Black Graduation is an annual event for family, friends and members of the Columbia community to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of the University’s Black undergraduate graduating class. Black Graduation is sponsored by Multicultural Affairs | Undergraduate Student Life and Black Students’ Organization (BSO). Support is provided by Columbia’s Black Alumni Council, Barnard Student Life and GS Student Life.

Welcome from BSO’s Black Graduation Committee

Welcome to the webpage for the Class of 2020’s Black Graduation! The Black Columbia Class of 2020 has voted that the theme of its graduation be 2020 Vision: The Future Is Black. 

Black Students’ Organization’s Black Grad 2020 Committee has worked year-round on organizing activities for our seniors, as well as presenting this year’s Senior Awards. The Black Grad 2020 Committee has been led by Tiffany Loncke BC’20, Maya Matthews CC’20, Ciana Montero BC’20, Anthony Ortega SEAS’21, Ronald Smith SEAS’20, Brianna Sturkey BC’20, Iman Sule CC’20 and BSO Senior Chair Toni Lynn Woods Maignan Jr. CC’20. Congratulations to the Black Columbia Class of 2020!

Black Graduation Speakers

Tribute to the Black Columbia Class of 2020

BSO’s Senior Awards

Below are the recipients of the Class of 2020 Senior Awards, presented by the Columbia University Black Students’ Organization. Congratulations to all the winners!

Outstanding Leadership Award: Kai Tinsley SEAS’20 and Sabina Thomas SEAS’20

This award recognizes graduating seniors who have exemplified incredible leadership during the past four years through dedication to enhancing the Black community and to Columbia as a whole.

Commitment to Community Award: Charlene Adhiambo CC’20

The recipient of this award is a graduating senior who has worked to strengthen the Black community at Columbia. This could be accomplished through, but not limited to, unwavering commitment to relationship building, programming or creating a vision for the future. This person should be someone dedicated to bringing people together for the purposes of unity, organizing and fellowship.

Ray of Sunshine Award: Tosin Sanusi SEAS’20

The recipient of this award must be someone who displays kindness to their classmates and to the community. As genuine compassion is worthy of celebration, we recognize the graduating senior who best exemplifies this trait.

Inclusion and Advocacy Award: Galen Hawkins CC’20 and Rosalyn Huff CC’20

This award recognizes graduating seniors who have promoted social justice and/or fostered understanding among diverse constituencies at Columbia, through valuing diversity and appreciating multiple identities. Recipients might have advocated for the Black community and other communities they are a part of, gaining better resources, access and recognition on campus.

Athletic Achievement Award: Daniel Igbokwe CC’20 and Iman Sule CC’20

This award recognizes the sportsmanship and dedication of the selected graduating seniors. New this year, this award honors the amazing athleticism of the graduating class.

Artistic Achievement Award: Semira Brown CC’20

This award recognizes the artistry and creativity of a graduating senior. This may be, but is not limited to, digital arts, graphic arts, literature, music and the performing arts.

Community Allyship Award: LinDon Harris CC’20 and Hannah Adeoye CC’20

The recipients of this award must have bridged another community with the Black community on campus. It recognizes allyship in the form of collaboration, service and/or advocacy. Such collaboration extends to engagement with the Harlem community, as well.

The Legacy Award: Sabina Tyler Monica Jones CC’20

This award recognizes a graduating senior who has left an indelible mark on the Black community and Columbia at large, in the form of advocacy, support services, community building and/or being a positive change agent.

Overcoming Adversity Award: The Phenomenal Black Columbia Class of 2020

This award, which usually recognizes a graduating senior who, despite significant hardship(s), has made it through their time at Columbia, is being presented to all graduates this year given the unprecedented circumstances faced by all. Hardships might be, but are not limited to, taking longer than is traditional to graduate, losing a family member, facing significant financial hardship and so forth. The committee recognizes the tenacity of the entire Black Columbia Class of 2020.

Faculty/Staff Award: Farah Jasmine Griffin, Chair, Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies; the William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature and African-American Studies; and Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies

This award recognizes a faculty or staff member who has exhibited an unwavering commitment to Black students in their work at Columbia University.

Getting involved with the Black Alumni Council

Welcome to the Black Alumni Council! Stay up to date on upcoming events and opportunities to connect with fellow members of the Columbia community:

• Join our listserv through the BAC website.

• Connect with us on LinkedIn.

• Follow us on Facebook.

• Follow us on Instagram.

BAC Virtual Trivia Night is coming up, on Saturday, May 30! Register here 

We also invite you to reach out to us directly at BAC@alumniclubs.columbia.edu. Congratulations!