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Historically black college's band raises $365K to play at Trump inauguration

By Cox Media Group National Content Desk and Bob D Angelo
By Cox Media Group National Content Desk and Bob D Angelo
It has been a whirlwind week for the Great Tornado Band.

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With less than a week before Donald Trump's inauguration as the country's 45th president, the Talladega College marching band has received nearly five times the amount of what it needs to travel to Washington, D.C., to play during inauguration ceremonies.

The historically black college in Alabama needed to raise $75,000 for travel, lodging and other expenses. The band set up a GoFundMe page, and as of Sunday morning had received more than $365,000 in pledges.
The donations total was $57,000 on Thursday, but Fox News reported that the figure began to rise after Talladega College President Billy Hawkins appeared on the network’s "The O’Reilly Factor" that night.
Talladega College had accepted the invitation to attend from the Presidential Inauguration Committee. The move sparked some indignation among some of the college’s alumni, and Hawkins said the college was sensitive to those emotions. He said he has received a lot of pressure from alumni, who said he had “shamed the college” and that he is “a disgrace” to African-Americans.
"It’s been pretty nasty," he told Fox News.

"As many of those who chose to participate in the parade have said, we feel the inauguration of a new president is not a political event but a civil ceremony celebrating the transfer of power," Hawkins said in a news release.

Talladega alumnus and Hampton University President William R. Harvey, also quoted in the release, called it "a wonderful learning experience."

"It will be a teachable moment for them to understand the importance of supporting the leader of the free world, despite one's political viewpoint," Harvey said. "After all, the reason for being of any college or university should be to promote learning and not to enhance a political agenda."

 

Thank you for ALL that you do! With ALL of our hearts we promise to make you proud! #ALLHAIL!

Posted by The Great Talladega College Tornado Marching Band on Friday, January 13, 2017

 

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