The Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic (also known as The Bud Billiken Day Parade) is an annual parade held since 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bud Billiken Day Parade is the largest African-American parade in the United States.Bud Billiken Parade 2024: Chicago back-to-school tradition celebrates '95 Years of Legacy'. ABC7 Chicago Digital Team. August 10, 2024. https://abc7chicago.com/post/bud-billiken-parade-2024-chicago-back-school-tradition-celebrating-95-years-legacy/15168559/#:~:text=The%20theme%20for%20this%20year,Bud%20Billiken%20Parade%20grand%20marshal. Held annually on the city's south side on the second Saturday in August,Jerald Walker, "Dreams From My Father," Mother Jones, January/February 2009, p. 53 the parade route travels on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive through the Bronzeville and Washington Park neighborhoods.

At the end of the parade, in the historic Washington public park is a picnic and festival. Robert S. Abbott, the founder and publisher of the Chicago Defender newspaper, created the fictional character of Bud Billiken, which he featured in a youth advice column in his paper. David Kellum, co-founder of the newspaper sponsored Bud Billiken Club and longtime parade coordinator suggested the parade as a celebration of African-American life.

Since its beginning, the parade has featured celebrities, politicians, businessmen, civic organizations and youth. It is considered the second-largest parade in the United States, whose focus is on celebrating youth, education, and African-American life. The parade is also cited as the "back-to-school" celebration, marking the end of summer vacation and resuming of school for Chicago's youth.

History

Bud Billiken is a fictional character created in 1923 by Abbott, who had been considering adding a youth section to the Chicago Defender newspaper. While dining at a Chinese restaurant he noticed a Billiken. Some of the early Billiken columns were written by Willard Motley, who later became a prominent novelist. In the early 1930s, names of international youth were listed in the "Bud Billiken" section of the newspaper every week. Between 1930 and 1934, approximately 10,000 names appeared and were archived in the Carter G. Woodson Regional Library of the Chicago Public Library.

During the Great Depression, Abbott featured the Bud Billiken character in his newspaper as a symbol of pride, happiness and hope for black residents. The character gained prominence in a comic strip and the Chicago Defender newspaper. The parade began in 1929, when David Kellum initiated it as a celebration of the "unity in diversity for the children of Chicago". It has since grown to become a locally televised event and the second-largest parade in the nation.

The parade, which began on August 11, 1929, now includes politicians, beauty queens, celebrities, musical performers, and dozens of marching, tumbling and dancing groups. It has grown from a locally sponsored event to one with major corporate presence and is seen as a signal of the impending end of summer and beginning of the new school year. As such the parade sponsors raise money for college scholarships for local youth.

The parade route has changed over the years. The original route was along Michigan Avenue beginning at 31st Street, then turned east into Washington Park. Complaints for north–south traffic flow caused rerouting the parade route to South Parkway (now named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive), which runs directly into the park. At times, street repairs have necessitated use of the Michigan route, but the current route is now the King Drive route. Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll of Amos 'n' Andy were the first guests in the first parade. Robert S. Abbott led the first parade in his Rolls-Royce. Dr. Marjorie Stewart Joyner, president of the Chicago Defender Charities, Inc., organized the parade for over 50 years.

Numerous high-profile celebrities and dignitaries have attended the parade over the years, including U.S. President Harry S. Truman, Michael Jordan, Barack Obama, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Duke Ellington, Adelaide Hall, Oprah Winfrey, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Lena Horne, James Brown, Ethel Waters, Cab Calloway, Paul Robeson, Chaka Khan, George Clinton, and Billie Holiday. Truman rode alongside John H. Sengstacke, who was Abbott's nephew and took over the Chicago Defender in 1948, and Mayor Richard J. Daley in the 1956 Parade.

Recent parades have featured popular musical acts as concert performers at the post-parade picnic. In 2006, approximately 26 million people saw the parade, including 25 million television viewers and 1.2 million attendees. The 2006 parade included 74,000 participants and 160 floats and vehicles. The 2008 parade was dedicated to actor and comedian Bernie Mac (star of The Bernie Mac Show) and a native of Chicago; he died an hour before the start of the parade.

In 1993, a request by a black LGBT group to participate in the parade was declined by the organizers. Following legal action and the involvement of Lambda Legal, the Ad Hoc Committee of Proud Black Lesbians and Gays was allowed to participate in the parade the following year. The 2020 parade, marking its 91st year, saw the first-ever cancellation, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A "scaled down" event was held in 2021.

Parade

The parade has categorized contests for participants such as best float, and best marching band. It takes place in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, starting at 35th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive at the southern border of the Douglas community area, south of the landmark Victory Monument. It continues south to 55th Street in Washington Park. This route covers approximately . This route takes the parade through the Grand Boulevard and Washington Park community areas.

Grand marshal A notable person or persons are invited each year to serve as grand marshal, often featuring politicians, musicians, or entertainers. Chicago native Chance the Rapper served as the Grand Marshal for the 88th annual parade in 2017. Chicago native and singer Chaka Khan served as the Grand Marshal at the 2014 parade. Rapper T.I. served as Grand Marshal for the 83rd annual parade in 2012.

Theme The Bud Billiken Parade is themed every year by the parade committee. The tradition began in 1940 when the parade organizers themed the parade "Americanism" to demonstrate patriotism in the US within the African-American community. Other themes over the years: + Bud Billiken Parade Theme Year Theme1940"Americanism"1945 "The Return of The Conquering Hero"The Daily Bulletin, Parade To Honor Returning GI's In Chicago, August 7, 1945.Retrieved August 17, 2023.1949 "Christmas In Summertime"Chicago Tribune, Billiken Club Will Hold 20th Annual Parade, July 13, 19491951"Hi Champ!"Chicago Tribune, Youth to Tell It's Achievement On Billiken Day, July 22, 1951.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1954 "Hi Bud, Congratulations!"The Black Dispatch, Billiken Parade-Picnic to Observe 25th Anniversary, July 17, 1954.Retrieved August 17, 2023.1958 "Youth In Orbit"Chicago Tribune, 600,000 View Billiken Parade, August 10, 1958.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1959"Pan-American Panorama"Chicago Tribune, Bud Billiken Parade Set For Saturday, July 30, 1959.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1960"Hi Bud, Let's Grow with Chicago"Chicago Tribune, Billiken Parade Star: World Champ, August 6, 1960.Retrieved August 17, 2023.1967"Keeping A Cool Summer."Palladium-Item, 400,000 Negros See Chicago Parade In Honor Of Mythical Bud Billiken, August 13, 1967.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1968"Honor Black Heroes"Chicago Tribune, Parade Honoring Bud Billiken Viewed By 300,000 on S. Side, August 11, 1968.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1970 "Bridging the Generation Gap."Chicago Tribune, Black 'Saint' To Celebrate Birthday, August 2, 1970.Retrieved September 6, 2020.Chicago Tribune, Bud Billiken Parade Set For Saturday, August 6, 1970.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1971"Involving the Community in Love and Smiles."Chicago Tribune, 42nd Annual Bud Billiken Parade To Be Held, August 12, 1971.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1977"Tribute to Dr. Joyner"Chicago Tribune, 48th Annual Bud Billiken Set for Saturday, August 11, 1977.Retrieved August 7, 2022.1984 "A Salute to Scouting"Chicago Tribune, Bud Billiken Parade Ready To Step Off For 55th Time, August 10, 1984.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1987 "Step Up To A Better Life."The Lake Geneva Regional News, August 6, 1987.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1988 "Back To School Special."Vidette-Messenger of Porter County, August 13, 1988.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1989 "Children Are Resources of The Future."Chicago Tribune, Bud's salute to the children, August 11, 1989.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1991 "The Future is Yours, Go for it!"Chicago Tribune, August 4, 1991.Retrieved September 6, 2020. 1992"Children Make Family Pride Come Alive."Chicago Tribune, August 2, 1992.Retrieved September 6, 2020.1993"Education is here to stay. Don't let drugs, gangs and sex get in the way."1994 "Save Our Children, Stop The Violence."Chicago Tribune, August 12, 1994.Retrieved September 6, 2020. 1995"Family: In Partnerships Supporting One Another."1996"Strengthening Family Through Our Youth."1997"Let's Parade the Child Stars of Education."1999"Our Children, Our Future."2000"Our Children, Our Pride."Chicago Tribune, Celebrate The 71st Annual Bud Billiken Parade And Picnic, August 11, 2000.Retrieved September 6, 2020.2001"We Are Family."2004"A Time to Encourage and Educate Our Youth."2009"Education, Yes We Can: A Salute to President Barack Obama"2010"Education: It's the American Way."2011"Education: Now More Than Ever."2012"Education: Built To Last"/"A Tribute To President Barack Obama."2013"Empowerment of Youth through Education."Sponsor Chicago: Bud Billiken Parade2014"Education: The One Tool You Can't Lose."2015"Education: That's an Order."2016"Uniting the Community through Education for 87 Years."2017"Honoring our Hometown Heroes"Hyde Park Herald - 88th Annual Bud Billiken Parade Returns Saturday - August 8, 20172018"Back to School, Back to Work, Back to Life, Back to Bud"2019"90 Years of Excellence, Legacy on Parade"ABC 7 Chicago, BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Looking back on the history of the Bud Billiken Parade, By Cheryl Burton and Marissa N. Isang, Friday, February 22, 2019.Retrieved August 3, 2020.2021“Back to School, Back to Life and Back to Bud Billiken"Chicago Tribune, Bud Billiken Parade 2021: A modified route and free COVID-19 vaccinations are new additions to the 92-year-old Chicago tradition, August 12, 20212022"Power of Bud Billiken 365"Chicago Tribune, As healing from the Highland Park parade shootings continues, the 93rd annual Bud Billiken Parade is set to launch Aug. 13., August 3, 20222023"Parading in Peace Block by Block2024"95 Years of Legacy"

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