Photo: Getty Images
Alabama A&M University's marching band is on the precipice of making history this Thanksgiving.
According to BET, the Marching Maroon and White is set to lead the 97th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on Thursday (November 23). Alabama A&M will be the first HBCU to lead the annual parade.
The Marching Maroon and White will be joined by The Dancin' Divas, an auxiliary unit of the marching band that is set to put on a special performance of the famous Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.
Band director Carlton Wright said he wanted Alabama A&M to get the opportunity to perform in the parade like other universities.
“I went to my laptop and visited the Macy’s website and I found the application on there. Right away, I just started typing in the application on Thanksgiving morning two years ago,” Wright said.
After weeks of compiling videos and letters of recommendation, Wright received confirmation that his band had been selected in February 2022.
Wright said the marching band worked for hours to put on a memorable 75-second show.
“I am a graduate of this program and we never got a chance to do anything like this when I was here playing in the band as a student. But now I get to be able to help provide this opportunity for our students,” Wright said.
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