PIX11 team members cover Brooklyn West Indian Day parade and remember their roots

"Labor Day weekend in New York means it's Carnival time, and Brooklyn is preparing to head to Eastern Parkway for the Caribbean food, music, costumes, and culture they've celebrated for years. However, one thing is even better than going to the parade and that's covering it.That will be the job of PIX11 news team members Kendis Gibson, Nicole Johnson, and Kori Chambers, all of West Indian descent."

"The theme this year is "Vive Le Carnivale" and as many as 1 million people are expected to participate. People who come to the parade and the many connected festivities are from many backgrounds, but Caribbean culture is the focus. Gibson, Johnson, and Chambers understand that and say their families' journeys in America are similar to those of many in the community."

"Chambers was born in the Bronx to two Jamaican parents who came to the United States in the 1970s looking for opportunities. His mother would often joke about coming to the United States and going back. "That was always the plan, and that didn't just happen," Chambers said. "They came here and they made a life here, and now they are retired; they go back on occasion, but this is now their home.""

Labor Day weekend in New York centers on Carnival, and Brooklyn prepares to head to Eastern Parkway for Caribbean food, music, costumes, and culture. PIX11 news team members Kendis Gibson, Nicole Johnson, and Kori Chambers, all of West Indian descent, will cover the West Indian American Day Carnival Association's 58th Annual Carnival Parade on Sept. 1. The theme is "Vive Le Carnivale," and as many as 1 million people are expected to participate. Attendees come from many backgrounds, but Caribbean culture is the focus. Chambers was born in the Bronx to Jamaican parents who arrived in the 1970s and ultimately made the United States their home. He described household expectations to be extraordinary and to strive beyond average.

Read at New York Amsterdam News