Colorful West Indian Day Parade Captures NYC
By Black Radio Network staff
BROOKLYN, NY - Labor Day in New York City's borough of Brooklyn was beautifully sunny and clear while millions watched the 43rd annual West Indian Day Parade, puncuated by a sea of colors as thousands of marchers strolled up Eastern Parkway in their fabulous costumes to bring Caribbean culture to life.
Calypso and reggae beats could he heard everywhere as celebrants from a dozen Caribbean nations wowed the bystanders. The smell of Caribbean food added to the sensory treat.
Haitian-born singer Wyclef Jean, thwarted in his bid to become Haiti's president, had scheduled to appear, but the Brooklyn raised artist was a no-show.
New York's Governor and Mayor did appear, along with a host of other politicians. One of them, State Senator Eric Adams of Brooklyn, the highest-ranking NY elected official descended from the Afro-Caribbean community, used the ocassion to bash the media for "attempting to remove men of color from power." "That," he said emphatically, "will not happen."
Because of new restrictions on the length of parades in New York, the West Indian Day Parade was shortened somewhat, but still ignited such passion that one veteran parade watcher observed it probably was one of the Big Apple's biggest and most colorful celebrations.