FAMED PITTSBURGH COURIER PHOTOGRAPHER TEENIE HARRIS, AND ICONIC PITTSBURGH STEELER FRANCO HARRIS.
Pittsburgh’s “Walk of Fame” is catching on around the region; a place to permanently enshrine individuals from this area who have left an indelible mark on the region and, one could argue, the country.
In its inaugural year, 2025, the 10 inductees included two African Americans—the iconic playwright August Wilson, and famed jazz guitarist/singer George Benson. The iconic Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder and humanitarian Roberto Clemente was also included in the inaugural class. Benson attended the event and addressed the crowd. Wilson died in 2005 at age 60; Clemente died in 1972 at age 38.
For this year, 2026, one of the inductees hits very close to home for the New Pittsburgh Courier, as the iconic photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris will be inducted. Along with Harris is another Harris, Franco Harris, the iconic Pittsburgh Steelers running back. Those are the two African American inductees out of the 10 who will be inducted into the 2026 class on Oct. 13, 2026, in the Strip District. The ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. at the Strip District Terminal on Smallman Street. The public is invited to attend the free event.
Each inductee will have a “star” permanently placed onto the sidewalk of the Strip District Terminal, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California.
“Everyone involved in creating this visitor attraction is delighted with the choice of these 10 honorees,” said Nancy Polinsky Johnson, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Pittsburgh Walk of Fame, in a statement obtained by the Courier. “This dynamic group really represents the diversity of the talented people who have come out of southwestern Pennsylvania and made a noteworthy mark on American culture. And that’s what this Walk is designed to celebrate.”
The other 2026 inductees include: Iconic Pittsburgh Penguins player Mario Lemieux; Broadcaster Myron Cope; Dancer/choreographer Martha Graham; Entrepreneur H.J. Heinz; Actress/singer Shirley Jones; Composer/conductor/pianist Henry Mancini; Actor Jimmy Stewart; and inventor/engineer George Westinghouse.
THE LATE FRANCO HARRIS, WITH STEELERS OWNER ART ROONEY II.
Franco Harris, the four-time Super Bowl winner with the Steelers in the 1970s, is probably best known across the world for his “Immaculate Reception” ricochet catch on Dec. 23, 1972, in a playoff game against the Oakland Raiders, sending the Steelers to their first playoff victory in franchise history.
The image of Franco Harris grabbing the football just before it hit the Three Rivers Stadium turf is memorialized with a statue at the new landside terminal at the Pittsburgh International Airport, a big hit with locals and visitors alike.
Franco Harris died on Dec. 20, 2022, at age 72.
THE LATE CHARLES “TEENIE” HARRIS
As for Teenie Harris, the accolades for the famed Pittsburgh Courier (and later New Pittsburgh Courier) photographer continue to accumulate. Teenie Harris has a community center named in his honor in the Hill District, at 2179 Webster Ave. More than 80,000 of his images over a 50-year period from the 1930s through the 1980s are preserved at the Carnegie Museum of Art. And the home of Teenie Harris, where he raised his family in Homewood at 7604 Mulford Street, was preserved and a state historical marker was placed in front of the home nearly two years ago.
No one chronicled the people of Black Pittsburgh — its societies, clubs, marches, political figures, rallies, historic venues, etc., like Teenie Harris. Even after his death in 1998 at age 89, Teenie Harris continues to be celebrated for his ability to get the perfect shot, and all he needed was one shot, hence the nickname, “One Shot.”
Thaddeus Mosley, the historic sculptor who passed away on March 6, 2026, at age 99, spoke during the ceremony for the state historical marker in front of Teenie Harris’ home in Homewood back in 2024. Mosley discussed how, when he joined the Courier in the 1950s as a sportswriter, it was Teenie Harris who showed him the ins and outs of the Courier and Black Pittsburgh. But he also noted that the many books that have been published over the years that talk about Pittsburgh’s Black history, or Pittsburgh’s history in general, are spread worldwide—and some of the photos used in those books are Teenie Harris’ photos. Thus, Teenie Harris is an international figure.
“Images of people like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Lena Horne and John F. Kennedy and so forth,” Mosley said at the 2024 event. “These pictures would have never been taken if it weren’t for Teenie.”
ROBERTO CLEMENTE IS POSTHUMOUSLY INDUCTED ONTO THE PITTSBURGH WALK OF FAME IN 2025. THIS YEAR’S CEREMONY TAKES PLACE IN OCTOBER.
