Legendary actress Angela Bassett is set to address the Class of 2024 at Spelman College in May, per a release by the institution. Basset will serve as the keynote speaker while also receiving a Doctor of Fine Arts honorary degree. According to the institution's announcement, the Class of 2024 comprises 504 degree candidates, with 325 receiving Bachelor of Arts degrees and 179 receiving Bachelor of Science degrees.

“Spelman College is honored to have acclaimed actress and director Angela Bassett to bring words of inspiration to our graduating Class of 2024,” Spelman College President Dr. Helene D. Gayle said in a statement, “Her work has had a tremendous impact both on and off the screen and serves as an example for our students to lead in their own spaces. We are equally honored to have a slate of strong Black women join us for our weekend ceremonies, including Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Atlanta community icon Rose Scott, and the esteemed Reverend Dr. Yvette Flunder. We look forward to them inspiring our graduates, their families and the Spelman community.”

Bassett is a highly-regarded actress with a storied career that spans decades. She's worked in legendary films such as Malcolm X, Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Black Panther, Mission Impossible: Fallout and What’s Love Got to Do With It. She most recently played the role of Queen Ramonda in Marvel's Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, receiving critical acclaim for her performance. Her role as Queen Ramonda landed her a nomination for “Best Supporting Actress” at the 95th Academy Awards. This was the first Oscar nomination for an actor or actress in a Marvel movie role. Bassett received an Academy Honorary Award, commonly referred to as an honorary Oscar, in January.

In addition to her acclaimed film career, she has found success on television. She stars in and serves as executive producer of the popular ABC/Disney drama 9-1-1 and narrates the highly praised NatGeo limited series Queens. Bassett was named one of the Time 100 and Time Women of the Year in 2023 and has received numerous other accolades such as 16 NAACP Awards and the Black Girls Rock! Icon Award in 2019.

Bassett will address the graduates of Spelman College on Sunday, May 19th at 3 PM.