Approaching graduation with dreams intact
June 3, 2009
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Langston Hughes
Cincinnati State President Dr. John Henderson cited, and recited, this short poem by Langston Hughes (1902-1967) in a recent address to members and supporters of the Black Male Initiative at Cincinnati State.
Above: During a recent reception for members of the Black Male Initiative who are about to graduate from Cincinnati State, President John Henderson emphasized the need to nurture dreams for the future. Click here for more photos.
The occasion was a ceremony to honor three students who are about to graduate: Sean McKenzie, Cassius Loyd Bell and Oter Aljak Amon.
McKenzie plans to pursue a degree in psychology from the University of Cincinnati. Bell is bound for Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., on a full basketball scholarship and Amon plans to pursue a career (and further education) in accounting.
If Dr. Henderson’s message was the importance of keeping dreams alive, the message from the students was one of appreciation for the chance through the Black Male Initiative to meet people who have realized their dreams.
McKenzie, for example, told guests at the reception about the enduring impact of meeting Gilbert Young, a nationally renowned artist who currently lives in Atlanta. Young is a Cincinnati native who served as Director and Conservator of the Fine Arts Collection for the University of Cincinnati for twenty-six years. He also served as Artist-in Residence for the University in 1994-1995.
The Black Male Initiative at Cincinnati State was established in an effort to improve the retention rate of African American men at the college. Its focus includes career, academic, financial aid and personal counseling; development of academic skills and promotion of networking and social opportunities.
As of the Early Fall, 2008 term, about 23 percent of Cincinnati State’s students were African-American. (Another 9 percent listed themselves as multi-racial or did not disclose their ethnic background.) About 46 percent of the overall student population in the early fall term was male.
