Dressed to a tee, the 2025 iteration of the New Pittsburgh Courier’s “Men of Excellence” class filled the Sheraton Hotel Station Square with the confidence that only accomplished men can exude.
Held, Aug. 22, the 50 men sported a variety of suits and styles as they were first introduced to the crowd by the event’s celebrity host, WPXI’s Lisa Sylvester. It’s become a staple at the Courier’s “Men of Excellence,” “Women of Excellence” and “Fab 40 under 40” awards ceremonies that the honorees walk across the stage at the beginning of the show, being serenaded by the hundreds of audience members in attendance.
One of those honorees was Reginald Hickman, Director of Curriculum for Urban Pathways Charter School.
“We’re such a beautiful people,” Hickman told the Courier. “In this time where people want to discount what we are and what we do and not really give us our due, it’s really wonderful.”
Think about it. In a city like Pittsburgh, where the Black population has been on a steady decline for the past 15 years, Hickman said the impact of seeing 50 Black men being celebrated in one venue at one time in Pittsburgh is enormous.
“It shows Pittsburgh that there is Black excellence in this city,” Hickman said. “Oftentimes, people don’t want to recognize that, but it also should show us as a people how beautiful we are, how wonderful we are, how intelligent and smart we are.”
Following the invocation by Rev. A. Marie Walker, it was, in layman terms, time to eat. Brother Marlon Martin provided the music for the dinner, which featured the ladies’ favorite song, “Can We Talk,” by Tevin Campbell, among other selections.
Then it was onto the show, as Courier sales director Ashley Johnson thanked the sponsors for their involvement in the celebration. The sponsors included: Duquesne Light Company, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, Bridgeway Capital, Partner 4 Work, Mount Ararat Baptist Church, Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
Rod Doss, the Courier’s editor and publisher, then addressed the crowd and, as always, pushed them to continue to strive for the highest of heights.
Sylvester then introduced each member of the “Men of Excellence,” “Class of 2025,” and each honoree received their award from Doss before posing for a photo taken by Ricco J.L. Martello. As each man’s name was called, you could hear the roar from that man’s supporters in the crowd.Greg Spencer was the legacy honoree for the 2025 class. He’s currently the Managing Director for Spencer MacCleary and Associates, LLC, but he’s so much more. He
served in the U.S. Air Force. He worked his way up to General Manager of U.S. Steel’s Human Resources department. He later became Senior VP and Chief Administrative Officer for EQT Corporation. To the younger Black men of Pittsburgh, he’s been a trusted mentor and advisor to many.
“One day, the Lord picked me up, dusted me off and put me to work,” Spencer said during his brief remarks. “And I’ve been working ever since.”
Spencer also said that oftentimes, he thinks about younger Black men and youth who have no strong Black men in their lives. “And they wonder like I used to, whether there was a way. As long as they look up at the Lord, they’ll be just fine. But it’s incumbent upon us to reach out to those young men and show them they, too, can be Men of Excellence.”
The Courier has been celebrating “Men of Excellence” since 2008. With the exception of a few years without a celebration, the 2025 class means there have been some 650 Black men who have received the “Men of Excellence” honor in the Pittsburgh region.
“What I told my son is, this is the Hall of Fame of Black men in Pittsburgh,” voiced an ecstatic Dr. Nosakhere Griffin-EL Sr., one of the honorees. “I’m just honored to be in this space with other Black men, and I’m honored to be in this legacy of Black men.
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