CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A more than 90-year-old back-to-school tradition in Chicago’s black community, The Bud Billiken Parade, returns a week from Saturday after being called off last year because of the pandemic.
President and CEO of Chicago Defender Charities and the Bud Billiken Parade Chair Myiti Sengstacke-Rice said she’s excited because the community is excited to see the parade return.
"I am so grateful to be apart of this historical parade. My great-grand uncle founded it in 1929. His name was Robert Sengstacke Abbott. He is the founder also of the Chicago Defender, the famous Chicago Defender newspaper; and the fact that 92 years later we are still here, just is a testament of how important this parade is to our community," Sengstacke-Rice told WBBM Newsradio.
On Saturday, Aug. 14, the 92nd Annual Bud Billiken Parade will take place on Chicago’s South Side and it will be a star-studded event, celebrating Chicago’s youth and a very special hometown hero. Two-time WNBA MVP, Chicago Sky forward, and Chicagoland native, Candace Parker, will serve as the Grand Marshal for this year’s parade and festival. This year’s theme is Back to School, Back to Life, and Back to Bud Billiken, which will celebrate everyone coming back together again after time apart due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
“Candace is seen as hometown hero to many of our city’s youth and to have her lead the parade this year is just the burst of energy and excitement our students need as they prepare for their first full year back in classrooms since the beginning of the pandemic,” Sengstacke-Rice said in a statement. “After having to postpone last year’s festivities due to COVID-19 restrictions, I am excited to have the community come back and safely celebrate this year’s festivities.”
Joining Parker for the festivities will be other local and national celebrities and dignitaries. Honorary Grand Marshals include the cast of VH1’s Chicago Black Ink Crew, author/media personality, Bevy Smith, as well as the creator of social media phenomenon, Black People Eats, Jeremy Joyce. McKinley Nelson, Founder of Project Swish Chicago will serve as Honorary Health Ambassador and additional honorary dignitaries include award-winning gospel artist, Jonathan McReynolds and Congressman Bobby Rush.
"We have McKinley Nelson, a young man, he is a social media influencer. Right now he is really advocating for kids to get vaccinated," Sengstacke-Rice said.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will also participate in parade festivities.
Starting at 10 a.m. on 45th street and Martin Luther King Drive, Parker and others will lead the parade procession south on King Drive, going through Washington Park, and ending at Garfield Boulevard (55th Street).
There will be vaccination stations and information along the route and on festival grounds in Washington Park. Spectators are being asked to spread out along the two-mile route down King Drive.
"In our community, the Black community, unfortunately it's the most vulnerable, and I get why we are not really quick to just jump up and get vaccines, but that's why we are using the parade as an opportunity to get that information out there and to give people the opportunity to just decide, 'hey you know maybe this is a good idea, maybe I should do this for my kids,'" Sengstacke-Rice told WBBM Newsradio.
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