shortage of talent. Black Music Month honors the contributions, creativity and individuality of Black musicians who have shaped American music across all genres. Pittsburgh has birthed greats like Mary Lou Williams, Art Blakey, Lena Horne and Erroll Garner. Here are a...
What to know before the Juneteenth Fusion Fest in Pittsburgh
The final Juneteenth celebration will take place in Pittsburgh on Sunday. The celebration, dubbed FusionFest, is the city’s first official event. Pittsburgh is leaving no stone unturned, bringing out all the stops with a fashion show, multiple vendors, stilt walking, music, performances and an after-party at Emerald City. Here’s what...
Urban League’s State of Black Pittsburgh addresses voting, housing
The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh held its annual State of Black Pittsburgh on Thursday. The forum aimed to tackle the issues of electoral impact and housing stability. Inside the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s Barco Law Library, about 100 community members convened to address some of the most...
Carnegie Museum of Art launches ‘Widening the Lens’ podcast with Venus Williams
The Carnegie Museum of Art launched its “Widening the Lens” podcast series, featuring tennis champion and emerging contemporary art authority Venus Williams. The six-episode podcast extends the exhibition “Widening the Lens: Photography, Ecology and the Contemporary Landscape,” which opened on May 12, beyond the gallery walls. The podcast gives permanence...
Pittsburgh photographer captures the magic of weddings with a business-savvy lens
Adam Michaels is a wedding photographer who knows how to tell a story — his lens captures every detail, candid conversation and some of the most wanderlust-inducing moments of a couple’s big day. On a balmy spring afternoon, Michaels, owner of Adam Michaels Photography, sits in his studio setting up...
Fete-Fete’s Reset invites Black entrepreneurs to explore movement as a form of liberation
The midweek has become a little more relaxing thanks to Jacquelin Walker, a yoga facilitator and founder of Fete-Fete. Fete-Fete, founded in Brooklyn and based in Pittsburgh, is an organization centered around art, life and culture. It hosts Reset at Emerald City on Smithfield Street. Reset is a community movement...
5 ways to celebrate Juneteenth across Western Pa.
Juneteenth is here, and there are many ways to celebrate. Numerous celebrations have occurred leading up to and will continue today, June 19. However, on Wednesday, most are in observance of the national holiday. Juneteenth is a holiday of celebration, liberation and education. It marks the end of bondage for...
Swissvale’s Juneteenth a moment of pride and celebration
Angela Stribling and Shawn Alfonso Wells were walking out of the council building following a Juneteenth committee meeting, and they were able to hand Swissvale’s Juneteenth flyer to a few young children. Stribling recalls the young girl shrieking as she said, “Oh my gosh, the Bill Henry Band! My grandma...
Celebrate Father’s Day with a culinary favorite: the smashburger
The grilling season is upon us, and there’s a technique for Dad to try: the smashburger. Smashburgers entered the cultural zeitgeist as early as the mid-20th century. While they may seem like a modern culinary trend, initially the smashburger was a practical solution for making a small piece of unrefrigerated...
Western Pennsylvania Juneteenth Celebration a weekend of empowerment and joy
The spaces of Market Square and Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh teemed with revelers and vendors ready to celebrate the first day of Western Pennsylvania’s Juneteenth Celebration, produced by William “B” Marshall, CEO and founder of Stop the Violence. The first day of the weekend celebration, which is free...
Sewickley Juneteenth celebration set for June 22
Sewickley is set to celebrate Juneteenth with a vibrant community event on June 22, highlighting the significance of Black history and culture in the Quaker Valley. June 19, also known as Juneteenth, Freedom Day and Jubilee Day, is a celebration of the end of enslavement for all Black people. It...
Habitat for Humanity, Uptown Partners collaborate on affordable housing in Pittsburgh’s Hill District
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh and Uptown Partners of Greater Pittsburgh are creating opportunities for homeownership in the Hill District. A two-story home at 2002 Forbes Ave. will soon be in the renovation process and will be kept completely affordable under the Habitat Pittsburgh Homeownership Program. “This will allow...
Secretos de mis Abuelos in Homestead a must visit for Puerto Rican cuisine
Five years ago, Felipe Crespo was sitting in the barber’s chair at Primo Cuts, a Puerto Rican barbershop across the street from his apartment. As a new resident of Pittsburgh pursuing his master’s degree at Duquesne University, he was also searching for authentic Boricua food. After inquiring at the barbershop...
Poetry vs. Hip-Hop at City Winery brings out Pittsburgh spoken word artists
Maya White, a Pittsburgh native and a spoken word artist, won the grand prize of more than $1,000 at Queen Sheba’s Poetry vs. Hip-Hop event at City Winery in the Strip District. The show, part of a national tour at City Winery venues, made a stop in Pittsburgh on Friday...
Drums Not Guns helping students to heal through challenging experiences
Students at Westinghouse Academy and other local schools are benefiting from a fairly new initiative that aims to reduce violence through exposure to the arts. Linda “Imani” Barrett, a Hill District native, founded Legacy Arts Project in 2004. One of their programs is an initiative called Drums Not Guns. “The...
