Talladega College’s One Hundred Forty-Six Commencement

Accompanied by my wife and sister, I had the pleasure of attending the ONE Hundred and Forty-Six Commencement Exercise at Talladega College on Saturday, May 1, 2021. It was a beautiful day for the over 150 graduates and especially for their parents, grandparents, friends , and supporters who came to bear witness to this special occasion. The event was held under a bright sunny sky with the temperature in the high seventies. The exercise had the usual pomp and circumstances long associated with HBCU graduations. Graduates were exuberantly celebrated by large family contingents, church members, and neighbors…all expressing pride in the fact their loved ones had graduated from college. In several cases, the graduates’ family members actually danced and shouted loudly when their names were called. Some of the graduates I had the pleasure of speaking with proudly said that they were the first to graduate in their family and in a couple of cases, they were the only ones to have finished high school! Further, we were pleased to know that five of the graduates were Michigan residents. This graduation was the second “mask” graduation exercise at Talladega College. Obviously, the Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on these two events…chairs spaced to comply with CDC guidelines, attendees sporting masks of all kinds, and of course, temperature check points. Regardless of the restraints imposed by the pandemic, it hardly had an impact on the joyous spirit that prevailed at Talladega College’s One Hundred Forty-Six Commencement Exercise. Our cameras bore witness to this fact. Enjoy the photos.