Rite of Passage ceremony celebrates the excellence of Black graduates

Black students gather to recognize their achievements in the face of adversity

Musicians, from left to right, Jededi Cunningham, Nigel Zuniga and Nana Yao Asiedu perform at the Rite of Passage graduation ceremony at San Diego City College on May 11, 2023. Photo by Luke Bradbury/City Times Media

Luke Bradbury, Multimedia Journalist
May 23, 2023

It was a cloudy evening at San Diego City College, but moods were not dampened. The Rite of Passage was about to commence.

Calvin Hill, graduated from Miramar College with an associates in Economics, will transfer to UCSD to pursue a major in the subject. He spoke on behalf of every Miramar College student during the ceremony.
Calvin Hill graduates from Miramar College with an associate degree in economics and will transfer to UCSD to pursue a bachelor’s. He spoke on behalf of every Miramar College student during the ceremony. Photo by Luke Bradbury/City Times Media

City held the Rite of Passage Celebration on May 11, a ceremony celebrating the accomplishments of graduating Black students across the San Diego Community College District.

Students from City, Mesa, Miramar and Continuing Education were part of the event. Their friends and family cheered them on as they walked on stage to receive their honors.

“I see Black scholars,” City President Ricky Shabazz said during a speech. “I see the next lawyers, the next doctors (and) the next professors.”

The event also included student speakers on behalf of their respective colleges, including Mesa student Karen Mukenge.

“As we all know, this journey wasn’t easy for us,” Mukenge said. “We all got discouraged at some point and almost gave up. But at the end, we chose to persevere.”

Ricky Shabazz dancing
City College President Ricky Shabazz gave an empowering speech to the community college graduates. He later enjoyed both food and company. Photo by Luke Bradbury/City Times Media

The event included barbecue, mac and cheese, live music and drumming performances, which had attendees on their feet dancing.

At the end of the ceremony, an elephant statue was ceremonially passed to Mesa College President Ashanti Hands.

Whoever possesses The Elephant will host the Rite of Passage in the years to come.