One Caribbean, Many Flags Celebrated

We Do Not Have to Become Less Jamaican to Become More Caribbean

Op-Ed

By Dr. Lawman Lynch

This Labor Day, Eastern Parkway once again demonstrated the extraordinary power of Caribbean culture in New York City. By virtually every measure, the 2026 West Indian American Day Parade was a tremendous success. An enormous sea of people, possibly numbering into the millions over the course of the festivities, filled Brooklyn with music, flags, masquerade, food and unmistakable Caribbean pride.

What encouraged me most was seeing so many young people having a genuinely good time. I saw families. I saw children. I saw multiple generations occupying the same cultural space. Whatever disagreements we may have about the future of Caribbean celebrations in New York, we must protect that. Our young people need avenues where they can see, hear, wear, dance and participate in their culture.

I also noticed something else.

I have heard the argument that “gentrifiers” want to put an end to the Labor Day parade. Perhaps there is evidence supporting aspects of that concern, but I have yet to see enough to substantiate such a sweeping conclusion. What I personally witnessed along Eastern Parkway was far more complicated, and frankly, more encouraging.

I saw people who might easily be described as “gentrifiers,” along with people from multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds who appeared to be residents of the surrounding communities, standing outside their homes, celebrating, dancing and enjoying the parade. Some were there with their children.

Throughout the day, I saw something that perhaps tells us even more about the Caribbean of today: someone might be wearing a T-shirt representing one country while their flag, hat, wristband or other accessories represented another. That is not confusion. That is the Caribbean Diaspora evolving.

A mother may be Jamaican and the father Haitian. One parent may be Trinidadian and the other Guyanese. Their children should never be forced to choose which part of themselves they are permitted to celebrate.

Our households are increasingly and healthily mixed. Our friendships cross borders. Our music crosses borders. Our food crosses borders. Our children cross cultural identities effortlessly.

Perhaps our thinking needs to catch up.

Who Really Benefits From the Division Narrative?

That observation caused me to reconsider some of the criticism directed at the recently concluded Jamaica Rising Day Parade.

We have been told that Jamaica having its own parade is somehow divisive. We have been warned that it could “open the door” for other Caribbean countries to want their own celebrations.

Why should that frighten us? More importantly, who really has the agenda to divide?

If a Jamaican-Haitian child can celebrate both cultures without experiencing an identity crisis, why are adults insisting that celebrating one nationality must represent rejection of another, or the rejection of the collective?

New York has celebrated distinct national and cultural identities through parades for generations. Jamaica did not invent that concept. The new kids on the block cannot simultaneously be accused of creating the block; and if Grenadians, Guyanese, Barbadians, Vincentians, Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Haitians, Saint Lucians and others build strong cultural institutions that preserve their heritage, engage young people and generate economic activity, why should Caribbean people regard that as a threat?

Unity Cannot Mean Uniformity

This debate forces us to confront a larger question: What exactly do we mean by Caribbean unity?

If unity requires Jamaicans to become less Jamaican, Trinidadians less Trinidadian, Haitians less Haitian or Barbadians less Barbadian, that is not unity.

That is uniformity.

I can love Jamaica deeply without loving the Caribbean any less.

The Jamaican flag does not become less black, green and gold because it flies beside the flags of Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Grenada or Saint Lucia.

A strong Caribbean community should be a community of strong cultures working together, not individual cultures being asked to diminish themselves in pursuit of some artificial version of togetherness.

Jamaica Rising Day versus Eastern Parkway is a false Choice

I have tremendous respect for the West Indian American Day Parade. Its history and contribution to New York deserve to be preserved, protected and strengthened. It should therefore be understood, that supporting Eastern Parkway does not require opposing Jamaica Rising Day.

That is a false choice.

In fact, what if we reversed the argument entirely?

Imagine Jamaica Rising Day actively promoting Eastern Parkway.

Imagine Haitian, Trinidadian, Guyanese, Grenadian, Barbadian and other national celebrations cross-promoting one another.

Imagine shared youth initiatives, sponsorship opportunities, vendor networks, tourism campaigns and cultural exchanges.

Imagine an intentional Caribbean Summer in New York, where individual national celebrations build momentum throughout the season and then, on Labor Day, we bring those flags, cultures, young people and collective energy to Eastern Parkway for the grand Caribbean culmination. That should be the mindset.

That is not fragmentation. That is infrastructure.

What Jamaica Rising Day Demonstrated

The inaugural Jamaica Rising Day Parade demonstrated what cultural mobilization can accomplish.

It did not initially receive the level of corporate and institutional support that an event of its eventual magnitude warranted. Some prominent organizations and individuals did not embrace the initiative. There were skeptics.

Then guess what? The ordinary Jamaicans showed up. The men showed up. The women showed up. Young people showed up. Families showed up. Friends of Jamaica showed up.

The Jamaica Information Service subsequently reported estimated attendance of 60,000 to 100,000 patrons; and yes, history was made.

We should not apologize for acknowledging that history; but neither should we pretend that one chairman, one parade director or one committee made it.

The people made history. Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica made history.

Importantly, it should be unequivocally known that making history and serving the Caribbean collective are not competing propositions.

Perhaps It Is Time to Build Something Bigger

Rather than spending another year arguing about whether individual Caribbean countries should celebrate themselves, I propose that we build something constructive from this debate.

I propose the establishment of a Coalition for Caribbean Cultural Preservation & Unity; or a similarly constituted body; nothing too technical; a “think-tank” or committee, bringing together representatives of Caribbean cultural organizations, national celebrations, community institutions and other stakeholders.

Its purpose would not be to control individual organizations or erase their identities. Quite the opposite. Its mission would be to strengthen them while connecting them.

Let us sit together and coordinate calendars. Let us support one another’s national celebrations. Let us create opportunities for our young people to experience cultures beyond their own heritage. Let us engage consulates, governments, elected officials, businesses, corporations, law enforcement, city agencies and community stakeholders collectively around funding, public safety, cultural preservation and economic development.

Critically, let these national celebrations become a deliberate build-up toward the massive West Indian American Day Parade.

Imagine the message that would send.

• Jamaica celebrates, and Trinidad supports.
• Haiti celebrates, and Jamaica supports.
• Guyana celebrates, and Barbados supports.

Then Labor Day arrives, and everybody shows up for everybody.

That is the Caribbean unity I believe we should pursue.

Our individual cultures do not have to disappear for our collective Caribbean identity to flourish.

• Jamaica Rising Day does not need Eastern Parkway to fail in order to succeed.
• Eastern Parkway does not need Jamaica Rising Day to fail in order to survive.

We should reject that scarcity mentality.

Let us build both.

Let us preserve the institution that is Eastern Parkway while creating more spaces for our individual cultures to thrive.

We do not have to become less Jamaican to become more Caribbean. Frankly, we don’t need to be less of our own cultural identity, to support a collective West Indian or Caribbean effort.

We simply have to become more intentional about being both. That is true unity.

Dr. Lawman Lynch
Co-Founder, Deputy Chairman & Parade Director
Jamaica Rising Day Parade 2026

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