For the first time at Langara College convocation, Black graduates received Kente stoles honouring their cultural identity alongside their academic achievements. The initiative, sponsored by ACT by Vidal Society, marks a new tradition for Langara Black Student Union graduates, beginning with the Class of 2026.
A new kind of recognition at convocation
When Grace Kumi and Boluwatife (Bolu) Akinwale crossed the convocation stage this June, they carried more than a credential. On a day meant to honour academic achievement, one new detail is shifting what "recognition" looks like at Langara.
For the first time, graduating Black students wore Kente stoles at convocation, a symbol of cultural pride, identity, and belonging. This initiative was made possible through sponsorship by ACT by Vidal Society (external link) . Shelley-Anne Vidal, founder of the society and an instructor at the Langara School of Management, supports this initiative as part of the organization's commitment to educational equity and community impact.
What Kente stoles represent
Kente stoles are more than decorative additions to traditional graduation regalia. Kente cloth originated in present-day Ghana and has long been associated with ceremony, achievement, leadership, and communal identity. When worn at graduation by members of the African diaspora, Kente becomes a way to honour ancestry alongside accomplishment.
For Grace, a graduating student from Langara's Nursing Practice in Canada program and one of the stole recipients, that meaning is personal and lifelong.
As a Ghanaian from the Akan ethnic group, Kente has always represented identity and pride as it is worn on special occasions. It tells a story of who you are and where you come from.
Grace Kumi, 2026 graduate and recipient of a Kente stole
Bolu, who is from Nigeria and graduated from Health Sciences, sees the stole as a direct link to what she has accomplished and what it means to her community: "Kente stoles represent identity and pride to me. They are a representation of how much our academic achievements as a Black community matter to Langara College. And being part of the first group to receive them? My shoulders are high!"
Making students feel seen
ACT By Vidal Society's sponsorship is rooted in Shelley-Anne Vidal's understanding of what it feels like to navigate education without seeing yourself reflected. "There are many reasons why I'm inspired to sponsor Kente stoles. First, I'm a Black woman who grew up in the Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, and I didn't see many peers who looked like me in the classroom or even leading the classroom."
She also connects the project to international student experience and belonging. "I also know what it's like to be an international student who left family and friends behind to pursue higher education." For Vidal, convocation should create an opening for pride and affirmation. "I want to create an opportunity for Langara Black Student Union (LBSU) (external link) graduates to feel seen, celebrated, and honoured for their hard work, determination, and commitment."
Dr. Joy Walcott-Francis, director of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion department, frames the initiative as equity made visible. "Incorporating the Kente stole into the formal ceremony visibly affirms Black students' identity within a space that has not always recognized or centred it." In her view, the stole counters historical exclusion by ensuring students' identities are publicly acknowledged at a moment that matters to families, peers, and the broader campus community.
Belonging at graduation
She adds: "It makes me feel complete, as I don't need to choose between being a Ghanaian and being a Langara graduate." Walking across the stage, her hope is that her community will witness both her progress and their own support reflected back through her. "I hope they see themselves in my celebration and how far God and their support have brought me. I hope they can see and feel that their sacrifice was really worth it."
Bolu says belonging at graduation is equally grounded in community support. "I think of the community that supported me through my journey. I think of LBSU." And she's clear about what her friends, family, and community feel seeing her wear the stole: "PRIDE! They see me being proud of myself and they are proud of my achievements as well.
"Being a Langaran allowed me to express my full self and cultural identity. Being in the Langara Black students community, I constantly remembered who I am and what I represent."
A tradition in the making beginning with the Class of 2026
Through ACT by Vidal Society's sponsorship, 40 LBSU students received Kente stoles that honour identity, ancestry, community, and pride each one designed with Langara College and LBSU on one panel and CLASS OF 2026 on the other. As Grace's experience makes clear, this initiative transforms convocation into more than a ceremony. It becomes a visible promise that Black students belong here, and that their culture is valued as part of their academic journey.
With the Class of 2026 as the starting point, Langara has planted the seeds of a new convocation tradition one woven with pride, belonging, and care.
