ANNUAL DONNING OF THE KENTE CEREMONY CELEBRATES ACHIEVEMENTS OF GRADUATING STUDENTS

Donning of KenteMay 2023 — On Thursday, May 11, Dickinson Law students, family, and friends gathered inside the Apfelbaum Family Courtroom and Auditorium to celebrate their heritage, unity and academic achievements, as well as those who supported them throughout their educational journey, during the annual Donning of the Kente ceremony.

Hosted by Dickinson Law’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA), the ceremony honored 15 class of 2023 members: Rhabiya Alexandria Alhassan, Zainab Aliyu, Shila Bayor, Kayla M. Duhaney, Cynthia Greschler, Schenley Kent, Phyillis Wanjiru Macharia, Kindra Maynard, Taylor Morgan Mosley, Nathaniel Ofori, Fredner Prevalus, Aranda Stathers, Marie Stephenson, Foday Turay, and Mallory Nicole Turner. During the ceremony, the Black Law Students Association also honored 2023 BLSA Faculty Excellence Award winner Professor Titichia Jackson.

The Donning of the Kente Ceremony is a longstanding tradition for Black graduates to be celebrated prior to their official graduation ceremony. The Donning of the Kente serves to honor the specific challenges overcome by students of African descent. Origins of the Kente cloth date back to 12th century Africa, typically associated with the Ashanti people of what is now Ghana. Weavers used vibrant colors and complex designs to portray the cloth’s profound philosophical meaning.

Dean Danielle M. Conway welcomed guests and honorees to the ceremony. “The Donning of the Kente is about tradition, equity, and social justice, but most importantly today, it is about recognizing the treasures that sit before us. These are the students who braved a pandemic to come to law school.”

Jayme M. Cassidy served as the ceremony’s keynote. Cassidy is the executive director of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc., a nonprofit corporation that coordinates public interest services across the Commonwealth. Cassidy serves as a member for the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense and the Florida Bar Pro Bono Legal Services Committee. She is also a program director and faculty member for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Jayme encouraged honorees to “lawyer for your legacy,” saying “plan to effectuate change in a positive way, no matter what is going on in your life. Thrust yourself into the legal profession and make your presence known.”

Members of the 2022-23 BLSA Executive Board are Foday Turay, president; Andrea Faulknor, vice president; Alixandria Wright, secretary; Abraham Lamptey, treasurer; and Barry W. Howard II, social chair.

This ceremony is held annually in honor of the late Paul E. Waters ’59. Waters made history with Shumaker, Placey, Smeltz and Waters as the first attorney of color in Dauphin County to become a law firm partner, and the first African-American to serve as counsel to the Pennsylvania State Senate Judiciary Committee. In addition to his many legal accomplishments, Waters was also the founder and editor of the U.S. and Pennsylvania Judicial Reporters, both monthly periodicals of caselaw.

Donning of Kente

 

Donning of Kente

 

Donning of Kente

 

Donning of Kente

 

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