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Caribbean L 32 ife, JUNE 25-JULY 1, 2021
Brooklyn United alongside Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn,
Council Member Farah Louis and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Offi ce of Council Member Farah N. Louis/ J. Noir Photography
Louis hosts Juneteenth
celebrations in Brooklyn
By Nelson A. King
Haitian American New York City Council
Member Farah N. Louis on Saturday
unveil a statue of George Floyd to kickoff
Juneteenth celebrations in Brooklyn, New
York.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a
46-year-old Black man, was murdered in
Minneapolis, Minn., while being arrested
on suspicion of using a counterfeit US$20
bill.
During the arrest, Derek Chauvin, a
white police officer with the Minneapolis
Police Department, knelt on Floyd’s neck
for nine minutes and 29 seconds, resulting
in Floyd’s death.
Amid nationwide protests and global
outrage, Chauvin was convicted earlier
this year in Floyd’s murder.
Louis, the daughter of Haitian immigrants,
said the six-foot-tall sculpture of
Floyd, which was created by artist Chris
Carnabuci, will be displayed at Flatbush
Junction in Brooklyn for about two to
three weeks before moving to Union
Square in Manhattan.
Louis, who represents the predominantly
Caribbean 45th Council District in
Brooklyn, also honored on Saturday Black
ancestors and civil rights heroes during
the “Second Independence Day” commemorating
Juneteenth celebrations.
“This sacred ‘Second Independence
Day’ continues to resonate in new ways,”
she told Caribbean Life afterwards. “This
year’s ‘Cel-Liberation’ came at a moment
of sweeping social and generational
change.
“Across the country, Americans are
reckoning with past sins and working
to build a fairer and more just future for
the nation,” she added. “In that spirit, on
Saturday, we honored our Black ancestors
and all those civil rights heroes who
fought for freedom before us with a historic
and unforgettable 45-minute rally at
the Brooklyn Library at Grand Army Plaza
that included speeches, prayer, poetry,
music, dancing and drumlines.
“I was so proud to be joined by Council
Majority Leader Laurie A. Cumbo, Assembly
Member Rodneyse Bichotte (Hermelyn),
Council Speaker Corey Johnson and
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
for the first Juneteenth recognized as a
federal holiday,” Louis continued. “Special
thanks to all the young people – the poets,
musicians, artists, activists and scholars –
who made our celebration possible.
“The passion, talent and imagination
among our youth is truly remarkable,”
she said. “You guys are helping to lead the
charge for change, and I promise to walk
with you every step of the way.”
Louis said her office also organized last
year’s inaugural Juneteenth celebration,
at the Brooklyn Public Library, at Grand
Army Plaza.
She described that event as “an enormous
success,” and, as a result, she said
“it likely contributed to (New York) Gov.
Andrew Cuomo recognizing Juneteenth
as an official state holiday.
Last Thursday, Caribbean American
Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D.
Clarke and members of a congressional
delegation joined United States President
Joe Biden and Vice President, Caribbean
American, Kamala Harris for the signing
ceremony of the historic Juneteenth
National Independence Day Act.
The day before, in an overwhelming vote
of 415-14, the US House of Representatives
passed S. 475, the Juneteenth National
Independence Day Act, to commemorate
Juneteenth, the national remembrance
of the end of chattel slavery in the United
States, as a US federal holiday.
“I am so proud to join President Biden,
Vice President Harris and my colleagues
for the singing this historic legislation into
law,” Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican
immigrants, told Caribbean Life after the
signing ceremony.
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