Marcus O. Brown – Trailblazer Crusaders Marching Unit
In the 1970’s a group of teachers from Clinton JHS and community members including Marcus Brown, Robert Harriston, Raymond Reed, Carol Varner, Bobby Watkins, C. Nulley, and Billy McNeal spearheaded the establishment of the Clinton Jr. High School Drill team in Buffalo, NY. In 1974, Mr. Brown moved the drill team to the community, and they became the Crusaders Marching Unit. Mr. Brown and Mr. McNeil continued to grow the drill team reaching out to the community to get facilities for practices, car washes, fundraising events and recruited parents to chaperone events. With the help of the community, Mr. Brown built a safety net around the youth and took the Crusaders on the road where they successfully competed in drill teams across the East Coast of the United States Harlem NY, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, and Washington, DC. The Crusaders built a reputation of excellence that led the Crusaders to be the number one fancy drill team in NYS as well as consistently placing #1 in interstate competitions.
The Crusaders asked Mr. Brown to help establish drill team competitions in Buffalo, NY which he did. Since then, drill teams were established in many schools throughout the city, drill-0-ra-mas were held and the drill teams expanded into communities and then to the Juneteenth parade.
Mr. Marcus Brown began his involvement with Juneteenth in 1976 when the Cru saders Marching Unit were asked to march. He is now the President of the Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo and has served a total of 30 years!
As a result, of Mr. Brown’s heart for the community, many youth have excelled in life becoming teachers, principals, lawyers, nurses, company executives, police officers and more! Many of them attribute a part of their success to the drill team. It should also be noted that Buffalo has one of the biggest Juneteenth festivals in the United States. This year marks the 50th an niversary of the Crusaders Marching Unit and they have been a part of the Juneteenth since its first parade initially held on Jefferson Avenue. It has since been moved to Fillmore Avenue culminating at E. Park.
This makes Marcus O. Brown worthy to be called a Trailblazer. Signs commemorat ing his work, were posted on Juneteenth 2024 on Fillmore between Best Street and E. Park!