Talladega’s spokesman, Greg Wilson, also revealedĀ the black college will reap long-term benefits that correlateĀ to their inauguration performance.
Talladega College is facing backlash after performing at President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier last week. The black college received critics from nearly the entire HBCU community it seems, including one notable Talladega alumni.
Poet Nikky Finney, a Talladega graduate and professor at the University of South Carolina, told the New York Times that the black college “had sold out the history of Talladega College for chicken change [and] maybe a tin star on a hatemongerās parade route.”
But despite the backlash, Talladega leaders forged ahead, claiming that the performance was the right decision.
āThis has been an absolutely amazing ride,ā Wilson said in a statement. āWhat started out as a GoFundMe account just to get to D.C. to participate in the inauguration has morphed into something far greater.
āIn terms of the financials, itās a blessing. Weāre thankful for it. The band has an immense amount of needs,” he added.
Talladega President Billy Hawkins said that this “is also a demonstration that we made the right decision to allow our students the opportunity to participate in a civic ceremony.”
āIt provided our students this opportunity to be a part of history and something they will remember for the rest of their lives,” Hawkins said.