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Dr. Sheila Biesley, and my relationship to the Hill, it’s personal and professional. I have family that lives here on the Hill as well as work here on the Hill. Well, I grew up mainly in the Manchester part of Pittsburgh, and Manchester, as you know, is not too far from the Hill District. So even as a teen, I was able to come up here and enjoy the restaurants and activities that always took place on the Hill, as well as my grandfather and grandmother. They have roots that were more connected to the Hill District. In fact, my grandfather dated Ella Fitzgerald. He was on the Hill at the Crawford Grill a lot, so I know those stories from my-my family history. I’ve worked in the policy area with Jake Wheatley on his committee. I’m good friends with Marimba Milliones, as well as growing up with August Wilson’s family, with Kim and Paul Ellis, and most recently and probably, you know, one of my favorite connections with The Hill is obviously through the REACH program here at the Grayson Center, and meeting great people like Goldette and others who have been on the Hill for a very long time, so I’m pretty Hill District rich. Part of what was really difficult for me and why I connect with the REACH program, is having a brother who was a student athlete. He was a leader, but he sometimes didn’t use his leadership in the most positive way. So you start to look at him almost sometimes as a bully, and as a result, you make enemies, and my brother was murdered, and that was a time of turning around and really personally seeing how the work that we’re doing with REACH and stopping violence and being violence interrupters and reaching people who are affected by crime and violence got, you know, super serious because it was personal, and so that really became a big part of, you know, what I am, why I do what I do. One of the saddest stories in this city is what the Hill District used to represent and way of being the cultural Mecca, being the place of Renaissance, being the leader in music and jazz and businesses and black businesses, and blacks and whites working together. What we represented in the Hill District put us on the map, and sadly, we’re still trying to rebuild with buildings and businesses and organizations, but had we been able to keep what we had and maintain and grow what we had historically on the Hill, Oh my goodness, we would still- we- if you know, Harlem, right, you’ve heard places like that. Even I’ll go on the other side and say like Silicon Valley, because we had people that were practically millionaires here working on the Hill and doing great things. These were real legends, you know, we have August Wilson. We have legends. We have a huge success that was built in the Hill District, and now I see us rebuilding. I’m optimistic. I see people like yourselves that are really trying to make a difference in a positive way. Organizations like ours, REACH, and others that are on the Hill really trying to change some of what was the breakdown from what we lost. When I meet sisters that are from the Hill like Doctor Kim, like Marimba Milliones, it’s just… there are so many women that are on the Hill that are strong, and I know there’s some sisters we’re still praying for on Centre Ave. too, and we got to keep them lifted. But those that I know who are really trying to be a part of change, and being a part of positive or super strong, like there’s- there are levels higher than some of the other women in other parts of the city. A strong woman is any woman who is able to represent themselves positively, one who’s interested in being about change, not just for themselves, but for others as well. Strong women that I admire, you know, are ones who sometimes go outside the box to make a change and care about other people. Those are elements of strong women, women who hold themselves with class and respect. You deserve that. Don’t let anybody tell you differently, dude, woman, whomever. Hold yourself with class and respect. You were created. One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. So there isn’t one thing about you that’s an accident or one thing about you that can be used for your best, you’re beautiful and fearfully and wonderfully made. Just stay doing what you’re doing. Stay positive. As I said, when I look at you, I see a bright future. I see you know our future Marimbas and our future leaders and philanthropists and givers. Stay doing what you’re doing. I gave you some of the funky parts of my history because it’s going to happen. Life is full of ups and downs, sunshine and rain. When the rain happens… I hope you never have rain, but that’s unrealistic. When the rain happens, I want you to continue to keep pushing through it and know your worth. Don’t let it get you down to the point where you stop. The minute you stop growing, the minute you stop moving is the minute you pretty much fail and give up. So when life brings the curveballs and the tough spots, you just keep pushing through them, know that you were created here for purpose.