There was no way Amenah Tucker was going to miss this.
The 4-year-old’s mother, Sarah Nielsen, could have spent a sunny, Saturday afternoon with little Amenah anywhere else—the Zoo, Kennywood, Toys ‘R’ Us—but she chose Westinghouse Park in Point Breeze.
That’s where it all culminated on that Aug. 19 afternoon. Where it all began was a few blocks up the road, in Homewood, specifically the corner of N. Homewood Avenue and Bennett Street. On that day, it was the corner of love, not hate. Peace, not violence. Those who congregated in Homewood were there to show unity, solidarity, almost a family-like atmosphere, though for many, it was the first time they’d ever met.
In the wake of possible White nationalist and neo-Nazi groups converging on Pittsburgh’s East End, the Black Brilliance Collective, a group of about six people from various backgrounds, called for those to cancel their Saturday afternoon party plans and party for a purpose.
And the people answered.
“Personally, I wanted to attend the gathering as an ally in action,” Nielsen told the New Pittsburgh Courier in an exclusive interview. “I was very moved by the Black Brilliance Collective at the community meeting with their intent to create a counter narrative to White supremacist movements and institutions in our city and country. Black voices need to be centered and supported in an ongoing narrative, not just an emotional protest.”
And so the march began. About 1:20 p.m. was the time. Spearheaded by some 50 African Americans along the front lines, the over 300 protesters for peace marched through the heart of Homewood and into Westinghouse Park, also known as Malcolm X Park.
A day earlier, Friday, Aug. 18, the City of Pittsburgh sponsored its own rally against hate at the City-County Building. Hundreds attended that rally, as dignitaries from every racial and ethnic background took center stage.
“We’re here today for one simple reason; that where there’s hate, we are going to show love,” Mayor Bill Peduto told the crowd, Downtown. “Where there’s darkness, we are going to show light. And where there are people that are feeling upset and scared, we are going to give them security.
“There’s been a lot of anger that’s been spread across this city, across this country, and that’s not the way we do it in Pittsburgh.”
Back at Westinghouse Park, the rest of the Aug. 19 afternoon saw supporters conversing, eating, spreading positive messages, and inviting those to continue the fight towards racial justice and equality.
The signs during the Saturday march and at the park were held—and heard —loud and clear; “Black Is Brilliant,” “Black Lives Matter;” “Love Trumps Hate,” and “Hate Is Not Welcome Here,” among a host of others.
Little Amenah may not be able to understand the meaning of those signs today. But her attendance at the rally was a sign that her mother, Sarah, is truly invested in her daughter’s future. “It was important to bring Amenah because I know she will be seen as a Black woman in this world, and that is not an experience I can speak on or share with her (Nielsen is White, Amenah is bi-racial). “But I can guide her to be a part of a community and show her there are people fighting for justice, that her voice matters and that she is strong and brilliant.”
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