Afrika Yetu International

🚨🏈 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗟 𝗣𝗜𝗧𝗧 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗬 𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗦 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬 — 𝗢𝗡 𝗡𝗙𝗟 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗙𝗧 𝗗𝗔𝗬! 🏈🚨

This issue’s theme is simple:

𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗙𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙!

𝗜𝗳 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

Everybody is not waiting on a team to call their name. Everybody is not headed to the league. But that does not mean you can’t win big in life.

Sometimes you have to choose your own path.
Build your own dream.
Create your own opportunity.
And draft yourself.

This issue celebrates leaders, creators, entrepreneurs, and game changers who didn’t sit around waiting to be picked — they got to work.

🔥 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿:

🎙️ 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗲 – Emmy Award-winning radio and TV host

🐝 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮 of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan — salute on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honor

⚖️ 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻-𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 – Criminal defense attorney and business leader

🏆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀 – Hall of Fame athlete / coach

📚 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮 𝗠𝘆𝗰𝘆𝗸 – Entrepreneur, author, keynote coach

These are people who drafted themselves.

📍 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: CobblerWorld downtown in the heart of all the Draft excitement. Grab your FREE copy while they last.

📦 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱?

Want a FREE box of magazines for your guests?

Inbox me. We’ll try to have one of our drivers meet you and get them to you. (While supplies last)

Because while everybody is watching who gets picked…

We’re celebrating the people who picked themselves.

www.SoulPitt.com

Dr. McPherson, AAMI & The Pittsburgh Symphony in the Kitchen ❤️

A Message from the Chair on the Passing of Dr. James T. Johnson, Jr.

Dr. James Tare Johnson, fondly known to all as Dr. J., was a part of the University of Pittsburgh music family for almost 50 years. He was among the first wave of graduate students that Dr. Nathan Davis brought to the new Jazz Studies program at Pitt. Dr. J. came to Pitt and Pittsburgh in 1977 from Grambling, the football famous HBCU with the world-famous marching band in Grambling, LA. Originally a violinist and music education major, Dr. J. became a master pianist and went on to earn an ethnomusicology Ph.D. at Pitt in 1988. Dr. J. established a reputation of as one of Pittsburgh finest jazz and church musicians. Along with his wife Pam, he founded the Afro American Music Institute—the community educational jewel now located on Hamilton Ave in Homewood. He and Pam have led AAMI for the 44 or so years that it has been providing music instruction to thousands of students of all ages.

Dr. J never left Pitt. Along with Dr. Davis, he developed the course "African American Music in the US," which he taught for at least the last 20 years, and for many years led a gospel choir at Pitt. Just two years ago Pitt recognized Dr. J. along with 6 other community leaders during its 2024 K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month Celebration.

Dr James Tare Johnson made his life count in Pittsburgh, and over the years thousands of lives have been improved through the study and performance of music.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra mourns the passing of Dr. James T. Johnson, Jr. He was a cherished partner, mentor, and friend to us in our shared mission to bring community together through music and to nurture and grow the next generation. It has been our honor and privilege to work with and learn from Dr. J and his wife Mrs. Pamela Johnson. In 2023 he was piano soloist on Ahmad Jamal’s Poinciana with the PSO as part of the Juneteenth Festival. Since then, Dr. J. was a sage advisor to the PSO for events connecting communities through music and the rich contributions of African American musicians.

The PSO will dedicate Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise concert on May 9th to the memory of this extraordinary Pittsburgher. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, students, and friends.

📷 Lange Studio

Through his artistry, scholarship, and unwavering dedication to community,
Dr. James T. Johnson Jr. preserved the musical traditions that connect generations.

His work reminds us that culture is not merely inherited —
it is protected, taught, and lived.

His legacy will continue to echo through every student,
every instrument, and every stage touched by his influence.

Dr J. You will be missed sorely 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Co-founder of Pittsburgh's Afro American Music Institute James Johnson dies James T. Johnson, the musician and music scholar who co-founded Pittsburgh's Afro American Music Institute, died at 76.

With deep sadness, we join the Pittsburgh community in mourning the passing of Dr. James T. Johnson Jr., founder and CEO of the Afro-American Music Institute.

Dr. Johnson was a visionary jazz musician, ethnomusicologist, educator, and cultural leader who dedicated more than four decades to preserving and uplifting the musical traditions of the African diaspora. Through the Afro-American Music Institute, which he co-founded alongside his wife Pamela Johnson, he mentored generations of young musicians and built a lasting cultural institution in Pittsburgh.

In 2025, Dr. Johnson and Mrs. Johnson were honored by Afrika Yetu Inc. with the Nelson Mandela Award at the Black Diamond Ball, recognizing their lifelong commitment to community, culture, and education.

Dr. Johnson’s life was a testament to the power of music to connect people, preserve heritage, and inspire future generations.

We extend our deepest condolences to Pamela Johnson, their family, the AAMI community, and the countless students whose lives were transformed through his work.

🕊️ May his legacy continue to live through the music, the students, and the community he helped shape.

Rest in Power Dr J!! 🕊️