Noting that there appears to be a growing trend in the Caribbean community in New York City, where individual Caribbean islands/territories are celebrating their independence and national pride with parades in the streets of Brooklyn, a prominent Brooklyn pastor has expressed deep concern over this proliferation. “With our borough being home to over half a million people of Caribbean descent, it is only right that Brooklyn would be the central location where these celebratory events would take place. From the traditional Haiti Flag Day events to the more recent jubilations of Guyana’s Independence Parade and Jamaica’s Rising Day Parade, it appears there is a newfound form of national expression that may develop into multiple islands seeking to host their own Independence Day Parades,” Pastor Louis Straker, Jr., the lead pastor of Reflections Church on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn, told Caribbean Life on Saturday, Aug. 15. “While I am fully supportive of our Caribbean nations celebrating their independence, I must admit that I have some concerns and reservations about the potential of having a myriad for individual Caribbean countries holding their own parades in Brooklyn,” added Straker, the son of a Trinidadian mother and a Vincentian father. His father, Sir Louis Straker, Sr., is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “Every year on Labor Day, our Caribbean islands come together for the West Indian Day Parade on Eastern Parkway. It is a tremendous display of unity where people from across the Caribbean can proudly celebrate and showcase their heritage, culture, and traditions together as one community,” continued Pastor Straker, also board chair and acting executive director of the 67th Precinct Clergy Council, Inc., in Brooklyn, popularly known as the “The GodSquad,” a faith-based anti-gun violence organization, under the NYC Office of Neighborhood Safety and Mayor's Office of Community Safety, providing “Safe J'Ouvert/Labor Day” public safety support for the past 10 years. “While the organizing of this historic event has had mixed reviews, along with its challenges with respect to public safety, it is still recognized as the largest cultural parade in North America, drawing 1.5 to 3 million people who attend annually,” he said. “The parade provides an opportunity for people to experience the beautiful mosaic of Caribbean nations celebrating in unity.” Pastor Straker said the trend of individual celebrations may expand over the next few years, with Trinidadians, Vincentians, Grenadians, Barbadians, and many others desiring to hold their independent parades. “That can be meaningful and important, [but] I cannot help but wonder whether the growing number of separate celebrations could, intentionally or unintentionally, contribute to diminishing the significance of the Labor Day Parade on Eastern Parkway. Pastor Straker said the concept of “divide and conquer” has been “effective throughout history,” stating that fragmenting a unified community can create “the appearance of greater individual strength while ultimately weakening the collective power and influence of that community in itself. “Let us also remember the historical impact of colonization that has divided Africans into these respective islands that we call ‘Back Home,’ and utilizing its colonial power to foster isolated island nationalism, often pitting them against each other through various stratifications, colorism, economics and social rivalries,” he said. He said if every Caribbean country increasingly holds its own parade, “we could potentially find ourselves divided into smaller celebrations rather than preserving the powerful collective presence that the West Indian Day Parade, and even J’Ouvert, represents.” In addition, Pastor Straker said there is “a practical consideration: Is it sustainable for every Caribbean country to have its own parade or large-scale celebration throughout Brooklyn? “Each event requires significant coordination, traffic management, policing, and public-safety resources,” he said. “As the number of these events increases, we should consider the strain this could place on our city and relevant agencies responsible for keeping these celebrations safe. “I hope the thoughts I have expressed here are not misconstrued as opposition to celebrating our individual cultures or national identities,” he added. “Quite the contrary, I absolutely love seeing our people come together, enjoying themselves, embracing their heritage, and celebrating the freedom and independence of their respective nations.” Even as faith leader, Pastor Straker said he recognizes that pastors in the Caribbean were “once slaves as well and should also acknowledge the cultural expressions used to celebrate their freedom. “My concern is simply about where all of this is ultimately taking us,” he said. “There is strength in our individual identities, but there is also tremendous strength in our collective identity as Caribbean people. “I would hate to see us lose something as powerful and historic as the West Indian Day Parade because, in our efforts to celebrate separately, we may inadvertently weaken the very unity that made the celebration so significant in the first place,” Pastor Straker added.