Marching toward justice: Lessons learned from the Shaw High School Mighty Cardinals Marching Band in East Cleveland

Abstract

The Shaw High School marching band has emerged as a collective site of individual and group pride and empowerment in the stories gathered through the community-based ‘Voicing & Action Project’, which the Social Justice Institute debuted in East Cleveland. At first glance, a high school marching band might not have much in common with weighty social justice topics such as challenging marginalization, exposing the workings of power, and advancing fairness. However, when people reminisce about their time as members of the marching band, the stories they tell and the lessons they recall suggest building blocks critical to laboring for a more just society. The band is a source of pride, empowers youth, builds community, and increases access to higher education. These qualities can be reimagined as strategies to advance the cause of social justice in East Cleveland and the world beyond.