US Open ‘breathtaking’ for Florida A&M Marching 100, HBCU alums

Members of the Florida A&M Marching 100 march outside of Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean Tennis Center in New York on Aug. 27.

NEW YORK — When Dr. Shelby Chipman received the call inviting the Florida A&M Marching 100 to perform at the US Open’s HBCU Live, his affirmative response was immediate.

“We have a busy schedule, but coming here is amazing,” said Chipman, who has been the band director at his alma mater since 2016. “And to come at a time when one of our alums, Althea Gibson, is being honored, it’s a huge deal to have the invitation to perform.”

This is the fifth year the US Open has hosted HBCU Live, a themed day when HBCU alumni gather on the grounds of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center to celebrate the history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Thirty members of the Florida A&M band, eight cheerleaders and disc jockeys who are FAMU products turned the grounds of the complex into a sea of green and orange.

For Florida A&M alum Fredara Hadley, the celebration featuring her school was reason enough to come to the US Open for the first time, though she lives in New York City.

“I’m not a big tennis fan, but to come out and to be at Arthur Ashe Stadium and see Althea Gibson everywhere it’s pretty incredible,” Hadley said. “I’ll watch some of the tennis at home, but to be here and see HBCU culture in the mix of a major tennis event, it’s surreal.”

HBCU Live is the brainchild of Lauren Grant, an HBCU alum who heads The Grant Access firm that helped launch the HBCU SpringComing event each year in New York City. The intent for HBCU Live was to recreate the yard experience that’s prevalent on HBCU campuses.

That recreation has helped introduce tennis to some HBCU alumni.

“I am here for the vibes and for the orange and green, but also for my first tennis match ever,” said Aronté Bennett, an Atlanta native who made the trip to New York from Philadelphia. “It’s been enjoyable. I didn’t expect this to be so sociable or so enjoyable. It’s been a really, really good day.”

Morgan Bryant was also attending her first US Open, inspired to come for the celebration of both Gibson and her alma mater, FAMU.

“I have a couple of ties with Althea Gibson — one that she’s a FAMU grad, and the other that after she graduated she taught at Lincoln University, where my aunt was in her class,” said Bryant, wearing a green hat, a stylish green shirt with an embroidered ‘F’ on the front. “So this was a fitting way to experience my first US Open.”

While FAMU was the HBCU featured for the day, alums from other schools also came out to feel the vibes. Keena Core, Karima A. Williams and Marlene Lewis — all wearing Zeta Phi Beta shirts — took time to take pictures in front of the HBCU artwork on display.

“We have 50 people here and it’s been wonderful,” Williams said. “The energy, the vibe and seeing people from the fraternities and sororities, it feels like it’s a little Divine Nine reunion.”

Just before the night session, the band — which had been playing on the US Open grounds most of the day — took the court of Arthur Ashe Stadium just before the start of the evening session.

“Center court, playing at the US Open —it’s hard to fathom,” said Sean Townsend, a junior trumpet player. “This is breathtaking. It’s just surprising the amount of opportunities this band gets.”

As Dr. Chipman got past his initial feeling of excitement after receiving the invitation to New York, he gathered the band members who made the trip and offered advice.

“Someone is seeing you for the first time live, and someone is seeing you for the last time,” Dr. Chipman said, recalling his words to the band. “It’s important that you make a good impression because we want to continue to get these kind of calls. Just know it’s an honor to be here.”

Click here to read article