You're invited to march with the Phagwah Social Justice Collective in the 36th Annual Phagwah Parade!
Date & Time: Sunday, April 7, 2024 | 11:00 AM
Meeting Location: Liberty Ave & 133rd Street, Richmond Hill, NY 11419 (in front of Sybil's Bakery)
Register here: http://bit.ly/PhagwahCollective2024
Parade Route: Starts at Liberty Ave & 133rd St, goes West on Liberty Ave, then North on 125th St & Ends at Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto Park (125th St & 95th Ave)
In 2024, the Phagwah Social Justice Collective members comprise of the Caribbean Equality Project, Chhaya Community Development Corporation, Jahajee Sisters: Empowering Indo-Caribbean Women, Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, South Queens Women’s March, Sakhi for South Asian Women, and Hindus for Human Rights.
In 2019, the Caribbean Equality Project founded the "Phagwah Social Justice Collective," a coalition of progressive community-based social, gender, and LGBTQ+ rights organizations and faith-based institutions. The collective marched in the 31st Annual Phagwah Parade in Richmond Hill, Queens, to continue advocating for an equitable Caribbean enclave inclusive of LGBTQ+ and women's rights, immigrant justice, the ending of gender-based violence, trans justice, and to raise awareness of housing discrimination within the Indo-Caribbean and South Asian communities.
The mission of the Phagwah Social Justice Collective is to facilitate a progressive shift in the cultural landscape of South Queens' Indo-Caribbean and South Asian community around a number of issues affecting the most marginalized voices throughout New York City. Among the multiple-intersectional objectives of the collective are the resisting of systemic gender and sexual violence, the rejection of anti-immigrant narratives, the destigmatization of LGBTQIA+ community members, and the co-creation of a more equitable society at the neighborhood level. For the second consecutive year of the Phagwah Parade, the constituent organizations of this social justice coalition will focus on providing visibility to the community's resistance to sexual abuse, LGBTQIA-related phobias, patriarchy, housing discrimination, and other oppressive forces. The parade has been a pivotal opportunity to share our unifying solidarity message with the people most impacted by these forces and those responsible for perpetuating them.
To learn more about the history of the Phagwah Social Justice Collective, click here.
Holi, or 'Phagwah' throughout the Caribbean, is an ancient Hindu Spring festival, also known as the Festival of Colors. It is a celebration of unity, renewal, forgiveness, and new beginnings. It signifies the coming of spring, the joy of friendship, and equality for all. The colored powders used in Holi represent love, happiness, and the freedom to live vibrantly, which are all principles shared and promoted by the Phagwah Social Justice Collective coalition of community-based organizations and New York City agencies.
2023 Highlights
Community Partners
