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The marching band at Tuskegee University in Alabama is on strike and has not performed at a football game for two weeks, WSFA 12 News reported.
Members of the Marching Crimson Piper Band announced Oct. 22 that they would not participate in events sponsored by the university until administrators address a list of demands, including hiring more staff to manage the band, increasing funding for the band and offering more band scholarships to recruit new students.
“Due to the blatant lack of resources, organization, and leadership needed to prosper, as an organization, measures must be taken in order to initiate the change we need,” read a statement sent by the band to campus administrators, students and alumni.
Band members also complained of broken instruments and a band hall in need of renovations, among other concerns.
Students have been voicing their support for the strike on Twitter, using the hashtag #SavetheBand.
Charlotte P. Morris, president of the university, called the band an “essential part of the Tuskegee family” in a statement last week.
“We look forward to meeting with band leaders to discuss and respond to their concerns,” she said. “We thank the Tuskegee community for their support as we work to resolve these issues together.”
