Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
The Bayou Classic is one of the most unique events in Black Culture.
The combination of HBCU tradition infused with Louisiana’s vibrant Black culture creates a spectacle in New Orleans that can not be explained but only experienced.
The game between Louisiana-based HBCUs Southern University and Grambling State University, two of the most recognizable HBCUs in the country, brings an energy to the city of New Orleans that is unmatched and the numbers reflect that.
The Bayou Classic has held the title of the largest HBCU Classic game and largest FCS football game in the country for years and will likely hold that mantle again after an impressive showing in 2022 that saw Southern win 34-17 as they go on their way to the SWAC title game.
The game and festivities bring in an estimated $50 million in economic impact to the city and approximately 60,000 – 70,000 fans to the Superdome in a given year. But for many, the impact of the Bayou Classic goes far deeper than the numbers.
“Any time two Black schools get together, representing each other in a positive manner it shows off Black culture and Black pride, I’ve been coming here for about 35 years and each year it gets better,” said Stanley Brooks, a 1985 graduate of Grambling State University who works as a consultant with AT&T now.
“There is no price on this, this is spectacular. It’s not every game that we have 60 to 70 thousand people getting together in a positive way. This means a lot to Grambling and Southern University.”
Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
The impact of this game crosses generations. And while the rivalry between Southern and Grambling State is alive and well so is the respect and camaraderie.
“We just have a great time and we do it better.”
“When we get here it’s a division but when we come together it’s like one family all under one roof, everybody still gets along with Grambling even though they know what it is when they come down here,” said Kenya Cameron who got her undergraduate degree from Southern in 2016 and her Masters in Criminal Justice in 2018. She now works for the New Orleans criminal district court.
Cameron understands exactly what makes this Classic so special. From the Bands to the fashion to the great food, this game gives these fanbases a sense of pride and community that is like no other.
“It’s THE Southern University and GRAMB-LING, we have the best band in the land and Grambling may be right under that,” Cameron said emphatically. “We just have a great time and we do it better.”
No matter the score of the game and the records of these teams going in, the real winner of this weekend will always be the culture.
“It feels like unison for everybody to be as one, and to show that we can actually come together and get along and do things for a great cause,” said Cameron. “It’s not just for the students but it’s for their families, friends, and everybody else around the world that comes from all over to come back and celebrate.”
Bayou Classic Shows Why It’s A Cultural Staple was originally published on cassiuslife.com
