dckid80 Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 I'll add props for what was then a Class B corps in the late 70's... NY Lancers finished 2nd in the Class B World open in 78 and 79. Strong corps. Also, he may not have been the first but let's not forget Rupel Perkins of the Spartans and North Star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyboy Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 When I taught a local DIV 2 corps several kids in the drumline and corps were minorities. Two brothers were in the bassline, and their Dad had marched in a mostly black corps "back in the day". He was quite a motivational speaker, and once a year he would talk to the kids about corps, corporate life and family. He spoke of marching in the south and when the corps stopped certain restaurants they wouldn't serve the minority members in the dining area. Makes you think how far we have come. I believe he was from St. Louis, maybe the corps Elphaba mentioned, the Spirit of St. Louis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxingfred Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Who was the first black drum major in a top 12 corps? I know Donald Fitzgerald was in 1976 for the Blue Stars. Were there any earlier ones? Joelle ayllen was drum major for the Oakland Crusaders in 1975 and 1976 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxingfred Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 "Cross the Line":One of the "First" junior corps that may have been a "Pioneer" in the integration of African Americans into the "Line" was the St Vincents Cadets. It is mntioned in their history of a trip that the corps took into the deep south (1950s), and their black members were cheered by the local blacks for their inclusion in the performance. Some of the great African American corps include the Wynn Center Toppers, CMCC Warriors, Carter Cadets, Manhattanaires, Privateers, and Spirit of St Louis. The senior Washington Carver Gay Blades of Newark NJ are also well remembered. Elphaba WWW Also The VIP's from Washington, DC, The Columbians (my first corps) #2 police boys club (DC) , VFW Lancers, there are more I'll have to research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 An interesting subject, and one that Drum Corps never gets any public credit for. We were doing it long before the politicians even thought about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Blatch Posted February 4, 2007 Author Share Posted February 4, 2007 I wonder if Mike Boo has ever written or read about this? If not, he could write an excellent ethnography about the subject. In a way, it would be a subject that would further legitimize the history of our activity. Elmo Blatch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBoom Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Below is an excerpt from the Argonne Rebels' website (http://members.cox.net/argonne_rebels/). The links are live on their website and the e-mails are quite interesting. Argonne Rebels Drum Corps and Civil Rights In 1963 the Argonne Rebels traveled by bus from Great Bend, Kansas, to Miami, Florida. They stopped for dinner in Birmingham, Alabama (Continental Trailways had confirmed it would be safe). While food orders were being taken, several members of the Argonne Rebels were assaulted by white supremacists because 3 members of the Argonne Rebels were African American. One Argonne Rebel was taken to a hospital for medical attention. Click here for email from nurse and sponsor Marcia Cannady. The Rebels went on to Miami and placed 10th in the American Legion National Championship. Click here for emails from eyewitness to the attack. African Americans were never bared from joining the Argonne Rebels. In 1958 the Rebel feeder corps had three African American musicians, there could have been others prior to that date. Sandra Opie gave music lessons to several Great Bend youths, so they could be good enough to march with the Rebels. One of her students was Phil Briscoe, a African American youth. Click here for email from Phill Brisco, one of the three African American Rebels assaulted in Birmingham Click here for a photo of Phil taken in 1962, the year before the Birmingham incident (also Joe Terry and Terry Lewis) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxingfred Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I wonder if Mike Boo has ever written or read about this? If not, he could write an excellent ethnography about the subject. In a way, it would be a subject that would further legitimize the history of our activity. Elmo Blatch I think Cathrine Thomas would be better suited to write on this subject. She marched in one of the most successful all black drum corps of the 70's, The VIP's from Washington, DC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newseditor44 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I wonder if Mike Boo has ever written or read about this? If not, he could write an excellent ethnography about the subject. In a way, it would be a subject that would further legitimize the history of our activity. Elmo Blatch That's a great idea, you should send him a quick email as a suggestion. I am more than certain he would jump right on it. The first name that comes to mind for me is Ralph Hardiman(sp?). A DCI hall of Famer (Is he the first African American in the hall?). I had the chance to watch him work, and the man is simply amazing. And on top of it, he is super funny and a great guy! This is an outstanding topic. Standing O for all of the African American pioneers in our activity!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass5 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) The incident in Birmingham with Argonne reminds me of a similar incident in South Boston when I was in the Scouts in 1976. It had been a terrible day for us, going from Montreal to Boston (to play for a Packer/Patriot preseason half time show) the horn bus lost its brakes in the hills of Vermont. Luckily the bus was able to coast to a stop and the guys from the horn bus split up and crammed in the aisles the other two busses. We made it just in time for the game without a chance to have lunch or dinner. The people at the stadium were great and fed us sandwiches. After the game we were let loose in a neighborhood in South Boston that had a pizza parlor and a few other little places to eat. Word got out that there were "blacks in southie" and the local white supremacist gang(s) came screeching into the neighborhood. With chains, tennis raquets and who knows what they came into the pizza joint screaming the F word and N word among others. The Madison brotherhood certainly held our own in support of our African American brothers but at least a couple of our guys had to go to the hospital for stiches. Truthfully I don't know if there were 7 or 20 black guys in that summer. It never dawned on me that it made a difference. I will say I was proud as ever to be a Scout that night. I believe it made it into the Boston Globe the next day. A representitive from the city of Boston came to speak to us the next day and told how lucky we all were to be from Madison. This story also is a good reminder that this kind of crap happens every where not just in the south. In fact we had 3 or 4 guys from Alabama in the corps. - one was an African American. Another aside to this story is that I remember coming "off the line" that night at the football game and seeing 99% of the audience who were heading out at half time hear our first note and turn around and sit back in their seats. For a "non-drum corps" crowd they went absolutely ####### for us. Stars & stripes with the Iwa Jima (sp?) flag presentation just blew them away. And as usual the following night (or so) afterwards at CYO the crowd loved the Scouts. Edited February 4, 2007 by bass5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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