Pitt honors ‘heroes of Black resistance’ at Black History Month celebration

Highlighting Black history has never been more important, according to Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Clyde Wilson Pickett. 

“Now more than ever, it is important for us to acknowledge Black history, it is important for us to champion Black history and it’s important for us to do so in a public forum,” Pickett said. “I don’t have to remind you about what’s going on all around this country in terms of specific attacks to walk back and take away and not acknowledge the accomplishments, the contributions that made it possible for us to be here.”

Pickett spoke at “A Night of Celebration: Honoring Local Heroes of Black Resistance” on Wednesday evening to honor six Pittsburghers — some Pitt affiliates — who have championed equality, inclusion and anti-racism initiatives in the city. The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion hosted the event to honor these individuals in six categories — Unsung Hero, Social Justice Advocate, Campus Leader, Creative Changemaker, Inspiring Leadership and Aspiring Ally. 

Linda Williams-Moore, the executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion for Student Affairs, said the Black History Month committee created the “Inspiring Leadership” category specially for Yvette Moore after she received 61 individual nominations — more than 50% of all nominations received by the committee. 

Moore has mentored Pitt students for 16 years, and currently directs the Pitt EXCEL program in the Swanson School of Engineering, a program dedicated to the “recruitment, retention, development, and graduation of historically underrepresented engineering scholars.”

When accepting her award at the event, Moore dedicated it to her students and supervisor. 

“I hold on to nothing, I give it all to you, because I know that you’ll take it and you’ll run with it. You’re growing in a way that I can’t,” Moore said to her students. “This award is really not mine, it’s really the scholars’, because I want you to know that you can do this. You can do bigger than this, because you’re bigger than anything.”

The other honorees included “Unsung Hero” Val Chavis, service and outreach coordinator and early childhood community collaborative coordinator of Pitt’s Center for Parents and Children; “Social Justice Advocate” Ron Idoko, associate director for the Center on Race and Social Problems, and “Aspiring Ally” Chenits Pettigrew Jr., assistant dean for student affairs at Pitt’s School of Medicine. “Campus Leader” Selam Mekbeb-Gillett and “Creative Changemaker” John Moon also received awards. 

Moon recalled his days as a founding member of Freedom House, the first emergency medical service in the country, as he accepted his award. He said the Hill District-based ambulance service created a system that is emulated around the world, changing the face of emergency medicine — even in the face of racism and discrimination.

“I was blessed to be with a group of individuals that by society’s standards were considered unemployable, by society’s standards were considered the least likely to succeed, by society’s standards were considered throwaways,” Moon said. “But society made a mistake — it didn’t tell us that.”

Mekbeb-Gillett, a junior psychology major, is the vice president of Black Action Society and the sole student honoree. She won the Dean’s Award at the David C. Frederick Honors College annual research fair last spring for her research on implicit biases in psychology courses. She said this research provides a “stepping stone” to a larger conversation about equitable educational practices at the University. 

“I strongly believe that higher education practices can provide a more equitable experience for students with marginalized identities,” Mekbeb-Gillett said. “Teaching practices in the classroom should enhance diverse thoughts and engage critical reflection for emotional growth.”

Wednesday’s celebration served as this year’s K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month Program, named in honor of the Pitt Law alumnus who served as Pennsylvania’s first Black speaker of the house from 1977-1979 and 1983-1988. According to Pickett, the celebration was the first in-person K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month event since 2019. 

The night capped off a month celebrating “Black Resistance: Agency and Power of the Lived Experience,” a theme chosen by the University’s Black History Month committee in line with the national Black History Month theme of “Black Resistance.” 

Black resistance of racism and inequity isn’t always easy, Moore said — but it is worth the fight. 

“It’s not performative work,” Moore said. “It’s better than anything that you could ever perform.”