PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 15, 2020) – This past Saturday, Prairie View A&M University held a virtual celebration for the spring Class of 2020. Tomorrow, those 873 graduates will be able to join in with graduates from 77 other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the nation for a star-studded virtual commencement.
“Show Me Your Walk HBCU Edition,” presented by Chase, will go live on May 16 at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CST). The two-hour event will be live-streamed on Chase’s YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn channels, as well as HBCU Connect’s Facebook page and Essence Studios. During the event, HBCUs will showcase and highlight past and current graduates.
“The National HBCU Commencement Celebration Committee reached out to all the presidents of HBCU institutions to initiate the support of a collective celebration in response to postponed commencements across the country as a result of the novel coronavirus. Always a leader and visionary, President Ruth J. Simmons supported this idea and reached out to the PVAMU Commencement Steering Committee. We immediately agreed to this project, as it aligned with our own virtual celebration program,” said PVAMU Commencement Chairman and Associate Provost James A. Wilson, Jr. “All of our HBCU graduates deserve a day of recognition and celebration for their stellar academic success. And PVAMU proudly celebrates our graduates with other HBCUs to acknowledge our future leaders.”
President Barack Obama will share a special message, and comedian Kevin Hart will host Chase’s event. Additional guest appearances include Steve Harvey, Chase Consumer Banking CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett, Ariel Investments Co-CEO and President Mellody Hobson, National Urban League president, Marc Morial, and academic leaders from participating HBCUs. Other participants include ten-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul, eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter, Debbie Allen, Vivica Fox, with performances by Anthony Hamilton, Wyclef Jean, Omari Hardwick, and other musical guests—as well as a drumline mash-up featuring Doug E. Fresh.
“Every student graduating in the Class of 2020 deserves to celebrate this moment—they earned it, even more so during a challenging year for our country and the world. We are showing up for them because we recognize they are our now and our future, and the way forward is full of opportunity,” said Thasunda Brown Duckett, chief operating officer at Chase Consumer Banking.
JPMorgan Chase is supporting “Show Me Your Walk HBCU Edition” through its Advancing Black Pathways (ABP) initiative, created to help black communities close historical achievement gaps in three key areas: wealth creation, educational outcomes, and career success. Support for HBCUs is a core focus for JPMorgan Chase because of the vital role they continue to play in helping African Americans forge pathways to long-term success. The first HBCUs were founded before the Civil War, and these institutions educated generations of African Americans during a period when other colleges and universities would not.
The idea for hosting a virtual commencement ceremony for HBCU students was conceived by Michael Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College (PQC), and member of the ABP Advisory Council.
“As a result of COVID-19, our students have been robbed of a moment that they and their families have earned,” Sorrell said. “I am so grateful that this coalition of partners stepped up to answer the call of the HBCU community and stand in the gap for our students and their families.”
Additional organizers for the event include Howard University, The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), United Negro College Fund (UNCF), and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Essence is supporting the event as a livestreaming partner.
Today, HBCUs produce 70-percent of African American doctors and dentists, 50-percent of black lawyers, and 80-percent of black judges. HBCU graduates can also expect work-life earnings of $130 billion—an additional $927,000 per graduate, 56-percent more than they could expect to earn without their HBCU degrees or certificates, according to UNCF.
“Historically Black Colleges and Universities remain a critical resource in educating our young people and putting them on a path to lasting and rewarding careers,” said Sekou Kaalund, the Head of ABP. “Here at JPMorgan Chase, we are firmly committed to supporting HBCUs and helping them continue a tradition of excellence that has helped generations of black people achieve academic and professional success.”
More information is available on chase.com/hbcustudent, including a list of participating schools.
###