By Serenity Armstrong
Howard University News Service
WASHINGTON – The Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) Marching Band’s decision to perform in the 60th Presidential Inauguration Parade led to national debate, especially in the Black community.
Some are congratulating the “Mean Green Marching Machine,” which performed inside the Capital One Arena because of the cold weather. Meanwhile, others argue the band’s participation is a “disgraceful” betrayal of HBCU values.
Critics have gone as far as calling the band an “Uncle Tom” and comparing the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump to a “Ku Klux Klan meeting.”
Organizations submitted applications to perform, including information about their groups’ history, achievements and repertoire, according to the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region Inaugural Parade Coordinator Office.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee then selected performers, with less than 35% of parade applicants being invited in the past.
“This is not just a moment of pride for our university but for the entire state of Mississippi,” MVSU President Dr. Jerryl Briggs said in an announcement of the band’s acceptance on Dec. 26.
Briggs said the performance was an opportunity to showcase the university and Mississippi’s legacy and celebrate culture.
“This participation allows students to engage in the peaceful transition of power and gain global exposure while celebrating the university’s 75th anniversary,” he added.
Since parade performers are responsible for all participation expenses, MVSU band director Miguel Bonds, Ph.D., organized a GoFundMe campaign seeking financial assistance.
The total cost of the trip was about $350,000, including travel, accommodations, meals and equipment, according to the university.

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who endorsed Trump for three consecutive elections, encouraged people to donate to the band’s campaign, which raised over $300,000 by the morning of Inauguration Day.
Reeves said he looked forward to watching these “incredible” students’ performance.
“Mississippi is proud of you!” he posted with a photo of the band on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Despite the university and Mississippi officials supporting the band’s inaugural parade performance, some believe the band should not have participated.
Bishop Talbert Swan, II, president of the Greater Springfield NAACP in Massachusetts, and others said the performance contradicted the values of MVSU and undermined the core of historically Black colleges and universities.
“While I respect that showcasing the band’s excellence can be an important moment for students, it should not eclipse the broader ramifications of aligning with an individual and administration that have historically demonstrated antipathy toward our progress,” Swan wrote in an open letter to Briggs.
For years, Trump’s rhetoric and views about matters, such as education and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), have provoked polarizing debates and mixed views about his benefits for the Black community.
The Leadership Conference of Civil and Human Rights published a chronological timeline explaining how the Trump administration has “worked aggressively” to roll back civil rights progress.
Specifically, Swan said Trump’s Black history education policies directly opposed MVSU’s legacy, citing the 1964 boycotts for Black history courses and access to works by Black authors.
“MVSU could very well be supporting [Trump] and his policies that may one day close their doors,” Mississippi native Guy Humes said. “It’s always deeper… Black folks are good enough to entertain him but not good enough to serve in his Cabinet.”
It’s always deeper,” Mississippi native Guy Humes said. “Black folks are good enough to entertain him, but not good enough to serve in his Cabinet.”
With the inauguration being on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, some felt the band’s performance was especially “insulting.”
Many, including consultant Camille Jamerson, said they had no intentions of watching it.
“Whites can throw a little carrot of fame in our faces, and we will allow ourselves to be prostituted for our gifts and talents,” Jamerson said. “It’s MLK Day. We will be otherwise occupied.”
In response to critics, supporters, like political strategist Danny D. Glover, highlighted that the MVSU band was not the first HBCU band to perform at the inauguration of a Republican president-elect.
In fact, a similar controversy erupted in 2017 when Bonds led the Talladega College band to perform at Trump’s first inauguration.
Mississippi native David Clayton-Johnson, who donated to the band’s campaign, addressed critics under an MVSU post about the band’s performance.
He said critics “came out of the woods” for something trivial, but no one showed up when the institution really needed help.
“Donald Trump is going to be president no matter if we march or not,” Clayton-Johnson said.
The MVSU band was not the only performer to receive backlash. Other artists, including Snoop Dogg and Nelly, were also criticized.
Serenity Armstrong is a reporter and managing editor of HUNewsService.com.