Subscribe
Follow Us
Dr. Cornel West is set to be the keynote speaker at the 141st commencement ceremony at Morehouse College. The ceremony will be held Sunday, May 18, at 9 a.m. on the Central Campus. Dr. West will also receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters during the ceremony.
Dr. West is a well-known philosopher, activist, politician, and scholar of African American studies. He also ran as an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential election. Dr. West is also widely known for his stance in left-wing politics. According to a news release, Dr. West’s speech will conclude a week of celebrations for the class of 2025 and milestone reunions for alumni.
In addition to Dr. West receiving an honorary degree, Morehouse College will present three other individuals with honorary degrees for their contributions in their fields. Award-winning director Ava DuVernay, whose works include Selma, 13th, and When They See Us, will be recognized for her contributions to justice and storytelling. In the history of the American box office, DuVernay is recognized as the highest-grossing Black female director.
As the 12th president of the college, Dr. David A. Thomas is retiring and will be honored for his legacy and leadership. Dr. Thomas spearheaded the $500 million “Making Men of Consequence” campaign while he was president of Morehouse, raising more money than any other president in the school's 158-year existence.
Additionally, Dennis O. Hubert will get a posthumous honorary bachelor's degree from Morehouse. In 1930, a racially motivated mob killed Hubert, a sophomore studying divinity, on the Atlanta playground of the former Crogman School. Hubert was only 18 when he died. In this year's ceremony, Morehouse will honor his life and legacy.
The day prior, on Saturday, May 17, at 3 p.m., the Baccalaureate Service will be held in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. The speaker will be Rev. Dr. Brandon Thomas Crowley, a Morehouse graduate and a well-known pastor and academic around the country.
Article Continues Below
Last year, former President Joe Biden served as the as the keynote speaker. He also received an honorary degree from the college which sparked major backlash from both students and alumni. The institution released a statement following President Biden's address to the graduates.
“Peaceful assembly is core to the Morehouse College social justice tradition. The Morehouse College administration fully supports and defends the right to peacefully protest and the expression of one's views openly. Our faculty are some of the best social scholars that higher academia has to offer, and they are training up the world's next generation of community and industry leaders who will continue our institution's history-making legacy.
The world frequently quotes our most famous and beloved alumnus, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but the world must know that without Morehouse, there would be no Dr. King. It is fitting that a moment of organized, peaceful activism would occur on our campus while the world is watching to continue a critical conversation. We are proud of the resilient class of 2024's unity in silent protest, showing their intentionality in strategy, communication, and coordination as a 414-person unit.
Finally, after many facilitated conversations with The White House amongst students, faculty, staff, and alumni, we are moved that President Biden chose the Morehouse stage to announce another $16 billion investment in HBCUs as well as call for an immediate and permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Gaza war. We appreciate the partnership of President Biden and The White House staff for listening and, most importantly, applying what our community and the global society have requested. The work is nowhere near finished, and Morehouse College will continue centering consequential, nuanced dialogue and critique to foster positive societal change.”
