Every Labor Day, the West Indian Day Carnival Parade winds down Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway — a colorful pageant joyously pumping music to some 2 million celebrants.
Alas, such Big Apple events have a way of brewing private rivalries that spill out into public view.
As The Post reported Monday, critics accuse the West Indian American Day Carnival Association of making its application process intentionally cumbersome to keep Trinidadians firmly in control.
The most prominent critic — Rickford Burke, who runs the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy — also charges the association’s insensitivity to non-Trinidadian culture has prompted Antiguan, Jamaican and Haitian bands to drop out of the parade.
Since the parade gets $1 million in city and state funds, Burke wants the mayor and state attorney general to get involved.
Whoa. The West Indian festival is still wildly successful. Nor is there any sign of the kind of financial improprieties that once plagued the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Such issues prompted Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to force an overhaul of that board — and the lack of them explains why Schneiderman isn’t getting involved in the West Indian parade. (Good call, Eric.)
The Carnival Association may need to modernize. It was set up back in the 1930s (primarily by Trinidadians), and the Brooklyn parade dates to 1969. The city’s Caribbean-American population has grown dramatically since, and public funding comes with some expectations.
A more inclusive board — drawing on talent from across the diverse island communities — might make for an even better event.
But, for now, it’s something for community leaders to resolve. Keep the politicians out of it.