African American Day Parade (AADP) celebrates African American culture and the contributions of African Americans to the culture and prosperity of New York City and the United States. Since African American culture defines American culture, we have a lot to celebrate.
56th African American Day Parade 2025
2025 Theme
The 2025 theme is “Education is Our #1 Priority.” Couldn’t agree more. You can be successful without it, but an education helps a lot. It gives you time to grow up and exposes you to lots of new ideas. You will make friends who become lifelong allies.
Can’t help remembering the colonial expression “Each One, Teach One.” Back in the day, we were not allowed to learn to read. So every person in the community who somehow learned to read, had a responsibility to teach someone else.
2025 Grand Marshals
- Dr. Tony Allen is President of Delaware State University.
- Sandra Bookman is an Eyewitness News Anchor on ABC7/WABC-TV.
- Dr. Martin Lemelle Jr. is President of Grambling State University.
- Dr. Patricia Ramsey is President of Medgars Evers College.
- Joy Bivins is Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
- Dr. Bob Lee is a radio personality and Community Affairs Director at WBLS, 107.5 FM; and Founder and CEO of the Make the Grade Foundation.
The 2025 Celebrity Grand Marshal is R&B singer Karyn “Superwoman” White.
Parade Marshals
- Dr. Shawn Brown, Principal of Uniondale High School.
- Francina Yaw-Costello, Principal of Amber Charter School.
- Jean E. Jeanty, Principal of Pugsley Preparatory Academy.
2025 Events
The 56th African American Day Parade 2025 makes education our #1 priority with a full weekend of Black culture in Harlem; on Saturday-Sunday, September 20-21, 2025. The Street Fair is in the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building Plaza on 125th St and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd (Seventh Avenue) in Harlem, Manhattan, on Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 11am – 5pm. 🇺🇸
“They don’t like it, but I’m a keep on steppin, come on…” (Mike Clark Jr.)
The 56th African American Day Parade 2025 starts with a pre-parade show on the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building Plaza on 125th St and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd (Seventh Avenue). The Parade marches up Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd (Seventh Avenue) from 111th St to 137th St in Harlem, Manhattan; on Sunday, September 21, 2025, from 12:30-6pm. It also streams live on abc7ny.com. 🇺🇸
55th African American Day Parade 2024
Press Conference
The 55th African American Day Parade 2024 Press Conference is at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, in Harlem, Manhattan; on Saturday, September 7, 2024, from 11am – 1pm. Free with rsvp (africanamericandayparade.org) 🇺🇸
African American Day Parade
The 55th African American Day Parade 2024 celebrates African Americans in government with a pre-parade show on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd (Seventh Avenue) and 125th St at 11am, followed by the Parade on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd from 111th St to 136th St in Harlem, Manhattan; on Sunday, September 15, 2024, from 12:30pm – 6pm. It also streams live on abc7ny.com. 🇺🇸
Good Leaders = Good Government…Vote!
The theme “Good Leaders = Good Government…Vote!” is especially important this year. We have an opportunity to have an African descendent, woman of color as President of the United States. Kamala Harris is a Jamaican Indian American. It’s ironic that a woman of color is going to save the United States from its own worst impulses. But it makes perfect sense because communities in both Mother Afrika and the Indigenous Caribbean have traditions of strong women leaders.
She recalls the cool Auntie you could talk to about things you couldn’t talk to your parents about. I can’t wait to see the looks on all those little girl’s faces when they see a Black woman president, and think to themselves, if she did it, I can do it too. But it only happens if we get out the vote. Women of color are the world’s best organizers, so let’s get busy.
2024 Honorees
New York produces great political leaders.
- Letitia James, New York State Attorney General
- Antonio Delgato, New York State Lieutenant Governor
- Adrienne Adams, New York City Council Speaker
- Cordell Cleare, New York State Senator
- Vanessa Gibson, Bronx Borough President
- Yusef Salaam, New York City Council
- Stefani Zinerman, New York State Assembly Member
African American Day Parade
The African American Day Parade (AADP) is on the third Sunday in September. It was founded in 1968 to provide positive representation of African American communities. It’s a shame that is necessary, but it is. To get it right, we have to tell our own stories.
Fortunately, we happen to be in this wonderful moment that we call the Harlem Renaissance 3.0. The Harlem Renaissance 1.0 of the 1920s-1930s defined American culture. The Harlem Renaissance 2.0 was the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s-1970s. The Harlem Renaissance 3.0 is happening across New York City now. African Americans and all people of color are getting opportunities in the arts that just weren’t there before 2020.
The first Parade’s theme was “Africa’s Gift to America.” Most Americans don’t understand that, but it’s true. African Americans built New York City and built the United States.
The choice to march on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd has historical significance because it was the heart of the Harlem Renaissance.
People often focus on the Parade itself, without realizing that a lot of community goes into producing the Parade. It’s an opportunity to get involved with the community and push back the loneliness of modern city life.
Something we learned from watching the Parade is that African American drill teams are an Americanized form of Caribbean Carnival celebrations. The connections between African American and Caribbean culture are really strong.
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