Featured this month
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Nominate a champion of the arts during Black History Month
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Legacy of K. Leroy Irvis (LAW ’54) continues to inspire
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Find out more about events happening in February
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See the winners of the 2024 Social Justice Awards
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Mark your calendars for the Latinx Connect conference
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Black History Month 2024
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Join us at 6 p.m. Feb. 26 for the K. Leroy Irvis Celebration in the Connolly Ballroom
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Nominate a ‘champion of the arts’
The national theme for Black History Month 2024 is "African Americans and the Arts."
This year, the University of Pittsburgh will use the annual K. Leroy Irvis celebration on Feb. 26 to honor six individuals who have made contributions to the Pittsburgh artistic community and who have demonstrated their commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion across the Pittsburgh region.
To nominate someone, visit pitt.ly/BHMArts2024. The deadline is Feb. 5.
Nominations are being accepted from the public in six categories:
Inspiring Leader – A graduate student at the forefront of advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion for the University community. Exemplifies strong leadership skills.
Aspiring Ally – An individual who is supporting inclusionary efforts in the community or at the University.
Creative Changemaker — An individual who is changing the culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the community or at the University. Has shown the ability to shift the narrative around DEIA efforts.
Social Justice Advocate – An individual who is focused on advancing social justice efforts for the community or at the University.
Unsung Hero — An individual who tends to work in the background, encouraging others to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. A person who historically may not have gotten the credit for the work they do to advance DEI efforts.
Campus Leadership — An undergraduate student who develops synergy and collaboration in the University community. Must have leadership experience on campus.
To register to attend the Feb. 26 event, click here.
To nominate a champion of the arts, click here.
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Irvis’ legacy continues to inspire new leaders
Nearly 20 years after his death, the legacy of Pitt Law graduate K. Leroy Irvis continues to be remembered — not just during Black History Month, but throughout the year, by people who knew the legislator and those inspired by his example.
Irvis, who died in 2006, came from the small town of Saugerties in Ulster County, N.Y. By the time he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Irvis had already begun his celebrated career, having first worked for the War Production Board in Washington, D.C., and then joined the Urban League of Pittsburgh as assistant secretary for industrial relations.
At the Urban League, Irvis organized a boycott against Pittsburgh’s four major department stores, demanding they hire Black employees for sales and management roles — not just for custodial tasks. After two years of negotiations and several months of pickets — including during the crucial Christmas shopping season — the stores finally agreed to stop discrimination in their hiring and promotions policies.
In 1955, he was hired as a law clerk to two Common Pleas Court judges — the first Black person to serve in such a capacity — and then was named an assistant district attorney.
He was elected to the state legislature in 1960 and during the next 28 years sponsored more than 875 bills supporting issues in education, civil rights, human services, health, mental illness, governmental administration, and prison and housing reform.
Irvis was unanimously elected the first Black speaker of the house in the United States in 1977 and served in that role until his retirement in 1988.
“He was a masterful politician,” remembered Donald M. Henderson, Pitt professor emeritus of sociology who served as Pitt’s first Black provost from 1989 to 1994. “There weren’t many Black people in the legislature, but it was still unusual to have one as powerful as Mr. Irvis. He was bright, able and fearless. He was also an excellent poet and a nice man. I held him in very high esteem.”
Laurence Glasco, associate professor of history, is working on an biography of Irvis. He said Irvis was able to earn the respect of lawmakers through his fairness and his reputation. “He played it straight. He was honest. There was never any scandal in his 30 years there in Harrisburg. He didn’t cajole people. He didn’t do backroom deals. He just played it straight and was admired for it,” Glasco told City & State Pennsylvania in 2023.
(Both photos: Pennsylvania General Assembly archives)
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Learn more about the K. Leroy Irvis archives at Pitt
After his retirement from the state General Assembly, K. Leroy Irvis donated his archives to the University Library System. The collection, spanning 1946 to 1996, includes speeches, interviews, correspondence, and personal photos — and some of Irvis’ collection of hand-built model airplanes.
See the collection
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Busy lineup of events marks BHM celebration
Events that include art, music, dance, and literature are being held across the Pittsburgh campus in celebration of Black History Month, beginning this Friday and continuing through Feb. 29. This is just a small sampling:
Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh Art Showcase
6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 2
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Opening ceremony for the collaborative art competition that launched in June 2023 by Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, and in community partnership with 1Hood Media, and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center.
Black Health & Wellness Speaker Series
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 8
William Pitt Union 548
Dr. Derek M. Griffith of Georgetown University is a founding co-director of the Racial Justice Institute, founder and director of the Center for Men’s Health Equity, and a professor of health management & policy and oncology. He specializes in interventions to promote Black men's health and well-being, and interventions to mitigate the effects of structural racism on health.
Taste of Culture
6:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 8
Virtual Event
Please make plans to join the University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Physician Inclusion Council at UPMC and Pitt, and the UPMC GME Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee for a virtual cooking class. Instructions on how to pick up your ingredient packages will be provided the week of the event by the event organizer.
“Designing to Disrupt in Computing: Why We All Should ‘Color Outside the Lines’”
9:30 to 11 a.m. Feb. 9
Virtual Event
Niki Washington will discuss the importance of technology disruption from the lens of people, policies, and practices in computing environments, including why computing doesn’t exist in a vacuum, how they impact technical innovation, and what we all can do to create and advocate for more disruption in spaces we navigate.
“Beyonce: Harmony of Love”
6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 13
William Pitt Union, Office of Inclusion and Belonging, 6th Floor
Participants will go on a journey through Beyonce’s albums through dance and fellowship to celebrate safe and healthy relationships through the concept of self-love.
Changemakers in Art Series
4 p.m. Feb. 15
C4C: Understory
Discussion between Michael Sawyer and Damon Young, moderated by Joy Priest.
Changemakers in Art Series
7 p.m. Feb. 15
C4C: Understory
A discussion by Sherry Sykes, Morgan Overton, and Emmai Alaquiva on the impact of African American arts on the global stage and using your art as a form of activism.
Screening: “Love Jones”
6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 15
Community Engagement Center - Homewood
622 N. Homewood Ave., 15208
African Americans and the Arts: A Vehicle for Social Change
12 noon to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 19
Benedum Room 102
Join the Swanson School of Engineering in recognizing the contributions that African Americans have made in the area of arts.
“The Letter to Martin Reincarnation Tour”
7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 21
University Club, Ballroom A
“The Letter to Martin Reincarnation Tour” features the stage play “Words From The Trail,” a captivating journey that brings to life the echoes of the civil rights era while resonating deeply with the challenges we face today.
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Heinz History Center plans BHM celebrations
“From Slavery to Freedom” Film Series: Join the African American Program for a free, virtual screening of “Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People,” on Feb. 7.
“Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration”: On Feb. 21, discover how art provides imprisoned people with a voice during the 10th Annual Black History Month Lecture with Nicole R. Fleetwood (right), the James Weldon Johnson Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University.
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Trauma-Informed Engagement 101: Feb. 28
Prevention at Pitt is hosting sessions on how to create trauma-informed spaces for all community members. These trainings are virtual. Two have been held so far this semester, and the next session is 12 to 12:45 p.m. on Feb. 28. Register now.
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Disability Resources & Services will hold its next “College to Career” discussion on Teams from 3 to 4 p.m. Feb. 15.
DRS personnel will be discussing information related to what qualifies as an accommodation, options outside of accommodations, the difference between an accommodation and a preference, reasons why an accommodation may be denied, and much more.
The series is being offered to undergraduates who are registered with DRS and is designed to prepare students with disabilities for entering the workforce by providing education related to resume writing, job selection, self-advocacy, disability disclosure, accommodations, and interview etiquette.
Upcoming workshops include “Workplace Barriers” on March 21 and “Self Advocacy” on April 18.
For more information or to register, contact DRS.
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Crowd celebrates 2024 social justice award winners
Nearly 150 people attended a luncheon at the William Pitt Union on Jan. 26 to celebrate the winners of Pitt’s 2024 Social Justice Awards.
Opening remarks were delivered by Chancellor Joan Gabel and Clyde Wilson Pickett (EDUC ’17G), vice chancellor for equity, diversity, and inclusion and chief diversity officer.
Ron Idoko (A&S ’05, GSPIA ’07) was presented with the University’s 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Creating a Just Community Award. The award includes a $5,000 prize.
Idoko serves as director of the office of social innovation in the Frederick Honors College, associate director of the Center on Race & Social Problems, and founding director of the Racial Equity Consciousness Institute. “To fully address the systemic inequities in our community and society at large, we must recognize and confront it in all of its complexity,” said Idoko, who thanked the award committee with “deep humility and gratitude” for what he called an “incredible” honor.
“We as a community are capable of being incredible agents for positive social change,“ he said. “It relies on our willingness to develop and embody mindsets that align with our values, visions, and goals.”
A group of undergraduate students led by Alexa Miller and Julia Vroman accepted the University Prize for Strategic, Inclusive, & Diverse Excellence on behalf of the SAFE Peer Educators program. The award comes with a $10,000 cash prize.
“This award is not just a testament to the work that we’ve done—it’s a validation of the significance of addressing issues related to sexual violence, healthy relationships, and consent within our University community,” Miller said.
Vroman and Miller said SAFE started in 2016 as a small group of student volunteers hoping to change campus culture, and has grown to a point where during the fall 2023 semester alone it was able to train 1,400 students during 60 workshops.
Vroman thanked OEDI and Student Affairs for their support of SAFE and its mission. “Your expertise and guidance have been instrumental in spreading our message, and the effectiveness of our initiatives,” she said.
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Mark your calendars for the next Latinx Connect conference at the University of Pittsburgh, to be held March 21 to 23.
Each Latinx Connect conference aims to move the public and the University beyond “celebrating” Latinxs to calling for empowerment and justice for Latinx communities, who face numerous inequities in the U.S. and around the world, particularly for those at marginalized intersections of Latinx identity, including those of African descent, indigenous people, the LGBTQIA+ community, and the undocumented.
The theme of the conference this year is “¡Imaginemos Juntos! Dialogues on Thriving Latinx Futures.”
The 2024 Latinx Connect conference will bring together students, educators, community leaders, and political advocates to envision ways to empower and support thriving futures—both short and distant—for diverse Latinx communities at local, national, and global levels.
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Pitt’s 2024 Diversity Forum attracts enthusiastic, nationwide participation
More than 1,400 people participated in the University of Pittsburgh’s 2024 Diversity Forum, held in a virtual format online Jan. 23 and 24.
The keynote address was delivered by the Rev. Dr. William Barber II, a Protestant minister, social activist, and founding director of the Center for Public Theology & Public Policy at Yale Divinity School.
Barber said inclusive representation is crucial for decision-making because it ensures that diverse perspectives and experiences are taken into account. He also criticized those who would reduce the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the “I Have a Dream” speech without studying his other teachings on poverty, systemic income equality, and militarism.
“To honor Dr. King is to listen,” Barber said. “Millions of people live in poverty. When is the last time you've heard one presidential debate focus on poverty and say, ‘What are you going to do about poverty and low wages?’ About a quarter-million people die every year from poverty in the most opulent, expensive country in the world. Are you listening? Why is it that out of the 25 wealthiest countries in the world, the United States is still the only one that doesn’t offer some form of universal healthcare. Are you listening?”
Closing remarks were delivered by former social worker turned blogger and activist Feminista Jones. She emphasized the need to listen to marginalized voices and amplify their stories. She also highlighted the importance of community-building and collaboration in creating a more just and equitable society.
Jones shared her own experiences and work, including her podcast "Black Girl Missing," which focuses on the stories of missing African-American girls. She encouraged the audience to take action and challenge the status quo in order to create positive change.
“We have to dedicate the appropriate time and resources to reconciling how diverse approaches can strengthen all of the work that we're doing to make this world better,” she said. “It’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint, and it’s better to devote substantial time to developing and strengthening our community culture before we run into larger problems later.”
All of the talks delivered during the 2024 Diversity Forum are available for playback by registered participants. If you were registered and want to review any sessions you missed, login using your name and email address.
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