MLK Day parade: Miami Central’s Rockets glow with pride as best in nation

MIAMI – Kermit Virgil is the director of the Rockets, Miami Central Highschool’s marching band. The Nationwide Excessive Faculty Soccer champions gained their fourth straight state championship with an ideal 14-and-0 this season.

Virgil mentioned the band’s motto is “We Follow To Excellent” and The Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade on Monday in Miami’s Liberty Metropolis permits all of their laborious work to come back to life.

“The extra the gang will get into it, the extra we appear to get into it additionally.”

Virgil mentioned the musicians observe each day from Monday to Friday in school and at residence.

“Soccer season is over however the band doesn’t have an low season,” Virgil mentioned. “We’re year-round.”

Virgil mentioned he makes use of their efficiency as a possibility to show Black historical past.

“We actually don’t get to be taught an excessive amount of about it in faculties, so it is a probability for us to broaden our horizon and to essentially divulge heart’s contents to the group and actually have fun the legacy of Dr. King,” Virtil mentioned.

Virgil was particularly pleased with Marvin Dorvil, the band’s one drum main and he’s at all times prepared to guide the Rockets to the end line.

“It was a really lengthy parade however seeing all of the faces of the folks in my group that I stay in, it was superb and it pushed me to complete the parade,” mentioned Marvin, a FAMU graduate.

Virgil mentioned instructing at Miami Central has at all times been his dream job.

“To have the ability to go on, the identical factor that was handed on to me, to those college students, it’s taking place from technology to technology,” Virgil mentioned.