Here’s why students from NC HBCUs will perform at this weekend’s Panthers game
Students from two of North Carolina’s historically Black colleges and universities will perform at halftime of the Carolina Panthers game this weekend, one of the team’s last home games of the season.
As part of the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative, this weekend’s game against the Atlanta Falcons will be themed “Representation Matters: Celebrating Black Culture” with special performances from North Carolina A&T Blue & Gold Marching Machine band and TopCats from Winston-Salem State University Powerhouse cheerleading team, and more.
“Inclusion is not a one-time decision; it’s the daily choice to open our hearts, expand our perspectives, and actively invite everyone to the table. Each day, we have the power to choose unity over division,” said Quentin DeBerry, Director of Inclusion & Belonging at Tepper Sports & Entertainment. “By integrating our Representation Matters initiative into the Panthers Inspire Change game, we are actively participating in the ongoing dialogue around equity, justice, and community.”
NC A&T’s band, called The Blue and Gold Machine, is made up of about 200 students, the largest student organization at the university. The group, which plays different genres of music using all styles of marching and maneuvering, will perform at halftime.
“These events are great opportunities to not only showcase the excellence of our students to national audiences, but also to expand our students’ horizons,” said Kenneth Ruff, director of bands.
WSSU’s Powerhouse Top Cats cheerleaders will perform during the second half of the game in the end zone with the Panthers’ TopCats, making history as the first CIAA cheer squad to perform with an NFL team’s professional cheerleaders, according to their coach.
“This is a remarkable opportunity to showcase the wonderful talent of our cheerleaders and represent our university during this historical moment,” head coach and former WSSU cheerleader NeSheila Washington said. “When we have these opportunities, we want to make our ‘Ramily” proud as well as dynamically represent HBCU stomp and cheer.”
This weekend’s game at Bank of America Stadium will be at 1 p.m.
This story was originally published December 13, 2023 at 3:50 PM.
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