This May marks the third year for the pre-commencement ceremony Umoja: Celebration of Black Graduates at Illinois State. That celebration has opened the door for a new pre-commencement this year called the Lavender Graduation: Celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) and Allied Graduates.
Assistant Professor Pamela Hoff and student Aric Faulkner helped to found the two pre-commencement ceremonies at Illinois State, and discuss how the events provide students—and the campus—another chance to celebrate.
“Ceremonies like Umoja have been happening at campuses across the nation for decades, and it was the right time for it to come to Illinois State,” said Hoff. “It is a great way to acknowledge the experiences of students.”
Faulkner, the graduate assistant in the Women’s and Gender Studies Program (WGS), saw his own graduation approaching, and knew he wanted the Lavender Graduation at Illinois State. “For me, it is about overcoming a lot of unique challenges as LGBTQ students, and knowing that those achievements deserve to be celebrated,” he said.
It was Hoff and graduate student, Flourice Richardson who originally paved the path for pre-commencement ceremonies on campus. They approached groups about the possibility of starting Umoja. They were surprised many were already in discussions for a similar ceremony. “Many groups, like the Black Colleagues Association, had the same idea, but were unsure how to get it off the ground,” said Hoff, who became one of the point persons on campus.
After enlisting student groups to help raise funds, and putting together a student survey to gauge interest, Hoff and Richardson found internal support from a variety of faculty and staff members across campus, as well as the Career Center, University College’s TRiO Program, English Studies, the Graduate School and the Office of the President. “There were wonderful, supportive people who understood what we were trying to do. That made it easier to face the critics,” she said.
Lavender Graduation is a pre-commencemence ceremony to honor the achievements of LGBTQ students.
Some on campus felt that having a pre-commencement ceremony geared toward black students was a form of segregation, or was meant to construe that the University’s Commencement was only for white students. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Hoff, who explained that the ceremony gives families a way to celebrate a moment of achievement in a way that is culturally familiar. “Umoja is a cultural celebration. Many African American cultural cues are rooted in its African ancestry, and in that cultural context there is an outpouring of support that can be boisterous and filled with life. Some might call it ‘loud,’ but to deny that moment of celebration robs students of the chance to feel the culmination of their achievements.”
To bring the Lavender Graduation to campus, Faulkner drew on the work Hoff was doing. He also knew the founder of the original Lavender Graduation, Ronni Sanlo, who started this event in 1995 at the University of Michigan. “The work she is doing is a great inspiration,” said Faulkner, who collaborated with Mandy Dartt of WGS to build a committee on campus to explore the possibility of a Lavender Graduation at Illinois State.
“A ceremony like this can only come to campus with the involved efforts of many people,” said Dartt, who worked with committee members that include Dean of Students Art Munin, ISU Pride members Katie Schuette and Mary Dougherty, Dave Bentlin from the Office of the President and Danny Mathews from the Dean of Students Office. “The sustained involvement of the entire seven-member committee working to bring Lavender Graduation to campus is a testament to the commitment of the campus toward inclusion.”
The inclusion of pre-commencement ceremonies is evidence of a positive trend toward embracing the diversity of the student body, said Faulkner. “This is part of a shift in culture at Illinois State, and I’m lucky that I get to be on the forefront of what is the future for Illinois State graduates,” he said.
Along with a celebration, the pre-commencement ceremonies also remind graduates of the work that still needs to be done. Hoff said Umoja encourages graduates to choose engagement. “In the African-American culture, education means responsibility,” said Hoff. “So often students who come from urban communities talk of ‘getting out,’ but we want to remind them to take their skills and knowledge back to communities to address structural issues that have plagued African American communities. We want to remind them that we have to work toward fixing problems in our communities.”
Both Umoja and Lavender ceremonies are open to all on campus. Hoff said she hopes many will take part. “Umoja is one African and African-American way of celebrating. And it is open to everyone to understand and enjoy,” said Hoff. “If we are going to be a truly multi-cultural campus, then that includes the African-American culture, filled with its own music and song and dance.”
Lavender Graduation will be from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, in the Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center. For additional information, email ISULavenderGraduation@gmail.com or go to the Lavender Graduation Facebook page.
This year’s Umoja will be 7 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at the Center for Performing Arts. With the theme of “Sankofa: Lifting as We Climb,” the event is based on a Somalian proverb. Find out more at http://umojaisu.weebly.com.
