Pittsburgh's Juneteenth festivities kicked off in Mellon Park on Thursday. One hundred sixty years ago, enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free. It was more than two years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation,

Juneteenth festivities get underway Thursday in the City of Pittsburgh. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, marking when enslaved people in Texas received news of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Pittsburgh's Juneteenth celebrations go beyond Thursday's holiday, with concerts, a parade, film screenings and sporting events happening through the end of the week. The big picture: Juneteenth commemorates the day on June 19,