As a young man from Homewood who loves Pittsburgh, I was very excited about the U.S Open at Oakmont; All these famous people and such a spectacular event less than ten miles from where I grew up. Once I sat down to watch the Open on TV, the opulent and panoramic setting seemed a million miles away not ten miles away from my reality.  I could not believe that less than seven minutes from the Open in the Lincoln-Larimer section of Pittsburgh is where five children lost their lives a few days earlier by fire.  Less than ten miles and seven minutes away is the murder capital not only in the state but the nation per capita population (Homewood).  People can do what they want with their money. You can't make people care.  People can always find a reason not to care and to look away. Somehow I just wasn't so proud as I would have liked to be as a neighbor. Where is the love even though Oakmont is less than seven minutes and ten miles away?

With this being said I really want to thank you for all your love and support.  The conditions Imani combats are likened unto the 1830’s. There were people like Frederick Douglas who stood for freedom and there were a number of Americans who stood with him to abolish slavery.  Our kids are enslaved by hopelessness, poverty and despair.  It is a mindset!  Thank you for being an abolitionist.

Elder Milton Raiford