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Kamala Harris Hosts Exclusive In-Person Interview with The Courier

NNPA NEWSWIRE — For more than 100 years, Pittsburgh’s African American community has counted on The Courier to cover the most important stories that affect the Black community, and it was obvious that fact wasn’t lost on the vice president.
The post Kamala Harris Hosts Exclusive In-Person Interview with The Courier first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

February 29, 2024

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Rob Taylor Jr. | Courier Staff Writer

Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, spent about 10 minutes on Tuesday, Feb. 20, speaking to a crowd of supporters at the Kingsley Association in East Liberty, adamant about replacing lead pipes in Pittsburgh, the state of Pennsylvania, and all around the country, in the fight for clean water, free of toxins.

To a hail of applause, Harris announced that $5.8 billion in funding, including more than $200 million specifically for Pennsylvania, was being allotted for clean water infrastructure from President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The announcement brought the total amount of clean water funding announced by the Environmental Protection Agency from President Biden’s Infrastructure Law to $22 billion. Overall, the Infrastructure Law will invest over $50 billion in total to upgrade America’s water infrastructure, the largest investment in clean water in American history.

But then, the U.S.’ first woman vice president, and first Black woman vice president, made her way to the second floor of the Kingsley Association building to speak exclusively with the New Pittsburgh Courier.

“Hello Mr. Doss, how are you?” Harris said. “It’s good to be with you.”

Rod Doss, the longtime executive editor and publisher of The Courier, greeted Harris and told her, “I’m staring at history. This is truly a moment for me.”

Vice president of the United States Kamala Harris, with New Pittsburgh Courier editor and publisher Rod Doss, left, and Courier managing editor Rob Taylor Jr. Harris held an in-person exclusive interview with The Courier on Feb. 20, 2024, at the Kingsley Association in East Liberty.

Harris told Doss that she was glad to have some time to talk, “because your paper, and what you do in terms of the voice that it represents, and a trusted voice, is so important.”

For more than 100 years, Pittsburgh’s African American community has counted on The Courier to cover the most important stories that affect the Black community, and it was obvious that fact wasn’t lost on the vice president.

No questions were out-of-bounds. No questions were shared with Harris beforehand. Courier managing editor Rob Taylor Jr., who was also part of the exclusive interview, told Harris she seemed passionate and driven to tackle the lead pipes and clean water issue head-on, particularly in Black communities.

“As I said earlier, lead pipes were standard for construction across the country, but then it became increasingly obvious that the water coming out of those lead pipes was toxic which results in health impacts, in terms of health well-being, but also learning impacts for children,” Harris told The Courier. “In communities where the resources were there, in homes where there was a homeownership or people (had) the resources, they can remove the lead pipes. But not in communities that didn’t have the extra, or didn’t have savings, or didn’t own their home and rented. What you ended up seeing is that while the lead pipes affected everyone, not so equally.”

Speaking specifically to the Infrastructure Law, officially signed into law by President Biden in November 2021, Harris said that the funding to fix sidewalks or replace lead pipes not only creates jobs, or in her words, “an economy around the upgrades,” but the “other piece of the lead pipes issue is absolutely about public health. It’s about the physical well-being, about the well-being of families and we have to take that seriously. And as I said earlier, government has a few specific responsibilities and one of them is to address the public health needs of the community. That’s how I think about the lead pipe issue; what do we need to do to get the resources into the community to take those lead pipes out, knowing it will benefit our children, it will benefit families and it will uplift communities.”

Doss then addressed the issue that has been permeating throughout the nation, brought more to light by a popular Black radio personality, Charlamagne Tha God. The radio personality said on Feb. 18 on ABC News’ “This Week” that he felt there was a general apathy from younger voters about either of the presidential candidates, Donald Trump or President Biden. Moreover, Charlamagne Tha God called President Biden “an uninspiring candidate.”

Doss pressed Harris on that perceived growing lack of enthusiasm from young voters as it relates to supporting the Democratic Party and the Biden/Harris ticket.

Harris prefaced her response by saying she hadn’t seen the Charlamagne Tha God interview on ABC News. But in general terms, “we are up for re-election, and any candidate up for election or re-election has to earn the votes, and I’m very, very clear about that. Which is why I’m here in Pittsburgh, which is why I’m traveling around the country to make sure that people know what we have accomplished in response to what they asked us to do in 2020, because people turned out in record numbers, young voters turned out in record numbers…and they said, ‘fix the lead pipes.’ They said in the Black community, ‘we are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, bring down the cost of insulin for our seniors,’ and we’ve now capped the cost of insulin at $35 dollars a month. Folks said deal with the fact that HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) are centers of academic excellence, but don’t necessarily have the kind of endowments that other universities do…we have now dedicated over $7 billion to HBCUs.”

Vice President Kamala Harris makes a stop in Pittsburgh’s Elliott neighborhood to witness lead pipe replacement at work, Feb. 20, 2024. (photo by Rob Taylor Jr.)

Harris continued: “People said deal with Black unemployment; we now have the lowest Black unemployment in the history because of the work that we have done. That’s about building jobs and creating opportunities for not only employment, but for wealth building. People said deal with the fact that Black businesses don’t get federal contracts in the same way that other businesses do. We have made a pledge which we are on track now to achieving, increasing federal contracts by 50 percent to minority-owned businesses. So, this is some of the work that we have done, and it is incumbent on us in an election season to let people know that we heard them, we have delivered and therefore believe that we have earned a re-election.”

Harris is the first HBCU graduate to work in The White House as President or Vice President. Harris graduated from Howard University, in Washington, D.C., in 1986. And she and President Biden obviously want to continue working in The White House for another term, though the former President, Trump, is lurking. While he hasn’t officially been named the Republican nominee for president, it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion barring a miracle from opponent Nikki Haley.

Harris told Doss and Taylor that she and President Biden have to do “the hard work” in reminding people about what they’ve done as President and Vice President. “On the one side, you got the former president who admires dictators, who openly has talked about his pride in taking away freedoms. On the other hand, you have our re-election in Joe Biden who has been a champion for what we need to do around equity, what we need to do around resources to com munity, around working people, around bringing down the cost of prescription drugs and taking on big pharmaceutical companies. So, the closer we get to the election, I think the more people are going to start tuning in to the fact that you’ve got one of two choices, and I think the biggest decision that people are going to make this election is, deciding what kind of country we want to live in.”

Vice President Kamala Harris takes a group photo with lead pipe replacement workers in Pittsburgh’s Elliott neighborhood, Feb. 20, 2024. Also pictured at far left is EPA Administrator Michael Regan. (photo by Rob Taylor Jr.)

Taylor then reminded Harris that Pennsylvania is a “critical” state in this election season, as it seems to be in each presidential election.

“Allegheny County made all the difference,” Harris responded to Taylor and Doss. “The voters here turned out in record numbers and it is why I am Vice President of the United States as the first woman and the first Black woman. Why do I keep coming back to Allegheny County and coming back to Pittsburgh? First and foremost, it’s to thank everybody, because it is the people here who, in large part, did the work of helping to create history around this position, and so I’m here to thank folks and to remind them of their power and ask them to please, let’s do it again.”

The 10-minute interview concluded between Harris and The Courier representatives. Photos were then taken, and Harris was about to be whisked away to an on-site meeting with workers from the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and other contractors as they removed a lead pipe from under the ground in the Elliott neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

But before she left the Kingsley Association, Taylor jokingly asked her one final question.

“The real H-U?”

Harris responded: “You know.”

The post Kamala Harris Hosts Exclusive In-Person Interview with The Courier first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Michael: The King of Pop’s Story Returns to the Big Screen

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The curtain has finally lifted on one of Hollywood’s most anticipated films. Lionsgate has unveiled the official trailer and release date for “Michael,” the sweeping biopic about Michael Jackson that has been years in the making.

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The curtain has finally lifted on one of Hollywood’s most anticipated films. Lionsgate has unveiled the official trailer and release date for “Michael,” the sweeping biopic about Michael Jackson that has been years in the making. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film will arrive in theaters on April 24, 2026, with the singer’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, stepping into the spotlight to portray his legendary uncle.

The trailer wastes no time rekindling the aura of Jackson’s genius. Opening with a studio scene between Jackson and his longtime producer Quincy Jones, played by Kendrick Sampson, the clip builds from a quiet, familiar rhythm to the electrifying pulse of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” Viewers catch glimpses of the singer’s childhood, flashes of “Thriller,” and the silhouette that redefined pop culture. Each frame reminds fans of why Jackson remains unmatched in artistry and influence. The cast surrounding the late pop king’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, reads like a who’s who of Black entertainment and music history. Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson, Nia Long portrays Katherine Jackson, and Larenz Tate takes on the role of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Laura Harrier portrays music executive Suzanne de Passe, while Kat Graham embodies Diana Ross. Miles Teller plays attorney John Branca, a towering entertainment lawyer and longtime Jackson confidant who later became co-executor of his estate. The film’s journey to release has been as complicated as the icon it portrays. Production wrapped in 2024, but legal hurdles over depictions of past controversies forced extensive reshoots and editing delays. Even so, Fuqua’s film now appears ready to reclaim the narrative, focusing on Jackson’s creative ambition and humanity beyond tabloid noise. IndieWire reported that the film had faced “a massive legal snafu” over a disputed storyline but was retooled to center the music and legacy that defined generations.

Maven. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson

“Michael” promises more than a chronological retelling. It aims to explore how a child star from Gary, Indiana, became the world’s most influential entertainer. The script, written by Oscar-nominated John Logan, traces Jackson’s early years with the Jackson 5 through the triumphs and isolation of global superstardom. With Fuqua’s cinematic eye and producer Graham King—who brought “Bohemian Rhapsody” to life—joining forces with estate executors Branca and John McClain, the film is positioned as both a tribute and a restoration of Jackson’s cultural truth. Branca’s work behind the scenes has long shaped Jackson’s posthumous success. After the singer died in 2009, Branca and McClain took control of the estate burdened by debt and turned it into a global powerhouse worth billions. Under their stewardship, Jackson’s projects have generated more than $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales and landmark deals, including a $600 million joint venture with Sony earlier this year. At its heart, though, “Michael” is a story about artistry that transcends scandal. It offers a reminder that, despite the noise surrounding his life, Jackson’s music still bridges continents and generations. The trailer’s closing moments capture that spirit. As the beat of “Billie Jean” swells and Jaafar Jackson moonwalks into a spotlight, audiences are left with a familiar feeling—the awe of witnessing something timeless return home.

“Michael” opens worldwide in theaters April 24, 2026. See the official trailer here.

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Donald Trump Is the Biggest Loser

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The Trump Brand took a significant hit as it was swept up in the Democratic blue wave of the election last night.

Published

4 days ago

November 5, 2025

Oakland Post

By April Ryan

The Trump Brand took a significant hit as it was swept up in the Democratic blue wave of the election last night.

Chris Jones, Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (AR-02), says, “Last night was electric, and it was unquestionably a wave.” Democrats won big in what is widely considered a repudiation of Trump’s 9 months at the White House in his second term.

In the state of Virginia, which produced the first big election night win and saw the election of the first woman governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, 56% of Virginia’s residents disapprove of President Trump. In New Jersey, 55% of state residents disapprove of the president; in New York, 69% disapprove; and in California, 63% disapprove of the president. The Trump brand or his support for any candidates did nothing to benefit those he endorsed in this election. They actually lost in each race he publicly put his name behind. Trump endorsed former New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who lost the New York mayor’s race in his run as an independent. And New Jersey Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who ran for governor with the presidential endorsement, also lost his prospective race.

The next question is, will the democratic momentum be sustainable? Jones further explained, “This can become a 2026 tsunami, but turning a wave into a tsunami takes energy. A lot of energy. It doesn’t just happen. The conditions are there. Now we have to work!”

Some Democrats would argue that the work is already underway. The pushback against Trump’s national redistricting efforts received a thumb in the eye from California voters. Prop 50, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s counterbalance to President Trump’s redistricting efforts, passed in California last night. Although Trump’s name was not on the ballot last night, his Republican policies were. The United States has now entered the longest government shutdown in its history. Forty-two million Americans are not getting SNAP benefits. Economists are acknowledging that the government shutdown is contributing to the rise in delinquent debt in the student loan, automotive, and credit card industries. These items are among the negatives Americans are protesting against.

Compounding Trump’s political problems is a tariff battle that’s directly impacting pocketbooks. The day after the elections, the Trump administration was arguing before the US Supreme Court in favor of the president’s tariff powers. Meanwhile, President Trump‘s poll numbers are underwater, standing at a 37% national disapproval rate

Oakland Post

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Historic Beatdown: Democrats Sweep Virginia as Speaker Don Scott and Jay Jones Make History

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — In a clear rejection of the policies of President Donald Trump, history repeated itself in Virginia.

Published

4 days ago

November 5, 2025

Oakland Post

By Lauren Burke

In a clear rejection of the policies of President Donald Trump, history repeated itself in Virginia. Democrats once again swept all three statewide offices as they did in 2017 during Trump’s first term. Abigail Spanberger easily won the office of Governor, and State Senator Ghazala Hashmi won her race over John Reid to be the next Lieutenant Governor. The victories occurred against the backdrop of a historic win in Virginia by Spanberger that will give Virginia its first woman Governor.

Spanberger’s widely predicted win over Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears was called 17 minutes after the polls closed in Virginia at 7 pm. Former Delegate Jay Jones won his race against incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares. His victory means Jones will be the first Black Attorney General in Virginia’s history. Jones’ win was particularly noteworthy since the last month of his campaign was consumed by the issue of private text messages from 2022 to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner. Republicans ran a non-stop barrage of negative ads against Jones for a month.

Del. Coyner lost her bid for re-election to Delegate-elect Lindsey Dougherty. The Dougherty race was the number one target for House Speaker Don Scott and his campaign lieutenant, Delegate Dan Helmer. Coyner’s defeat was one of at least 13 victories for Democrats who have now added to their ranks in the Virginia House to historic margins. When the Virginia General Assembly returns to session in January, there will be at least 64 Democrats in the chamber. The widespread Republican defeat is a testament to a combination of historic fundraising, Democrats running in all 100 seats, dislike of President Trump’s policies, and an ineffective top of the ticket featuring Lt. Gov. Earle Sears.

+13: Speaker Scott and Del. Helmer Hit Historic Numbers in Fundraising and Power

As the evening ended, a glaring historic fact became clearer: The Virginia House of Delegates will expand to a historic number. The change means the largest Democratic House chamber in the modern era. There were several notable wins by Democrats running for the Virginia House. They include Virgil Thornton, Lilly Franklin, and Kim Pope Adams. Speaker Don Scott and his campaign chair, Dan Helmer, undertook a record fundraising effort never before seen in Virginia’s history. The moment of success for Virginia Democrats will be viewed as a positive signal for Democrats moving into the 2026 elections.