A Juneteenth commemoration on the Brooklyn waterfront
NEW YORK - It would be hard to find a more perfect day to spend on the water, so on Monday, dozens of people piled into canoes, rowboats and kayaks to enjoy the vistas of Jamaica Bay.
"I love that there's such a push now for African Americans to like go out and swim and go out and learn water safety," says Iton Egopija, who came to Brooklyn from Scarsdale for the event.
This was part of a Juneteenth commemoration organized by not-for-profit Outdoor Afro, which celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature.
"Representation is always very important," says Outdoor Afro's volunteer leader Herb Brooks. "To see, you know, people who look like me, Black people who know how to hunt, Black people who know how to fish."
Organizer Giselle Pemberton says it's important not to take the excitement of these activities for granted.
"So many people of Black descent never got to go on water," she tells CBS2's Hannah Kliger. "Years of 'you don't do that, you're not allowed to do that.' So people just didn't do that."
The paddle was organized in partnership with Sebago Canoe Club, a volunteer-run recreational and educational organization.
"This is a Parks Department property," explains Beth Eller, Commodore at the club. "We do three open houses a year, where we invite the community in to come in and try kayaking because many are not familiar with the water."
The theme for this year's commemoration is freedom to access water. Outdoor Afro is asking attendees to spend two and a half hours in nature today.
"It signifies the two and a half years that the people in Galveston, Texas, were free and didn't know it," explains Pemberton.
Lisa Clover, who came from East New York with her son Christopher and niece Danielle, says she wanted to get the kids out of the house and away from the phone, and to learn something new.
"Just this morning, Christopher and I were talking about the delay and how long it took for these people to learn that they had the freedom," she explains.
First-timers and seasoned enthusiasts paddled solo, or in teams, racing, laughing and taking in the salty air.
As cars on the Belt Parkway zoomed by overhead, it was a chance to think of the past, try something new and enjoy the moment.
Both Outdoor Afro and Sebago Canoe Club have upcoming activities this summer.
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