WASHINGTON – Continuing in the tradition of celebrating Howard University graduates, The Office of the Dean of the Chapel hosted a virtual Senior Sunday on May 2, 2021. More than 15 students representing more than 20 student organizations participated in the service moderated by Sydney Montgomery, a two-time Howard University Alternative Spring Break executive student director.

“This service has a special meaning not only because of the gifts of these young men and women but also because this service reminds of one the historical and significant contributions of the church, developing leaders,” said Bernard L. Richardson, Ph.D., Dean of the Chapel

Howard University President and Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery, Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, provided a special salutation to the class of 2021.

“This year’s class of graduates are especially deserving of recognition” said President Frederick. “These past two years, your burdens weighed upon you even more. Almost every part of your life was impacted by upheaval across our nation to protect and value Black lives—whether against a global pandemic or misguided policing. And you had to persevere without the support of the physical campus, without peers and faculty whom you could engage face-to-face. Nevertheless, you excelled, achieving levels of excellence that are the hallmark of Howard students.”

Alumna Ashley L. Gray, Ph.D., is the first graduate from Howard University School of Education’s Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies program. In fall 2020, she successfully defended her dissertation titled, “I’ve Got a Testimony!: Black Women College Presidents’ Ascension Barrier Stories.” During Senior Sunday, she discussed the contrasting feelings of both excitement and terror she felt the first time she walked into a classroom where a Black professor used pedagogy that was culturally relevant, and her peers looked like her.

“How dare I move across the country at 30 when most of my peers were celebrating new nuptials and children? I had no idea that I, too, was giving birth to something powerful. And when you’re giving birth, there are often labor pains.” said Gray, Ph.D., a native of St. Louis, MO,

The program concluded with a musical selection by senior architecture major Jonathan Salley, who wrote, arranged and performed an original piece, “This is My HBCU.” The chorus eloquently narrates Jonathan’s layered and memorable HBCU experience at Howard; a reflection that is shared with many members of the Howard University community, “This place is more than what’s in the news/ This place is more than picturesque aerial views/ In its nuanced history you’ll find the truth/ This is my HBCU.”

With nearly 3,000 views, the virtual Senior Sunday program connected students, families, supporters and members of the Howard Community from across the globe to celebrate civically-engaged Howard graduates from diverse backgrounds.

To view the full program, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4r_Sn7KzUI.

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