By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Officials, agencies, organizations, marching bands, residents and visitors braved the blistering cold on Feb. 17 for the inaugural Black History Month Parade in Baltimore City. The celebration kicked off at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Eutaw St.
The parade, which carried a theme of “A Walk in Legacy,” commemorated the rich history of Black trailblazers, leaders and Black achievements in Charm City. Before leading the march, Mayor Brandon M. Scott addressed the bundled up crowd.
“We know how important it is in this moment to show unity, to show strength, to show love, to show care and to show homage to our ancestors,” said Scott. “That’s why we’re out here today because we have a whole world of folks trying to tell us that we are less than and that we will never be able to achieve our greatness. But, we know that all civilization comes from us. Today, we are here to showcase to all of Baltimore that Black history is the answer.”
The parade comes as leaders in federal and state government lodge assaults against Black history in the classroom. In January, the 47th president signed an executive order ending what he referred to as “radical indoctrination” in K-12 public schools. The president intends to withhold funding from any school that engages in “discriminatory equity ideology.” Some worry this may include school-based student unions for marginalized groups or critical race theory (CRT), which argues that racism is embedded in laws, polices and societal systems.
Several states, including Florida, Alabama and Georgia, have already passed legislation to ban CRT and restrict how race is discussed in classrooms.
Dr. Tonja L. Ringgold walked in the parade alongside her Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority sisters, decked in their pink and green. Ringgold is a proud member of the Epsilon Omega Chapter, the oldest chapter in the North Atlantic region.
“Part of our mission for Alpha Kappa Alpha is to give service and give back to the community,” said Ringgold. “We’ve been participating in the Baltimore parades for over 15 years, and we’ve been in Baltimore celebrating and working with the community for over 103 years.”
She praised the parade’s focus on legacy.
The city of Baltimore has no shortage of Black pioneers. Civil rights giants, like Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and NAACP Washington Bureau Director Clarence M. Mitchell Jr., were born in the city.
Baltimore was also a hub for protests and demonstrations during the Civil Rights Movement. Notably, droves of activists from Maryland, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., assembled at Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Baltimore on July 4, 1963, to protest segregation at the park.
“We have to hold on to our past, but also move forward for our future,” said Ringgold. “This is very important. Given this time, we have to reinforce the meaning of what Black history is about. We cannot forget.”
Friends Leetice Pierce and Denise Cooper also attended the celebration, wearing Black history-themed attire. They considered the event “history in the making” as it was the first of its kind in Baltimore and praised Scott for creating it.
(AFRO Photo/Megan Sayles)
“I’m happy to be a part of the first Black History Month Parade. I feel like it’s long overdue,” said Cooper. “It’s a beautiful thing. I’m happy to be a part of it because it just feels like Baltimore.”
Charles Young, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity came out to the parade out of love for his city. He grew up near the intersection of Patterson Park and North Avenue.
“In light of what’s going on in the White House, we need to make sure that we point out all of the inventions and different things that Black people have done in this country,” said Young. “Black history is important, and we need to make sure that it’s being taught in the school because a lot of people on the other side of the aisle want to take it out of schools and libraries.”
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