Residents from all walks of life crowded Dorr Street on Saturday as parade-goers danced, kids chased candy, and friends and families shouted for loved ones passing by during Toledo’s annual African American Festival parade.
Kids laughed, drummers drummed and dance teams whirled and twirled to music. The weather, which caused the parade to be rescheduled in July because of a 106-degree heat index, was 70 degrees on Saturday, a perfect mix of sunshine without exhaustion.
The event is meant to foster unification and celebrate African-American history and culture. But for many of Toledo’s black residents, who make up nearly 30 percent of the city, the parade is more than a celebration of history — it’s a necessity for the future.
“We don’t want our culture to die,” said Oscar Hill, 72, of Toledo. “This is the only way to keep it going for the next generation. So, we’re hoping that it gets larger from year to year.”
Mr. Hill says watching kids dance during the parade is nostalgic for his generation.
“It brings back a lot of memories from days gone by,” he said. “We had a lot of dancing and different things going on. It gives them a time to get together and have a little fellowship,”
Renitha McCorry, 56, said the event brings kids from all of Toledo’s different schools together as one. Though Ms. McCorry wasn’t in the parade, she offered the service of carrying a large bag of candy throughout the parade to give to young participants who didn’t get to enjoy some of the tasty treats, ensuring that “everybody gets candy.”
“We meet up every year and celebrate this great event of all these kids that grew up out of different schools in our area,” she said. “It’s nice to have this to show our young kids we don’t have to be shooting each other, we can come together and make something positive.”
McCorry’s cousin Gwen Cargile, 64, said it’s important to keep African-American culture “going.”
“Hopefully it will bring more people out to explore and see and know what the African community is about,” she said.
Folks like Jesse Miller, an Air Force veteran, enjoy watching the parade to see kids having fun and spreading positivity.
“The world is for the kids,” he said. “This helps establish them to go the right way and not the wrong way.”
The parade was a part of the city’s 15th annual African American Festival, hosted by the Toledo Urban Federal Credit Union. The three-day event offered everything from live music to free health screenings. The festival concludes with Saturday night performances from Confunkshun, The ZAPP Band, and rhythm-and-blues singer Angela Winbush.
First Published August 24, 2019, 5:02 p.m.
