Music echoed through the brightly decorated gym walls, pulsing with African drums and dynamic dances, as Southwest City College hosted its annual Black Graduate Celebration on Thursday, May 22.
The energy surrounding the room reflected the triumphs of Black graduates from across many Los Angeles Community College District schools and marked its 15th annual celebration this year.
The event was organized by the African American Outreach Initiative (AAOI), which began in 2008. Its mission is to support African American students, promote academic excellence and encourage enrollment throughout each student’s journey.
Graduating Chair Dione Washington saw the celebration as an acknowledgment of the hard work that brought a diverse group of graduates to the ceremony.
“We work so hard to get where we are, some students even come from other countries, and some are first-generation graduates,” Washington said. “So we are celebrating those accomplishments here today because they deserve the biggest party in the world.”
After the graduates took their seats, LACCD Trustee Nichelle Henderson took the stage to remind students of their historical strength and collective resilience, and addressed the challenges Black people have faced.
Henderson also reflected on the legacy of Malcolm X, highlighting what would have been his 100th birthday last week. She connected his message of empowerment to the graduates’ journey, reminding them of the power to lead change.
“I want you all to know that we’ve been here before, and we made it through,” Henderson said.
Henderson concluded her speech with the reading of Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise,” a poem that has long stood as a symbol of hope and perseverance.
For students such as cosmetology graduate Summer Jackson, the celebration was a declaration of identity, pride and self-worth.
“It’s our pride,” Jackson said. “It’s showing that Black people, Black women, can succeed and make it.”
For some, the celebration wasn’t just about diplomas, but about honoring the determination that carried the students to the end. For cosmetology graduate Anjola Diya, reaching the milestone was about more than academics.
“We’re celebrating ourselves,” Diya said. “Being able to make it to the finish line has been my proudest moment.”
