N.C. A&T to Celebrate Class of 2020 with Glittering Lineup of High-Profile Events

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (May 4, 2020) – Commencement season is a special time at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in any year. But this year, the university is going above and beyond to give the newest Aggie graduates a sendoff to remember with numerous local and national celebrations that will shine a well-deserved spotlight on their academic accomplishments.

Combined with the December graduates and additional graduates projected for the first summer school session, North Carolina A&T is expected to produce some 2,400 graduates for the academic year, the most in university history for a single year. Approximately 1,500 candidates comprise the spring class -- again the largest in A&T history.

The celebrations planned for this historic spring class will not replace the traditional, in-person commencement ceremony that the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented; that ceremony has been postponed likely to later this year when it is hoped that graduates, family and friends are able to gather in large numbers.

For the events taking place this month, N.C. A&T is partnering with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, JP Morgan Chase & Co., and the City of Greensboro, celebrity friends, well-known alumni and others for celebrations that promise to be entertaining.

• On May 8-9, buildings in downtown Greensboro and on the A&T and UNC Greensboro campuses will be lit blue and gold to celebrate graduates from both universities. At A&T, that will include the Deese Clock Tower in the heart of campus, the university’s tallest structure.
• On May 16, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund in conjunction with JPMorgan Chase & Co., ESSENCE, the National Basketball Association and the United Negro College Fund will present the National HBCU Commencement Celebration. “#ShowMeYourWalk: HBCU Edition” will be a virtual commencement to celebrate the graduates of historically black colleges and universities. Special celebrity guests are expected to take part. Organizers will announce the event host and other big-name participants later this week.  
• On May 23, A&T will launch a graduation website and its own video celebration of the class of 2020, a high-energy production that will include video, photography and music representing the members of the graduating class, as well as special messages from celebrity friends of the university, Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr., and Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor Beryl C. McEwen. The video will also recognize members of the Golden Class of 1970 and the Silver Class of 1995.
• Finally, the university will continue a tradition that has grown significantly in popularity over the past three years: Feature stories on select members of the graduating class, available on the university’s website and via its sizable main social media accounts. Those stories of Aggies overcoming obstacles and achieving in the face of challenging odds draw tens of thousands views each semester and are among the most popular pieces of A&T content on those platforms.

“Commencement at A&T provides such a significant opportunity to celebrate our graduates with their families, friends and all the people who helped to get them to fulfill their academic dreams,” said Martin. “Even though challenges of our current environment don’t allow for our usual activities, we wanted to be sure to celebrate them this spring before they head off to the next phase of their educational or career journey.”

Graduates, their families and supporters are encouraged to visit the university’s social media channels to utilize special GIFs and frames to accompany their Class of 2020 content. Everyone is asked to utilize the hashtags #NCATGrad, #AggiePride, #AggiesAllTogether.