A Look Back at the Orange Blossom Classic

The Florida A&M marching band performs during halftime of the 1963 Orange Blossom Classic. Directed by Dr. William P. Foster, FAMU’s Marching 100 revolutionized the way marching bands performed, which included sophisticated choreography and fast high-stepping moves. During a time of segregation, the Orange Blossom Classic was one of the biggest events in Miami’s African-American community. Hosted by Florida A&M University, the football game was played every year from 1947 to 1978 at the Orange Bowl Stadium and also included a huge parade through Miami’s Overtown section. The Orange Blossom Classic drew between 40,000 to 50,000 fans during the peak of its popularity from the 1950s through the early 1960. The game drew thousands of white fans, many came to see the FAMU band. It was the first football game to showcase black football players at the Orange Bowl. Prior to 1947, blacks were not allowed to attend or participate in games at the Orange Bowl due to strict Jim Crow segregation laws at the time. The only African Americans allowed at the stadium were employees, who had to carry identification cards.