HBCU Graduation Stole Traditions: A Celebration of Heritage and Achievement
Graduation is a momentous occasion, marking the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. For many students graduating from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), this achievement is further enriched by the traditions and symbols that reflect their unique cultural heritage. Among these, the Kente graduation stole stands out as a powerful emblem of pride, accomplishment, and connection to African ancestry.
The Significance of Academic Stoles
Academic stoles, scarf-like garments worn over a student’s graduation gown, are a tradition as old as the earliest universities. Representing a specific theme for the students that wear them, stoles denote academic honors, membership in honor societies, or participation in specific programs or activities. Specific degree programs are represented by a color standard recognized by most colleges and universities throughout the United States.
The Rise of the Kente Stole
While academic stoles have a long history, those displaying the Kente cloth material are a more contemporary adoption, becoming increasingly popular at colleges and high schools in the United States over the last 30 years. The Kente stole has become a visual representation of academic and extracurricular achievements.
What is Kente Cloth?
Authentic Kente is a handwoven work of art made in Ghana, West Africa. Africans, specifically West African cultures, are famous for their weaving skills and have been weaving for thousands of years. The word Kente is derived from the word Kenton, which means basket in the Asante dialect of the Akan language, referencing the basket-like pattern in Kente cloth. In Ghana, the Akan people also refer to Kente as nwentoma, meaning woven cloth. Kente developed from many different ways of weaving developed as early as the 11th century in Ghana West Africa. Excavations revealed loom weights, spindles and whorls, proving that many African ancestors made a living by making and trading Kente.
Handwoven using silk, rayon, polyester, or cotton, Kente cloth incorporates a variety of shapes and patterns, often in some combination of black, red, green, blue, and gold colors. By the 17th century, Kente was made popular by Akan royalty. In the early 19th century, there were Kente houses filled with master weavers throughout the Ashanti capital of Kumasi. There is a story that says weavers invented Kente by trying to replicate the patterns of a spider.
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On the academic stole, Kente patterns typically border a large margin of space on the garment reserved for text, such as the graduating class year, or the Greek letters of the student’s fraternity or sorority. However, some Kente stoles are themed from top to bottom in the vibrant patterns reminiscent of West Africa.
Cultural and Historical Significance
Most graduates in Kente graduation stoles are of African descent, wearing them in union with the shared heritage of those who birthed the Kente cloth tradition. The stole can have other personal meanings for the wearer as well, offering significance for people of other ethnic backgrounds to wear the garment.
Kente was introduced to the western world when the Prime Minister of Ghana wore the cloth to meet with President Eisenhower in 1958. This was at the same time as the civil rights movement and black people associated the Kente cloth with African politics. Kente was brought back into the limelight when the hip hop community adopted it in the 1980s.
In the African-American community, kente stoles are commonly worn by graduates during graduation ceremonies as a symbol of their cultural heritage and academic achievement. During a graduation ceremony, a Kente stole can serve as a symbol of pride and cultural identity for African American and African diaspora students. It represents a connection to their heritage and a celebration of their academic achievements. Wearing a Kente stole can also be a way to express solidarity with the African American community and to acknowledge the contributions of African and African American scholars and leaders to the fields of education and research.
The "Donning of the Kente" Ceremony
One of the first graduation ceremonies that students wore kente cloth graduation stoles was at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. There was a need to honor the sacrifice and effort that black students made to earn a degree from an institution of higher education. On May 15, 1993, Dr. Franklin Simpson, Jerome Huston, Dr. Christian Awuyah, and C. James Trotman decided to have a Kente Commencement Ceremony. This first ceremony had thirty graduates in attendance.
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Adopting the intricately woven patterns and colors of the 400 year old Ghanaian tradition, Kente stoles are often gifted to participating students during a separate ceremony called a ‘Donning of the Kente’ that precedes the graduation commencement. The tradition of the ‘Donning of the Kente’ began in 1993, when four faculty members of West Chester University wanted to recognize the obstacles overcome by African American students over the course of their education. They have since become popular in schools across America, with thousands of students walking the stage with Kente stoles every year.
The Kente Stole Today
Nowadays, at almost every graduation you will see black people wearing Kente Cloth Graduation Stoles. Black people wear them as a symbol of the pride and dignity they have in their rich African heritage. The BSU Kente Cloth Graduation Stole is a powerful symbol of hard work, perseverance, and dedication that students invest in their academic journey.
While the majority of Kente stoles are worn by African American students, graduates from other ethnic minority groups have adopted the tradition as well. The stole can have other personal meanings for the wearer as well, offering significance for people of other ethnic backgrounds to wear the garment.
Choosing a Kente Stole
When selecting a Kente stole, graduates have several options to consider:
Authenticity: Authentic Kente is a handwoven work of art made in Ghana, West Africa. Since gaining popularity, our authentic kente stoles have been increasingly counterfeited. These imitation stoles, machine-made in China, are not handwoven in Africa and misrepresent true kente cloth. Moreover, they appropriate the work of African artists and mislead African American graduates into believing they are wearing authentic kente cloth.
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Customization: Graduation Attire offers a variety of customization options for their Kente stoles and sashes, including embroidery and custom colors. On the academic stole, Kente patterns typically border a large margin of space on the garment reserved for text, such as the graduating class year, or the Greek letters of the student’s fraternity or sorority. However, some Kente stoles are themed from top to bottom in the vibrant patterns reminiscent of West Africa. With Stoles.com you can virtually customize any type of stole for any occasion, from a college graduation to a choir event.
Other Graduation Attire Options
Graduation is an exciting time. You get to wear a graduation gown, however the gowns would be uninteresting without colorful graduation stoles. Graduation Attire offers a wide variety of Kente stoles and sashes that are designed to fit graduates of all sizes and shapes. In addition to Kente stoles and sashes, Graduation Attire offers a wide range of graduation products, including caps, gowns, tassels, and diploma covers. This makes it easy for graduates to purchase all of our graduation essentials in one place.
Here are some other options for graduation attire:
Graduation Gowns: Our gowns are all made of 100% polyester. Purely made polyester, like our products, is extremely strong, extremely durable and has excellent properties such as being hydrophobic in nature that leads to quick-drying and stain resistance. The main difference is the finish of the fabric. Our shiny gowns are a knitted fabric that has more of a shiny look to it giving the color of the gowns more brightness. Our Deluxe gowns have fluting around the shoulders and yoke. They have more fabric used so they tend to be heavier. This is true for all of our deluxe gowns. The deluxe master has a different shape for the batwings. The deluxe doctor has bell sleeves and a braided button to attach the hood whereas the classic does not.
Caps: Our caps are made of 100% polyester. The standard mortarboard, a square of cardboard encased in polyester, is worn atop the head and traditionally used for primary and secondary school graduations.
Tassels: A graduation tassel is a dangling ornament typically made of silk or a similar material and attached to a loop at the top. It is commonly worn as part of the cap and gown ensemble during graduation ceremonies. The tassel is attached to the mortarboard, which is the square-shaped cap worn by graduates. The color of the graduation tassel often holds symbolic meaning and may represent the graduate's academic discipline, school colors, or specific achievements.
Honor Cords: A graduation honor cord is a decorative accessory worn by graduates during commencement ceremonies to signify academic achievements, honors, or affiliations. Honor cords are typically made of intertwined cords of various colors, and they are worn around the neck with the ends hanging down the front of the graduate's gown. The colors of the cords often carry specific meanings, representing different academic achievements or honors.
Diplomas: Yes, we offer customized options for diplomas with a minimum quantity of 100pcs. Yes we do. Please check our stock diplomas for Kindergarten through High School.
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