Some Juneteenth events in Detroit canceled due to heat wave
(CBS DETROIT) — Southeast Michigan experienced another day of heat this week, canceling some Juneteenth events in Detroit.
"I've been in the house. Like it's air in there, it's not cold out here," Downtown Detroit resident Quan Laws tells CBS News Detroit. "I've just been in my house or in the car with central air," he told us when talking about the hot weather in Detroit today.
Laws was born and raised in Detroit, and when it's hot outside, he said he's not going too far from home when it's over 90 degrees outside.
Laws and several other Detroiters gathered downtown, despite the heat, to catch "The Color Purple" on Juneteenth in Campus Martius. It's the first movie shown during "Movie Nights in the D," which takes place throughout the summer.
"To me it's super cool just because Detroit it's like up and coming. I grew up here my whole life and it was never like this, so seeing that we get to do stuff like this, come together like be so supportive. Kind of like a family," Laws said.
The event in Campus Martius was one of the last standing. Events like the second annual Juneteenth Run outside of Henry Ford Health and the Detroit Pistons practice facility were postponed. Other events, like the Juneteenth on the Cut at the Detroit Riverfront, were canceled completely.
Everything that was canceled was done so due to the heat, ultimately looking out for people's safety.
"With the humidity that's been really high as well, we're also seeing a lot of people who have problems with their lungs chronically, so those folks with asthma and COPD having increased trouble with breathing," says Dr. Erin Brennen, the vice chief of emergency medicine for DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital.
She said it's important to listen to your body if you're outside in this heat and, as usual, stay hydrated.
"Water is fantastic, but if you're really doing a lot of sweating out in the heat, make sure you're getting in those electrolytes, the sodium and potassium in particular".
