Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

January 30, 2025 | by Sara Bozich

Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA!

What you’ll find ⤵️

For something new: Mount Everest Nepali & Indian Cuisine is now open at Strawberry Square! Getting lunch there ASAP. Worth noting: David Ramirez kicks off his new tour at West Art in Lancaster on Sunday, which, also notably, is Groundhog Day. Things on my agenda this weekend: The kiddo’s first sleepover! Hershey Bears game with the OG BFF Saturday.

For your weekend planning

Grab your Early Bird tickets to Plants + Pints (only $15!!) while you can (discount ends Jan. 31)
Burn30 featured my good friend Glenn Hamilton and me on the first episode of their new podcast!
Try these cozy winter cocktails to keep you warm.
See what else you missed on the blog

Below are more options for your weekend.

A Look Ahead

Grab your (exclusive discounted) tickets to Harrisburg Regional Chamber’s VIBE featuring Jon Taffer on April 29
Save the date: Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen are set to fire up Strawberry Square on Feb. 21
NYT Bestseller coming to Midtown Scholar Bookstore Feb. 25
Are you on my email list?
Submit your events for the Weekend Roundup

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The Painted Word: The ABC’s of R76 & Harrisburg Artists of Color

January 30, 2025 | by Bob MacGinnes

Iquan Summers, Darius Levine Davis, Leon Laing, Larry Washington Jr., Bryan King Prolifik, Dionn Reneé, Julia Mallory, Marion Toro, Reina 76 Artist, Steve Barber, Mohsen “Mike” Matter, Donny Lyons

The artist Reina (R76) is a one-woman “Art Ambassador” and, someday, just may be given a key to the city. To be in full recognition of her art aplomb, she has already unlocked doors for many artists in our metropolitan area.

As a mentor of meaning and purpose, she has taken on that role with a full appreciation of the struggles she faced as a Venezuelan/African American artist trying to make a go of it. With a larger-than-life persona bursting at the seams, she is a force of nature, and it’s impossible not to be drawn into her orb of influence.

Brave. Bold. Bombastic. Bellringer. Reina’s list of “B’s” could go on and on. Suffice it to say that she is all the above. Most of all, bellringer. If you go into an art arena, galleries anywhere, you want her in your corner.

And as for the “C’s” … “consciously champions change and causes.” When all is said and done, Reina will have left her mark here and around the world, even to Moldova, where her “Keystone” art was featured in U.S. Ambassador Kent D. Logsdon’s residence. Those who have been touched by her art, advocacy, boldness, bravery and change can consider themselves fortunate indeed.

Under her mantle of mentorship, Reina has partnered with Civic Club President Contrena Baltimore, and, together, they have hosted numerous events in the Overlook Mansion that have showcased groundbreaking works from artists of color. From the art festival on Memorial Day to Kipona on Labor Day, the Civic Club has incorporated opportunities highlighting an ever-changing group of creatives. Reina ardently shared, “I invite artists of different ethnic backgrounds to showcase the art they love to create. Every piece tells a story of that person’s lineage and experiences.”

Harrisburg Artists of Color

There’s a revolution underway in the city of Harrisburg with an ever-growing group of artists of color coming to the forefront of the local scene. The groundwork for this was laid over two years ago when Nyeusi opened its doors, bringing an art gallery to the city dedicated to Black art and art of the Caribbean. Michelle Green pioneered the gallery in its first year with creative endeavors such as student art shows, chess classes for youth and guest artists stopping by for solo shows. Now, Michelle is taking a new direction in a one-woman Hollywood-via-Harrisburg film career as screenwriter, producer, director and editor. Abstract expressionist painter Steve Barber managed the gallery for its last year in operation, incorporating 3rd in The Burg events featuring jazz impresarios, adding another layer of culture to the mix. Steve progressed to opening his own studio and, today, you can find him happily entrenched at Millworks studio 213.

Timing is everything. Just about the hour Nyeusi was to shutter its doors, Julia Mallory opened her TenOh!Six Studio and Gallery to showcase her multi-pronged artistic arsenal of talent. Artist, author and acrobat, Julia balances motherhood and much more with the ease of an aerialist on the flying trapeze. Pen a series of “Black Mermaids” books, no problem…illustrate a cover for TheBurg, that’s a snap…open a studio and gallery, done in the blink of the eye. For 2025, Julia is releasing a stellar series of paintings inspired by the novel, “The Song of Solomon.” Today, there is representation in brick-and-mortar form for artists of color in Harrisburg’s Midtown district, thanks to her commitment and vision. TenOh!Six will continue to carry the torch, unifying artists of color throughout the city.

If there is a “King” in this kingdom of art by the sea (Susquehanna River), it would be Bryan “King Prolifik” Hickman. A muralist and painter, he sets the stage for live performances that include fire in his astounding creations. The magician artist shared, “Beyond the dramatic, the fire actually dries the paint, providing a visual factor to my art.” In a class by itself, the monumental mural of the “Tuskegee Airmen,” found at 6th and Maclay streets, has become the landmark calling card of the outstanding Coda Rouge restaurant. Even kings need to regroup and reevaluate life periodically to gain a clearer perspective. By the artist’s own admission, last year had its share of challenges. He recently revealed, “A period of healing informs my new ‘Indulge’ collection, serving as a self-reminder of preserved stability through a period of hardship. It takes patience, forgiveness and mindfulness to begin making sense of chaos and understanding your place within it.”

Photographers today are “the moment-in-time historians” and have been since the mid-19th century. In a split second, an image becomes embedded in our collective conscience, placing it forever in our memory banks. A trio of aperture artists come into focus throughout the city. If Harrisburg has the equivalent of a high-in-demand paparazzi, it must be photojournalist Leon Laing, a photographer of headline-makers and scene-stealers. Often, his personal photographic preference is for hip-hop hegemony. In 2023, a linear timeline of hip-hop turning 50 made for a powerful presentation in the atrium of WITF. As a board member of Sprocket Mural Works, he is a mover and shaker himself. However, there is much more going on with Leon beyond the lens.

“Artist Reina R76 and I had a conversation about minorities in the local art community,” he said. “Local organizations should continue to promote diversity. Carrie Wissler-Thomas, president of the Art Association of Harrisburg, gave me an opportunity to hold a hip-hop photography exhibit earlier this year. I’m thankful for Carrie because some other organizations were not receptive to my idea. Networking with other Black artists can also help stimulate the community.”

Travel photographer Jemar Sweets calls Millworks, studio 318, home when he is not out on the road doing what he loves to do best. Specializing in cityscapes and architecture, this young artist finds his business name, Lensworthy Imagery, capturing his camera’s focus acutely with arresting visuals filling the frame time and again. Vivid memories of his journeys are available at the studio, divided into two distinct collections—one titled “Print” and the other “Home Decor.”

For pure resonance, there may be no one more skilled than Larry Washington, Jr.—from landscapes to landmarks captured with his Lenzz (half of his Larry Lenzz signature byline). The earnest Mr. Washington is akin to a “storm chaser,” with his timely photographs of events as they unfold and vistas of instantly recognizable locales. His commercial work for businesses is equally stellar and greatly sought after.

The artist Donny Lyons lives by a quote from Celerie Kemble, “There’s a reason we don’t see the world in black and white.” As an acrylic painter, “of abstract portraits and cityscapes, I place a retro spin on the medium.” Donny borrows some old school antics and achieves a new world vision, capturing the monuments memorialized in Midtown, both people and place. What helps to set his brush in motion is the use of raw minerals in the painting process, which creates a dramatic depth of texture to his work.

Mohsen “Mike” Matter is an award-winning Egyptian American fine artist. His reputation as a portraitist is known domestically and internationally. His collection can be viewed at Face to Face Art Gallery with a tag attached, “Art That Heals the Soul.” Matter’s impressionistic style shines through in his murals, adorning restaurants in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Locally, his art has been featured at the Civic Club of Harrisburg and serves as a natural extension of his passion for teaching. The teaching component speaks to Mohsen’s roots and his credentials, as Ph.D. follows his name. He is an Egyptologist and travel consultant as well as an artist of great repute. Being well rounded is at the heart of the “Matter.”

As a polymath of art, Dionn Renee’s perspective as a creative is on a global scale as a traveler who has experienced firsthand the works of the great masters across Europe. An exceptional painter, she has portrayed clients and subjects as varied as President Obama, Chaka Khan, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou and Her Majesty Queen Diambi. Photography and graphic design round out her talents. Dionn revealed, “My skills are constantly developing, my vision is ever evolving, and above all else, I maintain to be different.”

Marion N. Toro may well be known for her voice than for the other artistic gifts she possesses. A Harrisburg personality who operates behind the scenes, Marion achieves great success as the “go-to” for character portrayals and animation and videos, as well as being featured in podcasts. Her recent casting as the voice of Brielle Brooks, the daughter of Blade, in the mobile fitness app, “Marvel MOVE,” brings a level of great success to her resumé. Narrations and e-learning opportunities flood her way just as sure as the Susquehanna flows. Being a voice actress comes with notoriety as an element of mystery allows for surprises along the way, such as Marion’s secret culinary skills in the kitchen.

If paintings flew, then the pop art of Iquan Summers would be floating skyward as his lighthearted approach to life, with all its ups and downs, lifts our cares away. Mr. Summers makes a plausible case for contentment in just being ourselves. Iquan shared, “Being an artist gives me the freedom to express myself fully without feeling the need to be perfect.”

Influencer artist Darius Davis lives on the cutting edge of fashion as his highly charged art is old school Hollywood glamour. Working with pencil and charcoal as an urban abstract painter, he was inspired as a youth by Jean-Michel Basquiat’s dynamic works. He is a hometown provocateur dabbling in videography, pop artistry and painting with potency personified across mediums. Davis has honed his skills to reveal contemporary expression, both dynamic and vibrant.

Kourtney Angelina Thompson and master Leonardo da Vinci share an artistic genre. Both are exceptional “doodlers” of the first order. She may well be a holdover from the hippie generation—a flower child of the 1970s somehow finding herself in 2025. A regular Tik-Tok contributor and Instagram illustrator, Miss Thompson’s art is represented in a trippy, fanciful and fun manner. Pen and ink form her artistic basis with psychedelic colors all adding up to eye-popping adventures that her characters take under her skillful hands.

The preceding 15 artists are creating and writing the next chapter in Black history for Harrisburg as their contributions to the art community will continue to resonate. Eclectic, edifying and energized, they form a group that sets the bar high for the next generation to follow. A societal shift in awareness has empowered them to expand the borders of artistry. Mentorship never ends but is a continuum in making the world more beautiful, one work of art at a time. Mentorship is always a two-way street with proteges and their teachers learning from each other. The true beauty in life is that every culture, ethnicity and belief is part of a microcosm of global reach. It is when diversity expands our collective consciousness that mankind realizes we are one people, and that is art at its finest.

A sincere debt of gratitude to Reina (R76) for her invaluable assistance in coordinating all the artists’ art, bios and input. This article never would have been possible otherwise.

Making Contact

For more information and to reach out to the artists mentioned in this story:

Reina 76 Artist – Reina76Artist.com
Jemar Sweets – lensworthyimagery.com
Larry Washington Jr. – Facebook
Moshen Matter – facetofacegallery.com
Leon Laing – vigoronline.com
Kourtney T. of Rooted HBG – rootedhbg.com
Iquan Summers – @iquansummersofficial
Marion Toro – mariontoro.com
Julia Mallory of TEN Oh Six – tenohsixstudio.com
Donny Lyons – @haveoneonme87
Steve Barber – barberartstudio.com
Michelle Green – @flimzbymichelleg
Dionn Reneé- DionnRenee.com
Darius Davis – @Dariusdavisart
Bryan “King Prolifik” Hickman – prolifikasf.bigcartel.com

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Pennsylvania State of the Union on Latino Health Planned for Feb. 20 in Harrisburg

January 30, 2025 | by George Fernandez

Sponsored Content: Latino Connection, a Color & Culture Catalyst, will host the annual Pennsylvania State of The Union on Latino Health on Thursday, Feb. 20, at the Hilton in Harrisburg. Beginning at 7:30 a.m. and running through 3 p.m., the dynamic agenda will facilitate discussion and education surrounding the most important topics related to Latino Health in the Commonwealth.

This event, originally scheduled to take place in October 2024, was rescheduled due to the hurricane’s impact on travel. It is aimed at professionals in policy, social and human services, healthcare, and human resources, as well as students studying these areas. The goal is to increase awareness and focus on creating intentional, solution-focused discussions around its theme: “Building Bridges: A Reflection on Latino Health Policies and Advocacy.”

The event will host locally and nationally known speakers, including:

Melanie Fontes Rainer, Fmr. Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Gwendolyn B. Zander, Esq. Director, Bureau of Managed Care Operations, PA Department of Human Services
Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake, MGA, FAAN, Independence Blue Cross Foundation
Anthony Wright, Executive Director, Families USA
Hossain Akbar, Secretary of Policy and Planning, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Dr. Jose Serrano, Medical Director & Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, UPMC Hanover
Dr. F. Miguel Fernandez, DO MHS FACOOG, Regional Chief Medical Officer, Aetna Better Health

WGAL 8, the event’s media partner, will emcee this event and bring energy and enthusiasm to the stage while leading the agenda. WGAL 8 is the Susquehanna Valley’s most-watched local news station and is deeply committed to improving health and wellness outcomes for every community in South Central Pennsylvania. With their dedication to covering health issues and providing essential information, WGAL News 8 is pivotal in fostering a healthier and more informed community. Their participation underscores the importance of addressing health disparities in the Latino community.

The event agenda features a blend of large-group and small-group settings, a nationally known keynote speaker, a panel discussion, and intentional time for networking and collaborative connections between attendees and vendors from leading healthcare organizations. Topics will focus on healthcare policy evaluation, creation, impact and more.

Headquartered in Harrisburg, Latino Connection, a subset of its parent company, Color & Culture, is a national leader in community education, health outreach and wellness programming focused on reaching diverse and underserved communities. Through its successful strategic public outreach initiatives, many designed specifically to engage the Latino communities in Pennsylvania, Latino Connection has insightful data and trends to share that will lead the discussion on these priority topics.

“Given the current political and economic climate, there has never been a more necessary time for our community to come together to gain education and awareness about Latino health in Pennsylvania,” says George Fernandez, CEO of Color & Culture. “Every leader needs to be a part of these conversations about the health disparities that exist, especially the ones that are rapidly shifting at an alarming rate.”

Attendees can expect to gain awareness, make connections with key leaders in the sectors of health, government and business, and be welcomed into a dynamic discussion about solutions to address health disparities in our Latino communities.

Everyone is welcome to attend. This is a ticketed event and registration is required. For more information about the State of the Union on Latino Health event, click here.

Color & Culture is a Community Publisher

Family & Fascism: “I’m Still Here” explores ordinary lives in turbulent times.

January 30, 2025 | by Gabriel Brown

Scene from “I’m Still Here.” Photo by Sony Classics.

In the real-life story of “I’m Still Here,” Eunice Paiva must find a new way to live after her family is separated during the Brazilian dictatorship in the 1970s.

For Walter Salles, directing joy onscreen flows so naturally it’s almost documentary-like. “I’m Still Here,” the latest film from the Brazilian maestro, opens idyllically, a family day on the beach in 1970 Rio de Janeiro—volleyball, family photos with an adopted dog, lit cigarettes, noses in books under faded umbrellas, teenagers using cola as suntan lotion, and the whir of an 8-millimeter camera. Joy is textural here: immediate. But there are trucks in the streets full of soldiers, and the country is under the fascist rule of military dictatorship.

“I’m Still Here” follows the real-life journey of Eunice Paiva, played with delicacy and quiet power in an absolute must-see performance by Fernanda Torres. When her husband is taken in for questioning for suspected insurgent activity and never returns, Paiva must figure out how to make do as a wife to a missing husband, a single mother to their five children—not all of whom are old enough to understand what’s going on—and a living, breathing human being, for her own sake and the sake of everyone around her.

The history of the dictatorship in Brazil may not be common knowledge to every American viewer, but it’s a familiar story, echoing patterns of fascist rule that litter the 20th century. Anyone suspected of communism or anti-regime ideology is marked a terrorist.

But while the story may feel familiar, what feels so admirable and necessary about this film is its perspective. This is not a film about survival in the face of fascism. It’s a film about living in the midst of it, and it’s universal and human in its depiction of a rich, true and personal life.

Twenty-five years ago, Fernanda Montenegro became Brazil’s first nominee at the Golden Globes for her performance in Salles’ “Central Station.” Today, with her win at the Golden Globes for “Best Actress in a Drama,” her daughter, Fernanda Torres, is the first Brazilian winner of a Golden Globe Award, for Salles’ “I’m Still Here.” And the full-circle moment couldn’t be more deserved. Torres is pitch-perfect, elevated and centered by a superb supporting cast and tactful direction from Salles—and the throughline is joy.

The image I’m left resonating with after “I’m Still Here” is the Paiva family, bent and torn by circumstance and torture, posing for a family photo year after year.

“No need to smile,” says the photographer. “You know, less happy.”

“He wants us sad,” says Eunice, laughing with her children. “We’ll smile.”

“I’m Still Here” opens at Midtown Cinema in February.

Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

February Events
At Midtown Cinema

Potential First Run Releases
“The Seed of the Sacred”
“I’m Still Here”
“Oscar Shorts 2025”
“Becoming Led Zeppelin”
“Armand”
“Parthenope”

Open Mic Night
Tuesdays, Feb. 4 & 18 at 7 p.m.

Trivia Night
Tuesdays, Feb. 11 & 25 at 7 p.m.

National Theatre Live
“The Motive and the Cue”
Sunday, Feb. 2 at 5 p.m.

“Prima Facie”
Sunday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m.

“Fleabag”
Sunday, Feb. 16 at 5 p.m.

“The Importance of Being Earnest”
Sunday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m.

Late Night Frights
“Suspiria” (1977)
Friday, Feb. 7 at 9:30 p.m.

“It Follows” (2014)
Friday, Feb. 14 at 9:30 p.m.

Sunday Docs Series
“13th” (2016)
Sunday, Feb. 9 at 12 p.m.

Funny Flix Series
“Galaxy Quest” (1999)
Sunday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m.

3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“The Matrix” (1999)
Friday, Feb. 21 at 9:30 p.m.

Down in Front! Comedy Riffing
“The Touch of Satan” (1971)
Friday, Feb. 28 at 9:30 p.m.

February Publisher’s Note

January 30, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

Over the recent holidays, I did some traveling.

First, I flew to Florida to spend Christmas with my sister. A few days after, I packed my bags again and headed to Washington, D.C., for New Year’s Eve.

Each time, I brought along recent copies of TheBurg, as I often do when I visit friends and family. They say they like to see what I’m up to, and I choose to believe them.

On both trips, I met a few people who were looking to relocate. So, naturally, I shoved a magazine in their faces.

“Move here,” I told them, showing off our November and December issues.

They had never considered moving to the Harrisburg area, and, in fact, knew nothing about it. This came as no surprise to me as, two decades ago, when I was weighing a move, Harrisburg was not on my short list either.

They were intrigued.

Flipping through TheBurg, they liked our stories on local businesses, the arts, events, and the whole community vibe. They all remarked on our listing of recent home sales, specifically the prices, which are far lower than where they live now.

“These aren’t real, right?” one person asked me.

I assured him that the prices were real indeed and even fired up my Realtor.com app to prove it.

In the end, I don’t know if I convinced anyone to move here, but at least the area now is on their radar. I told them to stay in touch and, if they came for a visit, I’d be happy to show them around.

This anecdote will serve as the welcome mat for our February issue, which, as always, has a focus on our area’s Black history and culture. We invite you to enjoy all our content as we continue to celebrate this community in all its diversity, variety and complexity.

Lawrance Binda
Publisher/Editor

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Park Place: Harrisburg has some magnificent parks. Could they be even better?

January 30, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

About 20 years ago, I first laid eyes on Harrisburg, driving from Washington, D.C., over the South Bridge and into the city.

Taking in the long strip of green of Riverfront Park, my first impression was, in a word, “Wow.”

“D.C. would kill for this riverfront,” I told a friend at the time.

Washington, of course, was built along its own magnificent river (actually, two), but access long has been difficult, cut off by roads, development and bridge ramps. Contrast that with Harrisburg, where the magnificent Susquehanna is framed by over four miles of nearly uninterrupted parkland.

So, after I moved here, I became a heavy user of Harrisburg’s parks.

On any given day, you might find me running along the river, taking in a ballgame or just out for a stroll. Count me in for every waterfront festival and outdoor concert.

Seriously, we’re so lucky. Harrisburg is a small, densely built city but has a bounty of lovely green spaces, thanks to the visionaries who brought us the City Beautiful movement, the Capital Area Greenbelt, Peace Park and others.

So, I was delighted to see a survey, “Shape the Future of Harrisburg Parks,” conducted recently by the city’s Parks & Rec Department. Residents were asked to vote for their favorite park and then list the types of improvements they’d like to see, therefore helping the department “prioritize their work.”

Will anything firm come from the survey? I don’t know, but I eagerly shared my thoughts on Harrisburg’s parks, which I’ll also do here.

The survey takes a broad definition of “park,” listing 26 different recreational spaces, including playgrounds, a basketball court and a pool. I can’t address them all, so I’ll stick to a few that I know best.

I’ll start with the park that drew me to Harrisburg, today located just two blocks from my house: Riverfront Park.

There’s so much good about Riverfront Park that I’m almost reluctant to be critical. The city, though, specifically asked about “improvements,” so here it goes.

At times, Riverfront Park can appear unkempt. Not always, mind you. Mowing is done regularly, but the park does have a continual problem with litter, graffiti and weeds.

For instance, on recent walks, I’ve seen several large bags of garbage tossed onto the hillside, and the area around the Taylor Bridge has looked especially trashy. In the summertime, giant knotweed takes over large parts of the slope, and the river steps become marred with unsightly weeds.

Up above the walk, the grounds are generally kept in good shape, with the clear exception of the area outside the Civic Club, which is a field of hard, dusty dirt when it’s dry, a muddy mess when it’s wet and deeply pitted with tire tracks all the time.

The good news is that these problems are easily fixed.

With more persistent upkeep, the trash and weeds could be eradicated, and the city should ensure that private vehicles do not park in the park. On the upside, I recently was glad to see the many layers of graffiti painted over on the concrete abutment to Kunkel Plaza. Keeping that wall graffiti-free will require vigilance—at least once-a-month checks—as it seems to be an irresistible target for spray painters.

The terrible physical condition of the river steps is a much bigger—and far more expensive—problem. In places, the steps are so neglected and decayed that they will have to be rebuilt. The city should begin planning now for this, as it likely will take years to finance and finish.

Speaking of long-term plans—City Island sure could use one. Back in the 1980s, the city redesigned the circular park with a sort of campy western theme, which has not aged well. A new plan is needed, one focused on bringing more people to this underused gem.

There’s some low-hanging fruit—how about reopening the arcade, which has been shuttered for years? And whatever happened to rebuilding the batting cages? Meanwhile, both the barn and the pavilion are large, dormant buildings that could be repurposed for—a brewery, a restaurant, art space, etc. The city could and should offer incentives to make this happen. Also, Harrisburg needs a dog park after losing its only one a few years back. What about the old paddock area, a grassy expanse near the carousel?

I also urge the city to ban vehicles from the loop. On nice days, cars, trucks and SUVs—many of the drivers just out cruising—crowd the narrow path alongside children running, babies in strollers, joggers, bicyclists, skateboarders, walkers, wheelchair users, dogs, etc. This is clearly unsafe, a disaster waiting to happen. Vehicles should be left in the vast parking area, just a short stroll away, with the island reserved for people, fun and recreation.

Up on Allison Hill, Reservoir Park doesn’t need a master plan—it already has one. In June 2023, the first phase, the Chutes & Ladders Playground, opened to great acclaim. However, that didn’t solve the 87-acre park’s No. 1 issue—underutilization. The 2017 master plan contains many other ideas, most unimplemented, that offers a wealth of possibilities to improve the park and increase usage.

There are many other parks and many other problems. Can anything be done about the carpet of goose poop in Italian Lake Park? Will the Capital Area Greenbelt ever be able to reconnect its path in south Harrisburg? If you have ideas, the city is waiting to hear from you.

Back in 2018, National Geographic named Harrisburg one of America’s “top 10” greenest cities. The city’s parks take much of the credit for this honor. They are an amazing asset, one that attracted me here and, without doubt, one that will continue drawing people to Harrisburg. Kudos to the parks department for wanting to make them even better.

Lawrance Binda is publisher and editor of TheBurg.

You can share your thoughts online here or in person on March 1 at the city’s Ice & Fire Festival, where the Parks & Recreation Department is slated to have a booth.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

February News Digest

January 30, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Budget Changes Vetoed

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams has reversed many of City Council’s changes to the city’s 2025 budget, amendments that she said were “targeting the administration.”

In late December, Williams announced that she had vetoed most of council’s budget amendments, most of which would have eliminated or lowered raises for employees.

“These vetoes are not decisions I made lightly,” Williams said. “They are rooted in the principles of operational efficiency, sound policy and fairness to the hardworking individuals who serve our city every day. Unfortunately, the amendments made by City Council fail to uphold these principles and I cannot in good judgment allow them to stand that way.”

According to city Communications Director Mischelle Moyer, Williams signed off on much of the $142 million budget, but line-item vetoed most of the amendments that council had approved, following extensive budget hearings.

Williams said that the amendments council made “undermine the values and the functionality of our city government.”

The amendments council had made included denying raises to several positions in the office of the mayor, saying that responsibilities didn’t justify raises. They also eliminated a raise for the deputy director of treasury, expressing frustration that the office hours were limited.

Williams vetoed both of those changes, restoring previously proposed raises.

Additionally, council had made changes that lowered numerous other proposed raises for city employees. They also eliminated about 10% of the salary for the interim director of building and housing development, the portion that is funded by the city, the rest of which is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Council also cut all funding for the director of community relations and engagement position in the police bureau, saying the position had been vacant and was not needed.

Williams also vetoed those changes.

“Denying them fair and measured raises, especially during a time of inflation, sends a demoralizing message to the public servants who dedicate their careers to this city,” Williams said.

Lastly, Williams vetoed a budget amendment made by council to allocate $10,000 to fund the hiring of two part-time advisors to council’s youth commission. Williams said that she believed that was a misallocation of city funds that could be used elsewhere.

Council President Danielle Bowers issued a statement shortly after that opposed Williams’ vetoes and re-enforced council rationale for amendments.

“You have no interest in working together with Harrisburg City Council,” Bowers said in the statement, addressing Williams. “If you were interested, you would understand our rationale behind the thoughtful amendments that were voted on to amend Bill 7-2024, the ‘2025 Annual Budget for the City of Harrisburg.’”

Downtown Project Approved

An office-to-residential conversion in downtown Harrisburg can proceed, following a final city approval.

Last month, City Council approved the land development plan for Front Street Lofts, an eight-unit apartment project at 315 N. Front St., a circa-1850 building that long housed a law firm.

The project calls for six one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units. According to developer Vernon Jones, six of the units would be market-rate and two would be deemed affordable.

The project also includes 10 parking spaces—four on site and six more off site, which would be leased.

Home Sales, Prices Rise

Harrisburg-area home sales and prices both climbed higher in December, according to the latest report on previously owned houses.

For the three-county area, 560 houses sold compared to 492 in December 2023, while the median sales price rose to $280,000 from $259,275, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 257 homes sold in December versus 245 in the year-ago period, as the median price increased to $254,900 from $243,500, GHAR said.

Cumberland County tallied 263 sales, a jump from 210 the previous December, while the median sales price rose to $310,000 from $284,950, GHAR stated.

In Perry County, 43 houses sold compared to 30 in December 2023, as the median price rose to $255,000 from $220,000, according to GHAR.

Despite the increases, the pace of sales slowed in December, as the “average days on market” increased to 29 days versus 23 days a year ago, according to the report.

So Noted

Angela Moyer and Matthew Healey last month were named as partners of RSR Realtors, a Lemoyne-based real estate brokerage. Moyer has been with RSR since 2006 and Healey since 2012, according to the company.

Elementary Coffee Co. plans to return to the Broad Street Market, 1½ years after being displaced by a devastating fire. The company expects to open a stand this spring in the stone building, reviving their second Harrisburg location, in addition to their North Street shop.

Harrisburg last month was named the top market in the nation for first-time homebuyers for 2025, according to a new report from Realtor.com, the website of the National Association of Realtors. In ranking first nationally, Harrisburg was cited for its affordable sales listings, short commute times, strong local economy and abundant amenities.

Honey Bear Ice Cream has debuted its first scoop shop inside the Broad Street Market. Honey Bear serves dairy-free, gluten-free scoops and treats from a newly built stand within the market’s stone building.

William M. Reed last month was named the new board chair for Veteran’s Outreach of Pennsylvania, replacing co-founder Tom Zimmerman, who will remain active, according to the organization. The locally run nonprofit operates the tiny home village located by the PennDOT building in south Harrisburg.

Changing Hands

Benton St., 626: W. Stoddart to AJ Fine Properties LLC, $80,000

Berryhill St., 2130: V. Griffin to Seimos Collective LLC, $78,000

Boas St., 229: JVC Investments LLC to V. Kaldawi, $180,000

Briggs St., 259, 261, 263, 265: R. E. & M. Kane to SJL Rentals LLC, $246,000

Camp St., 548: M. Baltozer to A. McCain, $50,000

Capital St., 1228: M. Whipple to K. Landers, $185,000

Chestnut St., 1919: C. & I. Ridgeway to K. Brown, $60,000

Crescent St., 253: I. Colon to S. Atelefack, $75,000

Crescent St., 304: J. & D. Negron to R. Hernandez & A. Soberanis, $50,000

Crescent St., 327: D. & G. Tuzzato to M. & K. Gonzalez, $70,000

Croyden Rd., 2975: B. Pierce to J. Lewis, $160,000

Derry St., 1433: Aum Investments LP to F. Ashenafi, $110,000

Duke St., 2450: K. Nguyen to T. Tran & T. Vu, $86,500

Forster St., 1936: M. Ricci to Dreamland Properties Associates LLC, $74,000

Green St., 914: C. Williams to KC Corner, $250,000

Green St., 1516: W. & T. Williams to J. Evans, $250,000

Green St., 3218: J. & K. Faust to C. Matthews, $200,000

Herr St., 419: G. Grasty to E. Wickens, $264,900

Holly St., 1850: Cas Management LLC to M. Lara, $175,000

Holly St., 1901: T Wy Enterprise LLC to A. Mercedes, $155,000

Hunter St., 1623: RC Realty & Investments LLC to M3 6 Realty LLC, $52,000

Kelker St., 217, L2: T. Smith to DJSV LLC, $190,000

Kent Lane, 199: S. & J. Fanus to CG Painting LLC, $150,380

Lexington St., 2602: G. Neff to MAT Holdings LLC, $110,000

Locust St., 122: Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Inc. to V. Nesbitt, $245,000

Logan St., 2222: L. Murrell to Turner Associates Inc., $124,000

Logan St., 2350: Y. Griffiths to First Choice Home Buyers LLC, $75,000

Market St., 1650: A. Sinchi to F. Vasquez, A. Guillermo & B. Tello, $125,000

Meadowlark Pl., 3008: J. Selvey to J. Spangler, $140,000

Miller St., 1716: RC Realty & Investments LLC to M3 6 Realty LLC, $52,000

Miller St., 1718: RC Realty & Investments LLC to M3 6 Realty LLC, $52,000

Muench St., 227: A. Schwarzl & N. Foote to J. Barnett, $181,000

North St., 1720: S. Warfel to M. Lara, $150,000

North St., 1945: RC Realty & Investments LLC to M3 6 Realty LLC, $52,000

N. 2nd St., 1726: J. & K. Morgret to SJL Rentals LLC, $255,000

N. 2nd St., 2841: M. Barrett Market Street LLC to W. McClendon, $665,000

N. 2nd St., 3126: F. Szlamowitz to S. Updike & M. Muniz, $152,000

N. 3rd St., 1827: T. Perla to N. & S. Ruhland, $307,000

N. 3rd St., 2201 & 2205: 22015N3HBG LLC to FMDRE12 LLC, $525,000

N. 3rd St., 2534: 2534 RNR Properties LLC to H. & J. Nguyen, $215,000

N. 4th St., 2436: Normans Realty Services Inc. to C. Done, $148,500

N. 5th St., 1948: B. & K. Feidt to S. Ruiz, $125,000

N. 5th St., 2443: Santander Bank NA to G. Astree, $95,000

N. 5th St., 3135: Turner Associates Inc. to G&W Rentals LLC, $145,000

N. 6th St., 1001: EJM Investments LLC to MYE Harrisburg Owner LLC & 53BCD LLC, $6,775,000

N. 6th St., 1612: Timely Investments LLC to Diverse Investment Group LLC, $140,000

N. 6th St., 2122: C. James to G. Astree & M. Oxceva, $95,000

N. 6th St., 2346: M. McCullough to A. Comas, $130,000

N. 6th St., 2600: K. Evans to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $135,000

N. 6th St., 2705: R. Noss to Turner Associates Inc., $119,900

N. 7th St., 945: Capitol Commercial Corporation to AB3 Buyers LLC, $74,091

N. 7th St., 1827: D&F Realty Holdings LP to Raziel Properties LLC, $130,000

N. 12th St., 47: Wright Restoration Properties LLC to 27 N 12th St LLC, $100,000

N. 17th St., 701: PI Capitol LLC to YR Holdings LLC, $112,000

N. 17th St., 1011: J. Mosley to L. Richelieu & D. St. Cilien, $123,800

N. 20th St., 20: DKH Homes LLC to Rimax Investment Properties LLC, $109,000

N. 20th St., 22: DKH Homes LLC to Rimax Investment Properties LLC, $109,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 303: R. & S. Cuyjet to T. Smith, $177,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 609: D. Lucas & S. Stinson to A. Caro & C. Cruz, $225,000

N. Linden St., 29: E. Jones to Biyaki Enterprises LLC, $104,900

Park St., 1625: RC Realty & Investments LLC to M3 6 Realty LLC, $52,000

Park St., 1632: RC Realty & Investments LLC to M3 6 Realty LLC, $52,000

Park St., 1633: RC Realty & Investments LLC to M3 6 Realty LLC, $52,000

Park St., 1854: B. Debeljak to ADR Properties LLC, $95,000

Park St., 1915: T. Sangrey & A. Nurkisheva to A Ventura Construction LLC, $94,000

Penn St., 2144: E. Jameson to T. Walker, $211,000

Penn St., 2312: Sunnyside RE Enterprise LLC to E. & N. Stoltzfus, $195,000

Pine St., 215: 215 Pine St. LLC & Pine St Properties LLC to East to West Properties LLC, $650,000

Race St., 608: M. Parsley to L. Stiffler, $228,000

Regina St., 1839: D&F Realty Holdings LP to R. De Florentino, M. De Lourdes & M. Diaz, $170,000

Revere St., 1622: Harrisburg Homes Investment LLC to K. & A. Atayee, $166,500

Royal Terr., 109: M. Pichardo to E Camones, $50,000

Rudy Rd., 2406: J. Cruz & C. Proctor to S. Schadle & S. Pacetti, $330,000

Sassafras St., 203: J. Feaster to H. Holmes, $133,000

S. 13th St., 1510: W. Powell to C. & W. Barnes, $105,000

S. 15th St., 15: J. Gonzalez to Padmini Estate LLC, $185,000

S. 15th St., 225: ANNN Investment LLC to Bah Equities LLC, $85,000

S. 15th St., 554: N&R Group LLC to Captain Cutinos Garages LLC, $70,000

S. 16th St., 525: RC Realty & Investments LLC to M3 6 Realty LLC, $52,000

S. 16th St., 529: K. Gray & J. Hiepler to Stein Equities LLC, $82,000

S. 18th St., 159: Val de Vie Estate Investment LLC to C. & J. Berlus, $175,000

S. 20th St., 209: J. & B. Readinger to G. Amador, $120,000

S. 20th St., 225: Lone Pine Real Estate LLC to Y. Garcia, $154,900

S. 21st St., 1000: Golden Brick Road LLC to 1000 S 21st LLC, $1,650,000

S. 26th St., 612: R. Brown to I. Myron, $84,000

S. Front St., 631: Shelan 2011 Family Trust to D. Valdes & G. Luna, $280,000

State St., 132: Cowden & Strokoff to M. Kenz, $370,000

State St., 1340: Kermon Home Solutions LLC to G. Rivette, $185,000

State St., 1410: SNB Real Estate Solutions LLC to Z. Mammadov, $185,000

Susquehanna St., 2114: R. & G. Kessler to MAT Holdings LLC, $80,250

Swatara St., 2243: D. Williams to M. & M. Kamel, $140,000

Verbeke St., 204 & 206: 204 Verbeke Lodging LLC to Burke Shade LLC, $320,000

Verbeke St., 214: Shelan 2011 Family Trust to D. Dhimal, $285,000

Woodbine St., 340: Normans Realty Services Inc. to Mau Properties LLC, $85,000

Woodbine St., 504: L. Yoder to 10 N Progress Avenue LLC, $100,000

Harrisburg property sales, December 2024, greater than $50,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Safe and Sound: Thrive Housing Services offers support for homeless young adults and youth, continues to grow

January 30, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Dee Allen

Dee Allen knows the pain of growing up with the realities of domestic violence and housing instability.

As a child, she, her mother and siblings faced homelessness, needing to live with her grandmother. However, she felt lucky to have that familial support, as she knows many young people in similar situations do not.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that my grandmom helped us, we would’ve been in a really bad position,” she said. “I think kids should have the opportunity to find a place and a space where they can enjoy being a kid.”

That’s why Allen founded Thrive Housing Services in 2014, to fill a gap that she saw in services for Dauphin County youth. Over the past decade, Thrive has provided housing for young adults who have experienced homelessness, whether that’s due to challenging or unsafe family dynamics, aging out of foster care, single parenthood or not being able to afford rent.

Recently, Thrive has begun expanding as the organization has opened a new affordable housing apartment building for 18-to-24-year-olds in Allison Hill and has plans to serve even younger clients at a new group home on Front Street in Harrisburg.

The growth comes at a time when Allen said that demand for services has reached a peak. Last year, Thrive had over 200 referrals to its program. Five years ago, that number would’ve been closer to 70, Allen said.

She sees inflation and high rent rates as contributing factors in the increase in young adult homelessness. In Dauphin County, thousands of youth experience homelessness, Allen said.

Often, young adults who end up at Thrive have dealt with housing instability for a good part of their lives, many having fallen through the cracks and, for one reason or another, haven’t received much support from local agencies.

“They are in this survival mode where they feel like every meal is their last meal,” Allen said. “They don’t get to enjoy the things that other kids with stable homes would be able to enjoy.”

Positive Future

This is where Thrive steps in, providing transitional and permanent housing for young adults, as well as offering case management, education and other supports.

Often, Thrive serves as an advocate and go-between for young adults and landlords and agencies, helping place them in apartments. Thrive assists clients in getting financial support to help pay rent, as well as offering job training and mentorship. In total, the organization has around 80 units for youth and families, a combination of apartments offered in partnership with landlords and Thrive-owned units. Some clients stay in Thrive housing for only a few months; others live in the housing for years, depending on their needs.

“This program, although it’s not perfect, provides stability and provides a safe environment for youth and young adults that are in this community,” she said.

Allen has seen the impact of stable housing on so many of the young people who have come through Thrive. One LGBTQ youth was kicked out of his home by his parents, came to Thrive and later moved out after being accepted into college. Another high school girl had been homeless for several years, was failing classes at school and was working a job at night. Once Thrive supplied housing, her grades improved, she graduated and was promoted to a manager position at a restaurant.

“All of the stories don’t turn out like that, but the ones that do, it’s cool to see,” Allen said.

Harrisburg resident Brenda Sandoval began volunteering with Thrive several months ago, inspired by their mission. She helps organize donations in Thrive’s warehouse and translates for Spanish-speaking clients, among other tasks.

“I find it so amazing, everything they do for the kids,” she said. “I really like being able to help them. They’re our future, these kids.”

In November, Allen and Thrive supporters cut the ribbon on the nonprofit’s first building that it owns completely. The building, on S. 13th Street, offers 16 furnished units for individuals and single parents.

At the event, a 19-year-old Thrive resident, Bianca, shared that, before coming to Thrive, she and her 1-year-old daughter were homeless. Thrive, she said, “welcomed me like family.”

Allen also shared plans for a group home for teenagers, ages 12 to 17, that Thrive aims to open in Harrisburg in the spring, saying that it would be the first of its kind in the county. It’s important to Allen to give kids the chance to remain in their community, rather than uprooting them for an out-of-county program.

Beyond those two projects, Allen has even more growth in mind because she knows how many young people are in need.

“I just feel like every kid deserves a chance to have a stable home,” she said. “So, if I can provide that opportunity, no matter how many successful stories you have, just the ability to provide that keeps me going.”

For more information on Thrive Housing Services, visit www.thrivehousingservices.org.

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New Chapter: Palmyra turns the page with Book Bar

January 30, 2025 | by Rachel Curry

Brittany Haynes

Walk past the charming signs outside of Palmyra’s The Nerd Place and The Oldies Laundromat, and you’ll find a newer sign that reads Book Bar.

The bookstore-café is a recent venture by local Brittany Haynes, who opened it in late October, taking over the space from the former K&G Hardware.

Step inside the space, and remnants of the hardware store remain, though disguised. The same pegboard is on the wall, painted a dark, moody green to evoke the “dark academia” vibe that Haynes was going for. Surrounded by antique furniture, a fireplace and a cherry wood bar, it’s easy to see that Haynes achieved her aesthetic goal.

Beyond just surface level, Book Bar offers the community a third space, or a place to go outside of home and work or school.

“I’m really glad to be a meeting place for people to come and share ideas and talk about books,” Haynes said.

Haynes formerly worked for the academic publishing industry, making her way here from her home state of Missouri through a circuitous route that included Spain and Ohio. Her husband Nicholas Frank, Spanish teacher for Hershey High School, came with her on the journey.

“He’s always wanted to be a teacher, and now I’m following this dream,” Haynes said.

The two, it seems, have found their callings. Frank even helps out behind the café bar on the weekends, getting to see his students and their families outside of the school atmosphere.

With a bar that offers coffee and mocktails, plus treats from Quentin Confections, Haynes’ two-part establishment is more than just a place to buy books. It’s a place to gather through groups like Kids’ Hot Cocoa Story Time or Recommendations Book Club, the latter of which is a book club where you give and get recommendations (and it doesn’t require any advance reading).

Since the opening, Haynes feels like her shop fits right in.

“People are excited,” she said. “They want something local, and I can tell they want to support independent stores, us and others. I get that probably once a day so far.”

To prove her point, a woman knocked on the door during our interview, when the shop was closed, to donate a barely used book for Haynes’ high-quality used book section.

“I love to support people who are trying to do good,” the woman said on her way out.

“We do take limited donations,” Haynes explained. “I hope to do some kind of program at some point, maybe giving a discount.”

She is picky, though, to make sure used books are in good condition, without water damage or other faults that could jeopardize her existing inventory with mold or bugs.

At large, Haynes’ new book collection is primarily fiction with a smattering of nonfiction. Fiction is her bread and butter, her two favorite books being “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen. Her favorite part of the job is recommending books to others based on their reading preferences.

“I can jump out from behind the counter and be like, ‘Let me give you a couple,’” she said.

Haynes did just this for me, asking me my favorite genres or authors. Among other writers, I noted a soft spot for Kristin Hannah. Then she asked if I’m more of an adventure or romance person. “Adventure,” I responded. I ended up with recommendations like “If The Tide Turns” by Rachel Rueckert, “Saving Krakow” by K R Kiehl and “The Warm Hands of Ghosts” by Katherine Arden.

With a collection of titles on the smaller side (at least compared to larger bookstores), Haynes is still building up her inventory, but the books are adeptly hand-curated based on her own experience as a reader and general book lover. Popular titles like “James” by Percival Everett and “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians,” a nonfiction title from James Patterson, are available, along with titles from both renowned and up-and-coming local authors like Lucy Score and K. Iwancio.

All of the titles sit on sustainably secondhand bookshelves that came from Cupboard Maker Books of Enola. This is a solid example of the supportive community among booksellers in the area and beyond. When planning her business, Haynes shadowed bookstore owners around the country and touched base with local owners, joining a community that helps each other out.

The number of independent bookstores doubled from 2016–2023, bucking the force of big-time institutions like Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Haynes is just one of many people deepening the plot for the industry and local communities. Still, for Palmyra, Book Bar is special, and Haynes feels the love.

“We moved here just a few months before the pandemic. We were fresh out of our grad program, and we didn’t know anyone,” she said. “We had no money. We were a little forlorn, because everything closed down.”

With those days behind her and a third space for the community up and running, she couldn’t be more satisfied with the denouement.

Book Bar is located at 50 N. Railroad St., Suite 1, Palmyra. For more information, visit www.bookbarus.com or @BookBarUS on Facebook and Instagram.

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A Better World: Harrisburg’s W. Justin Carter spent a lifetime fighting racial injustice

January 30, 2025 | by M. Diane McCormick

W. Justin Carter. Photo courtesy of Patricia Howard-Chittams.

On a sunny September day in 1897, Harrisburg’s African American leaders led a crowd to a forested spot north of Harrisburg to dedicate two headstones.

One stone memorialized a beloved fugitive slave who built a cabin there. The other capped the grave of an unknown fugitive who took his own life there as his enslaver’s slave catchers neared.

One speaker, W. Justin Carter, focused on the theme of his life’s work—the oppression of the powerful that would, ultimately, yield to the defiance of those leading a “barren life.”

“It is the scorn of sacrilege that has destroyed despotic thrones, encompassed the fall of tyrannic princes, created states and through the countless aggression of power, preserved the privilege of the weak from the rapacities of the strong,” Carter orated.

This is Harrisburg’s W. Justin Carter. Respected but quietly excluded African American attorney. Early leader of the NAACP and fighter against injustice. Secretary to the lieutenant governor and reformer of workers’ compensation. Presidential appointee to the 1911 Universal Races Congress in London.

Even near his death in 1947 at age 80, the indefatigable Carter chaired a rally demanding that the Pennsylvania governor open the Pennsylvania National Guard to Black soldiers.

“His legacy is showing the possibilities that existed in this world in which there didn’t seem to be a lot of possibility,” said Kenneth Mack, Harrisburg native and Harvard University School of Law professor who has researched Carter’s life. “He clearly, from the moment he showed up in Harrisburg, wanted to inspire Black people and wanted to inspire white people to believe that change was possible and that we could be in a better world.”

Starting a Practice

William Justin Carter was born in 1866 in Richmond, Va., to formerly enslaved parents. He graduated from Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute but, after starting in the prestigious profession of education, switched careers and graduated from Howard University School of Law.

In those days, Southern courtroom etiquette still recognized Black attorneys as “esteemed colleagues,” but the growing clamor by whites to codify the Black race as inferior—somewhat silenced during Carter’s Reconstruction-era childhood—was worming back into society and courthouses, Mack said.

That could explain Carter’s decampment to Harrisburg in 1892. Or maybe someone told him that he could make a living in town. Whatever the reason, he set up practice as the city’s second Black lawyer.

Carter found a more level playing field in Harrisburg—to an extent. In 1904, the Dauphin County Bar Association took a secret membership vote via balls dropped in a box: white for yes, black for no. The five black balls needed to reject Carter’s application, no reason necessary, carried the day.

It took 98 years, after member Francis B. Haas uncovered the incident, for the bar association to reverse the only rejection without cause in its history. The posthumous membership, correcting an “egregious mistake,” attracted national attention.

Here was a man who spoke up in 1922 for a congressional anti-lynching bill, declaring that the nation “has no right to protest against the atrocities committed against other races in foreign countries so long as lynching is permitted within the borders of the United States.”

That courage impressed Patricia Howard-Chittams of Washington, D.C., when she stumbled across her accomplished great-grandfather in “Who’s Who in Black America.”

“He was a civil rights advocate when it wasn’t sexy, when you had very real consequences of not following the status quo, unlike a lot of social-justice warriors today who can stand in front of a video and say whatever they feel without fear of repercussion,” said Howard-Chittams, a nurse practitioner and member of the District of Columbia Board of Nursing. “What he was doing at the turn of the 20th century, it could cost you your life.”

The Fighter

In photos, Carter’s demeanor says “professional,” but in news stories, he gets scrappy. Even with a schedule loaded with orations and travel, he remained a working attorney, taking on the hard, attention-grabbing cases.

He sought new trials for aldermen convicted of conspiracy. Managed to “win” a second-degree murder conviction, as opposed to first-degree, for a Black man charged with shooting a white police officer. Won acquittal of a young girl charged with poisoning her baby. Received a bouquet of flowers from a jury impressed with his successful defense of an Italian man accused of murder.

“He must have been a person with a lot of grit,” Mack said. “You’ve got to be really scrappy and enterprising and self-confident.”

Carter was no fan of saloons, but it didn’t stop him from representing a hotelier, evicted from Harrisburg’s demolished 8th Ward, seeking a liquor license for a new hotel and bar.

“The law has sanctioned this business,” Carter told the judge, “and this client asks his rights under its provisions.”

That establishment would serve Blacks and whites together, relieving Black patrons from closed doors at hotels and the vile, cologne-based concoction of “jigger whiskey” they were usually served in bars. In a contentious hearing, Carter challenged an opponent to defend why, if whites could have their million-dollar Penn-Harris Hotel planned for downtown Harrisburg, “the colored people (shouldn’t) have one costing $3,000.”

Carter’s civil-rights advocacy didn’t pull punches while managing to frame messages in terms that white Americans would understand. Speaking on “The Duty and Responsibility of the Anglo-Saxon Idea of Citizenship” to the white Eureka Literary Society in Penbrook, Carter lauded the Anglo-Saxons’ thousand-year stewardship of freedom and its ideals.

But he didn’t stop there.

“No race has been so domineering, none stronger and with more exclusive spirit of caste,” he continued, and “none more violent in prejudice once formed.” The Anglo-Saxon need for racial hierarchies excluded Blacks and immigrants from the liberty prized by whites, but he still saw the “pearl in the Anglo-Saxon mollusk.”

“If the Republic is true to the great principles of liberty and justice which it proclaims, if you have learned the lesson of your own history, . . . then will Anglo-Saxon genius and achievement glow like a mighty flame to light the path of struggling men,” he said.

Civil Rights Pioneer

In 1905, Atlanta professor W.E.B. DuBois and Boston publisher William Monroe Trotter called for Black men to gather in favor of the radical idea of escaping oppression through political and legal action.

Carter heeded the call, traveling to Ontario, Canada, and joining the 29 co-founders of the Niagara Movement. “We refuse to allow the impression to remain that the Negro-American assents to inferiority, is submissive under oppression and apologetic before insults,” they declared.

“He must have really felt strongly about it to go,” Mack said. “We understand this is history being made, but it’s not obvious to the people at the time.”

The Niagara Movement morphed into an organization driving for social and political change—today’s NAACP, founded as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In its second year, Carter joined its Committee of One Hundred national governing body.

Howard-Chittams believes that Carter would “roll over in his grave” to see that the NAACP that her great-grandfather helped create no longer “holds a mirror to the Black community.” She sees her ancestor “as one who liked to fight the good fight—not fighting for the sake of fighting, but the good fight.”

Few of W. Justin Carter’s orations were transcribed, but we can close with one that was—his words over the graves of two men whose humble lives made powerful statements.

“Take a glowing truth, compress it into the fiber of a fearless heart and let it touch the thrilled nerves of a sensitive soul and the man, thus created, is a daring foe to crime, a maker of epochs and the harbinger of reform,” Carter said. “Eloquence, poetry, drama is potential in every turn of his mighty brow.”

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