The Allegheny County Democratic Black Caucus is an organization for African American political empowerment in Allegheny County. On April 15, at the Marriot City Center, they held their Second Annual Dorothy I. Height/C. Delores Tucker Scholarship Luncheon. The namesakes of the luncheon were powerful trailblazers.
Dorothy Irene Height, an American administrator and educator, was a civil rights and women’s rights activist, specifically focused on the issues of African American women, including unemployment, illiteracy and voter awareness. She was the president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. She passed in April 2010. Height spent her youth in Rankin.
Cynthia Delores Tucker was an American politician and civil rights activist, best known for her participation in the Civil Rights Movement and her stance against gangsta rap music. In 1971, Pennsylvania Gov. Milton J. Shapp named Tucker as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; she passed in October 2005.
Two women that embody the spirit of Height and Tucker were honored during the luncheon and received beautiful crystal awards from Caucus Chairwomen Brenda Tate and Vice Chairwoman Teri Gilmore. This year’s awardees were Elizabeth Harris and the late Deborah L. Walker.
Harris is a strong proponent of education and consistently encourages young men and women to consider the blessing of a good education, to have spiritual belief and to understand the significance of Black history, and the importance of voting rights. Harris raised six children and now has 30 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great grandchildren. Many were in the audience cheering for Harris.
Walker, a former University of Pittsburgh Police officer, was appointed in 2014 as director of the Office of Municipal Investigations (OMI) and, in 2017, was promoted to deputy chief of human resources. Walker passed unexpectedly in February. The purpose of the luncheon has been to raise funds and contribute those funds to the Negro Education Emergency Drive (NEED). This year, more than $2,300 was raised. Guests enjoyed the beautiful voice of Stevee Wellons and a special dance performance by Alycia Ford, a student at Oakland Catholic. Special luncheon guests: Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, Hon. Nancy Patton-Mills, PhD, Jack Simmons, Andrea Murphy, Patricia Bluett and Diane Powell.
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