Roland Slade

A native of Pittsburgh, Roland Slade has made his home in Erie since 1995. As a member of UE Local 506, Slade has worked at General Electric and Wabtec, first as an Annealing and Fork Lift Operator, and for the past few years as an Environmental Health Safety Coordinator. In addition to his full-time employment, Slade has co-owned and co-managed So Fancy Hair Salon since 2015 with his wife, Danielle and two stepdaughters, Nieyel and Kaliyah. In addition to these positions, Slade takes on side jobs whenever he can including work as an Uber driver, Videographer and Digital Tutor. Slade's strong visual skills were expressed in his video business, Three Lee Productions from 2016-2019. Decades ago, as a high school student, Slade's creative talent was recognized when he was accepted into the PA Governors School for the Arts - a summer program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After attending college for a semester, Slade headed into the workforce and started a family. Roland has two grown sons from his first marriage - Roland III and Malik. Over the past decades, Slade's artistic vision and cultural observations have been utilized in a series of raw "found video collages." One of his 2020 works, Celebrity Activists is now on view as a part of the Erie Art Museum Spring Show juried by nationally known art world critic, Aruna D'Souza. Though Slade has been busy with work, art and family, he served two well-known Erie churches as an ordained deacon and regularly volunteers in the community. As a member of Community Access Media (formerly Community Access Television) and the former videographer/editor for Chatting With Sonya, a local talk show, Slade is well informed about the challenges facing the region. Aware of the structural racism guiding Erie's infrastructure planning, Slade was a key member of the community group, ErieCPR: connect + respect, during the failed effort to save the McBride Viaduct/East Ave. Bridge. (The Viaduct was safe route to school and a vital pedestrian and bike route for impoverished Eastside residents who must now walk and bike along a busy arterial highway.) Since the demolition of the bridge, Slade has remained committed to the non-profit grassroots organization (renamed Connect Urban Erie) where he serves as their Social Media Manager. When his children attended Roosevelt Middle School, Slade was a member of the Parent Teachers' Association (PTA), serving as Treasurer, and later as President. At the same time, Slade was also appointed to the Pennsylvania Title I State Parent Advisory Council (SPAC). Slade also worked with students at the Youth Leader Institute of Erie, which Slade describes as "was one of my most treasured experiences." Pastor Darrel Cook interviewed Slade about his reasons for volunteering. Roland commented he "had a passion to be involved" and to "make sure children know that there are men around." Slade says "we are losing them (to the streets) in middle school" believes that minority youth need "a face they could look to" to see that someone who looks like them "is someone active and involved." As a black man, Slade asks "other men to speak out and be visible" because when children see fathers, grandfathers and uncles involved it "shows youth there is a future out there."