African Americans in Pittsburgh

By John M. Brewer Jr., Pittsburgh Courier and Carnegie Museum of Art

Pittsburgh is a working city, in no small part thanks to its strong African American community.

As an integral stop on the Underground Railroad, many enslaved people traveled through Pittsburgh on their way further North, and many still decided to stay. During the Great Migration of the early 20th century, Pittsburgh was again a main destination for African Americans from the rural South; approximately 95% of these men became steelworkers. There was never one centralized neighborhood where a majority of the Black population lived, but Jim Crow discrimination was still rampant, even in a city such as Pittsburgh. Photographs captured by famed Pittsburgh photographer Charles "Teenie" Harris show the candid experiences of residents, including the achievements and celebrations of people struggling in adversity and finding happiness in their families and community.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Jun 14, 2006
• ISBN: 9781439617847

John M. Brewer Jr.

John M. Brewer Jr. is a historian and consultant for the Pittsburgh Courier archive project, a consultant for the Carnegie Museum of Art's Charles "Teenie" Harris photograph project, and the curator and founder of the Trolley Station Oral History Center.

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Brushton.

One

THE WORST AND THE BEST YEARS

The area called Little Haydi, otherwise known as the Hill, was the primary African American community in Pittsburgh. The Hill was located only a stones-throw away from downtown Pittsburgh. Vacant lots were often filled with garbage and the remains from collapsed wood-framed structures. Nearby steel mills keep the Hill’s air full of pollution. The people of the Hill were isolated from the rich downtown centers of capital wealth and power. And yet, life goes on. Children created their own games, despite the hazards. African Americans who have settled in this section of the Hill still remember when conditions were worse. Scene like this one existed from the early 1900s. A map of Little Haydi, which is otherwise known as the Hill by Pittsburgh residents, ascends from downtown Pittsburgh to one of two high points in the city.

Wooden constructed outhouses existed in the Hill District until the late 1950s. Many old frame homes had no plumbing, modern heating systems, or functional sewer lines. Major rodent problems were common. Outside structures like these were also common. (Courtesy of the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; gift of the estate of Charles Teenie Harris.)

Vacant lots were often cleared and maintained by the people who lived nearby. Some would utilize their farming skills to plant gardens for food. Others built open play zones for children. Self-help and community pride efforts by the residence helped to control rodent problems, disease, and crime from consuming those who wanted to live in the Hill District. (Courtesy of the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; gift of the estate of Charles Teenie Harris.)

Abandoned homes frequently were havens for the homeless. There were few, if any, shelters or city housing enforcement efforts to rid the community of these dangerous places. Fires often resulted from homeless people trying to keep warm. Illegal drug and prostitution activities were sometimes conducted inside. Community resident complaints were never enough to eliminate housing problems in the Hill. (Courtesy of the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; gift of the estate of Charles Teenie

Reviews for African Americans in Pittsburgh

[kathleen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was looking for an introduction to the cultural experience of African Americans in Pittsburgh. As someone who spent her formative years in Philadelphia, I was aware of the city on the opposite side of the state but knew nothing of the people who lived there and formed the backbone of its development. This is a easy way to become familiar with the names, places, and faces that helped to shape a city.