Yes, you read the headline right.
Black students at Harvard University will have the first all-Black commencement on May 23, and will wear graduation stoles made of African kente cloth to honor their heritage and achievement. So far, 300 students and 500 guests have registered to attend this historical event:
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According to reports, the ceremony organized by Michael Huggins, a student graduating from the Kennedy School, is not intended to promote segregation rather an opportunity to celebrate “Black excellence and brilliance”:
“This is really an opportunity for students to build fellowship and build a community,” he told the Boston Globe.
This won’t be the first time Harvard has had heritage-specific graduation ceremonies: Latin American students will have their third annual ceremony on the same day.
We can’t help but think of The Dear White People Netflix series, which explores the bevy of issues faced by Black students at a fictitious Ivy League university, especially surrounding their all-Black resident hall.
TELL US: What are your thoughts on a separate graduation?
