Shaylah Brown stories, Page 6
Understanding the importance of sunscreen in the Black community
Like many Black men and women, Jessica Pearson didn’t learn about sunscreen growing up. It wasn’t until adulthood, through her training to become an esthetician, that she became aware of the importance of sun protection. That lack of education is common in the Black community, and as summer approaches, knowledge...
Super Smash Burgh in Penn Hills poised to bring all the flavor — and a family vibe
Marcus Porter has been around good food his entire life. Sunday dinners growing up were always at his house. When surrounded by delicious fare, he said, you quickly learn how to cook — and so he did. Now, Porter is poised to open Super Smash Burgh on June 1, and...
Historic Sewickley train station, a hub of Black culture, on the market for $800K
A historic property in Sewickley is on the market. Built in 1887, 20 Chadwick St. is a neo-Tudor-style building that originally served as the train station in Sewickley. It later became a cultural hub for the Black community and now is a commercial building home to a CrossFit gym with...
Alyssa Lyon champions environmental justice through community activism, education
Alyssa Lyon wants people to stay connected to the environment, each other and themselves. Growing up in the Bronx, Lyon considers herself a “stoop kid” — afternoons after school were often spent playing on the block, with the sounds of laughter and running children behind her. Now the director of...
Ashante Josey’s artistic journey celebrates the beauty and resilience of locs
Artist Ashanté Josey is transforming the narrative of natural hair through her series focused on the journeys of people who wear their hair in locs. Combining her passion for portraiture with deep, personal storytelling, Josey takes oral histories of each subject before she begins painting. Her work, celebrated in the...
Carnegie Mellon grad aims to make West African cuisine more accessible
Ozioma Aniagu sits in her Downtown Pittsburgh apartment, beaming with excitement over her upcoming achievement — she’s one day away from becoming an alumna of Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. Her box braids are styled in a bun secured by a wax print scarf, and she wears a...
Ecotone Renewables turns food waste into gold with Soil Sauce
Banana peels and thrown-away leftovers can hold surprising value. Ecotone Renewables, for example, takes food waste and transforms it into Soil Sauce, a plant fertilizer. While composting often is the first solution that comes to mind for food waste, Ecotone aims higher. The partially Black-owned company’s goal is to divert...
How 5 Black women are impacting Pittsburgh’s wellness scene
Black women in Pittsburgh are making a mark in the wellness community. Their unwavering commitment and innovative approaches are breaking down barriers and fostering a sense of inclusivity and belonging in a realm often perceived as inaccessible to people of color. The five Black women in this story are a...
Residents voice displeasure over lack of upkeep at Cribbs Field in Verona
Like many residents of Oakmont and Verona, Colin Wiehagen would like to know what is going on with Cribbs Field. Wiehagen, an Oakmont resident who works in Verona, has children who use the fields for baseball and softball. The fields, where some of his fondest memories were made, have seen...
Soundwalk interactive installation honors Hill District icons Frankie Mae, Charles Henry Pace
The interactive installation Soundwalk in the Hill District pays homage to the community work of Frankie Mae and Charles Henry Pace as musicians, activists and entrepreneurs from the 1930s to the 1960s. Taking place from 2-4 p.m. Saturday in the Hill District’s Frankie Mae Pace Park, the Soundwalk celebrates the...
Homewood’s BBQ maestro: Drew Allen’s journey from DJ to pitmaster extraordinaire
Drew Allen, owner of Showcase BBQ in Homewood, moves swiftly. If you can’t keep pace with his speed, you might lose sight of him amid a haze of smoke. Patrons queue up before the restaurant opens, eagerly anticipating the savory, finger-licking taste of his ribs that are hailed by many...
August Wilson Block Party marks playwright’s birthday
On Saturday, the community will come together in the Hill District to celebrate the legacy of August Wilson during the annual block party that also serves as a birthday celebration for the late playwright. “We have the opportunity to spread the message of August Wilson and the story of August...
Pittsburgh Juneteenth Celebration details announced
Planning for Pittsburgh’s Juneteenth Freedom Celebration Festival is in full swing. Juneteenth — or Freedom Day — is a celebration of the emancipation of African Americans and commemorates June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure the freedom of all enslaved people. B. Marshall, CEO and...
KRUNK Movement students release original album with Earth Day theme
Climate change and the environment are issues that students of Hazelwood’s KRUNK Movement aim to help with, one song at a time. “Su(Stained) Reality,” an album created by the students, is an examination of social and environmental justice, climate change and health. Featuring 10 original songs, the album was released...
Skincare company holds deep roots for Washington County family
Philip and Vania Gbee founded Nabakindo Skincare in 2020 as a tribute to their cultural heritage, family and commitment to their community. Their commitment to simplicity is certainly important for their daughter Amirah, 8, who has eczema and inspired their first product, Sweet Dreams, a body moisturizer designed to alleviate...
Roundtable will discuss power of Black women ahead of primary election
With the Pennsylvania primary election less than a week away, Sisters Saving Ourselves Now and The Pittsburgh-Western PA Black Women’s Roundtable aim to bring awareness to voting rights. The focus is on voter turnout and the power of Black women. The roundtable, which begins at 10 a.m. Friday at Freedom...
Monongahela Whiskey Exchange brings diversity to local wine and spirits scene
Aaron Kendeall, a whiskey distiller and owner of Monongahela Whiskey Exchange (MWX), found himself drawn into the world of spirits just as he reached the legal drinking age. While studying Japanese in college and exploring Japan, he became captivated by the art of distillation and blending. Kendeall’s background in marketing...
New Kensington woman, 95, is oldest descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings
April 13 was the 281st anniversary of the birth of Mary Lee Brady-Atkins’ great-great-great-grandfather. The same could be said for lots of people, but Brady-Atkins’ ancestor was Thomas Jefferson. Yes, that Thomas Jefferson — third president of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence. It’s quite the...
Pittsburgh has a vibrant Black female DJ scene
Mary Dee Dudley was a pioneer of Pittsburgh and America’s music scene, breaking barriers in 1948 as the country’s first Black woman to become a DJ. The Homestead native established Studio Dee in the Hill District and debuted “Movin’ Around with Mary Dee” on WAOB Radio. Her impact echoes through...
Building the Valley: Boutique, hair supply store creates opportunities for entrepreneur in beauty industry, beyond
Good Hair Boutique, a hair supply store catering to natural hair products and protective styles, has a glamorous feel with products galore. The West Tarentum beauty supply store is a mecca for all things self-care — it’s a hair supply store, an impromptu salon, a makeup artist studio and a...
Pittsburgh Muslims celebrate Eid and reflect on Ramadan
Muslims around the world celebrated Eid on Wednesday, including those in Pittsburgh. Salaah Brooks, Imam of the First Muslim Mosque, al-Masjid al-Awwal, in the Hill District, celebrated the Eid holiday on Wednesday with his congregation, in accordance with the tenets of orthodox Sunni Islam. “We began our day with a...
Sewickley’s St. Matthew’s A.M.E. Zion Church to be fully accessible with elevator
The oldest African American church in Sewickley — and home to the Daniel B. Matthews Historical Society — is enhancing its accessibility with the addition of an elevator. Renovations have been ongoing over the years at St. Matthews A.M.E. Zion Church on the corner of Thorn and Walnut streets with...
Historic Hill Institute to host celebration of Freedom House Ambulance Services
The Historic Hill Institute will host a communitywide Freedom House Celebration on May 15 to honor the groundbreaking emergency medical service. The first EMS in the nation, Freedom House originated in the Hill District with people of color at the forefront. “Every time someone hears a siren, they need to...
‘I am’ Art Exhibition seeks Pittsburgh artists
Quincy Swatson is inviting artists across the city and beyond to be part of a gallery show he is curating in May called “I am.” The art exhibition aims to showcase the diverse tapestry of the human experience and the duality of art. “There’s so much in the world that’s...
Brunch encourages young Black women in Pittsburgh navigating adversity
Sharnay Hearn Davis, author and founder of The Sisters Lifting as We Climb Network, has curated a brunch event on Saturday to help women and girls navigate adversity. Called the “Power Broker Brunch,” it’s the organization’s fourth iteration of the experience during Women’s History Month. Hearn Davis hopes that the...
