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WHEREAS, for generations, African-American students and families in Pittsburgh have fought tirelessly for access to equitable, high-quality education, from the founding of the African Education Society in 1832 and the opening of The African School in 1833, to decades of advocacy against segregation, exclusion, and discriminatory practices within the Pittsburgh Public Schools; and,
WHEREAS, grounded in the scholarship and leadership of the late Dr. Barbara A. Sizemore, a nationally respected educator, researcher, and activist, Pittsburgh’s Black community organized throughout the 1980s to confront persistent racial disparities in student achievement, discipline, hiring, curriculum representation, and access to advanced programs; and,
WHEREAS, on August 24, 1992, five African-American parents-supported by the Advocates for African-American Students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools (AAASPPS)-filed a landmark complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) alleging systemic racial discrimination in PPS, leading to a decades-long oversight and reform effort; and,
WHEREAS, this complaint challenged inequities including disproportionate suspensions of African-American students, exclusion from special programs, unequal grading practices, lack of culturally relevant instruction, and hiring practices that failed to support African-American educators and leadership; and,
WHEREAS, the subsequent 2006 PHRC Conciliation Agreement and the creation of the Equity Advisory Panel (EAP) formalized community-driven oversight of PPS’ obligations to close racial achievement and opportunity gaps; and,
WHEREAS, the Advocates and EAP-through testimony, monitoring, community forums, and policy recommendations-helped establish and advance initiatives such as the Office of Equity, the PPS equity plan Getting to All, WE Promise programming, restorative practice efforts, and ongoing strategies to address disparities in discipline, placement, school climate, and educational opportunity; and,
WHEREAS, community leaders including Wanda Henderson, Bill Lowman, Huberta Jackson-Lowman, Tamanika Howze, Dr. Anthony Mitchell, Dr. Marilyn Barnett, Ron Suber, Carl Redwood, Jr., Dr. Louis Venson, Mark Brentley, and the late Attorney Leroy Hodge, among many others, have served as steadfast advocates for Pittsburgh’s children and families; and,
WHEREAS, the legacy of the Advocates stands as one of Pittsburgh’s most significant grassroots education-justice movements-embodying a commitment to accountability, equity, and the belief that all children deserve schools that recognize, nurture, and honor their greatness;
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare December 9, 2025 to be “Advocates for African-American Students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.