Correcting The Mistaken Belief That Stomp & Shake Cheerleading Is Performed At Every Historically Black University (Part II: comments about stomp & shake cheerleading at Southern University)

Marvin Price, March 7, 2020

Introducing the NEWEST Organization on the campus of SUBR
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In 2020, Southern University- which is  located in Baton Rouge, New Orleans- became the first member of the SWACcollegiate athletic conference to have a stomp & shake cheerleading team. Members of SWAC are historical Black colleges & universities (HBCUs) that are located in what Americans call "the deep South". In contrast, HBCUs cheerleading teams that have performed stomp & shake cheerleading for decades are mostly located in the Southern states that border the Northeast region of  the United States. Those HBCUs are members of the CIAA collegiate athletic conference. 

Read information about SWAC and CIAA in Part I of this pancocojams series.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series which corrects the mistaken belief that stomp & shake cheerleading is the cheer style that is performed at every historically Black college and university (HBCU).

This post showcases a YouTube video of Southern University's Blue Chips stomp & shake cheerleading team. This post also presents comments from various YouTube discussion threads  about stomp & shake cheerleading in different regions of the United States.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/correcting-mistaken-belief-that-stomp.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a 2020 YouTube video of a cheer battle between cheer squads from two universities in North Carolina. This post also presents information about the CIAA, SWAC, and MEAC collegiate athletic conferences and presents selected comments on this subject from two hbcusports.com discussion threads.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/correcting-mistaken-belief-that-stomp_92.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a 2022 of a stomp & shake  cheer battle between Texas Southern University located in Houston, Texas and Prairie View University located in Prairie View, Texas.

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The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.   

Thanks to the cheerleading team that is featured in this video, thanks to all those who are quoted in this post ,and thanks to the publisher of the video that is embedded in this post.

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SELECTED COMMENTS  FROM TWO YOUTUBE DISCUSSION THREADS

These discussion threads are numbered for referencing purposes only.

I've included brief explanatory notes after a few of these comments. I've also added my editorial notes after a few of these comments.

I didn't give  the full names for most of the universities that are referred to with abbreviations.

Discussion thread #1
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu5VNhE493U Southern University "Code Blue" Stomp & Shake Cheer Team | 2020, Marvin Price, March 7, 2020

[This is the video that is embedded in this pancocojams post.]

2020

1. Two Sockz Productions, 2020
'"Southern University's Code Blue is here!!!! We are excited to see it. It's so amazing to see SNS in the SWAC division. Welcome to the SNS world!"

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2. Kathryn Simmons, 2020
"Yes lord; I’m so glad stomp & shake has really reached this part of the South 💙"

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3. akapam57
"Wow. I was unaware that this type of cheer wasn't everywhere. Especially at hbcu schools.  I like both types."

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4. sexiyella00
"The Original style of Black cheering!!! SU cheerleaders used to use this style!! I REPEAT THE STOMP AND SHAKE STYLE ISN’T NEW TO SU. ITS MAKING A RETURN!!"
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I haven't come across any information to support this comment. sexiyella00 may be referring to African American cheerleaders prior to stomp & shake cheerleading who chanted dissing comments . However, the earliest documented dates that I've found for stomp & shake cheerleading is the 1970s. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/06/when-did-stomp-shake-cheerleading-begin.html for the pancocojams post entitled "When Did Stomp & Shake Cheerleading Begin? (Online Comments & Website Statements)"

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5. toyamay1
"Oh gee now all the middle school squads in the area are going to start doing hype 🤦🏾‍♀️..    let me come up with another cheer!!! #HCABLAZERS  Good Job guys!! A few high/middle schools in the area do stomp and shake style of cheer. It will be interesting to see if it will be accepted on the yard!!"

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6. itzkaiakae
"That is literally everyone’s favorite cheer on campus. It’s the cheer that got us recognized by the student body and faculty and staff. We just HAD to do it for Jaguar Preview Day. It was requested 😂"

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7. Tremendous Carroll
"Some middle/high schools already do hype."

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8. toyamay1
"@Tremendous Carroll  in our league we were the only ones to do it. I'm sure all the teams will do it next season. Standards are set on the yard :)"

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9. kira kira
"That H-Y-P-E cheer looks a lot, almost move for move and word for word like Lincoln University FeFe's. Love that y'all are bringing stomp n shake elsewhere, but SNS is not about taking cheers move for move and word for word. It's about being original :) Thanks for bringing the CIAA's style outside of the CIAA!"
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"Lincoln University" here refers to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Lincoln University is one of two HBCUs in Pennsylvania (Cheney University is the other HBCU in that state. I don't believe that Cheney has a stomp & shake cheerleading team.) I also don't believe that stomp & shake cheerleading is "a thing" in Pennsylvania, except to a very limited extent in high schools who peform modified (not a lot of stomping and shaking) foms of some popular stomp & shake cheer compositions. Perhaps because both of these universities are quite small, and , particularly Lincoln University, isn't close to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or any other urban community that has a largish population of African Americans.

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10. Davonj49
"Okay now they giving me a little WSSU Powerhouse cheerleaders. This is awesome that CIAA stomp n shake style is reaching out to other conferences. I wonder how SU cheerleaders feel about this. I believe that they can eventually come together incorporate both traditional & stomp n shake."
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WSSU = Winston Salem State University (located in Winston Salem, North Carolina)  was one of the first universities to perform stomp & shake cheerleading. That cheerleading teams' performance styles and many of its cheer  compositions have had (and continues to have) a tremendous influence on stomp & shake cheerleading.

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11. itzkaiakae
"Davonj49 we are inspired by WSSU."

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12. sexiyella00
"It originated in all HBCU’s period. I can tell your young. SU’s cheerleaders just changed to the varsity style in the late 90’s all before it was the STOMP AND SHAKE STYLE was used which was very common among BLACK cheerleading squads. Do your research!"
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Read my comment given after comment #2 above.

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13. Jerome Brooks
" @sexiyella00  Nah, fam. This "style" of cheering originated in the CIAA, namely among Virginia State and WSSU in the late 80s. You can search through old SU clips on YouTube and you'll see their cheerleaders never had this style even in the 80s. The choreography is all CIAA.
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Read my comment given after #__.

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14. Eli Gorbinsky
"WSSU was not strictly stomp and shake in the ‘90s"

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15. Eli Gorbinsky
"It was a version but it wasn’t strictly that. They did pyramids and everything at one time. This is when Winston was forcing blue in the uniforms along with the red and white..."

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16. Jerome Brooks
"@Eli Gorbinsky  I grew up in NC in the 90s. The entire conference was strictly stomp and shake in the 90s. They have clips on YouTube from the 90s."

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17. Jerome Brooks
" @Eli Gorbinsky  search "WSSU 93" on YouTube"

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18. Eli Gorbinsky
"Jerome Brooks I don’t have to. I’m good. I know the history. Thanks"

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19. Eli Gorbinsky
"King Kaaeee Keep up the good work! This is a great style! Glad to see it in LA"
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"LA" here means "Louisiana".

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20. Eli Gorbinsky
"Jerome Brooks My aunt cheered from 90-94 under Mrs. Rivers.  I too grew up on Patterson Ave and I know for a fact all of the Cheer Phi and yelping didn’t come until after she graduated."

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21, Eli Gorbinsky
"sexiyella00 I mean how someone gonna point me to a video that says 93 that was put up in the last 6-7 years when they were know as Cheer Phi!  Not to mention I have seen it on YouTube several times and my aunt has the VHS! I can name most of the people in there because I was in awe of them! And it has the pyramids just like I said and the uniforms with the blue in it! 😂😂😂 It would be different if YouTube was around in 93 and it said cheer phi . These comments are too much. Don’t know why folks can’t be happy Stomp and Shake has a new team."
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"VHS" here is an abbreviation for. trademark video home system: a video cassette recording system using 1/2 ″ magnetic tape

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22. CheerPhi93
"Thank you!  At least you all shoutedt us out or gave us credit; unlike, these other squads who just take/steal and call it their own...."
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"Cheer Phi" is a name that was used for WSSU's cheerleading team. CheerPHi93's comments indicates that he was a member of that cheerleading team. 

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23, CheerPhi93
"Jerome Brooks....correction.....The entire conference WASN"T strictly stomp and shake.  Many squads mixed in the traditional styles such as:  WSSU, Norfolk State, Hampton (these are the squads that I do remember doing pyramids/stunts."

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24. CheerPhi93
"Correction...We weren't "forcing" blue into our uniforms.  At that time, blue was part of our University's colors (the trim of blue).  Around the 2000's the blue was dropped and our school colors were left as (Red and Black)..."

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25. CheerPhi93
"Thanks for supporting WSSU Varsity Team/ Red Team/ or Cheer-Phi....I see you know a lot of the history; however, some of your statements are off and I hope you don't mind me correcting you."

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26. Twila Pemberton
"I definitely felt some WSSU Powerhouse vibes! 😍"

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27. CheerPhi93
"Twila, I saw a few similarities.  Someone on Code Blue did say they were inspired by WSSU.  At least, they pay homage to a team; unlike, other squads."

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28. ThePaul641
"Cheer and stomp is taking over!! Great job"

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29. Jss Pss
"Some of the BR high schools been doing it ... it's finally catching up to SUBR"
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If I correctly understand this comment, high schools in the Baton Rouge (BR) area performing stomp & shake cheerleading before Southern University started its stomp & shake cheerleading team.

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30. Phill Damon
"Congrats SU Code Blue for bringing Stomp and shake style to Southern. Can't wait to see yall in person.  #SNSIsTheBest."

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31. CheerPhi93
"Congrats on the new team Code Blue.  As a new team, yawl are doing better than most squads in the CIAA (from the small clips I currently see).  A few critiques.  When you are doing a slow chant (like hype) the "Founder" or Captain should make sure his Low V doesn't look like a "T" b/c that is how it looked.  #2. With the upstomp, leg placement (the leg coming up) should be close to a 90 degree as possible with the upstomp foot POINTING downwards and beside the opposite knee as if you are in a (lib)....Many of your upstomps have "flexed" foot.  Code Blue, you are not in competition with any other squad in your conference (at this point) so be yourself.  Less is best.  Please, please do you and find ways to come into your own.  I am thankful that you all asked another squad for a chant here and there; THAT WAS THE MOST RESPECTFUL GESTURE.  However, be careful, b/c one similarity of this or that, folk will start comparing you all to other squads.  For example, when you all do your "C" sign up in the air...or the ad lib (blllllrrrrrryip)...folk will say you done copped WSSU....So be mindful of those things and build upon your own creativity.....Peace, Love, and Happiness.  Cheer-Phi (Papa-Ra '93)."

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32. CheerPhi93
"Goodness Gracious....After many years cheering, instructing camps, coaching my WSSU 03-04, and coaching high school in 2017,  this old man here has retired!  I just watch and critique.  However, I can point you to many Stomp N Shake contacts.  Some do travel to give camps; however, I am not sure how far!  Justin Plummer, you are welcome and good luck on the upcoming season!"
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This comment appears to be written in response to another comment. However, I couldn't find that comment in that discussion thread.

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2021

33. 👑Da’Kyng’Dom👑
"IM GAGGINGGGG. YESSSS. wanted to bring this to pvamu when I was their in 11”-13”😩😩🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥"
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"PVAMU" = Prarie View A&M University, a HBCU located in Prarie View, Texas.

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Discussion Thread #2
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsDx4w27fyU SU Code Blue Stomp-N-Shake Cheerleaders | Boombox Classic Pep Rally 🔥, published by TRIN,  Nov 12, 2021
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SU= Southern University (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

1. Uhhh, Are You Ok?, 2021
"IMO, I think all HBCUs should adopt the SNS cheer style."
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SNS= stomp & shake
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2.  Brandon B., 2021
"Just for basketball games… I know none of our SWAC schools have sns style cheerleaders… We have more of the mousy type cheerleaders lol"

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3. G T, 2021
"Watch more WSSU but I get it (CIAA) southeast excel in stomp shack cheer (leave it to us) SWAC excel with dance, we leave it to y’all!"
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“stomp shack” is a typo for stomp and shake”
"Dance" here probably refers to (majorette) dance lines, auxiliary to the university's marching band.
 
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4. Raven Broadway
"Lmfao stop hating. Southern University excels in ALL areas."

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This concludes Part II of this three part pancocojams series.

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