Howard University’s 157th Commencement Returns to The Yard on May 10, Featuring Keynote Address by LeVar Burton

Washington, DC, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Howard University announced today information on the graduating Class of 2025 Commencement. The 157th Commencement will be held at the university on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., on The Yard, the university’s main campus upper quadrangle.  Peabody, Emmy, and Grammy-Award winner LeVar Burton will serve as the Commencement orator. He will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.   

Graduates from the university’s 14 schools and colleges will be among the largest graduating classes in the university’s history to receive bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in various disciplines. The individual colleges and schools will also hold awards and recognition ceremonies for their respective graduates from May 7 – 10.

LeVar Burton is one of the world’s most prolific and impactful artists, with a decades-long career that includes roles as an actor, director, producer, author, and podcaster.  He is the recipient of 15 Emmys Awards, a Peabody Award, a Grammy Award, and seven NAACP Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Inaugural Children’s & Family Emmys. His body of work includes starring roles in the epic miniseries “Roots,” the seminal and defining exploration of American slavery and its impact. Burton also starred as Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge in the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” series and movies and as the long-time host of “Reading Rainbow.” 

As a lifelong literacy advocate, Burton has dedicated decades to encouraging children to read. He was the long-time host of the iconic “Reading Rainbow” television program. His enormously popular LeVar Burton Reads podcast has over 175 episodes in its catalog, boasting 25 million downloads. He also served as executive producer of “The Right to Read,” a film that positions the literacy crisis in America as a civil rights issue. His production company, LeVar Burton Entertainment (LBE), develops projects in the film, television, podcasting, and publishing space with the mission to share stories that foster empathy, champion diversity, and build community.   

In addition to Burton, the following distinguished individuals will also receive honorary degrees for their life’s work:  

• Emery Neal Brown, Ph.D., will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree. Brown is one of the foremost leaders in computational neuroscience and anesthesiology.
• The Honorable Barbara Lee will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. She was the first Black woman to represent northern California in the state legislature and the U.S. Congress, where she served for 27 years and chaired the Congressional Black Caucus, Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity, and Congressional Social Work Caucus, among other leadership posts.
• Lilian Seenoi-Barr will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Seenoi-Barr is the first Black mayor in Northern Ireland and leads Derry City and Strabane.
• Natasha Trethewey will receive a Doctor of Letters degree. Trethewey is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet who served as United States Poet.

Please visit www.commencement.howard.edu  for more information about the Commencement and the awards and recognition ceremonies.  

About Howard University

Howard University, established in 1867, is a leading private research university based in Washington, D.C. Howard’s 14 schools and colleges offer 140 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs and lead the nation in awarding doctoral degrees to African American students. Howard is the top-ranked historically Black college or university (HBCU) according to Forbes and is the only HBCU ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 National Universities. Renowned for its esteemed faculty, high achieving students, and commitment to excellence, leadership,  truth and service, Howard produces distinguished alumni across all sectors, including the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice and the first woman U.S. vice president; Schwarzman, Marshall, Rhodes and Truman Scholars; prestigious fellows; and over 165 Fulbright recipients. Learn more at www.howard.edu.

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• LeVar Burton

CONTACT: Carol Wilkerson
Howard University
202-288-7071
carol.wilkerson@howard.edu