By Amanda Moses
The streaks of morning daybreak signaled the start of the annual J’Ouvert celebration on September 2nd just after 6 a.m. outside of Grand Army Plaza.
Thousands of revelers gathered in the early morning our dressed in their very best Carnival attire, some even rubbing oil and paint on themselves in honor of Caribbean diaspora. The word J’Ouvert translated to “daybreak” in French and is a traditional celebration of slaves who were freed after their emancipation. It is now commemorated Labor Day weekend ahead of the West Indian American Parade along Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights.
Brooklyn is said to hold some of the largest West Indian population in the United States, and in honor of this the borough has played host to the parade.
Drenched in oil, attendees danced to calypso and steelpan and brass bands. Many were laughing as they rubbed passersby with oil stating it was a way to remember the Canboulay riots of 1881, which people smeared on themselves to avoid being recognized by British colonial government for burring cane.
The parade culminated on Empire Boulevard, while the West Indian Parade went on from Grand Army Plaza to East New York Avenue.
Photos by Amanda Moses
