The World Famed will lead the 57th African American Day Parade on Sunday, Sept. 20, marching along Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard in Harlem. That year, the Grambling State marching band opened the first African American Day Parade, with political trailblazers Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Shirley Chisholm serving as the first grand marshals. “Grambling State has long understood the power of our traditions to bring people together and carry our story far beyond the boundaries of campus,” Grambling State President Martin Lemelle Jr. said. African American Day Parade returns Sept. 20The 2026 African American Day Parade will take place Sunday, Sept. 20, along Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. In 1969, Grambling musicians helped introduce the African American Day Parade to Harlem.