Mike Doyle Turns Down NAACP Debate with Jerry Dickinson, 42 African American Leaders Endorse Jerry Dickinson For Congress

 

PITTSBURGH, PA (PittsburghNewsWire.com) — Today, 42 African American leaders in Pittsburgh announced their support of Jerry Dickinson’s candidacy for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 18th District. 

Click here to see the full list of endorsees.

Click here to read Jerry Dickinson’s plan for addressing the pervasive racial disparities in the Pittsburgh region. 

Dickinson released a video statement responding to Mr. Doyle’s decision to turn down a debate hosted by the NAACP:

 

 

 

 

• Alma Speed Fox, Civil Rights Leader
• The Honorable Liv Bennett, Allegheny County Councilwoman 
• Turahn L. Jenkins, attorney and former candidate for Allegheny County D.A.
• The Honorable Timothy K. Lewis, former federal judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• The Honorable Brenda Frazier, former Allegheny County Councilwoman
• K. Chase Patterson, former staffer for Congressman Mike Doyle, current Managing Director, Corporate Diversity Associates
• Billy Joe Jordan, Labor Leader
• Louis “Hop” Kendrick, former Columnist for New Pittsburgh Courier
• Johnnie Miott, Civil Rights Leader

In the coming weeks, the campaign expects this list to grow. 

 

In a written statement, Dickinson said:

 

“I’m proud to have the support of legendary African American civil rights leaders, elected officials, business owners, community activists, teachers, pastors, former federal judges, lawyers, doctors and academics. I’m standing on the shoulders of countless giants whose dedication to public service has carved a path for many other African Americans to follow.

 

“This show of force in the African American community is timely. The Pittsburgh region remains racially segregated and is one of the least livable places for African Americans, especially black women. These inequities cut across issues related to poverty, housing, employment, health and occupational segregation, and have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. We can do better. 

 

“I’m extremely disappointed in Congressman Doyle’s decision to turn down debate on the pervasive racial disparities in this district, which he has represented for the past quarter century. I know firsthand the important progress the NAACP continues to achieve for equal protection of the African American community. The people of the 18th District deserve to hear from me and Congressman Doyle about how we plan to address issues central to African Americans.”

 

Jerry Dickinson is a human rights activist, community advocate, and a constitutional law professor at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a former NAACP Legal Defense Fund Earl Warren Scholar with first hand knowledge of the organization’s work fighting for equal protection of the African American community. He would be the first African American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Western Pennsylvania. 

The NAACP is the nation’s oldest civil rights organization and has long been on the front lines addressing the many pervasive issues that impact thousands in the 18th District.