Carifiesta as Evidence of our Weaknesses
Professor put up his hand and said, “We were all humans. Race disconnected us, religion separated us, politics divided us and wealth classified us.”
Do You Know said, “A lot of people don’t know this, or if they do, they don’t understand it. Even if they say they do.”
There was an “Amen” from everybody in the barbershop.
Everybody in the crowded barbershop was trying to solve all the problems when a person came in. He said he was a salesperson; he sells clothes. He came from Europe many years ago, he needed money to help pay his bills, so he went looking for a way to make money. So he found a few places that sell clothing, almost new clothing, maybe worn once or twice. He buys them very cheap then goes to beauty salons and barbershops, bars and restaurants and sells them. He said that he gets lot of brand names and that he makes a good living.
Then he said he’s a member of a church and the church does big sales for him. People from other churches go by his church to buy clothing.
Nobody bought anything from the salesman, but Welfare Wesley asked:
“Do you know of a Black church in Montreal that does this? I’ve been around Montreal a long time and I have never heard of any. It’s too bad, they should. It’s a great idea because Montreal has about 185,000 Blacks. Everybody wears clothes. The clothes that they don’t sell they sell them to so-called Third World countries like other organizations do. It’s called business. Recycling. Nothing goes to waste, not even garbage.”
Money said: “I heard the place on Notre Dame and Guy St. makes one million dollars a year. They get the clothes, furniture and other household goods for free and sell them to the public.
Just Chillin opened his latest issue of Community Contact (June 26, 2015) Carifiesta’s 40th Anniversary non-celebration of late just a shadow of its once spectacular self.
Just Chillin raised his hand and said, “I want everyone to listen to me very carefully. It’s very important and it should be important to all of the 185,000 Blacks in Montreal.
Here’s what was written by Egbert Gaye: Our once majestic Caribbean parade that provoked excitement and unbridled passion in our community and across North America has of late been a shadow of its once spectacular self. Today the thing they call Carifiesta is in it’s 40th year and what should have been a milestone celebration to make four decades of Caribbean cultural offerings in a city with an unquenchable thirst for festivities seems to be little more than an annoyance to those who will be disturbed by its presence.
In the hands of an inward looking few, little about the parade has changed over the past four or five years, “back in the day” to today to compare because so much in our community has changed. But it does not have to be like this because we still have a lot of capable individuals among us with the skills and talent to design, build and fashion a parade that we can once again be proud of…
In This Day And Age put up his hand and said, “This is very important, that word proud. We all used to be very proud of Carifiesta; it was the summer parade in North America, the biggest family event of the summer in North America.”
This is something to be proud of. Montreal’s Carifiesta was one of the major North American festivals of the summer for people to come to for fun and enjoyment. Not now.
You had to know what happened in the past, to know if the Carifiesta has improved or not. If you believe the Carifiesta has improved, read Community Contact (June 26, 2015), Page 4.
Dropout put up his hand and said, “Listen to me carefully, if you were around Montreal 30 years ago and saw Carifiesta in its heyday, a number one event in North America, compared to now. If you believe it is good now send a letter to Community Contact saying why. All the readers of Community Contact would like to read it. I would like to know what the Caribbean Cultural Festival Association thinks of the festival and why, if they were around 30 or 40 years ago, when Montreal’s Carifiesta was the number one summer event in North America.
There was another “Amen” in the barbershop.
Just Chillin said I would like to ask the people who organized the latest Carifiesta 2015, “What do they have to be proud of?”
The Ways and Means Committee shouted “Amen.” Carifiesta!
Just Chillin said, “When you have white guys like Downtown Don talking about how terrible the carifiesta (2015) was, this means there is a problem, because Downtown Don knows.”Professor said, “All Downtown Don is saying is what we all are saying:
Get some… more sponsors, get more floats, and bring back the energy and fun like there used to be…”
To Be Honest said listen to me everybody, “The people that put together the Carifiesta, why do they do it? They don’t make any money. It’s not the big cultural pride event it used to be, like the one they have in Toronto. They have no major sponsors like they do in Toronto, so why do they have it?
Downtown Don said the steelband was great in the parade; however, if someone wanted to hire them, there was no information on the float about how to contact them. Everybody should know the Salah Steelpan Academy because they are at the talent lever to compete in the International Panorama competition in Trinidad and Tobago.
If you were a regular reader of Community Contact you would have noticed that Yvonne Sam’s “A Word To The Wise” is right on point with her columns. Her column (June 26, 2015) terrorism face? Race?
Place? This column should be read by the Gang of Four on radio CJAD 800 AM at 9 a.m. It might enlighten them to the reality of racism in the USA and Montreal.
Yvonne Sam is finding this out now; it’s too bad it took a sick 21-year-old racist who wanted to start a race war, to wake up a lot of people. Some regulars of the Ways and Means Committee said if and when you see Yvonne Sam, tell her to keep it up.
Professor had the July 9, 2015 issue of Contact; he turned to page 9,
An article by writer Bryan Bishop, “Blacks have always been on the outside.” The 185,000 Blacks in Montreal, should tear the page out of Contact and carry the article in their pocket or purse or put it between the pages of their Bible because a story like this is long overdue.Bryan Bishop is wrong when he says Bob White often says we have magicians in our Community (July 9, 2015) when they apply for grants and get them. All Bob White does said Rufus the barber, is that Bob
White goes to lots of barbershops and beauty salons with Regulars of the Ways and Means Committee, listens and takes notes, then sends it to Community Contact, because Bob White has seen it all. He was around on July 13, 1954 when 12 Black children from St. Henri (when St. Henri was called St. Henri, not Little Burgundy) drowned. And when Montreal had a close-knit Black community, when Blacks would say hi to you on the street. Oletymer said Bryan Bishop is right, former mayor of Montreal Pierre Bourque used to walk around St. Henri/Little Burgundy. He was not intimidated by Blacks. The closest a Black came to these high profile government officials was Dr. Arthur porter. The media says Dr. Arthur Porter “burned” them for $22 million dollars. Why? Because they must have been impressed with him.
Professor said the brightest ideas we heard in a long time were from Marc Miller, tell Yvonne Sam and Egbert Gaye they will be reading about him. Why? Because we will need him to suggest to the STM next stop Oscar Peterson/Union United Church. If you never voted before you will want to vote in the next federal election because there’s going to be change. It has to be a person like Marc Miller to do it.
Everybody agreed that we need someone in Ottawa to make a change. Oletymer asked, “Why are you so impressed with Marc Miller, Professor.” We. Everybody was silent. Professor said, “I’ve heard it all from all kinds of people. Once this Marc Miller gets elected we will follow him closely and push him to suggest to the STM, next stop Oscar Peterson Union United Church.
When this gets done, then a bust in St. Henri/Little Burgundy for Dr. Oliver Jones OC, without a doubt. Dr. Oliver Jones happens to be the World’s Greatest Jazz Pianist.”
There was an “Amen” from everybody in the barbershop.
The barbershop was crowded. Genius came in and said, “Rufus, I told you to keep that TV off Dr. Oz. We have to stay focused on important issues about what’s happening or not happening in Montreal.” Rufus the barber agreed and told School Boy to turn it off.
Then Genius said, “I want everybody to be quiet, stop texting foolishness. I have something important to say. We called every party candidate that will be running in the October election. Only one returned our call, Marc Miller from the Liberal Party. Which means this is the person we have to give a chance to.”
Professor asked, “Why should we give Marc Miller a chance?”
“Because we have no other choice. Esop said it’s what you do with what you got. At least this guy will sit with you, and talk with you, eat food with you. Nobody else called back. This is total disrespect.”
Professor came into the barbershop; he put up his hand and said, “Please be quiet and turn off Dr. Oz.”Schoolboy turned off the TV.
Just read the headline, Blacks have always been on the outside. This is heavy. Now That’s Been Said, said, when you see Bryan Bishop, tell him, now that Warren Allmand is not around to help us (Blacks), and he did. We might have a good chance with federal candidate and lawyer, Marc Miller.
We all wish them great success.
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Now That’s Been Said, said when you look and read Contact (July 9, 2015) there is a notice in church news and events, Union United Church, Honorary Consul for Jamaica Mr. George Grant will be holding a special service to commemorate the 53rd year of the independence of Jamaica on Sunday August 9 at 10am. All are welcome. This means, it doesn’t matter what island you’re from, if you’re from the Caribbean and if you’re not from the Caribbean someone in your family came from
the Caribbean and before this, we all came from the motherland Africa.
There was a “heavy” discussion about Yvonne Sam “A word to the wise (July 9, 2015) redefining our cultural mores.
