Kente Black Graduation
The Kente Black Graduation Ceremony will be held on May 3, 2024, at 8:00 PM in Upper Baldwin Hall. Participating graduates will be honored with a custom Kente Graduation Stole as a gift from the Office of Campus Life.
The History of the Kente Cloth
Made by the Asante people of Ghana and Ewe of Ghana and Togo, this colorful cloth was traditionally used in trade with Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries. Only men produce the Kente cloth’s narrow band weave, which are 2 1⁄2 to 4 1⁄2 inches wide. And among the Asante and Ewe, the art passed down from uncle to nephew, from father to son, generation to generation. Traditionally, among the Asante the woven Kente cloth is used to indicate a person’s status in the tribe or village. Among the Ewe people, the Kente was given vand worn to indicate a certain rite of passage, occupation, or social position. Thus today, we use the cloth to honor those seniors who have distinguished themselves by completing the rite of passage.
The Kente Graduation Stoles represent the pride of perseverance, the honor of the accomplishment, and the importance of remembering your roots. They are embroidered with the ram’s horn, symbolizing humility, strength, wisdom and learning of our many Black graduates who proudly represent the African American culture in the larger community of Albion College.