Progressive activist group Indivisible Charlottesville organized a Jazz Parade for Democracy as part of its broader Democracy Fair at the Downtown Mall Saturday afternoon, bringing together volunteer musicians, singers, artists and performers from the Charlottesville community to advocate through art. The parade was a moving display from Indivisible, with Charlottesville residents young and old becoming active participants in the march and festival.
The New Orleans-style jazz parade united people in their shared frustration with the Trump administration’s actions over the last year. Some of the actions referenced at the parade included cuts to Medicaid and the recent attempt to provide the University with additional funding in exchange for agreeing to a series of demands. The demonstration comes weeks after the most recent “No Kings” protests across the country Oct. 18 and days before the election for Virginia governor Tuesday.
The parade was spearheaded over the past six weeks by parade coordinator Isabelle McMahon, artistic director Nancy DeWitt and choreography director Susan McCulley, all of whom are Indivisible members. The musicians for the parade were primarily assembled by retired Music Prof. John D’Earth, who also acted as band leader during the parade itself.
“We thought that music and art was a very good way to convey a message, which is what we stand to lose,” McMahon said. “We need to stand for our rights and fight for what we care about, the values we care about.”
As part of the general Democracy Fair occurring both before and after the parade, representatives from all of the grassroots organizations that collaborated to make the event possible manned tables from local nonprofit groups where attendees could hear about their work and learn more about the candidates on the upcoming ballot. Clio Schurtz, a tabler for the grassroots organization Virginia Organizing, believes art and music like this is an incredibly powerful way to protest and make one’s voice heard.
“Creativity is what matters,” Schurtz said. “That’s part of what brings so many thousands of people out … It makes people want to participate.”
The march was separated into three acts, mirroring the style of a theatrical production throughout the march. The first, titled “Mourning March,” began at Ting Pavillion with a group of pallbearers solemnly leading the way, holding up black coffins. Two performers followed, one portraying a chained and distressed Lady Liberty and the other as the Grim Reaper.
Behind them were the musicians led by D’Earth, primarily consisting of brass and percussion players. D’Earth said the group’s only rehearsal was 30 minutes before the parade, but his conducting kept everyone in time and on cue. They began by playing a dirge written by D’Earth titled “Elegy” that cast a cloud of somber reflection over the crowd of hundreds.
The choice of New Orleans-inspired jazz music was intentional due to its strong connection to the history of our country.
“This kind of music is based in African American traditions … and African American people built this country, both physically and culturally,” D’Earth said.
Following this were additional performers portraying mourners dressed in black robes and carrying tombstones reading phrases like “R.I.P Free Press,” “R.I.P. U.Va. Autonomy” and “R.I.P. Diversity, Inclusion.” These graves signified the “deaths” of important principles of an ideal democracy to the protestors. Attendees were encouraged to join in the march alongside these performers.
The march lasted for about half an hour as the crowd continued steadily from Ting Pavillion to the opposite side of the Downtown Mall. Once there, the group dispersed to form a large circle. The pallbearers left the coffin with Lady Liberty in the center, while the mourners lined up in two rows. Two singing groups, The Wonderground and the Charlottesville Women’s Choir, sang “This May Be the Last Time” by The Staple Singers before D’Earth finished Act 1 by stoically playing “Taps” on his trumpet.
D’Earth shared his thoughts on the vital role music plays in social movements such as this.
“Music is a social art, so immediately, music evokes community and invokes community,” D’Earth said. “We call community together with music.”
Act 2, called “The Revival for Democracy,” began with a man playing the role of Lead Activist who rallied the crowd to fight against the authoritarian decision-making of the administration. As he did this, he went to each gravestone and ripped off pieces, revealing words like “Never!” and “No way!” of which the crowd repeated back.
The mourners then shed their cloaks and threw their tombstones into the coffin, transforming into activists themselves while Lady Liberty freed herself from her chains, putting them on the Grim Reaper instead. This was met with raucous applause from the crowd as the tension and sadness from the funeral march had finally been released. The singing groups then performed “This Little Light of Mine ” by Harry Dixon Loes with crowd members surrounding them and singing along.
The last act, “Join the Movement and Celebrate,” consisted of an exuberant parade back to Central Place outside of the Paramount Theater where another circle was formed. This was a stark contrast to the sober atmosphere that started the event, both sonically and visually. Activists waved American flags and musicians erupted with traditional upbeat New Orleans jazz music, with Lady Liberty now cheerfully dancing and leading the march.
The Wonderground and the Charlottesville Women’s Choir led the crowd in hopeful songs like “This is What Democracy Looks Like” by Elizabeth Alexander and “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie, while members of another pro-democracy grassroots group, “Keep Going Together,” broke out into dance. When this concluded, the parade picked right back up, bringing the crowd back to Ting to the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” ending the event right back where it began, only now on a much more joyous note.
Through music, dance and performance, the collaboration of volunteers and activist groups across the Charlottesville community was a successful demonstration of the power that people still have to organize and to creatively and peacefully speak out against injustice.
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