Carifesta: 411 Utica Ave.
With the Immigration Laws of 1965 and its resulting influx of Afro-Caribbeans into the borough of Brooklyn, it was only a matter of time before tropical fruit markets popped up, barrel shipping companies were underway, and the transnational business of tourism boomed. Advertising low airfare and a plethora of entertainment, The Ron Roach Caribbean Ensemble promised a taste of Caribbean culture for those who had never experienced it, and a wishful return for those who had.
Born in Guyana and a resident of Brooklyn, this volunteer restores the memory of 411 Utica Avenue and its connection to the site of Carifesta ’81. A frequenter of her own home country, she stood in front of the now Kennedy Fried Chicken and Biscuit in memory of the numerous members of Black Brooklyn who stood at the same site interested in a flight back “home” or a summer getaway to a country in the Caribbean.
Used with Permission