The streets of the Cultural District, Downtown, filled with Billy Strayhorn’s music and sounds of joy Wednesday as Pittsburgh welcomed Little Amal, a 12-foot-tall puppet. As she explored the streets, she waved at those around her, led a marching band and hugged children who looked up at her in awe. “Don’t forget about us” is the message that Little Amal seeks to tell the world and shared with the Pittsburgh community. Amal is a 10-year-old Syrian refugee who represents all children forced to leave their homes, often separated from their friends and family along the way. “Walk With Amal,” the project behind Wednesday’s event, was started in 2021 with the purpose of advocating for human rights and refugees around the world. Titled “Take the ‘Jitney’ train,” Wednesday’s walk started at noon in front of Pittsburgh Public Theater’s O’Reilly Theater with a performance from the All City High Schools Marching Band. The band and cheerleaders then guided Amal up Penn Avenue toward the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. On her way to there, Amal stopped in an open area on the corner of Eighth Street, where she danced with community members to the sound of the marching band. There, organizers also took a moment to play a monologue read by Jalina McClarin, engagement manager at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. The monologue, written by TJ Young, is a modern response to Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus,” which is displayed on the Statue of Liberty. 

Photo Credit: Betul Tuncer/Pittsburgh Media Partnership