Mr. Carnival, Where Were You?

Mr. Carnival, Where Were You? is a story about a little Black African boy who accompanied his mother and family and friends on a dancing journey on and around the coast of Africa during the European Missionaries' Christian celebrations. While everyone in attendance was tired, weary of a long journey, he was still dancing entertaining the audience. To honor his dancing performance, the Europeans called him Carnival, in English means "festival, or merrymaking, before Lent." While the European Missionaries' celebration was going on, the African slave trade began. He was captured by the Danes and brought to St. John in 1733. During St. John's slave rebellion, he stowed away on a French soldiers' sailing ship onto French St. Martin, where he continued his dancing performance. Everywhere he was dancing, people in the audience would gather together and sing and shout, "Mr. Carnival, where were you?"