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Chicago Sun-Times

National

Violet Miller

Chicago Football Classic returns, bringing scholarships and HBCU history with it

Football Mark Johnson Historically Black Colleges and Universities Pat Nabong SunTimes Mississippi Valley State University Soldier Field Bryce Violet Miller Covid-19

Southland College Prep Charter High School’s Marching Lady Eagles performs with their marching band during the Battle of the High School Bands at the Chicago Football Classic Scholarship Fund, Inc.’s Reunion at Soldier Field, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. The Reunion also featured a college and career fair with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, tailgating and a football game between Central State University and Mississippi Valley State University. (Pat Nabong/Sun-Times)

The Chicago Football Classic, a game between two historically Black colleges and universities, returned to Soldier Field for the first time since 2019, though the festivities leading up to it were the main event.

Started in 1997 by businessmen Larry Huggins, Everett Rand and Tim Rand to push kids to “achieve their personal best,” the weekend-long event is a celebration of academics and extracurriculars where thousands of dollars in scholarships are given out in addition to the reunion programming.

Saturday kicked off with a college and career fair at the stadium, followed by a battle of the bands that pitted area high schools against each other.

Amid the grill smoke and music was Mark Johnson, a liaison recruiter and graduate of Alcorn State University, who said the gathering is more than just a game or cookout.

“It’s acknowledging the rich legacy. It goes beyond the pageantry, the pomp and circumstance,” said Johnson, a Mississippi native.

Mark Johnson, a liaison recruiter for Alcorn State University smiles while tailgating at the Chicago Football Classic Scholarship Fund, Inc.’s Reunion at Soldier Field, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. The Reunion also featured a college and career fair with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, a battle of high school marching bands and a football game between Central State University and Mississippi Valley State University. (Pat Nabong/Sun-Times)

The dual degree holder said it helps ensure the descendants of those who were part of the Great Migration — a period of the 20th century during which an estimated 6 million Black Southerners moved north to escape Jim Crow laws — get a chance to reconnect with HBCUs and the unique culture that comes with them.

“It’s that family environment,” Johnson said. “We’ve lost a lot of who we are… We want to ensure the continuation of that legacy.”

He said he was encouraged to see young people taking an interest in the culture he was aiming to preserve.

Quinn Stuckey laughs as she watches her daughter Myla Stuckey, 16, taste a doughnut while tailgating at the Chicago Football Classic Scholarship Fund, Inc.’s Reunion, at Soldier Field, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. Myla said she is considering applying to a historically Black college or university because it gives her “a chance to be around my people.” The Reunion featured a college and career fair with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, a battle of high school marching bands, tailgating and a football game between Central State University and Mississippi Valley State University. (Pat Nabong/Sun-Times)

Johnson called his time at Alcorn State “formative” — and he doesn’t want young people to miss out on what he experienced.

“If it wasn’t for a lot of the lessons I learned there, I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” Johnson said. “It’s my responsibility as an alum to make sure they are aware of that. It’s personal to me.”

Lanetta Thomas, Ashante Winters and Delano Redman pose for a photo at the Chicago Football Classic’s battle of the bands, Saturday, September 2, 2023. (Violet Miller/Sun-Times)

Ashante Winters, a 19-year-old south suburban resident, was attending the event for the first time. She saw familiar faces in the crowd from high schools she used to mentor at.

“It’s good to see all the kids here,” Winters said. “That was me at one point.”

“It’s always great to see the bands out here,” added Delano Redman, a 24-year-old Chicago State University trumpet player. “They’re inspiring our youth to do something better for themselves than being outside on the streets.”

Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center’s marching band performs during the Battle of the High School Bands at the Chicago Football Classic Scholarship Fund, Inc.’s Reunion at Soldier Field, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. The Reunion also featured a college and career fair with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, tailgating and a football game between Central State University and Mississippi Valley State University. (Pat Nabong/Sun-Times)

Bryant Redd, of Blue Island, said he was happy to return to the event with his family, which had become an annual tradition four years straight before COVID-19 nixed the festivities.

He was joined by his wife and 10- and 16-year-old sons, Bryant Jr. and Bryce, though his eldest daughter was off at North Carolina A&T. Redd said all three are musically inclined, so the battle of the bands was a hit ahead of the highly anticipated football game.

Bryant Redd (right) poses for a photo with his sons Bryce (left) and Bryant Jr. (middle) at the Chicago Football Classic’s battle of the bands Saturday, September 2, 2023. (Violet Miller/Sun-Times)

Redd agreed with Johnson, saying a lot of kids from the Chicago area didn’t know about HBCUs, which was part of why he wanted to keep bringing his kids — along with their shared love of the sport.

“They could see where they’re gonna go when they get older,” Redd said. “He might be playing for one of these teams one day.”