“Before I Let Go” by Maze, Frankie Beverly & The Butlers, and other tunes courtesy of WAMO could be heard from Market Street in Downtown Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon, pulling attendees into FusionFest: Echoes of Our Ancestors, Beats of the Future. FusionFest was the culminating event for Juneteenth this year in Pittsburgh — Juneteenth was celebrated the entire month in the city and throughout Western Pennsylvania. Juneteenth is a national holiday that celebrates June 19, 1865, paying homage to the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom.
Juneteenth marks the unofficial end of slavery in America. The official end came in December 1865 with the ratification of the 13th Amendment. The festival was originally scheduled for Saturday but moved to Sunday because of a severe weather forecast.
“It’s a day for celebration. As we continue to evolve, the more things that we have to show a culturally diverse city, the better our city will be. Today is a day to demonstrate positivity,” Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said.
Pittsburgh City Council funded multiple Juneteenth Festivals, including the Western Pennsylvania Juneteenth Celebration in mid-June and Sunday’s events. The latter event was the city of Pittsburgh’s Juneteenth celebration and was said to be an addition rather than a competitor to any of the other festivals. “I am super excited about today.
It was great to see everyone come out. The vibes were exactly what I wanted and exactl.
