BLACK GRADUATION
Black Graduation is UBCA’s annual celebration of Black students completing their degrees at The University of Texas at Austin. First established under Afrikan-American Affairs, the ceremony has become a powerful rite of passage, uplifting Black graduates through cultural tradition, communal love, and generational pride.
This event is more than a ceremony, it’s a movement of gratitude, memory, and recognition.
HISTORY
Black Graduation was created over 30 years ago to give Black students a space where their joy, struggle, and excellence could be honored fully, outside of institutional setbacks. In 2024, following the dissolution of the Multicultural Engagement Center, Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church became the official host site for Black Graduation, providing sanctuary when campus spaces were no longer guaranteed.
We are deeply grateful to Greater Mt. Zion for their generosity and for helping us keep this tradition alive.
nomination forms
2026 Ceremony Details
Date: May 7th, 2026 at 10:00am
Location: Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church
We honor graduates through voice, story, and shared celebration.
All forms are currently closed and will reopen in Fall 2025.
Nominate Our Ceremony Keynote Speaker
Nominate 2 Seniors to Join the Planning Committee
Please uplift students whose stories deserve to be heard, leaders or not.
Two student speakers are selected each year:
1 Undergraduate Keynote
1 Graduate Student Keynote
Apply to Be a Graduate Speaker
Photos will be made available after the event.
STAY Connected
Listen to the Official 2025–2026 UBCA Playlist
Curated by and for our community. Add your songs, share your sound, and set the tone.
Collaborative Spotify Playlist »
Join the 2025-2026 GroupMe
Get reminders, resources, and real-time updates. Everyone’s invited.
Join GroupMe »
View All Black Student Organizations
Explore both umbrella and non-umbrella Black student orgs at UT and find your space.
View the Full List »