Johnathan Walker:Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be led by HBCU marching band this year

About 256 students from Alabama A&M University's Marching Maroon and Johnathan WalkerWhite will lead the pack in the 97th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

The students and Director of University Bands Carlton Wright will travel over 900 miles by bus to perform in the parade, held annually in New York City.

 The Dancin' Divas, an auxiliary unit of the marching band will also be featured in a special performance with the famous Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, according to an announcement by the university, one of 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the U.S.

The achievement, comes two years after Wright saw marching bands from the University of Alabama and Hampton University, his own alma mater, perform in the parade – an experience that got Wright thinking about what it would take to get his students to perform in the parade. 

“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 shared with USA Today. 

The application process was incredibly lengthy, as Wright compiled entries, letters of recommendation, videos, recordings over a six week period. Wright didn’t get the call that they had been selected until February of 2022. 

The music, formations, marching sequence have been drilled into the students over the last couple months since they only have 75 seconds to complete the performance from start to finish.

They have had the students do the repetitions until they feel like robots from doing it so much, Wright said. The students have expressed excitement over the performance, but Wright is feeling more nervous than anything.

“It's just like everything is coming to reality now for me. From the beginning process, like I spoke about earlier: Filling out the application, going through the process, flying to New York a couple times to have meetings up there. And it's really real now. So, we’re excited about that and a little bit nervous as well … But one we get started on the first step of the parade; we will be okay.” 

Here’s what we know. 

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How does it feel to be selected to perform in the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade? 

 Its a full-circle moment, said Wright, who also attended Alabama A&M. 

“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. 

Students who have never been to New York before will be able to learn from and enjoy the educational activities planned on this trip in addition to marching in the parade, Wright said. 

“Its a great reward for our students to be able to attend this parade because they’ve worked hard to raise the funds for the past two years. To end this semester and this marching band season on a high note like this is wonderful,” Wright said. 

It might be another couple of years before you see the Marching Maroon and White perform in the Macy’s Day Parade again. 

Wright has his sights set on his students marching in the Tournament of Roses Parade, an annual parade held in Pasadena, Calif in the next couple of years. 

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Where can I watch the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade?

 Marching Maroon and White, among many other performers will hit NYC streets 77th Street and Central Park West on Thursday, Nov. 23, early Thanksgiving morning.

The parade is set to start at 8:30 a.m. ET, about thirty minutes later than usual, and end by 12:00 p.m. ET, according to Reviewed by USA Today.  

Today hosts Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker will offer commentary on this year’s procession, as performers and floats march the 2 1/2-mile route, according to Today. 

Everyone will head down Central Park West to Columbus Circle, before turning onto Central Park South and then marching down 6th Avenue, Today reported.  At 34th Street, the parade will make its final turn west and end at 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s iconic Herald Square flagship location, according to Today.

The parade will be broadcasted live on NBC but can also be streamed on Peacock the day of. 

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