Navy B1 Band

U.S. Navy B1 Band: The first U.S. naval regiment composed of African Americans at ranks above messman in the modern era. Due to ongoing segregation, the B-1 Band was excluded from the UNC campus, which did offer residence to the naval preflight training program at the time. The most talented players within the state of North Carolina participated in the group. 33 of the 44 ensemble members came from North Carolina A&T, with James B. Parsons selected as the director. Stationed in Chapel Hill at the community center between the years of 1942 and 1944 until they were transferred to Manana Barracks at Pearl Harbor. Band members were unable to attend the Navy's School of Music, unlike other Navy Band musicians, due to segregationist practices. After the war, most of the band members attended North Carolina A&T, many choosing to enter the education sector. After his quality tenure as band director, James B. Parsons was appointed as the first African American to serve in the U.S. District Court system as a federal judge by then-president John F. Kennedy in 1961.