Kente Cloth Graduation Celebration

What is a Kente Cloth Graduation Celebration?

Kente Cloth Graduation Celebrations are annual ceremonies held on numerous campuses across the country to recognize the academic and cultural achievements of graduating Black, African-American, and African students. Students are gifted stoles that are a meaningful token and symbol to commemorate the college experience of these graduating. The Kente Cloth Graduation Celebration started on May 15, 1993, West Chester University of Pennsylvania by Dr. Franklin Simpson, Jerome “Skip” Hutson, Drs. Christian Awuyah and C. James Trotman. These professors recognized the need to honor the historical and personal struggle of Black Students to complete a bachelors degree.

Most Kente Cloth used for graduation ceremonial purposes in the United States is highly symbolic, using the traditional Ghanain colors of black, red, yellow, and green. As our graduating students are from a variety of countries (e.g. United States, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, etc.), this year, we chose stole colors for each graduate based on the significant colors in the flags of each country that they identify with the most. All colors on a Kente Cloth, however, are symbolic. Gold = status/serenity, yellow = fertility, green = renewal, blue = pure spirit/harmony, red = passion, black = union with ancestors/spiritual awareness. More, the symbols which are often weaved into Kente Cloths are also symbolic: Key = wisdom, intelligence, columns = education, strength, stool = royalty, kingship, crown = royalty, power, scales = justice, balance, fairness, and ankh = Eternal life, fertility.

How do we celebrate these traditions at MSU?

Graduating Black, African American, and African students will have the opportunity to be recognized during the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons' Multicultural Graduation Celebration. The Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons (DISC), in partnership with various cultural and identity student organizations, hosts this graduation celebration for all students to celebrate graduating students who represent various cultural backgrounds and distinct identities. The celebration acknowledges the graduation of Black, African American, and African students through a culturally meaningful celebration and through the presentation of a symbolic Kente Cloth to wear at commencement.

According to James Padiolini Jr., a Kente Cloth Celebration is an “annual college ritual of marking oneself with a visible sign of Africa...that literally weaves together the wisdom of Africa before the Middle Passage with the persistent struggle to (re)attain knowledge of oneselfthat defines Black experience in the Diaspora….When Black students wear Kente stoles as a sign of their successful matriculation through higher education, they transform their bodies into living, breathing proverbs.”

2020 Kente Cloth Graduates

	Ayodele G. Ogunkoya PhD.  Ecology and Environmental Science Ayodele is interested in marine, climate policy, and research and has worked on marine and vegetation projects internationally in Southern Ocean and Patagonia in South America, and is a former fellow of National Science Foundation graduate research. In his spare time, he enjoys writing computer programs, watching soccer and listening to music.
	Brianna G. Fields B.S. in Agriculture Education: Communications My name is Brianna Fields. I am majoring in Agricultural Communications and minoring in English Writing. I am originally from Spokane, WA, but went to school in a small town outside of Spokane. After graduation, I plan to work in the Public Relations field.
	Jesse Nyarko B.S. in Computer Engineering My hobbies are reading, watching movies and listening to music. Once this is all over, I will travel as much as I can.
	Naseeha Cardwell B.S. in Chemical Engineering Hi! My name is Nas and I am a senior studying Chemical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics.  I will start grad school in the fall, conducting research on fuel cells; after receiving a PhD, I hope to continue doing work related to the energy sector. Before that, my summer will consist of spending lots of time with my friends, family, and cats! I also love to swim, bake, sing, hike, and read :)
	Nnamdi Kanaga M.A. in English Born and Bred in Lagos Nigeria, Nnamdi is a passionate young man who is committed to changing the world with his many gifts. Also an actor and budding filmmaker, he holds the believe that he will be the first Nigerian born and bred to hold an EGOT title.
	Samuel T. Ojetola PhD. in Electrical Engineering Samuel Ojetola will be graduating with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Electrical Engineering this summer. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Samuel completed his Bachelor degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering at the University of Lagos in 2013. He moved to the United State in 2015 for graduate school and completed a Masters of Science degree program in Electrical Engineering at the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut in the spring of 2017. He then transferred to  Montana State University in the fall of 2017 to complete his doctorate degree. After graduation, Samuel will continue in Electric Power Systems Research and hopes his knowledge can contribute  and help in the transitioning  of power systems into renewable and sustainable energy systems.

2019 Kente Cloth Graduates