Highlights of the 2019 West Indian Labor Day Parade in Brooklyn, New York. The full gallery can be found here. The West Indian Labor Day Parade is one of the largest parade festival events hosted in New York City and the United States. The parade began in the 1930s when it was hosted in Harlem and then moved to Crown Heights, Brooklyn in the 1960s. The events of the Labor Day Parade are to celebrate the richness of Caribbean heritage and culture.
All are welcomed and encouraged to attend regardless of race, nationality, etc. While admittedly there has been an increase in violence (which the media and residents whom have no understanding of the event smear as a “part of the festivities and the nature of the people” and attempts to cancel the Parade), that (and pouring rain this year) never stops the fun and celebrations. Being born and raised in Brooklyn, I never really participated until last year. I’m glad I can appreciate the event more now as an adult.