Itanwa Orinwa 2026
Friday, May 8, 2026, 3:30-5:30 p.m., JMA Wireless Dome
Run of Show
| Schedule | Presenters, Speakers and Performers |
|---|---|
| Procession | 2026 Graduates |
| Land Acknowledgment and Welcome | Amaya Saintal ’26, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and School of Education |
| Piano Ensemble | Myra Bocage ’26, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications |
| Black National Anthem | Alani Simone Henderson ’26, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; Tyreese Malik Brown ’26, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; and Rojanni Sean Wisdom ’26, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs |
| Opening Remarks | Dawn Singleton, Vice President, Student Experience Division |
| Student Speaker | Sydney Olivia Trapp ’26, College of Arts and Sciences |
| Video Presentation Introduction | Jamie Sterling ’26, School of Information Studies |
| History of Stoles | Tanisha M. Jackson, Assistant Professor, African American Studies and Executive Director, Community Folk Art Center |
| Distribution of Kente Stoles | Aylin Gonzalez, Director, Belonging and Student Success; Marissa Willingham, Assistant Director, Belonging and Student Success; Christopher Maldonado, Associate Director, Career Services; and Chad Williams, Executive Director, Intercultural Collective |
| Closing Remarks | Janese Yana Fayson ’26, Martin J. Whitman School of Management |
| Recessional | 2026 Graduates |
Event Details
Itanwa Orinwa (Our Story, Our Song) is a celebration dedicated to creating space for community building, connection and recognition of graduating students of color. The name “Itanwa Orinwa” translates from Yoruba, a language spoken in southwestern Nigeria, to “Our Story, Our Song.”
A significant part of Itanwa Orinwa is the distribution of authentic Kente stoles. The Kente cloth is a meaningful sartorial material with a rich historical presence in our culture, representing the pride we hold in our African heritage. Each aspect of the cloth carries symbolic weight. Gold signifies status and serenity; yellow represents fertility; green embodies renewal; blue symbolizes pure spirit and harmony; red represents passion; and black signifies union and spiritual awareness.
This tradition is adapted from Ghana, where Kente is a royal cloth, and its presentation serves as a loving rite of passage gift.
Itanwa Orinwa Committee
| Name | Role | School or Department |
|---|---|---|
| Tyree Benjamin ’26 | Student | College of Arts and Sciences |
| Janese Yana Fayson ’26 | Student | Martin J. Whitman School of Management |
| Aylin Gonzalez | Director | Belonging and Student Success |
| Alani Simone Henderson ’26 | Student | Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs |
| Tanisha M. Jackson | Assistant Professor; Executive Director | Department of African American Studies; Community Folk Art Center |
| Ethel Kaboré ’26 | Student | College of Arts and Sciences |
| Debbie McKie | Senior Program Coordinator | Greek Life |
| Andrea-Rose Oates ’26 | Student | Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications |
| Amaya Saintal ’26 | Student | Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and School of Education |
| Aaliyah Muolo Vergara | Manager | Intercultural Collective |
| Michael-Daniel Vodzogbe | Program Coordinator | Barner-McDuffie House, Belonging and Student Success |
| Claudine-Lonjé Williams | Program Manager | Barner-McDuffie House, Belonging and Student Success |
| Marissa Willingham | Assistant Director | Belonging and Student Success |
Belonging and Student Success Senior Reception
Join the Intercultural Collective’s Belonging and Student Success Senior Reception for students and their families immediately following Commencement from noon-2 p.m. in Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium on Sunday, May 10, 2026.
Itanwa Orinwa Survey
We kindly request that you complete the Itanwa Orinwa Survey.