Wide Angle Youth Media in partnership with WYPR invites the entire community to cheer on the Class of 2020 at our virtual graduation ceremony featuring commencement speaker Tiffany Boone. Speeches from guest speakers will be based on the theme, “Thriving Not Just Surviving.”
Commencement Speaker
Tiffany Boone
Tiffany Boone stars as the beautiful and street smart “Roxy Jones” in the highly acclaimed Amazon drama series HUNTERS opposite Al Pacino and created by Jordan Peele. The series follows a diverse group of Nazi hunters on a quest for justice in 1977 New York City. This Spring, Boone co-starred in Hulu’s LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, portraying the flashback 1980s version of Kerry Washington’s “Mia Warren” character. Boone recently wrapped production on George Clooney's sci-fi Netflix feature THE MIDNIGHT SKY, based on the post-apocalyptic novel GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT. She will star alongside Clooney, as well as Felicity Jones and David Oyelowo.
In 2013, Boone co-starred in BEAUTIFUL CREATURES alongside Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis and Emma Thompson. In 2011, she co-starred in Joseph Kahn’s film DETENTION with Josh Hutcherson. On television, Boone's breakout role came opposite Kevin Bacon in Fox’s THE FOLLOWING. Her additional credits include THE CHI, SOUTHLAND, GREY’S ANATOMY, PERCEPTION, ONCE UPON A TIME and COMPLICATIONS.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Boone currently resides in Los Angeles. She is passionately involved in youth arts education and women’s health issues.
Guest Speakers
D. Watkins
D. Watkins is Editor at Large for Salon. His work has been published in the New York Times, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, and other publications. He holds a Master’s in Education from Johns Hopkins University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Baltimore. He is a college professor at the University of Baltimore and founder of the BMORE Writers Project –– and has also been the recipient of numerous awards including BMe Genius Grant and Ford’s Men of Courage. He is the author of We Speak For Ourselves: A Word from Forgotten Black America and the New York Times bestsellers The Beast Side: Living (and Dying) While Black in America and The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir.
Erricka Bridgeford
Erricka Bridgeford trains mediators, teaches conflict resolution skills, co-organizes a movement that rallies Baltimore City to avoid violence during three-day weekends and performs rituals for every person who is murdered in Baltimore. Her life has been impacted by murder since she was 12 years old, and she has been working for over 20 years to ensure that murder does not have the last say. Bridgeford is the director of training at Community Mediation Maryland, co-founder and co-organizer of Baltimore Ceasefire 365 and an inspirational speaker.
Lady Brion
Lady Brion is an award winning poet, activist and organizer. She is arguably one of the most successful slam poets in the country. Her most recent championship titles include: Southern Fried Poetry Slam, Rustbelt Poetry Slam and The National Poetry Slam. She is the founder and executive director of Maryland’s first and only Black Arts District and the author of “With My Head Unbowed.” Lady Brion received her bachelors in Communication from Howard University and her MFA in Creative Writing from University of Baltimore.
Event Schedule
6 PM - Livestream begins & intro video/speech
6:15 PM - Commencement speech
6:30 PM - Show of student work
6:45 PM - Graduate ceremony
7:15 PM - Dance party!
7:30 PM - End
Location:
Students join us on Zoom (link will be emailed to you)
Community members join us on our Facebook Livestream