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West
Indian Labor Day Parade
By
Rene Devis,
Heritagekonpa Magazine September
6, 2004 More
than three million spectators lined up along the streets of Eastern
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RE L A T E D
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to celebrate Caribbean Heritage. The 37th annual West Indian Day Carnival Parade
took place on Monday September, 6, 2004. As in years past, masqueraders were dressed
in exotic and outlandish costumes showcasing their national colors and culture.
This
year, special attention was paid to Haiti as the first Black independent nation
celebrated its bicentennial. Wyclef Jean, Haitian hip pop artist, was named one
of the parade's grand marshals. "The Haitian community is very much a part of
the Caribbean community," said Yolanda Lezama-Clark of the West Indian Day Carnival
Association. "They come out every year on Eastern Parkway and we felt it would
be a wonderful tribute to invite them." New
York City's Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, who walked at the head of the parade with
Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean, kicked off the parade at approximately 11:15
AM. The 2004 Labor Day Parade was also packed with a contingency of local politicians,
including United States Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Brooklyn Borough President
Marty Markowitz, City Councilmember Laticia James, United States Representative
Major Owens, Councilwoman Yvette Clark, and finally State Senator Kevin Parker,
who is an African American politician that represents a large number of Caribbean
immigrants. As
the floats and masqueraders made their way into the heart of Eastern Parkway,
carnival revelers poured onto the streets. However, most people were not allowed
to follow more than one float at a time, unless they had a media credential. A
number of frustrated carnival spectators complained about the tight security provided
by New York City's finest. During the last few years, increasing concerns and
numerous incidents of violence have forced the city's officials to raise security
levels. More
than 4,000 police officers were assigned to the parade route, directing traffic
and ensuring public safety.  Despite
the tight security, this year's Labor Day carnival festivities were all about
fun, beautiful costumes, skimpy clothes, and good music. The merriment, however,
was tainted by one unfortunate accident. Celeste Alvarez, 21, of the Bronx, was
tossing T-shirts from the back of a pick up truck when she fell off and was pinned
beneath the wheels of a trailer. Celeste was immediately rushed to Kings County
Hospital where police later pronounced that she was in stable condition.
According
to the West Indian Day Carnival Association, 70 floats representing different
Caribbean Islands participated in the parade. Caribbean-Americans danced to pulsating
Caribbean rhythms of Calypso, Socca, Reggae, and Konpa music. Haiti
was successfully represented by top konpa group -Djakout Mizik, Tvice, and Sweet
Micky. All three Haitian bands did not make it to Eastern Parkway until about
3:45 PM. For the first in four years, Djakout Mizik (with special guest Tonton
Bisha) had a great sound and a huge crowd following both sides of their truck.
Unfortunately the parade was scheduled to end at 6:00 PM and many Haitians who
attended the parade questioned why these bands took so long to reach the Parkway.
It
is incomprehensible that a small group of Haitians continue to engage in pushing
and shoving games, which sometimes makes it difficult for other people to enjoy
the parade. This ridiculous behavior needs to stop as it is giving all of us Haitians
a bad reputation. The
carnival's festivities were peaceful for the most part. |
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