Nigerian writer and feminist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, on Sunday May 19, became the first African to deliver the Class Day Speech of the Yale College at New Haven, Connecticut.
The event which was held on the eve of Yale’s 318th Commencement, was a celebration of the graduating Yale College class. A tradition that dates as far back as the 19th century, Class Day includes student reflections on their four years at Yale, the awarding of undergraduate prizes for academic, artistic, athletic, and community accomplishments, and an address delivered by a prominent figure chosen by the students.
In announcing her selection as speaker, the Class Day 2019 Planning Committee described Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as “an inspiring global citizen whose words, teaching, and social activism have had an indelible impact on the diaspora and broader contemporary culture.”