A Little Revolutionary Advice

“As you leave Moravian, continue to think outside of the box. There is no box. There are no limits.”

—Natalie Dixon-Judah

Pomp and Circumstance and Kente Cloth

At the inaugural Intercultural Graduation Ceremony and Reception on May 7, the three came together like the threads of the kente cloth, vibrant, multicolored strands made more beautiful in combination.

By Megan Othersen Gorman

The closing line of Maya Angelou’s ode to diversity, her poem “Human Family,” is repeated three times, drumming Angelou’s take-home into the minds of the listener. It’s a mantra of sorts or even, as it was delivered at our own celebration of diversity, the inaugural Intercultural Graduation Ceremony and Reception on May 7, by Moravian University Chaplain, Jennika Borger, a hymn:

“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

In a purely superficial sense, at Moravian University we are. Nearly three-quarters of all MU students are white, 8 percent are Latino, 4.5 percent are black, and 6 percent are international, largely from Saudi Arabia. But Christopher Hunt, associate dean of students, director of intercultural advancement and global inclusion, who had the vision for the Intercultural Graduation Ceremony, wanted to emphasize the non-superficial—the experience of belonging to Moravian and to each other.

“Over the years, many students of color have told me they did not naturally feel a strong connection to Moravian, a predominantly white institution,” says Hunt, who created the intercultural advancement and global inclusion post three years ago. “So we’ve been working with students of color to help them understand that this space belongs to them as much as anyone else. The students founded the Black Student Union and the Latino Student Union as well as other student support clubs. And we created this graduation ceremony to help to underscore the message that this is their place, too.”

The Intercultural Graduation Ceremony, held in the relatively intimate space of Prosser Auditorium, was open to all graduating students. Sixteen, representing a vast range of cultural backgrounds at Moravian University, chose to participate, bringing tight and often teary scrums of supporters to celebrate with them. Parents, loved-ones, and friends from as near as the Lehigh Valley to as far away as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, attended the event.

Tanisha Pierre ’19, a first-year student of color, delivered a stirring rendition of Beyonce’s “I Was Here.” “I chose this song as a tribute to the graduating seniors who left their mark on Moravian,” says Pierre. “I am an active member of the BSU and participate in activities in the Diversity House, and I hope to emulate the progress that the members of the Class of 2016 have made in four years.”

Liliana Madrid, assistant director of intercultural advancement, coordinated the graduation program and worked with each graduate to record a brief video message to their families, who ascended the stage with them. There, they wrapped a stole woven of kente cloth, representing the tapestry of humanity, around their graduate’s neck and spoke powerfully—sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in Arabic—of their overwhelming pride and joy, often moving much of the audience to tears of joy.

Graduating senior Kristoff St. John Riley lived in Jamaica until he was 16. He says he was taken by the beauty of the Moravian campus, but when he first arrived, he was often the only black student in a class. He worried that he wouldn’t “fit”—but “instead, I never encountered a closed door,” he says. His aunt, Natalie Dixon-Judah acknowledged, “It takes a village to raise a child. Thank you, Moravian, for becoming part of our village.”

Nilvia Vasquez is the first person in her family to graduate from college. Her mother, Anita Ramirez, joyfully shared a story during her time on the stage. “As a little girl, Nilvia always challenged everything,” she said. “When she was 5, there was a Tupac song on the radio with the lyrics, ‘That’s just the way it is.’ And she questioned that. I remember it now and want to thank my daughter—the very first one in our family to be here—for challenging that statement. You changed ‘the way it is’ for yourself and, hopefully, for your nephews, who are watching you now.”

Shannon Martin was the only white student to take part in the Intercultural Graduation Ceremony. When her mother, Pam Martin, ascended the stage, she thanked all those assembled for including her daughter in the celebration. “It means everything to her,” she says. “Her family has gotten smaller over the years, and you have become her family. Thank you for being her family. Thank you for including her.”

Later, all smiles in the hot bar line at the reception, Shannon reflected on why she chose to participate. “Honestly, most of my friends are Hispanic, and they were doing it,” she said. “But beyond that, on a much broader level, I love how much diversity we’ve gained at Moravian during my four years here. I think it’s made the college better. It’s certainly made me better. And I wanted to acknowledge that.”

As Nicole Loyd, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, asserted, the Intercultural Graduation Ceremony was developed to celebrate the rich heritage of our student body and to reflect on the emotional and spiritual educational journey of our students and their families. The message was reiterated time and time again during the program that students are alike because regardless of their cultural background, there is a community of support behind them as they travel their educational journey. At the ceremony, the words of Maya Angelou certainly rang true: “I note the obvious differences between each sort and type, but we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

Amen.