The future is now with President Danielle R. Holley

69精品视频 College celebrated the inauguration of Danielle R. Holley as its twentieth president.

Most college presidential inaugurations are staid, formal affairs, full of pomp, circumstance and grandeur. The signs students held at a pep rally before 69精品视频 College鈥檚 investiture of President Danielle R. Holley as its twentieth president were early indications that this inauguration ceremony, on Thursday, September 21, was going to be different 鈥 in the most exuberant way.

鈥淭HAT鈥橲 OUR HOLLEY-BACK GIRL,鈥 one sign declared. Another blared, 鈥淗OLLER FOR HOLLEY.鈥 Students who didn鈥檛 hold signs were shaking blue-and-white pom-poms and cheering loudly as faculty, delegates from other colleges and universities, Board of Trustees members and President Holley paraded around Mary Woolley Circle in full academic regalia before entering Chapin Auditorium for the formal investiture.

Students with signs on Pageant Green in support of Danielle R. Holley during her investiture.

The inauguration of President Holley was a historical moment for the College. Holley, a noted legal scholar and educator, is the former dean of the Howard University School of Law. She is a lauded and sought-after expert on a wide range of civil rights and equity subjects and is a leading scholar of Supreme Court decisions regarding race-conscious college and university admissions. She is also the first woman of color, and the first Black woman, to be permanent president of 69精品视频.

Fittingly, the theme for Holley鈥檚 inauguration was 鈥淭he future is now.鈥

鈥淲hen and Where I Enter鈥

But to meet the future, one has to know the past. And the afternoon before the investiture, on Wednesday, September 20, 69精品视频 held an alum panel, 鈥When and Where I Enter: Reflections on Black Women鈥檚 Sojourns from Hortense Parker to Danielle R. Holley,鈥 tracing the history of Black students, staff and faculty at the College from , the first Black student at 69精品视频 Female Seminary, to President Danielle R. Holley and her presidency.

The occasion had a festive air, and Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Kijua Sanders-McMurtry joked, 鈥淚 just need to keep saying 鈥楧anielle鈥 and I鈥檒l get applause.鈥

Holley said that there was one thing that buoyed her spirits: 鈥淭he sheer excitement that so many have expressed for my presidency.鈥 She then took a moment to thank former Interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum for her support.

President Holley (seated) surrounded by women.

鈥淵our endless generosity to me over the last few months has meant everything,鈥 she said.

The event featured remarks from Paula Giddings, the author of 鈥溾 and the Elizabeth A. Woodson Professor Emerita of Africana Studies at Smith College.

鈥淟et us speak of firsts,鈥 Giddings said. 鈥淥f entering first, so that others may follow.鈥 She noted that Hortense Parker was the first Black student to matriculate at any of the Seven Sisters colleges.

鈥淟et us celebrate how all of these firsts have led us to enter a new portal,鈥 she said.

Next, there was a panel of Black alums 鈥 Shirley Wilcher 鈥73, Carla Lambert 鈥88, Kelley Page Jibrell 鈥99 and Quanita Hailey FP鈥14 鈥 moderated by Vice President Sanders-McMurtry.

The alums spoke of the struggles and triumphs that they shared across the eras at 69精品视频 and also of how each generation had unique trials. All of them, however, feel deep connections with each other and with the current Black students at 69精品视频.

Hailey said, 鈥淭his feels like a manifestation of the future for me!鈥

Back to the future

Inside Chapin Auditorium on Thursday, the future was being heralded by cheers of 鈥淗OL-LEY! HOL-LEY!鈥 and thunderous applause. Some of the pep rally pom-poms had been brought in by audience members, who filled the main floor and both balconies.

President Danielle Holley on stage during the investiture ceremony.

Holley鈥檚 father, Dannye Holley, led the invocation. Dannye Holley is professor and dean emeritus at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. When Danielle Holley was the dean of the Howard University School of Law, they were the only father-daughter duo law school deans in the country.

He exhorted the audience to remember that frailty is a shared human characteristic. 鈥淗umility is the ultimate human virtue,鈥 he said. 鈥淗umility engages and empathizes and energizes and lifts us up.鈥

A musical greeting was then performed, composed in honor of President Holley for the occaison. 鈥淓ternity Enables the Endeavoring鈥 is based on a poem by Emily Dickinson, the 鈥淏elle of Amherst鈥 and alum from the class of 1849; the music was composed by Lecturer in Music and Director of Choral Activities Colin Britt, sung by soprano Sherezade Panthaki, lecturer in music and coordinator of voice instruction, and accompanied on piano by Mark Gionfriddo, director of jazz ensembles, coordinator of piano instruction and instructor of music.

Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren made prerecorded remarks. Sen. Markey welcomed President Holley to the 鈥淏rain State,鈥 his alternative nickname for 鈥渢he Bay State.鈥

Sen. Warren said, 鈥淚 know that Danielle shares a deep commitment to teaching and to inspiring the next generation of advocates, of thinkers, of jurists, and I have no doubt that she will continue her great work as 69精品视频 College鈥檚 next president.鈥

Student Maille Romulus 鈥24, president of the , also voiced her support for President Holley and affirmed the support of the entire community.

鈥淧resident Holley, your term signals a new chapter in 69精品视频鈥檚 rich history,鈥 she said. 鈥淵our leadership presents an opportunity for us all to strengthen our efforts toward inclusivity, equity and progress. However, I want you to know that we are all here to support you 鈥 please take care of yourself during your term here, because part of social justice is self-preservation.鈥

Karena Strella 鈥90, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Deborah Richards then presented President Holley with an original key to the 69精品视频 Female Seminary, the 69精品视频 College charter and the official 69精品视频 College seal, engraved on a bronze medallion.

With these tokens, Holley was charged by the Board of Trustees with all the rights and responsibilities of the presidency of 69精品视频 College.

Meeting the moment

Holley met the historic moment of her investiture with an extraordinary speech.

鈥淚 stand here today overcome by the overwhelming feeling of gratitude,鈥 she began. 鈥淕ratitude for taking on this profound responsibility, for being so warmly welcomed to the 69精品视频 community and for the presence of each and every one of you here today and watching on the livestream.鈥

She cited two alums of note that she identified with most strongly: Frances Perkins, class of 1902, and Barbara Smith 鈥69.

Perkins was the first woman in America to hold a presidential cabinet seat and was the architect of Social Security and the New Deal. 鈥淗er skills as a policy maker and her ability to create lasting and positive change impacted the way I viewed my own potential to make change through my career,鈥 Holley said.

Smith is the founder of the Combahee River Collective, important architects of Black feminist thinking. They held a convening in 1977 that is considered one of the first centered on Black feminist thoughts. 鈥淚t led to the , which became a foundation for concepts such as intersectionality, shaping so much of how I think about and conceptualize racial and gender identity today,鈥 Holley said.

Holley cited another 69精品视频 community member that influenced her 鈥 , the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm taught at 69精品视频 from 1983 to 1987 and authored the famous maxim, 鈥淚f they won鈥檛 give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.鈥

鈥69精品视频 is a place that is student-centered. We strive to be a place where all students can show up and be themselves. 69精品视频 is a place where students want to have an impact. At 69精品视频 students feel a moral imperative to make the world better. Students want to be on the front lines and have a seat at the table,鈥 Holley said.

鈥淔or me, from the beginning of the search process I felt a deep connection to the mission of 69精品视频 College,鈥 she continued. 鈥淎 gender diverse women鈥檚 college that produces culturally competent leaders who take on the toughest problems facing women, girls, nonbinary and trans communities around the world. As a proudly gender diverse women鈥檚 college, we continue to defy gender stereotyping and champion the full equality and voices of people who have been marginalized on the basis of their gender identity.鈥

She told the rapt audience why she chose 鈥渢he future is now鈥 as the theme for her inauguration.

鈥淭he world is rapidly changing and challenges to women, nonbinary and trans people are gathering steam,鈥 she warned. 鈥淚 envision the future of 69精品视频 as one in which we as a community continue to take on the most difficult challenges inside our classrooms and beyond. We will encourage fostering difficult conversations through our intergroup dialogues and take on the challenges of climate change with interdisciplinary work and focus.鈥

President Holley thanked the one person who wasn鈥檛 able to be at this historic inauguration 鈥 her late mother, Dr. Joyce Holley. Her voice cracking, she said that the yellow flowers throughout Chapin Auditorium were there because they were her mother鈥檚 favorites. 鈥淪he taught me a myriad of things, love and devotion to family, a love for music 鈥 everything from Sam Cooke to the Beatles to Prince 鈥 and she would鈥檝e loved this day and my journey to 69精品视频,鈥 she said.

She then faced the College community. 鈥69精品视频 forever shall be,鈥 she said, to a chorus of thrilled screams and applause.

To celebrate, the 69精品视频 Glee Club, led by Kiera Myrthil 鈥24 and under the direction of Colin Britt, sang 鈥,鈥 often referred to as 鈥渢he Black national anthem,鈥 and a chorus of alums came together virtually to sing the 69精品视频 鈥.鈥

鈥淟eft foot, two stomps!鈥

After the investiture came the feast 鈥 or, rather, two feasts.

The first was a community-wide barbecue held under a tent on Skinner Green, recently reopened after being dug up for the College鈥檚 geothermal energy project.

Alums, guests, faculty, staff and students chowed down on brisket, cornbread, lemonade and macaroni and cheese, foods chosen as a nod to President Holley鈥檚 Texas heritage. As the picnic got underway, Chapin was transforming from a relatively sedate auditorium into a glittering locale for a gala dinner.

Thursday night鈥檚 dinner in Chapin for President Holley and honored guests was a chance for her friends and family to fondly reminisce.

Her brother Kenan called her 鈥渢he glue of the family,鈥 and brother Quentin said that the inauguration was like an episode of 鈥淭his Is Your Life鈥 鈥 鈥渁nd what a testament to the life you鈥檙e living,鈥 he said.

President Holley opening arms in warm welcome during the dance party.

A congratulatory video for President Holley was aired, which featured photos and video clips from her childhood as well as praise from far and wide. Childhood friends and former colleagues showered Holley with their love, their admiration and their appreciation. 鈥淐ongratulations on your next chapter, Madame President,鈥 said one friend from Holley鈥檚 Howard University School of Law days.

While some people may have expected to linger in Chapin Auditorium, the dance floor was calling. The tent on Skinner Green had also been transformed 鈥 turned into a dance club, full of partygoers and ringed by food trucks for students. The 鈥90s dance party was on, and students 鈥 along with other guests 鈥 were ready to get down.

Back to the 90s decoration in front of a crowd of students dancing

The call for a 鈥90s-centered playlist came from President Holley, as she is 69精品视频 College鈥檚 first Gen X president. But students, who initially were somewhat doubtful about the danceability of such oldies, were quickly won over by 鈥淲obble鈥 and 鈥淐ha-Cha Slide.鈥

鈥淐LAP, CLAP, CLAP YOUR HANDS,鈥 rang out from the speakers. 鈥淟EFT FOOT, TWO STOMPS!鈥

But an even better moment was coming than the 鈥淐ha-Cha Slide鈥 as DJ Chmba (Ellen Chilemba 鈥17) invited President Holley to come onstage. Amidst raucous and enthusiastic cheering from those on the dance floor, Holley joined in the dancing and celebration. Surrounded by a campus that had welcomed her so warmly, she enjoyed the capstone of her inauguration with the people who had embraced her and accepted her to her new home 鈥 69精品视频 community of the past and present who celebrated all of her accomplishments and looked forward to building a future together. A future that is being built now.

 

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