Atlanta, GA — This past weekend, 430 African American males graduated from Morehouse college during the institution’s 130th commencement. Among those graduates was Kwame Morris, the son of music legend Stevie Wonder, who was also in attendance with more than 10,000 other friends and family members.
On Saturday, May 17th, Jonathan L. Walton, the Pusey Minister of The Memorial Church at Harvard University, delivered the Baccalaureate sermon in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel.
But on Sunday, May 18th, the actual commencement began at 8am on Century Campus, and despite the rainy and cold weather, the show went on outdoors. The Honorable Jeh C. Johnson (class of 1979), the 4th U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, delivered the commencement address.
“Today, you are crowned a shining black prince, propelled by the pride of your family, entrusted with the legacy of the great Morehouse Men who preceded you and saddled with the load of expectations,” said Johnson, who received an honorary doctorate of laws. “Our society continues to need the power of your leadership and the power of your example.”
He continued, “This Morehouse brotherhood is rich, it is textured and it is deep. Your witness to this reality culminates today as mine did years ago. But what I never realized when I was here was that there is also something imperceptible and even spiritually beautiful about this Morehouse brotherhood. It is indeed something that you can only find in this brotherhood.”
Johnson later joined other members of the class of 1979 — including President John Silvanus Wilson Jr. — in celebrating their 35th reunion.
About Morehouse College
Morehouse College is the nation’s largest, private liberal arts college for men. The college offers 26 majors in three academic divisions as well programs through the Leadership Center at Morehouse College, the Morehouse Research Institute, Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership, the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel and the Journalism and Sports program. For more details, visit www.Morehouse.edu
To order a DVD of the historical commencement, visit:
www.morehouse.edu/commencement/dvd-orders.html