Episode Details

The City of Pittsburgh celebrates Black History Month by honoring businessman John B. Vashon and the legacy of the Vashon Family. Jim Cunningham speaks with Paul N.D. Thornell, great-great-great-grandson of John B. Vashon, about his family and the reception.

Paul provides background on his family history, detailing the work that John B. Vashon did for the Pittsburgh community, including abolitionist activism and founding a school for Black children. John B. Vashon’s son, George B. Vashon, was the first Black graduate of Oberlin college, the first Black lawyer admitted to the New York Bar, and an educator and poet.

Paul also details his own career in Washington, DC, working in leadership roles at the Senate and the White House. He also is Board Chair of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a public policy think tank which produces research and policies that positively impact communities of color.

There will be a public reception honoring the Vashon family legacy on Friday, February 6th, at 5:30pm in the Grand Lobby of the City-County Building. The exhibit is free and open to the public all month long. More information can be found on the city’s website. 

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