Black Horizons; 2514; Pittsburgh Black Media Professionals

Hello, this is Black Horizons, and I'm Chris Moore. On today's show, we'll hear about serious love. It's the performance portrait of Michelle Dalton, Aretha Edmonds, and Margot Gatson. But before we see them, let me tell you that much of today's program deals with the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation and their annual journalism workshop. Here is a copy of What They Publish. It's written by high school students who attend the one -week residential program held at Point Park College. Here with me to tell us more about the program and their annual scholarship fundraising banquet are Lamont Jones, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, who is also the president of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation and Jean Brad, who also reports for the Post Gazette and is the PBMF bankwitz ticket chairperson. Welcome to the president. Glad to have you here. It's good to interview friends. This is an exciting looking paper. I see a lot of stories, headlines, dating a gang banker, makes her feel good. Anti -loadering law hanging out is over. Marijuana

images stirred debate, doobie or not, doobie. What headlines? These are the things that young folks are interested in. We're interested in becoming, I guess, what we are a journalist and the things that they want to write about it. And it's an excellent looking publication. I'm particularly proud of this paper, Chris. As you know, this is the 10th year of the workshop. And that's probably the best, I think, the best paper we've ever had. The students not only did the stories, but they did the art, they did photographs, as well as quality -wise, real good paper. The graphics are just excellent. Yeah, I can see some graphics here on the top. Girls in the hood, looks like a female gang banker right there in the corner. But there are a lot of images, I guess, within the paper. Their stories on sexual harassment, decriminalization of drugs, a lot of things point counterpoint, I guess, to all of you. And what makes it so exciting is that those were their ideas. And

they put a lot of initiative in that paper, and we're particularly proud of the effort they made. And proud of the fact that we were there to guide them and help them, and that's what the workshop's all about. It's a one -week -long residential program, yes. They do print journalism, this paper. They do radio, radio, they tell me it was fantastic. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, they did a lot of talk shows on area stations like WAMO and WCXJ, they did news, they did a whole lot of different things in radio. And we have a TV broadcast that we're going to air for the first time anywhere in just a few moments. All right. Sounds good. It's a lot of work that one week at Point Fork College, right? And of course, Chris, you have to get some credit for it too, because you've been the guiding force behind it for these 10 years. I don't know what you're talking about. And it gives us, as professionals, a chance to work with young people to inspire them to get into the profession, and then we watch them succeed, and we have a lot of success stories. Touch it. Tell me all about it. I'm the month. You go for that. Remember the next. One of the first ones that comes to mind, Keith Alexander,

he's with Business Week in Pittsburgh. He was a workshop alumnus. And right out of Steel Valley, huh? Out of Steel Valley, huh? He had about a dozen internships, a star. Let me just interrupt for a blonde Williams, because she came out of a program of mine, like Miss Black Teenage, and now she's at the North Hills news record, so we're proud of that. You got it. OK, yeah. One more quick one, Sharon Epperson. She's got time now, time in New York, finished Harvard, finished grad school in Columbia, and now she's at time. So they're doing well. And this new crop that we got this year, some of the new, some of the veterans, they're going to equally good things. They have that same kind of potential. Same kind of potential in drive. OK. So what happens? You do this workshop, and then you've got a big banquet that's coming up, and that's a scholarship fundraiser, and you give scholarships to some of the students that have gone off to college, right? And that's right. And it's very important that the public attend, and that they know about it. It's September 18th at Manchester Craftsman's Guild, in the North Side. They're not going to want to miss this one real quick. Mill Blunt's going to get our outstanding

citizen award, Mill Blunt. Everybody knows who Mill Blunt is. And Arthur Jones, who I'll tell you more about, is going to be the keynote speaker. Deputy White House press secretary or brother? OK. It sounds like an exciting affair. You get some information straight from the White House, and the end circle. You'll see Mill Jones, Mill Blunt get honored, and some other things. Now, I tell you what, we have the TV newscast here, and we've got it all queued up, and we want to show it to folks, because this is the first time we'll get to show it to them. But the same kind of hard work that went into this, went into this TV newscast, and I want to thank Sheldon Ingram and Tim from WTAE and all the folks that helped put it together. Lisa from Point Park, and of course Dr. Jones, the head of the NASA Jones, the head of the journalism department that made all these facilities available to the federation to do this. But they called themselves Young Black Journalists. Therefore, they came up with the name WYBJ News. That's what became their call letters. Well, here are the

television students from the Pittsburgh Black Media federation's Urban Journalism Workshop, what am I for? And the newscast that they wrote and produced. Good evening, and welcome to WYBJ News, I'm Tresha Wade. And I'm Haley Mahalaway. Tonight, our newscast touches on some burning issues concerning the African American community. One concern is whether or not there's a relationship between rap music and violence, and the new fashion trends, are they tearing down moral values? But first, our top story tonight, Jason Garland examines African American males, and whether or not they're singled out by targets in the media. Black and Black violence is regarded as one of the most frightening problems facing the African American community. Some critics say the images projected in movies such as Boys in a Hood and Mrs. Society have done more harm than good. These movies are blamed for spreading stereotypical views that most people already have about Black people. The television news is also criticized for glamorizing gang

activity. And maybe a while before people change their views about Black males, critics say that what happened when the broadcast media redefines the images put on the screen. Aleema? Fingers are being pointed at people in the music industry also, especially rap music. It's widely regarded as entertaining, but it's also called destructive. It's blamed for influencing violence in the community. Our Nicole Arnold has a story. I put it up, I put it up, I don't really care. The better the line, the better the beat, the higher the hell. The song is violent

by two plots. The controversial cop killer by IST. These are two rap songs while we blame for encouraging violence. Critics say that there is flint and stinking layers are dangerous. Supporters of rap music say it's just escape and it's taking an unfair beating. We ask one rap group if rap music should take any responsibility and they can start up for whether or not it influences violence. No, not really. It's the people who say when they want to do things, rap music is reported in. I think that people do what they want to do. Rap music don't influence people to do it. And they certain things. It's a spy listen in the lyrics. People got their own man and they do what they want to do. If rap music continues to take the heat or influence violence, then we'll probably see more rap rather support trying to defend their work. Several court cases are already pending. I'm Nicole Arnold for W .Y .V .J .S. A group of aspiring journalists hope to make a positive change and how the news is presented. There are Pittsburgh area teenagers participating in a journalism workshop sponsored by the

Pittsburgh Black Media Federation. The students are from southwestern Pennsylvania and many of them will be entering their college for the first year. While the journalism students prepare for their future, many teenagers and young adults seem hot up in fashion. And in this report, we examine if a certain fashion trend is hurting the African -American community. We have a team report and we'll begin with Nicole Baker. There's a new fashion on the market and it's selling rapidly. It's called blunt fashion. The question is whether a team buying up the blunt clothes are caught up in a fashion or a fashion statement. It seems to promote drug use. Drugs and drug paraphernalia are highlighted with blunt clothes. What's your name? Jolanda Davis. What's the title? What story do you write before? I'm a manager of Mogear and I don't tell him this word. Okay, how do you feel about this word? I think it's very negative. I mean, I'm speaking personally because I don't smoke blood. And I don't smoke it. I don't smoke it. So you've never had blunt outfit for your clothes? We have. When we got them in, I was likely to come up with something. Whatever we saw, we just got rid

of them. What are they selling a lot? The best for work. The best for work. The best for work. You know what I mean? You don't feel it. And they are in the private room. They're selling this dress right now. They're wild. They're not positive. It's a new word for it. I don't know what you're saying. I was just moving back in the evening. Blooming tears are starting up a heat wave of a fashion. But others say it's doing more harm than good. I'm the co -backer with W .I .B .J. On the other end of the fashion trend, our terror drones investigates a clothing style that might promote what some call sex and or sloppiness. Fashion is often considered a revolving circle of trends. It used to be bell bottoms, platform shoes, and hot pants. Now similar fashions take popular names as Daisy Diggs in the say. Someway the clothes more to the extreme than others, but most teens support both fashions. Why do you like the wear of clothes that show your body? Well, I'm not really trying to show my body. It's just that I really like to wear big clothes. I'm either comfortable and I really like to bang and go. And it's just sometimes they just happen that they fall. What's your favorite thing about the wear of this kind of short short?

Well, my mom, she personally thinks that they're degrading. She doesn't like the lock, but I only wear them because they're comfortable and they're cool. Pretty much because they're trendy too. Short short supporting the sag have endured through time and it seems as though generations go by, more and more body will be shown. Tara Jones, W -Y -B -J News. Police brutality is another concern in the African -American community and it seems black police officers are stuck right in the middle of the conflict. Tonight our Ebony Mitchell joins us to examine how black police officers handle all the pressure, Ebony. Many African -Americans claim to be victims of blatant police brutality. As a result, many blacks say they hold negative views of police officers. But where do black police stand in the midst of the controversy? How did they remain loyal to the force and without being labeled as an enemy in their own community? Here's what Pittsburgh Assistant Police Chief Craig Edwards has to say in this exclusive interview. No, I don't feel stuck in the middle. I don't. When I first came on 26 years ago, I kind of felt stuck in the middle because I came on in the

disturbances in the Martin Luther King era because of his death directed so consequently you do to feel stuck in the middle as a patrolman. But you overcome that. It's all dependent on the values that you live with in yourself. If I think I'm doing the right thing, I don't feel stuck in the middle. Some black officers say they have to lessen the tension in the community. By establishing better neighborhood relationships with residents. Helena. Our attention now turns to the most frightening disease concerning the African -American community. AIDS. Medical researchers say the number of AIDS cases arising sharply among blacks. Another alarming note says that African -American women make up half the AIDS cases reported. We'll hear more from the head of the minority AIDS working group, Sabir Abushra. In the United States, HIV and AIDS is looked at as a white gay male disease. And because of that,

the black community and women in particular do not feel that the information about HIV and AIDS has anything to do with them. So because of that, either people don't identify with the epidemic affecting them or they listen to the information and don't use it to protect themselves. So for medical research, it was found medicine to slow down the AIDS virus, but it cures still a mystery. Modern day slavery. That's the topic of tonight's commentary. Views expressed are not necessarily the views of WYBJ. Here is Jason Garland. It's a fact that the chains and shackles were removed from our ancestors when slavery was declared over. But many of us are still held in bondage or mental bondage through oppression. Here were four reasons why African -Americans today are still shackled in by the slave mentality. For one, we still answer to the Eurocentric names that were given to our ancestors. Second, our history is ignored and barely mentioned in history books. Thirdly, as the

role of man and woman was defined by rights. Or shall I say rights? Lastly, the establishment would have us to believe that we cannot do for ourselves. Now, how ridiculous is that? This was proven to be an effective device to keep African -Americans in an oppressed state of mind. And in order for us to break the chains and mental slavery, we must first understand the significance of our existence as a people. Then we must set our own course and not let the Eurocentric establishment do it for us. We must depend on each other and no one else. That's the next commentary. I'm Jason Garland. Peace. Thanks, Jason. And that's our report for tonight. Thanks for joining us. And remember, when you need to be down with the news of the day, turn to W -Y -B -J. I'm Halima Holloway. And I'm Treesha Wade. And we're Young Black Journalists. Good night. Good night. Oh, my baby.

It's about you. My own. Everybody has to be sure I was taped on that. Chris, don't call here and ask me what day. I can't get it for you. Chris, but your viewing audience has seen what young people can do when people take them in hand. We as professionals in the television, radio, and news industry has done that. We answered that call. We've taken these kids under our wings. And you see what the results were. Now, we're asking the community to answer the call and get tickets for that banquet so that we can give these kids their scholarships. And once again, that's September 18th. Okay. What has normally done in terms of scholarships? What are you normally able to give, am I? We normally are able to give $2 ,000 scholarships to two outstanding students or $2 ,000 in scholarships divided among several students who were the most outstanding during the workshop. This year we have another scholarship, $240 from the Save the Press Grass Roots group that was trying to save a daily newspaper during the strike last year. So that's $240 more this year. And that's not a whole lot of money in terms of getting a college education. That's right. But they can't help. Buy your few books and pay for some meals. And

that's why many people support this dinner. Those people have to support the dinner, have to support the youth. You people talking about kids out there shooting each other doing crack. Well, support kids who are doing something positive and biotic into a dinner. Okay. There are many organizations like PBMF that are doing these kinds of positive things in the community. That's true. It's just that we don't hear that kind of stuff. Looking at the front page of the daily paper, no offense intended. Listening to the newscast that we hear. Most of the lead stories about murder and mayhem in our community affected. That's right. I think you've gotten the message out today that there are good kids out there. That's true. They're doing some good things and all they need is a little help to continue. That's right. Okay. All right. Then again is on September 18th, right? Yes. And Manchester Craftsman's Guild on the north side. Saturday at 7 o 'clock. Saturday at 7 o 'clock. Tell me again about the awardees and the speaker. Okay. The speaker is Arthur Jones. He's Deputy White House press secretary. He's a brother. And he was assistant press secretary from Massachusetts. Governor Michael Dukakis who ran for president. Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn. He was his press secretary. He worked for the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald. He's going to be a dynamic speaker.

Talking about some problems Clinton's been having with his immediate image. Mel Blunt. We all know who Mel Blunt is. We're proud of him and his efforts with the youth home down there in Washington County. He's going to get the outstanding citizen award. And there will be broadcast and print journalists from all across Western Pennsylvania who will be honored for outstanding media coverage of the black community. Sounds good to me. I hope people will get out and become part of this positive event in our community. That's right. Thanks for being here. We really appreciate it. Thanks Chris. We're all proud of you. We're all proud of you. The Pittsburgh Black Media Federation will hold its annual Robert L. Van Scholarship Awards banquet on September 18th at the Manchester Craftsman's Guild on the north side. For more information on how you can support them, simply pick up your phone and call 3616591. That number again is 3616591. Thank you.

Thank you.