A nine-member panel of black leaders plans to examine policy issues affecting the region's minorities from a totally minority perspective, something advocates say probably hasn't been done before.
Howard B. Slaughter will chair the Minority Research Policy Group of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the latest initiative of Landmarks Community Capital Corp., the South Side nonprofit he heads as president and CEO.
Organizers hope results of the year-long study will be used by elected and corporate leaders, educators and community groups to shape policy and help improve the quality of life for minorities.
"There have been many people who have written many things in the past, but they haven't spent time in the shoes of African-Americans," said Slaughter, 51. "(Researchers) can write about their findings ... but pragmatic knowledge of the group you're studying is crucial."
Research data pertaining to minorities abounds, but the new group's members, all of whom are black, believe first-hand knowledge of their own culture will provide clearer, more accurate information.
A news conference is scheduled for Monday at Freedom Corner in the Hill District to announce the group's startup.
Panelists plan to probe a variety of socioeconomic areas, including education, employment, housing and health care. They want to look at what's needed to inspire growth from minority business owners.
"One of our advantages is we don't represent any one group or organization," said group member Audrey Murrell, who is director of the David Berg Center for Ethics and Leadership at the University of Pittsburgh. "We can focus on problem-solving instead of pushing an agenda."
The group plans to publish two papers of their findings during the next year, Slaughter said.
Esther L. Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, hopes the findings will inspire "a change in thinking" among policymakers and lawmakers.
"This community is starving for real information on the quality of life for black folks in Pittsburgh," she said. "If you're in a leadership position, you need to be educated on the issues."
Doris Carson Williams, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania, hopes the group's work will break new ground.
"I respect the work that academia does. It's important," she said. "But sometimes it helps to reach down and talk to people who live it day to day.
"Sometimes you have to go outside the normal sphere to collect information."
