Indy highlights why Circle City Classic is needed for next generation

Even among the rainy weather remnants of Hurricane Helene, Barbara Cheatham made sure she didn’t miss the annual Circle City Classic parade. The Indianapolis native has been coming to Classic events since it’s inception back in 1984.

She made sure to grab a seat at an IndyGo bus stop with an awning on E. Ohio Street for her and her 11-year-old grandson.

“You’ve got to see this,” Cheatham tells the boy as they dry off. Sounds from Norfolk State University‘s marching band blared through downtown and could be heard at least three blocks away. Cheatham points and explains to the boy that the marching band is a part of a school that is an HBCU (historically Black college and university).

“That’s what I was just sitting here talking to him about,” Cheatham tells the IndyStar. “It’s important for me to show him this. Older generations need to see to it that the next generation understands no matter how far away we get from why HBCUs were created in the first place, they’re still here and this is why they are important.”

The Circle City Classic has been a staple in the Indianapolis community for decades and now the famed event highlighting HBCUs is celebrating 40 years. Over the four decades, the event, produced by Indiana Black Expo, has helped to raise more than $5 million in college scholarships, in addition to exposing students to post-secondary educational institutions across the nation.

Indiana doesn’t have any HBCUs, but Martin University comes close as the state’s only Predominately Black Institution. It was founded in 1977, hence why it doesn’t fall in the HBCU category because it’s not historically Black.

“The Circle City Classic celebrates Black excellence,” Cheatham said. “HBCU love, you know? HBCUs produce individuals who continuously progress our contributions to today’s society while honoring those who did the same thing in history.”

Classic events:Circle City Classic puts HBCU culture on display this weekend

Classic weekend features an annual parade, pageant, educational events, an HBCU marching band competition and an HBCU football game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“I was bringing my son and daughter here 25 years ago,” Cheatham said. “Now, I bring my grandkids. As a past educator myself, I made sure to press upon the awareness of HBCUs so our children know there are more options to choose from that could be catered to you.”

This year’s football match up featured the North Carolina Central University Eagles against the Norfolk State University Spartans.

“It’s really cool to see the difference culturally with the Black colleges,” 11-year-old Alius Byrd told IndyStar. “I want to be a basketball player when I grow up and I definitely want to attend a HBCU.”

Circle City Classic history

The weekend celebration of African American achievements, culminating in the annual football match between two HBCUs was created with a $150,000 Eli Lilly Grant in 1984. The goal then was to provide a sports event in the Midwest for alumni of Black colleges, as well as encourage Hoosier Black youths to attend college.

The festivities originally included the game, a parade and several parties.

During the very first Classic, Jerry Rice, a collegiate receiver for Mississippi Valley State at the time, scored two touchdowns against Grambling State University. Rice went out to become an NFL legend.

In 2008, he served as the grand marshal for the Circle City Classic parade.

The annual event has contributed over $340 million in economic impact to Indianapolis since 1984.

“I just like to expose my sons and my nephews to some of our culture,” Kenneth Moore said who brought his 13-year-old son and nephew to this year’s celebrations. “I want to open that opportunity for them when they grow up as far as seeing if they want to go to a Black school one day.”

The Classic has grown in popularity each year with an average crowd of nearly 100,000 people in attendance.

Weekend events have varied over the years but have included a coach’s luncheon, a pageant coronation, a prayer and praise worship service, a parade, a pep rally, musical performances, a battle of the bands event, an education day and the football game.

Ashley Zachary is the mother of two young girls who are five and seven. She has been coming to the Classic for roughly 15 years since she was a child herself. To her, the Classic represents unity and diversity.

“Especially for my girls, this broadens their horizons and supports education,” Zachary said. “This helps them to be able to further their careers, their mindset, their scope of whatever it is that they want to be and just seeing a whole new perspective that they normally wouldn’t see with the schools here in Indiana.”