The ceremony takes place each spring for African and African American students who graduated from Marshall University during the winter and those slated for graduation in May or during the upcoming summer terms, according to Maurice Cooley, associate vice president of intercultural affairs.
“The Kente cloth was developed in the 17th century by the Ashanti people of West Africa and this form of royal regalia is considered as a symbol of accomplishment and prestige,” Cooley said. The ceremony serves as a traditional rite of passage when each graduate receives his or her own hand-woven Kente cloth from Ghana, based on his or her degree. This centuries-old ceremony truly defines and captures one of the most significant moments in the lives of our advancing students when recognized for their extraordinary achievements.”
Dr. Dominique Elmore, a pediatric resident physician at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s ceremony after opening remarks by the university’s president, Dr. Jerome Gilbert.
Cooley said he expects 70 students to participate in the 2017 Donning of the Kente spring ceremony. The university will have its annual spring commencement ceremonies at 9 a.m. for undergraduate students and 2 p.m. for master’s and doctoral students on Saturday, May 6, at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in downtown Huntington.
To learn more about the Donning of the Kente ceremony, contact Cooley at cooley@marshall.edu or call 304-696-5430.
For more information about activities sponsored by the Center for African American Students and the Office of Intercultural Affairs, visit www.marshall.edu/intercultural.
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Photo: Maurice Cooley (right), associate vice president of intercultural affairs, places the Kente cloth on a 2016 May graduate.