Bowie State University announced that its 2021 commencement address will be given by political activist and leader Stacey Abrams.
An American politician, Abrams is a lawyer who has served on the Georgia House of Representatives and as its minority leader. An outspoken activist for voting rights, she has authored two New York Times best-selling books, “Our Time Is Now” and “Lead from the Outside.”
Abrams’ list of accomplishments includes increasing voter turnout in Georgia for the 2020 presidential election and for the state’s 2020-21 U.S. Senate election and special election. It is because of these great strides that Abrams was nominated for a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. She is the first African American woman to not only deliver a response to the State of the Union address but also to run as the major-party gubernational nominee in the Georgia governor’s race. She ran as the Democratic candidate for the 2018 race and won more votes than any Democrat in state history.
Abrams has launched several organizations to address inequities in government, starting Fair Fight Action in an effort to ensure every American has a voice in our election system. She also started Fair Count to ensure accuracy in the 2020 Census and the Southern Economic Advancement Project, a public policy initiative to broaden economic power and build equity in the South.
Abrams holds a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School, a Master of Public Affairs degree from University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College.
The commencement will take place on Friday, May 21. The hybrid ceremony will be an in-person experience for graduates at Bulldog Stadium and a live, online viewing for everyone else at bowiestate.edu/commencement.
