NYC's Caribbean heritage highlighted at Brooklyn Children's Museum

BROOKLYN (PIX11) -- A celebration of Caribbean culture at the Brooklyn Children's Museum on Saturday put a bow on Caribbean Heritage Month.  A partnership with the Brooklyn-based group I AM CARIBBEING gave kids a taste of Caribbean history, food, and art during the Little Caribbean Time Capsule event.  "It starts with the kids. That’s how you [...]

BROOKLYN (PIX11) -- A celebration of Caribbean culture at the Brooklyn Children's Museum on Saturday put a bow on Caribbean Heritage Month. 

A partnership with the Brooklyn-based group I AM CARIBBEING gave kids a taste of Caribbean history, food, and art during the Little Caribbean Time Capsule event. 

"It starts with the kids. That’s how you preserve the legacy," said Kenya Cummings, program manager for I AM CARIBBEING. 

One of the day's activities was a street naming craft, where kids made their own street sign with any name they wanted. 

"Letting kids explore what kind of name would they want, they already live on their own street -- what would you want to rename that street?"

The partnership is especially meaningful for Brooklyn Children's Museum President & CEO Atiba Edwards, who is Caribbean himself. 

"When you think about New York City and Brooklyn especially, 25 percent of the city is made up of Caribbean diaspora," he said. 

"I was born in St. Vincent, I grew up in Brooklyn, but I came into the United States in 1984 in my mom's arms," he said. 

He hopes the children at the museum walk away with a better understanding of the richness of where his family came from. 

"Caribbean culture is every single day for me, and if I have a chance to really work with the thousands of visitors that step into the building today, it brings me a little bit more joy," he said.