East Liberty Presbyterian Church

A History of Pride Month
2021-06-06 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Online, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Join the LGBTQ Ministry and Justice Committee for an online presentation and discussion on the history of Pride Month, led by Jason Lucarelli, MSCP, Albert Schweitzer Fellow for Life.
Click the button below to join via Zoom, or call 646.558.8656. Enter meeting ID 882 4291 1320 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.
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Kiss the Ground Viewing and Discussion
2021-06-13 12:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Online, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
What do climate stability, healthy eating, and beautiful landscapes have in common? They all depend on soil quality. Whether or not you’ve thought about what’s underfoot, Kiss the Ground will give you a new appreciation for how critical it is to our health and well-being—and our planet’s future.
Join the Environmental Team following Summer worship on Sunday, June 13, for an online viewing of Kiss the Ground (45 mintues), as well as a conversation moderated by Stefani Danes.
The documentary examines a revolutionary group of activists, scientists, farmers, and politicians who are leading a global movement of “Regenerative Agriculture.” We’ll see how dust bowls become Gardens of Eden, as well as other great examples of the ways we can balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world. Understanding how important soil is to all life, we’ll also discover how important our everyday choices are to sustaining the life of the soil.
Join us via Zoom at tiny.cc/kiss-the-ground or by calling 646.558.8656. Enter meeting ID 822 2738 0701 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.

Letter-Writing Session
2021-07-11 11:00 - 12:00, 2021-07-18 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Fellowship Room, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
The ELPC Justice Committee invites you to participate in two justice-related, letter-writing opportunities following our Summer worship service. Our topics are:

Sunday, July 11 | PA HB 999: Repeal of the Death Penalty
Sunday, July 18 | PA HB 279: Allow Undocumented PA Residents to secure a Driver’s License

Download a sample letter, and read PC(USA)’s statement on capital punishment.
Join us in the Fellowship Room or on Zoom. For more information, please contact Vivienne Selia.

Click here to join the session via Zoom. Enter meeting ID 834 2558 5198 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.

Environmental Book Club | Farming While Black
2021-07-12 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Garfield Community Farm, Corner of Wicklow and Cornwall Streets, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, United States
The Environmental Team of the Justice Committee continues their study and activities around nature, regeneration, interdependence, gardening, and farming. We invite you to read Leah Penniman’s book, Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land. Our discussion will take place on Monday, July 12, 7 pm, at Garfield Community Farm (509 Wicklow Street, 15224), or via Zoom if it rains.
In 1920, 14% of all land-owning U.S. farmers were Black. Today less than 2% of farms are controlled by Black people—a loss of over 14 million acres and the result of discrimination and dispossession. While farm management is among the whitest of professions, farm labor is predominantly brown and exploited—and people of color disproportionately live in “food apartheid” neighborhoods and suffer from diet-related illness. The system is built on stolen land and stolen labor.
Throughout the chapters, Penniman uplifts the wisdom of the African diasporic farmers and activists whose work informs the techniques described—from whole farm planning, soil fertility, seed selection, and agroecology, to using whole foods in culturally appropriate recipes, sharing stories of ancestors, and tools for healing from the trauma associated with slavery and economic exploitation on the land. Woven throughout the book is the story of Soul Fire Farm—a national leader in the food justice movement.
For more information, or to tell us you are attending, contact Nancy Heastings.

If it’s raining, the discussion will take place via Zoom. Click the button below to join, or call in by dialing 646 558 8656 and entering meeting ID 847 2282 6337 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.
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Clothing Drive for ACJ
2021-09-12 12:00 - 13:00, 2021-09-26 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
As a Matthew 25 congregation, we are committed to supporting our siblings in Allegheny County Jail in a variety of ways, and we have been generous in response by collecting books, magazines, and toiletry items.
Now, the Justice Committee is hosting a clothing drive to provide dignity and clothing to those who are returning to our community. And you can help by donating sweatshirts and sweatpants for men and women in sizes M, L, XL, and XXL (no solid red or orange, please).
You may purchase items and drop them off following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, September 26, at the Highland Avenue entrance, or at the drop box near the security desk during the week. You also may make a monetary donation, designated “Justice Committee–ACJ Sweats,” and the Justice Committee will purchase items.
For more information, contact Judy Mancini at mancinijs@gmail.com.

Stonewall Jackson Window Updates
2021-09-12 12:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Online, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, September 12, the Peace, Property, and Facing Systemic Racism Committees invite you to a conversation on the future of the stained-glass window depicting General Stonewall Jackson, located in our Sanctuary’s East Transept. The window has been the subject of prayerful research by a Session-appointed task force, which is ready to share its findings with the congregation.
Our conversation will include a brief overview of how Confederate monuments and symbols have been used since the Civil War to help create a revisionist history that glorifies Confederates as cultural heroes, rather than the violent defenders of white supremacist ideology. More importantly, the task force will be seeking your input on how ELPC can meaningfully respond—with justice and faithfulness—to the display of this problematic symbol in our church.
If you’re watching our Sanctuary worship service livestream on YouTube or Facebook (beginning at 11 am), you may use the same feed to see the presentation. Or, click here at 12:15 pm.
To listen to the audio portion of the presentation (beginning at 12:15 pm), you may call 301.715.8592. Enter meeting ID 883 0027 9230 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.

Rain Garden Workday
2021-09-18 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Halifax) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
If you are inspired by God’s beautiful creation and like to play in the dirt, consider joining us for a workday in the Rain Garden on Saturday, September 18, 9 am–12 pm. Green thumbs are not required—just bring your energy, curiosity, and commitment to our community.
RSVP to Megan Leisher.

Church Life Sampler
2021-09-19 12:15 - 14:00 (America/Halifax) | ELPC – Social Hall, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ELPC’s annual Church Life Sampler will be held following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, September 19, outdoors on Whitfield Street (weather permitting). Stop by to learn more about the various ministries that are a part of our church life together!
Every committee and ministry area at ELPC will be on hand to highlight fall programming and share how you can get involved! And a special treat will be provided by the Children and Family Ministry Team for you to enjoy on your way home.

Environmental Book Club | Walden
2021-09-30 18:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Highland Room (Room 108), 116 South Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
The Environmental Team invites you to read Henry David Thoreau’s classic nature book, Walden, and join a discussion on Thursday, September 30, 7 pm.
In 1845, philosopher and writer Thoreau built a tiny cabin in the woods near Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, where he lived alone and self-sufficient for two years. His observations and reflections became the basis of this book. It is an essay collection with the themes of:

Nature as eternal guide and teacher;
Living independently and breaking free from the expectations and conventions of traditional society;
Minimalism or detaching ourselves from a goal-driven, materialistic worldview; and
Self-improvement with a focus on meditation, and understanding our place in the universe.

Katherine Hackney will lead our discussion. For more information, or to tell us you are coming, contact Nancy Heastings at n.heastings@comcast.net.

A Conversation on Critical Race Theory
2021-10-17 12:30 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
One of the Facing Systemic Racism Committee’s roles is to inform the congregation of current issues regarding race. This month, we are pleased to present an online conversation on Critical Race Theory (CRT), which has come to the forefront of the racial issues in our country. We will provide an opportunity to learn more about the origin of CRT, what it is, and how it became such an issue—especially in K–12 education.
On Sunday, October 17, 12:30 pm, we are honored to have a keynote speaker, Dr. James Phillip Huguley, associate dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and associate professor at the School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, and a panel of our own ELPC educators who represent early childhood through higher education. They will discuss what CRT is, what it is not, and what the implications are for public school education. The keynote and the panel will be followed by a Q&A session.
We look forward to your participation.
Click the button below to join via Zoom, or call 301.715.8592 and enter meeting ID 892 1999 1165 and passcode [REDACTED].
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The Role of Educators in Affirming Racial Identity
2021-10-31 09:45 - 10:45 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Critical Race Theory in schools is a hot-button topic today. Not long ago, it was bussing Black kids into white neighborhoods. Before that, it was school segregation. The topics of race and education are—and have always been—inextricably intertwined. So, let’s talk about it! Let’s discuss the connections. Let’s discuss the problems. And let’s discuss the future and how to make it better.
Join the Facing Systemic Racism Committee during the Church School hour on Sunday, October 31, for an intergenerational conversation through story. Dr. Beverly Harris-Schenz will share a personal vignette that addresses the intersection of race and education. Dr. Linda Lane will help facilitate a discussion about why this personal recollection from Dr. Harris-Schenz’s youth is relevant to each of us today.
If you are interested in learning more about racial identity in the classroom from the lived perspective of Dr. Beverly Harris-Schenz, join the Facing Systemic Racism Committee for this vignette on race.
Click the button below to join via Zoom, or call 301.715.8592 and enter meeting ID 810 5099 0117. Please note, this link is different than the one used for your normal Church School class.
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Telling the Truth with Dr. George Yancy
2021-11-14 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Social Hall, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Truth telling is a basic moral value. We interpret it to be the communication of what is known to be believed with no deceit or falseness. How then, do we factor in unintentional or intentional self-deceit, bias, and prejudice? How do we account for long-held false narratives that we are exposed to everyday in private and public agendas that suppress the “whole truth and nothing but the truth?”
Following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, November 14, the Facing Systemic Racism Committee is honored to have Dr. George Yancy help us consider these questions. Our discussion will consider the courage, vulnerability, painful listening, dangers of truth telling, and the importance of trust and love in teaching truth. Participants may view the presentation in the Social Hall or via Zoom at 12:30 pm.
Prior to our discussion, please read a letter by Dr. Yancy, titled “Dear White America,” which was originally published in The New York Times, December 24, 2015.
Click the button below to join via Zoom or call in by dialing 312.626.6799 and entering meeting ID 872 4009 7178 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.
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About Dr. George Yancy
Dr. Yancy is professor of philosophy at Emory University and is a distinguished scholar at Dartmouth College. He is a revered author and speaker on racism in America and the impact of white backlash in conversations about race.

Environmental Book Club | Finding the Mother Tree
2021-12-02 19:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Online, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
The Environmental Team of the Justice Committee invites you to read Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard.
Learn about the complexity of sustainable forestry and the puzzle of deciding which trees to harvest and which to retain, and how this practice influences a forests’ ability to recover and remain healthy. And then join the book club on Thursday, December 2, 7 pm, for a discussion via Zoom.
For more information, or to tell us you are coming, contact Nancy Heastings at n.heastings@comcast.net.

Foundation of HOPE | Adult Diversion
2022-02-06 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
As a Matthew 25 congregation, ELPC is committed to supporting justice efforts in our community related to human safety and dignity. To learn more about some of these efforts, the Justice Committee invites you to a presentation on the Foundation of HOPE’s Adult Diversion Program in Allegheny County following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, February 6.
The HOPE Adult Diversion Program equips law enforcement with intervention approaches that are designed to redirect adults who are involved in low-level offenses into the program and away from a criminal record, prosecution, and incarceration. Services include mental health support, substance use treatment and harm reduction support, medical treatment, housing, food assistance, and more.
We will be joined by Mica Williams, who serves as the director of the HOPE Adult Diversion Program. Mica will discuss their work in the community and opportunities for involvement by ELPC members.
Join us in person or over Zoom. Light snacks will be provided.
To join virtually, click the button below or you may call in by dialing 312.626.6799 and enter meeting ID 813 2173 1297 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.
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Book Discussion | All We Can Save
2022-02-10 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
The Environmental Team of the Justice Committee is reading a new book, titled All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson. This diverse collection of essays and a few poems are written by female activists, scientists, artists, architects, policymakers, and thinkers of various ages.
We invite you to read some or all of the book, and to join us to talk about your favorite parts on Thursday, February 10, 7 pm, via Zoom. For more details or to RSVP, contact Nancy Heastings at n.heastings@comcast.net.

Climate Change and the Green New Deal
2022-02-13 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
The Environmental Team of the Justice Committee invites you to a panel discussion on Climate Change and the Green New Deal following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, February 13.
Together, we will examine the issue of climate change, its implications for racial and economic justice, and how we can combat it by building a mass movement for a Green New Deal. Panelists include Patricia DeMarco, Ph.D.; Claire Cohen, M.D.; and Helen Gerhardt.
Join us in person in the Social Hall. Light refreshments will be provided.
You also may join us online over Zoom or by calling 646.558.8656 and entering meeting ID 827 3760 9292 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.
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Letter from Birmingham Jail | Session 2
2022-03-13 12:30 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, March 13, the Facing Systemic Racism Committee will present our second session on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s, Letter from Birmingham Jail. Led by Dr. Beverly Harris-Schenz, we will explore a summary of one of the seminal issues in Dr. King’s letter: “just” vs “unjust” laws.
Dr. King explains the use of “legality” in authoritarian societies, as a means to control and discriminate against marginalized people. Such “laws” apply to those groups, but rarely to those in authority. As examples, Dr. King cites laws used by segregationists in Alabama to prevent Blacks from voting; the laws of Nebuchadnezzer, which led Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego to follow a higher moral law; as well as the laws employed by Hitler to discriminate and isolate Jews, and those in Hungary against their freedom fighters.
There is no dearth of other historical examples. However, our discussion will focus primarily on how “unjust” laws have been used in the past and are currently used in our country to discriminate against and marginalize people of color. This presentation will be followed by small group discussions, both in person and on Zoom.
Join us in person in the Social Hall or online via Zoom. You also may call in by dialing 301.715.8592 and entering meeting ID 841 7387 8710 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.
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Winter Food Drive
2022-03-20 12:30 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
As a Matthew 25 Congregation, ELPC actively seeks to engage in the world and make a difference in the lives of our neighbors. And one of the Matthew 25 principles that we strive to live into is to eradicate systemic poverty. One of the ways we do so is by feeding our neighbors who are living with food insecurity.
Following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, March 20, the Neighbors Committee will host a Winter Food Drive in the Staff Parking Lot on Baum Blvd. Requested donations include: canned or dried fruit, canned vegetables, cereal, crackers, individual fruit cups, jelly, peanut butter, pasta and sauces, rice, soups and broth, salt, seasonings, and spices.
Questions? Contact Tim VanFleet at tavanfleet@gmail.com or Pastor Patrice at patricefs@coh.net.

Letter Writing Event
2022-03-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Fellowship Room, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
The Environmental Team of the Justice Committee will offer an in-person letter-writing and advocacy time on Sunday, March 27, following our Sunday Church School classes and our Sanctuary worship service. Topics address environmental and social justice components of the Build Back Better Act, as well as the Hopes for Homes Act.
Please join and contribute your voice to advocate for these issues. Legislators need to know that their constituents care about and want solutions to the climate crisis. If unable to join in person, sample letters, fact sheets and your representative addresses are linked below. Please write your name and address at the bottom of the letter and on the envelope.

Sample Letter for Build Back Better Act
Build Back Better Environmental Justice Fact Sheet
Sample Letter for Hope for Homes Act
Hope for Homes Act Fact Sheet
Legislator Contact Information

Contact Nancy Heastings if you have questions.

Letter from Birminham Jail | Session 3
2022-04-09 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Are We a Social Club or Justice Seekers?
In his prophetic Letter From Birmingham Jail, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., expressed frustration with white moderates, including clergy who were critical of civil rights efforts. King likened their complacency to the outright hostility of white supremacists, writing, “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.” King asserted that the white church needed to take a principled stand or risk being “dismissed as an irrelevant social club.”
How and where does that same complacency and belief in “all things being done decently and in order” (a Biblical reference in chapter 8 of the PC(USA) Book of Order) resonate in the church today? When/how/why should we step out of our traditional white culture comfort zones to assure that we are indeed living out being a Matthew 25 church? What should we physically, culturally, and financially divest from in order to invest in a future that fully embraces all of our siblings who enter our building, those who are in our neighborhood and throughout our denomination? Those are big questions that demand our attention and our discernment.
Our very future is at stake. Let us continue the conversation on Zoom on Saturday, April 9, 6 pm, with the third and final deep dive into King’s letter. We will be led by the Rev. Paul Roberts, co-pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church, and members of the ELPC Facing Systemic Racism Committee.
Join us in person in the Social Hall or online via Zoom. You also may call in by dialing 301.715.8592 and entering meeting ID 846 9026 2039 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.
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Neighborhood Earth Care Workday
2022-05-21 10:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Join Tree Pittsburgh and your ELPC friends and neighbors to care for and beautify our East Liberty neighborhood! We’ll be making a difference together by mulching, trimming, weeding, and tending.
We’ll be meeting at the corner of S. Highland and Penn Avenues. Sign up required. Contact Nancy Heastings for details.
Sponsored in partnership by the ELPC Environmental Team of the Justice Committee and the ELPC Neighbors Committee.

GCF Sidewalk Seedling Sale
2022-05-22 12:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Garfield Community Farm will be hosting a Sidewalk Seedling Sale on Penn Avenue in front of ELPC on Sunday, May 22. Stop by after Sanctuary worship and get started on your garden while supporting a local neighborhood community farm!
For more information, contact Nancy Heastings.
Brought to you by the ELPC Environmental Team of the Justice Committee in partnership with the ELPC Neighbors Committee.

Making a Difference Together Panel Presentation
2022-05-22 12:30 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | ELPC – McKelvy Room (114), 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
In accordance with our 2022 ELPC Earth Day theme, Invest in Our Planet: Turn Hope Into Action…Together, find a partner—a friend, family member, neighbor—and commit to taking action steps together to invest in the well being of our planet and your community.
Pledge to support a local environmental group, start a garden, buy less, evaluate and reduce your 2022 carbon footprint, plant a tree, support legislation for green energy and infrastructure, eat local… Make a difference, together!
And, join the Environmental Team of the Justice Committee on Sunday, May 22, 12:30 pm, for our Making a Difference Together panel presentation, led by Local Active Hope Innovators!

Building an Eco-Friendly Community
Presented by
Stefani Danes, founder of Rachel Carson Ecovillage
Engaging Principles of Community Permaculture
Presented by
John Creasy, founder of Garfield Community Farm
The Solution to Pollution is Renewable, It’s Doable!
Presented by
Fred Kraybill, renewable energy advocate

Attend in person in the McKelvy Room or online via Zoom. Light refreshments, stimulating ideas, good company, and inspiration will be provided! For more information, contact Nancy Heastings.
Join Via Zoom
If you’d like to call in, dial 301.715.8592 and enter meeting ID 816 0056 3547 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.

Juneteenth March & Events
2022-06-18 09:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Freedom Corner, 1500 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, 15219, United States
Juneteenth—also known as Emancipation Day—commemorates the historic moment on June 19, 1865, when African Americans were freed from slavery in Texas. It is an opportunity to give thanks for our country’s progress while also calling attention to the work we have before us in creating the equity that reflects God’s kingdom.
Join the Justice Committee & Facing Systemic Racism Ministry Team on Saturday, June 18, 9:30 am, at Freedom Corner to march down to Point State Park.
There also will be all-day events at Point State Park & Market Square with live music and food. Bring a blanket or chair to sit in the field and enjoy the day. If you would like to ride in the van, please contact Michele Bossers at 412.303.9243 to make a reservation.

Silent Vigil in Response to Roe v. Wade Ruling
2022-07-07 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
We are asking people to gather on Penn Ave on Thursday, July 7, 7 pm, with signs expressing their righteous outrage over the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This will be a silent vigil, just as women’s voices have been silenced. We will stand with and for women in support of their sovereign right to make their own decisions about their health and reproductive choices.

Film Screening | Torture in Our Name
2022-07-17 11:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Garth Overlook Room, 116 South Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
The Justice Committee invites you to a screening of Torture in Our Name following worship on Sunday, July 17, in the Garth Overlook Room. Snacks will be provided.
In this compelling 35-minute documentary for faith audiences, filmmaker Matthew Gossage showcases the tenacity and resilience of people who have faced the torture of solitary confinement first-hand and are working to end it once and for all.
The film traces the stories of state organizers in Louisiana, New Jersey, and New York, where survivors of solitary and their allies have mounted successful legislative campaigns in their respective states. New Jersey (2019) and New York (2021) were the first two states in the nation to legislate bans on long-term isolated confinement. Learn more about the film at nrcat.org.
If you’d like to join us virtually on Zoom, click the button below, or you may call in by dialing 301.715.8592. Enter meeting ID 813 9907 9756 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.
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ELPC @ Pittsburgh Black Pride
2022-07-28 18:00 - 2022-07-30 19:00 (America/New_York)
This year’s Pittsburgh Black Pride Week will take place Thursday–Saturday, July 28–30. The spectacular event will provide an opportunity to celebrate the lives and contributions of Black LGBTQIA+ individuals in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Events include:

Opening Reception, Networking Event, and Dance Party
Thursday, July 28 | 6–8 pm
5801 Bar | 5801 Ellsworth Avenue
Pittsburgh Black Pride Week Concert | Featuring Grammy Award-Winning Artist Mýa
Friday, July 29, 7 pm
August Wilson Center | 980 Liberty Avenue
Tickets are available at TruStarts.org or by calling 412.456.6666
Community BBQ and Vendors Fair
Saturday, July 30 | 2–7 pm
Schenley Park–Prospect Shelter | Prospect Drive at Hobart Street

Please plan to attend one or more of the events. For more information, visit PGHBlackPride.org.
To volunteer to staff the booth at the BBQ, contact Stephanie Creasy.

Pittsburgh Black Pride has been celebrated for 27 years, and ELPC hosted several of their family picnics over the years. As one of the oldest Black Pride celebrations in the country, Pittsburgh Black Pride strives to provide culturally relevant programming in a safe environment aimed at increasing the health and wellbeing of our community members.

Book Discussion | Parable of the Sower
2022-08-25 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Highland Room (Room 108), 116 South Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
The Environmental Team of the Justice Committee has selected Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler as its next book. You’re invited to read it and join us for a discussion on Thursday, August 25, 7 pm, led Nancy Heastings and Penn Hackney online via Zoom. For more details, please contact Nancy Heastings.
Published in 1993, this climate sci-fi is set in 2024 California. The story’s lead character is a 15-year-old Black girl whose father is a preacher. Global climate change and economic crises have led to social chaos. Global warming has brought drought and rising seawater. The middle class and working poor live in gated neighborhoods, where they fend off the homeless with guns and walls. Fresh water is scarce and is as valuable as money. Fires are common. Public schools are being privatized, as are whole towns. In this atmosphere, a Presidential candidate named Christopher Donner is elected based on his promises to dismantle government programs and bring back jobs.
The book has had a resurgence and second-read reviewers comment, “But for sheer peculiar prescience, Butler’s novel and its sequel (Parable of the Talents) may be unmatched.”
For some writers, science fiction serves as means to delve into fantasy. But for Butler, it largely served as a vehicle to address issues facing humanity. It was this passionate interest in the human experience that imbued her work with a certain depth and complexity. Her books blended elements of science fiction and African American spiritualism.
