TRUTHSayers Dr. Andre M. Perry
Pittsburgh, PA 15222 United States
TRUTHSayers Speaker series features Dr. Andre M. Perry, author of Black Power Scorecard and Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities. He is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the director of its Center for Community Uplift as well as a professor of practice of economics at Washington University in St. Louis.
Historically, Black Americans’ quest for power has been understood as an attempt to gain equal protections under the law. But power in America requires more than basic democratic freedoms. It is inextricably linked with economic influence and ownership—of oneself, home, business, and creations.
Dr. Andre M. Perry draws on extensive research and analysis to quantify how much power Black Americans actually have. Ranging from property, business, and wealth to education, health, and social mobility, Black Power Scorecard moves across the country, evaluating people’s ability to set the rules of the game and calculating how that translates into the ultimate means of power—life itself, and the longevity of Black communities. Along the way, Perry identifies woefully overlooked areas of investment that could close the racial gap and benefit everyone.
An expansive take on power supported by documentation and data, Black Power Scorecard is a fresh contribution to the country’s reckoning with structural inequality, one that offers a new approach to redressing it. One complimentary copy of Dr. Perry’s new book, Black Power Scorecard will be available for ticket holders while supplies last.
This series is an ongoing program bringing today’s preeminent speakers and artists to the Center to reflect on current events and share unique and thought-provoking material in hopes of inspiring racial awareness and understanding between people.
Learn more
Thank you to our partners at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for curating this reading and listening list to complement Dr. Perry’s talk.
Panelists
Marimba Milliones, President & CEO of Hill Development Corporation
Marimba Milliones is president and CEO of the Hill Community Development Corporation (Hill CDC) in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania’s historic Hill District neighborhood. She is a practitioner of and national thought leader in equitable development. Her work is focused on assuring equity in urban-core redevelopment involving low-moderate income residents, communities of color and cities. Milliones advocates for and utilizes intentional planning and development practices that honor people, place, culture and the market. She believes in win-win models. To this end, Milliones led negotiations of a community benefits agreement with the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins to assure equitable development for a historic tract of land in the heart of fast-growing Pittsburgh. The establishment of a city-wide affordable housing task force, and the largest tax financing district in the history of the City of Pittsburgh were sealed as a part of the negotiations.
Milliones’ policy advocacy over the years has resulted in a more equitable approach to development throughout the City. She has designed processes that assure that marginalized communities can be self-determinative in real estate development including community-level review and approval of projects requiring public subsidy. Her organization has pipelined and is preparing over 400 renters for homeownership; and recently launched a residential and commercial community land trust. Most notable is Milliones’ work towards building a Black cultural and commercial neighborhood district anchored by the restoration of the historic New Granada Theater, new office space and storefronts, and 40 units of artist-preference affordable housing. The $55M+ mixed-use development effort will be an iconic example of how culture is a surefire economic development tool.
Milliones has received numerous recognitions and has served on numerous boards including the transition team for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s Department of Community and Economic Development. A graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education, and a Master of Science from Duquesne University in Multimedia (Interactive) Technology, she is a passionate communicator who utilizes her educational background to deepen conversations and dismantle complex concepts for everyday people, especially Hill District residents. She is a member of Leadership Pittsburgh Class XXXI and LeadNow Pgh II. Milliones is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and brings a strengths-based approach to organizational and community development. She has been recognized by the New Pittsburgh Courier, YMCA, Onyx Woman, Talk Magazine and others. In 2015, she was recognized by Pittsburgh Magazine as one of Pittsburgh’s 15 Future Powerbrokers. She was recently listed in Pittsburgh Business Times’ 2020 List of the Top 20 people to know in Construction in the Pittsburgh Region.
Shad Henderson, Director of Equity and Inclusion, Neighborhood Allies
Shad Henderson (he/him/his) As the Director of Equity and Inclusion at Neighborhood Allies, Shad leads the development and implementation of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion efforts across the organization’s administrative and programmatic capacities. In this role, the goal is to assure that Pittsburgh’s lower-wealth residents, communities of color, immigrants and others at risk of being left behind live in healthy, safe, opportunity-rich neighborhoods that reflect their culture and are not displaced from them; connect to economic and ownership opportunities and have voice and influence in the decisions that shape their neighborhoods. Additionally, Shad works to form strategic partnerships, identify policy priorities and community development systems-change opportunities to produce measurable equity advancements throughout the Pittsburgh region. Before joining the Neighborhood Allies team, Shad served as an Educator of 4-H Youth Development at the Penn State Center in Pittsburgh. There he piloted a leadership initiative for young Black males of the East End of Pittsburgh so they could become more actively involved in local neighborhood improvement projects. He has also worked as a Senior Executive Assistant to former state Senator Jim Ferlo where he conducted community outreach activities throughout the 38th PA Senate District to serve as a conduit between constituents, the Senator and other state resources. Shad is a life-long resident of Pittsburgh and is very passionate about serving neighborhoods that are rising out of economic decline by working with the community’s most valuable asset- its people. His deep-seated desire for community development rose while growing up in the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood of Pittsburgh and experiencing its rapid decline during the 1990’s while simultaneously recognizing the resiliency and power of residents to lead the revitalization of their community. Since then, Shad has worked to help transform places of concentrated poverty into communities of promise and prosperity. Shad holds a master’s degree of Public Administration from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He also holds a Human Resources certification from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. Shad currently resides in Penn Hills PA with his wife Chareese and their two daughters Briahna and Edyn.
Fred Brown, President & CEO, Forbes Fund
Fred Brown was appointed President & CEO of The Forbes Funds on January 8, 2018. Prior to that time Mr. Brown served as the President & CEO of the Homewood Children’s Village. Mr. Brown has worked in the non-profit arena and in the public education sector for over 30 years; he has served in a variety of leadership capacities, including the roles as an Executive Director, Associate Director, supervisor, social worker, executive coach, consultant, conflict resolution and mediation specialist, coach and mentor roles. Mr. Brown has continued to invest his time, energies, and expertise in assisting a variety of communities and organizations to develop new and innovative programs that seek to empower at-risk populations. In addition to working in the aforementioned areas, Mr. Brown is actively involved in other aspects of professional development including Dean of students, school teacher, adjunct professor, and project manager. A specific focus of Mr. Brown’s work includes working with African American males to reduce minority dropout rates in post-secondary environments and bridging the divide between minority communities and their knowledge regarding energy reduction planning, carbon footprint analysis, and environmental justice leadership.
A frequent public speaker, Mr. Brown has taught courses and delivered presentations at local and statewide conferences and workshops. Mr. Brown has a Bachelors of Science in Education and Masters Degree in Social Work. He is supported by his wife; Rashaa Brown, and their six children.
Billie Vaughn, Founder & CEO of Common-Unity PGH
Billie Vaughn is a mother, a leader, and a bold, resilient force for change, using her life experiences to navigate and conquer challenges. As the founder of Common-Unity Pgh., she has dedicated her work to empowering communities through sustainability, vacant property education, and environmental justice. Her personal journey, shaped by displacement and resilience, led her to develop the Value the Vacant workshop, which has helped community members gain ownership of blighted properties and revitalize neighborhoods.
With a passion for thrifting and sustainability, Billie teaches others how to create economic opportunities through reuse and recycling. Her advocacy extends to environmental justice, where she has worked to improve water quality access in Pittsburgh Public Schools. Through education and action, she equips individuals with the tools to build generational wealth, strengthen communities, and drive meaningful change.
Leon Ford, Co-Founder and Director of External Affairs, The Hear Foundation
A native of Pittsburgh, Leon Ford is a celebrated author, social entrepreneur, impact investor, international speaker, and changemaker dedicated to driving positive change in his community and beyond. As a respected activist and mental health ambassador, Ford passionately addresses disparities by focusing on holistic wellness. His inspiring approach emphasizes the importance of resilience, transforming personal challenges into purpose, and creating a lasting societal impact.
In 2012, Leon was tragically shot five times by a police officer during a traffic stop, leaving him physically paralyzed. Nevertheless, he has continued to positively impact his community, working with police officers on cultural competency and legislators on drafting policies to modify the use of force laws. In 2022, Leon joined forces with former Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Chief Scott Schubert to co-found The Hear Foundation. This trailblazing nonprofit seeks to bridge the gap between residents, community leaders, and law enforcement in order to cultivate a safe and thriving community for all. In 2024, Leon became the organization’s director of external affairs, giving him the opportunity to focus full-time on fostering safety through police and community collaboration in Pittsburgh.
In recognition of its innovative approach, the foundation received the prestigious McNulty Catalyst Prize in 2023. Ford has also joined 150+ other leaders as a Founding Partner of Starts With Us – a movement to end the culture wars by fostering curiosity, compassion, and courage as daily habits.
Leon was recently named to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Pennsylvania Citizen Law Enforcement Advisory and Review (CLEAR) Commission to bring state law enforcement experts and criminal justice reform advocates together to support public safety and ensure accountability for state law enforcement agencies.
In 2023, he completed a year-long national and international book tour to launch “An Unspeakable Hope: Brutality, Forgiveness, and Building a Better Future for My Son,” and in late 2023 was named recipient of the prestigious Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award.
As an influential figure in social justice and mental health, Ford inspires others through speaking engagements, mentorship, and fostering open dialogue. Through his work, he cultivates leaders, organizers, and social entrepreneurs, ensuring his vision for a compassionate and just society endures for future generations. Ford’s accomplishments include executive producing the Cannes Film Festival award-winning documentary Leon (2019) and Breaking Bread: A Conversation on Race in America (2021), which won a Shorty Award; President Obama’s Volunteer Service Award (2017); The Root 100 (2018); Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40 (2019); Forbes 30 Under 30 (2023); and National Urban League Community Service Award (20230.
As a member of The Aspen Institute’s Inaugural Civil Society Fellowship, Ford is devoted to nurturing the next generation of leaders and activists. He serves as an entrepreneur in residence for Bronze Investments, is co-founder of the Leon Ford Legacy Fund, and holds board positions with multiple organizations.
In addition to his activism, Ford has authored valuable resources for overcoming adversity and promoting well-being, including his memoir, An Unspeakable Hope (May 2023); Untold: Testimony and Guide to Overcoming Adversity (2017); and The Leon Self-Care Handbook: From Surviving to Thriving, offering practical tools for healing and personal growth.