UC Davis to hold 'inclusive' 'Black Graduation' for members of 'African diaspora'
A public university in California will soon hold a graduation ceremony for those who identify as a part of the 'African diaspora.'
The University of California, Davis will commemorate the 40th Annual Black Graduation Recognition Ceremony on June 14 at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.
A public university in California will soon hold a graduation ceremony for those who identify as a part of the “African diaspora.”
The University of California, Davis will commemorate the 40th Annual Black Graduation Recognition Ceremony on June 14 at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.
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Organized by the Center for African Diaspora Student Success (CADSS), the ceremony provides a celebration distinct from the university’s traditional commencements.
“Black Graduation is an annual ceremony that commemorates graduating seniors at UC Davis who identify with the African diaspora,” an event description reads. “This graduation is different from the UC Davis colleges’ commencement, as it is a culturally relevant and inclusive ceremony celebrating the Black community.”
Attendees are encouraged to wear the West African Kente cloth. This year, the cloth will be provided free of charge to all participants.
According to its website, CADSS is “dedicated space for African Diaspora students to thrive academically, socially, and culturally.”
UC Davis will also host a variety of other identity-based graduation ceremonies, such as the Chicanx/Latinx Graduation Celebration, Southeast Asian Graduation, Pacific Islander Graduation and Lavender Graduation.
In an event description for the Lavender Graduation, UC Davis states that the LGBT ceremony is “not a substitute for UC Davis’s formal commencement ceremonies, but rather an additional opportunity to recognize and uplift the identities, journeys, and accomplishments of our graduating scholars.”
The Black Graduation Ceremony of 2024 included pouring “libations” of water over a plant. Footage from the event, available on the university’s website, captures Ahmanal Dorsey, a victim advocate for Sacramento County, pouring water over the plant while saying: “we pour water to the mammas, the big mammas, the dads, the big dads, the godfathers that have seen this class through diversity.”
Campus Reform has contacted UC Davis for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
