It’s that time of year again—graduation season! A time to celebrate the best and brightest among us—our friends, our family, our future leaders. Around the world, travel plans are being made (don’t forget that REAL ID!) as loved ones prepare to cheer on graduates who’ve put in years of hard work, determination, and focus to make it to this milestone moment.
As they walk across the stage to receive their hard-earned degrees, many will be stepping into exciting new chapters—whether that means launching a career, heading to graduate school, or exploring new opportunities.
This season isn’t just about the graduates—it’s also a time to honor the institutions that have shaped them, and the speakers who will send them off with wisdom, pride, and purpose. Shout out to the colleges and universities who’ve invited the following distinguished keynote speakers—many of whom are African American change makers—to share powerful messages that will inspire the Class of 2025 and beyond.
- Dr. Michael Eric Dyson- University of Portland, 5/4: Professor, author, and public intellectual. Known for his electrifying speeches on race, history, and culture, especially in academic settings.
- Dr. Cornell West – Morehouse College, 5/19: American philosopher, scholar of African American studies, and activist
- Taraji P. Henson – Spelman College, 5/18: Actress, mental health advocate, and philanthropist. Henson brings authenticity and advocacy—especially regarding mental health in the Black community
- Grant Hill- Duke University, 5/11: Former Duke and NBA basketball player, sports commentator, business Leader, Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee
- Usher Raymond IV – Emory University, 5/12: Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor
- Kareem Abdul Jabar – Harvard Class Day Ceremony, 5/28: Principal commencement speaker will be Abraham Verghese. Abdul-Jabar is a former NBA player, actor, and philanthropist. Verghese is a physician, novelist, and professor of medicine at Stanford University. He is known for his humanistic approach to medicine and his best-selling novels.
- Meagan Good – Old Dominion University, 5/9: Actress promises to deliver an empowering message on career and self-empowerment,
- Valerie Jarrett – Williams College 6/8: CEO of The Obama Foundation and senior distinguished fellow at the University of Chicago Law School
- Fawn Weaver, Florida A& M 5/3: is known for her work in the spirits industry, particularly for founding and leading Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, which was the fastest-growing American whiskey in U.S. history. She also co-founded the Nearest Green Foundation. In addition to Weaver, Adrienne Brown, group vice president and head of corporate business development at Eli Lilly and Company; and Bernard W. Kinsey, businessman and co-founder of the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection
- LeVar Burton- Howard University, 5/10: Award-winning actor, director, producer and author.
- Jasmine Crockett – Tougaloo College, 5/4 and Southern University at New Orleans on May 10 : Lawyer, politician, dynamic leader and advocate for justice, equity, and access, U.S. Congresswoman Crockett has made national headlines for her passionate voice, unwavering commitment to public service, and dedication to empowering historically marginalized communities.
- Joan Higganbothan & Brad Holmes, 5/10: North Carolina A& T: Higganbothan is an electrical engineer and a former NASA astronaut. She flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-116 as a mission specialist and is the third African American woman to go into space, after Mae Jemison and Stephanie Wilson. Brad Holmes, the General Manager of the Detroit Lions. He is also an A&T alumnus.
- Simone Biles – Washington University, St. Louis, 5/12: Olympic and world champion gymnast
- Al Roker – Sienna College, 5/18: NBC Today Anchor
- Regina Hall – Fordham University, 5/17: Fordham alum and acclaimed actress
- Jonquel Jones – George Washington University, 5/18: George Washington alum and WNBA player
- Sheryl Lee Ralph -Tulane University, 5/17: Award-winning actress and singer
- Wes Moore – University of Maryland Eastern Shore, 5/16: Governor of Maryland
- Derek Jeter – University of Michigan, May 3: Former New York Yankees shortstop and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Henry Louis Gates – Georgetown Law, 5/18: Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University and the host of the PBS television series Finding Your Roots. Gates is also an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar, journalist and cultural critic.