Despite intense criticism of Talladega College for allowing its marching band to play at Donald Trump’s inauguration, private donations are flooding in to finance the trip.

A Go Fund Me page was created by Band Director Miguel Bonds with the goal of raising $75,000 to cover lodging and travel expenses, but as of press time the band had far exceeded that goal, raising more than $297,000 from 5,233 people in just nine days.

“They have said that I have shamed the college...that I’m a disgrace to my African-American race.”

The fundraising page says that donating will “give students the opportunity to have a memorable experience to see first hand the transition of power and other events,” employing a common rebuttal to those who insist that Talladega, a historically black college, should not “give the appearance of supporting” Trump by participating in his inauguration.

[RELATED: Students, alumni demand marching bands ditch inauguration]

Talladega College President Billy Hawkins appeared on the O'Reilly Factor Thursday to discuss the pressure he has received to cancel the band’s plans.

“They have said that I have shamed the college by making this decision,” Hawkins recounted. “I’ve had folks that say that I’m a disgrace to my African-American race.”

Hawkins announced earlier this month that the band will indeed perform, saying, “we feel the inauguration of a new president is not a political event but a civil ceremony celebrating the transfer of power."

[RELATED: Children return parents' degrees to protest inauguration plans]

Nonetheless, the children of two Talladega College alumni returned their deceased parents’ Doctoral degrees last week to protest the decision, declaring that they “have no doubt that [their parents] would be angered and deeply disappointed if they knew of the plans for Talladega College to pay tribute to Donald Trump by participating in his inaugural.”

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