Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh’s Freedom Jubilee rally was a precursor to the March on Washington, expert says

Published

10 months ago

February 29, 2024

Pittsburgh’s Freedom Jubilee rally was a precursor to the March on Washington, expert says

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — In Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood back in 1960, it was customary for crowds to gather and cheer the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. But on June 19, 1960, thousands gathered to cheer at the Freedom Jubilee rally.

It was an event that was years in the making. The NAACP had been outlawed in some southern states and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which stepped in to fill the void, organized this rally that aimed to raise money and awareness about the struggles happening in Dixie.

Dr. Lerone Martin is the Dr. King Centennial Professor at Stanford University, and he is the director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. He says there was a good reason that Pittsburgh was chosen to host this rally.

“What we have been able to uncover is that it was Rev. Cornell Talley of Central Baptist Church there in Pittsburgh who really pushed this idea forward and reached out to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to bring him to the city as a way to bring attention to the civil rights cause that was happening in the south and to also help to raise funds to support that,” Martin said.

Eighteen-thousand people showed up to the jubilee, plus many luminaries of Black culture. People like baseball great Jackie Robinson was the master of ceremonies. Actor Harry Belafonte spoke and sang. And legendary gospel music singer Mahalia Jackson lifted her voice over the PA system and performed a version of her hit “I Found the Answer.”

As wonderful as the music and presentations were, however, the Pittsburgh Courier said that some 18,000 pairs of ears listened, 18,000 sets of eyes gazed and some 18,000 hearts quickened as they listened to an impassioned speech from the man of the hour, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“King gave an address that both encouraged people to continue to support the civil rights movement, not just in the south, but also in the north,” said Dr. Martin. “And he said that America was moving forward into a new reckoning of racism and that white supremacy was over and that African American citizens were no longer willing to accept third class citizenship and that moving forward, the only way American democracy could succeed was if segregation died.”

It was a big speech that was met with a standing ovation.

Overall, the event was seen as a huge success that they held a second one the following year. And though it may not be an event that is in the collective consciousness anymore, the Freedom Jubilee has left a lasting legacy.

Dr. Martin thinks that the Freedom Jubilee was a precursor to the March on Washington.

“You had a large gathering of both civil rights workers and celebrities who came together in a peaceful gathering to bring attention to the civil rights movement. And I think in that way, we can see this jubilee in Pittsburgh, one of the largest events to happen in the city at that time, to show that African Americans could come together in peace and nonviolence to push for change, and we see that of course later with the March on Washington, just three years later, that brought over 250,000 people to the nation’s capital.”

Christopher DeRose

Chris DeRose is a reporter for KDKA-TV. He has been a reporter, producer, host and actor for over 15 years, starting his professional career in Chicago back in 2007.

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Pittsburg, PA

Stick a fork in the Pittsburgh Steelers

Published

7 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

As I sit here feeling a headache form in between sips of egg nog in my new Ice Nine Kills sweatshirt, I’ve written, erased, and rewritten the opener for this six times. What can even be said after what we just watched other than “Yeah, this team isn’t going anywhere.”

From the opening drive, these were the same Steelers we’ve seen the last two weeks – unorganized, unmotivated, and a complete non-threat to teams that are actually contenders in the AFC.

The Chiefs jumped out to a 13-0 lead after the Steelers punted on their first two drives that spanned a combined eight plays. The Steelers weren’t down and out yet, though. A quick drive that featured several big Jaylen Warren runs got them into the red zone in three plays. Warren ran into the end zone, but a holding call on Darnell Washington brought it back. The next play, Russell Wilson threw an interception to Justin Reid and that all but sealed the deal. Even when Wilson ran in for a score to make the lead 13-7, it never really felt like the Steelers would take the game by the horns and make a statement. The only statement they made is that they remain a second-class team.

Even when they owned time of possession, they didn’t do anything with the ball. They had the ball for 31:22, but their two turnovers plus a turnover on downs did them in. They ran the ball well, as Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both finished with over 70 yards and the team accumulated over 200 yards on the day. But five Russell Wilson sacks and a lackluster passing game were Pittsburgh’s undoing offensively.

Defensively, this team is lost. After the first two scores, multiple players are throwing up their hands in confusion wondering what happened. They didn’t register a sack on Mahomes, they gave up 320 yards through the air, and allowed 16 first downs via Mahomes’ arm. This is not a good defense, and they lack any sort of aggressiveness to try and help the back end with pressure. Now at 10-6 and losers of three straight, Pittsburgh will likely be the No. 5 seed and travel to Houston or Baltimore for the wild card round, and nothing they’ve shown over the last month gives anyone any reason to believe they’d win. Stick a fork in the Pittsburgh Steelers, this isn’t a serious football team.

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Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Day History: Record, Statistics, & More

Published

17 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Day History: Record, Statistics, & More

The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day as part of a two-game showcase on Netflix.

A Brief History of the Steelers on Christmas Day

Wednesday’s matchup against the Chiefs will only be the third time the Steelers have played on Christmas Day in their history. Pittsburgh played on consecutive Christmas Days in 2016 and in ’17. They hold a 2–0 record on Christmas, beating the Baltimore Ravens in ’16 and the Houston Texans in ’17. A win over the Chiefs this year would allow the Steelers to keep their undefeated Christmas record.

The NFL first played Christmas games in 1971 when hosting two matchups: Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins. The league took a long break from hosting Christmas Day games until 1989. The NFL didn’t consistently showcase Christmas Day games until somewhat recently. Games on the holiday used to happened every few years or so, but now there’s been at least one if not more Christmas Day games every year since 2020.

The 2022 and ’23 seasons saw three Christmas Day games each, the most ever hosted on the holiday. It’s more rare for the NFL to have Christmas games compared to the long-standing tradition of Thanksgiving games.

Key Moments in Steelers’ Christmas Day History

The Steelers’ first Christmas Day game back in 2016 vs. the Ravens was one for the history books. Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North title after former receiver Antonio Brown scored a four-yard touchdown with nine seconds left in the game to give the Steelers a 31–27 victory. It’s always a huge win when the Steelers beat their AFC North rivals, but it helps that a playoff spot was on the line, too. Pittsburgh advanced to the AFC Championship that season, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl championship-winning New England Patriots.

The Steelers’ 2017 Christmas Day matchup vs. the Texans the following year wasn’t as nail-biting as Pittsburgh dominated 34–6. The Steelers scored four touchdowns in the game compared to the Texans’ one touchdown, which resulted in no two-point conversion. The Steelers would go on to lose in the wild-card round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It’s been so long since the Steelers have played in a Christmas Day game, though, as former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led the team to both of these key wins mentioned above. The Steelers are on their fourth starting quarterback since Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.

By the Numbers: Steelers’ Christmas Day Record

The Steelers hold a 2–0 record on Christmas Day.

Year Advertisement	Opponent	Result
2016	Baltimore Ravens	W, 31–27 Advertisement
2017	Houston Texans	W, 34–6

Roethlisberger threw for 279 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions during the win over the Ravens. Running back Le’Veon Bell carried the ball 20 times for 122 yards and one touchdown. And, another blast from the past, Brown caught the ball 10 times for 96 yards and one touchdown.

Both Roethlisberger and Bell showed out for the Steelers in 2017, too. The quarterback threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns, while the running back carried the ball 14 times for 69 yards and one touchdown. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster led the Steelers with six catches for 75 yards and one touchdown in the contest. Brown missed the game due to injury.

Steelers’ Christmas Day Heroes

As mentioned above, both Roethlisberger and Bell appeared as heroes for the Steelers in both previous Christmas Day games. Brown, too, is considered the hero of the 2016 game as he scored the final touchdown to seal the win.

Memorable Rivalries and Matchups

Rivalry games are often showcased during the Christmas Day matchups. The Steelers were a part of that narrative in 2016 when playing against the Ravens, but this year the Steelers and Ravens will be playing in different Christmas games. The Ravens will be playing the Texans after the Steelers–Chiefs game.

The Chiefs have appeared in multiple rivalry Christmas Day games against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2004 and ’23, and also against the Denver Broncos in 2016. Kansas City holds a 2–2 record on Christmas Day.

The Christmas Day games often hold playoff implications for teams as the games are played near the end of the regular season. Before the 18-week season, the Christmas Day games were sometimes the last games of the season for some teams. However, both the Steelers and Chiefs clinched playoff spots already. The Steelers will need to win in order to keep the top AFC North seed, especially if the Ravens beat the Texans.

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