Date of publication: Friday 1 August 2025
Celebrating Excellence: Black Graduation Celebration 2025 at uOttawa
By Britney Achu., Black Grad Organizing Committee Member
Thursday 5 June 2025
On June 5, 2025, the University of Ottawa witnessed a powerful moment of recognition, joy, and cultural affirmation with its second annual Black Graduation Celebration. Entirely student-led and rooted in community vision, this event honoured the graduating class of students of African, Caribbean, and Black descent in a way that was deeply intentional, unapologetically joyful, and long overdue.
Hosted in the Faculty of Social Sciences building, this year’s Black Grad brought together families, friends, students, faculty, and community members to celebrate Black excellence in all its forms. From the moment guests entered the venue, it was clear that this was not just another university function, it was a celebration of identity, legacy, and resilience.
The ceremony began with welcoming remarks from student organizers and university representatives, recognizing the brilliance and perseverance of this year’s graduates. As each name was called and graduates walked across the stage, a local African drumming group, Kamengo Culture Troupe, played in the background, adding rhythm and power to the procession. This wasn’t just a walk; it was a triumphant crossing, a deeply personal and collective moment that honoured the years of work, sacrifice, and community behind every graduate’s journey.
After crossing the stage, each graduate was invited to contribute to a collaborative art piece led by local artisan ANDRÉ. The piece, created on-site during the event, allowed every graduate to leave their mark — a brushstroke, a fingerprint, a symbol — contributing to a visual legacy of the 2025 graduating class. This artwork wasn’t just decorative; it was deeply symbolic. It reminded us that Black students at uOttawa are more than just individuals navigating academia, they are part of a living, breathing, ever-growing community that leaves a lasting impact.
Following the formal ceremony, graduates and guests gathered in a reception space where food, drinks, music, and conversation flowed freely. The space was curated to foster connection between students, between families, and between generations of Black excellence. Whether reconnecting with old friends, meeting alumni, or networking with faculty and professionals, the energy in the room was one of affirmation and possibility. In a system where Black students often feel unseen or isolated, the ability to be celebrated and surrounded by community is powerful and healing.
But Black Grad is about more than celebration, it is a response to systemic exclusion. It exists because traditional convocations often fail to fully reflect the cultural identities, histories, and experiences of Black students. For many, this is the only time they will hear their accomplishments celebrated through the lens of their full identity, not just as students, but as Black scholars, dreamers, leaders, and changemakers.
That’s why this space matters. That’s why we must protect and expand it.
Black Graduation is not an add-on. It’s an act of justice. It recognizes that Black students do not just succeed in spite of the system, they succeed while often navigating systemic racism, underrepresentation, cultural taxation, and a lack of institutional support. Black Grad affirms the truth that excellence can be quiet or loud, conventional or revolutionary, and still worthy of celebration.
This event is also a powerful recruitment and retention tool. It tells incoming Black students that their presence matters here. That there is space for their culture, their stories, their community. It builds legacy. It builds connection. It builds pride.
The fact that this event is student-led speaks volumes. Students should not have to shoulder the full responsibility of creating culturally responsive and inclusive spaces. While the passion and dedication of Black student leaders make events like this possible, the burden cannot rest on them alone. Faculties and university leadership must do more than offer passive support. They must actively invest in the sustainability of Black Grad.
This means dedicated funding.
This means integration into convocation planning structures.
This means university-wide recognition of Black Grad as an institutional priority, not an optional side event.
This year, Black Grad was supported by the Office of the Vice-Provost of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, as well as the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Faculty of Health Sciences, uOttawa Student Union and RISE and several other partners. Their support was invaluable, but we need more. More faculties. More departments. More deans. More administrators who see this for what it is: an opportunity to transform the university’s culture into one that celebrates and uplifts its most marginalized communities.
The theme for Black Grad 2025 was “Unity Through Community: We Are Distinctly Connected.” It was a reminder that while each graduate’s story is unique, they are part of a shared legacy, one that spans across disciplines, generations, and identities. It reminded us that community is not just a buzzword, it’s the very thing that makes survival and success possible.
As the event ended, graduates stood surrounded by loved ones, laughter echoing through the space, the canvas of the group art piece drying beside them. What was created on that day was more than just a memory, it was a declaration. A declaration that Black students deserve to be celebrated not only for surviving the institution, but for changing it.
Black Grad is not a luxury. It is a necessity. And it must continue.
Photos:
To view and download photos from the event, please visit the following links:
Photobooth Photos:
[L’Atelier Photobooth Company]
Event Photography: