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Mississippi Valley State University, an HBCU, is currently catching hell on social media for accepting an invite for its marching band, the Mean Green Marching Machine, to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration and launching a GoFundMe campaign to pay for the trip.
Trump’s inauguration will take place on Jan. 20, 2025, the same date that the nation will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It turns out a lot of people, especially Black people, don’t think it’s appropriate for the marching band of a historically Black college to perform for the president who, in 2020, exclusively targetted predominately Black and Latino voting precincts in his baseless and factless election fraud propaganda campaign — especially on the holiday honoring the civil rights icon who famously fought for Black people’s right to vote.
Unfortunately, the administrators at MVSU didn’t get the memo.
Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) is catching side-eyes after accepting an invitation to march in Trump’s upcoming inaugural parade on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 20, 2025. https://t.co/q7U3oN67lt pic.twitter.com/7wpKOkV1DV
— Bossip (@Bossip) December 30, 2024
From Revolt:
“This historic invitation highlights the band’s legacy of excellence and cultural significance, showcasing the university and Mississippi’s rich heritage globally. This invitation continues MVSU’s tradition of groundbreaking national performances. In 1965, the band became the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) ensemble to march in the Tournament of Roses Parade. They returned to Pasadena in 1968 and performed in President Richard Nixon’s inaugural parade on Jan. 20, 1969. These milestones reflect the band’s enduring legacy as cultural ambassadors for Mississippi and the HBCU community.”
Dr. Jerryl Briggs, MVSU president, noted that, “This is not just a moment of pride for our university but for the entire state of Mississippi. It is an opportunity to showcase our legacy, celebrate our culture, and invest in the future leaders of our community.”
Yeah — it’s arguable that all the invitation actually “highlights” is the president-elect’s willingness to continue pandering to Black people after promising to fight racism against white people while denying the very existence of systemic racism against Black people. Trump spearheaded the propaganda-reliant attack on critical race theory, issued an executive order banning diversity training in the workplace, and promised to end all DEI programs across America. He advocated for the military to shoot Black Lives Matter protesters, and he called for the execution of the Central Park Five, whose exoneration and innocence he still refuses to acknowledge.
Perhaps the administrators at MVSU would do well to understand that Black excellence shouldn’t include taking a seat at everyone’s table, and marching for a white nationalist could easily be interpreted as sambo-esque tap-dancing with a little extra razzle-dazzle.
Needless to say, the fine folks on X are displeased. Check out some of the reactions below.
