Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic: Difference between revisions

The Bud Billiken® Parade and Picnic is an annual parade in Chicago, Illinois, and the largest African American parade in the United States. Since 1929 it has always been held on the second Saturday in August.^[1] The idea for the parade came from Robert S. Abbott, the founder of the Chicago Defender.

Bud Billiken is a fictional character created in 1923 by Abbott, who had been pondering the possibility of adding a youth section to the newspaper. While dining at a Chinese restaurant he noticed a Billiken, which is said to be the guardian angel of youth. During the early 1930s, names of international youth appeared in the Bud Billiken section of the newspaper every week. Between 1930-34, approximately 10,000 names appeared and were archived in the Carter G. Woodson Regional Library of the Chicago Public Library.^[2] During the Great Depression, the Bud Billiken character served as a symbol of pride, happiness and hope for black residents.^[3] The character gained prominence in a comic strip and the Chicago Defender newspaper.^[3]

Although the character was created in 1923, the parade did not begin until David Kellum initiated it in 1929 as a celebration of the "unity in diversity for the children of Chicago", and it has grown to a globally televised parade that is the second largest parade in the nation.^[2] The parade, which began on August 11 1929,^[4] was in large part a marketing gimmick to sell more magazines.^[3] The parade takes place in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. It starts on 35th Street and South Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, near the landmark Victory Monument, and continues south to 55th Street at Washington Park. This route covers approximately Template:Mi to km. The parade includes politicians, beauty queens, celebrities, musical performers, and dozens of marching, tumbling and dancing groups.^[3] Past attendees have included Duke Ellington, Ethel Waters, Joe Louis, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Paul Robeson and Billie Holiday.^[3] The parade has grown from a locally sponsored event to one with major corporate presence. It is viewed as a reminder to the youth of the impending end of summer and beginning of the school year.^[3] As such the parade sponsors raise money for college scholarships for local youth.^[3]

This year's 78th Annual Parade will take place on August 11 2007, and will be televised nationally on the WGN/WB Network in addition to local coverage.^[5] In 2006, approximately 26 million people saw the parade in person or on television,^[5] including 25 million television viewers and 1.2 million attendees.^[1] The 2006 parade also included 74,000 participants and 160 floats and vehicles.^[1]

The parade route has varied over the years. The original route was along Michigan Boulevard beginning at 31st Street and then turning east into Washington Park. Concern 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 various times, street repairs have necessitated use of the Michigan route, but the primary route is now the King Drive route.^[4]

Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll of Amos 'n' Andy fame were the first guests of honor in the original 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, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Duke Ellington, Oprah Winfrey, and Lena Horne.^[4] Recent parades have featured popular musical acts as concert performers at the post-parade picnic.

• Official introductory video
• Official site
• Encyclopedia of Chicago entry