Bestowing of the Kente Ceremony Honors African American Graduates
May 23, 2019
As part of a tradition that goes back nearly 25 years, Alverno College held its Bestowing of the Kente ceremony on Sunday, May 12. The Bestowing of the Kente is a rite of passage recognizing African American students who are graduating seniors, earning a master's degree, or completing a certification program. Each honoree chooses someone to present her with a Kente cloth, a colorful, hand-woven, ceremonial piece. This person is someone whose support was vital to the graduate's success, and the graduate expresses their gratitude in a heartfelt, emotional exchange. The ceremony is a way for African American students and their families to celebrate their heritage as well as their achievement, and will include African drumming during the processional, and a kalimba (African thumb piano) during the presentation of the Kente cloths. Alverno is one of only a handful of colleges in the U.S. that recognize African American graduates with the Bestowing of the Kente ceremony separate from graduation. The Milwaukee Times ran an article about the event.
Published on May 23, 2019 | Categories: '11-'21 in the news archive