Who'd expect a straightforward interview on a mild December morning to turn into a trek back in time when Pittsburgh's Black Community was the trend setters for other large cities? They weren't words that leaped out of John Brewer's mouth they were a whirlwind of pictures taking flight. If I closed my eyes I'd find myself back in the early 1900's walking those famous avenues of Wylie, Centre and Crawford. I'd find myself visiting families living in shabby built wood frame houses on the lower Hill and with one turn I'd find myself at the front gates of the well-to-do living in their large brick houses on Sugar Top.

 

 

The whole idea was to answer the questions many people have who aren't from Pittsburgh - where did the African Americans come from who settled in this region? Through the book I take them back starting at the mid-1700s when George Washington and his army arrived in this region. Included in his army were skilled African Americans tradesmen. While here many of those black men decided to settle in this area. The first areas settled may surprise you it wasn't in the City, but more in the rural settings.

 

Besides the men from the army settling in these rural areas, in some cases such as Washington, PA area through the slave trade many blacks were imported from various slave states mainly women for reasons to be positioned as concubines, to populate the masses and the men who accompanied them were brought to work the farms and provide skilled labor. The North didn't have a slave policy so the blacks here were considered free without voting rights. Many blacks incorporated themselves into the mainstream of these rural districts including Washington, Canonsburg and Houston, PA.

 

Andrew Carnegie was instrumental in importing many skilled black technicians, many from Virginia. These men were carpenters, experienced with working with steel and iron. This was about the time steel mills became a great attraction for blacks in the South, migrating to this area while trying their best to maintain families left behind in the South.

 

This also set up the population movement into the City of Pittsburgh region. During this time blacks were doing relatively well until the turn of the 20th Century when the flood gates from Eastern Europe opened giving way for the immigrants to assume the jobs which were held by blacks. The immigrants were purposely brought into this region by complaining business owners to undercut the black workers who were being paid at a higher wage. Once the immigrants took over the jobs they formed their own trade unions and prohibited blacks from joining.

 

As blacks started to interrelate to the City, the first primary district to be populated was described on the City map as Little Hayti. The map shows the cultural diversity of the Hill District communities at the time with the Croatians, Serbians, Jewish, Italians and Polish communities, with each ethnic community separated by certain streets.

 

African Americans weren't admitted into the mainstream of Pittsburgh employment, this discrimination led to a choice of leadership for the black community. They either followed the thoughts of W.E.B. DuBois, Talented Tenth -stating follow the community leaders should be the top tenth of the community or of Booker T. Washington's words of reaching down in your buckets where you are; don't get hung up trying to assimilate to a place where you're not wanted.

 

That brings us into the early 1920's when Gus Greenlee and Woogie Harris founded Numbers in Pittsburgh. Their business generated quite a bit of money and instead of irresponsibility spending, they invested back into the community. Many of the businesses were of entrepreneurship such as Pryor's Furs. Mr. Pryor was an excellent furrier but he couldn't obtain financing through the banks, but he was financed through the Numbers. There were other black businesses that also needed financing and were backed by the Numbers. Here we've a community taking life as it is and dealing as it is. These financers were involved in every thing from businesses to sporting teams. Including two of the greatest Negro League teams the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords.

 

Teenie Harris, photographer and younger brother of Woogie Harris, was given a front row opportunity to document the activities that impacted the community during these times.

 

These financers were able to stabilize the black community businesses and the community. They even supported the educational system. I remember meeting Woogie Harris with my father. When I met Woogie I was afraid because I thought he was a gangster. My Dad, who was the first black principal in Pittsburgh, told me not to look down on Woogie or Gus because of the Numbers the food program was in place at Miller School. Children who were hungry, got to eat, they were clothed and they excelled in their studies. There are many photos in the book showing these children. One such female student turned out to become a nuclear scientist.

 

Also during these times, generations of family lived under one roof making a close knit family structure. Times were tough but we got through with love of self and love of family.

 

I also cover the distinct African Americans fashion on how we walk, hold our heads and our manner of dress. One chapter is filled with photographs of hair styles of African American women. Hair styles have always expressed a women's status and an extension of self.

 

The photographs show the styles of the African American men, regardless if they picked up rubbish, moved boxes from warehouses or owned their business. When these men left their houses in the morning they wore a 3-piece suit, hat, shirt and tie. They're in public and public image was very important. They might have carried a bag under their arms with work clothes, but when work was done, they put back on their 3-piece suits and walked back up the avenues to their homes. In the pictures you'll see the men genuinely dressed. Dressing is what gained you acceptance into the community. The young men even imitated the stylish dress of their fathers. It confirms people dealt with difficult circumstances but held their heads up high and moved on. This is the character of the African American community in Pittsburgh.