Beads and Grambling's band: The Krewe of Harambee Annual Martin Luther King Day parade 2022

Henrietta Wildsmith, Shreveport Times
·1 min read

Handfuls of candy fell to the ground, a motorcade of low riders drove down the street, Coco the little white poodle barked and Luke Jewitt danced around as he twirled the baton he caught during the Krewe of Harambee parade in downtown Shreveport.

Luke Jewitt twirls the baton that he was given during the Krewe of Harambee annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade January 17, 2022.
Luke Jewitt twirls the baton that he was given during the Krewe of Harambee annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade January 17, 2022.

In the Fall of 2000, a group of people came together to explore how minorities could become more involved in the celebration of Mardi Gras in the Shreveport area. The group formed the Krewe of Harambee, the first Black krewe in Shreveport, Louisiana. Harambee is a Swahili word meaning "Let's pull together."

Each year the parade is held on Martin Luther King Jr. day and travels in the heart of the city. Close to the end of the parade, Grambling State University's Tiger Marching Band gave a spirited performance.

More: Where and when to watch the Mardi Gras krewe parades in Shreveport in 2022

Henrietta Wildsmith is a photojournalist for the Shreveport Times, part of the USA Today Network. Reach her at hwildsmith@gannett.com, Facebook or Instagram at @hanketta.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: The Krewe of Harambee Annual Martin Luther King Day parade 2022