A stole, a stage, and a community that shows up: District marks sixth year of honoring Black students

For six years, the African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC) has worked to ensure African American and Black students in the Palm Springs Unified School District feel seen — not just at graduation, but throughout the year.

When the soon-to-be graduates of the district filed into the Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School on Monday evening, each carried with them more than a diploma’s promise — they carried the weight of a community that had spent years working to make sure they got there.

The sixth annual AAPAC End of the Year Celebration and Kente stole presentation brought together nearly 100 future graduates, each of whom received a traditional cloth stole to wear at their upcoming commencement ceremony — a gesture that organizers say carries meaning well beyond the fabric itself.

The stoles are colorful, hand-woven sashes traditionally worn at graduation ceremonies to celebrate African heritage, cultural pride, and academic achievement. Rooted in Ghanaian tradition, they often feature symbolic patterns and personalized details honoring students’ accomplishments and identity.

The evening’s program included a processional of 2026 seniors, the Black National Anthem, student awards for grades K-12, reflections on a 2026 HBCU Tour, and words of encouragement from PSUSD Superintendent Dr. Marcus Funchess.

The Kings Circle and Queens Circle mentorship groups were also recognized, a particularly meaningful moment given that Funchess later reminded all students present, “You come from greatness. And you are full of greatness.”

But the ceremony, now in its sixth year, did not begin as a celebration. It began as a response.

The evening’s host, Jarvis Crawford — AAPAC chairperson of student enrichment, a board member with the Palm Springs Black History Committee, and community center manager at the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center — said the event grew out of a troubling reality facing Black students in the district.

“A lot of our kids were being suspended and expelled at a rate that was higher than most big cities in this country,” Crawford said prior to the ceremony.

That reality pushed AAPAC to look for a different approach — one built on recognition rather than punishment, and on community investment rather than institutional neglect.

“We knew that there had to be something to work with the district to say, ‘Hey, let’s show empowerment to the youth, instead of showing something that’s pulling them down,” Crawford said.

What emerged was a ceremony unlike many school recognition events. The awards given Monday night were not reserved for valedictorians or student body officers. They were given to students who exceeded expectations quietly, without fanfare, and might otherwise have left their school years without a single moment of public acknowledgment.

“These are the kids that did better than they were supposed to do,” Crawford said. “They went above and beyond in certain things.”

The reach of the ceremony extends beyond the graduates. Presenting awards to students in grades K-12 was a deliberate choice that organizers say sends a message to them that their efforts are being watched and valued.

“This isn’t just for our seniors,” Crawford said. “This is for our youth.”

The Kente stoles presented at the ceremony were purchased entirely with funds donated by the Palm Springs Black History Committee, meaning the school district bore none of the cost — a reflection, Crawford said, of the broader community investment that drives the program.

Behind the single evening event is a year-round structure that most people never see. Volunteer boards, mentorship circles, and community organizations work alongside teachers and parents to support students through the school year. Crawford said that network is the real engine of the program’s impact.

“What people don’t see is the community is coming back and giving back and backing our youth here in the Palm Springs Unified School District,” he said.

More than 100 students were listed to receive recognition Monday, though Crawford acknowledged that transportation barriers prevent some from attending. He said no student would be left without their stole.

“Every student that’s name is on this list will get their Kente stole, be it tonight or later on this week,” Crawford said. “And when they walk across that stage, they’ll have some pride to show that they have a community that backs them and a school district that supports it.”

Crawford said he has watched the ceremony’s effects ripple outward — students who might not have imagined themselves in college or a skilled trade or the military now seeing those paths as real possibilities.

“I can see these kids being inspired to do things such as going to college, picking up a trade, joining the service,” he said. “These kids are going to be doing things that weren’t thought of when they were in elementary or even middle school.”

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