NEW YORK—Indignant elected officials and organizers of the West Indian-American Day Carnival held an emergency press conference to address an association made between gun violence and the annual parade by media reports.
“How dare anyone insult this rich community and this rich culture with attempting to associate the misguided behavior of the numerical minority that participated in criminal behavior with the millions of people who are on the parkway attempting to enjoy and celebrate the rich heritage of this culture,” declared state Sen. Eric Adams at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Wednesday. “That’s wrong!”
A relatively high number of crimes over the Labor Day weekend ended with 67 victims of “senseless shootings and killings,” according to state Sen. John Sampson.
Multiple officials condemned the New York Post for a story that linked the largest parade and festival in New York with gun violence, pointing out that criminal acts occurred throughout the city, with a typical amount in the vicinity of the parade.
A crowd of about 100 attended the press conference.
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz spoke first, saying that “this parade is a great gift to New York and to America.”
The sheer number of people who participate in the parade, totaling over 2 million, is a significant issue, while the fundamental factor is youth criminal activity stemming from a variety of factors, including unemployment, poverty, lack of education, and an unstable family life.
“It’s young people; you don’t get much old people fighting,” said Matthew Star-Whiley, a Brooklyn resident and parade judge and organizer. “It’s these kids who are on their own, and their lifestyles are not very proper. They’re taking their frustrations out. … If your home is not organized, when you come outside you will be disorganized, because you didn’t leave home organized.”
Star-Whiley pointed out that these youth are often growing up in disadvantaged situations, such as with a single parent or even going hungry most of the time.
“They’re growing in poverty,” said Star-Whiley. “They don’t have parents who are looking out for them; they don’t have elders who [are] teaching them the right thing, so they’re on their own. And if you’re leaving them on their own, … they will end up monsters.”
Measures that could be put into place next year to ensure a safe parade setting are checkpoints and random searches, though it is up to the NYPD to implement any tactics they see fit to ensure public safety.
Andre, a 22-year-old student who lives in Brooklyn, suggested a registration process to prevent random people from jumping over barricades and to properly identify parade participants. He noted that there was a large police presence at the event, estimating eight to 10 officers per block.
He echoed the sentiments of many in the room about any talk to stop or move the parade. “I don’t feel the parade should be stopped because of some ‘bad apples,’ because the vast majority of people there are there to have fun, be peaceful, [and] enjoy themselves.”
Speakers pointed out that funding cuts have eliminated many after-school and youth programs, and this has greatly contributed to the lack of extracurricular activities for youth.
In addition to organizing the parade, the West Indian-American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA)strives to teach thousands of youth “essential life skills in leadership; creative arts; dancing; choreography; [and] music—including how to play the steel-pan” through year-round workshops and camps, according to WIADCA President Yolanda Lezama-Clark.
These activities are crucial to engaging youth, helping them learn how to interact and work together, while keeping them out of trouble.
“Our children throughout the year are being cultivated by this great organization,” said Adams. “As long as our children are standing in front of a steel pan, they won’t have a cold gun still in their hands.”
