Dear AFAS Graduates:
As you may know, the Department of African and African American Studies has the tradition, as many departments do, of giving their graduates a gift. We usually give the gift at a luncheon for our graduates immediately following the university’s graduation ceremony. Our Director of Undergraduate Studies, Jonathan Fenderson, typically selects a book for each graduate, specifically chosen according to the taste and interest of the individual student. Because of the disruption caused by COVID-19, we were unable to do that this year. To simplify matters, we had to select a common gift that we thought all of you would appreciate. In that regard, we decided to get each of you a handsome, Washington University diploma frame. We know that this year has been trying, unsettling, and stressful but we hope that the frame will symbolize good memories for you of both your time at Washington University and your experience as AFAS majors.
Chancellor Martin has announced that the Class of 2020 will have an in-person commencement ceremony in May 2021. We hope very much to see many of you then and to meet your families. In the meantime, stay safe and be well.
Sincerely yours,
Gerald Early, Department Chair