ATLANTA — On Thursday, Spelman College announced that award-winning actress and director Angela Bassett will deliver remarks at its 2024 commencement ceremony.
The commencement will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 19, at the Georgia International Convention Center. Bassett is an honorary Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy recipient known for iconic performances, including in "The Black Panther," filmed right here in Atlanta.
"Spelman College is honored to have acclaimed actress and director Angela Bassett to bring words of inspiration to our graduating Class of 2024," Spelman College President Helene D. Gayle said in a statement making the announcement. "Her work has had a tremendous impact both on and off the screen and serves as an example for our students to lead in their own spaces."
Officials said she will also receive a Doctor of Fine Arts honorary degree alongside trailblazing Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who made history as the first Black woman to sit in the country's highest court.
Along with the two phenomenal women, Atlanta journalist Rose Scott will also receive the National Community Service Award. Social Justice Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder will address the graduates at the Baccalaureate Ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 18.
It comes after its Atlanta University Center counterpart and sister-school, Morehouse College, named President Joe Biden as its commencement speaker this year. The news received mixed reactions from the community amid a highly contested race between President Biden and Former President Donald Trump.
Spelman College will recognize two valedictorians, a salutatorian and several other top scholars at the commencement. According to the college, the 2024 class has 504 degree candidates.
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