'Celebration of success' at African American Graduation in Redding

Thursday will be the second time Chante “Rae” Hopper will be honored by the community for earning a college degree.

The 31-year-old Redding resident ― who accepted a diploma for her master’s degree in counseling psychology at National University in San Diego on June 9 ― will gather with students from diverse backgrounds at Shasta College to celebrate their academic accomplishments and share a meal.

The 21st annual African American Graduation and Recognition of Academic Achievements begins at 6:30 p.m. on June 15 at the college’s Student Center.

Event planners invited about 80 students who will graduate or have already graduated from Northern California schools this year, along with their families and friends, said Eddie McAllister, a community organizer and chairperson of the host organization, Shasta Coalition of African Americans for Community Health, Education and Empowerment.

He said the celebration lauds graduates of all ages and grade levels — preschool to graduate school.

Hopper also attended the 2021 African American Graduation after earning her bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix.

“Being able to celebrate diversity in the academic world…keeps me coming back,” said Hopper, who identifies as Black and LGBTQ+. “It’s an honor to participate in a celebration of achievement of success and progression."

Born and raised in Redding, Hopper graduated from Anderson High School in 2009. She represents the second generation in her family to earn a college degree ― but only by six years.

Hopper attended California State University, Chico with her father, Ricky Bennett, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business in 2015.

She didn’t finish school at Chico because her father got cancer almost as soon as he graduated. She dropped out to help take care of him before he passed away a year later, she said.

Losing her father made getting both her college degrees all the more important, said Hopper, whose wife Jessica, their two children ages 14 and 5, and her mother, niece and three sisters will attend Thursday’s celebration to cheer her on.

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Graduates like Hopper, who attended past African American Graduation celebrations, come from all over the North State and as far away as Sacramento, McAllister said.

This year's event features keynote speaker Jeremiah Sims, a U.C. Berkeley alumnus with a doctorate in education. Born in Oakland, Sims is a first-generation college student. He grew up in the East San Francisco Bay area, where people's academic expectations for him placed the bar low because of his race. He experienced what so many targets of racism faced — food insecurity, housing insecurity and violence.

He credits God and his community for pushing the bar much higher, he said in his program bio.

Achievement in higher education rising among Black population

While the percentage of Black people with college degrees is rising — with Black women leading the way — that percentage remains lower than the national average. Between 2011 to 2021, the number of Black adults ages 25 and older who earned a bachelor’s degree or higher increased from 19.9% to 28.1%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Those numbers lag the percentage of degree holders who identify as non-Hispanic white adults. Their percentages increased from 34% to 41.9% over the same decade, according to Census Bureau data. For people who identify as Asian, the number of college degree holders also rose, from 50.3% to 61%. Graduation percentages increased from 14.1% to 20.6% during the same period for those who identify as Hispanic, according to the Census Bureau.

And among Black students in higher education, women are more likely to earn colleges degrees than men, says the American Association of University Women. In that population, Black women receive 64.1% of bachelor’s degrees, 71.5% of master's degrees and 65.9% of doctoral, medical and dental degrees, according to the AAUW.

Fewer Black college graduates make it all the more important to celebrate those who achieve their diplomas, said officials with Shasta College and planners behind the annual African American Graduation celebration.

Shasta College also hosts other special graduation celebrations, including one for graduates of the campus' Umoja program, college spokesperson Peter Griggs said.

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Umoja, which means unity in Kiswahili, "is a community dedicated to enhancing the cultural and educational experiences of African American and other students" who help each other "navigate the college environment and become successful in education," according to the college's website.

While open to all students, the Umoja program is "specifically designed to increase" the retention, graduation and transfer rates of Black students, according to the school.

Following the African American Graduation recognition on June 15, planners will serve a community meal. The public is invited to celebrate with the graduates at the Shasta College Student Center, building #2000, at 11555 Old Oregon Trail in Redding, said McAllister.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Northern Californians celebrate at 21st African American Graduation