Black Horizons; 2507; Tuffy Tuff

Hello, this is Black Horizons and I'm Chris Moore. We've been preempted for the last two weeks but we're back now and glad you joined us. Today you'll hear a fantastic African -American charity event or you'll hear about an event that gives big bucks to African -American organizations enabling them to do a world of good in our community. Black Horizons celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and we're planning a special event that you, our viewers, can participate in and even help create. We'll tell you more about it and all the fun that is to come later. Speaking of fun, a young rapper with a message is here today. We'll take a listen to what he has to say and find out why local groups get little -a -no airplay on area stations. But first up today, let's talk to Mike Salos and Dan Robinson. These guys do exactly what your mother told you never to do. They stay on the streets and often late at night by doing so, they're saving lives. Welcome to our program. We're glad to have you guys here. Dan, let me start with you. You've got a very interesting story to

tell about the work that you're involved in. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and who you are? Well, basically, I work for community human services. I guess a few years ago growing up, you know, I got into the drug scene in the alcohol. Yeah, so you got the biker from Hiltet, it would scare somebody to death. You were into that? Yeah, I was into that. I used to ride with an outlaw motorcycle club. And you've accidentally done a big time at Graderford? I've done some self -injail. Well, I found myself in jail and kind of lost everything I had ever had, you know, family, friends, loved ones from shooting drugs mostly. You know, jail actually in a lot of ways saved my life. And you went back to school in jail and when you got out, you started... I'm trying to get the show started. When I got to the end of my time, I was ready for parole. I had an opportunity to go back home,

but I didn't want to. I wanted to come and turn things around. Yeah, I just wanted to try something different. Basically, I did a lot of praying on it. It's how it worked out, but I wound up coming to Pittsburgh and the shelter down at Wood Street Commons. So now you're working with Operation Save Life and you're working with Homeless Folk? Is this a ministry for you? Is this a true calling? I don't know if I'd call it a ministry, but yeah, I guess in a sense it would be. I was homeless myself. I was homeless in New York City as well. And I know what it feels like to sleep out there. And I know what it feels like to be hungry and to be totally alone. You tell me 60 % of the people who are homeless in this area are black? Definitely. Definitely. Mike, you're working with him and this I know has been almost in ministry for you, but what do you see when you're on the streets? Because you're out there day in and

day out and night time too. We see a wide cross section of people with varying problems. The thing that we're trying to do with Operation Save Life is to lift people up to a certain level of dignity in a lot of instances. We have men out there who are 50, 70 years of age that have been drinking for a long time that have maybe been on the streets for 20 years. Subsequently, what we're trying to do is be a support group to them to help them in their situation with the possibility of rehabilitating them or at least getting them into a place where they're sheltered, not on the mean streets, so to speak. You come in contact with these folks where they live. This is, it's not like you have a mission or a feeding center. We go to it. Blankets, you even do health care. You travel the streets with a doctor. With Dr. Weathers, he started with us last August and has been going out with us and just doing a tremendous job.

When you're on the streets, there are stressors in your environment that wouldn't normally be encountered in a four -wall situation, an indoor situation. Aside from people who want to shoot you, Stab you, there's numerous skin diseases. If you're on your feet all day, you have poor venous return, which means that your lymph nodes don't get the fluid into your upper body, your leg will swell up. You gotta stay on it because you gotta keep moving on it. Right, exactly. What are two white guys like you tell all these black aces that you run into that you're on the street? I mean, they did surprise because when we go out on the street, they, at least with us anyway, they don't seem white and we don't see black. In fact, most of the people who come out with us, even with Dr. Weathers and some of the professionals and stuff, they come out as human beings. So you guys are known on the streets now and they know that you're genuine

and that you're offering health. Right, Danny and I both had homeless experiences. The, the guys that, that work with us in conjunction with operations, save life for former homeless people. And, you know, what you're seeing here is you're seeing a whole new class of people. This is not your traditional, you know, hobos going from Chicago to Texas on the train and there's a hobo camp. What you're seeing is in my five years of doing outreach work. I've met people who are formerly have been employed as doctors, lawyers, blue collar people in their lives. In, in some instances, it's drug and alcohol abuse. A lot of the people that we run into have been disenfranchised. Their families have abandoned them. You see guys out there who are divorced and the wife got the house and they're

paying the money for the house and they really don't have a place to live. So they're going in between shelters or sleeping on this street. Well, what can our views do to help? Specifically, support programs like Danny and I have operations, save life. I've recently started a program called the Homeless Survival Project, which we do everything to to accommodate the the guys in the street if they need medical care, mental health care, you know, we do referrals, we give them food, whatever is needed. I believe you have Danny's phone number for say. Okay, Danny, what's the phone number? I'm a case people want to help out. If anyone would like to donate maybe some blankets or toiletries that we take out every evening, it's six to one four seven oh six. Repeat it one more time. Six to one four seven oh six. Okay, and they can donate almost anything that somebody might be able to use clothes, blankets, laundry. It'll go right out the street. Yeah, what's the most pressing need? Well,

they're as far as from a program addict standpoint. As far as in general, everything is needed. With the program I'm doing, we do dried food, we put trail mix packets together, we get that out to the guys, we do clothing, we also do blankets. Yes, sir. You need to know. And you've seen the population, the homeless population rise. It's getting bigger. And 60 percent black. What about women? I'm in run 50, 50. Wow. 50 percent. And we've come across women who are up to nine months pregnant, three months pregnant, home rate living on the riverbank. A lot of black women, you know, they, their families don't want to be involved with them subsequently. They're out on the street. They have to find a guy to hang out with. Oh boy. You get into that situation and then you have a family on the street. Well, you guys could use some support is what you're saying, right? Okay, what's that phone number one more time? Six to one four seven oh six. Okay, I hope that I view as we'll respond and call and just

ask you what you need and whatever they can supply. I hope that they'll be able to do it. You guys are going to keep doing this, right? Oh yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, God bless you. Thanks for being on Black Lives. Okay. Hey, Tuffy Tuff has been described as one of Pittsburgh's favorite underground rappers. We'll find out what underground rap is and why it seems to have such a tough time coming to the surface here in the bird after we hear from Tuffy Tuff. Check, check, check, check. Get on sound check. One, two, one, two. Here we go. Black horizons in the house. You know what I'm saying? I'm respecting my boy Chris Moore. DJ Slice in the house from the H .I. Double L. Tuffy Tuff. We're about to do it like this. DJ Slice. He rocks it right. Tuffy Tuff. I rocks it right. Now here we go. Cause you know, knowledge is keeper. Don't walk in a sleeper. Cause

knowledge is keeper. Don't walk in a sleeper. Every man has equal rights to live and be free. No matter what color class or race he may be. That's a true man's philosophy. No hypocrisy. I'm called your air religion. They stripped it from you and me. The fish and sea to walk off chemistry. Wake up people. We have the ability. With the capability to rock society and the world together. We are the majority. Cause we were the first set on the earth and still today. We treated the worst. We live but don't learn some of us. I'm out. We burn. So the heart will be earned. This is a real concern. Now that's just the key look up the true identity. Words of wisdom. Knowledge and understanding. It's real demanding at this time. So open your ears. Brought in your minds. We'll get all differences. Artificial. We created the sources in our reaches up to us to take it back. We have to come together in unity and preach and teach. History full of dignity. No longer tolerate. The lies in the trickery we can't follow. Leaders that are purposeful. The adversary. This is a temporary. Oh massive vocabulary.

We'll get my point across by any means necessary. Cause it's necessary for me to speak. My speech is strong with facts to the concrete. Not fake. Cause everything is real. Doesn't take much skill to visualize. There's so deal. Knowledge is keep up. Don't walk in the sleep up. Cause knowledge is keep up. Yeah. A DJ slice. He rocks it right. A DJ slice. I pump it up. Hey name. Come and listen to me when I fit. Come and listen to me from the main hall. Come and listen to me when I fit. Come and listen. Me, me, me. Come and listen to me when I fit. Come and listen to me from the main hall. Come and listen to me when I fit. Come and listen. I get to get to get to sound. Sound check. Do something. Get to get to get to sound check. Anywhere me, name me. I fit. Do a get to check. In the presence of me. If I do what sound check. Yes, I will make them. Yes, make them fit. Every neck. I listen to fit. Talk to me. Say show no respect. Hey name. Come and listen to me when I fit. Come and listen to me from the main hall. Come and listen to me when I fit. Come and listen. From the mic center. Me and the big

boy jump. Me know me roots. We all at the end. Me go on jump. Make them fit. Flash. Fit me. Living through all me. Sister in me. Bet that in the rest of time. Slide. So we can come together. The one times be slain. Fit this is the man. Go. Try. But the man's sophisticated. The black man. Them can't keep me under fit. Me man. Them much stronger. Bet the boy. Me much stronger. Yes, them. I be suffer. Yes. I did your slice. He rocks it right. I did your slice. He rocks it right. I did your slice. He rocks it right. Yeah. In the outing. 5 ,000. All right. Pump it up. Pump it up. Toughy tough in the house. That's the thing. What a brother. I'm happy to be here. DJ Slays. How you feel? I'm fine. All right. All right. You know, I hear a lot in your music. But first of all, describe to me what your managers, your bares described as underground music. Would you tell our audience what it is? Well, underground rap. Well, underground rap. It's like, let me see. Let me see. How can I explain it? I don't do underground rap. It's like a thing that we have going

on like a certain project of tapes that we're doing called underground series, which means that everything is recorded in the basement, graphics in the basement. All of it. Everything is under the basement, underground. And it's raw, uncensored, you know, type of product that we're up. I hear a lot in your music, though, that speaks to young people about some of the things that are going on the day. And people talk about rap as a vehicle that really speaks to people, the truth of what they're listening. And I hear you talking about knowledge being power. What kind of knowledge are you talking about? What's your message? Well, if you listen to the song, knowledge is keeper. It's basically talking about, you know, find self. Find out where you come from. No matter what you're doing. I mean, you've got to do what you've got to do to survive. But it don't mean for you to go kill the next man, whether

he's black, white, or whatever. It don't mean like, you know, you've got to go kill him to get money or do this. Based on neighborhoods, anything else, because slice you from the hill, right? And you from home, yeah. OK, so how did you guys get together without wearing red and blue and wearing about who was going to beat who down and all of those stuff? Music, the music brings everybody together, you know. But my boy, Klee, hooked us up. You know, Klee did his video to get us down, check. And Klee saw me come up from a shorty, you know what I'm saying. And so it's music. Yeah, it's music. And that's where I boil it, huh? Without a doubt, you know, who's don't mean nothing, you know. It's me and it's like my dredger. That's great, man. Now, your music is out. You got it out, but it's hard getting some local airplay, is that right? Yeah, exactly. What's happening with that? It's just a lot of stations don't want to back a lot of local artists. Why? You know, I really can't tell you why. They just sell us out. Have you taken this down to the stations that play rap and said, here's some music, and I'm local and I'm hidden and play me? What do they say?

Well, the most supporter radio station right now is a college station, 98 .5 WPTS, yeah. But we've meld quality product to the major station here in the city. And Melly Mel played it on his show. And it was good response. And the response on the street was like, yo, man, we need to hear more Gettlesound check. So I tried to get it in regular rotation, but it was unsuccessful because the program directed it and think it was, you know, a major label quality for his radio station and so on and so forth. They're coming with all kind of stuff here from playing you. But the thing is, you're all trying to do something, right? Exactly. And you're trying to make some money, something positive. And you got a message in what you're saying that young folks and old folks too need to hear, right? Yeah. And so you feel stifled that you're not able to get it out somehow? Well, regardless of whether they play it or not. Sooner or later, a button is going to be pushed and they

got to play it. You know, they're going to see they made a mistake, you know, by not playing it before, then they're going to just hop on the bandwagon and start playing it. But you know, rather than be followers, you know, like everybody say, Pittsburgh is a following state, they're if they follow, they follow, they're starting to be, you know, leaders. You know, like me, like me, I'm working with brothers like Dev Chess, so to pop my dancers and stuff. Well, you know, we're like working on some new projects along with DJ Slice. And what we're trying to be leaders, we're not trying to copy what everybody else is doing. And if people in the city who have the power to make a change would stop being followers and become leaders, it'll be in a matter of time before Pittsburgh will be, once again, the fattest entertainment city out. Well, we are pushing some buttons right here today, don't you think? Yeah. For real. I'm turning it off. Okay, what can we pick and music up? Is it in the record stores? Yes, in the record market. National record market. It's available all over Pittsburgh in a hundred mile radius. Okay, toughy, tough slice DJ. We watching you brother.

Go ahead and open your head. Oh, it's my pleasure, it's my pleasure. We recorded that just a little while ago, but you know, I didn't just jump right over here. We recorded that a little while ago. And I'd like to say something about some of the young folks because I work with a lot of them. And toughy, tough and slice are doing real good work. It's hard when you work so hard and you don't get a response from the elders. I hope that those of you who may have some kids who in the rap music will get out and pick up their album. It's out in all the record stores and I hope that you will support them. They're trying to do some good things. They have some great lyrics and they're moving forward. So I hope, I really hope that you'll get out and get to support them. We talked toughy and I did a little while after we did that interview about possibly incorporating them into our Black Horizons anniversary that's coming up later this year. We're going to tell you a little bit about that in a second, but I'm thinking because last time we had a big jazz ensemble to play some

things, we might have some little rap for our musical background for our 25th anniversary year. As I told you, this is Black Horizons 25th anniversary year and that's a unique milestone among public television programs. In fact, Black Horizons is the longest running program of its kind on public television. We here at QED are very proud of that fact. So proud that we are planning a big birthday party and we want you to come. Here's me to tell you more. Hello, I'm Chris Moore. This year, Black Horizons 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 Horizons 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 Horizons, 4802, 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15213. All you have to do to ever is to remember when and recreate your favorite memory of 1968. Oh, we're any of us ever that young. Well, we hope that you'll consider having some fun with your home videos. It may be one of those famous basement red light parties or the senior prom or even your greatest date. It could be the

riots that you remember as the beginning of your social awakening. Whatever your memory, get out those old photos like the ones that you saw of me and recount your memories for us. I can't wait to see what you come up with, so hurry up and send them along. Well, joining me now are two of my favorite people. In fact, I want to be just like them when I grow up. Two men who represent so many first in this business that I would not attempt to name their accomplishments. Let me just say welcome to two pioneers in the field of print and broadcast journalism, the Godfathers. Here they are, John Christian and Regis Bavani. Welcome, welcome. Thanks very much. I'm so glad to have you guys here. Enjoy the beer. You know, I talk about 25 years of Black Horizons, but if it weren't for guys like you who paved the way as the first print journalist and broadcasting, you know, guys like me wouldn't be able to sit here and do this kind of stuff. That's what it's all about. So I pay homies. Thank you. Let me hasten to add Chris, the first interview I had on TV when I came

out of radio was him. Is that right? He was working for WPX, I think. Did they have video tape way back then? I really like to see it. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You guys are here to talk about an event that has really come up big time. And it's the John Christian annual charity golf classic. And this is something, I mean, you guys have been able to raise more money to enable organizations to do great work here in our community. John, you must be very proud of this golf term and badge your name. I'm proud of the fact that we had such great people who were pillars of strength where we started, including beginning with Regis Bavani. And Duquesne Light. And the corporate involvement is amazing me every year. Every year the corporation comes in bigger, greater, more stronger, more intent, more further.

And it's something that I wake up every night and don't believe it. Well, Regis, at Duquesne Light now at Sintek, you've been very instrumental as John says in getting corporate involvement in this. Why do you think corporations participate? I think for two reasons. One, obviously, they see how worthwhile the mission of this classic golf tournament is. But I think also with this guy as the centerpiece, so respected, they saw John through this tournament through a whole new dimension. It meant it was very caring, very sharing, and wanting to do something worthwhile to people who deserve it. So it was an easy task to support John in this project. Five years. How much money do you think you've raised? Roughly 190 ,000 over a arm, really. And who benefits? Tell the story of the kid at Westinghouse. Oh, you get it. We benefit several organizations, of course, you know. Sickle cell, camp achievement, need. Oh, great organization. They need

support. Right. Need dollars. Absolutely. Woman's space is one. Another one is the youth organization. Through Rivers' Youth organization. There are tons of them, but there's this one individual story he's trying to get to the capital. The Westinghouse. The Westinghouse student we have, that we share it in matching funds with need to give them a scholarship, a communication scholarship, to Syracuse University. And this is the second year. We receive a letter from him saying that he's interning at NBC, writing stories of the bulls and the son's basketball. That's great. That's super. And without you and the golf tournament and Regis and everybody else who's been involved, that might not have been possible. Very talented young man. We're very proud of it. Tell us about the fun of

the event itself. What happens? All you guys get out there and start beating up on golf balls? Well, some swing and some hit. I swing John Hitz. Does he shoot his head yet? Well, I'm about 55, right? Regis playing good golf. Okay. But what's important, the winners, everyone comes to our turn to our winners. But the biggest winners, of course, is the charities we support. And this year, as in previous years, we have a problem keeping people, keeping from turning people away. Oh, yeah, that's right. Because every year it closes out early and early. Very proud. Because you only get about 144 people. 144 people. Yeah. We refuse to put our 100. We can get more. But we want those who come to enjoy it. Yeah. And when you put more than 144 golfers on the golf course, you get problems. But it's a fun day. It's a fun day as a great town. It's a great thing about just about every walk of life in this city. And good profile of the city. And it's supporting a lot of great cars. No

question. Where's everybody who can, if they ever picked up a golf car to get out there and do that now? Jim, we want to thank you for being with us. It's our pleasure. All right. Well, there is still time to register for the John Christian charity golf classic. The classic will be played on August 2nd at the Quick Silver Golf Club. For you have until July 22nd to register or until the first 144 players have registered, whichever comes first, called 241 at 0281. That's 2410281 for more information. Well, thanks for being here for this edition of Black Horizons. And please tune in to Black Talk. My daily radio talk show on WCHA 1550 on your 8M dial. We are on 7AM to 10AM each weekday morning. Now that I've told you all that, let me tell you this. I'm going over vacation. And in the next two weeks, Menet seat and Elaine effort will sit in for me. I hope that you'll join those two talented broadcasters in the coming weeks as they hold the fort for me. Bye.

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