THE FAMILY OF ALMA SPEED FOX, ALONG WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS, HOLD THE HONORARY ALMA SPEED FOX WAY STREET SIGN. (PHOTO BY J.L. MARTELLO)
Fitting tribute for the ‘Mother of the Civil Rights Movement’ in Pittsburgh
Stay true to your family’s values.
Stay true to your community.
Stay true to your people.
That was the Alma Speed Fox way.
THE FAMILY OF ALMA SPEED FOX, WITH THE HONORARY ALMA SPEED FOX WAY SIGN. THE STREET RENAMING CEREMONY WAS HELD, MARCH 23, IN THE HILL DISTRICT. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)
Now and forever, when the little ones are playing in the Hill District, and they look up and see “Alma Speed Fox Way” next to the “Kirkpatrick St.” sign near the Freedom Unlimited building on Wylie Avenue, they’ll ask their parents, “Who was Alma Speed Fox?”
THE UNVEILING…
When family members from out of town come in for the holidays, look up and see the sign that says “Alma Speed Fox Way,” they’ll ask their family members, “Who was Alma Speed Fox?”
ALMA SPEED FOX PASSED AWAY ON JAN. 24, 2022, AT AGE 98.
The beloved “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement” in Pittsburgh, who led the Pittsburgh NAACP from 1966 to 1971, who fought tirelessly to better the lives and conditions for Blacks in this city, posthumously was honored with a street renaming ceremony on Saturday, March 23. City officials renamed Kirkpatrick Street as “Alma Speed Fox Way” during a noon-time ceremony that brought out numerous Alma Speed Fox family members, community members, community organizations and elected officials.
“When I decided to run for office, I thought it was critical that I meet with critical community leaders, those who I had the utmost respect for,” voiced Pittsburgh City Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle, who is African American. “The first person was Thelma Lovette, the second person was Alma Speed Fox. Our conversation was very brief, but what I remember the most was when she said, ‘Danny, what you need to do is stay true to your family’s values, stay true to your community, and stay true to your people, and I’ve tried my best to do that. I know for a fact Alma did that, and that’s why we’re here today.”
COUNCILMAN R. DANIEL LAVELLE
Alma Speed Fox came to Pittsburgh in 1949. The New Pittsburgh Courier reported in a 2022 story announcing her passing at age 98 that in the 1950s, Fox began getting actively involved in civil rights demonstrations throughout Pittsburgh, against companies like U.S. Steel and Duquesne Light. She told the story of how she watched other African Americans on TV at the civil rights demonstrations, and was determined to join the movement.
Following her stint with the Pittsburgh NAACP, Fox was a cant-miss figure on the local Human Rights Commission from 1972-2002. Fox was among the founders of Freedom Unlimited Inc., an organization whose mission was to provide training, educational opportunities and food to low-income families. Fox was known for, among many other things, the Thanksgiving meal giveaways at the building on Wylie Avenue.
MURIEL FOX ALIM, DAUGHTER OF ALMA SPEED FOX AND PRESIDENT OF FREEDOM UNLIMITED, SITTING ON A LADDER SPEAKING TO THE CROWD…
“We are a better region because Alma refused to accept the status quo,” said Allegheny County Chief Executive Sara Innamorato. “She refused to let what was happening in our communities to continue. She didn’t wait for others to speak out…to fight against racism. She made it her duty, her business, and we are forever grateful.”
Tim Stevens, the Black Political Empowerment Project’s Chairman and CEO, basically stands on the shoulders of people like Alma Speed Fox. He calls her his “Civil Rights Mother.” Stevens discussed at the ceremony that one of the B-PEP members, Lorraine Cross, originally had the idea for B-PEP to push the notion of having Alma Speed Fox’s name on a Hill District street. B-PEP wrote the letter to the City of Pittsburgh, and the city obliged.
A GRANDDAUGHTER OF ALMA SPEED FOX
“Such an honor will help keep her memory and legacy alive over the years for possibly thousands of Pittsburghers, and will hopefully, as we also celebrate Women’s History Month, inspire many little girls and young Black women to want to live a such a life of dedication, inspiration, commitment and accomplishment, as well to Black males who can see the signs… that there lived a Black woman in Pittsburgh worthy to be permanently honored by the leadership of this city,” Stevens said.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE SARA INNAMORATO
Fox served as president of the East End National Organization for Women and was on that organization’s board of directors. She also served on the boards of the organizations Gwen’s Girls and the Women and Girls Foundation.
KAUSCHIA MCCLOUD
Fox was given the “Key to the City” by Mayor Bill Peduto in 2018, making her the first woman in Pittsburgh history to receive such an honor.
“A lot of the children don’t know who ‘Kirkpatrick’ is, but they should know who Alma Speed Fox is,” remarked Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, to the crowd at the ceremony. “They should know somebody that made a way for me to be here, for La’Tasha (D. Mayes) to be here, for Sara (Innamorato) to be here, and for this city to be a better place because it had Alma Speed Fox. What she did to transform this city is miraculous.”
REP. LA’TASHA D. MAYES (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)
Miraculous, the mayor said, given Pittsburgh’s history with segregation and “silo-ness that we’ve had to deal with,” he said. “She stood up in the midst of it. And there are days that I see her, Byrd (Brown) Harvey Adams, Sala Udin, Daniel Lavelle’s grandfather” who hit a wall with their fight for equality and inclusion, but kept fighting. That mentality, the mayor said, helped him to keep fighting and reach the apex of being the city’s first Black mayor.
Representative Mayes, upon taking the podium, said that Alma Speed Fox was “a woman far and far ahead of her time.” She said that for those who fight for justice, “we’re not just living it for ourselves. We’re not doing it to be cute. We’re not doing it for accolades and we’re not certainly doing it to be popular.” Representative Mayes said people are doing it the Alma Speed Fox way, which is doing it “to make a lasting change in the social, economic and political well-being of Black communities and all communities all across this commonwealth.”
Representative Mayes added: “She (Alma Speed Fox) is our icon. She is our institution and she is our greatest inspiration.”
EMMAI ALAQUIVA
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