Mayor, City Council issue support for JSU Sonic Boom. Band fundraising for Rose Bowl parade

The Sonic Boom of the South is getting a bump from city leaders as they prepare to perform at the 136th Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2025, in Pasadena, California. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba as well as Jackson City Council issued a proclamation and resolutions in support of the band, announcing Jackson State University’s fundraising campaign to “give the boom their roses” and send them to Pasadena, California.

“Whether you went to Jackson State or not, it feels like our professional team. It feels like our institution, and so we are excited for the sonic boom,” Lumumba said.

Councilman Brian Grizzell, a JSU alum, held framed copies of the two resolutions and presented them to JSU music department chair, Lisa Beckley-Roberts and Sonic Boom of the South director, Robert Little.

“We look forward to being able to represent JSU, the city of Jackson, the state of Mississippi, the south and HBCU culture all over the country,” Beckley-Roberts said, adding that sending the band to California will take “this entire village.”