The PODIUM
National Articles
Bang Co, Vice President for Student Affairs - ΚΚΨ
The #HondaBOTB
Experience
H
onda Battle of the Bands. That’s where I was on Saturday, January 25th, 2020 and let me tell you...it was simply amazing! It was an experience like no other and very different from what I have been exposed to as a band kid from the “north”. As someone who attended a PWI (predominantly white institution), I often found myself in awe of the differences that many of the bands were showcasing throughout the event. From the expressive musical styles to impressive bodywork, I sat in my seat feeling incredibly grateful to be there. I felt so lucky to have witnessed such a proud display of culture and to feel the intimate connection that these bands had with the community. It was not hard to tell that this is something people are deeply proud of and that there is space for anyone interested to show their support as well. If you don’t see it then you’re simply not paying attention. For those who aren’t familiar with Honda Battle of the Bands, it is also known as the HBCU marching band event of the year. More importantly, the event was created as a way to celebrate and raise awareness for band programs all across our nation’s historically black college and university campuses. I’m not going to pretend to know much more than this - this was only my second time attending Honda. Out of my six years in collegiate bands, I only ever witnessed one HBCU band perform live. I didn’t attend Honda until after graduation. What a shame, right? I am, however, excited and open to learning more about HBCU band programs that make up a great part of our Fraternity and Sorority. What I would like to share with you is a bit of my experience and the lasting impact the event had on me as a Brother of Kappa Kappa Psi and supporter of college/university bands. My goal is to give you insight into my
32 - Kappa Kappa Psi & Tau Beta Sigma
Jackson State University showcasing their "LOVE" formation #HondaBOTB experience and hopefully encourage you to seek your experience and understanding of our HBCU bands and chapters. Before I get into details of my time in the capital of the Peach State, I wanted to share with you something that has been on my mind for quite some time. As you may already know, there were and still are a lot of hurt feelings and negative sentiments after the closure of the Iota Nu chapter in November of 2019. I went through all of our social media accounts and read every single comment, retweet, and shared post. It was very unhealthy for me to do so, but I felt it was necessary to get a grasp on the years of hurt, mistrust, and animosity within our Brotherhood. Regardless of your position on this matter, I think it is clear that we need to do better as a Brotherhood. But what does that mean? What does that look like? I am not privy to the decisions of the past and what actions past councils have taken. All I know is that we can do more to learn about different communities within our Fraternity, respect the differences that make us such a diverse organization and promote each
w/ TBS National Vice President for Colonization & Membership, Erika Pope other as advocates and Brothers. I don’t pretend to be the smartest person or to have all the answers. So I asked for help. I reached out to Brothers for their thoughts and opinions on the matter and there was one piece of wisdom that kept coming up. “Immerse yourself in the culture and be open to learning about the beauty of what makes another community different.” This was my inspiration for fighting to ensure that Kappa Kappa Psi had representation at Honda from the National Council. It wasn’t me or someone from “Nationals” being there. It was about someone having the heart and courage to show up, show their support, and be open to learning about things they aren’t familiar with. I’ll be transparent and share that I was a bit scared about what might happen, but I am so incredibly happy that our council supported this effort. So, let’s get into the details of the event. A couple of Brothers and I grabbed some lunch before the event started. I really wanted to try the “Old Lady Gang” restaurant, but it was packed. I don’t mean, “it’s going to be a 30 to 45-minute wait” packed. I mean “line out the door
