By Zon D’Amor
Honda Battle of the Bands continues its illustrious legacy as a celebration of excellence in education, entrepreneurship, and entertainment. For the first time in its 19-year history, the event took place on the West Coast at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood.
The six HBCU bands that traveled from the South to dazzle the audience with their talent were Alabama A&M University’s “Marching Maroon & White Band,” Alabama State University’s “Mighty Marching Hornets,” Hampton University’s “The Marching Force,” North Carolina A&T State University’s “The Blue and Gold Marching Machine,” Southern University’s “Human Jukebox,” and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s “Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South.”
Participating HBCUs awarded $50,000 grants from Honda for music education and career development. Before the event, Honda also reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to HBCU music education through a $500,000 grant to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
Media mogul and Howard University alum Nick Cannon hosted the festivities. Nearly 25 years after his breakout role in “Drumline,” the film’s cultural impact is still palpable. The crowd of nearly 50,000 attendees was elated to see Cannon and his “Drumline” co-star, actor Orlando Jones, who made a guest appearance when the event commenced.
During a press conference, Cannon marveled at how the success of “Drumline” created more awareness around the elite level of discipline, and athleticism required to be a part of a collegiate band.
“When we shot ‘Drumline’ in 2001, this was a subculture,” said Cannon. “Now for it to be the culture and on full display, on so many stages shows the evolution of art imitating life, and life imitating art because we’re here in a real battle of the bands. At the time [when we filmed] at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, something of this magnitude was fictitious, so to see the evolution is quite remarkable.”
In conversation with Cannon and the media, Jasmine Cockfield, Honda Battle of the Bands project lead at American Honda Motor Co., Inc., reflected on a kismet moment.
“I was scrolling through Facebook and on this day in 2011, I was traveling to Atlanta to the Honda Battle of the Bands as a Jackson State student to support my friends who were in the ‘Sonic Boom of the South’ [marching band],” she recalled.
“Fourteen years later, I’m leading the Honda Battle of the Bands. So that continues to show not only Honda’s full commitment but a full circle moment for myself as well. HBCU culture is on full display and I’m excited to be here and lead in this role.”
The event provided a multifaceted opportunity for attendees to not only enjoy the music but also learn about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through a partnership with the Black College Expo.
Founded in 1999 by Dr. Theresa Price, the Black College Expo is a nationwide tour that provides students with information about HBCUs. Within the 26 years since its inception, the Black College Expo has helped to increase enrollment in some institutions by upwards of 50%.
On the day of Battle of the Bands, over 200 colleges and universities were present at Sofi Stadium resulting in thousands of students having the opportunity to be interviewed by recruiters, get accepted on-the-spot and receive scholarships.
Reflecting on the collaborative experience Dr. Price told the Sentinel, “It was amazing. There was so much unity in the community, and we gave away over $35 million in scholarships.”
Black on the Block, the premiere flea market for small businesses in Los Angeles, also had an activation at Battle of the Bands. Founded by sisters Lanie and Char Edwards, vendors received a unique opportunity to reach a broader demographic of customers by showcasing their products at the event.
The Edwards sisters gave insight into working with Honda to integrate Black on the Block into Battle of the Bands.
“Our vendors definitely got great exposure. Right when it started at 9 a.m., thousands of people were already there. We’re used to a slower trickle-in at our events, so it was cool to see so many people there right on time,” said Lanie Edwards.
She continued, “Black on the Block and the Black College Expo were the entities that could bring all these businesses together in a space they wouldn’t normally be in so I think that’s the real win for everyone. I would love to do something like this at Sofi Stadium again. It was a beautiful, and really positive experience,” added Edwards.
Battle of the Band concluded with a performance by GRAMMY-nominated rapper GloRilla who amplified the energy of the stadium with a medley of her hits.
In addition to Battle of the Bands, Honda also supports the Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) a “Jeopardy” style academic competition in which students can win grants and other prizes. The 2025 HCASC National Championship Tournament will take place in April.