Brooklyn Recess
Double-dutch is one of our favorite expressions of Black Girl Magic. With just three people and two ropes, it’s a spellbinding performance of rhythm, speed and footwork that Black girls have been perfecting on concrete playgrounds for generations. But as smartphones and social media have taken hold, and as neighborhoods continue to gentrify, the game is fading away from our cities.
Luckily for us, friends and Brooklyn natives Naima Moore-Turner, 26 (left), and Natelegé Whaley, 30, started Brooklyn Recess last year — a series of pop-ups in parks and schoolyards, where they post up with ropes and invite people to jump. Their goals: to revive the presence of double-dutch in Brooklyn and to pass the torch to younger generations.
“Double-dutch is more than a game; it’s who we are,” says Naima. “Preserving double-dutch culture in Brooklyn is us reclaiming our streets and reclaiming ourselves.” ⠀
We caught Brooklyn Recess’ latest #CanIGetaJump double-dutch pop-up yesterday at the Atlantic Antic street festival, where grown women who claimed they hadn’t jumped in decades got back in the ropes effortlessly and young girls excitedly gave it a try for the first time.
“It’s a culture that connects generations,” says Natelegé. “We get participants from teenagers to women in their 60s and 70s who can jump and still know the tricks, rhymes and chants.” Follow @brooklynrecess for details on where they’ll be popping up next!
“Double-dutch is more than a game; it’s who we are. Preserving double-dutch culture in Brooklyn is us reclaiming our streets and reclaiming ourselves.” ⠀
