New ownership…Black Business Directory changes hands, continues commitment to Black businesses

Enabling her to continue to utilize her community development and social service experience, Jones says the Black Business Directory will be her way to continuously help people.
“Over the years, the Black Directory has captured the essence of the region’s African-American community through the business, corporate, non-profit and church listings and through the stories we tell,” said Portis. She describes the publication as a community resource for locating African-Americans in business in the Greater Pittsburgh area and a means to showcase additional businesses, resources and services that are available to build and enhance opportunities in the community. She said the leveling of the playing field for African Americans in the marketplace and for majority-owned businesses to reach the African American market in a medium primarily targeted to them as the purpose of the Directory. “The concept was designed to reach out to and list as many business owners and service providers as we could identify,” said Portis.
The Black Pages and Black Business Directories are published in print and online in over 55 cities nationwide and abroad representing more than 100,000 plus business.
Jones, a user and supporter of the Directory since its inception said her plan is to continue its purpose and the efforts and hard work Portis has committed throughout the last three decades. “I concur that there is a need for the Black Directory to have a purpose to level the playing field for African Americans in the marketplace and for majority-owned businesses to reach the African American market in a medium primarily targeted to them.”
Concerned about the demise of some of the area’s long time agencies and organizations like the Neighborhood Centers Association and Addison Behavioral Care, Jones has plans for the directory to highlight the services and resources that countless area groups provide. “Many times people need resources but don’t know where to find what they need,” she said. Contributing her strong concern and interest of the section to her social service back ground, her goal is to strengthen the Blue Pages section of the directory.
The section consists of agencies, organizations, educational and employment services. The section also includes the Black Church Directory. “We want to include associations, sororities and fraternities and groups like the Black Nurses, reading clubs, athletic associations and youth oriented groups.” She added that a community calendar section is also something she hopes to incorporate.
Another area Jones plans to focus on is building up the Directory’s social media presences. “There will always be a need for paper copies of the directory. But I have to develop ways to include and involve young and diverse populations of business owners and users. There has to be easy navigation, user friendliness and inclusion for everybody.”
According to Jones, the directory has an online presence and is available at www.pittsburghblack­directory.com for usage and to advertise. She suggests for entrepreneurs to take advantage of the free listing offered on the website while planning to place at least a business card size ad in the paper copy. “To accommodate all size businesses we offer a two-tiered pricing structure; small business which includes small non-profits and a corporate rate.
With technology being the way of the world, Jones encourages businesses of all types to advertise and to be included in the 2015/16 issue.
“Our theme this year is Harnessing the Power of Diversity. Recognizing that the region is changing, it is a prime time for businesses and the directory to develop together,” she said. Her philosophy is that diversity covers many spectrums. “Diversity is not just color, age or gender, but consists of
human attributes that are different from our own and from those of groups in which we belong. It is visible and invisible.”  Jones considers the Directory as a community resource that delivers a way to communicate and to provide additional businesses, resources and services to build and enhance opportunities in all communities. “Life is richer when you have a wide range of choices.”
A Manchester resident and lifetime Pittsburgher, Jones is a graduate of the former Allegheny High School with a Masters of Public Health in Health Services Administration and a Masters of Social Work in Community Organization and Planning both from the University of Pittsburgh. She received her undergraduate degree from Tarkio College in Tarkio, Mo.  She credits her work and experience at Bidwell Presbyterian Church in the early ‘60s as the influence that provided the knowledge and interest in organizing people, petitioning, protesting, developing agendas and meetings that provided her base to work as an administrative professional in many different places. Establishments that included the Mayor’s office, a state legislator, Healthy Start, Community Action agencies in Pittsburgh and Maryland, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, Gateway Health Plan, Manchester Bidwell Corporation and many other community based organizations in the Manchester community.
Jones has served on many different boards, committees and task forces and is currently a trustee for Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation, Mattie Addis Scholarship Fund, and in active mode as an emeritus member of the Manchester Citizens Corporation and WQED.  She is also a board member of the Pittsburgh Fiber Arts Guild.
Excited about the future of the Directory, Jones admits that she looks forward to developing and embracing relationships with small businesses within the region. “After observing my husband (Herman) who has operated a business, Urban Market Research for numerous years and now that I have developed a foundation for the Black Business Directory I understand what is unique about doing business in the Pittsburgh area.”