Akron's official Juneteenth celebration took place Wednesday after numerous events were canceled over the weekend due to safety concerns.
Last Friday, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik held a press conference, announcing that 11 public events for the weekend were canceled. This included a couple of the Juneteenth events.
Akron council members sent a letter to Malik last week, urging him to cancel the events due to safety concerns regarding the June 2 shooting.
However, former councilwoman Tara Mosely Weems decided to hold her own Juneteenth party in her neighborhood.
"The event is about, it's about community," Mosely Weems said. "So why not stay in the community."
Mosely Weems's house is just doors down from the fatal shooting that left 27 people injured and one man dead.
"It’s never [a] concern for us," Mosely Weems said. "I'm not afraid to be outside my house. I'm not afraid to be out here talking to my neighbors."
After canceling last weekend's events, the city partnered with Urban League to move its celebration downtown. The city invited organizers and vendors from the weekend's events to take part in the new celebration.
"People get upset about certain things, and you know, it ruffled feathers, but at the end of the day, this community comes right back," Teresa LeGrair, the president of the Urban League, said.
Malik said his decision may cause mixed reactions, but he said he is happy they did it.
"We have been working on this day in and day out, and we're improving every day," Malik said. "You know, I'm really glad that we've been able to put together this same event. But you know, we were working with the organizers about their events to make sure those are safe."
