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Angels on the Beach

It was 2004, and I was out of bed and on the platform of the #2 Train from The Bronx to Brooklyn at 3 am. We were told to arrive at St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn by 5 am in order to board their bus to Beach Avenue 57 at Rockaway Beach for their Sunrise Service. Pulling about twenty pounds of camera equipment on a luggage cart, my arrival was right on time.

Every year, the church holds the Maafa Festival, paying homage to millions of Africans who died in the rough, cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, often referred to as the Middle Passage. It is estimated that two 2 million Africans died in those waters; dead men and women who couldn’t withstand the journey were thrown off board, along with those who would rather dive to their death than live a life condemned to servitude, avoiding becoming human cargo for enslavement in America.

As the sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean, drums began playing in the background. Candles in the sand lit the way towards the ceremonial area. Beautiful dancers, dressed in white appeared on the beach in flowing movements across the sand. These reverent celebrants of the Maafa Festival performed a spiritual celebratory dance in loving conversation with our beloved ancestors.

‘It was a beautiful morning to remember!’