Steeped in tradition, colorful energy, West Indian Parade struggles to shed heavy crown of violence
On Labor Day, a day dedicated to respite from work and school, some don their swim clothes and make a valedictory trip to the beach, desperately clinging to summer as it slips away. But for more than one million, the destination par excellence is as landlocked as one can imagine. So it was for the massive crowd of participants and spectators who lined Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights for the annual West Indian American Carnival Day.
Since its inception in Harlem among immigrants from Trinidad and Tobago in the 1920s, the event has changed from being a typical Mardi Gras-styled pre-Lenten Carnival to a late summer festival. No less substantial has been the event’s shift toward being pan-Caribbean in scope, welcoming not only islanders, but also those of heritages from the surrounding mainland, including Guyana and Belize. By collectively celebrating a larger number of cultures and occurring on Labor Day when most are free from work, children home from school and the weather more seasonable than the wintry months proper to Carnival, the West Indian American Day Parade has blossomed into something much greater. Add to that the number of non-Caribbean New Yorkers (and tourists) eager to witness the ensuing spectacle, and it’s easy to understand how the event has become one of the largest annual public gatherings in the city.