Recordings & Documentation

Recordings & Documentation

• (April 13, 2024) 2024 People's Assembly for Fair & Equitable Housing Around 150 people gathered at the Frick Fine Arts Building to engage in learning and dialogue focused on the affordable housing crisis in Pittsburgh and potential solutions. Participants heard from local housing and human rights advocates about current community-led efforts to address our region's affordable housing needs, as well as from international advocates about innovative potential solutions being explored in other cities and countries. Topic areas included funding a Right to Counsel+ initiative for tenants facing eviction, establishing a Tenant Bill of Rights and related protections, and exploring creative solutions for creating permanently affordable, community-controlled affordable housing, such as through housing cooperatives (co-ops) and community land trusts. Co-sponsors: Pittsburgh Housing Justice Table, Human Rights City Alliance, City of Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, Pittsburgh United, Casa San Jose, University of Pittsburgh Department of Sociology, Pitt Graduate Workers’ Organizing Committee, The Global Switchboard. View the full program here, English Flier , Spanish Flier

• (October 2023) UN Report Condemns Racial Discrimination in U.S. Law Enforcement—How does this relate to Southwest PA? (Event recording)-Last spring, the United Nations sent a fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations against people of African descent by U.S. law enforcement officials. Pittsburgh advocates reported on local conditions as part of this investigation (In early 2023, Report on Police Discrimination in Allegheny County. The UN Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement released its report on U.S. practices in October 2023 Panelists discuss how global policing guidelines can help us improve racial justice, violence prevention, and human rights protections in our region. Panelists: Brandi Fisher, Alliance for Police Accountability Tanisha Long, Abolitionist Law Center; Muhammad Ali Nasir (MAN-E), Advocacy & Policy and Civic Engagement Coordinator, 1Hood Media; Laura Perkins, Casa San Jose. See the reports: U.S. country visit 2023; *Reimagining Policing 2023

• (January 19, 2023) The African Diaspora Convenes on the World Stage & Calls for Reparatory Justice--Reports from the Inaugural session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. (Recording) In December 2022 the United Nations launched the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (UNPFPAD) as part of the International Decade on People of African Descent (2015-2024). Activists who attended this historic, inaugural meeting of the PFPAD share their observations on how this new body can be a tool for building local and national movements to end white supremacy and advance racial justice. Panelists: Lisa Borden, Senior Policy Counsel, International Advocacy and Policy, Southern Poverty Law Center; Charkera Ervin, Howard University School of Law/ Movement Lawyering Clinic; Efia Nwangaza, SNCC Veteran, Civil/Human Rights Attorney, Director Malcolm X Center for Self Determination; Tiffany Williams Roberts, Director of Public Policy Unit, Southern Center for Human Rights; Gretchen Rohr, US-Liaison and Global Strategic Litigation Officer, Open Society Justice Initiative

Webinar Co-sponsors: U.S. Human Rights Cities Alliance, Southern Center for Human Rights, Southern Poverty Law Center, Ubuntu Institute for Community Development, Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance, Global Studies Center & the Center for African Studies-University of Pittsburgh

• (November 19, 2022) Taking Back our Human Rights: Black Pittsburgh’s Appeal to the World-Community Forum Summary Document, November 19, 2022. This document summarizes discussions at our community forum during Justin Hansford's visit, & it will guide our subsequent coalition building work aimed at centering the needs of Pittsburgh's Black residents and ensuring that no one is left behind as our city develops.

• (November 18, 2022, 1Hood Media) Using the Human Rights Framework for Racial Justice: A Conversation with Justin Hansford After Michael Brown’s murder in Ferguson, Missouri, Justin Hansford helped Brown family members bring their appeal for justice to the United Nations See Ferguson to Geneva. This conversation brings together Black community leaders, advocates, and educators to discuss this effort and understand how we can make use of UN bodies like the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent to promote racial equity and fight white supremacy. What role do our communities play in building global tools to help defend and advance our human rights? Panelists: Dr. Rashad Williams, Assistant Professor of Race and Social Justice in Public Policy, University of Pittsburgh (Host), Tiffany Williams Roberts, Director of Public Policy Unit, Southern Center for Human Rights (Atlanta) & Steering Committee member, U.S. Human Rights Cities Alliance; Randall Taylor, Penn Plaza Support and Action Coalition

• (July 14, 2022) An Appeal to the World: Pittsburgh Advocates file report to UN Committee reviewing racial discrimination in the U.S. Racial Discrimination & Equity in the United States: Evidence from Pittsburgh-Report to United Nations Review of U.S. compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) This report draws from documentation compiled by Pittsburgh advocates, city officials, researchers, and news reporters to demonstrate where improvements are needed in efforts to implement the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination in the United States. This report is part of the official international review of U.S. compliance with its treaty obligations.

• (July 15, 2022) A Cross-City Report on Obstacles to U.S. Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination & how Human Rights Cities Can be a Remedy -This report combines insights from Pittsburgh with those from other cities, arguing for changes in federal policies to improve local compliance with U.S. obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

• (July 2022) OPEN LETTER: Bringing a Human Rights Perspective to Mayor Gainey’s Transition Report 2022

• (April 4-7, 2022), Leilani Farha, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Adequate Housing, visits Pittsburgh. Check out our visit summary highlighting insights and recommendations from our discussions with Ms. Farha, who now leads global housing rights organization, The Shift. Here you’ll also find helpful links to learning resources and legal tools to help us advance housing as a human right. (Download report PDF)

• (December 10, 2021) International Human Rights Day: See our Open letter to Mayor-Elect Gainey

• (July 11, 2021) Statement to City Council: Human Rights City Alliance backs community organizations calling for pause in vote on ARP funds: Our message to Council reminds them of past commitments and priorities that must be addressed in ARP allocations while calling for transparent and democratic process for deciding how funds will be used.

• (April 20, 2021) Human Rights City Alliance statement supporting City Council Fair Housing Proclamation

• (June 23, 2020) See Human Rights City Alliance's letter of support for the appointment of Brandi Fisher (President and CEO of the Alliance for Police Accountability) and Monica Ruiz (Executive Director of Casa San Jose) to Mayor Gainey's Community Task Force on Police Reform.

See this outline of the City’s Agenda for Police Reform.

• (April 2020) Learning from COVID-19:Shaping a Health and Human Rights Agenda for our Region HRCA collaborated with diverse groups in the community to advocate for equity and justice in healthcare in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. See our page for details, recordings and summaries of past discussions.

• (December 10, 2019) International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2019: See our media advisory, Pittsburgh joins other cities recognizing International Human Rights Day & highlights persistent challenge of racial inequities

Local News

• Community petition campaign to Protect Inclusionary Zoning & Demand Affordable Housing for All! In response to Pittsburgh’s chronic affordable housing crisis, the City Council recently passed a modest inclusionary zoning ordinance to require developers to designate at least 10% of units in developments of 20 or more units as affordable for low-income residents. The Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh (BAMP)—a special interest group made up of corporate developers—has sued the city to prevent the implementation of the ordinance, and community partners are working to fight this move as we defend the rights of all residents to affordable, safe and secure housing.

• Councilpersons Gross, Kail-Smith introduce legislation to back housing cooperatives --See this letter of support from folks in our Human Rights City network.

• From Palestine to Pittsburgh--#Pushbacktalks Podcasts: April 20, 2022 Palestine and the Heartache of an Advocate-In her regular podcast, Leilani Farha reflects on her recent travel that took her from Palestine to Pittsburgh, considering lessons about people and our connections to the land.

Human Rights & Anti-Racism Organizing

Historical Truth-Telling: Key to Human Rights & Racial Healing Today:Building a human rights city requires efforts to remedy past injustices and ensure that all residents have equitable opportunities to thrive. The International Decade on People of African Descent (2015-2024) and the 400th anniversary of the first auction of enslaved Africans in North America provides an opportunity for renewing conversations about how we can address persistent inequities resulting from the United States's brutal history of slavery and genocide against people of African descent and indigenous peoples.

• Reparations Resource Guide
• *The World is Watching! Global movements support human rights and anti-racism in the U.S.

• UN Human Rights Council Strongly Condemns US Racial Violence: The United Nations responded to a call from Family members of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, and Philando Castile to take action in response to racially-motivated violence in the U.S., in an unprecedented Urgent Debate in the UN Human Rights Council June 19.
• Study shows US police fail to meet basic human rights standards. Not one police department in the 20 largest American cities are compliant with international rights laws study from the University of Chicago has found.
• Recommendations to Align Pittsburgh’s Policing Practices with International Human Rights Law & Standards Pitt student, Seth Kornbau, worked this summer to review Pittsburgh's policing policies and relate them to this analysis of international legal obligations. He prepared this brief to inform the Mayor's task force on police reform.

• Indigenous People's Day & Anti-racism work

Student human rights leaders compiled the following list of films, podcasts, and short articles and reports to inspire learning that acknowledges past harms and furthers a process of truth-telling and racial healing. Recording: Community Dialogue: Indigenous Peoples Day: Deconstructing white supremacy and celebrating Indigenous Peoples' history More Resources on Indigenous peoples and human rights