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Wesley Millington

Oral history interview conducted by Dwan Reece King

September 13, 1994

Call number: 2010.019.17

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0:10 - Introduction, biographical details, and early encounters with Carnival production

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7:21 - Mas Productions and previous formal experience in design

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13:27 - Design research and preparation

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19:10 - Group membership and effort at gender equality

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24:01 - Remaining competitive and Vincentian community involvement

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28:44 - St. Vincent Carnival described

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36:11 - External commercial, governmental and social pressures on Brooklyn's Carnival and mas camps

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42:47 - Favorite aspects of involvement and international participation in Brooklyn's Carnival

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50:21 - Recognition for Carnival in the city and in media

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56:07 - Preparation and stages in development for next year's Carnival

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Interview Description

Oral History Interview with Wesley Millington

Wesley Millington was born in St. Vincent in 1954. He moved to Brooklyn in 1969 and rarely returns to St. Vincent. He is a founding member of and the designer for Mas Productions; one of the smaller organizations in 1994, with a membership of about fifteen. The group existed in the 1970s under the name of Caribbean Festive Associates but disbanded after a year or two. For the 2015 Carnival, Mas Productions and Millington, in his twenty-third year, were creating costumes at a mas camp in a Brooklyn bakery's basement.

In the interview, Wesley Millington talks about his design experience and how he wishes to bring more creativity in his designs to Carnival in Brooklyn. He talks about the inner workings of the group, mentioning that one of their goals is to get more women involved in the organization. Millington also mentions the difficulty in getting other Vincentians interested and involved in participating in his organizations. Millington feels that the West Indian American Day Carnival Association could do more to promote and encourage people from other islands to participate in Carnival. Interview conducted by Dwan Reece King.

The West Indian Carnival Documentation Project records include photographs, oral histories (audio and transcripts), publications and research, and ephemeral materials relating to the Carnival and the project itself. The materials were collected and created within the context of a documentation project undertaken by the Brooklyn Historical Society in 1994, which later culminated in an exhibition. Exhibition materials are not included in the collection.

Citation

Millington, Wesley, Oral history interview conducted by Dwan Reece King, September 13, 1994, West Indian Carnival Documentation Project records, 2010.019.17; Brooklyn Historical Society.

People

  • Millington, Wesley
  • West Indian American Day Carnival Parade (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Topics

  • Caribbean Americans
  • Carnival

Places

  • Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
  • Eastern Parkway (New York, N.Y.)
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Trinidad

Finding Aid

West Indian Carnival Documentation Project records