Junior carnival masqueraders fill Crown Heights streets ahead of Labor Day parade
Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels joined WIADCA president Roger Archibald to open the junior road march, saying carnival helps children stay connected to their culture.
NEW YORK, United States. Young masqueraders in dazzling costumes paraded through Crown Heights, Brooklyn, on Saturday, September 5, in the junior road march of the West Indian American Day Carnival.
The junior grand marshals joined West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) president Roger Archibald and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels for a ribbon-cutting to start the hours-long parade.
"They do better in school"
Samuels said carnival is a good way for children to stay connected to their culture.
"It makes them feel inspired, and confident, and they do better in school," he said. "The good thing is that the children's carnival is right before the beginning of the school year."
"I want parents to partner with their children's schools, and teachers to help them to do well in school," he added.
Passing on the culture
A Jamaican grandmother said her five-year-old granddaughter had been playing mas for years and was appearing this year as a junior queen with D'Midas International in the theme band "China With Love".
"I continue to bring her to the road march because I want her to learn from a very early age the importance of carrying on our culture," she said. "Children are the future. We don't want to see our culture die."
A Martinique-born mother of two said her children were born in Brooklyn, but when the family moved to New Jersey there was no Caribbean children's parade for them. For the past two years they have returned to Brooklyn to play mas, and planned to follow the parade to its end at the Brooklyn Museum grounds.
A band leader who has won the junior costume competition 10 times said she continues to dress the children each year because of the joy she gets from leading her band.
Feathers, jewels and sequins
The road march began at 9.45am with the Brooklyn Royal Diamond majorettes performing kicks, twirls and dance routines.
Kings, queens and individual characters wore costumes trimmed with feathers, jewels and sequins, with towering headpieces in colours from neon pink to green, red, yellow and white.
Bands included Sesame Flyers, Strong Jah International, which portrayed "A Journey Into Africa", Jump Up and Royal Soca Mas.
The march ended with a "World Stage" junior competition and youth fest on the Brooklyn Museum grounds, setting the tone for the adult parade on Eastern Parkway.
