Virtual Commencement Features Incoming African American Museum Director

Kevin Young to Be Among Several Celebrities to Honor About 400 BSU Graduates

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile 

(BOWIE, Md.) – Nationally celebrated author and incoming director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Kevin Young, will address about 400 Bowie State University graduates, including about 100 graduate students, in BSU’s virtual winter commencement on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, at 10 a.m. Join the celebration at bowiestate.edu/commencement.

Starting in January 2021, Young will be the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s African American museum. He currently serves as the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, recently named a National Historic Landmark, and poetry editor of The New Yorker, where he hosts the poetry podcast. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was named a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets in 2020.

Young has published 13 books of poetry and prose, most recently “Brown,” as featured on the “Daily Show with Trevor Noah;” “Blue Laws: Selected & Uncollected Poems 1995-2015,” longlisted for the National Book Award; and “Book of Hours,” a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and winner of the Lenore Marshall Prize for Poetry from the Academy of American Poets. His collection “Jelly Roll: a blues” was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

In addition to Young, graduates and their families will hear from a host of celebrities, prominent business leaders and elected officials in video shout-outs during the live ceremony. A virtual processional of graduates’ slides will feature their short original videos or photos recognizing their degrees and academic honors, which will be downloadable for sharing with family and on social media.

Well-wishers and graduates are encouraged to tag #BSUGrad2k20 on social media to share congratulatory messages, photos and videos. The Bowie State commencement website will feature stories of outstanding graduates and a digital commencement book listing the names of the graduates, commemorating the momentous occasion.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.