More than a dozen Black luminaries joined in a virtual celebration Saturday afternoon to honor the 2020 graduates from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) whose commencement ceremonies were affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, the National HBCU Commencement Celebration, presented by Chase, was livestreamed around the world and featured speeches and performances from celebrities such as Anthony Hamilton, Doug E. Fresh, Steve Harvey, Chris Paul and former President Barack Obama.
Obama told the graduates that, as young African Americans, they've been exposed earlier than some to the world as it is, but their HBCU education puts them in a unique position.
"You chose to follow in the footsteps of people who shook the system to its core — civil rights icons like Thurgood Marshall and Dr. [Martin Luther] King, storytellers like Toni Morrison and Spike Lee," he said.
Michael Sorrell, president of Paul Quinn College in Dallas, spearheaded the idea for a virtual commencement for HBCUs.
