The Drive for Justice and Peace—Message Delivered!
by Bill Neal
For New Pittsburgh Courier
“We’ve had enough and we’re not going to take it anymore…”
But, truth be told, it started as a thought late one night that I needed to be part of “The
Movement” that’s been happening across America in the fight to end racial injustice.
However, given the fact that these football-torn knees may not be able to assist in the marches and
protests, I was quickly reminded of another way to be up close and personal and on the right side
of history.
Once the gears started to shift (you see what I did there?), a quick conversation with my good
friend Lee Young, a sit down with lifelong partner Milton Oliver…aka “The Man,” and details with
Tia Harris, Buddy Allie, Gerald Wilborn, Ruben Collins and the elite members of the United Rays
Corvette Club, we were off to the races (see, I did it again!).
The voices would be loud and clear. We, the elder statesmen, representing virtually every part of
the City of Pittsburgh and surrounding suburban communities, applaud the peaceful and non-violent
efforts of Black Lives Matter, and showed our support via the roar of the engine. We collectively
gathered some of the city’s most awesome corvettes…paired them with the high-class models of
today’s road cars and set the wheels in motion to canvass the city in an unprecedented caravan
through Pittsburgh, the likes of which had never been seen before.
THE UNITED RAYS CORVETTE CLUB…when they roll, the city rolls! (Photos by Courier photographer Dayna Delgado)
As always, the Pittsburgh United Rays Corvette Club showed up strong and early Sunday morning,
Sept. 6. Coupled with the showing of the concerned brotherhood of vehicles assembled by Mad Dads
leader Ernie Bey, all that was left to be done was delivering the message.
Larry Richert, the voice of KDKA Radio’s morning show and in-house announcer for your Pittsburgh
Steelers, presented a powerful VIP contingent that included Senator Jay Costa, Congressman Mike
Doyle, Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, Pittsburgh
Police Chief Scott Schubert, four-time Steeler Super Bowl Champion J.T. Thomas, Achieving Greatness
Board Chairman Dennis Briggs, Black Lives Matter Pittsburgh’s Tanisha Long and guest speakers Ruben
Collins, Tia Harris and Sheldon Oliver. They were all encompassed by Black Political Empowerment
Project Chairman and CEO, and effervescent community leader, Tim Stevens, who informed, reminded
and insisted of our urgency to vote in the upcoming Nov. 3 election.
However, if you thought that was the show, you would be wrong. That just got it started. Now,
bring the noise! The six-man City of Pittsburgh motorcycle brigade that led the charge was the
sight that legends are made of.
BLACK LIVES MATTER PITTSBURGH PRESIDENT TANISHA LONG with event sponsor Bill Neal, president and CEO of Achieving Greatness Inc.
“The drive” began at the Zone Five Police Station on Washington Blvd. Through Garfield, Bloomfield,
the Hill, East Liberty and through Homewood, the corvettes cruised, before being gallantly joined
by the Wilkinsburg Police and onto Penn Hills, where their police force closed the gap on the
historic event.
With everything concluding at Petra International Ministries, not a better site could have been
chosen to witness the togetherness and unity in the community showcasing police and civilians,
Black and White, young and old and corvettes and all the other guys! (Sorry, just a little car
humor…)
BLACK POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT PROJECT CHAIRMAN AND CEO TIM STEVENS, with event co-sponsors Senator Jay Costa, right, and Attorney William Goodrich of Goodrich and Geist.
Special thanks go out to event sponsors Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Mayor Bill Peduto,
Highmark, UPMC, Attorney Jack Goodrich, Attorney Bill Goodrich, Diversified Municipal Services,
Morris Real Estate Solutions, Franco Harris and Super Bakery, Larry Richert, Senator Jay Costa,
Congressman Mike Doyle, Chuck Sanders Charities, Ken Ogilvie Studies, Dayna Delgado Studios and the
Best BBQ in town, Q&M’s Fish, Chik and Ribs, Zone 5 Police Station and Commander Stephen Vinansky
and last but not least, the tireless efforts of the Achieving Greatness executive staff (Warren
Wilson, Brandon Walker, Otis Wessley, Shameria Underwood, Ken & Judy Ogilvie, T.K. and our
volunteers)!!!
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