Soul Summit
Photos by Curt Saunders for Black-Owned Brooklyn
Soul Summit — a free dance party on the top hill of Fort Greene Park — is simply iconic. Founded in 2001 by DJs Sadiq, Tabu and Jeff Mendoza, this Brooklyn summertime staple draws thousands of people of all ages, united under the spell of rare grooves and house classics.
Even if you’re not a big dancer, it’s worth going just to people-watch and take in the culture: a sea of carefree Black and Brown folks, always that one guy with the smooth roller-skate moves, families spread out on blankets eating home-cooked meals, an abundance of queer #BlackBoyJoy and #BlackGirlMagic, conga and djembe drummers supplementing the DJs, people peddling nutcracker drinks of all varieties, and cheering ciphers formed around the best dancers.
While Soul Summit once took place every summer Sunday from 3 to 8pm, as Fort Greene has gentrified, the party has decreased to twice a year. Check out scenes from yesterday at the first Soul Summit of the season, where the crowds assembled, once again, as visual and cultural evidence that we are still here. Don’t miss the next one on Aug. 12.
