Stories We Tell

By Aniyah Beck

Next Saturday morning the streets of Greensboro will be flooded with decorative floats and performances such as the Blue and Gold Marching Band and the Royal Courts for the annual homecoming parade that will take place outside of the campus of N.C. A&T.

The annual homecoming parade will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. The floats will begin at the intersection of Lindsey and Morrow and end on Laurel Street. The parade will be free to the public.

Many organizations on campus are getting creative as they begin to decorate their floats for the upcoming event. Organizations on campus find this as a way to promote their missions and network with the Greensboro community. 

Jordynn Holley, a senior mass media production student, plans to enjoy another year of the homecoming parade.

 Holley said she is “looking forward to walking alongside” her friends “and connecting with the community” during the parade. 

The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) is one of N.C. A&T’s most populated organizations. The organization plans to make its second appearance this year. Last year, as the women walked throughout Greensboro, they passed out candy and shared the importance of their organization. 

N.C. A&T section President Ashleigh Taylor described her experience in the parade.

 “The homecoming parade has been one of the highlights from my time here at A&T,” Taylor said, “Preparing and walking in the parade has allowed me to strengthen the bond with a few of the members of NCNW and share our values with others.”

Although the parade will feature several different performances, students are thrilled to see the grand performance from their very own Blue and Gold Marching Machine.

While members of the band are no strangers to performing on a large spectrum, this year’s parade will move a bit differently. They will be using the Homecoming parade as a preview for their performance at the upcoming Rose Parade, which takes place on New Year’s Day. 

First-year band member, Chris Smith, expresses his excitement.

 “We have been working hard to make sure that everyone enjoys the show,” Smith said “This performance will be one to remember!”

Local high school powerhouse band, the Page Pirates, plans to make their yearly appearance. The Pirates are one of Greensboro’s most highlighted bands, performing in competitions in New York. Each year, they leave their mark as they play through the streets of Greensboro.

N.C. A&T Homecoming Parade runs deep within the history of Greensboro. For decades, the parade took place at World War Memorial Park. In the spring of 2015, N.C. A&T bought the park and expanded the parade throughout the streets of Greensboro. 

Each year the parade has an increase in participation and continues to be a positive event for students, alumni, and the Greensboro community to look forward to during the homecoming season. 

Aniyah Beck is a North Carolina A&T junior multimedia journalism and mass communications student from Asheville, North Carolina.