For The Culture
- September 6, 2025
- Panther Stadium
A Game Day Close-Up: Clark Atlanta University vs. Florida Memorial University
I’ve been playing trumpet since 6th grade — though if I’m being real, I really wanted to play the saxophone. However, once a trumpet landed in my hands, it stuck.
By the time I reached high school band wasn’t just an activity, it was my entire world. I started with marching band, then picked up concert and jazz, but marching band became the quick favorite. There was no feeling like stepping off that hill at Hugh Mills Stadium (IYKYK) uniform crisp, horn in hand and adrenaline pumping as the crowd roared.
“Thee Illustrious Clark Atlanta University”
That passion forced me to make some tough college decisions. I was close to being a Clark Atlanta University Panther, but life took me to Tennessee State instead, and honestly, no regrets. Choosing an HBCU — any HBCU — was one of the best decisions I could have made.
“I’ll Find a Way or Make One.”
Fast-forward to today and that love for HBCU culture, especially the marching bands, is still as strong as ever. That’s why photographing Clark Atlanta’s first home game against Florida Memorial felt like a full circle moment. What started as an opportunity to capture The Silver Breeze Flag Line quickly turned into me diving into the full game-day experience — football team, cheerleaders, dancers, the crowd and of course the band.
The game itself didn’t go as planned. Kickoff was set for 3PM, but storms pushed it back until 5. You could feel the restlessness in the stands — students shifting, fans pacing, everybody itching for some good old-fashioned HBCU football. When the game finally got underway, referees shortened it to four 8-minute quarter which unfortunately meant no halftime show.
But if you know ever been to an HBCU you know the 5th quarter is the real encore — and it did not disappoint.
“Mighty Marching Panthers”
By the end of the night I was full-on geeking out, reliving my high school band days from a different perspective. The crowd, the musicians and the energy all reminded me why I fell in love with this culture in the first place.
And now I’m just looking forward to capturing more moments like this as the season unfolds.
“Reign, Clark Atlanta.”
