Labor Day 2010

Christina Berthaud 

10:30 Class.

            On September 6, 2010 I spent my entire day in Brooklyn, New York. Each and every Labor Day on Eastern Parkway all the Caribbean nations gather up with music, food, floats, costumes, flags, feathers, glitter and smiles. From afar the street looked like a big array of color, like a pile of parrot's feathers. This year was my second year in attendance and It felt like the first time all over again. Since I was young I have always heard about the Labor Day parade and how much fun it was. But living in Boston I was never able to go because I had school the following day. I also was never able to go because it was always said to be so dangerous. Boston also has a West Indian festival but having such a strict and overprotective mother I was NEVER allowed to go.

            The first time I went was my freshman year in college (last year) when I was finally out of my mother’s clutches. The first time I went I was nervous and was not familiar with where I was so I was also scared. Though I had fun I always thought “next year will be better.” The first time I went we got there late and came back early so I didn’t get to grasp the feel of everything.

            This year I was able to jump into the street and join the foot traffic, dancing and singing loud (was there from noon to 7pm!). All along the street you heard LOUD soca music, the 'cling and clang' of steel pan drums. While I was there I seen nearly my whole family tree and contact list in my phone. As many people as there were flooding the streets, I was able to see too many people I knew (even had to duck and dodge some of them).
            Walking along the street you could see all these smiling shades of brown, from butter pecan to licorice.  I left the parade smelling like charcoal and jerk chicken, from the street vendors and food. There were so many vendors and grills going, I swear I could TASTE charcoal (gross). 

            Though I have been to the parade before NOTHING topped how much fun I had this year. This year Haiti had the most floats. I have always had the greatest sense of pride in my country and people, BUT this year in the parade I was smiling from ear to ear as soon as my floats came by.

            January 12, 2010 Haiti endured a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, shattering the country. My heart was broken because these are my people, my family, and my country. I was especially hurt because I lost a cousin in the earthquake and my mother was also in Haiti at the time. But as soon as I saw the 1^st Haitian float I instantly thought, “my people have come a long way and are strong and have today to show how strong we are and how much pride we have” we showed this by flooding the streets, having the most floats and most flags waving in the air.

            To everything great, there is a dark side. Everywhere you go there are always those people who do not know how to conduct themselves. While at the parade people shoved, pushed and fought (I nearly lost my shoe). I witnessed a couple fights and even ran nearly a whole block and hopped a rail when I heard a gun was pulled. Also on the dark side there were plenty of women who had on things they had NO business putting on. Some costumes showed a little TOO much. Also, the whole bathroom situation was gross. They had teal and blue port-a-potties lined up the different blocks for public use. The bathrooms smelled like DEATH...and pee. Though there was one area with really clean ones but I had to pay a whole, crisp & clean emerald green (that rhymed) George Washington dollar to use it. But as soon as I got in there it didn't reek, smelled like lavender actually. 

            In conclusion, it was a GREAT experience and I feel everyone should go at least once in their life. Yes, I know this is a fairly recent memory, but going through my facebook I came across this photo of my roommates and I at the parade and a flood of different things, memories, smiles, pride and love came to mind and I couldn’t help but share.