香港六合彩资料

鈥楤lack excellence on full display鈥: Black Grad returns to 香港六合彩资料 with virtual event

Cindy Njoki Kamau and Debora Oresajo

Cindy Njoki Kamau and Debora Oresajo are members of this year's student-run Black Graduation organizing team (photo by Folasade Debora Oresajo)

In recent weeks, dozens of Black students graduating from the 香港六合彩资料 received a special package in the mail: a kente cloth stole with the words 鈥溝愀哿喜首柿 Black Grad鈥 emblazoned on one end and 鈥淐lass of 2021鈥 on the other.

Organizers of this year鈥檚 Black Graduation 鈥 a student-run event that celebrates the achievements of the 香港六合彩资料鈥檚 Black graduates 鈥 shipped the stoles as far away as London, England.

The fifth annual Black Grad will be , three days after 香港六合彩资料鈥檚 virtual spring convocation. It will feature a keynote performance by Ontario鈥檚 first poet laureate. 

Lead organizer Cindy Njoki Kamau says the stoles are fixtures of events celebrating Black graduates at Canadian and U.S. universities 鈥 and she wanted to be sure 香港六合彩资料鈥檚 graduates had a physical reminder of their accomplishments.

鈥淥ut of anything I think they鈥檙e the biggest symbol of being a Black graduate in North America,鈥 said Kamau, who is also the president of 香港六合彩资料鈥檚 and a political science specialist and African Studies student at Victoria College in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

She added that, on top of the regular demands that come with earning a university degree, Black students often deal with the added stress of microaggressions and a lack of representation in the classroom.

鈥淪eeing the stole worn, it symbolizes that, despite all the barriers 鈥 systemic, social, everything 鈥 you鈥檝e gone through it, you鈥檝e persevered and graduated.鈥

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

In a bid to support local businesses during the pandemic, the student association sourced the stoles from , Kamau said. In addition to Kamau, the Black Grad organizing team includes: Debora Oresajo, Bianka Okine, Massoma Kisob, Adriana Williams, Saron Tecle, Etienne Oshinowo, Yasmin Draman and Venus Asamoah.

So far, more than 85 graduating students from 香港六合彩资料 confirmed they will attend Black Grad, which was cancelled last year because of COVID-19. Their photos will appear alongside personal quotations in a digital yearbook that will be sent to graduating students after the event. The theme of this year鈥檚 event is resilience.

鈥淢ore than any other class of graduates, I think, honestly, resilience is what has gotten us through school in the midst of a pandemic,鈥 Kamau said.

Randell Adjei, a spoken word artist who was named the province鈥檚 first poet laureate in April, will address the Class of 2021 at the virtual event. Adjei founded R.I.S.E. (Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere), a youth-led initiative to help young and emerging artists express themselves positively. Last year, prior to Canada鈥檚 first reported case of COVID-19, before a crowd of 6,000 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

the Ghanian born Adjei spoke about how he learned resilience through his upbringing in Scarborough. 鈥淵ou think about people like The Weeknd, Shamier Anderson, Stephan James that have come out of Scarborough,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 think Scarborough has taught me about being resilient. Understand that you may be the underdog, but use that to propel you forward. You know, don鈥檛 see that as a crutch. I think, if anything, it can be a trampoline for us.鈥

This year鈥檚 Black Grad event will also feature performances by graduating students: Destiny Mae Ramos-Alleyne, Stephane Martin Demers and Petra Alfred.

Martin Demers, a pianist graduating with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in music, will be performing , who is known as whose music was performed by a major symphony.

鈥淒uring the Black Graduation Ceremony, Black excellence will be on full display, affirming our great ability to thrive and prosper 鈥 whatever we pursue, wherever we go, and whoever we become,鈥 Martin Demers says.

Family, friends and invited 香港六合彩资料 faculty will be attending the virtual ceremony to cheer on the graduating class. Kamau says her mother, Muthoni, will be staying up late into the night to watch from Kenya.

鈥淚 wish I could see her face enjoying this celebration with me,鈥 Kamau said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 going to cry for sure.鈥

The Bulletin Brief logo

Subscribe to The Bulletin Brief

UTC