Harvard grads organize separate commencement for black students
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The university seal hangs over a building at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Nov. 16, 2012. (Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi)
Students at Harvard University raised $27,000 for a graduation ceremony honoring the effort of black students at the school.
Student organizers of the “Black Commencement 2017” said it is the first university-wide graduation ceremony for black students and is designed to celebrate their achievements and struggles at an elite institution with historic ties to slavery, the Boston Globe reported.
The commencement will take place on May 23 at Holmes Field near Harvard Law School. More than 120 grads are registered to attend, Fox 25 Boston reports.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Similar ceremonies have been organized for students at other schools.
Michael Huggins, the president of the Harvard Black Graduate Student Alliance, said “it’s not about segregation.” Students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds will be allowed to attend.
Huggins added that students attending the event will also attend the university’s official commencement on May 25.