Black Horizons; 2511; Unity

and welcome to Black Arise Design Chris Moore. Today we'll not only tell you about a few positive things that are happening in our communities, but we'll show you just how good at least one of them is going to be. The African American Unity Day picnic is coming up soon, and later in the show, a member of the planning committee will be here to tell you all about it. Summer is bustling with the kind of events that feature hot dogs, mom, and apple pie. The city's homewood section celebrates in all its glory with its second annual Homewood is Alive Black Arts Festival. You'll hear more about that in a moment. Let's start our program by flying high on the Wings of Success. Wings is a new team musical that deals and Amcultural Center is mounting, and here to tell you more about it is Carol Johnson, the center's director. Welcome back to Black Arise. Well, thank you. We've done a lot of interesting things in the five years that you have been involved as the director of Ozenham, and I say we only because we have helped promote some of the great things that you're doing. I remember the young Suzuki violin kids and how great they were. And you're starting a new program with that. But Ozenham seems to be primarily

known for its great basketball program. Does it give you any consternation that it's taken five years to maybe overcome that basketball -only image? Well, we're still working on that. We're constantly working on that because the focus is our educational, cultural, recreational, and athletic. And that's just one of the things that we do. And the program that you just mentioned, the violin program is one example of that. The team performing arts program that we're going to talk about today is another real strong program that we do every year. So who wants to learn how to score to Ozenham Cultural Center? That's right. Okay, because there's so many things that are going on on a cultural basis there. Tell me about wings for success. Well, wings for success is the result of a conversation at my dining room table. But the funny thing started the strain is ways, right? We were sitting there talking and eating, and we thought that it would be a good thing to plan something for teens that

would give them a work experience, but would give them something very unique in terms of a work experience. So they're getting paid? They're getting paid. This is a summer job for the students. And they're going to mount a musical. That's right, a wonderful musical. Man of Lamontia? Man of Lamontia. Okay, and this is all teens from all across the city, right? All across the city. They're 14 to 18. Those are the paid students that, but we do have a number of volunteers that are younger. We have probably the youngest students 12. Well, that's a great way to get a summer job, I guess. It's better than raking leaves. Not that there's anything wrong with raking leaves or cutting grass, but I think that's a great summer job with some practical experience. Because a lot of these youngsters want to be actors or actresses, right? A lot of them do. We have, I think, a cross section of students. There are some students that are involved with Rogers School for the Performing Arts and also Kappa, the High School for the Performing Arts. So they may be musicians, actors, whatever. Or singers, whatever. But then there are a number of other students that have never been on a stage in their lives. And this is a first experience for them. Okay, you brought a young

lady with you name Sabrina, right? Sabrina. Okay, and she's, what role does she play? Do you know in the musical? I can't tell. Think of it right now. But she's, she's 17. She's a Shenley High School student and she wants to make this a career. Okay, well, we're going to let you judge for yourself, whether or not she's going to have a good career. Sabrina Guterres is, was here a little bit earlier and we taped a segment. We're going to show it to you right now. Here is Sabrina Guterres. And I know you'll enjoy. What does he do, the things he does? Why does he do these things? Why does he march through the dream that he's in? Cuddled with glory and rusty o' teeth? Why does he live in a world that can be How, what does he want of

me? What does he want of me? Why does he say the things he says? Why does he say these things? Sleep, don't see me, I miss events such. Now the most hem of thy garment I've heard. No one can be what he wants me to be. Oh, what does he want of me? What does he want of me? Does he know he'll be left at wherever he'll go? And will he or not have anything by himself? I don't know.

Why does he want the things he wants? Why does he want these things? Why does he bather at walls that won't break? Why does he give when it's natural to take? Where does he see all the good he can see? Oh, what does he want of me? What does he want of me? Oh, so Brenna, she's very good, very good, yes indeed. I talked to her a little bit just as we were getting ready to tape that. And she said she was interested in almost any

section of the performing arts. I told her when she's a big Broadway performer or ten years from now, we're going to bring out this tape and show it when she comes back and she'll enjoy that and heck of a lot. She was nervous, but you could not tell it. You could not tell it in an accomplished performer. Are a lot of the performers like that? I'd say you could probably multiply that times 30. We have 30 students in the project, officially. And I think a lot of the students are just that poised. And we have a terrific staff that works with them. Okay, and who's the staff? Well, Mark Calla is our director and Henry Biggs, you saw accompanying her. And he's the music invocal director. And is this a full -fledged music? I mean, will there be costumes? Oh, yeah. Have you gotten that elaborate with it? Oh, we have costume designs and stage design. There are probably 12 to 15 staff people that are involved. And I do want to mention that we got our funding from the city of Pittsburgh. Okay. The JTPA funding. And this is our fifth anniversary. All from an idea you had at the dinner table. At the dining room table. Eating is converted with a lot of good things.

It's one of your most creative moments. Right. Well, I think that this is a good idea. And this is the second time you've done this play. So it could become a, not this play, but this kind of thing. It could become a Pittsburgh tradition, right? Well, it's our fifth anniversary. Okay. So we've done. I thought you said you'd done plays for two years. No, we did from the beginning. From the very beginning. From the very beginning. From the very beginning. So we did the whiz. We did pearly bubbling ground sugar. And something called lost in the stars last year. And now man from the mantra. How have they been received by the public? We've had a good, very good reception. We probably had 13 to 1500 people. Wow. They came out every time. And what? And Steven Foster? That's pretty much the place. It does. It does. We have three performances, two evening performances and one matinee. So people should get their tickets early, right? Well, it's free to the public. Oh, is it? It's free to the public. First come for a surf city. That's right. Oh, okay. So the students get a lot of good opportunities to perform. Right. In front of a huge crowd. Uh -huh. They get costumes. They get vocal instruction.

And they get paid. And they get paid. And I have all of them. That's right. We're all these programs. That's the key. I don't know. The dining room table. People talking like that. Okay. Well, Carol, thanks for being here. We wish you much success. And I understand you're starting a teen strings program, right? That's all. Okay. Well, we're going to have some of those folks back when they get ready. And we'll see them just like the little kids in the Suzuki program. Okay. It's a great collaboration. Uh -huh. And a great cooperation between young people. All of all races. All over the city, right? That's right. Okay. Thanks for being here with us. We appreciate it. Thank you. Okay. The Wings for Success Teen Musical will be performed August 20th. And 21st at the Stephen Foster Memorial Auditorium in Oakland. For more information, simply pick up your phone and call 281 -4046. That number again is 281 -4046. This year, Black Horizon celebrates its 25th anniversary. I can't believe it. We are planning big doings, and you can be part of it. Here's me to tell you more.

Hello, I'm Chris Moore. This year, Black Horizon celebrates its 25th year. 1968 was a year of change here in Pittsburgh. On April 4th, Dr. King was assassinated. And here in the city, riots soon followed. Later that month, Black Horizon began. It seems like a long time ago. But most of you remember 1968, all too vividly. We're asking you to help recall memories of 1968 now, along with eight of your video cameras. Just gather up some old photos and tape them, and send them along with you on camera, recounting your favorite memory of 1968. Each week during our Silver anniversary, we'll air one of your memories of 1968. It'll make you eligible for special prizes that we'll be offering. And later this year, you'll be invited to our Big 25th Anniversary Celebration Bash. So come on, get out those video cameras and those old photographs, and send along your favorite memory of 1968. Two, memories of 1968, and care of Black Horizon's

4802 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15213. All you have to do to enter is to remember when and recreate your favorite memory of 1968. Ooh, how did they do that? Same suit and everything, huh? Well, I hope that you'll join in the celebration. Dig out those old photos and let us hear from you. Well, here we are in the middle of summer, and that means summer festivals are in full swing. The Homewood Community is sponsoring The Homewood Is Alive Black Arts Festival, and I hear it's really going to be something. Here's Dwayne Wright to tell us more. Dwayne, how you doing? I'm Chris. All right, you coordinating this whole event, right? Yes, I am. Okay, now we need to make clear, I think, first of all, that this says nothing to do with Harambe except continuing a tradition. It's a whole different set of people. Everybody really loved the Harambe Festival, and nobody wants to see that tradition be discontinued. So there's another sort of festival that's sort of moving in and trying to provide an activity for folks, right? Yes, correct, Chris.

We had started our festival our first Homewood Is Alive Community Festival last year in July, and we were going to have our second one this year, but when Harambe canceled out, we were asked to put our festival in that spot, because people are looking for a festival, you know, in August we're used to that, because that's been going on since the 60s. And so we figured that we could fill that void there with the community festival. Well, how is it going to be different? How is it going to be the same? Well, basically, it'll be the same far as the vendors. We're going to have vendors coming from all over. We're going to have been a live entertainment on two stages, and what's going to be different about this festival is that we're going to have a lot of the community participation as far as the talent show in the local people who have a chance to vent. Okay, local people will be here, a lot of local talent, and it'll just be a fun time, right? Correct. Okay,

if the venue is going to be the same, it's going to be right in Homewood at the corner of Homewood and Kelly Street? Correct. Okay, what else is going to happen that people want to turn out for? Well, we're going to create some business opportunities too, so that's something that each committee's been working on, because there's a job shortage in the city, cutting the funding for the children's programs, the work for the summer. So we're devising different programs and activities for the kids to get involved in a chance to make some money before they go back to school to help get the burden off of the parents for buying school clothes. What kind of business opportunities are you talking about? Some of them, we're going to teach some of the kids how to do vending, and different merchants are coming together, and we're going to put our money together so we can help employ some of the kids, which we really don't have the money to do it, but we're going to come together as a collaborative so we can help some of these kids out. We got to make a way some way, right? Right. And kids are really the most important thing. Well, true, that's what it all boils

down to. It's the kids, because they're the ones that suffer the most out here. What do you see happening here? I know Harambe is sort of taking a hiatus. They may come back. Will you continue your festival if they do? Oh, yes. We will, because people still look for this festival in August, and I don't know what Harambe's plans are or when they were planning on having their festival, but if they come back and want to have it in August, then we'll leave it alone. But if they don't have it in this spot, we'll still have this spot. Okay. Well, it sounds like a good idea to me. Are you looking for a good turnout? Almost as many as have come to Harambe. Yeah, we're looking for a great turnout. We're surprising. A few of my friends that don't want some of the communities went to Detroit to a festival up there, and they were talking about the festival, and he got some of the vendors' cards and stuff, and so I've met them in formation. And then one of the other guys, he was up in New York beginning in the month they have a week -long African street fear. And they

were talking about the festival. There, they were talking about that. It was canceled. Harambe canceled. And they also knew that there was going to be a festival in that place. And so we gave them information on the festival too. So there will be out of town visitors too? Yes, there will be. Now, one of the things that I know that you call it is the Homewood is a live Black Arts Festival. Let's take the first part of that. Homewood is a live. People need to know that. It's bustling. The rebuilding buildings, the right -aid pharmacy just opened out there on Bennett and Homewood Avenue. There's a lot going on in Homewood and you want to make sure that people know that, right? Yeah, that's another thing. You see, the media always picks up one of the negative things going on in the community. But there are a lot of good things going on. The HBRDC, they're building a lot of new homes and they're doing a lot of things in that area. A lot of businesses open. They're encouraging new businesses to come in and different agencies are coming in. So that's what we want to know. We're still alive. It's not just all the negative stuff going on. We have plans to help get rid of all that too. So a little media puts out some positive stuff

there. Like what you're doing today. The second part of that is the Black Arts Festival. What kind of artists will we see? We'll have different art displays and we'll have different cultural things, artifacts and paintings. We'll have gold coins from Africa, silver coins, different kinds of jewelry. We'll even have documentation of people actually being signed. They're freedom from slavery. And that's all different things like that. It looks like a good thing to me. If people want to get involved, is there a phone number that they can call? Yes, I can be reached at 731 -9238. Would you repeat that number please? 731 -9238. Is it too late to become a vendor at this point? No, it is. And we still have some spots available. Some spots available. All right, thanks for being here. You appreciate it. All right. Hey, more festivals to come. But first, Rough Guy is a new PBS program that is supposed to be a hip travel series exploring some unusual vacation spots around the world.

One of the African countries I would like to visit, I have friends there, Zimbabwe. Let's see how hip the producers of Rough Guy think Zimbabwe is. Rough Guy? A walk on the wild side in Zimbabwe. On safari at Wangay National Park, rafting the raging Zambisi, trekking through the biggest bar in Africa, plus a theater group raising awareness about AIDS and to look at the custom of buying your bride for a few cows. This is travel with an attitude on the next Rough Guy. Rough Guy adheres Monday August 2nd at 10pm. The summer festivals continue in and around Pittsburgh and one of the biggest in the African American community is the African American Unity Day picnic. Here is Valerie and Jay of the Bidwell Training Center. Bidwell is one of the agencies that sponsors the picnic. Welcome back to Black Horizons. We're glad to have you here. A whole group of agencies sponsor this

picnic and I won't even ask you to start naming any of them for fear of leaving it out, but it's a collaborative. And I think that's one thing that's important to point out where a lot of people, a lot of different agencies come together and folks can come together and have a good time. Is that correct? That is correct. It initially started as an NAACP annual picnic and about five years ago, numerous other organizations in the Black community joined forces within ACP. So it's been a very successful, well attended event. What can people expect? Throughout the day, there will be entertainment from two o 'clock continuously until seven. Lots of local talent, Cara's motto with Robin Wright on cue, which was formally swayed, is going to be there. The Living Springs Ensemble. I don't know if you're aware that Kingsley Association had a four -day talent contest back in May. The winners of that contest will be performing in a number of other groups. So we will have entertainment at eight o 'clock. WAMMA will be bringing in

a national act. So there will be a lot of things happening. They'll have to say who it is. Not yet, but it promises to be very good. It promises to be excellent. There will be fireworks, bingo, drawings with major appliances. So it's going to be a very exciting day. So if I come, I should bring my truck in case I win and I had to wash the dry. It might be a good idea because all of the prizes have to be taken. Then? That's right. So come prepared. That's right. Come prepared. It's a card at home. Well, I can see getting on the bus when they wash the dry. Yeah. You're aware that in the community in some quarters, there's been some criticism of this event going out to Kinneywood and spending all of that money and not turning dollars over in the black community. How do you answer that? Because the people I know that supported say it's a great time to do something positive. It is no different from Italian, American day, or any of the other ethnic days that are held in Kinneywood. I understand that there are some individuals who are concerned. However, let me say

that we've had an average of 16 ,000 people coming out annually, even on a bad day. The day the promises to rain. So I think that while individuals are concerned that still the majority of people look forward to it, we have more and more individuals who consider it like a family reunion. We have lots of people who come from out of town to join their family to see people they haven't seen in years. And so for those who are concerned, we look forward to whatever they can plan, and wherever they'd like to plan it. But this seems to be increasing in terms of success and popularity. Since you talk about it, increasing in terms of success and popularity, do you attribute that to all of these agencies joining in with the NAACP and just not the NAACP being the only sponsor anymore? I think that's part of it. And also people are looking for something to do. Like you said, there is no Harambe this year. But even when there was Harambe, people would go from our function to Harambe the next day. And so we're looking forward to the minority community joining

forces and supporting one another. And I think that the fact that you do have so many organizations like Bidwell and Hill House Kingsley, AME, Ministerial Alliance, you have a wide cross -section of agencies and organizations involved. That probably does attribute to its success. Will you be taking your family? You're going to spend the day there? Absolutely. Big five. Yes, it is. It's really a good thing. We'll say who will be putting any of his art on your husband? No, that's the one thing that we don't do. Unlike a lot of festivals, we do not have vendors participating in it. But he'll be there with his camera. Yes, he'll be. I thought you told him, no, you cannot work. This is going to be family fun. But you'll probably be doing a lot of the work, right? Yes. It is a lot of work for the participating agencies, but it's worth it when you see the people who embrace it and look forward to it. Individuals start calling even in September. In

terms of the entertainment, we have a lot of people who are throughout the year calling to find out how they can participate. So a lot of people do look forward to it. Is that still open? People who can come and call and participate in various ways in the program activities? In terms of volunteers, we do still need volunteers. I'm looking forward to getting calls. I'm a bid well training center, and I will be organizing the volunteer component. So we do need volunteers, but in terms of entertainment, we already have our entertainment finalized. You need some folks who can do some work. That's right. What kind of volunteers would you use? Are there face painters? No, we're looking crowd control. Although Kenny would have that cover. We're looking for individuals to pass our booklets. We have very nice booklets to hand out as individuals enter the park. Individuals just do some running to assist with the bingo and things like that. Since people will be coming from all over the region, do you think that that breaks down some of the artificial barriers that we have placed

between our communities? Northside doesn't go to the hill. Hill doesn't come to homewood. Homewood doesn't go to Wilkinsburg. You're going to have people from all over the region throughout the Mon Valley, almost everywhere there. Does that break down some of those barriers? It seems to. It definitely does, because people come from all areas. In fact, people from outlining areas tend to be there at 10 o 'clock waiting for the park to open. They wanted a good park. They come. They bring bus loads. And they come from all of the consortium areas. You can get tickets at any NAACP office in all of the outlining areas. So you do have a wide cross section of people coming from all over. People even come from West Virginia. Is it better to get your tickets from the NAACP? Or can you just buy them as you enter the park? Well, you can get discounted tickets in advance at any of the participating organizations at the Rankin Christian Center, Crestis Community Center, in addition to all of the sponsoring agencies, like Kings of the Association and the Hill House and O's in there. Okay. And

it's important to know that you can get that discount if you get the tickets early, right? That's right. You need to get them in advance. And also, two of our main sponsors are Sheridan Broadcasting WAMO and the New Pittsburgh Courier. Well, the Sheridan will probably be giving away some tickets on there. Well, I'm not certain of that. But they are providing the entertainment. We will have, like I said, a main national group entertaining, providing entertainment at 8 o 'clock. Well, it sounds like a good thing to me to find a word to anybody who might be considering coming. We just like to encourage them to come because it's such a great day for fun and meeting old friends. And we'd like individuals to contact any of the agencies to get tickets in advance. And what day will it happen again? It will be Friday, August 13th, from 11 until, I think, 11 .30 in the evening at night. Valerie Inja, thanks for being here with us. We appreciate it. Thank you. Okay. The African -American unity picnic will happen on August 13th at Kennywood Park. The park opens at 11 a .m. So if you want to

join the festivities, you can be one of those early birds and go out there and just stay until the park closes. For more information, call 4625123. That number again is 4625123. Well, that's all for this edition of Black Horizons. I hope that you'll join me for my weekly radio talk show on the UCXJ. It's called Black Talk. And if I don't see you here next week, I'll hear you there. Bye. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank

you.