In South Africa, there is a common greeting known as “sawubona.” It translates to “I see you.” There are a few different responses to this greeting. One can just be “Yes, I see you, too.” But the exchange can deepen, according to Randy Williams, vice president for inclusive excellence at Elon University.
“The next response is ngikhona. ‘I am here,’” Williams said during his opening speech at this year’s Donning of the Kente. “In other words, because you truly saw me, I now fully exist in this moment. And finally, for this celebratory gathering, the deepest and most communal response, Sikhona: a shift from individual recognition to collective presence and belonging. So it means ‘We are here.’ The sawubona and sikhona exchange is a declaration of connection, of belonging, of shared humanity.”
This exchange was at the heart of Elon’s Donning of the Kente ceremony, which celebrates graduates with African roots, that took place May 21 in Alumni Gym. The ceremony was the 10th iteration of the event. It’s centered around graduates receiving a stole made of handmade kente cloth that was imported from Ghana. Kente cloth contains vibrant and bold patterns and Williams said that kente is not merely fabric, but “ancestral testimony.”
The festivities kicked off with an opening procession of the graduates, along with drummers and a dance performance from the Pointe! Company & Technique Conservatory — a performing arts group from Greensboro. Williams then welcomed attendees in his opening speech.
Williams said the goal of the ceremony was not only to recognize the people that helped graduates on their path, like parents or grandparents, but also to celebrate the graduates as more than just names on the commencement program.
“We are here to see our graduates fully, not as numbers, not as statistics, not as names printed on tomorrow's commencement program, but as scholars, as dreamers, as influencers, as survivors,” Williams said.
Williams said the ceremony is not a quiet celebration but one that is full of “ancestral pride” and “Black joy.”
“Tonight we do more than congratulate graduates,” Williams said. “Tonight we bear witness to them. Tonight we affirm them. Tonight we remind them that they are deeply seen, deeply valued and deeply connected to something greater than themselves.”
Elon Black Alumni Network President Alexandre Bohannon ’17 also spoke to the graduates. He asked them to stay involved with the alumni network, saying that engagement is not symbolic. He encouraged them to do things like mentoring a student or returning to campus.
“The next generation's experience will be shaped by what you choose to do from this point forward,” Bohannon said.
Faculty members then read statements written by a person selected by the graduate. The selected person was someone who played a meaningful role in their Elon journey. The selected person also presented the kente cloth to the graduate. Afterward, each graduate received an Elon alumni pin from a member of EBAN, a sign of their formal welcome into the alumni community.
Associate professor of entrepreneurship Elena Kennedy presented a kente cloth to Mya Lee and wrote in her statement about Lee’s drive in and out of the classroom.
“You've taken every opportunity in front of you and elevated it through your research, your leadership,” Kennedy wrote. “Whether in the classroom, on the track, or in the community, you are defining your own version of what it means to be self-made.”
Madison McCrainey had her stole presented by Simone Royal, the associate director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education.
“Being a mentor in your journey has made this experience especially meaningful, and I'm grateful for the coffee dates, conversations, questions, and moments of growth we've shared along the way,” Royal wrote. “Watching your path unfold, I know you are stepping confidently toward your calling to become a future director or screenwriter.”
Williams concluded the ceremony by thanking those who stood by the graduates and helped them along their journey.
“Nothing that's done well is rarely done in isolation, so it takes a community, a village, a clan, a group, whatever you want to name it, but it needs to be a collective,” Williams said. “The heartbeat of this celebration, our families and our friends, you are the roots from which our graduates grow.”