The Florida A&M University marching band performed over the weekend. It marked its first appearance in a football stadium in nearly two years–or since the hazing death of one of its drum majors in 2011. One notable change: There’s only 126 band members now. Before the savage beating death of Robert Champion, there were more than 400–not all of whom were enrolled as FAMU students. Hopefully, enough time has elapsed for the culture of homicidal hazing to have been purged.
Conspicuously absent from the Florida Citrus Bowl was Pam Champion, mother of the late Robert, the hazing victim. “I still feel there has been a rush to put the band on the field and that rush … has to do with finance,” she said. “They are putting profit before safety.”
Ouch.
But notably present was Tracy Martin, the father of Trayvon Martin, killed in Sanford by neighborhood watch vigilante George Zimmerman, who was acquitted earlier this summer. Martin was an honorary captain for FAMU’s season-opener in Orlando. He even led the Rattler football team onto the field.
One question: Did officials really mean to associate “stand your ground” abuse with black-on-black crime?