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Hundreds honor former NAACP chapter president at memorial service

Hundreds of people gathered Tuesday to remember the life of Constance "Connie" Parker, a civil rights icon and leader in Pittsburgh.

The former president of Pittsburgh's NAACP chapter passed away last week at the age of 74.

A memorial service was held for Parker at Petra International Ministries in Penn Hills to remember the second woman to serve as president of the Pittsburgh NAACP.

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"She was really sincere about the civil rights movement," said Billy Joe Jordan with the NAACP Executive Board. "She believed in what she was doing."

As it wrapped up, attendees spoke of Parker's kind heart and willingness to stand up for what is right.

Words like "icon" and "pioneer" were used to describe her, especially when it comes to civil rights issues.

"She was a pioneer. That is what I remember and will always remember," said Parker's niece, Dyane Rue. "I would not expect anything different because of the person she was and her whole legacy she left behind. This is what she embodied. This was her."

People said Parker always spoke out for what she believed in, even when she was standing alone. It's an example those closest to her say they will continue to use as they fight for equality and civil rights in western Pennsylvania.

"One time we were talking on the phone and she had to get off the phone. She called me back a little while later and I said Connie, why did you get off the phone? She said President Obama was calling and he had to ask me something. That's the impact that Connie Parker had," said Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive.

Here are some highlights of Parker’s exceptional life:

  • She lived in Penn Hills, according to WPXI news partner TribLive, but was born in Philadelphia in 1942. She had a son, Curtis Parker, and a daughter, Twanda Carlisle, a former Pittsburgh city councilwoman.
  • She was involved with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for three decades, eventually becoming president of the Pittsburgh chapter in 2012. She previously worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
  • She was a member of the Port Authority of Allegheny County board of directors and former member of the advisory board for Duquesne University.
  • She hosted a radio program in the early 2000s on WAMO, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • Acting president of the Pittsburgh chapter of NAACP Richard Stewart said Parker was a "fierce fighter for the underdog." Mayor Bill Peduto said, "Constance Parker was instrumental in the civil rights movement in Pittsburgh for decades."
 

Cox Media Group

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