BK Loves MJ Caps A Dreamy Summer of Black Joy In Brooklyn

There was a moment, probably during Jefferson Avenue's block party on Saturday, when I thought I was in heaven. It was probably at the exact moment singer Shaun Escoffery belted out "Days Like This" while performing on a stoop.

It felt ethereal.

He was singing the words, "here comes the sun," and in that moment, I could feel the sun's warmth radiating through me, through the music, as I stood next to my boyfriend, Joe, lost in the vibe of one of his favorite songs.

Joe is a house-head from Detroit. If he didn't have to work for a living, I'm pretty sure his life would be a never-ending party, following around the likes of Black Coffee to Ibiza and back, living his days in a House music-induced haze. I'm not much different in my love of a good time; although I'm relatively new to House, I am a lover of dancing and music, living life, and spending time with friends. We both believe good vibes should be cherished and protected because sometimes they are hard to come by.

Protect Brooklyn in summer, at all costs.

A Summer Outside the City

This is my third summer in Brooklyn after living in Manhattan for seven years. The first, I was sick with fibroids and didn't go to many block parties. The second, I was running away from 2025's sobering reality by dissociating in the desert or vacationing in Martha's Vineyard. But this summer, I was home, and very much outside. And what a summer in Brooklyn to be outside for—the New York Knicks' championship run, the World Cup, the plethora of block parties big and small, the annual Prospect Park Soiree, Juneteenth with Black Owned Brooklyn's Weeksville Food Festival, the Stevie Wonder-full tribute party, and the return of Soul Summit. I went dancing at the Ace Hotel in downtown Brooklyn, partied at Dick & Jane's Barroom, and watched the New York Liberty win the Commissioner's Cup.

Then, this past weekend, Spike Lee gave a gift to Brooklyn in the form of his annual BK Loves MJ Party in Ft. Greene Park, where DJ Spinna played Michael Jackson and other hits from the Jackson family for 7 hours. Sponsored by Jordan Brand, thousands of people poured into the park, had picnics, dressed up in tribute to Jackson, danced, sang, and had a wonderful time, showing what's possible when a community comes together. Lee, a lover of Brooklyn and long-time resident, has been highly visible all summer—from the Knicks in 5 to this party. The party may be a tribute to Jackson, but it's also about the love many have for Brooklyn and what it can be when we all come together.

It shows what's possible. And reveals how powerful Brooklyn truly is. If we could come together for this—what else could we unite and rally for?

No Place Like Home?

This has been a generational kind of summer in Brooklyn. One I'm glad I got to witness, as people will probably talk about it for years to come. And instead of winding down, it seems to be ramping up to a triumphant finale for Labor Day weekend.

I can't wait.

But my enthusiasm to end summer with a bang is in stark contrast to the reality that I didn't leave my house for almost two weeks after I got back from Mexico.

The first week I was sick, so it would have been irresponsible to be out and about, spreading germs. But the second week, I was not. Instead, I was engrossed in my writing and editing, and refused to come up for air or go outside and touch grass.

I have a rule. I can't stay in the house more than 3 days in a row, or the agoraphobia comes back. A general fear of the outdoors or wide-open spaces; I struggled with it for almost a decade in my 20s, and even though it hasn't been an issue in years, after three or four days in the house, I start making excuses to not go outside. What starts as a mild inconvenience can grow into a generalized fear that if I leave my house, something terrible will happen. It caused my depression to resurface during lockdown back in 2020, when I didn't see people for months while trapped in my Harlem apartment.

So I knew I had to go out at some point this weekend. It was mandatory. Thankfully, so much was going on that there was no way I wasn't going outside. I wanted to see people. I wanted to experience life. And I wanted to spend time with Joe.

By Friday, I was all dressed up and ready to go, and off we went.

'Days Like This'

By almost 8 p.m., we were still at the Jefferson Avenue block party. I was exhausted but trying to rally. At the party, we'd listened to Soap Box Presents Stoop Sessions and their show "For the Love of House," where Teedra Moses performed her hit, "Be Your Girl," remixed by Kaytranada, and I couldn't get over how perfect this day had been. The weather was in the 70s to low 80s. Beautiful people were everywhere, shining bright in their colorful outfits with personalities to match. Everyone was showing love, as that is the Brooklyn way. And I thought of how times like this are so necessary, especially when the world feels bleak. You need days like this, of sun and hope. You need days that remind you we have more in common than different and how culture binds us together.

At one point, on Jefferson Avenue, a man was dancing with a baby strapped to his chest, the infant wearing noise-canceling headphones so the baby only knew safety and movement, while the many beautiful faces of people from all walks of life danced around it. The crowd was a sea of colors—every shade of Black and brown, every race, every age, every ethnicity, every gender, every sexuality, joined together for the love of community and music. At the block party, Jefferson residents talked about the importance of Black homeownership in Brooklyn and protecting this block to keep its beautiful peace for their families. And the love these neighbors had for each other and their beautiful neighborhood in Bed-Stuy didn't just warm my heart; it sent it soaring.

So take a lesson from Lee and Jefferson Avenue: Love, invest in, and protect your neighborhood at all costs. Protect the promise and possibility of what we can build through community. Protect a place worth living. Protect the soul of Brooklyn. And finally, protect each other.

We're worth it. Days like this are worth it.