Arkansas State University student Alandria Maddox wins homecoming queen and makes history as first Black woman drum major
What’s better than becoming homecoming queen? Being crowned at the same game where you’re leading the marching band’s halftime performance.
That’s exactly what happened to Arkansas State University student Alandria Maddox. On Oct. 24, a video of the 20-year-old being crowned homecoming queen went viral on TikTok. Moments after receiving her crown, the Jonesboro, Ark., native hurried to another part of the field — in her gown, no less — to lead the marching band as the university’s first Black woman drum major.
The video on TikTok, which currently has more than 3.9 million views, 730,200 likes and 22,900 shares, was posted by Karen Shields (@realkarencontent), the wife of Arkansas State University chancellor Todd Shields.
“People make history all the time, everyday. But to be on such a big platform, to be a leader, and to be somebody in this community seeking to serve them and to be able to serve as an inspiration, that’s an honor that a lot of people won’t be able to get or say they have,” Maddox said during a recent episode of Second to None: The A-State Podcast. “‘Being a history major and making history,’ I think that’s one of my favorite quotes that people have been saying so far.”
Dr. Steven Riley, the interim director of bands and director of athletic bands at Arkansas State University, provided a statement for In The Know by Yahoo about Maddox’s now viral achievement.
“Alandria Maddox is an exceptional student and an integral part of the drum majors that lead the [marching band],” he said via email. “Whether in rehearsal, in performance, or just in passing on campus, she always demonstrates a spirit of cheerful service to her bandmates and campus community. She may be a history major, but our A-State Bands family is incredibly proud of the history maker she has become!”
Several TikTok users have taken to Shields’s comment section to offer their congratulations for Maddox’s historic win.
“That panic run bc you know you have less time on the field bc it’s homecoming AND YOURE THE QUEEN,” @anxiousafallthetime wrote in response to the viral video.
“I was drum major and homecoming king! So many votes when you get the band to vote for you!” @kevinkwc added.
“YESSSS GO GIRL!!!!” @strawberrry.short.cake also replied.
In The Know by Yahoo reached out for comment from Maddox but hasn’t heard back.
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The post Arkansas State University student Alandria Maddox wins homecoming queen and makes history as first Black woman drum major appeared first on In The Know.
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