Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is excited to confirm that its “Building a Better World” float will return to the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 23, 2017.
Performing on the Girl Scout float this year will be Grammy Award–nominated singer-songwriter Andra Day, who will sing her moving anthem, “Stand Up for Something,” from the film Marshall. Day will be accompanied by Grammy and Academy Award–winning artist and actor Common, who co-wrote and is featured in the song — for which Day and Common recently won the Hollywood Song Award at the 2017 Hollywood Film Awards.
“I am so excited to help Girl Scouts in its mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place,” said Day. “I encourage all girls to take action in their communities and effect change—to take a stand. Girl Scouts has driven generations of girls over the past century to become leaders, and I believe if we want more female leaders, we need more Girl Scouts. Also, hook a sista up with some cookies!”
A role model for girls everywhere, Andra Day performed at the 2016 International Day of the Girl event at the White House and received the prestigious Powerhouse Award at the 2016 Billboard Women in Music event. She is a true G.I.R.L. who frequently uses her platform as an artist to stand up for causes she believes in and to inspire her audiences. Through her performance on the parade float, Day will call on all girls and those who care about them to stand up for what they believe in.
Common, who cites his daughter as inspiring his music, has also advocated for women and girls, as well as youth education, throughout his career. He is an Oscar and Golden Globe winner and a leader in his own right, recently establishing the Common Ground Foundation for underserved youth.
Depicting the power of girl leadership, the Girl Scout float design showcases a century of Girl Scout traditions and highlights today’s girls as capable of making great changes to benefit society — echoing the chorus of Andra Day’s and Common’s song: “It all means nothing, If you don’t stand up for something.” This year an audience of more than 50 million will see the Girl Scout float, which features two dozen giant Girl Scout badges representing everything from science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and the outdoors to financial literacy and entrepreneurship, as well as the Gold Award, Girl Scouts’ highest award. Three of GSUSA’s Citizen badges (Celebrating Community, Inside Government, and Public Policy) will be represented, emphasizing Girl Scouts’ legacy of leadership and community action, and the float will prompt viewers to take action themselves through the newly launched G.I.R.L. Agenda Powered by Girl Scouts — an initiative to inspire, prepare, and mobilize every G.I.R.L. to lead positive change. By making age-appropriate resources based on GSUSA’s proven programming accessible to all for the first time ever, the G.I.R.L. Agenda will provide hundreds of thousands of girls, and adults who care about them, with tangible ways to support causes that are important to them.
“We are thrilled to return to the parade this year,” said Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. “Having two prolific artists who stand up for positive change performing on our float ties in so well with the fact that Girl Scouts have always worked to build a better world in their respective communities. And since we believe in the power of every girl, we are excited to supply all girls — through the G.I.R.L. Agenda — with the tools they need to take a stand for what they believe in. With Andra Day and Common imparting a similar message through their performance of ‘Stand Up for Something,’ the Girl Scout float serves as inspiration for all girls to stand up for what they believe in to effect positive change.”
From exploring and discovering new things through STEM and outdoor adventures, to developing important entrepreneurial skills that will serve them throughout their lives, Girl Scouts are taking the lead to positively impact our world.
The 91st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide on NBC, Thursday, November 23, from 9:00 a.m. to noon across time zones.
To advance the G.I.R.L. Agenda and for tips on leading positive change through civic action, visit www.GIRLagenda.org.
