Taraji P. Henson has been the leading lady in several major films and television series, winning several awards for her work.
Next month, the Oscar-nominated actress will have a starring role at the graduation ceremony for one of Atlanta’s colleges.
Spelman College, the historically Black college for women, announced Tuesday that Henson will be the keynote speaker at its May 18 commencement ceremony.
“Spelman College is deeply honored to welcome acclaimed actress and proud HBCU alumna Taraji P. Henson as the commencement speaker for the Class of 2025,” Spelman College interim President Rosalind “Roz” Brewer said in a statement. “Her brilliance on screen is matched by her commitment to advocacy and empowerment, making her a powerful role model for our graduating students as they prepare to step into the world and lead in their own extraordinary ways.”
Pepperdine University professor of psychology, author, and minister Thema Bryant will address graduates during the Baccalaureate Ceremony on May 17. Both ceremonies will be held at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park.
Henson graduated from Howard University, one of the nation’s top historically Black schools. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Henson made history as the first Black woman to win a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role on “Empire.” One of Henson’s most recent roles was in Peacock’s “Fight Night,” which was based on a true story about a legendary heist that took place at a house party after Muhammad Ali’s comeback fight in Atlanta in 1970.
Spelman is also celebrating this week the completion of one of its biggest projects in decades.
The Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation and the Arts will be home to the Atlanta college’s programs in dance, documentary filmmaking, photography, theater and music. The 82,500-square-foot facility is the first building located just outside of the campus’ gates. Spelman officials said before construction they wanted the center, which includes a conference and event center, to be the “front porch” to the community. Spelman officials have scheduled a campus celebration Wednesday afternoon and a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.
The $96 million facility will feature the Atlanta University Center Art History and Curatorial Studies Collective, expanded space for its Museum of Fine Art and The Center for Black Entrepreneurship.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled Bryant’s first name.
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