The Black community’s political landscape experienced change last week, with one having national significance.

Last week the Allegheny County Council selected Amanda Green to replace Brenda Frazier and Khari Mosley to become the national field director for the League of Young Voters.

Green’s selection maintains a Black female perspective on county council. Frazier resigned to pursue a seat in the state legislature. Green will represent District 13.

KHARI MOSLEY

Frazier, 66, also of Stanton Heights, was first elected to county council in 2001 to fill the two-year unexpired term of the late former county Commissioner Tom Forester. She ended her tenure on council Feb. 11 and is now seeking the 21st Legislative District seat, which covers Pittsburgh’s eastern neighborhoods.

Frazier had to step down from her county seat because of the county’s Home Rule Charter requiring County Council members running for other elected offices to resign.

Council member John DeFazio, who also chairs of the Democratic caucus, there is an agreement on council that the party caucuses choose a person and then the council has to accept the appointment,” Mr. DeFazio said. The council’s approval of Green was merely a formality.

There had been speculation that Green would relinquish her county council seat should Frazier not win, however, 36-year-old Stanton Heights resident will serve until the next municipal election in 2009.

Community activist Khari Mosley was also selected last week to become national field director of LYV.  In his new role, Mosley will be working with the local affiliates to develop field strategies, integrating local and national strategies, and shaping policy positions for the League.

The League of Young Voters founded in 2004, empowers young people to be players and winners in the political game. It includes affiliates in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Wisconsin, San Francisco, Calif., Tallahassee, Fla., Columbus, Ohio, and St. Louis, Mo.

The 32-year-old Northsider founded the Pennsylvania League of Young Voters in 2004 and served as Pennsylvania State Director until June 2007. More recently he served as Campaigns Director for Pittsburgh United, an organization promoting a progressive, inclusive, development agenda through the establishment of Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs).

Mosley’s civic involvement has garner many awards, among them Pittsburgh Acorn’s (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) Award for youth voter turnout, Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 under 40, and the League of Women Voters Good Government Award. In 2007, he received the “Empowering Others by Creating a Voice for Change Award” from Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

Mosley will continue his Pittsburgh activism, as he will be based here.