Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas must be the sole source of Mississippi Valley State University’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) money. Either that, or Ben Carson is the head of Board of Trustees. That’s the only reasonable explanation for what’s going on at the HBCU that Jerry Rice and Deacon Jones once called home.
Let me back up and explain. It’s the beginning of 2025, so some of y’all are just now getting over your hangover: Donald Trump won the election. (“Won” is a kind way of saying he wiped the floor with Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party back in November.) Most Black folk were devastated. Van Jones was so mad that he didn’t even cry on CNN like he normally does.
President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance’s swearing in ceremony will take place on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C., and, of course, a parade will follow. (Yes, that’s MLK Day.)
This is where it gets interesting.
There is not a single Black person I know who wants anything to do with the inauguration. Even my hotep adjacent, Republican-leaning cousin said he wasn’t going to watch the ceremony.
Then we got the news about the Mean Green marching band at Mississippi Valley State University. When the news broke, people must have thought it was a joke…but it wasn’t. They are going to march in a parade that celebrates the victory of a man who is comfortable with some of his supporters being white supremacists (“Allegedly?” Do we still have to say that?), and that he beat a Black woman in a presidential race.
C’mon son.
“This is not just a moment of pride for our university but for the entire state of Mississippi,” MVSU President Jerryl Briggs said in a news release. “It is an opportunity to showcase our legacy, celebrate our culture, and invest in the future leaders of our community.”
It’s a questionable decision, but it would make sense if participating in this unholy event was a way to secure the bag. MVSU isn’t the most well-known HBCU. They don’t have the name recognition of Texas Southern or Grambling, and they don’t have big money backers like Morehouse and Spelman.
Then we found out that’s not what they are doing. They are, in fact, doing the opposite of securing the bag. They are fumbling said bag.
On the day after baby Jesus was born, the band posted a GoFundMe with a goal of $350,000. (They have since lowered the goal to $240,000 and have raised $232,270 as of Jan. 3, 2024.) “The band is seeking funds to acquire instruments, uniforms, provide scholarships, and get other essential resources for its continued development,” the page for the fundraiser read.
So, a recap for those not following along. The band is marching to celebrate a billionaire for free (inauguration performers don’t get paid, as Billboard has reported), so they needed to raise money to help cover expenses including travel, accommodations, meals, and equipment transportation.
But get this: Mississippi Valley is not the first HBCU band to appear at a Donald Trump presidential inauguration. The Talladega College “Great Tornado Marching Band” performed at Trump’s first inauguration back in 2017.
It’s strange. Trump is comfortable with the support of groups like the Proud Boys, but also has a thing about getting HBCUs to perform in his parades. Maybe it could be because he likes to see Black folks scrambling to do his bidding. Or, it could be something as benign as wanting to hear “Sticky” performed by a band with a dope brass section.
Who knows? Hopefully it’s worth it, because Mississippi Valley State University will forever be remembered as the HBCU that performed in this inauguration — and that’s an absolutely terrible look.