Daniel Black calls serving as his alma mater’s commencement speaker the greatest honor of a lifetime.
Black is a professor of African American studies at Clark Atlanta University, where he will deliver his speech on May 18. He’s giddy talking about it. Other high-profile names making addresses to local graduates include President Joe Biden, actress Angela Bassett and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga.
One thing the acclaimed author and activist won’t be discussing on stage the war between Hamas and Israel.
“We have students who are clearly aware and very concerned as are our faculty and staff at Clark in terms of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he says. “That’s not what I intend to focus on.”
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Across the country and in Georgia, college campuses are seeing demonstrations where students, faculty and staff are clashing with law enforcement. The tension is leading to instances of commencement speakers backing out of engagements, or the ceremony being canceled altogether, which is the case at the University of Southern California. At schools such as Emory University, Morehouse College and the University of Georgia, concerns are growing over how schools will handle the mounting tension.
For commencement speakers, if there is a burden to back out or speak up, Black isn’t feeling it.
“No, I have felt no pressure whatsoever,” he says.
Black says his message — and frankly the focus for other commencement speakers — should be on the students.
“The thing I would not want to do is rob them of their moment by saddling them with a social issue that is bigger than their particular moment,” he says. “It’s absolutely important, but it’s not more important than the student’s achievement on that day.”
Black’s comments come following a week where Biden called on demonstrators to find balance in being vocal without being violent or destroying property. Despite some calls to protests his commencement address at Morehouse on May 19, Biden and the school still plan to go on with his speech as planned. Some Morehouse students and alumni want Biden’s speech to focus on the students, not politics.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reached out to several schools and speakers for updates.
At Georgia Tech, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian will address students on Saturday. “Ed is honored to have been chosen to speak at Georgia Tech’s commencement, and is looking forward to addressing the graduating class on Saturday. Beyond that we don’t have any additional comment,” a spokesperson said.
State Rep. Pedro Marin, D-Duluth, is speaking at Georgia Gwinnett College next Thursday. Jacqueline Todd, the school’s associate vice president for communications, says there have no been change in plans in light of the protests. “We have received no special requests related to the demonstrations and there are no cancellations planned,” she says. Todd also noted that she’s read Marin’s speech and there is no mention of the conflict.
Despite a recent letter from University of Georgia administrators suggesting that protesters “chose to be arrested,” Black says he is encouraged by the actions taken by students.
“I don’t think students have been unruly. I think students have taken their moments, taken the opportunity to speak out against something they believe in,” he says. “The thing that has been a little disturbing to me is how, in some instances, students have been treated like criminals for doing so.”
Echoing Black’s sentiments is mountaineer and activist Wasfia Nazreen, the Agnes Scott College alum who will deliver her school’s commencement address on May 11. In a statement sent to the AJC, Nazreen shared her thoughts on the current demonstrations.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
“It has been shocking and heartbreaking to witness how top educational institutes in the U.S. have used such brutal forces when they should have made room for dialogue,” she wrote. “Just as there should be no tolerance on campuses for antisemitism or any form of discrimination against a particular group of people, there have to be stepped-up strategies and efforts made for dialogues and actions to build trust, safety, and peace.”
Nazreen graduated from Agnes Scott College in 2006, and is the first woman to hold dual titles as National Geographic explorer and adventurer. She’s also an advocate for various social causes, including human rights and environmental issues.
In her speech, Nazreen plans on addressing the conflict and demonstrations, while celebrating the class of 2024, some of whom missed out on high school graduations during the pandemic.
“I started and found my voice as a young activist on the ASC campus about 22 years ago,” she says. “So, no, I did not for once consider canceling. Now, more than ever before, we should be speaking up.”
Georgia’s commencement speakers
Here are some of the high-profile guests invited to give commencement addresses at some of Georgia’s colleges and universities:
Atlanta Metropolitan State College, May 3: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens
Albany State University, May 4: U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga
Clayton State University, May 4: U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga
University of Georgia, May 10: U.S. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Allison Schmitt
Emory University, May 13: Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and CEO of the Morehouse School of Medicine
Morris Brown College, May 18: Gospel music star Kirk Franklin
Morehouse College, May 19: President Joe Biden
Spelman College, May 19: Actress Angela Bassett
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