The most obvious suggestion so far is for them to decline the invite because well, Trump is Trump. This the guy who asked Black people “what the hell do you have to lose” while pitching for their vote, simultaneously assuming that every Black person lives in poverty and is uneducated. This is also a man who did absolutely nothing to get the Black vote, although he did pledge to support HBCU’s in his “New Deal For Black America.” But Trump isn’t even keeping promises to the people he campaigned to the most, so how can his word be trusted here?
Then you have people saying, why not? After all, an HBCU marching during a Trump inauguration could be that moment where the President-elect and people like him can see for themselves that not every Black person has “nothing to lose.”
Their presence could be a moment akin to classical singer and civil rights activist Marian Anderson’s performances at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 or the two inaugurations she performed at in 1957 and 1961. Those performances led to Anderson becoming a cultural ambassador to other nations and even communities inside of the United States. She was able to leverage her commercial and global popularity to bring attention to civil rights issues in America.
Granted, Talladega College is not a global phenomenon, the school only has 1,500 students and the band was just formed in 2012, which could be a driving factor in their decision. Recruiting by was of exposure is the backbone of an HBCU’s enrollment, sport and band success. The Marching Tornadoes could possibly use this opportunity to stress the importance of HBCUs and bring up issues facing the African-American community to thousands of people and hundreds of politicians who either “don’t know, don’t show or don’t care” about what’s going on there and cause some dialogue that leads to change. They could express this in ways ranging from their song selection in the parade to what they wear to the conversations they have with all of the people they will meet in the streets, hotels and restaurants during their stay.
But that, just like their pending decision to show up in Washington, D.C. in January, is ultimately up to them. They have every right and reason to decline Team Trump’s invite. But if they do choose to go, let’s hope they do well and make the most out of it, because everybody will be watching.
UPDATE: The Marching Tornados have accepted the invite and will march in the parade.
Photo: Screenshot
