Mysteries Revealed in 2019.

Pittsburgh has a long history with civil rights. In 1788, the General Assembly was petitioned in 1788 to form Allegheny County (four of the signatories were free black men). Black people back then worked in steel mills, steamboat building, and in the service sector. During the Revolutionary War, black people fought on both sides for their goal of ultimate freedom. By the early 1800's, slavery was gone in Pennsylvania. The African American photographer Teenie Harris took pictures of the black community and the Civil Rights Movement in general taking place in the great city of Pittsburgh. The Freedom Corner is a famous memorial in the Hill District that remembers or commemorates the civil rights marches and protests that took place in the city of Pittsburgh. Freedom Corner is found on the intersection of Centre Avenue and Crawford Street. It was a meeting point for 2,000 citizens from Pittsburgh who gathered in 1963 to go to the 1963 historic March on Washington, D.C. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his great “I Have a Dream” speech at D.C. Long ago, Pittsburgh was a key location of the Underground Railroad (which included extensive routes were enslaved people came into in order to be free from bondage and injustice). The Underground Railroad (with black leaders like John B. Vashon, John Peck, and Lewis Woodson) facilitated the escape of about 100,000 African Americans from the slaveholding South and Midwest. The North Side or the Allegheny was one local location of the Underground Railroad.

North Side’s Avery College was created to allow black people to have the opportunity to receive a higher education (when black people back then were not admitted to other colleges and universities). The people involved in the College were both black and white civil rights leaders. Their names are Martin Delany (he was one of the first black people admitted to Harvard Medical School. He was a writer, scientist, and physician. He founded Pittsburgh’s first African American University), John Vashon, and Lewis Woodson (who are black Americans) including Charles Avery, Julius Lemoyne, and Jane Grey Swisshelem (who are white Americans). During the U.S. Civil War, Pennsylvania had the 2nd highest enlistment of Union soldiers at 340,000 along with 8,600 being black people. More than 33,000 Pennsylvanians died in the war. After 1863, many black people worked in Pittsburgh factories to get economic work. Slavery wasn’t in Pittsburgh at the time, but black people fought racism and oppression in the city. That is why black leaders organized several protests to try to end discrimination. In 1910, the Pittsburgh Courier was founded. This is one of the oldest and well known black newspapers in America. The Pittsburgh Courier regularly inspired the cause of civil rights constantly. The Pittsburgh Board of Education hired its first black teacher named Lawrence Peeler in 1937. It was a victory.  By 1930, there were 55,000 black Americans in Pittsburgh. The black community created the Urban League, churches, the NAACP, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, the Homestead Grays, etc. Mary Lou Williams, Errol Garner, Lena Horne, and Billy Eckstine performed in the city. Hill District is a mecca of black culture in the city.


During and after World War II, civil rights battles continued. In 1953, almost 25% of all discrimination complaint cases statewide were from the area of Pittsburgh. After WWII, many jobs and people came into the suburbs or overseas manufacturing. The displacement of 8,000 people over many years to build the Civic Arena harmed the city’s cultural strength. One person from the Urban League picketed downtown department stories to try making them hire black clerks. Montefiore and St. Francis hospitals admitted black people in their nursing schools. Charles Burks was an African American doctor. He received staff privileges at Montefiore Hospital too. Pittsburgh desegregated its schools, swimming pools, and other places after the Brown v. Board of Education decision. The Civil Arena or the Mellon Arena was built in the Lowe Hill. Many people from Pittsburgh came to the South to be Freedom Riders and fight for civil rights in Mississippi, etc. After the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Pittsburgh experienced a rebellion. Many regions of Hill District were destroyed. Yet, the movement for social justice continues. Racism and anti-Semitism are found in America. The recent hate crime in Pittsburgh at a Jewish synagogue proves this along with police brutality, but tons of people of Pittsburgh reject bigotry plus they desire liberty to reign in the world. Famous civil rights leaders from the state of Pennsylvania include: James Forten, Richard Allen, Daniel Hughes, Lucretia Mott, Martin R. Delany, Octavius V. Catto, Bayard Rustin, Fanny Jackson Coppin, Daisy E. Lampkin (who worked in the NAACP and fought for equal rights), Reverend LeRoy Patrick, Alexander J. Allen, C. Delores Tucker (Judge Genevieve Blatt administered the oath to her as Secretary of the Commonwealth in 1975), LeRoy Irvis, The August Wilson Center for African American Culture was opened on September 17, 2009. It was named after the late, great August Wilson. Wilson was a playwright who won 2 Pulitzer Prizes for Drama (involving his plays Fences and The Piano Lesson). The Pittsburgh Cycle is about his series of 10 plays.


The movie The Irishman has been released in 2019. It has been given praise and controversy over its history. One positive thing about the movie is that it should give more people to take the time to research the events of Cold War era involving the mid to early late 20th century. The movie was directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, who used his merit to be one of the greatest directors of all time. It was written by Steven Zaillian. The film was based on the book from 2004 entitled, “I Head You Paint Houses,” by Charles Brandt. The movie goes into the theory on how one named Frank Sheeran killed the labor leader Jimmy Hoffa.  It stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, with Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jesse Plemons, and Harvey Keitel in supporting roles. The film follows Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a truck driver who becomes a hitman and gets involved with mobster Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and his crime family, including his time working for the powerful Teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). The film’s composition stretches decades of American history. Critics have praised its storyline, character development, and many of its scenes. First, it is important to give a summary of what the film is all about and then give historical analysis of that time period second. The Irishman had its world premiere at the 57th New York Film Festival on September 27, 2019, and began a limited theatrical release on November 1, 2019, to be followed by digital streaming on Netflix on November 27, 2019. The film received widespread critical acclaim, with major praise drawn towards Scorsese's direction and the performances of De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci. The Irishman started with an elderly Frank Sheeran (a World War II veteran) in a nursing home. He sits on a wheelchair. He tells his story about being a mafia hitman. Sheeran drove meat packing delivery trucks during the 1950’s at Pennsylvania. He sold some of the local product to a local gangster. He was accused of theft, and the lawyer Bill Bufalino gets him off. Bufalino introduces Sheeran to his cousin Russell, the head of the northeast Pennsylvania crime family. Sheeran begins to do jobs for Russell, including murders. Soon, Russell introduces Sheeran to Jimmy Hoffa, the head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who has financial ties with the Bufalino crime family and is struggling to deal with fellow rising Teamster Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano, as well as mounting pressure from the federal government.

Sheeran become Hoffa’s main bodyguard when he’s on the road. Sheeran is close to Hoffa’s family including his daughter Peggy. The movie showed the 1960 election of John F. Kennedy. Bufalino is happy while Hoffa is angry. The reason was that Robert Kennedy was Attorney General, and RFK tries to get Hoffa on many charges. Hoffa was arrested in 1964 for jury tampering. While in prison, his replacement atop the Teamsters Frank Fitzsimmons begins overspending the groups' funds and making loans out to the mafia. Hoffa's relationship with Provenzano, who was himself arrested for extortion, also deteriorates beyond repair. Hoffa is eventually released via a Presidential pardon from Richard Nixon in 1971, although he is forbidden from taking part in any Teamsters activities until 1980. Hoffa still wants to head the Teamsters as soon as possible after being released from prison. Hoffa's growing disrespect for other Teamster leaders and related crime family interests begins to worry Bufalino. During a testimonial dinner in Sheeran's honor, Bufalino tells Sheeran to confront Hoffa and warn him that the heads of the crime families are not pleased with his behavior. Hoffa then discloses to Sheeran that he "knows things" that Bufalino and the other dons don't know, and further claims that he is untouchable because if anything ever happened to him, they would all end up in prison. Russell tells Sheeran in the movie that Hoffa’s death has been sanctioned. This was in 1975 when they were on their way to the wedding of Bill Bufalino’s daughter. Sheeran goes to Detroit. He tells Hoffa that he will be in town early in the day. He only arrives late in the afternoon. Hoffa has a scheduled meeting at a local diner with Provenzano and Anthony Giacalone, is surprised to see Sheeran arriving in a car with Hoffa's foster son Chuckie O'Brien and Sal Briguglio, another gangster. They advise Hoffa that the meeting was moved to a house where Provenzano and Bufalino are waiting for them. Sheeran assures Hoffa that everything is fine and joins them in the car. Upon entering the house, Hoffa is surprised to realize that no one else is there and that he is being set up. Hoffa turns to caution Sheeran, who then shoots him twice at point-blank range before leaving the gun and the body at the entrance. After Sheeran leaves, two younger gangsters arrive to take Hoffa's body to a crematorium to eliminate all traces of him.

Sheeran, Russell, Provenzano and others are eventually convicted on various charges unrelated to Hoffa's murder as promised by Hoffa, and one by one they begin to die in prison. Sheeran is eventually released and placed in a retirement home. He tries to make peace with his alienated daughters, but Peggy never forgives him for Hoffa's disappearance. Sheeran prepares for his eventual death, well aware that few if any of his family will be left to mourn him. The film project started as early as the 2000’s. The filming took place in New York City and Long Island. CGI was used to make characters look younger. The Irishman has tons of acclaim by journalists, actors, actresses, and the film industry in general. It has already won the Chicago International Film Festival’s Founder’s Awards on October 25, 2019 and the Hollywood Film Awards in 2019, etc. The film isn’t perfect historically. There is no evidence that Sheeran was involved in the murder of Jimmy Hoffa and there is no evidence that he was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy (as Sheeran has claimed in Charles Brandt’s book). It is true that RFK and Hoffa didn’t like each other as RFK accused Hoffa of being Mafia infiltrated. It is also true that Hoffa was friendly with many members of Organized Crime. He worked with Mafia leader Tony Provenzano to lead some local unions. Hoffa allowed the Mafia to borrow money form the Teamster pension fund to build gambling casinos in Las Vegas. So, the book and movie implies that the Mafia had a leadership role in the death of JFK. There has been no conclusive evidence that the Knight of Malta Joseph Kennedy was a bootlegger with the Mafia and made a deal with them in trying to get JFK elected President in 1960.

It is true that Robert Kennedy was on a serious mission to attack Cosa Nostra legally. The actual movie is three and a half hours, so it’s very long. In real life, Hoffa did try to ally with Nixon, and Nixon later pardoned him. Nixon tricked Hoffa in pardoning him by not making him run for the head of the Teamsters until 1980. While much of the film has been debated on its accuracy, it is true that organized crime did infiltrate much of the labor movement (and the Mafia worked with many people in government during the 20th century from fighting Nazis to other events). Back then, Hoffa was one of the most powerful men in the labor movement. He was the President of the Teamsters in 1957. Back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, 1/3 of all American workers were in a union. Russell Bufalino in real life was born in Sicily in 1902. He later became a powerful mafia figure in America. RFK didn’t like Hoffa and said the following words about him: “On my way home I thought of how often Hoffa had said he was tough; that he destroyed employers, hated policemen, and broke those who stood in his way…When a grown man sat for an evening and talked continuously about his toughness, I could only conclude that he was a bully hiding behind a facade.” Jimmy Hoffa’s death reminds a mystery, but the film The Irishman serves as a way for people to research, to inquire, and to recognize that life is about you doing the right thing in helping people (not allying with the evil found in organized crime).


There is more information about my late 2nd cousin Elgin Madison Lowe Sr. (1914-2000). His father and mother were Bishop Charlie Wesley Lowe (1875-1954) and Louisa A. Sykes (1876-1955). My late 1st cousin Louisa A. Sykes’ parents were Willis Sykes (1832-?) and Lydia Claud (1842-?). My 5th great aunt’s Lydia Claud mother was my 5th great grandfather Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Elgin Madison Lowe Sr. was born on March 15, 1914 at Southampton, Virginia. He and his family later moved into Suffolk, Virginia. By 1932, he was a graduate of Nansemond Collegiate Institute. He got a teaching certificate from the institute in 1934. He taught at the Jefferson Elementary School in Sussex County and he was involved in the Windsor plus the Isle of Wright County school system. He was the principal of Camptown Elementary, Georgia Tyler High Windsor Elementary, and Booker T. Washington Junior High Schools. He served many administrative positions. He was one the board of visitors at Virginia State University and Norfolk State University. Elgin Madison Lowe Sr. was the first black school principal in Virginia to be elected rector of the board of visitors at Virginia State University. He wrote many books including his autobiography. Elgin Madison Lowe Sr.’s brothers and sisters are: Howard H. Lowe (1898-1958), Flossie Baylee Lowe (1899-?), Palease Lowe (1900-?), Charlie James Lowe (1901-1967), Danier Elsie Lowe (1917-2007), and Joseph Isaac Lowe (1919-1974). Elgin Lowe Sr. married Lois Elaine Ballard (1910-1990) and had the following children: Jean Dencye Lowe (1936-present), Elgin Madison Lowe Jr. (1939-present), and Sandra Marilyn Lowe (1943-present). Elgin Madison Lowe Sr. and his other family members including his cousin Iola Branch were pictured in ca. 1948. My 3rd cousin Jean Dencye Lowe married Hubert Lathen Teague (1928-2004) and had the following children: Marsha Lynn Teague (1957-present), Lance Madison Teague (1958-present), Brad Steven Teague (1970-present), and Ryan Teague. Elgin Madison Jr. married Moizelle Hortense Henderson. The couple has the following children: Denise Renee Lowe (1964-present), and Mark Madison Lowe (1971-present). My 4th cousin Denise Renee Low married Joseph Talmadge Walters on December 19, 1992 at Richmond, Virginia. Their children are Benaiah Madison Walters (born in 1996) and Jennifer Michelle Walters. My 4th cousin Mark Madison Lowe married Ponnette Rozzell Smith on the date of September 18, 2004 at Richmond, Virginia. He or Mark Madison Lowe was born on March 22, 1971 at Richmond, Virginia. Elgin Madison Lowe Sr. had a long legacy involving education, political work, and spirituality. I am related to the Lowe family on the mother's side of my family.



By Timothy