Alabama HBCU Band To March At Inauguration, Igniting Controversy

NoCompetition wrote: »

People act like they want black people to not be involved and be marginilized and disappear from it cause Trump is President elect. I think thats wrong. A lot of those people who say stuff like that arent even black too. They have an agenda. Keep the administration and Government lilly white smh. Is this rocket science to yall to understand? Just like not voting and all the other similar losing tactics.

rapmusic wrote: »

If Trump ain't up there throwing ? at thfm while saying these are my African Americans, I don't care. Don't care if that band performs or not. As long as they don't embarss themselves

Talladega College: School hasn't committed to sending Marching Tornadoes Band to Trump inauguration

Officials with Talladega College said they have not decided if the school's band will attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

"From Trump's inaugural committee, via their press release, we are listed as one of the schools in attendance, but the official word...from the president is that a decision has not been made as to whether (the band) would attend or not," a Talladega representative said.

Greg Wilson, the college's director for public relations and communications, told the Talladega Daily Home the school expects to issue a press release with its decision in the next 48 hours.

The Marching Tornadoes of Talladega College were listed by the Presidential Inauguration Committee as one of the participants in the Jan. 20 inaugural parade. The committee tweeted out a welcome message to the Marching Tornadoes and the band's Facebook page also detailed the plans:

"The Great Tornado has been chosen to participate in presidential elect Donald Trumps inauguration parade! This a momentous achievement for not only just the college and the band program but for the entire state of Alabama! Keep us in your hearts and prayers as we vow to make you all proud," the band's page said.

The invitation set off a wave of criticism and questions as to whether the band, which represents Alabama's oldest private historically black college, should take part in inaugural events.

Rival petitions - one calling for support of the band's trip, the other asking it to turn down the invitation - were launched this week.

More than 8,000 participants representing 40 organizations, including high school and university marching bands, equestrian corps, first responders and veterans groups, will be taking part in the inaugural parade.

Talladega College band will perform at inauguration, school president says

(CNN)
Students in the marching band of a historically black college in Alabama welcomed the announcement by the school's president Thursday that they will participate in inauguration festivities for President-elect Donald Trump.

The decision follows several days of controversy after the Talladega College Marching Tornadoes initially accepted an invitation to perform on January 20, with critics saying the move amounts to support for Trump. He made comments during the presidential campaign that were widely viewed as disparaging to people of color and immigrants.
College President Billy C. Hawkins announced the final decision in a statement, noting that the "lessons students can learn from this experience cannot be taught in a classroom."

"We respect and appreciate how our students and alumni feel about our participation in this parade," said Hawkins. "As many of those who chose to participate in the parade have said, we feel the inauguration of a new president is not a political event but a civil ceremony celebrating the transfer of power."

Band members said Thursday they were excited for the chance to represent the 4-year-old ensemble and their college.

Head drum major Devon Julian, 21, of New Orleans, said it would be "an honor and an accomplishment."

"Not too many people could say they were able to march for a president of the United States in an inaugural parade," Julian said in the Talladega College band room.

Taesha Mathews, 20, of Talladega, said the backlash against the band's plan to perform hasn't bothered her. "No matter what people say about the [band] we will always keep marching on, with or without your support."

"It's not all about the president," said Shylexis Robinson, 19, of Atlanta. "It's about the band and what we want to do and how to get our band out there."

Not everyone on the campus was pleased with the decision.

"I think with Donald Trump being the type person he is, the band shouldn't go," Ike Chukwuelue, 25, a Talladega student from Atlanta, said Wednesday.

"Marching in that parade would basically be siding with Trump and his ideals and the way he chooses to go about politics."

College founded by former slaves

Chukwuelue, speaking on campus, also was worried that marching in the parade could affect enrollment.

"What kid are you going to get to come here now after you just marched for Trump in a parade?" he said.

The controversy sparked rival petitions -- one first started by a graduate of the school asking The Great Tornado band to withdraw -- and another by a band member in support of performing.

Talladega, which was founded in 1867 by former slaves, has 800 students. It is Alabama's oldest private historically black liberal arts college, the school said.

"We have a reputation of fighting for freedom and equal rights and justice and he doesn't stand for any of that," said Shirley Ferrill.

Ferrill, a 1974 graduate, started the petition calling for the band to withdraw.

She said she was most offended by Trump's November 2015 rally in Birmingham, in which a Black Lives Matter protester was beaten, punched and kicked by white men in the crowd.

Hawkins said the school's administration did not rush to accept the invitation because it wanted to "hear and consider the thoughts and feelings of the Talladega College community."

He noted that while the event is considered a "once-in-a-lifetime experience for the students," the school must now raise more than $60,000 to cover the expense of the trip to Washington.

Inaugural claims record number of applicants

The school learned that it had been tapped to perform in a December 21 letter addressed to the band from parade organizers. The letter congratulated the band on being chosen.

"We had a record number of applicants, so our selection is a testament to your organization's talent and enthusiasm," the letter said.

Eight days later, the school's band director faxed the required information to organizers. The next day, Trump's inaugural committee listed the Talladega band on an initial lineup of performers.

Talladega resident Donald Morgan, a retired teacher who has four Talladega College graduates in his family, said the band would be playing for the office of the presidency -- not specifically for Trump -- and "for the country and for humanity."

Quoting first lady Michelle Obama, Morgan, 62, said: "When they go low, we should go high. We're going to respect him whether we like him or not because he is the president of the United States."

Morgan said Talladega College had long provided opportunities for African-Americans to get higher education after schools such as the University of Alabama refused to admit black students. "Now we can go anywhere ... even to Washington to perform for the president of the United States," he said.

Sons of Talladega College grads to return degrees because band will play at Trump inauguration

The sons of two Talladega College graduates say they are returning their deceased parents' doctoral degrees because the school's band will march at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

The school's decision to participate in the inauguration has drawn criticism from some alumni, while others have said it will be a positive experience for the band members.

In a letter to University President Billy C. Hawkins, Peter Rasmussen said he and his brothers, Steven and David, have no doubt their parents would be "angered and deeply disappointed" if they knew about the school's plans. Peter Rasmussen shared the letter's text on Facebook.

"Our parents, Donald and Lore Rasmussen, taught at Talladega College from 1942 to 1955, and we, their three sons, spent our early years living in a small white house that used to sit between your home and Derricotte House," the Rasmussen sons wrote in the letter.

"During those years, our parents devoted themselves to their students and to the challenges of living in a segregated South, while we grew up attending Sessions School, the College's multi-racial elementary/middle school. It was a happy time for us during which we formed our core values."

Talladega College is Alabama's oldest private Historically Black College and University.

"Mr. Trump has demonstrated in innumerable ways, during the electoral campaign and his time as president-elect, that he is the antithesis of all (our parents) worked and stood for and of the values they nurtured in their students,"

In 2003, Donald and Lore Rasmussen received Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Humane Letters from Talladega College.

"In the presentation of their degrees, President Henry Ponder noted their 'untiring fight to ensure the human dignity of all persons' and that 'at great personal peril [they had] led the struggle for civil rights,'" according to the letter.

Lore Rasmussen, a Jewish refugee from ? Germany, came to the United States "to escape the exact same policies as those espoused by Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions," the letter reads. "She studied at Columbia University for one semester, but she quit in disgust when she discovered that Columbia had distinguished itself by being one of the few American universities to curry favor with ? 's government by taking part in the 1937 celebration of the 550th anniversary of Heidelberg University in Germany.

"Both of our parents have passed away since receiving this cherished recognition from the College," the letter continues. "But we have no doubt that they would be angered and deeply disappointed if they knew of the plans for Talladega College to pay tribute to Donald Trump by participating in his inaugural."

The Rasmussen brothers wrote in the letter they hope Hawkins will reconsider his decision to let the band participate.

"We are writing to advise you that to honor our parents' memory and their life work, we, their three sons, have chosen to return their honorary degrees to Talladega College," the letter reads. "We are certain our parents would not want them under the present circumstances."

Copper wrote: »

Whites can bring back jim crow and there will be groups of ? that will show up to tap dance