We all are one: MetroHealth Juneteenth Freedom Fest met with celebration, community, education (photos) [Video]

CLEVELAND, Ohio — It is obviously no secret that the Rolling Stones are in Cleveland Saturday, and as concertgoers walked through downtown wearing their Rolling Stones shirts, many made sure to stop by the MetroHealth Juneteenth Freedom Fest at Mall C near the Downtown lakefront.

It was a beautiful, bright and comfortable late spring day as Juneteeth attendees commemorated the end of slavery on June 19, 1865 through remembrance, celebration, good food, good music and even better company with people of all walks of life.

Juneteenth is all about celebrating and educating people on the rich African-American history in Cleveland, said Heather Holmes Dillard, co-founder of the MetroHealth Juneteenth festival. She noted this is the fourth time the Cleveland festival has been held.

“Fourth of July, Independence Day was the day that our country gained independence, independence of the land,” she said. “So, Juneteenth was the day that we saw freedom for all people.”

The festival had four stages and featured …