Members of the FL Schlagle Marching Stallions were in Memphis in September to participate in the Southern Heritage Classic Parade an annual historically Black college football game between Jackson State and Tennessee State Universities. A total of 25 Students and 10 chaperones made the trip.
As part of the festivities, the Marching Stallions performed in the Southern Heritage Classic Parade and after the parade, the group was invited to watch the game and enjoy the high stepping half-time show between the university bands.
“This was an excellent opportunity for our students to see people that look like them, doing what they do at the collegiate level,” said Stallion Band Director Katja Otto-Gentry.
The weekend excitement also included a tour of Lymone Owens College, which is the fifth oldest Historically Black College in the country. While there, students were given a chance to audition for band scholarships at the HBCU.
The fun-filled weekend continued with a visit to a college fair and a tour of the city, which meant stops at the famed Beale Street entertainment district and the National Civil Rights Museum.
Students saw some familiar faces while in Memphis. They got a chance to eat at a restaurant owned by Schlagle Band Alum Ricky Johnson. They also paid a visit with Schlagle Alum and current JSU Band member Aisha Ellison.
The bus trip to Memphis was paid for in part by KU GEAR UP, which provides college and career readiness programming for KCKPS students.