Talladega College Band to march at Trump's inauguration, igniting controversy

[TexasTowelie]

The marching band of Alabama's oldest private, historically black liberal arts college has accepted an invitation to perform at President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural parade, organizers said.

Talladega College's band will march at Trump's inauguration as other historically black schools such as Howard University, which performed at President Barack Obama's first inaugural parade, said they won't be marching in the Jan. 20 event.

"We were a bit horrified to hear of the invitation," said Shirley Ferrill of Fairfield, Alabama, a member of Talladega's Class of 1974.

"I don't want my alma mater to give the appearance of supporting him," Ferrill said of Trump on Monday. "Ignore, decline or whatever, but please don't send our band out in our name to do that."

Read more: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/jan/02/band-march-trumps-inauguration-igniting-controvers/

[brush]

1. Money has changed hands, probably deposited in an off-shore account. Shameful.

[C Moon]

2. That's what I was thinking: money.

[underpants]

5. At this point it had to. Cost of a band going to the parade is about $200K

Even if they started fund raising right now it would be next to impossible to create that kind of cash regardless of what part of the country they are in.

[brush]

6. Yep, plus a little bit more for whoever at the college took the 30 pieces of . . . er, ah, okayed it

[C Moon]

3. Don't write off this inaugural entertainment event as a joke.

There's big money behind Trump, and the media will be all over the event—whether or not popular entertainers refuse to participate. And I think for the first time, the world will be watching—just because he's so high profile.

Trump's been in the entertainment world a long time, so I doubt it's going to be a flash in the pan.

[MrModerate]

4. To those who can see when Trump gets a black eye...

...As opposed to those who pretend that no one ever lays a glove on him -- this will be another horrible PR stink.

Band members will object, pundits will opine, moral arbiters will castigate their favorite lists of 'the guilty,' and Trump's coating of political smegma will thicken a bit more.