Johnnetta B. Cole

By JOHN NORTH

Fight against bigotry and discrimination, UNC Asheville’s class of 2008 was urged by Johnnetta B. Cole in a commencement address last Saturday morning.

In a whirlwind, folksy 15-minute talk, Cole congratulated the graduates by using a number of different greetings from different cultures, ending with American street slang — “You done good!”

Earlier, UNCA officials conferred an honorary doctoral degree on Cole for what they termed “a long and distinguished career focused on education, equality and social justice.” Chancellor Anne B. Ponder referred to her as an esteemed educator and humanitarian.

Cole is the only African-American woman to have served as president of Spelman College in Atlanta. Later, she was named the president of Bennett College for Women. She is the first person to lead both historically black colleges. She also is the author of several books.

Meanwhile, 715 students — the largest graduating class in UNCA history — received bachelor’s and master’s of liberal arts degrees, under alternately sunny and threatening skies in the outdoor ceremony on the UNCA quad. The total included 467 spring, 215 winter and 33 summer graduates.

The class of 2008 includes Asheville native Matt Anderson, the first third-generation graduate in UNCA history. The music-technology major joins his father Andy Anderson (class of ‘82) and his grandmother Ann Anderson (class of ‘70).

After receiving an honorary doctorate and a warm introduction from Ponder, Cole playfully referred to her colleague as “Sister Chancellor Anne Ponder” and to the students before her as “the mighty class of 2008,” which prompted cheers from many of the roughly 4,000 people in attendance.

She reminded the graduates that “you didn’t get here by yourselves,” noting that their parents in many cases had made great sacrifices for them. “Your parents have been human ATMs,” she quipped, referring to their role as money-providers.

Cole also said the students were helped along the way by the faculty, who served as “partners” in their education, and the university staff.

“It’s really a privilege and a joy to join you as a member of the class of 2008,” she said, adding lightly, “I expect to have all the rights and privileges, sister chancellor!”

Cole noted how much she likes and respects Ponder and then said she especially is “proud” of UNCA for its progressive attitude in hiring a “provost-to-be” who also is an outstanding woman. (Her reference was to Jane K. Fernandes.)

At that point, Cole said, “I want you to know I’ve prepared a very serious and, I think, very good commencement address,” but because of time constraints and other considerations, “I won’t deliver the bulk of it.

“I know this generation is so (high) techie, if I don’t deliver the bulk of it, do you promise to read it on-line?”
When the prospective graduates responded in the affirmative, Cole continued, “Your commencement address takes on the issues of bigotry and discrimination — and that you can do something about it. And this commencement address assumes you can change things ....

“You just have to do it — I want you to help change the world, one step at a time. Destroy the lines that divide us based on gender, race, age, religion, nationality, sexual orientation and physical and mental abilities.”

Cole then said she would jump to the end of her address, noting that “it draws on some of my heros and ‘sheros.’ Well, for every hero in the worlds, there’s at least one ‘shero.’”

Throughout her address, she cited examples of what she termed the wisdom ov different cultures, ranging from Caesar Chávez to Audre Lorde.

Cole cited slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., “who gave the speech that should be chiseled into the psyche of every American if not every person in the world, “Remember that he dreams of that day when his four little children ‘will be judged, not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.’”

She concluded with a quotation from Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf — “Each of us is blind,/ each of us is deaf/Until our eyes are open to our fellow men and women,/Until our ears are open to the voices of humanity.”

In closing, Cole said, “You might think I’m awfully pushy this morning — I’ve already asked you to read your commencement address on-line.”

She then asked everyone to wrap their arms around themselves and hug themselves — “and if you want to rock a little bit, it’s really alright because, my brothers and sisters, you need to love yourselves and then you’ve got to find a way to love the diverse people’s of the world.”

During the ceremony, Ponder honored three graduates with UNCA’s highest student awards, including Megan E. Graham for community service; David C. Cox for leadership and campus service; and Jessica L. Wallace for scholarship.

Ponder also honored UNCA’s faculty and staff, including Brenda Henderson as distinguished staff member and Steven C. Patch as distinguished teacher of the year.

As the program closed, Ponder reminded the graduates of their permanent ties to UNCA, noting, “As the years pass, and you remember our glorious mountains, rivers, city and campus, please know that we here at UNC Asheville will always hold you close in spirit.

“We will think and care about each and every one of you. We will follow your acheivements, your life’s joys and sorrows and we will remember you as you climb up these steps today — your shining faces holding the hopes and promises for the future,” Ponder said.