Black Horizons; 2318; Black Writers

Hello and welcome to Black Horizons, I'm Chris Moore and I'm glad you're with us. On today's program we'll learn about a drug conference in the East Hills section of our city. Local recording artist Jerry Hill will join us to premiere his newest single, Manette Seed is here to review a rage in Harlem and as part of our new segment we call the Tanner Collection, local writers join us to discuss the Black Riders Conference coming to Pittsburgh soon. East Hills is a pleasant community in which to live but like many communities nowadays it has a drug problem. Residents have come together to sponsor a conference on drugs that covers prevention, law enforcement and rehabilitation. Joining me now to tell us more are Cora White and Shirley Stanford of the East Hills Block Watch and Reverend Johnny Sims, pastor of the East Hills Community Christian Church. Welcome to our program.

And Stanford let me start with you, East Hills and the drug problem, just how serious is it? Well, right now I think we're blessed in East Hills but we want to do something to come back before it gets too out of hand so we're going to have a workshop and we're combining it together and it can communicate the work together so we can come back in any way that we possibly can. Ms. White, you agree with that? There is a problem, community residents recognize it, it's not out of hand yet and you want to deal with it, right? Yes, it's bad but it could be worse. So that's why we have this drug conference in East Hills. So we can work for prevention, rehabilitation and also help the youth and the people that want to get off the drugs we're willing to help them through different organizations and we also want to reduce the drug, open drug traffic problem that we have here. Reverend Sims, what role were you at church play in this kind of? We're very active in the community, Chris, for the four years that I've been a part

of the community. We sought to combine and unify and we've accomplished that and we're out in the streets preaching the gospel to the community, letting them know that there is a better way other than getting involved with the drugs and we find that the gospel has really changed some lives in the community whereas that we started a church with four members and now we're well over 100 because the gospel of Jesus Christ, that's phenomenal growth. What kind of community effort do you think it takes to rid a community of this kind of problem? Yours is not the only one. Almost every neighborhood you name in Pittsburgh has some sort of drug problems. Some may be more open than most but why should citizens get involved and not leave it to the police? I feel that there's unity, in unity there is strength and this is something that has been absent in the past in the East Hills community.

Right now we're very pleased with our coming together to combat this problem and seemingly everything is working to our advantage at the present time. Staff, did you agree with that assessment? I agree with Elder Sin's 100% and since East Hills Christian Church has been down, it has been a sister blessing to the community. We know drugs will always be with us but we know that if we work together, collect the tea that we can do something about it and that's what we're trying to do. That kind of collective effort is important but realistically to go out beyond the four walls of the safety of your church and to deal with people who may be openly selling drugs and not quite willing to listen to any gospel about Jesus Christ, it must be a little frightening at times. Absolutely. It takes that type of tenacity to change communities. We're not going to sit back and allow them to take over the community any longer.

We're doing something about it and we are enjoying the success of our efforts. That's why you live in a neighborhood. Do you ever worry that drug dealers might know that you're the one who dropped a dime on them or squealed on them to use any of the other colloquialisms? I don't worry about that because I feel like if the whole community, what we're trying to do is get everyone in the community and not just to church but the whole community in East Hills to work together to set up programs that can help. Not just put people behind bars or squeal on them or anything like that but really help. That's what we're there for. That's what this drug coalition is about because there has been shootings in East Hills. One has been on the news media and others have not. We just want everyone in East Hills whether they go to church or they don't go to church or their lifestyle is to get involved and let us come together so we can save our youth and save our neighborhood.

This is not so much designed to tell the cops where all the drug dealers are but to go out and to reach out to folks who might be involved in that lifestyle and say there is a better way. There are other things that you can do. Absolutely. I want to show them that we care about them and there is an alternative other than to get mixed up in drugs. What sort of alternative do you offer? We offer several things from the church, a sewing class, a tailoring type of thing. Forgive me, Reverend Sims, I can see some drug dealer maybe watching this program. I don't know, I don't see drug dealers watching this program but someone listening to you saying so it, man, how am I going to make some money doing any kind of sewing? I can't make no money to man keeping me down and all that kind of stuff. How do you respond to that? Well we developed pride in oneself is what we are trying to do. They don't have to get involved in the drugs which will destroy them or they end up in jail.

We don't want that far community. There are other things that we are trying to do as far as give them job search skills to train them to do something else other than getting involved with the drugs and going to jail and what have you. So it's important that the community knows about this effort. It's important that they'll come together and it's important to know that you're not just trying to drop a dime on somebody. You're trying to show them some alternatives. You want to work with the police of course. You work with rehabilitation and almost any avenue of venue that you can to achieve your success. Absolutely. And we also have preventive programs that we want them to know about because it really affects our youth. We're really trying to reach out there to get our youth to prevent them from getting one of the drugs and their own drugs to lead them to programs that can help them rehabilitate themselves. That's important. What do you think your odds of success are, Ms. Dan? Partly. What do you think your odds of success are? I think the odds of success is to pray without seizing. Work with our youth.

Be concerned about them. They put them down, talk to them, and second East Hills is the part where I live. They're getting ready to open a community center so they can work with the youth. Okay. Well thank you for being here with us. We appreciate it and we wish you much luck with your goals. Okay. Thank you Chris. The East Hills Community Drug Conference will be held on Saturday, June 8th at the East Hills Elementary School. It lasts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and it's free and open to the public. Many of you who are old enough to remember Pittsburgh groups like the Diodims who later became the Rhythm Rascals, well Jerry Hill is one of the former lead singers. He's here to perform his latest single recorded right here in the bird. It's called I'm Crang. I'm crying, I'm crying my eyes out for you, can't you see I'm crying, I'm here, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do, my nights are moving away, I miss you in

a way, I'm going to miss you, I'm begging you this day, yes I'm wondering, when will I, when will I, when will I, when will I be, when will I find peace, for my dress can't make it for myself, I'm crying, you're going to cry my eyes out for me, I'm going to cry my eyes out for you, can't you see that I'm crying, and I don't know, I don't know what I'm supposed to do, my nights are moving away, I miss you in a way, I miss you

in a way, I'm going to miss you in a way, I'm going to miss you in a way, I'm going to miss you in a way, I'm going to miss you in a way, I miss you in a way, I miss you in a way, I'm going to miss you in a way, I'm going to miss you in a way, I miss you in a way,

I'm wondering, when will I, when will I, when will I, when will I, when will I find peace, for my dress can't make it for myself, I'm going to miss you in a way, I miss you in a way, I miss you in a way, I'm supposed to lonely me, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know what I'm supposed to do, baby, I'm supposed to lonely me,

I'm crying, I'm crying, can't you see I'm too vulnerable now? I don't know what I'm gonna do, baby, I'm begging you, I'm begging you today. All right, Jerry. Welcome back, brother. How you doing? You haven't been here since summertime? Love, right? How many years ago? There's one or two years ago. And you still have it. All right, this record is new. Yeah. Just cut it here in the bird. It's available now.

Where can people get it? You know, with George's record shop. Record hat. Music man. National record. Okay. And if people want to call L.J. Records, they can get it there. Right there, L.J. Records. Two, four, two. One, two, two, one. Somehow I knew you'd know the number. Brother, you always welcome, you can come back here. Anytime you got a new record out, let us know, okay? Is it good to say one thing? Yeah. I'm hoping that you let me have my two artists on. That I have come from L.J. Records, too. Sure. And two young artists. These stills and T.C.B. Foundation, a rap group. It's out of this world. Similar to. Certainly well. Thank you. Thank you for having me on. All right, I appreciate it. Love you. Last week, we announced with great fanfare of the Tanner Collection. This week, we continue what we started by introducing you to two outstanding Pittsburgh writers, artists with words, who make up part of the Tanner Collection. Valerie Lawrence and Francine Raleigh are both members

of the Contune Writers Workshop. They have contributed on a regular basis to shooting star magazine, a national black literary magazine that's produced right here in Pittsburgh. They both join us now to talk about writing and fostering that creative process. Welcome to our program. Thank you. We're really glad to have you here. We started this whole Tanner Collection last year with a big audience, a send off thing, and we're talking about doing all sorts of cultural things that are going on here in Pittsburgh. And it seems to be a great cultural environment. I studied the history, music, jazz, and writing now is really taking off, right? Well, writing has been taking off in Pittsburgh for some time, and actually it didn't just start within the last 10, 15 years. I found out after talking to people who are from Pittsburgh, who know the history of Pittsburgh African American community, that they have always been some very strong writing groups here within the city.

Talking to, and I can't even think of this name right now, the name escapes me, but he works with the African Heritage classroom. And it's not Nancy Lee, but it's the man who works with her. But anyway, he has been an actor, he was also a writer, and he told us about writers from the 1915s, 1920s, 1930s. Walter Worthington, that's it exactly. So he tells us that we have a very long tradition. The dean of the history is in Pittsburgh. And so we have a long tradition of writers here in Pittsburgh. It's important, I guess, to foster that creative writing process. And you have a writing conference that's coming up that's going to be doing that. Is that a right, Francie? Yes, it is. We have a writer's conference. There'll be the first annual black writer's conference to be held in Pittsburgh. And it will be June 7th, 8th, and 9th at the Pitt student union. And the co-conveners of that conference is Shooting Star Magazine and Cuntu writer's workshop. And you're bringing in some very noteworthy people who,

not only writers, but almost everybody who can read, would want to know about, right? We're bringing in some heavyweights. Yes. We're bringing in Mary Baraka, who is a poet and scholar and playwright. Our keynote speaker for the event is in Tizaki Shange. Many people remember her from, for colored girls who've committed suicide, rainbows, not enough. My executive producer told me she was a teacher of hers in out in California when she was in college. And she also teaches. She recently left the University of Houston, where she was a visiting professor there in the English department. So we're bringing her in, we have... And you're not going to make the brothers mad, are you? Well, let's see, it'll make good material for writing. Well, okay. You're right there, isn't it? And we're bringing in John A. Williams, novelist, former Newsweek magazine writer. His books are... Shoot, I can't... Jacob's Ladder, as well as Click Song. And there's a two books received, all kinds of awards here in this country.

We have Lucille Clifton coming in, Dennis Brutus, of course. The poet, Lucille Clifton. The poet, Lucille Clifton. She's in a national poetry federation foundation. She received an award from the International Poetry Forum just recently. And she will be returning to lead our workshop on children's writing. We have children's writers coming in, like Lucille Clifton. She's also an outstanding poet. We have poets coming in. We have fiction writers coming in. We have published novelists. And then we have, most importantly, I think, for those writers who are not published, how do you get published? We have people, we have literary agents coming in to talk about that. How do you get your work in print? How do you get it out to the public? This is a big deal. Do you think that Pittsburgh is standing up and taking notice, Francine? I would like to think that Pittsburgh is standing up and taking notice at this time. We are on a new verge of a new cultural revolution at this point. And I think that this is one of the activities that will be shooting off the cultural revolution for the Black community here in Pittsburgh.

I think that this is important. And I just wondered, you know, I've heard about this coming up. And I've talked to Sandra Ford on a number of occasions. And she said, make sure we do something on our horizons. And I said, we would. But, you know, I had, personally, I had no idea of the scope of this. This is huge. Yeah, we think it's quite huge. The collaboration between country writer's workshop, Shooting Star, and Three Rivers Arts Festival, that collaboration has come together in order that we might catapult an event like this into the cultural community of Pittsburgh. And we think that we have the, we're establishing a foundation for what should be a long-lasting tradition here in Pittsburgh. Of course, August Wilson is from Pittsburgh. And you have plans for his participation? Well, most definitely. We are honoring six writers from the local area, from the Pittsburgh area. August Wilson is one of the writers that we will be honoring, along with Anne Sawyer, Berkeley, Rob Penny, Dennis Brutus, who we know is not from Pittsburgh, but he's contributed so much to the Pittsburgh community. Adrian Kennedy, a playwright, and poet, who now lives in New York,

but is also from Pittsburgh, and John Eggewideman. Oh, this is going to be great. I really hope people turn out and recognize it. So often, we as a people get criticized for not dealing with the written word, but it's just not true, isn't it? Well, no, it isn't true at all. If you look at our writers, if you look at our young people and the kinds of stories that they are telling today, if you look at the rappers and how they are getting involved, they are writing it as well. It's all dealing with words. And so I think our community does get involved. And people should come out this time. This conference will encourage, it will inspire, and it will teach. And so for those who already know, they should come out and share. For those who don't know, they should come out and find out. So it's a lot to offer for everybody. I think that that's very important. And I really hope that it's a huge success. I plan to attend some of the events myself. Oh, please come out. And hopefully it will be great. And you're welcome to come back here anytime and talk about all the good stuff you're doing, directing, writing, teaching all the stuff that both of you are doing. Well, thank you very much.

Thank you. And I encourage you and your efforts to make this a great success. I know you don't need my encouragement, but I still encourage you. We'll accept it. All right, thank you. Each week here on Horizons, we will bring you the Tanner calendar, a listing of cultural events here in Pittsburgh, so that you can get out there and be part of it all. This week's Tanner calendar begins with the Black Riders conference that will be held at the University of Pittsburgh and the Three Rivers Arts Festival. June 7th, 8th, and 9th. For more information, call 648-7540. The number again is 648-7540. Now through June 15th, you can see the main stage production of Othello at the Stephen Foster Memorial Theatre. It's all part of the Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival. Call 624-PL-A-Y for more information at 624-Play. Speaking of Shakespeare, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra will perform

such sweet thunder. Duke Ellington's compositions inspired by Shakespeare and some of his more memorable characters. That'll be Saturday, Thursday, I'm sorry, Thursday evening, June 20th at Pitts Union. To find out more, call 624-PL-A-Y. The Melon Jazz Festival will be here before you know it. Plan now to be in front of the Symphony Stage at Point State Park Friday, June 14th, for a tribute to Pittsburgh's own Art Blakey. And tonight, in just a matter of hours, I want you to join me as I introduce to some and present to others, Sweet Honey and the Rock, at the Three Rivers Arts Festival in Point State Park. You'll be inspired and thrilled by this all-female Rockefeller singing group. Black Horizons is proud to be the presenter for the Pittsburgh Appearance of Sweet Honey in the Rock. Join us tonight at 730 in Point State Park. Remember, if you have an artsy event coming up, write to us at the Tanner Collection. Black Horizons WQED-13, 1802 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh PA-15213.

And one thing just came in the mail and we're going to be talking about it on our next program. It's Women of Vision. They're having a display, an exhibition of women's symbols, June 1st through the 23rd, 1991. Women of Visions will have an interview on that coming up next week. So we hope that you will join us then. And don't forget to write us with your events here at the Tanner calendar that's in Care of Black Horizons WQED-13, 1802 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh PA-15213. Well, Manette Seed is here to tell us all about the latest hot black movie called A Rage in Harlem. Before we hear what she has to say about it, let's take a look at this clip. I'm looking for you, Manette. It's me. Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. Get your hands off the chair. Try it. It's clean. You're off. Excuse me, but do we know you? Not in this lifetime. Oh! I knew guys like that. I grew up with guys like that. Ooh! I've been this son, Peppin' all throughout the movie, right? Oh, and every one of the more touring scenes there, very, very funny. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I like this movie. I haven't seen it already, but they sent a lot of clips, and I must have said through 15 minutes of the movie, in clips, and I loved every one of them. It's A Rage in Harlem. It's based on a novel by Chester Himes. Now, Chester Himes was like the black dash of Hammett. He wrote all his famous crime novels during the 15th. Another great black writer. Placed in Harlem. Okay. And it was, they're really, really something. It's a great story.

It's a great story. It's a great story. It's a great story. It's a great story. It's a great story. But this book is more, this movie, rather, takes a comedic tote on this story of, of Jackson who's played by Forest Whitaker, who's famous for his role as bird. It's like a cavalcade of black stars. There's just robbing giveances in it, and nobody can ever find fault with robbing giveances again. Because she was very, very wonderful. She was a flusy maybe, and she was great. She looked great in her clothes, yet that whole little ch-ch-chat, I shouldn't say it at all. I shouldn't say it at all. Danny Glover is in it. God, Gregory Hines is in it. Zachim Okie, the South African actor is in it. It's just, he plays a transvestite who runs a warehouse. It is an amazing movie. It's not the greatest movie you ever saw, but it's very amusing. It's perfect for summertime. It's rocking and rolling. There's lots of adventure and shooting and fun. It's fun. The clips that I saw, it looks like they take a journey from the South with a black guy, rip off some white quirks in, and then they go up north to try to deal with something. They steal a load of gold. A gold. And Emma Bell is trying to make money off.

Everyone she comes in contact with. Emma Bell. That is her name, that is Robin Given's character. Emma Bell. And she falls upon Jackson, and he's this poor little Christian boy who's never even seen, half a naked woman before, and there she is in that red tight dress, and she just completely almost ruins his life, and takes him on the rollercoaster ride of this century. Oh, boy. It sounds like a great movie for the family to see, or is it? No. No, it's not. It's a good movie to take a date too. Maybe it's 10, 30 a night. You don't want to, you know, have a good time. Okay. What is your rating system? The rating system. The movie prices have gone up again to $6 per movie. I would say that this movie is good. At last week's price of $5. It is a real bargain, if you can see it for $3.50. It's not a great movie. There are a couple problems with it, but it's a lot of fun. And that's what summer movies are all about. Okay, so you read it at least $5. At least $5. Okay, well, I'm going to see it. Those dresses, those hats. She rolls. You should see the clothes she wears. Okay, speaking of clothes, you look like these legs should be sticking out from under a house somewhere.

I didn't put in, I didn't put in. I didn't put in. I didn't put in. Well, we're fresh out of time for this week's show, so save you by many. Oh, my. And I'm Chris Moore, all of us here at Black Horizons by now. Thank you very much.