Tribute to out Ancestors of the Middle Passage

So, if any of your ancestors were from the continent of Africa, then you should be in attendance. And tell me, whose isn't?  This is a way of saying thanks to the folks who got chased by lions and survived. Who figured out we can eat peanuts and artichokes. The people who understood that the spark from a two rocks hitting each other can warm your body, cook meat and nourish the soul.  Come down to Coney Island this weekend. You know you haven't been down there in such a long time; plus aren't you curious to see what Hurricane Sandy did to the boardwalk? This ceremony is in its 24th year. And while it is a ceremony for those who died during the middle passage, I like to think of it as a remembrance of ALL those who came before regardless of circumstance This is a chance to experience some culture that belongs to us all. We are all Africans and this is a chance to say thanks to those strong enough to survive and leave the world a great and inspiring place for us today. Go say hello to an ancestor. And take them some good brandy, they would appreciate it. I know I would when I'm an ancestor.  It's Saturday June 8th, from 12pm to 6pm. At the Ancestor's Circle, 17th Street and Coney Island Boardwalk in Coney Island Brooklyn

This event is presented collectively by Medger Evers College of the City University of New York, The People of the Sun Middle Passage Collective, and the Brooklyn Arts Council. The Brooklyn Arts Council.’s Harborlore Festival resonates with this annual ceremony, now in its 24th year. It memorializes all of the enslaved Africans who died at sea during their forced passage to the Americas.  Hundreds of New Yorkers attend this Tribute annually, to drum, to pray, to remember, to wade in the water and leave flowers at the shoreline.  This year Guyanese master drummer Baba Mpho with a group of drummers and singers  will perform at the ceremony at the water's edge between 4pm and 5pm.