About this project

Let’s talk about race, Pittsburgh.

This is an invitation to our unique community-driven project on race and racism. It’s also a commitment by PublicSource to facilitate an ongoing conversation examining local racial attitudes and how people from our community perceive race. Why? Because a lot of people in the Pittsburgh region talk about the need to have that conversation. Because it’s time. Because the future depends on it.

Pittsburgh prides itself as a welcoming city for all, independent of the color of your skin or where you come from. But if we look and listen closer, the reality is more nuanced and complex.

In reality, Pittsburgh, a mostly white city, is still profoundly uncomfortable with conversations about diversity and race on a regular basis, especially how it shapes attitudes, power and the city. Yet race has been at the foundation of how this city was built and how it’s being developed today — from redlining policies in the housing market to the impacts of environmental decisions on minority communities.

Through this project, we hope for the furtherance of that conversation. How productive that conversation is depends on each and every one of you. Please include your voice. Every voice speaking against racism chips away at its power. And conversation is not the only thing we hope for. We also hope for action. Because the future of our region and the city depends on how committed our community is to addressing institutional inequities and more blatant racism that have existed for decades.

We hope the “Let’s talk about race” project inspires reflection and fosters discussions that ultimately lead to improved communication around issues of race and identity in the Pittsburgh region.