On a sunny Sunday afternoon at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, just days before Juneteenth, large crowds of people were lounging on brightly colored picnic blankets and under tents atop the hill, making them hard to miss.
With R&B and hip-hop filling the breezy air, this was just the early vibes of the Lay Out, a series of summer park gatherings that its creator says exists “to center Black joy.” By 5 p.m., the park would be swelling with mostly Black attendees dancing and drinking together, playing games and enjoying one another’s company for a day of rest.
“It’s my favorite event of the summer: I’m a picnic girlie, and I just like all the Black people,” said Toni Leotaud, 31, who lives in Brooklyn. “I know I’m going to see mad people that I know.”
Now in its fifth year, the Lay Out has become one of the main attractions in Brooklyn each summer, especially its celebration of Juneteenth. (One of the events is always scheduled to take place around June 19, the national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.)
