PIX11 team members cover Brooklyn West Indian Day Parade and remember their roots

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Labor Day weekend in New York means it’s Carnival time, and Brooklyn is preparing to head to Eastern Parkway for the Caribbean food, music, costumes, and culture they’ve celebrated for years. However, one thing is even better than going to the parade and that’s covering it.

That will be the job of PIX11 news team members Kendis Gibson, Nicole Johnson, and Kori Chambers, all of West Indian descent. They will be on hand Sept. 1 at the West Indian American Day Carnival Association’s 58th Annual Carnival Parade. The theme this year is “Vive Le Carnivale” and as many as 1 million people are expected to participate. People who come to the parade and the many connected festivities are from many backgrounds, but Caribbean culture is the focus. Gibson, Johnson, and Chambers understand that and say their families’ journeys in America are similar to those of many in the community.

Chambers was born in the Bronx to two Jamaican parents who came to the United States in the 1970s looking for opportunities. His mother would often joke about coming to the United States and going back.

“That was always the plan, and that didn’t just happen,” Chambers said. “They came here and they made a life here, and now they are retired; they go back on occasion, but this is now their home.”

He thought about being raised in a household of two parents who didn’t come to the United States with a lot. Their purpose was to make sure that their kids did better than they did. As one of five children, Chambers said the expectations were very high, and that you couldn’t be average.

“Being average was not enough. You have to be extraordinary. You have to hit those high levels,” said Chambers. “You can’t bring home a B and be happy with it — that kind of mindset.” 

Johnson had a similar story to Chambers. She was born and raised  in Queens by a Jamaican mother and a Panamanian father, with her parents coming to the United States as children in the 1970s. Johnson’s mother would talk about wanting to go back and only coming to the United States for an education. 

“She did not go back,” said Johnson. “She goes now because she’s retired, but she came, worked here, and was also a nurse before she retired. [Of] all of the kids, myself, I’m the oldest; we were all raised in that household. We had the roots of the Caribbean running through our blood.”

Growing up in New York, Johnson felt like she was at home in Queens, describing the borough as a melting pot and feeling cool to grow up there. Being raised by a Jamaican mother, Johnson described her growing up in that household as strict. 

“You would go to school — it’s like I felt like I was always in school, always learning something, if it wasn’t out there, and I had to really be exceptional,” Johnson said. “She didn’t care what was going on with anyone else. She wanted to make sure that we were on track.”

Johnson’s mother also taught Johnson and her siblings how to cook, despite not wanting anyone in the kitchen while she cooks. According to Johnson, her mom always says, “I don’t have babies here, I’m at work. You better make something to eat.” 

Gibson was born in Belize, and he and his family moved to Brooklyn when he was 11 years old. His experience growing up with his heritage in New York was different. He was the youngest of seven boys, and he said that by the time they got to him, his parents were tired of disciplining them. When he arrived in Brooklyn, he said his goal was to escape his Caribbean roots.

“As an 11-year-old, the goal was to assimilate — and a lot of Latinos had to deal with that also — so I tried to get rid of my accent immediately,” said Gibson. “I had an English teacher who told me to listen to the Carpenters. I had listened to the Carpenters so much — she said they had the purest American accent.”

Gibson also said that when he first got to Brooklyn, many people would use Ambi, a fading cream that lightens dark spots. Many people would use this cream to lighten their skin. 

“I was trying to quickly embark on the white American lifestyle,” Gibson said. “It would take years for me to be able to say, ‘Okay, let me embrace my roots again.’”

He now goes back to Belize once a year to speak to students at schools. “It’s always fun to go back,” Gibson said. 

Johnson, Gibson, and Chambers all say they feel honored to attend Vive Le Carnivale with PIX11 and all agreed that Carnival amplifies how proud they are of their Caribbean background and where they came from. This will be Chambers’s third time attending the event, and Johnson’s and Gibson’s second time. 

Chambers discussed the importance of embracing his island roots. “Any time you have a chance to really show off your culture and to really show that pride, I think that’s important, because, as Kendis [Gibson] even mentioned, the idea of people wanting to assimilate,” he said. “I think this is the opportunity to say, ‘Look, you know what? No, we are a bit different, and this is our moment to shine.’ I think that’s so important, not only for the adults to do it, but also for the young people who maybe didn’t grow up in the islands.”

Johnson is excited about showing her children and the next generation what the culture means, and to making sure that their voices are heard. 

“I’m really honored to [cover the event]. I’m so excited that our station is taking such a leadership role in airing this live,” said Johnson. “We are like, ‘Go big or go home,’ because that’s what the Caribbean culture is. It’s huge. [Carnival is] a wonderful experience and I can’t wait to host again with my colleagues in a few days.”

Gibson shared the same sentiments about the event as Chambers and Johnson. Last year, he was on the float. This year, Gibson will be at the home base, jokingly saying that it’s “right to spare people with my dancing on the float.”

Gibson also described how fascinating it was to be a part of Vive Le Carnivale last year, seeing different people and nationalities, “so this year I’m looking forward to being able to see the full parade.”

The West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) holds its 58th Annual Carnival Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, from 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. For more information, visit wiadcacarnival.org.