Black Graduation celebrates the brilliance and unapologetic Blackness that is represented within SSU's Black student population. We honor the accomplishments of graduating students who identify within the African Diaspora by highlighting the common experience. The ceremony also pays tribute to graduating students' families and the communities that contributed to their success.
2024 Black Cultural Graduation Celebration Program
Faculty and Student Processional
Welcome and Land Acknowledgment
Kirstyne Lange, CEO and Principal Consultant KAL Consulting, LLC (Emcee) and SSU Alum '15
Greetings from University Leadership
Gerald Jones, J.D., Vice President for Student Affairs
Performance
Choir Selection
Black Graduation Student Speaker
Taneesha Porter, Graduate, Bachelors of Arts in Sociology
Spoken Word
Porsche Veu, The Poetic Activist
History and Significance of the Kente Cloth
Chance Lujan, Black Student Union (BSU) President
Presentation of 2024 Graduates
Manza B.J. Atkinson, Ph.D., Lecturer of Chemistry and Kim Hester-Williams , PhD., Professor of English and American Multicultural Studies
Keynote Address
Joanna Paun, Petaluma City Schools Board President and SSU Alum ‘02
2024 BSU D.R.E. Award
Tramaine Austin-Dillon, Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs and Initiatives
Closing Remarks
Jerlena Griffin-Desta, Ph.D., Chief of Staff/Vice President for Diversity and Strategic Initiatives
Performance
Choir Selection