| Celebrating Excellence: The 11th Annual
Frederick Douglass and Mary McLeod-Bethune
Graduation Celebration
When Cynthia Turner (Class of ’88, B.A., English; ’96, M.A., English), was earning her undergraduate degree in English, she was often the only African American in her literature classes. As a co-chair for the 11th Annual Frederick Douglass and Mary McLeod Bethune Graduation Celebration, she looks forward to helping graduates and their loved ones recognize their achievements as African American students.
“A look at the history of the African experience in America, reveals that education has been the key to our success and our survival,” says the articulation officer, Records and Registration. “Frederick Douglass and Mary MacLeod Bethune were key figures in the transition from the slave experience to an assimilated experience and becoming a part of the fabric of America.”
The event, which is to be held in the Home Depot Center Tennis Facility on Friday, May 12, at 3 p.m., is described by Turner as “the party before graduation.” The festivities will be centered upon African and African American culture, with a processional of drummers, a tradition libation ceremony to honor the ancestors, and recognition of the Queenmothers Society, a Dominguez Hills tradition established by the department of Africana Studies to honor the wisdom and service of African American women on and off-campus, who are mentors and nurturers of students and the community. Legrand Clegg, II, city attorney for city of Compton, will deliver the keynote address.
Walter Jones (Class of ’95, M.A., Education), director, Educational Opportunity Program, participated in the first Black Graduation in 1995, which was created through a student initiative by the Pan African Union. The tradition of an African American graduation celebration had been recognized throughout the South and other parts of the United States.
“Many of the students, and this is pretty much the case for most African American students, are of the first generation in their families to graduate from college,” he says. “This is an opportunity for them to experience the graduation celebration in a more intimate setting, as opposed to the large official commencement with all the students.
They’re able to give the shout-outs to their families and friends and enjoy the traditions of African and African American celebration.”
Senior Montreece Payton (English/Communications), a member of the
Ronald McNair Scholars Program and president, Beta Lambda Kappa Black Honors Society, appreciates the effort to bring cultural heritage to African American students.
“The Douglass-Bethune Graduation Celebration is an excellent way to connect African-American students with Africana cultural practices,” she says. “Most importantly, it is a communal effort to celebrate excellence in every aspect of our community on and off-campus by honoring faculty and special guests.”
Turner emphasizes the value of an African American celebration of commencement on a multicultural campus as culturally significant, without being exclusionary.
“It’s an acknowledgement of your own, it’s not to the exclusion of anyone else,” she says. “Many of our volunteers for the event are not African Americans. It’s good for students to get the support from others outside of the African American community, but it’s also good for them to get that support from their own, and to hear from them, ‘Good job, well done.’ Often, only another African American person can understand the challenges that are unique to students as African Americans in a multicultural environment, they understand what it took for them to get this far.
“When you look at the enrollment and retention of African American students, for them to make it all the way to the degree is quite an achievement, especially for students who work full-time, are parents, or have a lot of external factors that compete for their time here at school. Most popular role models for people of color are entertainers and sports figures. For African American students to focus on getting an education as their way to success is significant, because there are so many factors working against them, to draw their attention away from college and careers that could help them better themselves, their families’ lives, and make a contribution to America in general. For them to make it this far is truly an achievement worthy of recognition, so being able to embrace and acknowledge them as a community of people who have made it this far is important. We need to encourage our own.”
The 11th Annual Frederick Douglass and Mary McLeod Bethune Graduation Celebration will be held at the Home Depot Center Tennis Facility. For more information, call (310) 243-3632/3420.
For more information on the Home Depot Center, visit http://www.homedepotcenter.com/home/default.sps
- Joanie Harmon
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