Paul Bass Photos
Crowd cheers on marchers at Dixwell Plaza.
Kings Shout Band blared a N’awlins 2nd-line coda to this year’s parade.
A famous friend named Freddy strutted, danced, and generally wowed crowds lined along Dixwell Avenue under brilliant sunshine Sunday, keeping alive a tradition that binds generations of New Haven African-Americans.
“Freddy” is Freddy Fixer, the fictional character (sometimes spelled “Freddie” but definitely ending with a y this year) who inspired a black community clean-up in 1962 that grew into an annual parade and demonstration of pride through the main commercial corridor of Dixwell and Newhallville. A revived community committee organized 62 units with 1,000 or so participants — deejays and dancers and drum and drill teams, fraternal organizations, elected officials, barbers and and barkers and cops and firefighters — into four divisions that kept hundreds of people cheering Sunday up and down the Avenue.
Cousins Ray’na Moore, 9, and Taylor Austin, 7, snagged a prime viewing spot near where the parade set off near the intersection of Bassett Street. Ray’nya marched last year with her drill team; Taylor hopes to play her flute in a future parade.
Organizers snagged a celebrity grand marshal, nationally syndicated “fly jock” Tom Joyner (at left in above photo). He rode with Banesha B, whose morning program follows Joyner’s popular drive-time show on WYBC FM. “I didn’t know” about Freddy before now, Joyner said. “But now I know. I want to come back every year!” The other grand marshal was Gramen Wilson.
Regina Byrd (pictured above) has known about the parade — and about its historic namesake (believed to be a combination of real-life founder Dr. Fred F. Smith and Dixwell environmentalist Ed Grant, whom organizers memorialized on a banner) — since first attending 35 years ago. She used to “wait all year” for the parade. She marched with the Phoenix Drill team as a kid. Byrd, who today is a cook at Coop High School, served as a parade marshal Sunday. “It represents the black community,” Byrd said of the Freddy as she kept Division 1 in line. “It started out being a clean-up. Today, it means the unity is complete.”
The Fire Birds, who represent the fire department’s African-American officers (and captured the parade’s Grand Marshal Award), came out in force, as usual …
… followed by Chi Omicron, whose members’ high stepping elicited cheers up and down Dixwell.
Sarah McClain offered some of those cheers near the Munson Street intersection dividing Dixwell from Newhallville. McClain pulled out a vintage 2014 Freddy (or, that year, “Freddie”) shirt for the occasion; she has been attending far longer, more than 30 years. She had her daughter, Tasha, granddaughter Whitney, and great-grandson Michael with her. They got to wave when Sarah’s mother Rosa marched by alongside Mayor Toni Harp at the head of the parade. “I love the bands. I love the marchers. I love all the dignitaries,” Sarah said. It never gets old.
All the divisions passed by the reviewing stand across from the Q House, where DJ Majestic called out their names.
“New Haven’s hiring!” Majestic called out to a unit from Bridgeport’s police department, which has come under fire this month. Indeed, New Haven’s PD was spreading the message at the parade that it’s looking for recruits for an upcoming class.
Meanwhile, judges gave Headz Up Barber Shop the “best float” award; King Robinson’s band, the Elm City Spirit Award; the Blue Steel Dance Team, best marching unit; Flaming Knights MC best motorcycle group; Fusion Steppers best drill team; and Brooklyn United the best marching band.
At the parade’s terminus, outside United House of Prayer for All People, the house Kings Shout Band offered a N’awlins second line-style coda. How could you not want to be in that number?