Juneteenth weekend serendipitously coincided with Father’s Day weekend, making for a nice collaboration of Black pride and fatherhood at the annual Father’s Day walk-and-talk march.
NYC Gun Violence Prevention Czar AT Mitchell, who is also executive director of the nonprofit Man Up Inc., organizes the event every year. Schools Chancellor David Banks and Mayor Eric Adams, who was a part of the walk in his borough president days, also made the trek towards the bridge.
“While we are marching and acknowledging the dismantling of slavery in the physical sense, we have an obligation to dismantle the emotional trauma of slavery,” said Adams once the group reached Borough Hall. “We have to acknowledge the fact that there’s still some healing that needs to be done and we must be part of that human process.”
The group of men and boys started the march at Barclays Center on Atlantic Avenue, made a stop at Borough Hall, and then the Juneteenth Grove at Cadman Plaza Park before crossing the crowded Brooklyn Bridge. They concluded the walk at Foley Square, near where one of the city’s largest known African burial sites was discovered, in homage to the Juneteenth holiday.
The journey was about 3 miles (5k) in total so organizers handed out preliminary medals for those that would complete it to celebrate the physical task as well.
Some men were creative and had bright blue, patterned, or burgundy suits on. Others popped on bow ties or brimmed hats to supplement stuffy ties. One or two had high tops on with shorts and gray jackets while some opted for linens and casual dress. Mitchell himself wore a bright green suit with a grandmaster sash slung across his chest.
Brother Paul Muhammad, a member of the Nation of Islam, has attended the walk-and-talk event since it started in Brownsville and East New York over a decade ago. Muhammad is a father, grandfather, and great grandfather as well as organizer in the community. He said that the walk seeks to change the “myth” of the absent Black father in the household.
“It was about one community coming together to show our solidarity. Doing positive things, walking together,” said Muhammad. “Representing the Black man standing up for his community.”
Cyriac St. Vil, of the 500 Men Making a Difference organization, was one of the other main organizers for the walk. He said in the earliest days of the event the men and boys that gathered didn’t necessarily wear suits as they marched up Sutter Avenue. But this year, they wanted to take the message of positivity through the “heart and soul” of Brooklyn, so they donned suits despite the heat.
St. Vil said the walk is usually the biggest recruiting tactic for new members. As they walked by, men and women of all ages and backgrounds definitely took notice of the group and inquired about what they were doing.
“We want to make sure that everyone sees the Black and brown men of New York City suited,” said St. Vil. “It’s been said that 10 Black men in suits almost looks like a thousand.”
Romel Shuler, director for Fatherhood Initiatives at Man Up Inc., added that there’s a public safety component to the event.
“So boys don’t have established criteria. They like toys, play games, and usually are reckless,” said Schuler, “and with men in the community we set the standard. We want the younger people, younger guys, potential fathers to see what men look like and have a conversation [about] public safety.”
Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.