To the Leadership of Washington DC,
My name is DA Lovell. I am a first generation American of Trinidadian and Panamanian heritage and a resident of Washington, DC. As a professional, I work to ensure educational resources are available for all despite financial circumstances. As a resident of the District, I look to leaders, like each of you addressed here, as mentors, in the community effort to ensure that DC remains a premier example of a diverse 21st century American city. However, in addition to that, each summer I proudly promote this diversity as a reveller covered, in mud, paint or jewels, depending on the year, at the annual D.C. Caribbean Carnival. I participate in traditional dance and song with the 400,000 revellers that partake in this cultural celebration annually. As you may know, this event is being canceled this year and I am writing to encourage each of you to reconsider and understand that DC needs the Caribbean Carnival.
The irony of the cancellation of this event is that, on most days, my culture is applauded as being the cornerstone of my success. As a child, Carnival was my outlet. It replaced the need to succumb to peer pressure, drugs, and violence. It gave me something to look forward to and work towards. As an adult, it continues to be my personal emancipation from the pressures of life. One day a year, I am free to let loose and partake in a replication of an event that symbolizes the hard won freedom of my African ancestors brought to the Caribbean during over 300 years of slavery and indentured labor. For many onlookers, Carnival is merely a drunken parade. For me, it has been the origin of creativity in my life. On one day a year, Carnival, an expression of Caribbean culture, reminds us all that “we is all family”, a saying that teaches love, preaches unity and embraces racial and cultural diversity. DC needs the Caribbean Carnival.
Cancelling the D.C. carnival ignores the importance of this cultural festival for Washington, DC. DC needs the Caribbean Carnival.
History: In one of few majority-minority cities in the United States, it is only right that we preserve events representing the rich tapestry of cultures in the community. Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago began in the 1800s as a celebration of emancipated slaves, singing, dancing, and joyously uniting in the streets to celebrate their new freedom and promise of equality- a struggle that people of color still fight for globally some 200 years later. This history is a vital component in the fabric of the history of the world and the many residents of African descent that make up over 50% of the DC population. DC has also prided itself as a haven for cultural authenticity. Carnival is the manifestation of Caribbean culture and therefore should be welcomed in a city of preservation.
Community Building: Keeping Carnival active allows for a continued dialogue promoting cross cultural understanding, particularly about violence. The music of the Caribbean, particularly soca and calypso, speaks of unity, self-expression and enjoying life. Like any event with large crowds there is the need for increased security. However, if large crowds and their propensity for violence was justification for event cancellation, we would have ended the Republican National Convention after the death of Dean Johnson, a seventeen-year-old Sioux Indian from South Dakota , discontinued the Olympics after the Centennial Olympic Park Bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics, and never had the March on Washington for fear for racially charged violence.
Attraction: DC Carnival is an international attraction on par with the Cherry Blossom Festival, White House and National Mall. Over 400,000 participants annually boost local commerce in the Georgia Avenue area, a community often forgotten during other city wide celebrations. Anyone who has ever attended this celebration knows that Carnival is one of the most exuberant festivities on par with similar festivals that enjoy municipal support in Toronto, New York City, Miami, London and of course, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Transparency: As a member of the DC community, there is still a great deal of information that ought to be shared about the logistics of the DC Caribbean Carnival and its financial status. I offer the recommendation of further transparency from both sides so that interested participants may provide support and expertise where needed to ensure that this is a mutually beneficial experience. We are here and want to help.
As a form of historical preservation, continuation of peaceful gathering, an international tourist attraction, and an opportunity for further transparency, DC benefits by supporting the maintenance of the DC Caribbean Carnival. Without DC Carnival, I and many of your DC residents, lose a piece of our culture, our history and, ultimately, our lives. I do not believe that it is too late to engage new thought leaders on methods to sustain this event. Let us use this as a learning experience and a platform for community building and positive collaboration. So today, I ask you, my mentors in DC leadership, to reconsider the cancellation of this event.
Respectfully,
DA Lovell
To make your voice heard, please find the contact information of key DC officials below:
Mayor and At-Large City Council Members’ Staff Contacts:
- Mayor Gray: Carl Thompson, 202-340-7141, carl.thomas@dc.gov
- Chairman Kwame R. Brown: Jesse Saucedo, Outreach Coordinator, 202.724.9700, jsaucedo@dccouncil.us
- Councilman Catania: Jordan Hutchinson, Chief of Staff, 202.724.7772, jhutchinson@dccouncil.us
- Councilman Michael A. Brown: Carol Sadler, Constituent Services Specialist, 202-724-8198, csadler@dccouncil.us
- Councilman Mendelson: Celeste Duffie, Director of Constituent Services, 202-724-8064, cduffie@dccouncil.us
- Councilman Orange: Mark Long, Director, Community Outreach, 202-724-8174, mlong@dccouncil.us
