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Donning of the Kente Ceremony and Annual Kwanzaa Celebration
(Diversity)
The Donning of the Kente (DOK) is an annual cultural commencement ceremony celebrating the graduation of students who recognize their African roots. The Donning of the Kente Ceremony utilizes the Ghanaian Kente cloth as a symbol of African American heritage in the adornment of the graduation robe. Family, colleagues, and friends gather to celebrate the achievements of graduates receiving their undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. The Black Organizations Council (BOC) designs this ceremony to provide graduates with a positive and rewarding experience which recognizes them for their hard work and dedication. Family, friends, mentors and faculty/staff members are a very important part of this recognition ceremony. During the ceremony, each graduate can have one person join them on stage to acknowledge their achievements and adorn them with their Kente stole. Graduates who participate in the ceremony are able to wear their Kente stole during the University's commencement ceremonies. This semester, the DOK ceremony will be held in collaboration with The Black Student Alliance's annual Kwanzaa celebration.
Virginia Tech was one of the first institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia to celebrate the Donning of the Kente beginning in 1995. The 40th semi-annual Donning of the Kente Ceremony for students graduating in December 2014 will be held on Tuesday, December 9 at 4 p.m. in the Graduate Life Center's Multipurpose Room. A dessert reception will be held in the Multipurpose Room immediately following the ceremony. After the reception (beginning at 7 p.m.), the Black Student Alliance will host their annual Kwanzaa celebration, also in the Multipurpose Room. A full dinner will be served during the Kwanzaa celebration.
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540-231-8584