Mr. Carlos Lezama, President Emeritus of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association has died the age of 83.
The West Indian Day Parade was founded in the 1920s by Ms. Jessie Waddle and some of her West Indian friends in Harlem. They staged costume parties in large enclosed places — like the Savoy, Renaissance Ballroom and Audubon Ballroom. The earliest known Carnival street activity was held during the 1940′s when Ms. Waddle, secured the first street permit for a parade type event on the streets of Harlem.
During the 1960′s, Trinidadian Rufus Goring brought Carnival to Brooklyn. In 1967, Goring passed the reigns over to Carlos Lezama, who later became President Emeritus of WIADCA. Under the stewardship of Mr. Lezama, the Brooklyn Caribbean Carnival grew from a five-block affair to the status of the largest outdoor parade in the United States. It attracts in excess of three million people on Eastern Parkway every year on the first Monday in September.
Over the years the West Indian American Day Carnival Association has grown to a full-fledged community service organization and provides scholarships and hosts an annual calendar of cultural and educational events. In 2001, Lezama retired due to ill health; He passed the baton to his daughter, Yolanda Lezama-Clark.
In a statement released today, Yolanda Lezama-Clark, President of the Association and daughter of Mr. Lezama said that though it is a difficult time for her family, she is comforted by the fact that their grief is shared by thousands worldwide who mourn this lost. “Throughout our lives my siblings, as well as my mother, have been privileged to share my father with the million who are part of the Carnival family,” she said. “I am grateful that he has left an impressive legacy of which we all as Caribbean people can be proud.”
FUNERAL SERVICES :Friday Jan 26th 2007
VIEWING : House of Hills , St John’s & Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, 12 – 6 pm
SERVICE : St Gregory’s Church, St John’s & Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn , 7 pm
DONATIONS CAN BE FOWARDED TO CLACC-C , 1028 St John’s Pl , Brooklyn. NY, 11213
For more information visit WIADCA
Posted on January 23, 2007 by D. Bell