And then a hero came along…
Twenty of them, in fact.
The call was made earlier this summer by the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation (PBMF) to find local African American male heroes in Homewood.
Who was making vital spiritual, economic, educational, and/or social contributions to this majority-African American neighborhood considered by many to be misunderstood and underserved?
The call was answered, to the tune of 20 Black men that will be recognized in a multimedia piece during a reception at the Homewood YMCA, 7140 Bennett St., Dec. 3 from 3:30 to 6 p.m.
Local artist and photographer, Kenneth Neely, teaches an arts class inside Mt. Ararat Baptist Church. When he asked his young students to name a hero, none named any local men. Not a father, not a brother, not a firefighter, not a teacher. Neely wanted to address this absence, and wondered if PBMF could engage with him to showcase local male heroes.
PBMF’s own research showed that the lack of Black journalists employed on staff can lead mainstream media to often depict Black males as thugs, criminals, wayward, and lost. This kind of “narrative discrimination,” or biased storytelling, robs too many Black males of their humanity, leaving the stories of who they are incomplete.
These conversations were coinciding with the launch of the National Association of Black Journalists Inspire Black Men project, which wanted to take a deeper look at Black male images in media across the nation and even find ways to mentor more Black males to consider journalism careers with the visual arts.
As a result, PBMF developed “American Heroes: The Homewood Project,” an initiative that would find local heroes help tell their stories, showcase their work in the community, and serve as a counter to narrative discrimination. Not only did PBMF want to mentor young males on considering media careers, it also wanted to build a conversation in Homewood about who is a hero. And, it wanted a project that would show the youngsters in Neely’s class, and elsewhere, that yes, there are heroes in Homewood. The federation wanted to build a project that would focus on the positive, what the men are contributing to Homewood and try to move away from the “deficit” storytelling that there is no good thing in Homewood. A perception that has harmful consequences for the way Black males—and the communities they live in—are perceived and treated. And, while there are challenges in Homewood, the federation was to focus on those who were reaching for solutions.
To be considered a “hero,” the men had to live, work, or have a current association with Homewood. Some of the men were born in Homewood, others decided to live there later in life.
For example, Elwin Green is the founder of Homewood Nation, a website and social media enterprise that try to empower change in Homewood through conversation and networking. He was born in Louisville, Ky., but considers himself a “placist.” He’s lived in Homewood since 1984. “I believe deeply in the importance of place. In order to do what God wants, we have to connect with specific people,” Green said. “In order to connect with specific people, we need to be in a specific place. After all these things, I became convinced that Homewood is my place.”
There are lots of heroes who hail from and have been a part of Homewood, but for this project, it was important to have heroes who currently were connected to Homewood.
The 20 heroes nominated and selected came all walks of life. There were young musicians and elder historians. There were businessmen and nonprofit leaders. They were teachers and youth pastors. Each of the men helps to showcase the power and influence of local Black male engagement and leadership.
To attend the Dec. 3 event, RSVP at PBMFheroes.eventbrite.com. Space is limited.
The List of Heroes
•Anwan Wesley, founder of Fatherhood Outreach and a sport coach and mentor
•Ayodeji Young, with Homewood Community Sports and a PeeWee football coach
•Elwin Green, the proprietor of Home Nation, a web and blog on community development
•Giordan Dixon, an arts and technology advocate and community volunteer
•James Brown, a leader in youth development at the Homewood-Brushton YMCA
•Dr. James Johnson, co-founder of the Afro-American Music Institute
•Monte’ Robinson, head football coach Westinghouse High School
•Neil Dorsey, owner Dorsey’s Record Shop
•Nate Mitchell, owner the Natural Choice, Homewood
•Ramon Robinson, offensive coordinator Westinghouse High football team
•Raynard Lucas, musician and community volunteer
•Ron Porter, founder of RDP Consulting Services
•Joe Simmons, Dana’s Bakery
•John Brewer, historian and owner of the Homewood Coliseum
•Justin Strong, owner Strong Fabric Care
•Martell Covington, with the African American Leadership Institute
•Thomas Kilcrease, youth pastor at Bethany Baptist Church
• T. Rashad Byrdsong, founder and CEO of Community Empowerment Association
•Von Washington, advocate and worker with Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh
•William Davis Baker, Baker’s Dairy
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