Bad news trend faster than good news, however, if you don't share your good news, no one will know. Despite the trending news of Nigeria being one of the most corrupt countries in the world, on Saturday, May 7, Nigerian students at the Howard University in Washington D.C did their nation proud.
It was discovered that, of the 96 graduating Doctor of Pharmacy candidates, 43 of them were Nigerians and of the 27 awards given, 16 went to Nigerians.
The university awarded more than 1,300 bachelor’s degrees, more than 300 master’s degrees, and over 100 Ph.Ds. The top five areas of concentration were Psychology, History, Political Science, Social Work and Mathematics. Additionally, more than 400 students received professional degrees in Law, Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry.
However, Howard University has the only dental and pharmacy colleges in the District of Columbia. The graduates represented 46 states and 35 countries. The youngest graduate at the ceremony was 20-years-old and the oldest was 74.
The US president, Barack Obama gave a speech at the commencement lecture saying; when he received a bachelor’s degree in 1983, there were no Black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and few Black judges. He said it was important to note the progress America has made in race relations since then.
“To deny how far we have come would be a disservice to those who went before. There’s still so much work to do, so many miles to travel,” he advised.
Speaking from his own experience, Obama encouraged African Americans to continue to embrace their heritage and to “be confident in your Blackness.” Even so, he noted that there was no one way to be Black, and no litmus test for authenticity.
“Look at Howard,” Obama said. “One thing most people don’t realise about Howard is how diverse it is. You shatter stereotypes.”
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