Sweet Home Chicago Series for Juneteenth: Celebrating Graduates of 2023 | Black Writers Week

In honor of Black Writers Week, I looked around and asked myself what is giving me the most hope in this world today. And since it is that time of the year when schools and universities all across the land are hosting their graduation ceremonies, I asked some of my friends who graduated with me from Chicago’s Crane High School to share photos of the young graduates in their families. You hear so many negative things in the news about violence and crime associated with our city. But I want to share some of the good news and show you the faces of some of our brightest hope for the future. All of the graduates do not live in Chicago, but they are all closely related to Chicago. They range in age from pre-school to university and military. 

And it so happens that one of our other bright lights in Chicago, the entertainer and filmmaker Common, is serving as one of our most enthusiastic Ambassadors. He was recently on “The View” where in explaining why Chicago is an ideal city to hold the 2024 Democratic National Convention, he beautifully articulated the spirit of the city that these remarkable young people also embody.  Chaz Ebert

“The soul of Chicago is about people, it’s about love, it’s about humanity, it’s about hard-working people,” said Common. “Our roots are from the South, which is where our grandparents came from, so Chicago represents America in many different ways. We are hoping for better and greater things in the future of Chicago, and of America, so the DNC is like a bright light coming to our city, a city that has so much to give and it has so much history too. Chicago was discovered by a Black man named Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, and when I found that out as a kid, it gave me some type of pride, along with the fact that our city has created the Michelle Obamas, the Jennifer Hudsons and the Virgil Ablohs of the world.”

From left: Michelle Obama; Jennifer Hudson; Virgil Abloh (courtesy of British Vogue interview).

Here is a video from 2019 of the Crane Cougars Class of 1969, whose relatives are written about below…

AND NOW WE PRESENT OUR GRADUATES…(Donell Brisco, LaTavian Rudolph-Conwell, Kori Nolle Duson, Demi Ewing, Jordan P. Green, Shania S. Green, Mon’tene’ Hammel, Johnathan Jackson, Joshua Jakes, LaKeisha Klyce, Amarri McKay, Blair Moore, Brandon E. Patterson, Saysha Parker, Kelis Rhynes, Duran Sims, Keyvaun Singleton, Dashawn M. Slack, Ava Spencer, Trinity Stovall, Stephon White and Xavier Williams).

You can view the original article HERE.