Fearless Warrior For Justice

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
Pittsburgh PA
April 16, 2011
BBNS
PITTSBURGH...The entire Pittsburgh community and nation are saddened by the death of our Titan, Nate Smith who was a true, fearless, uncompromising warrior for justice. Nate was an outstanding role model for all Americans and there was nothing phony or fake about him.
 My father, Jim Robinson who was the former Director of the famed Hill City Youth Municipality, a nationally acclaimed youth crime prevention program suggested to me as one of the leaders of the Volkswagen Black Caucus that we contact Nate Smith to assist us with our numerous workplace related problems with VW because "Nate was a person who could be trusted because he hadn't sold out to the system."
   Nate also helped the Black employees at the Westinghouse East Pittsburgh facility and countless numbers of others in Allegheny County who had discrimination issues with their employers.
   Nate Smith's effective Pittsburgh Plan, which was designed to get more Blacks and women into the construction, skilled trade and apprenticeship programs became a blueprint nationally and was emulated and copied by other cities throughout the USA. Philadelphia in particular used the Pittsburgh Plan in its desegregation of the building and trade unions and apprenticeship programs.
I like many others have always valued Nate's wisdom and friendship.
In 1987, I was honored and humbled to receive the Humanitarian Award for community service from Nate Smith's Operation Dig/Career Inc.
Our prayers and sympathy are extended to the Smith family.