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With former Black Students' Association President Sasha Henry singing “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” approximately 70 Black students at the ���߲ݴ�ý walked into Hart House's Great Hall Tuesday to celebrate their journey through university.

The students came from across U of T's three campuses to toast their achievements at the second annual Black Graduation event. The event, put on by U of T students alongside convocation, also celebrated students who completed U of T's Transitional Year Program, which helps students acquire the qualifications for university over eight months. 

Matthew Campbell-Williams, one of the organizers, says one of the most emotional parts of the evening was when they called the graduates to the stage, one-by-one, to accept their certificate and Black Grad Class of 2018 scarf.

Campbell-Williams graduates in November and will walk the stage himself next summer.

U of T faculty and staff were also in attendance to show their support, including Rinaldo Walcott, director of the Women & Gender Studies Institute, and John Monahan, the warden of Hart House. 

The keynote speaker was Dionne Brand, a writer, academic, activist and filmmaker who has published 18 books. Her collection of poetry Land to Light On won the Governor General's award. (Brand, a U of T alumna, received an honorary degree from U of T earlier this month.)

Read more about this year's event

Students line up alphabetically before making their grand entrance at Hart House. 

Abraham Blair, who's working on a PhD at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education: “Whenever you're a minority in any situation there's no voice, [but] there's a voice now.”

Left: Timaaj Hassen, in the yellow dress, is a graduate of U of T's Transitional Year Program – an eight-month, full-time bridging program that helps students acquire the qualifications to enter university. Right: a student listens to keynote speaker and alumna Dionne Brand, an award-winning writer, filmmaker and activist.

Saron Gebresellassi, Khadijah Salawu and alumnus Kofi Hope, a Rhodes Scholar and founder of the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals.

Jordyn Samuels celebrates after being called to the stage to accept a U of T Black Grad Class of 2018 scarf.

Dominic Stephenson, a health studies student at U of T Scarborough, holds her certificate up high as Black Grad organizer Ayaan Abudulle claps in the background.

See pictures from last year's Black Graduation