Lisa Mesi is the principal who apparently denied at least 3 Black girls diplomas at their graduation from the Philadelphia High School for Girls. Who does this?
Philadelphia High School for Girls, a 175-year-old institution with a lengthy list of notable alumnae, has strict guidelines and customs its students must follow. According to the school’s handbook, graduating students must wear “an all-white knee length, or longer, dress with a cap sleeve” during the ceremony. Students can also wear a white pantsuit, and white shoes must be closed-toe with no more than a 3-inch heel. Traditionally, the graduates also carry flowers. Any student who violates the graduation guidelines may be kept from participating in the ceremony.
Philadelphia High School for Girls recently came under fire after its principal denied a graduate her diploma after the student danced across the stage on her way to receive the certificate on Friday, June 16, at the Kimmel Center.
This year, students were given a prior warning for their graduation ceremony that their families would not be allowed to cheer, clap, or shout when they would walk across the stage to accept their diplomas.
Philadelphia High School for Girls recently came under fire after its principal denied a graduate her diploma after the student danced across the stage on her way to receive the certificate on Friday, June 16, at the Kimmel Center.
This year, students were given a prior warning for their graduation ceremony that their families would not be allowed to cheer, clap, or shout when they would walk across the stage to accept their diplomas.
There are no specific directions regarding graduation behavior in the handbook, but Abdur-Rahman’s grandmother, Renée Hadiyah Reid, told The Daily Beast that students’ families were well-aware that they were not allowed to cheer or clap when students walked across the stage.
“This is their tradition that you can’t say anything,” Reid told The Daily Beast. “They all have to wear white, you have to be very solemn. It was nothing joyous about it. It was like we were at a funeral procession, a very quiet one.”
Philadelphia High School for Girls held its graduation ceremony on June 9. The following day Reid posted a clip on Facebook of her granddaughter walking across the stage.
Discover more from KossyDerrickent
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
