2016 Graduate Student Commencement Address: Purpose, Possibility and Love

On Monday, May 23, 2016 I was honored to deliver the 2016 Graduate Student Address at Lehigh’s 148^th Commencement Ceremony. The subject of my talk was Purpose, Possibility, and Love. As I thought about what message I wanted to share with my fellow graduates and our families, I wondered about the other black women who walked this path before me. With the help of Professors Jenna Lay and Betsy Fifer, I was able to piece together the brief history of the two phenomenal black doctoral students who pursued the English degree. Only Ronald Williams graduated from the program, in the 1970s. I was shocked to learn that Nancy Cho Barrett passed away in 2003 after passing her exams with distinction. With this information heavy on my heart, I prepared a talk that I hoped would honor Nancy’s memory and acknowledge the significance of my role as the first African American Woman English PhD Graduate from Lehigh. The following is the address I wrote, followed by the video footage that begins at 38:00.