News America
Washington, DC, USA - City Hall’s flinty gavel has rapped out no to Caribbean American friendship in 2012.The DC Caribbean Carnival (DCCC) has been forced to move its decades-old tradition from the nation’s capital 35 miles north to a more welcoming Baltimore. While Baltimore’s vibrant art scene is nothing to be sneezed at, Carnival’s ejection from DC is a critical error. The phenomenon along with some of the West Indian shops that once supported life around Georgia Avenue, one of DC’s main arteries, is gone, leaving the Avenue unrecognizable and nearly devoid of color. However, other group celebrations are still in vogue. Barbecue Battles, Cancer Walkathons, Gay Rights Parades, Halloween, Latin Festivals and more will still be recipients of the City’s benevolence and have the freedom to play. A few Washington Post online readers, in a fit of animus towards Caribbean immigrants, cheered when matters first came to light in an April 2012 article.
....Over the decades, Carnival has become an important part of the tourism offering for most Caribbean island nations, boosting visitor numbers during low season. Storefronts and hotels do a rousing business.
By contrast, the District version of the event is burdened by City regulations, over policing, extraordinarily burdensome fees and xenophobia.
....Certainly, DC Carnival’s expulsion shows the glaring difference in how some of America’s ethnic groups are received. It could be that the slurs of “savages” and “animals” as quoted in the Washington Post comments section, are the sentiments of the expanding power class in the District. In spite of that, a few far-seeing revelers and optimists are dreaming a big future.
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Replies
The real people to blame if any blame is to go around is our caribbean community. We have to pay our way if we want to party carnival style throughout the world. The same thing could happen Baltimore too. Let us donate to the funding of these carnivals and don't expect some state, city or local municipality to finance them
We must first find out who foot the bill for other parades.
Roland lets hope you can get back to the streets in June 2013.
With proper planning DC Carnival will be back on DC streets next year
Bede meet meh in Brooklyn for Labour Day.
Sorry ... there is nothing wrong or disrespectful about the DC govt. requesting/insisting upon examining the DC carnival accounts that have not been shared with them before, especially if it (the DC govt.) has not received payments for years. So I don't attribute their action to any ethnic bias, just business as it should be conducted. If the accummulated debt to date is now in excess of $200,000, why expect that you can continue to have DC carnival?
I agree that the new trend exemplified in the gentrifying class that now threatens to take over the "chocolate city" is no help, but let's not resort to raciaL/cultural bias as the pricipal reason for the denial this year.
Peter
As a matter of clarification, the DC Government has never had a need to request or insist on examing DC Caribbean Carnival accounts. DC Caribbean Carnival, Inc. has furnished copies of its annual IRS tax statements,annual independent auditor's statements and also maintained its corporate status by filing the appropriate DCRA documents.
It is also factual that the DC Government has received payments for earlier years, except a partial payment that is owed for MPD services for 2010 and an outstanding bill for MPD services for 2011, which by the way, DC Caribbean Carnival has begun to address by making a recent payment.
It is irresponsible to make statements that are not factual.
For the last twenty years, DC Caribbean Carnival has staged "DC CARNIVAL" and has established and maintained a professional working relationship with various Agencies in the District of Columbia..We intend to continue this effort as we address our outstanding financial obligations.
Roland A. Barnes - President - DC Caribbean Carnival, Inc.
Glad to see your response clarifying things, Roland .. my apologies for wrongly accusing DCCC.
Peter
BALTMORE HERE WE COME I never liked washington carnival LOL
Look like Obama did'nt like it either. LOL