Black Horizons; 2537; Sweet Honey

You Hello, this is Black Horizons, and I'm Chris Moore. The Acapella singing groups, Sweet Honey and the Rock returns to Pittsburgh soon, and today we'll give you a preview of the fantastic group and tell you who their performance will benefit. We'll also give you some information about the Home to Survival Project and Operation Saver Life and tell you how you can help save a life. It seems like Manette Seat just don't get around much anymore, but she'll be a hear via the Magic of Video Tape to review above the rim, the latest in

a line of Urban Bee Bowl movies. All that and a lot more as they say, so let's start with Alma Speed, Fox and Martha Garvey, who are here to tell us about the Pittsburgh Ranch NAACP's 40th annual Human Rights Dinner. Wow, can you believe me? Wow, maybe I should ask about B -Ball move? Yes. Oh, I'm very happy to be here. We're having our 40th annual NAACP Human Rights Dinner on April 11th at the Hotel Hilton and Towers, and our principal speaker this year will be Derek Bell. Will he be talking about his new book? I'm sure that's one of the things he will be talking about, and that space is at the bottom of the wheel, the permanence of racism, which is a wonderful book. It's very entertaining as well as enlightening to see what could happen to us, and he tells us a lot of what if stories in that book. Now the premise is I understand it is aliens come from out of space, and that's one of the nine stories that he tells about things that could happen, and it's just wonderful. Another

interesting part of the dinner is Martha's part that she always had. He tells us about that. One of the original purposes of the dinner was to honor people who have started or completed their life membership since the last dinner. In this year we have what I think is kind of an interesting phenomenon. We have more than 30 people who have completed their life memberships and two. Is that a new all -time high? It may well be. I have to go back in life box of papers to figure that out, and two people who have completed their Golden Heritage Life memberships. But we have a smaller number of people who have started their life memberships, and I think I'll leave the significance of that to others and encourage people to up that figure for us for next year. Okay. There are other things going on. Scholarships will be awarded. Is that correct? Scholarships will be awarded this year. Again, it's drawn into a very, very big venture. The principal supplier of

the scholarships is Pepsi Cola. Of course, there are others such as Name of the Game and Arco. But it has grown so large that now there has to be a separate reception just prior to the dinner in order to give all the youngsters their awards. Otherwise, you'll be there all night. Well, no. This will be early. And we are our co -chair. Estelle Smith, who is with Duquesne Light. Formerly, she was with the bank, Heritage Bank. She promises that this is going to zip right on line. And of course, we don't want to. We don't want to take anything away from Miss Smith. But then we've been with that dinner for 40 years. And if this happens right like that, that'll be wonderful. She is a great person. And if anyone can do it, she can. Okay. So we've got scholarships, life memberships. We've got a great speaker. And in fact, almost a homeboy coming home to talk. Not almost a Harvard Law professor. He is a homeboy. He was raised in the Hill District and most of the members over there shaking his head. He was poor. Nobody knows what you're

talking about. Who's shaking your head? He went over to the University of Pittsburgh. And he was one black person that was graduated from his class in 1957. He had went to Harvard to teach. He's taught at Harvard for 16 years. A couple of years ago, he was forced out because he took a leave of absence because Harvard would not tenure an African -American woman. And after two years, when he didn't return, their rules say if you don't return in two years, then you're automatically. We accept that. We classify that as a resignation. So now he's a teacher at the scholar in residence at NYU at the New York University Law School. One thing we should mention is that he was between the time he went to the Justice Department in the Civil Rights Division out of Pit Law School. He resigned way back then because they asked him to give up his NAACP

membership because they considered it a conflict of interest with his work in the Civil Rights Division. And he was also executive. Then he came back and became Executive Secretary of the Pittsburgh Grant. That was a job I once had. And then it was Executive Secretary. Of course, when Tim got the job, they changed it to Executive Director. I don't know. It was just some female bias for you. But these stories that Derek Bell tells in his book, the latest one, they're nine stories. And they're based on fact, but they're told in a what if fashion allegory, what if this would happen. And one is particularly sets in my mind when he says that these people from space come and they're going to give the United States all the good things that they need to piece in and clean air and nuclear only one thing. And guess what that one thing is they want all of us, all of us African Americans, to go back to their space, their start. Well, don't tell everybody what happens. I think it would be interesting to read it. It's very interesting to read what happens because they're not only what you think white people would do, but what

would you think black people would do also. Very interesting. Okay, the number of calls for ticket information. 4 -7 -1 -1024. Would you repeat that for those who might be scrambling for their pen and paper? Take it away. That's 4 -7 -1 -1024. You guys make a jazzy duel here. We'll write the title later. Okay, and the date again? Monday, April 11th. 1994. 6 .30 p .m. Hotel Hilton Towers. Okay, thanks for being here. We appreciate it. Thanks for having us. Okay, sweet honey in the Rock is an internationally known all -female aqua fella singing group that will rock your socks with their music and their message. To prove the point, here they are performing a song with a message we should all heed. Women should be a priority

respected and of held in society given all the proper notoriety. Never used or abused by authority figures like the media that trashes us. Play down the hype that constantly bashes our image. TV movies on the videos use women's bodies to create a sex show. Too many times seen as a sex symbol. No really tell it just to bring this symbol. Not taking serious leave for who she needs to be. A human being with the right to be free. And I misinterpret it so much of the time. A no means yes. Only in a man's mind. Women who struggle and shout take back the knife are often viewed by others in the wrong life. To daily violence or rape don't misconstrue. It is a fact of life and it could be a lot of fun. Sweet honey in the rock. What a message. Hi, I'm here with Angela Ford and Jim Henry from the Hill House they have the beneficiaries of the concert and so we wanted to show you just a little bit of sweet honey for those of you who might not be familiar. Angela you have seen them in performance right. Just so I have in fact that point state park when you introduced and co -hosted. That's right.

And then they were here last year at Carnegie Music Hall to a sold out performance. So you should get your tickets early. Now you to represent the organizations that will benefit the Alzheimer's outreach center. Can you tell us a little bit about it in the Hill House. Tell us about it. The outreach center is a satellite program of the Alzheimer's disease research center here at the University of Pittsburgh and we are about to end our third year housed at the Hill House and our primary focus is to increase the awareness of Alzheimer's disease in the African -American and disadvantaged communities. And are you doing that now? We are definitely are. We do a lot of community and educational programs. What difference have you seen in the what it's been about two years that you've been there? About two and a half years. Two and a half years. What difference have you seen in awareness about Alzheimer's in the population that you serve? Well because people are now starting to live a lot longer. We know that it's not normal to get old and become confused. And a lot of the African -American families that we talk

to are amazed that they've been dealing with some symptoms that they consider to be just normal aging and probably are not. So people oftentimes when they get the information say oh maybe this is what my mother is dealing with. And that's been really interesting because people were starting to become more aware what the normal aging process means in terms of memory loss. Yeah I guess in over 20 years of producing public affairs programs I see black people in the lead unfortunately in the statistics of unawareness about almost everything that you could name that could kill us from cancer rates to kidney failure. And now we're learning more about Alzheimer's and how we should treat our elders if they are suffering some form of dementia or memory loss right? Right. Okay and with the benefits from this concept you'll be able to do more. That's right. Right. And help more people. Right. Jim Henry with the Hill House. Gee you're in so much man you've got people meeting there you've got music going on there you've got programs for young people old people and everybody in between I would imagine the proceeds

will help you in your mission too. Well no question Chris because we have a lot of programs as you mentioned all the way from preschool to the senior citizens and in fact probably one of our current challenges that we're focusing in on are young people that have no high school diploma. Actually single parents two years ago we were probably the second largest alternative education program in the city of Pittsburgh. We have about 30 second largest only to the job corps. Gee who is? We have about 38 young men in our father's program right now they all have they're all single parents and we're working with them and trying to get them back into some self -sufficiency mode. Are they the primary care givers for their children or are you developing a whole role on what it means to be a male parent? Well that's right. We're really trying to develop that role because for many of them they are unemployed they don't have the skills right now and many don't even have a high school education. So but we're trying to increase that awareness and that deep seed inside

for them to be the primary care giver in the family and contribute in more ways than what we get into parenting as well. So there are all kinds of issues that you really have to deal with in order to reach the populations that you serve. What else what else what are the other interesting programs that you have? Well I mentioned our elderly program we service over 2 ,000 individuals in and around the Hill district through our new opportunities for the aging program and everything from meals on wheels to outreach to social recreation. In fact we just had over 50 of them into our center last week to play the prices right. For us on a competing channel I do I guess I should say that but it was fun. We're thinking about the dating game next month. Oh yes. Maybe if you'll you'll be allowed will auction a date with Chris Moore they'll probably fight over that. Evidence is on the end I'll take okay. Well there'll probably be a free date to the dairy queen or something like that. Oh yeah. Okay. You

don't know us we can have fight with a model you can on a once ever evening to sit down. There you go. Weather be right by then. That'd be great. How do you keep coming up with all this innovation and the unique programs to meet the needs. There's so much that has to be done. Well I'm very fortunate Chris because I've got an excellent staff. I mean I've got a good line of supporting characters at Hill House. I think that's one of the first things that we try to do and that we're normally complimented on is that people feel comfortable. For instance we've got a lot of gang members in that team parenting program but we haven't made the newspapers so that means we're doing something right. Okay well I don't like to make the newspaper because okay so we've got a lot of young males and they've got their their dress on but they come for purpose and they feel welcome. And they're trying to do something. And they're trying to do something. They're not making a newspaper. That's right. Angela what's next new challenges for outreach for Alzheimer's? Absolutely

in June on June 10th we're sponsoring a conference entitled Issues of Aging and Dementia in the African American Community our keynote speaker will be Dr. Rose Campbell Gibson from the University of Pittsburgh. She's authored several authored a book and co -authored several books related to African Americans and Aging. And she said all that one breath. That's why she's here. Well I hope the concerts are great success and I hope the proceeds will just flow in and you both be able to continue the good work that you're doing. Thank you very much. Thanks for having me. Thanks for having me. On April 16th sweet honey in the rock will perform at Soldiers and Sailors Hall for more information on this concert that will benefit the Alzheimer's Outreach Center and the Hill House call 3231919. That number again is 3231919. Minute seat is here with us through the magic of video tape. She used to come around and put in a personal appearance but anyway we can get it here we're glad to have her. Many it's been so long where have you been? It's so nice to

see you. It's glad it's glad I'm glad we're all glad to have you back. How you doing? I'm doing pretty well you know when there's been very long and hard as it has been for everyone. Absolutely. Let's bring this front. Bring this front. The flowers has risen. And here you is. We pour it to you but don't know it. A lot of basketball movies seem to be coming. Yeah. Above the rim is the latest one. It's true and it opened and it stars Tupac Shakur who's become quite a movie star nowadays and star of the courtroom too. Yeah well he gets around and Dwayne Martin and yet another one of the Wayans family Marlon Wayans and it's a movie pointed about a young man who was torn between the admiration and respect of his peers what his mom wants him to turn out to be and what he himself wants from his life and trying to do the right thing or do what he wants to do. I hate to sound like those two other guys who review movies but has basketball become a metaphor for a young teen's life now in the movies? It pretty much has. I mean I used to be I don't know I guess in the 50s it was like drag strips and switch blades

and now it's basketball. I don't know what happened. Things move really quickly but basketball I think is a good way for filmmakers to symbolize the struggles in a young black man's life. The team what do you call it when men the camaraderie of men together and learning to work together to accomplish exactly the whole male bonding thing as opposed to what the real world represents for you which is nothing everyone's for themselves. There are a lot of themes running through this movie one is the coming of age and and how somebody does it listening to your coach your elders your peers your mother's boyfriend any of these things there's also the theme of the mother and again we find the single mother struggling to have her own life and the rebellious young kid that seems to be a constant in a lot of the urban movies also. Right it seems like it's a recurring theme and if statistically

it's true if you believe statistics but a lot of times there are two parents present in the home and I'd like to see a movie where a family grows up in the city and has a mother and a father just to see what happens other than good times the last time I watched good times was the last time I saw an inner city family with a mother and a father in the same house who weren't killing each other. Part of this story is not only about the teens coming of age but the mother as we said trying to find her own life and the clip that we are about to see has to do with when mom finds a boyfriend and she's getting ready to go out on a date and the table sort of get turned as to who's the parent and who's not right. Right one of the good things about this movie is that it does have these little side bars it has this whole dynamic going on between the teenage son who's about to go away to college and his mom and his mom's always taking care of him and told him what to do and now he's a man and he doesn't want his mom going out with somebody who's a toy cop but as she's dating is a security guard at his school and he's just he's full of all kinds of problems his mom's dating he's dating a

guy he doesn't respect he's just he's going to straighten her right out. Oh boy let's look at this clip and see if he can straighten who straightens out hmm. I can't believe you're going out with that toy cop again. What do you even know about him huh well well at least tell me what time you're coming home look worried about curfews now no I'm worried about you well how does it feel I was waiting up again last night where were you chilly well that's not good enough do I have to ground you well you have to be home to ground me I can ground you from a pay phone boy yeah well this ain't no gel and you ain't no cop because you're knocking boots with the body fight no you sit your pants and ask down you don't pay rent here you don't pay bills and you did not bring me into this world don't you disrespect me again do you understand do you understand yeah but I don't love it. Oh the tables have turned huh who's in charge here you didn't come home last night

actually happened in my house you know I can see your mom now come here bend out so I can grab you might sit around the dining room table and look at him her brother is a huge guy and a mom is real little I guess you should know that there's a lot of dramatic basketball action in this in this movie too good action with some guys who can really play right the lot of the guys I'd say that a famous playground rikers playground in Harlem on 150th Street and these guys who participated in a lot of the shooting sequences and also worked as production advisors and technical advisors are a basketball players who played in the actual shootouts these tournaments between the guys in the streets the best playgrounds in New York all competed at this one great big championship game that was held there every summer and Dr. Jay played at this playground growing up and so did Will Chamberlain and so did lots of famous players yes they did they went right to the actual place where these things truly happened and the biggest thing that I noticed when I read about this movie was that there are so many players that not only were involved in the making of the movie but the group there in the 50s 60s and 70s that were

good enough they said to play at the NBA or college level anytime but had nothing else but their basketball skills all they had was what they had at the playground which is pretty much the point of the movie no matter how good you are at basketball you need something to fall back on you recommend people go see this one I mostly recommend that younger people go see this especially if you're involved in sports at school so you'll know that there's more to school than playing a game I mean there are only 5 ,000 professional athletes in the entire country and you're talking about basketball you're talking about all professional athletes and there are over 500 ,000 like amateur athletes so that's that's a big ratio to getting knocked down hey don't stay away too long well it's not my fault the bus broke down the bus broke down indeed well here we are with Mike Salos and Tracy couch there with the homeless survival project and they join us to tell us more about the project and something they call operations save a life Mike welcome back please days don't make you come back bring you good turn place and blues we can do that you can do that do some tunes about homeless people homeless people yes one of the biggest things that people I guess need to be

reminded of is that homeless people have some dignity too would you say there's a tendency in America to view any guy that's homeless or any woman that's homeless on the street the first question that pops into a lot of people's minds is why don't they just go get a job and the message that we have in Pittsburgh is the fact that Pittsburgh does does wonderful business for the homeless people and we really there are a lot of things to be accessed by homeless people especially grassroots organizations like operations save life the homeless survival project primarily because we're all ex homeless people and we know where the homeless people are coming from you were homeless for about six years off and on you sir yeah what causes if I may be a person a variety of things basically I was seeking employment and had a little trouble at home you know a lot of people don't understand that many of us and I clue myself in this one I

say us can be just one paycheck away from the proverbial poorhouse exactly and that's that's the whole point the the bottom line is when you're a homeless person in any major city in America it is a full -time job you're looking at 24 hours a day just taking care of business as far as like keeping clothes on your back keeping yourself fed you know yeah yeah and initially I had that same view of homeless people why don't they go get a job when I went through my experience I came to realize that homeless people in America today are the toughest people we got they are the survivors if you can make it out then it's street means streets you can make it in there exactly it's like Tracy you with operations save life tell us a little bit about that it's a program that's been actually developed for probably two years now and it's a group of formerly homeless people I was temporarily homeless myself for about three months living

in my car and but we have actually now we have doctors we have attorneys going out with us we have pit students to cane students to go out with us this is a new consciousness about homeless people I knew awakening among everyday people that I think more people are getting involved now because I mean you don't have to be dumb not educated to be on the street I mean there's there's people out there with PhDs they're living on the street so it's it's a variety of different people a lot of people say think it's drug and alcohol or it's a convicts on the street you know but there's a variety of people out there and they need you know people like us to outreach to them well what sort of outreach are you doing through save life and and survival basically with with the save life in the homeless survival project what we do is we're out on the street seven nights a week okay we have enough volunteers we go out we provide some food provide some material good especially in the wintertime we try to do interventions so people are not

frostbitten this year with the help of operation safety net which is the mercy outreach medical outreach there were no cases of frostbite that resulted in people getting fingers and toes cut off this year and that has happened in Pittsburgh oh yes yes that was the the main impetus for for getting save life together when we put the program together well how can people who are watching this program get involved what can they do to help basically there's a couple ways you can get involved number one if you're looking at homeless people as why don't these people just do something drop that attitude drop that attitude first the second way you can get involved is by contacting operation save life the homeless survival project what's the phone on you can get in touch with them seven six one nine one six three three seven six one nine one six three okay the homeless survival project and operation save life is six eight one no six two one six two one twenty seven oh six six six two one forty seven oh six and the contact

people would be Dan Robinson and Tracy couch okay well I hope that people will remember that and and they can get involved you you accept donations of blankets what the homeless survival project will take anything food clothes blanket sleeping bag save a life primarily takes blanket sleeping bag personal hygiene packets personal hygiene pack that kind of stuff yeah and people try to keep their dignity yes yes the other thing one thing is drop that attitude right that's that's it the other thing we would like to offer is the fact that if there is anyone who is looking for relatives on the street we can give us a phone number we'll have the relatives get in touch with you okay thanks for being here fellas keep up good work appreciate it Chris all right well that's it for this week please remember to join me on W6J for black talk my daily radio talk show heard on 1550 on the 8M dial remember if I don't see you here I'll hear you there and to all my Christian friends and you all my friends I hope you have a

happy