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Black Graduation

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The Black Graduation Celebration is an annual event held in June to commemorate the many achievements of Stanford's graduating students with family and friends. In conjunction with the traditional commencement, it is meant to celebrate the long tradition of cultural awareness at Stanford.

Over the past 40+ years, this event has grown in attendance to more than 1,500 family, friends, faculty, staff and alumni. An integral part of the ceremony includes a family member joining their graduate on stage to place a Kente Cloth around their shoulders when their name and degree are called.

2023 Black Graduation Photos!

2024 Black Graduation Information!

Black Grad Registration is live! You must register to be a part of the ceremony. We will not take walk-ups. All the information you need is on the registration from. We've also provided it below for your convenience.  

You Must Register: Every graduate is required to register in order to participate in Black Graduation Celebration, there is a one-time, non-refundable registration fee. You DO NOT need to pay a registration fee for family, friends, and other guests of the graduate. Graduates may invite as many guests as they wish. 

What's Included with the Registration Fee?: The registration fee includes a beautifully designed Kente stole embroidered with the graduate’s class year and also covers ALL the weekend’s festivities. We are using a platform called Stripe to process payments. You can find the link to pay in the registration form.

Type of RegistrationCostRegistration Period
Early Registration$50Now - April 2, 2024
Regular Registration$80April 3, 2024 - May 15, 2024
Late Registration$100May 16, 2024 - June 10, 2024

Schedule of Events

EventDate / TimeLocation
Black Graduation MANDATORY Rehearsal (for graduates only)June 13 @ 2:30–3:30 pmMemorial Auditorium
Black Graduation Celebration Ceremony (Check - In)June 15, 2024 @ 6:15 PMMemorial Auditorium
Black Graduation Celebration Ceremony (Program Begins)June 15, 2024 @ 7:30 PMMemorial Auditorium
Black Graduation Reception (immediately following the ceremony) June 15, 2024 @ 9:30 PMArrillaga Recreation Center

Hotel Booking

Hotel: Santa Clara Marriott | Marriott-Santa Clara2700 Mission College Blvd.Santa Clara, CA 95054 

The Black Community Services Center has secured a discounted rate on a limited number of hotel rooms for interested attendees. You can book the Santa Clara Marriott rooms booked on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can find the hotel booking link in the Black Graduation registration form. 

Transportation

Stanford is near three international airports.

  1. San Jose, (SJC) ~10 min. from hotel.
  2. San Francisco (SFO), ~45 min. from hotel.
  3. Oakland (OAK), ~50 min. from hotel.

If you have any questions, please email stanfordbcsc@stanford.edu or visit us at the Black Community Services Center in-personWe look forward to celebrating your accomplishments!

Click here to register for Black Graduation 2024!