Stop the Violence Pittsburgh holds annual Black History Month summit and essay contest

Stop The Violence Pittsburgh held its sixth annual student Black History Month Summit and Essay Contest Wednesday at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Oakland. The summit brought out more than 600 students from regional high schools, including Aliquippa High School, Oakland Catholic High School, Fox Chapel Area High School, Gateway High School and more.

The summit focused on educating students about the excellence and historical prominence of Black people in the Western Pennsylvania area. Additionally, there was a celebration with dancing, music courtesy of Marlon Martin from WAMO and a step show.

The date of the event was fitting — Feb. 7 is the anniversary of the founding of Negro History Week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, which expanded into Black History Month.

Hill District residents William and Margo Marshall produced the event.

“We wanted to showcase our African-American history to the students in this region,” said William Marshall, founder of Stop The Violence. “I learned that in schools students weren’t learning about Black history, and we wanted to do something to close that gap.”

The programming included a presentation of a documentary about the Tuskegee Airmen of Western Pennsylvania from Chris Moore, a presentation by the National Negro Opera Company, and a documentary celebrating the Freedom House Ambulance service.

The Freedom House Ambulance service, which began in the Hill District in 1967, was staffed by all Black people and created out of a need for medical care in the Hill District. It helped establish modern-day emergency medical services. Students had the opportunity to hear from John Moon, a former Freedom House emergency medical technician and retired assistant chief of Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Service, as well as current EMS Chief Amera Gilchrist.

“Growing up I didn’t know that Pittsburgh had this much Black history and Black influence,” said Terrell Bush, 18 and a senior at Woodland Hills High School. “It was amazing to meet people that are actually part of history.”

This was Bush’s second year participating in the event. His favorite parts of the program were listening to Gilchrist speak and the Sankofa Dance and Drum Team. He said he is a visual learner and appreciated the celebration portion of the program as well as the educational aspects.

After the presentations, Sankofa Dance and Drum Team performed and invited students to have a dance battle.

“This has given the students an opportunity to learn about history and show that Pittsburgh is a city where influential ideas came from and where Black people have made a remarkable impact,” said Melvin Hubbard El, senior community adviser to the mayor. “It is so important that students know about their history and knowing where they come from and who they are.”

Dior Collins, 17 and a student at Woodland Hills High School, was one of the contestants in the dance battle.

“I just feel like today has allowed me to feel more comfortable, and events like this allow all of us to be able to come together and celebrate our Blackness,” Collins said. “It just makes me happy to see all these Black people in one room celebrating each other. It has opened my range of thought for what I can do in the future.”

Susan Frazier DeLaney, a retired Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher, author and Gateway School Board member, served as a judge for the contest. She said that she learned while reading the submissions.

“To see what has gone on in Pittsburgh that has impacted so many lives is amazing,” she said.

Brandon Banks, 18, a senior at Aliquippa High School, took first place in the essay contest for his essay about Martin Luther King Jr. and his service, winning a trophy and $150 gift card.

“I learned a couple of new things — about the people that were up there and how they are stamped in Pittsburgh,” Banks said.