[music]

Brian Lehrer: Music and [unintelligible 00:00:13] from the 2019 West Indian Day Parade. Because it's canceled due to COVID, we are opening up the phones right now for a J'ouvert and West Indian Day Parade off the air. Call in with any one thing you love about your heritage. What would you say? What would you be celebrating if you could be out there on Eastern Parkway or thereabout in person on Monday? 646-435-7280, 646-435-7280. Florette in Flatbush, you're on WNYC. Hi, Florette. Thanks for calling up.

Florette: Good afternoon, Brian. [beep]- to you for a long time. Congratulations with staying on the air so long, and being such a good host for your program.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you.

Florette: Well, there was a [unintelligible 00:01:01] Brian at sometime called "I'm a proud West Indian" with a calypso song. My grandpanrents with my parents, my mother and my grandfather and his six children, my grandmother and their six children. My grandfather was from [unintelligible 00:01:19], a town in Albert town [unintelligible 00:01:21]. My grandmother was from St Elizabeth Parish.

If you talk about the things that we like, well, I was happy to be a West Indian when they had the parade. I told you some years ago when I called, that I'm watched in the first parade with Pan Am, with the Pan Am West Indians. Well, we have our own culture. We have special food, Brian. I think like my mother would make fungie, and that's with okra, I think, and cornmeal, peas and rice. My mother would call it rice and peas. What was it? Plantains.

Then the music. We had the calypso songs, we had the calypso dances. Without them, only because they were from Jamaican, they would have the Jamaica benefit dances where my grandfather would dress up in his tuxedo. He had one of those capes with the red linings like-- I guess they wore in those days. He had the collapsible top hat, but they were very formal. They had build their largest. The West Indians who came here, the ones that I knew from Jamaica, they had formed lodges where they would all meet and build. They share in their own community. They would establish things, protect each other.

Brian Lehrer: Very common from immigrants from around the world, creating local societies here from even the towns, individual towns that people were from, from wherever they came from. Thank you for all of that, Florette. That was beautiful. Thank you for starting us off. Let me get some other people in here. Going next to George in Harlem. Hi, George. You're on WNYC. Welcome to our J'ouvert-

George: Hi, Brian. How are you today?

Brian Lehrer: - and West Indian Day Parade of the year. Hi.

George: To me, my family is from Belize, but we always celebrated Haitian independence, January the 1st 1804. My father would always say that Haitian independence wasn't just for the Haitians, it was for all African people, and I still think like that. Though Haiti has gone through a lot of troubles and they've had their difficulties, they are still our heroes. Their independence is the independence of all African people throughout all the Americas. I'm so happy to celebrate it on a day, a Caribbean heritage celebration. Thank you, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Perfect, George. Beautiful. Ricky in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Ricky.

Ricky: How are you doing, Brian?

Brian Lehrer: Doing all right.

Ricky: Yes, man. Nice to hear your voice, man. I hope all is well. Definitely, I'm from Jamaica. Coming here in The West Indian Parade is like a silent competition amongst the islands. I love when everybody come out and just show off the costumes and the music and the trucks. I just like to see how many people is there in our community that support the same thing. It's just beautiful in the food and the girls dancing. It's a lot. We're definitely going to miss that. I'm saying we understand why we're not having it this year, but we're going to find out ways to party and still have it, because this is in our blood.

Brian Lehrer: The girls dancing and the boys dancing, right? Boys can dance too.

Ricky: Yes, we got to dance together. The girls and the guys dancing, that's what makes us one. You know what I'm saying?

Brian Lehrer: I know what you're saying, Ricky. Thank you very much. Ricky, you may be interested in our next caller. Many of you may, because there are some smaller replacement events that have been scheduled. Ariana in Brooklyn is calling in with one of those, I think. Hi, Ariana. You're on WNYC.

Ariana: Hi, Brian. It's such an honor to be on the call with you.

Brian Lehrer: The honor is mine.

Ariana: [chuckles] We have in Downtown Brooklyn. I'm not from the Caribbean community but I am a huge supporter. We have an event in lieu of the cancellation of The West Indian Day Parade. We will have carnival on the Plaza in Downtown Brooklyn today. It's taking place at Flatbush and Lafayette. The Plaza is 300, Ashland. We will have moko jumbies, which are stilt walkers.

We will have a limbo dance performance as well as contest. Music from the Caribbean. We'll have a Jamaican food truck on site. This is entirely curated by the Caribbean community. We wanted to invite everyone out to Downtown Brooklyn, the Plaza 300 Ashland, five to eight o'clock. It should be a really amazing time, and we want to support the community after the cancellation.

Brian Lehrer: Glad you mentioned it, Ariana. Thank you very much. Magdalee in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Magdalee?

Magdalee: Yes, hi. Can you hear me?

Brian Lehrer: I can hear you just fine.

Magdalee: Yes. I just wanted to say that I'm just so proud to be from Haiti and have connections to Haiti. Generally, we know that the media portrays and shows the poorest parts of Haiti. It is important for everyone to remember as one of your calls [unintelligible 00:06:25] at Haiti is the first independent black nation in the entire world. That's something to just really be proud of.

I'm still very much submerged in the Haitian culture, and I remain proud and engaged. I eat a lot of the authentic Haitian dishes. Yes, that's pretty much it. I'm going to miss that this year, being able to represent and showing how proud I am of being from Haiti.

Brian Lehrer: You want to give everybody maybe a taste of one of those Haitian dishes? What do you make?

Magdalee: Okay. Oh, two-- I don’t make them but my mother does. Dewey Jon Jon is the black rice, so everywhere you go, everyone is like, "Oh, do you know how to make that black rice? Dewey Jon Jon with stewed chicken. That's a main dish a main Haitian dish.

Brian Lehrer: Nice. Thank you very much, Magdalee. We have a few more minutes. Our J'ouvert and West Indian Day Parade of the year since Monday's big in-person festivities have been canceled for the second year because of COVID, and because we won't be here doing the show live on Monday, Labor Day. To do it then, we are designating right now the J'ouvert and West Indian Day Parade of the year and inviting you to--

If you are a West Indian or a West Indian descent of any kind, call up and say something on the air about why you love your heritage. What would you be celebrating out there on and around Eastern Parkway on Monday, if you could in person? 646-435-7280, 646-435-7280. This is WNYC FM, HD, and AM New York. WNJT FM, 88.1, Trenton, WNJP, 88.5, Sussex, WNJY 89.3, Netcom, and WNJO 90.3 Times River. We are New York and New Jersey public radio. Danielle in New Rochelle, you're on WNYC. Hi, Danielle.

Danielle: Hi. How are you?

Brian Lehrer: Good. Where's your family from?

Danielle: Dominica. It's a small island. Not a lot of people know it, but there's a lot to celebrate. It's known as the nature [unintelligible 00:08:53] The people are very resilient from everything from Hurricane David into Maria. We know music applies to both the French and English speaking Caribbeans. I also want to stop at [unintelligible 00:09:06]

Brian Lehrer: You want to say something about them?

Danielle: Well, the entire people are one of the remaining groups of [unintelligible 00:09:19] people that are indigenous to the Carribeans.

Brian Lehrer: Danielle, thank you so much for all of that. Jed in the Bronx wants to school us a little on geography, I think. Hi, Jed. You're on WNYC.

Jed: Hi, Brian. How are you doing today? Long time listener, great show.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you.

Jed: I think it's time that we could do some reflection on the geography of the Caribbean. For example, I was telling your screener I'm from -- Most of the time, I mentioned to my American friends. They're like, "We're in Jamaica in that slate.

Brian Lehrer: [chuckles].

Jed: We are a different independent dialogue. If we could update the different islands in the Caribbean, every now and again we look at the Google map, familiarize ourself. I think that would be a much better educational inspiration for Americans and worldwide also.

Brian Lehrer: That would be a good thing to do. When I was doing the roll call of countries at the beginning of the segment, I said I was sure I was leaving some out. Yes, I did leave out St. Kitts, Nevis. I left out Borneo.

Jed: Thank you for the interview. [laughs]

Brian Lehrer: I'm sure of others. I forgive you for that. You do a good job, so you're forgiven for that.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you. Do you want to say one thing about being from St. Kitts that you love?

Jed: Yes, being from St. Kitts, it's almost like we are totally involved in the American scene. We're pretty close to America. We're just below Puerto Rico. Surprisingly, as you know Brian, a lot of the leaders in the civil rights movement, a lot of them had Caribbean roots. You're carrying the Carribean. We shut our Custom to freedom. Once they get to America, it was quite natural for them to join grassroot movements that are seeking civil rights and freedom for Americans and worldwide to that effect.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, Jed, thank you so much. Please call us again. Annette in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Annette.

Annette: Hi. I just want to piggyback on what he just said talking about the civil rights activists, the leaders who joined groups right here. The Grenadians gave the Haitians our Rish Christoffe. [unintelligible 00:12:06] One of the original revolutionaries in the Haitian revolution. One of our very important leaders [Julian 00:12:14]. We don't know what happened to him, but we believe that he escaped up with Christophe to Haiti. This is a small Grenadian community in Haiti. These were the people who went up to fight with the Haitians.

When you speak of Haitian revolutions, you're also talking about a very strong resistance movement from the island of Grenada. Yes, we gave you all- What's the name of this guy who was up there with Dr. King? He's Trinidadian. Of course, he was Farrakhan. All of these West Indian people who have parents from the West Indies are very important in our diaspora and our resistance movements.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much, Annette. Rick originally from Trinidad, I think, in Queens. You're on WNYC. Hi, Rick.

Rick: Hi, Brian. How are you doing? Yes, it's a pleasure. Now, the parade is very inclusive, and that's a great thing for all the Caribbean islands. The essence of it really comes out of the Trinidad carnival and Trinidad's indepence celebrationclebration, which actually actually was Tuesday, August 31st. That's like the origin of the whole celebration thing coming out of little Harlem back in the day,

The event has evolved into really celebrating all of the Caribbeans, which is a great thing. The Trinidad honourable culture is really what [unintelligible 00:13:46] in the Eastern Broadway.Carlos was our family. He was big in really promoting that. That's major for New York, the biggest parade in the North America, if I'm not mistaken.

Brian Lehrer: I thank you. All right. Thank you for filling that one in. One more, Vikram in Albertson. You're on WNYC. Hello, Vikram.

Vikram: Hi. Hello, Brian. A longtime listener. Thank you so much for doing the segment. I just want to say I'm from Guyana. We're part of South America, but we're considered part of the Caribbean with the catacombs [unintelligible 00:14:24]. I just want to say for us, it's the music, the chuppy music. It's really a celebration of just the different cultures within the Caribbean, so very proud of being Guyanese and so forth. I just want to say thank you again for doing the segment.

Brian Lehrer: Vikram, thank you very much for calling in on it. Thanks to all of you who called for J'ouvert and West Indian Day Parade and carnival of the year. Let's all hope it'll be back in person in 2022.

[music]

Brian Lehrer: Some of the sounds from the last in-person one in 2019.

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