ABSTRACT
I recently attended a special graduation ceremony for African-American students at a large West Coast university. The theme of the graduation was “Defining Ourselves.” The program stated, “Defining ourselves, as opposed to being defined by others, is the most difficult task facing African Americans today.” I was intrigued by the theme and anxious to hear how the graduates would define themselves. The ceremony was an eclectic and exuberant celebration. The graduates danced down the aisle to an African beat. They showed a video that featured graduates sending thank you messages to family members and friends. Each graduate received a certificate and a kente cloth sash, a hand-woven multicolored cloth traditionally from Ghana. The student speaker talked of her experiences at the university, expressing the anger and frustration she felt as one of few Blacks in a predominantly White university. The ceremony ended with a shower of red, black, and green balloons that poured over the graduates as they stood proudly on the stage.
