Howard University (HU) announced this week that it will have a role to play in the inauguration of the former vice president-elect Kamala Harris
Most Kamala HarrisSenate offers Biden new avenues for environmental reversals from Trump Lights of the Empire State Building on the eve of Biden’s inauguration to honor the victims of COVID-19 READ: Harris letter resigning the Senate before the inauguration MORE, with his famous martial band scheduled to accompany the former senator at the historic event.
The university said its Showtime Marching Band will accompany Harris at the opening on Wednesday and “will perform a special drum cadence for the parade”.
“It is a great honor to be involved in the historic inauguration of the president-elect Joe Biden
Joe BidenWoman accused of trying to sell Pelosi laptop to imprisoned Russians Trump gets the lowest job approval rate in recent days, while President Trump moves to lift coronavirus travel restrictions in Europe, Brazil MORE and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, ”Howard University president Wayne AI Frederick said in a statement. “Throughout her career, the elected vice president has taken her Howard education with her, ensuring that she adheres to truth and service and inspiring her to achieve unprecedented levels of excellence.”
“It is perfectly appropriate that the Showtime Marching Band, the ensemble that captures and reverberates the heartbeat of our institution, should accompany it in this last stage of its journey to the White House,” said Frederick.
“It was this constant pulse of her Alma Mater’s legacy that propelled her forward, and it is this same rhythm that will move her forward, since she will undoubtedly become one of the most influential vice presidents in our nation’s history”, he added.
The school said in its announcement on Monday that its band will have its “drumline, the Flashy Flag Squad and Ooh La La dancers at the opening parade, representing less than a third of the band for safety precautions”, given the pandemic in course.
Kelvin Washington, the school’s band director, said he is “proud to be able to safely unite” to “represent Howard University, elected vice president Kamala Harris and all HBCUs across the country.”
As soon as Harris takes office on Wednesday, she will become the first woman, black American and South Asian American, to serve as the country’s vice president. However, there are other glass ceilings that the former senator will break in her possession later this week, including being the first graduate of a historically black university and the first member of a historically African American organization of Greek letters to serve in office. .
Harris studied political science and economics at HU before graduating from university in 1986. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA), the oldest African American brotherhood with Greek letters, where she was also started during her time in the HU.
She assigned both institutions a significant role in making her the woman she is today.
According to a school press release, the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday will mark the first time that many of the student band members have been together since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Washington, which has experience with presentations at previous inaugural parades, said it was ready.
“I had the pleasure of serving as a student at Southern University in 1980 for the inauguration of ex-president Ronald Reagan, and then as an associate director of the Howard University Band for ex-president Barack Obama
Barack Hussein ObamaBiden faces monumental task of healing the divided country Garth Brooks to perform at Biden’s oath ceremony. Obama honors MLK Day: ‘He never gave in to violence, he never waved a traitorous flag’ MORE and now this would be my third, ”he said in a statement.
Courtney Gilliam, a graduate student at the university who is also a co-captain of the Flashy Flag Squad, said her team also “has been training, learning releases and practicing dances with band music since last summer at our respective homes”.
“So, finally hearing the band’s heartbeat, even in this small degree, is powerful for the whole band, and I’m sure the student body will be excited to see their classmates helping to introduce our colleague Bison,” she said.
“I think that the changes in this year’s inaugural events are appropriate for the moment that we live in. I’ve been looking forward to seeing how Howard University would be included in this memorable opening for months, and it’s great to know that we can safely run traditional events and be represented as the martial band and the musical heart of Vice President Mater’s Soul, ”she also said. said.
“As the first of many more progressive elections / inaugurations for women, it is a euphoric feeling to be involved. I am very happy to be able to participate with the Flashy Flag Squad, Ooh La La Dancers and percussion section, ”she added.