2026 NBG Booklet
W elcome to the 15th Annual
National Black Grads Celebration. This moment is more than an event.
It is a milestone, a testimony, and living proof of what can happen when a village refuses to give up on its children.
For fifteen years, National Black Grads has stood as a beacon of love, excellence, vision, and commitment for Black students across the Inland Empire. We have climbed mountains to get here. We have pressed through obstacles, stretched resources, faced uncertain times, and still, here we stand.
We are living in a world that carries real weight. Families are navigating economic uncertainty, employment challenges, homelessness, mental and physical health struggles, and the pressure of holding everything together in unstable times. Yet even in the face of it all, we remain resilient, bold, fearless, and full of joy.
That is what this celebration represents.
To every parent, family member, educator, mentor, donor, volunteer, partner, and supporter, thank you for being the village. Thank you for pouring in, standing in the gap, and helping carry this vision for fifteen years.
Every student honored here today is the answer to somebody's prayer. They are the fruit of sacrifice, the evidence of perseverance, and the living dream of ancestors who believed that one day we would not only survive, but shine.
Today, we celebrate more than graduation. We celebrate possibility, brilliance, and the power of a people who know how to build, protect, uplift, and love one another through every season.
At National Black Grads, this has always been more than a ceremony. It is a declaration. It is a movement. It is our way of saying that Black excellence is real, present, powerful, and worthy of being seen, honored, and lifted high.
To every graduate, we see you, we honor you, we believe in you, and we need you.
As we celebrate this milestone, may this room be filled with gratitude, joy, and expectation for all that is still possible.
Welcome to the movement. Welcome to the joy.
Welcome to the village.
Keynasia Buffong