“Determined to thrive” was the theme of the 35th Annual Celebration of Black Excellence, and that theme was reflected in every aspect of the ceremony. Occurring on Saturday, May 31, 2025 the event was hosted by the Berkeley High School African American Studies Department and emceed by juniors Simeon Rainey and D’Onnah Reed.
The graduation began with libations — the ceremonial pouring of some form of liquid in order to honor one’s deceased ancestors. After the whole audience had time to honor those that they had lost, two specific students who have passed away but would have graduated with the Class of 2025 were commemorated — Lillia Bartlow and Kenneth “Kenny” Houff.
After a performance of the Black national anthem by graduating senior Ma’atia Torain, Berkeley Unified School District superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel welcomed the attendees, defining the theme of the night and honoring the work each and every student put in to graduate. “(The theme of ‘determined to thrive’) speaks to your journey. It honors every time you kept going, when it would have been much easier to stop … you are not just determined to thrive. You are destined to thrive, to do amazing and beautiful things,” Ford Morthel said.
The children’s group Young, Gifted and Black then took the stage, teaching the audience about Black history through an educational and engaging spoken word performance.
They were followed by the Class of 2025 speaker Black Student Union (BSU) president and cheer team captain, Jayme Lawrence. Lawrence echoed the sentiments of Ford Morthel, speaking of the struggles she and her classmates overcame to get to where they are today as well as the importance of the Black community. “No matter how hard these four years have been, through the loss, grief, the struggle … now we sit here, educated, dedicated, and accomplished,” Lawrence said.