People
The Hill CDC is committed to the social and economic development of Hill District residents, many of whom have been historically disadvantaged. A variety of programs are offered for business owners, entrepreneurs, aspiring homeowners, creatives and culture workers.
Place
The Hill CDC leads the planning and redevelopment efforts for the neighborhood on behalf of residents and stakeholders of the Hill District. With over $2 Billion of development slated for the area, the Hill CDC is focused on commercial revitalization and affordable homeownership. Equitable outcomes that foster place-keeping and transformative economic investment is the cornerstone of the Hill CDC’s work.
Policy
The Hill CDC is guided by the Greater Hill District Master Plan. This community-endorsed vision establishes fundamental values and development principles that are central to positive activities and healthy neighborhood development. The Hill CDC focuses on land-use policy, social and economic equity, and centering community voice.
Social
๐ค๐ฐOn January 1, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all enslaved people in Confederate states legally free. But the law meant nothing without enforcement.
In Texas, enslavers continued to hold Black people in bondage by force. With no significant Union military presence, they faced no consequence for defying federal law. Many relocated to Texas from other states specifically to preserve their ability to enslave people.
It wasnโt until June 19, 1865, more than two years later, that 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston and enforced what had long been the law. Only the presence of armed federal power ended what enslavers had continued illegally and violently.
Historians and the words of formerly enslaved people themselves confirm that many knew about the Proclamation long before June 19th. They knew. They were held anyway; by force, by threat, and by the murder of those who tried to leave.
The formerly enslaved people didnโt waste a moment. They immediately began reunifying families torn apart by slavery, building schools, running for office, and demanding their full rights as citizens. Against every effort to break them, they built something extraordinary โ and they celebrated. They cooked, they gathered, they danced, they๏ฟผ praised and paraded. That joy was an act of resistance then, and it is our inheritance now.
That is what we celebrate today.
Happy Juneteenth! ๐
๐ค๐ฐOn January 1, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all enslaved people in Confederate states legally free. But the law meant nothing without enforcement.
In Texas, enslavers continued to hold Black people in bondage by force. With no significant Union military presence, they faced no consequence for defying federal law. Many relocated to Texas from other states specifically to preserve their ability to enslave people.
It wasnโt until June 19, 1865, more than two years later, that 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston and enforced what had long been the law. Only the presence of armed federal power ended what enslavers had continued illegally and violently.
Historians and the words of formerly enslaved people themselves confirm that many knew about the Proclamation long before June 19th. They knew. They were held anyway; by force, by threat, and by the murder of those who tried to leave.
The formerly enslaved people didnโt waste a moment. They immediately began reunifying families torn apart by slavery, building schools, running for office, and demanding their full rights as citizens. Against every effort to break them, they built something extraordinary โ and they celebrated. They cooked, they gathered, they danced, they๏ฟผ praised and paraded. That joy was an act of resistance then, and it is our inheritance now.
That is what we celebrate today.
Happy Juneteenth! ๐
๐ซWeekly Weekend Round up Spotlight:
โTaliaferro was the most outspoken against the Future Ready Facilities Plan. During her remarks before the votes were counted, Taliaferro said sheโs had โcountless conversations, text messages, Facebook DMs,โ etc., from people sharing their thoughts about the proposed PPS plan, โand the impact that this decision will make on them. And I donโt discredit those voices; in fact, many of those voices I represent. Five of the schools on this list are in District 2.โ
Taliaferro slammed the school board for not listening to the constituents, the parents, etc., who didnโt want this affirmative vote to close schools.
โI thought when we run for school board, that we are servants of the people. And to disregard those voices because theyโre too many, or theyโre too loud or too privilegedโฆโ
โEverything I do is for little Black and brown children,โ Taliaferro added, โbecause if we do it right for them, everyone else will be fine.โ
While Black students make up more than half of the student enrollment in PPS, there are some schools that are a vast majority African American, like King PreK-8 on the North Side, and McKelvy (Miller PreK-5) in the Hill District. Itโs not known yet which schools those students would attend when their schools close.
And thatโs unsettling to many parents.โ
Read the full story here: https://newpittsburghcourier.com/2026/06/11/change-is-hard-dr-walters-says-as-pps-board-votes-to-close-9-buildings-12-schools/
๐ฉ๐พโ๐ป Sign up for the Hill District Weekend Roundup here: https://www.hilldistrict.org/signup/
๐ซWeekly Weekend Round up Spotlight:
โTaliaferro was the most outspoken against the Future Ready Facilities Plan. During her remarks before the votes were counted, Taliaferro said sheโs had โcountless conversations, text messages, Facebook DMs,โ etc., from people sharing their thoughts about the proposed PPS plan, โand the impact that this decision will make on them. And I donโt discredit those voices; in fact, many of those voices I represent. Five of the schools on this list are in District 2.โ
Taliaferro slammed the school board for not listening to the constituents, the parents, etc., who didnโt want this affirmative vote to close schools.
โI thought when we run for school board, that we are servants of the people. And to disregard those voices because theyโre too many, or theyโre too loud or too privilegedโฆโ
โEverything I do is for little Black and brown children,โ Taliaferro added, โbecause if we do it right for them, everyone else will be fine.โ
While Black students make up more than half of the student enrollment in PPS, there are some schools that are a vast majority African American, like King PreK-8 on the North Side, and McKelvy (Miller PreK-5) in the Hill District. Itโs not known yet which schools those students would attend when their schools close.
And thatโs unsettling to many parents.โ
Read the full story here: https://newpittsburghcourier.com/2026/06/11/change-is-hard-dr-walters-says-as-pps-board-votes-to-close-9-buildings-12-schools/
๐ฉ๐พโ๐ป Sign up for the Hill District Weekend Roundup here: https://www.hilldistrict.org/signup/
โ๐พWeekly Weekend Round up Spotlight:
Two verdicts came down within days of each other this month, in two different states, involving two Black teenagers. In Texas, 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murder in the death of a fellow student athlete following a confrontation at a track meet. In South Carolina, a jury acquitted convenience store owner Chikei Rick Chow of murder in the 2023 shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton, whom Chow chased more than a hundred yards and shot in the back over a wrongly suspected theft of water bottles the teen had already returned. At a rally following the acquittal, Carmack-Belton`s mother, Nicole Carmack, told supporters her son "bled out on the side of the road with strangers."
Neither story is really about the legal outcome alone. Together, they`re landing on a community already carrying a sense that Black children, especially Black teenagers, are being watched, judged, and treated as threats before anyone asks who they actually are.
Here at home, that feeling has been building for weeks with consistent critiques of young people in the media. In early May, the City quietly rolled out a new policy restricting unaccompanied teenagers from Market Square, requiring anyone under 18 to be with someone 21 or older. The policy followed complaints from some Downtown businesses about large groups of teens, and it brought a visible mix of private security, police, and youth outreach workers to the public square`s entrances. City Council President Daniel Lavelle, whose district includes Market Square, called the approach an overreach that punishes many for the actions of a few, and the ACLU of Pennsylvania raised concerns about how officers would distinguish a 17-year-old from an 18-year-old without inviting profiling...
Read the full story here: https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?u=0227e7478f00c6333e6239cde&id=0bf2392ec0
๐ฉ๐พโ๐ป Sign up for the Hill District Weekend Roundup here: https://www.hilldistrict.org/signup/
โ๐พWeekly Weekend Round up Spotlight:
Two verdicts came down within days of each other this month, in two different states, involving two Black teenagers. In Texas, 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murder in the death of a fellow student athlete following a confrontation at a track meet. In South Carolina, a jury acquitted convenience store owner Chikei Rick Chow of murder in the 2023 shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton, whom Chow chased more than a hundred yards and shot in the back over a wrongly suspected theft of water bottles the teen had already returned. At a rally following the acquittal, Carmack-Belton`s mother, Nicole Carmack, told supporters her son "bled out on the side of the road with strangers."
Neither story is really about the legal outcome alone. Together, they`re landing on a community already carrying a sense that Black children, especially Black teenagers, are being watched, judged, and treated as threats before anyone asks who they actually are.
Here at home, that feeling has been building for weeks with consistent critiques of young people in the media. In early May, the City quietly rolled out a new policy restricting unaccompanied teenagers from Market Square, requiring anyone under 18 to be with someone 21 or older. The policy followed complaints from some Downtown businesses about large groups of teens, and it brought a visible mix of private security, police, and youth outreach workers to the public square`s entrances. City Council President Daniel Lavelle, whose district includes Market Square, called the approach an overreach that punishes many for the actions of a few, and the ACLU of Pennsylvania raised concerns about how officers would distinguish a 17-year-old from an 18-year-old without inviting profiling...
Read the full story here: https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?u=0227e7478f00c6333e6239cde&id=0bf2392ec0
๐ฉ๐พโ๐ป Sign up for the Hill District Weekend Roundup here: https://www.hilldistrict.org/signup/
The 2026 Home Accessibility Program for Independence (HAPI) Application at the URA is opening soon! HAPI is a grant program to assist qualifying homeowners with permanent disabilities to make accessibility modifications to their homes. The maximum grant allotment is $15,000 which can be used strictly for accessibility-based repairs or modifications.
Apply here: https://ura.jotform.com/261234646451051
The 2026 Home Accessibility Program for Independence (HAPI) Application at the URA is opening soon! HAPI is a grant program to assist qualifying homeowners with permanent disabilities to make accessibility modifications to their homes. The maximum grant allotment is $15,000 which can be used strictly for accessibility-based repairs or modifications.
Apply here: https://ura.jotform.com/261234646451051
๐ฟ There`s still time to join us for Sat Down Somewhere next Tuesday.
In a world that often asks Black women to keep pushing forward, this gathering offers an opportunity to slow down, breathe, and prioritize your well-being. Through yoga, meditation, and community, we`ll create space for rest and reflection.
๐
Tuesday, June 23
โฐ 7:00 PM โ 8:00 PM
๐ Nafasi on Centre | 2145 Centre Avenue
There are only a few spots left, get your ticket now! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sat-down-somewhere-tickets-1986332515023?aff=oddtdtcreator
๐ฟ There`s still time to join us for Sat Down Somewhere next Tuesday.
In a world that often asks Black women to keep pushing forward, this gathering offers an opportunity to slow down, breathe, and prioritize your well-being. Through yoga, meditation, and community, we`ll create space for rest and reflection.
๐
Tuesday, June 23
โฐ 7:00 PM โ 8:00 PM
๐ Nafasi on Centre | 2145 Centre Avenue
There are only a few spots left, get your ticket now! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sat-down-somewhere-tickets-1986332515023?aff=oddtdtcreator
โจWeekly Weekend Roundup Spotlight:
During Thursday`s URA board meeting, funding was approved for several programs serving Hill District youth and families through the Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund (GHDNRF), a community-driven fund created through the Lower Hill development`s Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program.
The investments will support creative learning opportunities, STEM education, after-school programming, and workforce development initiatives led by local organizations including ACH Clear Pathways, The Citizens Science Lab, and Central Baptist Church. Approved grants include funding for ACH Clear Pathways` Creative Camp and Career Compass program, The Citizens Science Lab`s Pipeline Initiatives and Community Program project, and Central Baptist Church`s Resilient Futures After-School Program.
The Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund was established to ensure that resources generated through the Lower Hill development are reinvested throughout the Greater Hill District. Guided by the Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan and recommendations from the GHDNRF Advisory Board, the fund supports projects that strengthen educational outcomes, workforce readiness, community development, and neighborhood well-being.
This latest round of funding continues our mission by investing in programs that help young people build skills, explore career pathways, and access opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. As development continues across the Hill, these investments represent another step toward ensuring that neighborhood growth is matched by investments in our futureโthe youth.
๐ญWant more stories like this? Check out our Weekend Round Up! https://ow.ly/7r1f50ZbUGH
โจWeekly Weekend Roundup Spotlight:
During Thursday`s URA board meeting, funding was approved for several programs serving Hill District youth and families through the Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund (GHDNRF), a community-driven fund created through the Lower Hill development`s Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program.
The investments will support creative learning opportunities, STEM education, after-school programming, and workforce development initiatives led by local organizations including ACH Clear Pathways, The Citizens Science Lab, and Central Baptist Church. Approved grants include funding for ACH Clear Pathways` Creative Camp and Career Compass program, The Citizens Science Lab`s Pipeline Initiatives and Community Program project, and Central Baptist Church`s Resilient Futures After-School Program.
The Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund was established to ensure that resources generated through the Lower Hill development are reinvested throughout the Greater Hill District. Guided by the Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan and recommendations from the GHDNRF Advisory Board, the fund supports projects that strengthen educational outcomes, workforce readiness, community development, and neighborhood well-being.
This latest round of funding continues our mission by investing in programs that help young people build skills, explore career pathways, and access opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. As development continues across the Hill, these investments represent another step toward ensuring that neighborhood growth is matched by investments in our futureโthe youth.
๐ญWant more stories like this? Check out our Weekend Round Up! https://ow.ly/7r1f50ZbUGH
๐งก Another successful food distribution!
Thank you to everyone who came out, volunteered, and helped make this event possible. Together, we were able to provide fresh food and essential resources to community members and families across the Hill District.
The Hill District has always been a community that shows up for one another, and this event was another example of that spirit in action.
A special shout out to our volunteers from BNY, the Democratic 5th Ward Committee, and our Community Leaders. We appreciate you!๐โจ
๐งก Another successful food distribution!
Thank you to everyone who came out, volunteered, and helped make this event possible. Together, we were able to provide fresh food and essential resources to community members and families across the Hill District.
The Hill District has always been a community that shows up for one another, and this event was another example of that spirit in action.
A special shout out to our volunteers from BNY, the Democratic 5th Ward Committee, and our Community Leaders. We appreciate you!๐โจ
๐ Tomorrow is the final Drop Everything and Read gathering of the season!
In a world full of notifications, deadlines, and distractions, take a moment to slow down and reconnect with the simple joy of reading. Join us for a silent community reading experience where all you need is a good book, a lawn chair, or a comfy blanket.
๐๏ธ Tuesday, June 16
โฐ 3:00 PM โ 7:00 PM
๐ Nafasi On Centre | 2145 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Bring a friend, bring a book, and join us for the last Drop Everything and Read event.
๐ Register: nafasioncentre.org/register
๐ Tomorrow is the final Drop Everything and Read gathering of the season!
In a world full of notifications, deadlines, and distractions, take a moment to slow down and reconnect with the simple joy of reading. Join us for a silent community reading experience where all you need is a good book, a lawn chair, or a comfy blanket.
๐๏ธ Tuesday, June 16
โฐ 3:00 PM โ 7:00 PM
๐ Nafasi On Centre | 2145 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Bring a friend, bring a book, and join us for the last Drop Everything and Read event.
๐ Register: nafasioncentre.org/register
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July 9, 2026 @ 10:00 am
