Liberty's Jonquel Jones Celebrates Culture with Community Event

Jones, who hails from the Bahamas, was intentional about every part of her visit. Rather than choosing popular, mainstream children’s stories, she spotlighted West Indian voices and stories to give a nod both to her own roots and to the vibrant Caribbean community that makes Brooklyn pulse with color and sound every September.

Jones selected two books that carried deep meaning.

“Yes, I wanted to read you guys...two stories, about Caribbean culture,” Jones told the crowd of children gathered around her. “One is about the Bahamas, and one is about Caribbean culture.”

Her first book, “I Am My Caribbean Culture” by Malissa Angus, was a vibrant affirmation of island identity. The theme was encouraging for children to embrace identity. After reading, Jones looked at the children and asked, “How many people love being who they are?” When dozens of small hands shot into the air, she grinned and added, “I love being who I am too.”

Her second selection, “Hello Grandma” by Robert E. Constant, took the audience straight to her hometown of Nassau. Jones paused mid-story to share a childhood memory.

“Outside our house in the Bahamas, there’s a lime tree. Y’all call it lime - we call it sour. In the Bahamas, we say sour. We go into the store and be like, ‘Y’all got any sour?’ We don’t call them limes. I used to go out to the sour tree, pick the leaves, and you could use them in a pot of water. We call it sour leaf tea - y’all probably call it lime leaf tea. I used to drink sour leaf tea every night," she said.

Jones also explained how local slang differs from place to place, offering a lighthearted lesson about Bahamian “pot cakes,” a nickname for mixed-breed dogs.

“Y’all call them mutts over here. We call them pot cakes. A pot cake in the Bahamas is like the bottom of the rice when you cook your rice, and you burn the bottom of the pot. … So, when you hear a dog barking in the Bahamas, you’re hearing a pot cake,” she said.

Her visit showed that learning about each other’s traditions isn’t just fun, but it’s foundational. As children listened to her stories, tasted Caribbean flavors, and danced to the steel pan’s beat, they walked away with a greater sense of pride, not just in their own roots, but in the shared humanity of Brooklyn’s diverse neighborhoods.

The event ended with a hands-on arts and crafts session where Jones sat with the children, making colorful masks inspired by Caribbean carnival traditions. The combination of food, music, books, and art turned a simple library visit into an immersive cultural experience.

Held in the heart of one of New York’s largest Caribbean communities, focused on representation and cultural pride. Jones emphasized the importance of children seeing themselves reflected in stories, while learning about their neighbors’ traditions. As Labor Day festivities and the West Indian American Day Parade take place Monday, Jones’ visit served as a reminder of the borough’s cultural diversity and the role athletes can play in uplifting the communities they represent.