Carnival celebrated at site of Bed-Stuy’s BLM mural
By Tangerine Clarke
Fulton Street between Marcy
and Brooklyn Avenues came
alive with colorful costume
revelers on Sept. 5 thanks to
Black Lives Matter Bed-Stuy
and the West Indian American
Day Carnival Association, who
hosted a Carnival display on
the Black Lives Matter mural
that stretches along the thoroughfare.
Labor Day Saturday was different
this year. The annual
Kiddie’s Carnival Parade was
sidelined because of the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic and
CDC restrictions — but, this
did not stop nationals from
coming out to enjoy a celebration
of the Caribbean diaspora.
With social distancing protocol
in place, this year’s theme
— “Back to Love” — came
together in an afternoon display
that began with health and
wellness activities, a musical
performance by Anslem Douglas
courtesy of 500 Men Making
a Difference and a steelpan
medley by 11-year old Musical
Marli.
The hours-long presentation,
hosted by the Bed-Stuy Mural
Collective in partnership with
the office of District 36 Councilmember
Get to know WIADCA’s 2020 virtual marshals
Caribbean L 6 ife, Sept. 11-17, 2020
Robert E. Cornegy
Jr., the Bed-Stuy “Gateway”
BID, Bridge Street and more,
presented a costume revelry
which featured performances
by children and stilt dancers
— much to the delight of a
limited crowd of nationals who
wore face masks.
Monique Antoine, a programming
coordinator for the
event, said that for four weeks
leading up to Labor Day Weekend,
there were wellness activities
like yoga, aerobics, and
exercise to help residents heal
from the trauma of the COVID-
19 pandemic.
She added that the program
was extended to the Labor
Day Weekend, since Carnival
on Eastern Parkway was cancelled.
“We wanted to bring the
spirit of the Caribbean to the
mural,” said Antoine, adding
that Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada,
Barbados, and other Islands
were represented at the showcase,
which was accompanied
by DJ music.
Trinidad-born fashion
designer Sandra Jules of Brooklyn
based SanJules Unique Art
Performers clad in colorful red costumes, center, with stilt dancers and youths, at the WIADCA
carnival display on Fulton Street in Brooklyn. Que - BlacklivesMatter Collective
Creations Inc. said her small
business was severely affected
due to COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was unable to do fashion
shows. This is where I made
most of my money,” said the
designer, whose creations are
now being sold online at San-
Jules.com.
“It is tough, but I had to
do something different to survive.
This has made my business
stronger, because I can see there
are new possibilities. I work
hard, and I educated myself, to
learn the marketing side of the
business, for the future.
“I am alive, and my family
is alive,” she said with gratitude,
looking forward to the
new normal in 2021.
By Nelson A. King
Though the world’s largest
celebration of Caribbean culture
was observed virtually this
year, in view of the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic, the West
Indian American Day Carnival
Association (WIADCA), organizers
of the massive carnival
parade on Brooklyn’s Eastern
Parkway, still aptly hosted grand
marshals – virtually.
The three honored, as grand
marshals, on Monday, during
the 12-hour “One Love” Virtual
Road show were: Belizean-American
Ensefieri Felix, founder of
Caribbean American Pride; Jewish
Jamaican-American social
activist Mayaan Zik, founder of
Ker a Vel, a Yiddish rallying cry
urging to “turn the world over”
in pursuit of a world liberated
in justice and peace; and Jamaican
American Nikiesha Hamilton,
founder and chief executive
officer of the Brooklyn-based
Afeni Creative Studios.
Ensefieri Felix
An activist from birth, Felix,
at the tender age of 3, accompanied
her mother Florine to her
first protest march against the
Guatemalan presence in their
native land.
On graduating from High
School, she enrolled in Binghamton
University, where
she majored in literature and
rhetoric, and minored in Latin
American and Caribbean Area
Studies.
In 2000, Felix said she was
invited to attend the S.I.S.T.A.H
(Sisters ins Search of Truth,
Alliance and Harmony).
Later on, she said she was
invited to walk the Manhattan
Gay Pride with Caribbean Spotlight
on the Labor Day Parade.
Felix said she then worked
to co-found Caribbean American
Pride, currently serving as
president and holding forums in
the Brooklyn Caribbean Community
on HIV/AIDS.
Mayaan Zik
Zik, a social activist, co-founded
Ker a Velt (pronounced like
Care-a-Velt) and co-organized
the Tahalucha For Social Justice,
which called on Orthodox and
Chabad Jews in Crown Heights,
Brooklyn to march against police
violence in June 2020.
Zik said she has been featured
in Vogue magazine, the
Washington Post and The Jewish
Ensefi eri Felix, Nikiesha Hamilton and Mayaan Zik. WIADCA
Press, among others. She
lives with her husband and four
children in the Crown Heights.
Nikiesha Hamilton
Hamilton earned her Bachelor
of Arts (BA) degree in Global
and Comparative Governance
from American University,
along with two fellowships: Public
Policy International Affairs
(PPIA) from Princeton University
and NYC Urban Fellows.
She worked within the US
Attorney’s Office, US House of
Representatives, NYC Mayor’s
Community Affairs Unit Office,
and the Domestic Policy Council’s
Office of Urban Affairs,
Justice and Opportunity at the
Obama White House.
Hamilton said she lived abroad
and traveled to 19 countries in
Europe to study the European
Union economics, governance,
security and culture, which
taught her “what is possible for
the African Diaspora.”
She said started Afeni Creative
Studios after working at
the Brooklyn Museum as Head
of Government and Community
relations, and serving as a Board
Member and teacher for Movement:
Black Youth Abroad.
The month-long virtual carnival
presentations started on
Friday, with Youth Fest, a talent
show, highlighting young,
emerging artists; and Brass Fest.
All carnival festivities culminate
in a grand finale on Saturday,
Sept. 26, with “Panology:
Origins,” a virtual steel band
showcase, featuring soloists
from around the globe, and an
educational journey.
“We can’t wait to take back
the parkway in 2021,” said Trinidadian
Rhea Smith, WIADCA
Board member and first vice
president. “But, in the meantime,
let’s get ‘Back to Love’
again.”
/Jules.com
