Girard College alum returns to deliver commencement address
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Dr Hunter at WHYY studios this week
Participants at today’s graduation ceremony at Girard College heard from commencement speaker and 1999 Girard College alum Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter. Now associate professor of sociology at UCLA, he’s the author “Black Citymakers: How the Philadelphia Negro changed urban America.”
Girard started as a school for poor, fatherless or orphaned boys. It’s now a private, co-ed college-prep school in Philadelphia that serves students of limited means with full-scholarships.
“Given that Girard College is now a predominantly black student population, I charged the students with understanding that they are living a legacy,” he explained to NewsWorks Tonight host Dave Heller. “They’re reaping the rewards of the efforts of black activists writing letters and marching around that wall, so we could have a commencement like today’s, with all of these beautiful kids.”
Hear the full conversation by clicking on the audio player above.
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Air Date: February 28, 2025 4:00 pm
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