POISE was founded with $164,000 by the late Bernard Jones in 1980 as an outgrowth of his previous work with Urban Youth Action and was designed to develop and enhance the participation of African-American philanthropists in the economic and social development of the Black community of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

On Dec. 9, donors, past scholarship recipients, and partner agencies celebrated Poise’s 30 years of fostering achievement at an anniversary gala at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture.

HELPING HANDS—Event chairs for the POISE 30th Anniversary Gala Sean and Greer Reed Jones accept a painting from President and CEO Mark Lewis for their work and ongoing support of the foundation. (Photo by J.L. Martello)

The evening included an awards ceremony, an anniversary salute and film presentation, cocktails and an hors d’oeuvres reception with music provided by Roger Humphries’ RH Factor.

“We had about 200 people attend, so given the weather it was great,” said POISE President and CEO Mark Lewis. “Not only was it a celebration of our 30 years, but we also recognized some of our donors and community partners.”

For 100 years the Pittsburgh Courier has been a major force within the community, telling the stories of those who often times did not have a chance to tell their story. It has been a valuable resource for the Black community and its people. But it takes a strong support and foundation to maintain that resource and that is what Real Times Media Inc. is to the Courier.

HIRAM JACKSON

In 1966, after years of financial troubles, the Pittsburgh Courier was purchased by Chicago Defender owner John Sengstacke. After the purchase the newspaper was revamped and renamed the New Pittsburgh Courier.

After the death of Sengstacke in 1997, Northern Trust Co., the trust he arranged some 23 years earlier, announced the sale of Sengstacke Enterprises; which owned the New Pittsburgh Courier, the Chicago Defender, the Memphis Tri-State Defender and the Michigan Chronicle.

“When I came to work and the padlocks were on the doors, it was one of the worst days of my life. No one knew.”

“When I heard the Courier was in trouble I decided that this was not going to happen. We could not, I could not allow this to happened.”

Above statements are from Hazel Garland, a longtime employee of the Pittsburgh Courier and John Sengstacke, the man who kept the paper alive with his purchase in 1966.

JOHN SENGSTACKE 1966-1997

After 56 years of being the most influential, the most powerful and the highest circulated of any Black newspaper in history the Pittsburgh Courier came to a jolting holt when the government shut it down because of its failure to pay taxes and the many other bills it had accumulated. A paper that once employed 350 people in Pittsburgh and hundreds more throughout the country would have come to a crashing holt, if not for the dreamer.

Stephan Broadus, assistant to the publisher at the New Pittsburgh Courier, has been an off and on passenger for almost 30 years. Now as the Courier celebrates its 100th anniversary, he reflects on how the newspaper has evolved since he first joined the staff in 1983.

STEPHAN BROADUS