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WHEREAS, in honor of Black History Month, we celebrate Mr. Bill Strickland, who has been shaping the lives of youths and adults for decades; and,
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WHEREAS, as a 16 year old young man attending the David B Oliver High School, Bill's life was transformed by an art teacher, Frank Ross, who instilled in him an appreciation for the arts, self-discipline and purpose; and,
WHEREAS, as an undergraduate of the University of Pittsburgh in 1968, Mr. Strickland opened and founded the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, an after-school ceramic studio teaching children pottery skills in Manchester, the Northside neighborhood where he was raised. Upon graduation, Strickland was determined to bring purpose to the lives of disadvantaged kids in Pittsburgh's North Side; and,
WHEREAS, in 1972, he assumed leadership of Bidwell Training Center, and created majors relevant to Pittsburgh's economy. In 1987, he founded MCG Jazz, which is one of the longest-running jazz subscription series in America; and,
WHEREAS, what started as a small ceramic studio became Manchester Bidwell Corporation, an educational model designed to empower educational environments for adults-in-transition as well as a diverse population of youth in the Pittsburgh region; and,
WHEREAS, in July of 2018, Mr. Strickland stepped down from his role as the CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, and is now the Executive Chairman of the organization focused on replicating his educational model around the world; and,
WHEREAS, he received the MacArthur Genius Award in 1996, a Goi Peace Award in 2011, and was honored at the White House. His book, Make the Impossible Possible, has sold more than 85,000 copies; and,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend Mr. Bill Strickland for investing in our city's youth and adults and giving them a chance to be productive citizens; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does he...
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