ICYMI: Recap on Commencement and Graduation Ceremonies |
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Bryan Stevenson to Graduates:
‘Hope Is Our Superpower’
For the first time in more than a year, undergraduates of the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 gathered outdoor and safely distanced for Howard University’s 153rd commencement ceremony. Bryan Stevenson, attorney, social justice activist and founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) delivered a speech that spoke of the values of truth, justice and hope.
“Today, we have the special opportunity to call ourselves Howard alums,” said Stevenson. “But more than that, we have a special obligation. A Howard degree means you have an identity that allows you to say things that the world needs to hear. Today, we’re going to have to commit to changing some of the things we see around us.”
Reflecting on his career as an attorney working in the criminal legal system for four decades, Stevenson reminded graduates of the impact that racial inequality and mass incarceration has had on men, women and children, and implored graduates to change the narrative surrounding Black communities.
“We have tolerated too much. We have accepted too much, and today, what I believe we are called to do is respond to the justice deficit in the world around us,” said Stevenson. “We can no longer be silent about things that too many have been silent about. Today, I want to charge you, Howard graduates, to commit to changing the narrative that surrounds us.”
Stevenson, a graduate of Harvard Law School and the Harvard School of Government, was presented with an honorary doctorate in humane letters during the ceremony. Having earned these degrees and titles, Stevenson noted the burden of racist narratives that forces Black people to navigate presumptions of dangerousness and guilt, regardless of their accomplishments. Still, he encouraged students to commit to truth and justice, remain hopeful, and never underestimate their power to affirm the humanity of others.
“To do justice, we’re going to have to change narratives, we’re going to have to stay connected to the communities of the poor and the disfavored and the marginalized, but we’re also going to have to stay hopeful,” said Stevenson. “I really do believe that hopelessness is the enemy of justice and justice prevails where hopelessness persists. Generations of Howard graduates have understood that hope is our superpower.”
President Wayne A. I. Frederick told the graduates who endured the unique challenges of the pandemic that their Howard University degrees serve as a badge of honor.
“You have demonstrated tremendous resilience to reach this milestone,” said Frederick. “Under difficult personal circumstances and national upheaval, you decided to persevere in your chosen field of study. At a time when no one could have faulted you for becoming complacent or distracted, you pursued your studies with a renewed passion because the pandemic reinforced your ‘why’ and reminded us all that a Howard education truly comes to life when it is deployed in the service of others.”
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Among the graduates participating in the ceremony was Lydia Bredwood from Lexington, Kentucky, who graduated with honors from the School of Business. Bredwood leaves her beloved Alma Mater having served as president of the American Marketing Association at Howard University, where she connected marketing students to professional development, certification and internship opportunities throughout the pandemic. She was the winner of the 2019-2020 Marketing Department scholarship and has held internships with the Washington Nationals and City First Bank, the nation’s largest Black-owned banking institution. Inspired by her success at Howard, Bredwood’s younger brother is following in her footsteps as a rising sophomore in the School of Business.
“The most memorable thing Howard taught me is to be confident in myself,” said Bredwood. “While I’ve been here, I’ve learned that your peers are your biggest network. I’ve gotten to know people from so many different places, and I’ve realized that at the end of day, I am unique. The skills I learned at Howard transformed me, and they made me who I am.”
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“The main reason why I'm here today is [to] honor myself and honor my journey from where I started four years ago. Coming to Howard, I knew I wanted to be here, but what I’m walking away with is everything that I needed.” Jordan Moore, Class of 2021
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“It’s very exciting [to be here], because college was a journey to say the least and it’s nice to have my efforts pay off. I’m graduating summa cum laude, so that is exciting!” Sarah Thorne, Class of 2021
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“My friends and family that helped me thus far, I know that they’re really here with me in spirit and are still going to be watching. I just had to come back.” Earl Tankard, Class of 2021
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Howard ROTC Hosts Gen. Mark A. Milley for Special In-Person Commissioning Address |
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Previously, Howard’s Air Force ROTC program and Army ROTC program honored their cadets in separate ceremonies. This year, staff, cadets and virtual guests gathered to share in excitement and pride as all cadets transitioned from officer trainees to commissioned officers together.
The ROTC commissioning ceremony was an occasion full of groundbreaking firsts. Howard University welcomed the keynote speaker, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, and his wife, Hollyanne, to campus for the first time.
“It’s an extraordinary class, and I am extraordinarily humbled to be here to witness the future of our military,” expressed Gen. Milley. “In short, you are entering the military service at a very dynamic and important period of history, and we absolutely need your innovation, your leadership and your competence – most importantly, your character.”
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‘To Whom Much is Given, Much Is Required’: Bloomberg Gift Propels Newest Black Doctors
Into A Less-Burdened Future
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A year ago, medical students throughout the nation navigated abrupt changes to their education during the final weeks of the semester. But navigating the next chapter of life is likely to go a lot smoother for the nation’s newest Black doctors thanks to last year’s large gift by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Last September, Mike Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies made a $31.7 million gift to support scholarships for current Howard University College of Medicine students with financial need. The Bloomberg Gift was the largest donation in the college’s history.
The first class of Howard medical students to benefit from the Bloomberg Gift acknowledged how the award is likely to change their lives as they move into the next phase of their careers.
“The Bloomberg Gift was definitely a pleasant surprise, especially coming during all the stress of the pandemic,” said James Clemmons, 29, of Columbus, Georgia, who will soon begin training as an orthopedic surgeon. “It’s one thing to talk about the importance of Black doctors and another to put money behind the initiative. It shows a deep commitment to really produce change and provide equitable healthcare to our country.”
The Bloomberg Gift was part of a total $100 million awarded to the nation’s four historically Black medical schools over the next four years to help increase the number of Black doctors. For students who benefitted from the award, it meant a loan payback reduction of as much as $100,000. Medical school can typically cost students and their families $200,000 to $300,000.
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Senior Sunday 2021: A Journey of Resilience |
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Continuing in the tradition of celebrating Howard University graduates, the Office of the Dean of the Chapel hosted a virtual Senior Sunday on May 2, 2021. More than 15 students representing more than 20 student organizations participated in the service moderated by Sydney Montgomery, a two-time Howard University Alternative Spring Break executive student director.
“This service has a special meaning, not only because of the gifts of these young men and women, but also because this service reminds of one the historical and significant contributions of the church – developing leaders,” said Bernard L. Richardson, Ph.D., dean of the chapel.
President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, provided a special salutation to the class of 2021.
“This year’s class of graduates are especially deserving of recognition,” said President Frederick. “These past two years, your burdens weighed upon you even more. Almost every part of your life was impacted by upheaval across our nation to protect and value Black lives – whether against a global pandemic or misguided policing. And you had to persevere without the support of the physical campus, without peers and faculty whom you could engage face-to-face. Nevertheless, you excelled, achieving levels of excellence that are the hallmark of Howard students.”
Alumna Ashley L. Gray, Ph.D., is the first graduate from the School of Education’s Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies program. In Fall 2020, she successfully defended her dissertation titled, “I’ve Got a Testimony!: Black Women College Presidents’ Ascension Barrier Stories.” During Senior Sunday, she discussed the contrasting feelings of both excitement and terror she felt the first time she walked into a classroom where a Black professor used pedagogy that was culturally relevant, and her peers looked like her.
“How dare I move across the country at 30 when most of my peers were celebrating new nuptials and children? I had no idea that I, too, was giving birth to something powerful. And when you’re giving birth, there are often labor pains,” said Gray, Ph.D., a native of St. Louis, Missouri.
The program concluded with a musical selection by senior architecture major Jonathan Salley, who wrote, arranged and performed an original piece, “This is My HBCU.” The chorus eloquently narrates Jonathan’s layered and memorable HBCU experience at Howard, a reflection that is shared with many members of the Howard University community. “This place is more than what’s in the news/ This place is more than picturesque aerial views/ In its nuanced history you’ll find the truth/ This is my HBCU.”
With nearly 3,000 views, the virtual Senior Sunday program connected students, families, supporters and members of the Howard community from across the globe to celebrate civically-engaged Howard graduates from diverse backgrounds.
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On Sunday, May 16, the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel will host Rev. Dr. DeForest B. Soaries Jr. as the speaker for the 11 a.m. virtual service.
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Lavender Graduation Celebration |
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Lavender Graduation Celebration is an opportunity for colleges and universities to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer identifying graduates. Lavender Graduation Celebrations are conducted like commencement ceremonies, with a keynote speaker, reading of the graduates’ names and other traditions. The Office of Student Life & Activities invites you to register and attend this celebration event.
The first Lavender graduation is scheduled for Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 5 p.m. EDT. Please share this invitation with the Class of 2020 and 2021 Lavender Bison.
Register for this event here!
For students who want to appear in the Lavender graduation presentation, please sign up here!
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Roland B. Scott Symposium |
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The Roland B. Scott Symposium will be held on Wednesday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. virtually. Topics will include insurance, medications, stigma, aging and sexuality. Patients, family members, medical personnel, social workers and community organizations are encouraged to attend. Registration is free; however, a $20 donation is encouraged. Register here and contact hupeds@howard.edu for more information.
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To get your events placed in the HU Happenings section, visit https://calendar.howard.edu, click “submit event” and fill in the necessary information. OUC will select events from this section to also be included in the weekly newsletter.
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If you want to submit content to HU! You Know!, email ouc@howard.edu with the subject line "HU! You Know! Submission.”
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Howard University
2400 Sixth Street NW
Washington, DC 20059
(202) 806-6100
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