HOLY COW (G-20, pt.1)

The G20 is coming to Pittsburgh.

This is huge for the city. But what can we make it mean for Homewood?

Our news package offers people the opportunity to respond to the news. One writer said:

 Great but very ironic that the LEAST DIVERSE city I have ever been in will host all these diverse folks. I travel extensively for my job & believe even places like Rochester or Kansas City are more diverse. Time for the "burgh to attract some diversity. PLEASE!

A couple of people also note, as the story does, that many will view the G20's visit as a prime opportunity to stage protests or demonstrations.

Granted.

But this news makes me want to convene a meeting with the brightest, most impassioned and most hopeful people I know, to talk about how Homewood can gain positive exposure around the summit.

For example: If I had to guess, I would guess that a group that large, that diverse and that sophisticated would include at least a couple of jazz lovers. What if, instead of having its free concert at the Homewood Carnegie on the last Wednesday of that month, the 30th, the Jazz Workshop moved that concert to the 23d? What if that concert were dedicated to the G20 visitors and a group of people dedicated themselves to making it easy for the G20 people to attend the concert? Might some of them show up?

Bigger example: What if the Jazz Workshop, the Afro-American Music Institute, and the Community Empowerment Association Hip-Hop Academy worked together to create a great big festive music event to celebrate the G20 coming to town? Or, a post-summit festival that weekend?

Third example: What if the people working on the creation of the Homewood Children's Village invited President Obama to Homewood, and what if he accepted the invitation? (Why would he do such a thing? Because the HCV fits in with what he has said he wants to do in education.) What opportunities would that create for postiive exposure?

Any of those possiblities would require a ton of hard work by a bunch of people. The questions are, what people are willing to discuss the possibilities, and then, who is willing to do the work?

There will be a LEGION of journalists here from around the world. When Pittsburgh is front and center on the world stage, should Homewood remain invisible?

To comment on this post, please log in or register here.