Evergreen to hold 2 online commencements because of Black Lives Matter calls for strike
The Evergreen State College’s class of 2020 will get not one, but two virtual commencements, the college announced Wednesday, after Black Lives Matter in Seattle called for a statewide general strike.
The strike is set for Friday afternoon and so is Evergreen’s first commencement, which is set for 1 p.m. Because of that Friday conflict, the college has added a second online commencement for 10 a.m. Saturday.
“Each of the virtual graduation ceremonies will include remarks from commencement speakers, honorees and presentation of the 895 graduating students from Evergreen’s undergraduate and graduate programs,” the college announced in a news release.
The college was reminded about the strike by Trustee Ed Zuckerman during a Monday meeting of the college’s Board of Trustees. Initially, Zuckerman called on the college to consider canceling the Friday ceremony.
“I implore us to be open-minded to the possibility that the right course of action is to cancel commencement on Friday,” he said. “That may just be the right move.”
Instead, the college has added a second event. Evergreen President George Bridges explained the college’s decision in a message to the community that has been posted on the school’s website.
Bridges points out that many want to participate in the strike, or “respect the call, take leave and refrain from business.” Others, though, such as families and friends, are “traveling far and spending scarce funds to rent local accommodation to celebrate together specifically on June 12,” he writes.
“Considering these perspectives, we polled graduating students about their preferences on holding graduation as planned or postponing it,” Bridges writes. “About 63 percent supported postponing the event. Others made urgent and compelling pleas for reasons above not to delay the ceremony.
“To center and honor our students’ diverse perspectives and accomplishments, we are making the unprecedented move to hold two virtual ceremonies on successive days. We hope students, staff and faculty will choose the one that helps them celebrate in the way most meaningful to them.”
For more about Evergreen’s commencement, go to https://www.evergreen.edu/graduation/.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
