A dream no longer deferred!
Last week, Syracuse University announced that Kevin Richardson, one of the exonerated five, will be the recipient of the first honorary undergraduate degree in the university's history.
Kevin Richardson, a member of the Exonerated Five, will be the recipient of the first honorary undergraduate degree in university history. Richardson is receiving an Honorary Bachelor of Fine Arts in music. pic.twitter.com/F0I2wQZRiO
— Syracuse University (@SyracuseU) October 17, 2020
Richardson was one of five New York teens wrongfully convicted of sexual assault in 1989. Their story was told by Ava DuVernay in the 2019 Netflix miniseries, "When They See Us," which won an Emmy. Before his arrest at 14, Richardson was an aspiring trumpet player with dreams of honing his skills at Syracuse University, but his conviction derailed those aspirations. Now the university is doing their part to honor him and his delayed dream. They initially offered Richardson an honorary doctorate, however he specifically requested to receive his Bachelor of Fine Arts instead.
While honorary degrees are usually awarded at the doctoral level, when we contacted Richardson about the conferral, he specifically requested that he receive the bachelor of fine arts. pic.twitter.com/WpjuAIWFDC
— Syracuse University (@SyracuseU) October 17, 2020
After the announcement went viral on Twitter, receiving thousands of congratulatory likes and comments, Richardson responded with sincere thanks to his supporters.
Thank you everyone... It's blessings upon blessings 🍊👌🏽... Let's go.
— Kevin Richardson (@kevwebb110) October 18, 2020
Sincerely, Kev Richardson
We’re so happy to witness one of your dreams come true, Kevin. Congratulations!
Photo Credit: Syracuse University/Twitter