South Side Home Movie Project, an initiative of Arts + Public Life (APL) at the University of Chicago, is thrilled to announce its participation in the 2026 Bud Billiken Parade! In celebration of the 97th anniversary of the parade, SSHMP will stream scenes of the Parade from the 1940s to 1960s on a mobile screen in the parade, accompanied by families who have proudly shared their family films with the archive.
Our Bud Billiken® Parade celebration this year showcases the legacy of parade dancers over the decades and the ways they have shaped contemporary Chicago dance. From footwork to drill teams, dancers in the historic parade have brought their steps to the parade streets year after year, dazzling viewers with their new moves. SSHMP is proud to premiere these rare films from its newly digitized Ramon Williams Collection along the route, offering a unique glimpse of the parade's rich history to all attendees.
On August 8, the South Side Home Movie Project and Arts + Public Life team are bringing this vibrant celebration to the Bud Billiken® Parade. Look out for our mobile LED truck display rolling down the route! Catch us from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm along the parade route on 35th Street & Dr. Martin Luther King Drive to 51st Street in Washington Park. We will be streaming rare, nostalgic scenes from the Ramon Williams Collection alongside beautifully filmed footage of the newly created dances by the CAP students.
As SSHMP’s largest film repository, the Ramon Williams Collection contains over 300 films. It features numerous historical figures and events, including Haile Selassie's visit, Althea Gibson's historic win, and decades of Bud Billiken® Parades.
Weaving together historic home movies with contemporary choreography, we are celebrating this intergenerational storytelling—honoring the parade's long-standing legacy while celebrating the creative spirit and energy of the South Side's next generation of artists.
GENERATIONS OF GROOVE:
A Pre Parade Celebration
Thursday, August 30 | 6:00PM-8:00PM
We kicked off the parade season by diving headfirst into South Side dance history. CAP’s talented young dancers teamed up with SSHMP to turn vintage 1940s–1960s parade clips from the Ramon Williams Collection into a powerhouse contemporary performance. Featured guest artists included DJ Tre Daniels, Taraja Mumbeja [Mu-be-uh], Aaliyah Christina/Praise Mother Squad, and Stylez/Prophecy Footwork Crew. The entire evening was a celebration of bridging Chicago's iconic dance roots with its bright future.