In Celebration of Juneteenth

What started as a commemoration of the ending of slavery in Galveston, Texas, has become a celebration of Black American life and — as of 2021 — a federal holiday. Juneteenth recognizes the day in 1865 when Black enslaved people in Texas finally received their freedom, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The name “Juneteenth” was coined in the late 1890s as celebrations of this day began occurring across the South in the form of concerts, barbecues, picnics and baseball games. Eventually, the tradition spread across the country and grew to include educational and cultural events meant to laud and honor Black liberty and perseverance.

This Juneteenth, celebrate with stories of Black Pitt alumni making a difference in their communities, professions and beyond.

Pioneering Educator

William Aldophus Granberry Fisher used resilience and determination (and his Pitt education) to overcome racial segregation and build a pioneering professional career. In the 1950s, he became the first to teach a class in Negro history in Pittsburgh public schools and then continued his history-making path. In 1971, he became the first African American principal of the predominately white Taylor Allderdice High School, taking the position amid the tumult of desegregation. He served there for 20 years, retiring as a beloved figure who had positively influenced countless lives. Read more about Fisher and his involvement in Pitt’s seminal history as a welcoming, multicultural University.

Going the Distance

Rickey Jackson was proud of his life of accomplishments. He played in the NFL for 15 seasons, 13 of them with the New Orleans Saints, where he earned five second-team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl selections. Jackson’s final two seasons were with the San Francisco 49ers, becoming a Super Bowl champion in the 1994 season. He was then inaugurated into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.  Jackson knew to finish strong. It was this attitude that — 40 years after he left Pitt for the NFL draft — brought Jackson back to finish his college degree. He was part of the University’s Class of 2023, walking the commencement stage to pick up his degree in social sciences from the College of General Studies. The achievement, says Jackson, is on par with the Super Bowl. “This is something I achieved personally on my own, so I’d put it right up with that.” Read more about Jackson’s journey in Pittwire.

Changing the Landscape

While hiking in the foothills of New Mexico’s Organ Mountains, Marquis Cofer (BUS ’17) found the inspiration to take on a new career. Today, he works with Module, a housing startup making use of modular home design and technology to address racial equity and affordability. Growing up in a family of general contractors in Philadelphia, Cofer understood the importance of owning a home, and how it can seem out of reach for many families. Module helps to bridge that gap. Learn more about Cofer’s work.

Nurturing Body and Mind

Any event that calls for a charcuterie board or picnic spread is bound to be a good time, but for Tierra Thorne (SOC WK ’16), food invites a deeper connection with the people you share it with and the chance to spread that love communitywide. This opportunity is what led Thorne to create the concierge service Blanket and Board, which caters picnics and other events with specialty charcuterie boards and nonperishable gifts from minority-led businesses. Thorne’s goal is for the service to generate the kind of warmth and sharing she grew up with around her family’s dinner table. Find out more about Thorne’s business.

Bringing it Home

As a Pitt student, Dan’Talisha Deans helped equip the campus community to advocate and address issues of social justice. Now, she’s returning to take on an even bigger role. In October 2022, Deans (SOC WK ’12G) became the inaugural director of development for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in Pitt’s Division of Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement, where she collaborates with the Pitt Alumni Association, Student Affairs and other University divisions to develop strategy that drives engagement and fundraising among diverse populations and underrepresented communities. Read more about her new role in Bridges magazine from the School of Social Work.

Making History

Michael Lindsey (SOC WK ’02G) is the new dean of New York University Silver School of Social Work. Lindsey, the first African American dean in the school’s history, is an expert on race and adolescent mental health, with numerous scholarly contributions on generational poverty and inequality. Previously, he supported the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Task Force on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health and was appointed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Community Preventive Services Task Force. Read more about Lindsey’s accomplishments in Bridges.