By Donovan Dooley
Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend in Atlanta will be full of HBCU flavor.
Recently, the HBCU Culture Legacy Foundation announced The HBCU Culture Homecoming Fest & Battle of The Bands MLK Weekend Edition, which will feature an exciting showdown between some of the best HBCU bands in the country on Sunday, Jan. 15 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Jackson State University, Miles College, Southern University, and Talladega College will all compete to see which band can prove their greatness. It will likely be a battle of precision, flare and power. For those who aren’t aware, HBCU bands are a staple of HBCU culture. They give the sidelines and stands a unique flavor that cannot be duplicated.
The HBCU Culture Legacy Foundation Battle of the Bands brings in notable band performers and members of the HBCU community from across the nation. The Band Competition & Homecoming Fest kicks off the HBCU Culture $10 Million Scholarship Initiative for 2023. Each participating marching band will receive a $20,000 scholarship towards their band’s program, along with other educational experiences provided by the HBCU Culture Legacy Foundation. Proceeds from tickets, sponsorships, and donations are devoted directly to meeting their goal.
After a Fundraising Gala on Friday, the HBCU Culture Homecoming Fest will be held on the campus of Morris Brown College in Atlanta from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., on Saturday. During the festival, attendees will enjoy live performances from the Morehouse College Marching Band and the Johnson C. Smith University Drumline. The event will also serve as a great opportunity for various high school bands and their band members to be able to attend a college and career fair. The festival will also include a vendor marketplace, food trucks, local eateries, and sponsor activation.
Some of the proceeds from ticket sales at Saturday’s event will be donated to the 2023 Focus HBCU Institution at Morris Brown College. HBCU Culture is so incredibly lively and fun. The bands are a huge part this one of a kind mix that makes HBCU culture the staple that it is today.
For years, Black communities have gathered around music. These HBCU bands more than fulfill their responsibilities as some of the culture carriers in the HBCU community. The legacies, style, and musicality of some of these historic bands will certainly make for an interesting competition in Atlanta on Jan. 15.
