The African American Graduation Committee has been organizing and funding the Annual African American Graduation Ceremony for 28 years. This is a cultural salute for outstanding academic achievement and honor students of African American/ Black descent graduating from K-12 schools, colleges and universities from Spokane and the surrounding areas. This year’s celebration will be held at the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center at Gonzaga University on May 4 from 2-4 p.m.
The organization of the African American Graduation began at the Spokane Community College under the leadership of Dr. James Williams in the early 1996. Dr. Williams was the Dean of College of Arts at California State Polytechnic University and became the first Black president in Spokane’s Community College system. He earned his doctoral degree in education from Washington State University.
The Ceremony is representative of African and African American culture and heritage, embraces the value of community and scholarship, and culminates with a Kente Stole presentation, awarding of the scholastic achievement medals, and scholarship recipients. From the singing of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to the dancing to the step show on stage from Black students to the treasured remarks from a few Black professors and administrators who encouraged our students along the way.
This is a celebration for graduates to be recognized for their accomplishments and provided an opportunity to honor significant people who have helped them achieve their goal. Students are honored together in one setting and their families also get the opportunity to celebrate their hard work and dedication. It is a celebration of Black Excellence!!!
This annual celebration gives African-American, African, and Black-identifying students and families an opportunity to celebrate blackness and the success of students attending our schools. For many underrepresented and first-generation students, a college diploma represents a long road marked by hard work and success – not just for the individual students, but also for their family, friends and supporters. These smaller cultural events provide more intimate settings for students to share these personal milestones with their communities and hear the achievements and inspiration from the speakers.
Although our language and home country were stripped from us, the wearing of the Kente cloth is a reminder of our interconnectedness, echoing the African proverb, “It takes a village.” During the Kente Ceremony, each graduate will be gifted a Kente stole. Kente is native to Ghana and was developed in the 17th century by the Ashanti people. It has its roots in a long tradition of African weaving, dating back to about 3000 B.C. Often reserved for royalty, the stole is a visual representation of history, philosophy, ethics, oral literature, religious beliefs, social values and political thoughts. Students with a G.P.A. of 3.0 will receive scholastic achievement medals during the Kente Ceremony and the Richard B. Williams scholarship recipients are acknowledged.
The scholarship is named after Mr. Richard B. Williams who spent his entire life giving back to his Spokane community, through his commitments, and support of many organizations both in time and financially. In 2016, following his passing in 2015, the African American Graduation Committee elected to create the Richard B. Williams Memorial Scholarship in his honor, a fund intended to assist African American high school graduates entering into higher education. Mr. Williams was active at Eastern Washington University and in the Africana Studies Program for more than twenty years. Those who knew Richard speak to his generosity and willingness to always offer a helping hand, to always ask, “What do you need and how can I help you?” He was also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and was one of the four founders of Chi Alpha Alpha, the local Spokane Chapter.
Increased community support is key in helping the African American Graduation Committee continue to provide this celebration for Spokane and the surrounding area students as our black community grows. Please consider supporting African American Graduation with a donation to: African American Graduation Committee, PO Box 40395, Spokane, WA 99220. For more information, go to www.aagspokane.org or spokaneaag@gmail.com
The Chairs share their quotes:
” The Spokane African American Graduation is a celebration of students in our area who have completed a step in their educational journey that we want to acknowledge and honor. It is crucial to recognize that the education system was not built with our students in mind, so celebrations like these serve as powerful reminders of the strength we possess to be extraordinary and achieve success in environments that place barriers in front of us. We pay tribute to the hard work of the students while acknowledging the crucial role that families and communities play in supporting our students towards their goals.”
“Serving as a chair and committee member over the years has been an honor, and I am grateful for the support from our community members, institutes of higher education, and local businesses/Greek institutions that have provided financial support over the years. I also express my gratitude to the founding members who had a vision to fill a need and celebrate academic accomplishments .”
Lori Hunt, Ed.D
Chief of Staff and Strategy
Community Colleges of Spokane
“It has been a blessing being a part of the Spokane African American Graduation well over the last decade as a committee member. This celebration gives more life to our community and the richness of the event’s history greatly impacts many lives. I deeply appreciate the founding committee and my hope is that we continue to honor the tradition of honoring those students’ blazing paths. The graduation is a vital part of a student’s journey that we are able to partner with many in our community to support students making their next critical phase in life.”
Shawn Washington, Ed.D.
Assistant Chief Diversity Officer, Office of Inclusive Excellence
Gonzaga University.