Pennsylvania Juneteenth Initiative holds annual Honor the Ancestors Breakfast
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- At Belmont Mansion in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, the Pennsylvania Juneteenth Initiative held its Honor the Ancestors Breakfast on Friday.
The event commemorates the late broadcast pioneer Trudy Haynes and LaDeva Davis, an original faculty member of Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts.
"We are recognizing and honoring our ancestors, two special people who have gone on before us, on the shoulders on which we stand," said Gary Shepherd, CEO of Third Floor Media.
Attended by the organizers of the citywide celebration and sponsors, this is one of many events happening ahead of Sunday's Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival, which will air on 6abc.
"We celebrate what our community celebrates, our employees celebrate, our families. For the parade on Sunday, we'll have our talent there, we'll be televising it," said Bernie Prazenica, president and general manager of 6abc.
There will be floats, food, live music, and fun.
The parade takes place on 52nd Street, ending with a big festival in Malcolm X Park.
The festival includes a children's village, vendors, community resources, and health screenings.
A mobile unit from Johnson & Johnson's initiative 'Save Legs, Change Lives' will be there, aiming to reduce the risk of amputations in Black Americans.
"We get into these communities, and we educate them about the risk factors," said Johnson & Johnson's Dr. Richard Browne.
"The hope is that early detection will lead to better outcomes and reduce their risk of an amputation," added Browne.
You can watch the Parade on 6abc Sunday with hosts Rick Williams, Tamala Edwards and radio personality Gary Shepherd.
"It's important for Philadelphia because it's cultural. It is our culture to understand the meaning behind Juneteenth, the moment when slaves were freed. So it's important for us to know who we are, know where we came from, and know our history," said Sonni King, executive producer for the parade.
