Infused with their own cultural nuances and traditions, the 2019 cultural graduations sparked joyous occasions for the participating graduates and celebrated diversity, equity, and inclusion.
These celebrations included the Asian/Pacific Islander Graduation, Black Graduation, Latinx Graduation, and Lavender (LGBTQ+) Graduation.
Three of the celebrations featured alumni keynote speakers including Melanie Abe ’10, senior management analyst at the Los Angeles Superior Court to the Deputy Chief of Operations; JaMarr Brown ’95, national sales director, executive coach and trainer, author, entrepreneur, and host of his own internet radio and online television program; and Vincent Vigil ’02, interim director for diversity initiatives and resource centers at California State University, Fullerton. Marcela Ramirez-Stapleton, interim director of the Cross-Cultural Center at the University of California, Irvine, served as the Latinx Graduation’s keynote speaker. President Linda Oubré attended and also spoke at each ceremony.
Abe, Brown, and Vigil each spoke about their Whittier experience and delivered words of wisdom and inspiration to the graduates. During his speech, Brown gave the graduates advice he would give his younger self. “Don’t focus on the challenge, focus on the opportunity to make yourself better and be the best person you can be,” he told the graduates.
Cultural graduations were created in the 1960s in response to racism across the country, providing a space for students to organize, acknowledge their strengths, and celebrate cultures that have been discriminated against in society. According to the Office of Equity and Inclusion, “the cultural graduations are a part of Whittier’s long-standing tradition of celebrating not just diversity, but the resilience of these communities on campus. These ceremonies aim to create an inclusive space that celebrates students’ intersectional identities while cultivating a sense of unity. The events are important not only to celebrate graduating seniors, but to celebrate Whittier College’s continued institutional commitment to supporting and celebrating historically marginalized communities.”
The cultural graduations recognize not only the graduates but their families and others who helped them achieve their goals.
See more photos from all the events on Facebook:
Asian/Pacific Islander Graduation
Black Graduation
Latinx Graduation
Lavender (LGBTQ+) Graduation
