2019 Black History Month Presentation, Carnegie Library, Pittsburg, PA

This is an exerpt from the Black History Month PowerPoint Presentation about the legacy of Mervin's wife’s Great Grandfather, W. Henry Lavender Wolfe, aka “Papa Wolfe” (6/20/1857 - 11/8/1945). It was presented at the downtown branch of the Carnegie Library in the city of Pittsburgh.

Following is a condensed version of the presentation Dr. Mervin Steals  gave to the audience at the Black History Month Celebration at the Carnegie Library in Pittsburg.

“Papa Wolfe” was born into slavery in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 20, 1858. At the tender age of 5, he and the other slaves on the Wolfe plantation were summoned to the barn to watch their master tie his own daughter’s wrist to a support beam in barn, rip off the back of her dress, and whip her with a whip for having deigned to teach his slaves how to read in the plantation's dairy house.

When freedom came, the master's daughter paid for Papa Wolfe’s education until he got married. He matriculated at Biddles University, now known as the HBCU, Johnson C. Smith.

There were many noteworthy achievements made by the descendants of “Papa Wolfe” and his second wife Dicie. Research into the history and accomplishments of his daughter Pearl’s grandson, Tommy Saunders, and her sister Lenora’s great-grandsons, Melvin Steals, Jr. and brothers Logan and Munro Richardson might inspire visitors to this website to see how people of descent can elevate themselves in spite of the challenges arising from BWB (Breathing While Black) in America.

Tommy Saunders

Was a member of America's Secret Service and traveled the world protecting President Jimmy Carter.

Melvin Steals, Jr.

In addition to being a graduate of Penn’s prestigious Wharton School of Business, he has a M.B.A. from Dartmouth’s Amos Tuck School of Business and is currently employed as a Sr. VIP at PNC in Pittsburgh, PA.

Logan Richardson

Melvin’s first cousin Logan is a highly acclaimed and internationally known tenor sax player and is a proud graduate of NYC’s New School.

Munro Richardson

Logan’s oldest brother Munro graduated Magnum Cum Laude from the University of Kansas with a major in Chinese and earned a Masters Degree from Harvard in the same field of study, Munro became a "Rhodes Scholar" at Oxford. As a result of his fine work for the Haufman Foundation in Kansas City and attaining his Ph. D. from the University of Illinois, the Charlotte Mechlenburg School District hired him to direct its Read Charlotte program.