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Marching bands are rooted in military training exercises & combat formations. AA marching bands & drumlines honored service in U.S. conflicts, while highlighting the absence of civil rights despite sacrifices to defend the nation. #APeoplesJourney #Homecoming #SmithsonianMusic
While laws prevented black people from carrying weapons, they were allowed to hold musical instruments. Many were assigned to the fife & drum corps—musicians that played small flutes & drums to boost the spirits of fighters, a tradition that goes back to the Revolutionary War. 
Music became an expression of solidarity & pride. Marching bands evolved from their military roots to become vehicles of civil disobedience during Jim Crow segregation—and as a way to reclaim space.
The military’s only all-black female band battled & won: po.st/eXx6ci
The military’s only all-black female band battled & won: po.st/eXx6ci
This tradition runs strong today at HBCUS. While movements & costumes have expanded since the 19th century to incorporate other forms of performance, they still remain connected to a lineage of marching as political expression. #APeoplesJourney #Homecoming #SmiithsonianMusic
