Juneteenth celebrated with concerts at the Point
William Marshall was heartbroken when his two cousins were murdered years ago. “Penny” was robbed and murdered, and “Delicious” died in domestic violence. He felt the urge to galvanize the Black community to stop the violence and to bring people from different ethnic groups together.
So in 2013, he founded the nonprofit Stop the Violence Pittsburgh and organized Pittsburgh’s first official celebration of Juneteenth. Friday through Sunday, the city expects to welcome 100,000 people to its Juneteenth celebration in Downtown’s Point State Park and Market Square. From 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. all three days, there will be music, cultural activities and local vendors.
June 19 is the national holiday that commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law making Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday.
“The Juneteenth celebration is for everybody,” Marshall said.
“It’s for all ethnic groups. … It’s not a Black holiday. Everybody should come out and join the Juneteenth Celebration like you would do any other celebration, like it was the Fourth of July because Juneteenth is America’s second Independence Day.”
Local bands that will perform Friday in Point State Park include DJ Fatman Scoop (4 p.m.), Sons of Mystro (6 p.m.) and Talib Kweli (8 p.m.). The Saturday lineup starts with Roger Humphreys & RH Factor (4 p.m.) and continues with Arrested Development (6 p.m.), and ROSE Royce (8 p.m.). The Sunday performers are the Dazz Band (4 p.m.), KLYMAXX (6 p.m.) and WAR (8 p.m.).
In Market Square, the Friday schedule includes Dr. James Johnson & Jazz Allstars (noon), the House of Soul (3 p.m.), the One-Up Band (5 p.m.), and Kevin Howard Jazz (7 p.m.). On Saturday, listen to saxophonist Derek Redd (1 p.m.), Tubby Daniel’s Band (3 p.m.), Jacquea & Friends (5 p.m.) and Sunshine Anderson (8 p.m.). The Sunday lineup includes DJ Brother Marlon (11 a.m.-1 p.m.), Pittsburgh Gospel Allstars (1 p.m.), Soul Raydio Band (3 p.m.), Anita Levels & Soulvation (5 p.m.) and Bill Henry Band (8 p.m.).
From noon-4 p.m. Saturday, 1Hood Media, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mikael Owunna Studios and The Redd Studio are holding an art fair titled “Art as Liberation: Celebrating Black Art in Pittsburgh” at PNC Park on the North Shore. At 10 a.m. Sunday, the Grand Jubilee Juneteenth Parade will start in Downtown, followed by a voting rights forum at 1 p.m.
This year’s celebration also has a Juneteenth Minority Plaza with over 150 small businesses selling jewelry, clothing and food on Liberty Avenue between Stanwix Street and Commonwealth Place in Downtown from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Marshall said that VisitPittsburgh this year will conduct an economic impact survey to keep track of the number of attendees and revenue for Juneteenth.
The scale of the celebration has grown exponentially since 2013. Marshall recalled
that the initial celebration drew only around 75 people, but it grew to 150 the next year, then 1,000 and eventually 2,000. In 2018, attendance reached 7,500 and in 2019, 17,000 people. Attendance soared to 100,000 last year and Marshall expects at least as many this year.
Randy Williams, the drummer for the Bill Henry Band, said that playing on Juneteenth is a proud moment for him.
“I’ve been rolling with B. Marshall since he started.” he said. “We were one of the first bands on board, helping with sound bites, contacting other bands to get in, playing for no money a few years back. ... It’s just one of the things when you have a cause that you believe in, and I try to help this as much as possible.”
The Rev. Matthew Hawkins of St. Mary Magdalene Parish said Juneteenth was originally celebrated by the African American community as the second Fourth of July but became heavily commercialized as more entertainment and vendors were brought in. In recent years, Black historians have strived to reclaim its original meaning.
“I would say there’s still that tension between the impulse to commercialize it … and to make it a teachable moment, an opportunity for education,” he said.
Johnnie L. Miott, president of the Pittsburgh Branch of the NAACP, has been a member for more than 50 years of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. He attended the first Juneteenth celebration at his church 10 years ago.
“I was thankful to learn more about Juneteenth and happy that my church was educating people about this important time in history,” he said in an email.
“Prior to celebrating Juneteenth, African Americans only had Black History Month that we celebrated in February.
“I remember the first official Juneteenth gathering was a time when so many Black people in Pittsburgh got together at the corner of Center and Crawford avenues, known as Freedom Corner, for one of the city’s largest parades.
“Many Black folks today consider June 19th our day of independence.”