Like most academic institutions around the country, Historically Black Colleges and
Universities have been forced to cancel or postpone graduation ceremonies due to the COVID-19 outbreak. To celebrate the achievements of more than 27,000 students, Black leaders and 78 schools are joining forces virtually during the "Show Me Your Walk HBCU Edition" commencement event presented by Chase on May 16, at 2 p.m. EST. You can view the event on Essence Live Stream and HBCU Connect Facebook.
President Barack Obama will share a special message during the event. Hosted by Kevin Hart, guest appearances for the two-hour event will 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 10-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul, eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter, Debbie Allen and Vivica Fox.
The virtual commencement will also include performances by Anthony Hamilton, Wyclef Jean, Omari Hardwick and other musical guests, as well as a drumline mash-up featuring Doug E. Fresh.
This event will follow Claflin's 2020 Spring Virtual Commencement on May 15.
The 2-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. More information is available on
chase.com/hbcustudent, including a list of participating schools.
The idea for hosting a virtual commencement ceremony for HBCU students was conceived by Dr. Michael Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College (PQC) and member of the ABP Advisory Council. 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 live streaming partner.
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.
Today, HBCUs produce 70% of African American doctors and dentists, 50% of black lawyers and 80% 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.
