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WHEREAS In 1964, Willa Chandler became the first black meter maid for the City of Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS Willa or “Ms. Kitty” as she is affectionately known, fondly recalls her career as a meter maid, where she wore badge number one, and worked in many different neighborhoods, including Downtown, Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Lawrenceville and many more; and
WHEREAS as a meter maid, Ms. Kitty met a lot of people who welcomed her presence in the neighborhood sometimes offering a cold drink on hot days; and
WHEREAS although she was not welcomed by all, and did sometimes face racial slurs, this did not discourage her; and
WHEREAS Ms. Kitty remembers Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's stirring “I have a dream” speech, and because of that speech decided to help Dr. King reach his goals at a time where inequality was still very prevalent; and
WHEREAS deciding early on to be a part of the solution and not part of the problems that faced the African Americans in the sixties, she felt that there was a positive need to protest the inequalities of things like jobs and scholarships for children; and
WHEREAS after leaving her position as meter maid, she worked for the Allegheny County Prothonotary's office until she retired at the age of 62; and
WHEREAS Ms. Kitty has been a member of Macedonia Baptist Church for her entire life and is a devoted church member; and
WHEREAS her dedication to Macedonia over the past 20+ years is evident in the many church activities she is involved in included the Gospel Chorus, the Heart of Line Committee, Trustee Board, church choir, 80th Anniversary Committee, The Blanche Thompkins Missionary Circle, and The Church Food Bank Committee, which fed over 100 families every two weeks before the church discontinued the service; and
WHEREAS Ms. Kitty continues to remain active and very involved with her community, as she faithfully attends Forever Young Senior meetings throughout the week and stays very busy by helping other seniors with getting ...
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