Several hundred black and Latinx graduates participate in the annual ceremony that celebrates the academic achievements of Rutgers' students of color

WHAT: The 25th Annual Rites of Passage Ceremony for Rutgers Black and Latinx students at Rutgers University-New Brunswick

WHO: Several hundred Black and Latinx Rutgers graduates in academic regalia and Juanita Jones Daly, Rutgers alumna (Engineering ’93) and founder of the Rites of Passage ceremony. Keynote Speaker is Shaun Harper, Professor and Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education at University of Pennsylvania. Participating deans, faculty and administrators include Richard Edwards, chancellor; Felicia McGinty, vice chancellor for student affairs; Ben Sifuentes-Jáuregui, vice chancellor of undergraduate academic affairs; David E. Jones, director of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center; Carlos Fernandez, director of the Center for Latino Arts and Culture; and Edward Ramsamy, chair of the Department of Africana Studies, among others. 

Rites of Passage
The Rites of Passage Ceremony honors Black and Latinx-identified students who through resolute persistence have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate degree.
Photo: Joel Plummer
WHEN: Wednesday May 10, 2017, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Students will gather inside the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) and begin to process at 3:05 p.m. A catered reception will take place in the Scarlet Lot (outside the RAC) from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served and all guests are welcome.

WHERE: The ceremony will be held inside the Rutgers Athletic Center, 83 Rockafeller Rd., Piscataway

BACKGROUND: The Rites of Passage Ceremony is a pre-commencement celebration to honor Black and Latinx-identified students who through resolute persistence have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate degree at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. The event recognizes their accomplishments, hard work and dedication, while simultaneously acknowledging the accomplishments of their families and networks of support. Distinguished speakers, student awards, live performances and the incorporation of African culture and traditions – specifically the culminating Kente Stole presentation – all add to the vibrancy of this celebratory day. Click here to learn more.