The Canarsie community gathered on a picture-perfect summer day to celebrate the late Pop Smoke’s 27th birthday. The festivities started with a parade that ended in a celebration of life and legacy in Canarsie Park, at Seaview Avenue and East 93rd Street, on Monday, July 20th.
Pop Smoke (Bashar Jackson) was a beloved Canarsie resident and a talented rap artist that was taken from the world too soon – in 2020. Audrey “Mah Smoke” Jackson’s mission has been to continue the legacy her son started building before his passing. She founded Shoot for the Stars Foundation to provide opportunities, inspiration and tools for success for young people and the community that Pop Smoke grew up in and loved.
Mah Smoke and so many others have worked to continue to make his dreams a reality, and it is only getting better. Some of Jackson’s goals for this year’s event was to have more community involvement, more sports and a bigger parade. They did not disappoint, and the celebrations crushed expectations.
The number of merchants, organizations and associations that have become involved in the celebration since last year has increased. Tents, tables, booths and vendors filled the park’s entryway up to the basketball courts. Sporting activities like volleyball, football and cornhole were set up around the park, and there were opportunities for everyone to participate in activities such as yoga, Mommy and Me sessions and a train ride around the park. There were also fantastic performances during the parade and in the park, which was an addition to this year’s events.
Jackson explained that the foundation’s connection with a business startup consultant and people that sought her out that wanted to be a part of the Shoot for the Star’s impact helped to make Pop Smoke’s birthday celebration and the community contributions successful throughout the past year.
Several elected officials attended the festivities and spoke about how important Jackson and her foundation is to Canarsie and inspiring youth.
Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse presented Jackson with a City Council citation for addressing the needs of the Canarsie community. “To all of the youth listening, I want you to understand that you have a talent that you can offer to the world, just like Pop Smoke, maybe not in music, maybe in mathematics, basketball, soccer, art, engineering, whatever it may be, that is why Mah is standing here offering scholarships, giving you hope for the future. We want you to reach for the stars,” Narcisse said.
There are many ways to get involved with Shoot for the Stars Foundation. Volunteer, donation and event information can be found online at ShootForTheStars.org.
