When Nate Brown thinks of Pittsburgh, he sees two vastly different and contrasting pictures of one city.

There's the Pittsburgh lauded as America's most livable city.

Then there's "Clipsburgh, Pistolvania," home to black residents who are impoverished, poorly educated and overcome by constant and senseless gun violence, Mr. Brown said.

"By the time I was 25 years old, I had buried 12 of my friends," Mr. Brown last night told a group of more than 40 community activists, clergy members, and other concerned city residents gathered for an emergency meeting urging action on behalf of the black community of Pittsburgh.

"I'm done talking. I can't speak and bring my friends back," he said.

The cross-section of African-American Pittsburgh gathered inside the community rooms at The Kingsley Association in East Liberty to decry the recent revelation that Pittsburgh -- considered the most livable for some -- is actually a living lie.

OneHOOD, a group of community activists and neighborhood clergy, called the meeting to unite the numerous social activists and religious organizations around the goal of righting the wrongs revealed in a University of Pittsburgh study that found wide gaps between blacks in the city and their white counterparts.

"There are two Pittsburghs," said Minister Jasiri X, of Muhammad Mosque 22 in Wilkinsburg. "One for the wealthy whites and one for the poor, disenfranchised black people.

"The first question should be 'What are we going to do?' " he asked.

Much of last night's discussion focused on pooling together the resources and manpower of fractionalized community groups and forming a network of activists that work together as one.

Their vision would have Muslims working together with Pentecostals, fathers and brothers raising men and uniting with mothers and sisters rearing daughters, and anti-gun violence advocates joining forces with education allies.

"We cannot be so desensitized that we don't care about life," said an emotional Paradise Gray, one of the founders of OneHOOD. "It is our responsibility to stop it."

Such talk is usually the subject of rallies and meetings called in the wake of violence, but those attending last night felt they couldn't overlook those black youth involved in gun violence.

At one point in the evening, Jay Donaldson, father of 18-year-old Jehru Donaldson, who was killed July 8 in the North Side, stood up to speak while wearing his slain son's Pittsburgh Pirates baseball hat.

Solemn and soft-spoken, Mr. Donaldson toyed with the cap-- worn with its bill facing the back -- and tried to offer solutions and options for the children facing violence and those using violence.

He introduced a concept for a group known as Protecting Our Youth to Serve our Elders and called for artists, musicians and businessmen to help fill the ranks of the group as mentors.

Mr. Donaldson also announced a day of celebration on July 29 on Brighton Place, North Side, in honor of his son.

"I want to finish what Jehru started," Mr. Donaldson said of his son's commitment to community. "I want to at least try to finish what he started.