The 148 annual Howard University Commencement Convocation took place Saturday, May 7 in the Upper Quadrangle area on campus. The doors opened at 6:30 a.m, the processional began at 8:30 a.m and the convocation officially began at 10 a.m. The convocation recognized students who completed their degree and were in good financial standings as of summer of 2015, December of 2015 and spring of 2016. The school bestowed 1300 bachelor degrees, 300 master degrees and 100 Ph.D's. There were also four honorary degrees given to Ambassador Horace Greeley Dawson Jr., physician L.D. Britt, actress Cicely Tyson and lastly President Barack Obama. President Obama was awarded the honorary Doctorate of Law degree which is the highest honor given from the university.
This years commencement address was given by President Obama. In his speech, he credited Shonda Rhimes and Beyonce to "owningThursday nights" and "running the world". He told this year's graduates to embrace and be confident in being an African- American and that "our particular awareness of injustice and unfairness and struggle. That means we cannot sleepwalk through life. We cannot be ignorant of history. We cannot meet the world with a sense of entitlement." He urged the graduates to vote and never fear the opposing voices. He also noted how Congress switched from Democratic to Republican in the midst of his presidency and that that was attributed to our young people not voting. This commencement address was the first of three that President Obama has scheduled this year and these are the final ones of his presidency.
-Ania White
This years commencement address was given by President Obama. In his speech, he credited Shonda Rhimes and Beyonce to "owningThursday nights" and "running the world". He told this year's graduates to embrace and be confident in being an African- American and that "our particular awareness of injustice and unfairness and struggle. That means we cannot sleepwalk through life. We cannot be ignorant of history. We cannot meet the world with a sense of entitlement." He urged the graduates to vote and never fear the opposing voices. He also noted how Congress switched from Democratic to Republican in the midst of his presidency and that that was attributed to our young people not voting. This commencement address was the first of three that President Obama has scheduled this year and these are the final ones of his presidency.
-Ania White