Highlighting black and brown artists at Bed Stuy STooPs Block Party

BEDFORD STUYVESANT, Brooklyn (PIX11) – Over the last decade and a half, the racial makeup of the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bed Stuy has changed dramatically because of gentrification.

Tens of thousands of black residents have left, and thousands of white residents arrived. For the 11th year, a block party was held to bring new and old neighbors together to celebrate the neighborhood's history and diversity.

It’s the 11th annual STooPs arts crawl and block party celebrating Bed Stuy's rich cultural tapestry.

There were the Batala NYC drummers, those doing Double Dutch jump rope, children playing in sprinklers, and some energetic dancing from Asa! Fitness, and booths of lotions, arts, and clothing.

But what makes this Bed Stuy STooPs block party so different is its goal: to bring together new residents, many of them white, and their older longtime black neighbors.

“My goal is to highlight, to amplify the voices, especially black and brown artists here in this neighborhood to showcase the neighborhood,” Kendra Bostock, Bed Stuy STooPs block party and arts crawl founder, told PIX11 News.

Zardon Zo played and sang from a stoop, and Kai Diata Giovanni read some poetry from ...