‘Getting back into full swing,' Bud Billiken Parade marks 96th year
Griffin has attended the annual parade for about 40 years, she said.
'It's coming back,' Griffin said. 'In (the COVID-19 pandemic), we didn't have it, but they're really getting back into full swing.'
Saturday marked Chicago's 96th annual Bud Billiken Parade & Festival, a Chicago celebration of Black culture, art and community just before the start of the school year. Participants said this year's procession represented a strong, lasting celebration of Black tradition in Chicago.
LaRoyce Hawkins, a Harvey native and 'Chicago P.D.' star, was this year's grand marshal for the parade. A slate of local officials, including Mayor Brandon Johnson, Gov. JB Pritzker and U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, also marched in the procession. Celebrities and local organizations, including Chance the Rapper, also made appearances.
Saturday's parade was the first for Jeri Boykin, a human resources specialist at United Airlines. She moved to Chicago about a year ago from Florida, and said the parade seemed like it would be a 'beautiful experience' and 'great family event.'
'That is phenomenal,' Boykin said. 'Because in this day and age, with so many things phasing out, to have something that's such a staple … that's nice.'
Local performing organizations are also a regular hallmark of the parade. One of those groups is the Dance Force Elite team, which has performed in the parade since 2008, according to the parade's website.
This year, Dance Force's float and performance followed the theme of 'royalty,' said Tonia Davis, a manager at the organization. Dancers wore red, blue and gold lamé uniforms as they kicked off the parade with an energetic performance combining hip hop and majorette moves.
Performers also participate in a judged competition after the parade, Tonia Davis said. Dance Force won awards in 2016, 2017 and 2018, according to the Bud Billiken Parade website.
'It's pushing through our pain because we lost one of our head coaches a year ago,' Tonia Davis said. 'It's really just to honor him, Matthew Thomas.'
The Bud Billiken Parade has also historically been a back-to-school celebration. Bronzeville resident Ron Barlow said this is his 10th year at the event. He swings by because he's glad to see kids excited to resume their education, he said.
The parade also helped Barlow stay in touch with the local community, he said.
'I gained a sense of awareness of the neighborhood now,' Barlow said. 'I used to just come out here for a minute or two and go back home. I've been out here at the whole parade now, for some reason.'
The educational mission of the Bud Billiken Parade also resonated with Boykin, who said she was happy to help the United team hand out 600 backpacks to students after the procession.
'Regardless of where you live or where you're from, it's important to pour back into where you live,' said Boykin, who lives in the Albany Park neighborhood. 'Because if you're not going to do it, nobody else is, and even if it's something small and simple, every little thing matters.'
This year's parade theme was 'Road to 100,' since the event is on the way to its centennial celebration. Robert Sengstacke Abbott, founder of the African American newspaper the Chicago Defender, helped establish the Bud Billiken Parade in 1929. Over the decades, several high-profile politicians and celebrities have joined in, including former President Barack Obama — then a U.S. senator for Illinois — and Oprah Winfrey.
Though the present parade is shorter than those in years past, some of which started at 35th Street, its sustained presence nonetheless brings joy, community members said.
'It's amazing that a Black parade has lasted this long,' Griffin said. 'We got all people now, not just Black, everybody now. And it's good.'
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