Composer’s Letter:
A place that’s very important to me is Eastern Parkway, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. When I think about Eastern Parkway and what it means to me, I immediately think about the West Indian American Day Parade that takes place every labor day, beginning in front of my building on Eastern Parkway and Buffalo Ave and ending in front of the Brooklyn Museum. Since my pamper stage, I have participated in the parade with my family; it has become a tradition, reminding us of Trinidad and Tobago, where my family originates.
In this photo story, I show images from Kiddies Carnival in 2004, showcasing myself and my family indulging in this time that brings us so much joy. Kiddies Carnival takes place the Saturday before the main parade on Labor Day. I had the most personal images that my family took of Kiddies Carnival, which is why I decided to focus on the kiddies parade instead of the main parade on Labor Day. When searching through all of the images that I had of Kiddies Carnival in 2004, I felt as if the ones I chose captured the essence of the message that I want viewers to take away. It felt nostalgic to sift through the pictures in search of the ones that would help me create a story. During my search, I shared images with my cousin Sharnice, my dad, and my mom, who are all shown in the photo story, and we were able to laugh and talk about the emotions we felt during that time. Looking back on what the parade meant to my family and me in 2004 compared to now, shows how much the cultural essence and joy of the parade has changed dramatically.
I want my audience to feel the same sense of joy that shines through these pictures and take away a curiosity to learn more about the parade and maybe participate in it themselves. The parade is a fun time filled with music, food, and dancing, that is open for any and everyone to enjoy. I want my audience to understand the importance of this event in the West Indian Community and how so many people take pride in celebrating and keeping the West Indian culture alive. I believe that my photo story will allow viewers to capture my message by displaying the relationship between the parade, myself and my family.
Using this single mode to tell a story brought challenges. For me to display a compelling narrative, I wanted to make sure that each image I used captured a part of the parade that would help my audience understand why it’s so important to me and why I chose to center my story on this particular event. Mostly, I felt the pressure to ensure that I engage viewers with a story that makes them feel apart of the experience.
Based on my feedback, I organized the images in a way that creates a more chronological story, helping viewers understand how each image relates to one another. Also, I fixed a few grammatical errors.
Thanks for viewing, I hope you enjoy it!