Dr. Cheryl McKissack Daniel, Chair of the Board of McKissack & McKissack, has been named a 2026 Grand Marshal of the 57th Annual African American Day Parade, joining a distinguished group of leaders being recognized for their contributions to business, culture, community, and Black excellence.

Taking place in Harlem on September 20, the 2026 parade celebrates the theme “Good Businesses Sustain Our Future”— a message deeply connected to Cheryl’s own story of entrepreneurship, generational legacy, and building opportunities that endure.

Carrying Forward More Than 230 Years of Legacy

As a fifth-generation builder, Cheryl carries forward a family legacy that spans more than 230 years.

Today, she serves as Chair of the Board of McKissack & McKissack, the nation’s oldest minority- and woman-owned design and construction firm. She previously served as the firm’s President and CEO from 2000 to 2025, helping lead McKissack into a new era while preserving the history and values upon which the family business was built.

A civil engineer with more than 30 years of experience, Cheryl has overseen more than $50 billion in construction. Her work has touched some of the nation’s most significant infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, and institutional projects, including the New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport’s Central Terminal Building redevelopment, Columbia University’s Manhattanville expansion, Coney Island Hospital, Lincoln and Harlem Hospitals, and work with New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Her leadership represents more than the success of one business. It is part of a much larger story about Black entrepreneurship, ownership, opportunity, and the ability to build institutions that can endure across generations.

Building the Future While Preserving the Past

That history is also at the heart of Cheryl’s book, The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers.

The book traces the McKissack family’s journey from enslavement to entrepreneurship and chronicles generations of builders whose work became part of the physical foundation of America. In telling their story, Cheryl also brings greater visibility to the contributions Black families have made to American architecture, construction, infrastructure, and economic development.

Being selected as a Grand Marshal of the African American Day Parade brings that story into a celebration devoted to African American culture, heritage, achievement, and community.

“Good Businesses Sustain Our Future”

The theme of this year’s parade — “Good Businesses Sustain Our Future” — recognizes the role that businesses and entrepreneurs can play in creating lasting opportunities and strengthening communities.

For Cheryl, that idea has been lived across generations.

The McKissack story demonstrates what becomes possible when knowledge is passed down, opportunities are expanded, businesses evolve, and each generation accepts the responsibility of preparing the way for the next.

Cheryl will be honored alongside fellow 2026 Grand Marshals J. Alexander Martin, FUBU Co-Founder and President of the New York State Black Chamber of Commerce; Chef Charles Gabriel, founder of Charles Pan-Fried Chicken; and Michael Preston, Co-Owner of Harlem Rocket.

Together, the 2026 honorees represent entrepreneurship, cultural impact, community leadership, and the enduring importance of Black-owned businesses and institutions.

Join Cheryl in Harlem

The 57th Annual African American Day Parade takes place Sunday, September 20, 2026, along Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard in Harlem, New York.

Cheryl is honored to join this historic celebration and the generations of leaders, entrepreneurs, organizations, and community members who continue to build upon its legacy.

Sunday, September 20, 2026
Pre-Parade Show: 11:00 AM
Parade: 12:30 PM
Location: Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, Harlem, New York

VIEW EVENT DETAILS