For more than 20 years, Rashad Byrdsong’s Community Empowerment Association has worked to stem violence in Pittsburgh’s East End by providing a variety of life skills, violence prevention, academic and job skills programming to young Black men and adults.
His nonprofit initially sought out property owners, community development corporations, including the city and its authorities, and soon provided work for young men clearing and cleaning the vacant and abandoned lots in Homewood. But he realized that to break the symbiotic cycles of poverty and violence, people needed more than a job; they needed careers.
To that end, Byrdsong took a two-pronged approach. On one hand, CEA began giving both youth and older residents training in rough framing, drywall, painting, and related construction trades. On the other hand, he formed Ma’at Construction with partner Johnnie Comer and began employing those who completed the training, giving them hands-on experience, with on-the-job mentoring from veteran journeyman construction professionals.
Slowly, Ma’at has been growing, winning subcontracts on major construction projects throughout the city, Allegheny County and beyond—all the while, exposing its workers, and their expertise, to major construction firms and developers.
“We did the interiors when they converted the old county jail into family court, we had 16 people on that job. On Bakery Square is what really got us noticed, we did the window blocking on all nine floors. We worked at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, did their dorms, all new dance floors and all drywall and studs finishing for the lobby,” he said. “We did interior in Bottom Dollar in McKees Rocks, we did houses on Dinwiddie, in Addison Terrace. We’re over in Larimer now. And we’ll be working at the Cathedral of Learning with Mascaro starting next week.
That earned Ma’at the reputation and revenue to move to the next level—prime contracting and construction management on large projects. In November, Bridgeway Capital gave Ma’at it’s first such contract—hiring it as the general contractor supervising and renovating the interior of a massive 150,000 square foot former U.S. Steel warehouse on Susquehanna Street in Homewood into custom spaces for a number of small firms.
Though he was originally contracted to do only the third and fourth floors, he said he would likely end up doing all five. So far, it also allowed him to hire Black subcontractors like electrical contractor Louis McCullough, whose crew is rewiring both floors.
“It’s taken a while for people to see I’m not just some radical on the street screaming about social justice and ending gang violence, although I still do that,” said Byrdsong. “This is about giving the indigenous population the opportunity—and the tools to take advantage of that opportunity—to rebuild their community from within. Like I said before, we can’t wait for Superman.”
And he’s not. Byrdsong and his team realize people need more than construction training to pull themselves out of poverty and he plans to provide additional skills through the formation of another for profit entity—a real estate development firm. That way, he said, community development will be just that. Residents will be involved in the planning; a local entity will purchase property, and design and build what goes there.
“So these kids will only see people who look like them working and contributing, and rebuilding and beautifying their community,” he said. “Instead of takers, they’ll see makers—they’ll be makers.”
CEA Training Director Judith Ginyard, realtor and former director of the Larimer Community Development Company, is coordinating the development company effort its associated training and educational initiatives.
“Now, of course we already have general math and reading programs and those that are specialized to the construction industry,” she said. “But a realty/development business—we’re talking about estimating, logistics, ordering, accounting, design, advertising, sales, property management.”
Byrdsong has also built up a database of skilled Black tradesmen which he plans to list on a new website, which is set to go live in January.
“It’s a clearing house for all those things pipe fitters, painters, electricians, HVAC, plumbers—plus all the social services, bankers etc.,” he said.
Byrdsong said this is the result of a grass root movement pushing against politics and people downtown that were talking about percentages for 20 years.
“This is true empowerment; when you’re able to build your own organizations and institutions and businesses,” he said. “We have to be the authors and architects of development in our community.”
(Send comments to cmorrow@newpittsburghcourier.com.)
