Here’s another drawing from my newest ‘zine. The image in the background is an early photo of the Florida A&M University (FAMU) marching band. The photo was taken during the 1940s, long before the indictment, conviction, and sentencing of several of the band members for the 2011 hazing death of FAMU drum major Robert Champion. The uniforms on the drawn figures do not represent one particular Black college band, but rather the HBCU marching band tradition as a whole. The photo in the background is offered as a reminder of the distinguished history of HBCU bands and as a call for the rejection of the brutal hazing that has overshadowed this powerful legacy.
Ajuan Mance