(WEAA)— Three social justice trailblazers will receive honorary degrees during Morgan State’s 145th Spring Commencement ceremony at Hughes Memorial Stadium on May 21.
Morgan State University President David K. Wilson made the announcement Tuesday.
“We are absolutely thrilled to bestow honorary degrees to David E. Talbert, David Burton and Colin Kaepernick for their individual, and collective, contributions to the progression of the Black narrative and pursuit of excellence,” said President Wilson.
We are pleased to bestow honorary doctorates on these social impact torchbearers. https://t.co/NxK0mmPw2g
— David Kwabena Wilson (@morganpres) May 17, 2022
Colin Kaepernick, a social justice activist and former NFL quarterback; David E. Talbert a Morgan alumnus and filmmaker; and David Burton, also a MSU graduate and founder and CEO of the Diverse Manufacturing Supply Chain Alliance (DMSCA) and DMSCA Supplier Development Foundation have uniquely impacted the trajectory of the African-American story on the stage, in higher education, on the field and in the community.
“Leadership, Integrity, Innovation, Diversity, Excellence and Respect are more than just words that appear on the flags that adorn our campus, or words that we utter casually when reciting our core values, they represent the embodiment of who we are and what a Morgan graduate stands for,” President Wilson stated. “With this notion in mind, we intentionally sought a collection of individuals who truly embody these principles, and thankfully we have assembled a trio of diverse voices who have bravely stood—and kneeled—for the betterment and advancement of the voiceless, the marginalized and the disenfranchised.”
Kaepernick and Burton will both receive the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree and Talbert will receive an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree.
Talbert will also serve as the keynote speaker for the ceremony.