Business

Corporate Equity and Inclusion Roundtable: New approaches, successes

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER — Asked what the over/under was on how many times his name would be glowingly referenced at the Black Political Empowerment Project’s annual Corporate Equity and Inclusion Roundtable forum at Duquesne University, Evan Frazier, whose Advanced Leadership Initiative program has made remarkable progress in highlighting, training and advancing African Americans in Pittsburgh’s corporate sector, couldn’t help but grin.

Published

7 years ago

July 2, 2019

Courier Editor

By Christian Morrow

Asked what the over/under was on how many times his name would be glowingly referenced at the Black Political Empowerment Project’s annual Corporate Equity and Inclusion Roundtable forum at Duquesne University, Evan Frazier, whose Advanced Leadership Initiative program has made remarkable progress in highlighting, training and advancing African Americans in Pittsburgh’s corporate sector, couldn’t help but grin.

“It’s almost embarrassing, but of course we’re very pleased,” he said. “But hats off to Tim Stevens for doing this. This is a great conference. It’s really important for the community.”

The conference, now in its eighth year, featured numerous panelists and speakers making presentations on increasing racial diversity, inclusion and equity in the upper echelons on the region’s corporate and nonprofit space.

When it first began, Stevens, the B-PEP chairman, said the idea was to publicly promote the work of corporate entities and leaders who had made a commitment to diversity and were working to increase the presence of African Americans. Conversely, it would also publicly note those that had not. But that, Stevens said, was counterproductive.

“People get defensive,” he said. “Plus, there were, and still are, people who want to do the right thing in terms of diversity and inclusion but who don’t have the systems and practices in place to do it effectively. So it has become more of a cooperative effort. How can we help put those practices in place and move everyone forward?”

Several of the presentations made during this year’s June 17 conference looked at that. Marsha Jones, executive VP at PNC Bank, talked specifically about a “Best Practice” for ensuring diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Katherine Kelleman, CEO of the Port Authority of Allegheny County, noted that when the Port Authority began doing business with small, minority-owned businesses, they were all-Black. But now there are women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, Hispanic- and Asian-owned businesses—but the size of the authority’s “pie” hasn’t changed. So Black firms are competing for a smaller piece of it.

Internally, she has put many more people of color in top positions—her chief of staff is second-generation Puerto Rican, the chief of operations, Maurice Bell, is African American. She has also “banned the box” and eliminated questions about previous salary history and tied salaries and raises to national industry standards for a given position.

One of the more interesting presentations came from Vibrant Pittsburgh President and CEO Melanie Harrington on the new Vibrant Index. It harkens back to what Stevens said about cooperation. The initiative is a way for companies to get a picture of how they compare with other companies in the region in terms of diversity and inclusion best practices. Eligible companies use the Vibrant Diversity and Inclusion diagnostic tool to indicate which best practices they follow. They then receive a feedback report with scores and recommendations and can follow up with a Vibrant Talent Consultant for bespoke advice for their organizations.

“It’s not about calling people out, it’s about calling them in,” Harrington told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “If we don’t address the capabilities of our companies, we can’t move the needle.”

Harrington said Vibrant Pittsburgh is recruiting companies now, and thanks to its affiliation with the Allegheny Conference on Economic Development, it has access to hundreds “of all sizes and across all sectors.” Progress reports will be confidential and shared with the companies only, but Vibrant Pittsburgh will put out an aggregate report card on the initiative.

“We’ve only just started, but I hope that by August or September, we can report out some of our findings,” she said. “We already report out scores and year-over-year, we haven’t seen much change. So we’re focusing on practices we know work and on getting them implemented to favorable change.”

Stevens said he was pleased and thought it was one of the most powerful conferences because he was able to report gains that have come about through CEIR’s work. He applauded UPMC for being front-and-center at the conference, as the hospital giant “was willing to connect their diversity suppliers with any interested company or corporation, thus building the economic opportunities for their existing minority suppliers.”

Stevens added: “They transformed that into the free-standing event now called SHARE, which now has several corporate partners who are also willing to ‘share’ their diversity suppliers with others. This has produced millions of dollars in contracts for African Americans and other minorities.”

Stevens also noted the success of TALI, or The Advanced Leadership Initiative, founded by Frazier, which advocates for African Americans acquiring C-Level Suite positions; the adoption of “ban the box” by multiple corporate entities; and the adoption of a modified “Rooney Rule” to make sure African Americans are in the mix when executive level hiring is underway.

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This article originally appeared in the New Pittsburgh Courier.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of may 6 – 12, 2026

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May 10, 2026

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Up to the Job: How San Francisco’s PRC Is Providing Work Opportunities That Turn Into Lasting Stability

Each year, PRC serves more than 5,000 clients through a wide range of programs. These include housing navigation, legal advocacy to ensure access to health and public benefits, supportive housing, job and life-skills training, and residential treatment programs.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Black Leadership Council (BLC) Advocacy Day in Sacramento. BLC works to advance meaningful change through policy engagement to unlock the full potential of Black and low-income communities. Photo courtesy of PRC.

By Joe Kocurek, California Black Media

Seville Christian arrived in San Francisco in the 1990s from Kansas City, Mo., a transgender woman coming from a time and place still hostile to who she was.

San Francisco offered a deeper LGBTQ+ history and a more visible community of people like her, but even in a city known for acceptance, building a stable life from scratch was no small task.

After arriving in the city, she turned to Positive Resource Center (PRC) looking for work — and for a foothold — in a new place.

“PRC gave me my first job,” Christian said. “A simple gig — passing out magazines at the San Francisco Pride Parade.”

That first opportunity marked the beginning of a decades-long relationship with PRC, one that has seen Christian grow from client to valued employee, and eventually to policy fellow.

“Today, I’ve been with PRC for 27 years, going on 28,” she said.

Seville Christian’s decades-long relationship with PRC includes as a client, fellow and beloved employee. Photo courtesy of PRC.

Helping people access employment and build sustainable careers has been a cornerstone of PRC’s mission since its inception nearly four decades ago. In its most recent annual impact report, PRC served 443 clients through workforce development services, including career counseling, educational programs, hands-on training, and job search assistance. The average wage earned by PRC clients is $26.48 per hour — approximately 38% above San Francisco’s minimum wage.

To advance this work, organizations like PRC have benefited from funding through California’s Stop the Hate Program, which provides direct support to community-based organizations leading anti-hate initiatives.

Christian’s path was not without challenges. During some rocky years, she experienced periods of housing instability and struggled with addiction. Through PRC, she enrolled in a life-skills program that emphasized using her own lived experience as a means of helping others. The program helped set her on a path toward completing an associate’s degree and ultimately launching a career in case management.

“Today, whether someone is new to the city or has lived here their whole life, I know how to help them navigate to where they need to be,” Christian said.

Members of PRC’s Black Leadership Council meet with a lawmaker in Sacramento. Photo courtesy of PRC.

While PRC was founded to serve people living with HIV, its mission has expanded over the decades to meet the needs of people with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those facing mental health and substance use challenges.

According to PRC’s Chief of Public Policy and Public Affairs, Tasha Henneman, some of the organization’s earliest programs remain as vital today as they were at the start.

“Our emergency financial assistance program helped more than 1,200 people this year pay rent, cover medical bills, and keep the lights on,” Henneman said. “And over 1,400 people reached out for legal advocacy, resulting in more than $2.5 million in retroactive benefits unlocked.”

Beyond direct services, PRC is deeply committed to community empowerment and policy change. Programs such as the Black Leadership Council support community leaders in advocating for systemic reform, while the Black Trans Initiative focuses on addressing the unique challenges faced by Black transgender individuals.

A recent study from the Williams Institute highlighted findings that 71% of transgender homicide victims in the U.S. between 2010 and 2021 were Black and that nearly a third of the transgender homicides during that period were confirmed or suspected hate crimes.

PRC’s direct and indirect services can be a lifeline for people experiencing hate and are an example of the resources people can get connected with through the state’s CA vs Hate hotline.

PRC is now also producing a film project that centers the lived experiences of Black trans clients, including individuals like Christian.

PRC welcomed guests to their annual Open House in April, an evening dedicated to connection, reflection, and learning more about the programs and people working every day to support San Franciscans experiencing housing instability, unemployment, and behavioral health challenges. Photo courtesy of PRC.

“Our film highlights the health journeys and lived experiences of some of PRC’s Black trans clients,” Henneman said. “Our goal is to give voice, visibility, and agency to the participants — and to bring their stories, both harrowing and inspirational, to policymakers and the broader public.”

The film, expected to be released later this year, is directed by Yule Caise, with assistant director Zarina Codes, a Black transgender San Francisco resident.

Today, Christian continues her relationship with PRC as an ambassador, reflecting on a journey that began with a single job opportunity and grew into a lifelong commitment to service.

“Sometimes I’ll be riding the bus or standing in a grocery store, and someone will come up to me from a women’s shelter,” she said. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, Miss Seville, I just want to thank you. You really helped me with what I was dealing with.’”

She paused, smiling.

“And in those moments,” Christian said, “I think to myself, “Well!.”

A single word that sums up pride in a journey to find the best in herself.

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11, 2026. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.