Corporate Pittsburgh Does Diversity

The Downtown Pittsburgh business community is putting on a cultural show: The DiverseCITY Pittsburgh Festival happens at FirstSide Park, Downtown, on August 16-19 -- the end of next week. This isn't exactly ethnic-and-minority-neighborhoods-and-communities-get-invited-to-do-what-they-do-best; the Festival has a Mission Statement, and the mission is about business: "The Mission of the DiverseCITY Pittsburgh Festival is to celebrate the diverse cultures and ethnicities in the Pittsburgh region while enhancing our national image as a city that embraces all." Drill down a little deeper: "The Greater Pittsburgh Diversity Festival is a not-for-profit, volunteer organization whose mission is to promote and pay tribute to Pittsburgh and the surrounding region’s cultural heritage, while enhancing the region’s image, and the strength and growth of local business by attracting visitors to the city."

I smell the aroma of Pittsburgh-as-usual. Still, there will be some terrific music on hand: Buddy Guy - the Wailers - Mavis Staples - Del Castillo. I hope the weather is nice!