The 24th annual “Our Ancestors of the Middle Passage” ceremony is June 8 at Coney Island. The ceremony pays tribute to Africans who died during the Middle Passage. It also honors those stolen from their native land and brought to North and South America and the Caribbean across the Atlantic Ocean. At the annual tribute, African drumming and collective praying will take place from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at West 17th Street on Coney Island’s Boardwalk.
At the end of the event, participants carry flowers to the shoreline. The tribute is in connection with other ceremonies that take place around the world, according to sponsors of the event. Participants attending the event are encouraged to wear white clothing. The tribute is sponsored by Akeem Productions, Medgar Evers College, People of the Sun Middle Passage Collective and the Brooklyn Arts Council.