A Chicago tradition returns this weekend with the 2022 Bud Billiken Parade. A celebration of summer fun and back to school, this year’s parade features heart-pumping performances from local marching bands, dance groups, drill teams, and Chicago homegrown celebrities. The theme of this year’s parade is Power of Bud Billiken 365, a reminder that getting excited about school is important throughout the year while celebrating the efforts of year-round youth programs and organizations.
Chicago’s very own, Grammy-nominated R&B singer and producer, Jeremih, will be honored as the 2022 Bud Billiken Parade Grand Marshal and will perform in front of his hometown fans. Formerly known as Jeremy Felton, Jeremih is a proud Morgan Park High School and CPS alum. Jeremih plans to donate hundreds of books and school supplies in support of CPS schools and says, “I am excited and honored to pay homage to the legacy of the Bud Billiken parade, which is a huge part of my childhood.”
The Bud Billiken Parade has the distinction of being the oldest and largest African American parade in the country with more than 1 million people in attendance. For generations of Chicago families, it has been an anticipated day of celebration and family fun kicking off the start of the new school year each August.
ABC 7 Chicago will broadcast the entire parade. Cheryl Burton, Jim Rose, and Hosea Sanders will serve once again as hosts of all the festivities while ABC 7 anchors Terrell Brown and Karen Jordan capture all the action and excitement from the parade grounds. According to John Idler, President & General Manager, ABC 7 “It’s always exciting to be part of the Bud Billiken tradition. We’re proud to join the Chicago Defender Charities to celebrate young people returning to the classroom and the importance of education. Our entire team is thrilled to bring the pageantry of this event to the entire viewing area and beyond.”
“As our community continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic over the past couple of years, it is exciting that we are able to come together this year and celebrate the students of Chicago as they head back to school,” said Myiti Sengstacke-Rice, president/CEO of the Chicago Defender Charities® Inc. and Bud Billi-ken® Parade Chair.
The Chicago Defender spoke with the President and CEO of the Chicago Defender Charities, Myiti Sengstacke-Rice, about this year’s parade.
Chicago Defender: What can fans of the Bud Billiken Parade expect this year?
Myiti Sengstacke-Rice: We are excited. I feel like this will be one of the biggest years for the parade. We are excited and ready to see everyone. We always work in partnership with CPD and CPS, but this year we took additional precautions to make sure everyone is safe.
We are also really excited to have Jeremiah, as our grand Marshall. he will also be performing. In addition, the cast of “Power” will be in attendance. We focused on creating a more quality production with this year’s parade.
Chicago Defender: This is an annual tradition rich in so much history. Can you speak to the historical significance of this parade?
Myiti Sengstacke-Rice: Absolutely, the Bud Billiken parade is the largest back-to-school festival in the city. We have so many things for families to enjoy this year. We are offering free haircuts for boys and braiding services for girls this year. We also have plenty of backpacks to give away with school supplies. We are grateful to sponsors like Amazon, United Airlines, Google and so many more for their generosity.
Chicago Defender: This year’s theme is Bud Billiken 365. What’s the significance of this year’s theme?
Myiti Sengstacke-Rice: We say 365 is because people think we just work on the parade, but we do more than that. We have programming throughout the year to support students. We have our Young and Gifted masterclass where we instruct students about production, journalism, and photography and a program where students collaborate with engineers to design a float for the parade. We also have a performing arts league where we work with kids who are participating in the parade with dance and drill teams. We help and support students all year long with scholarships and resources.
I’m the fourth generation in my family to run the Bud Billiken parade so I’m grateful to continue the legacy. We look forward to everyone coming out and having a wonderful time this year.
The parade will kick off at 10a.m on 39th and Martin Luther King Drive with Grand Marshal, Jeremih, leading the procession south onto King Drive, through Washington Park, and concluding at Garfield Boulevard.
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