Funding from the endowment will support the purchase of authentic, handwoven West African Kente cloth stoles that each student receives at the Donning of the Kente ceremony.
Each spring, Elon’s Donning of the Kente honors the achievements of graduating students who recognize their African roots. It is a powerful ceremony that brings students, faculty, staff and families together to celebrate the success of Black students.
This year, the event will take on an even deeper meaning following the establishment of the Kelli E. Palmer ’98 Donning of the Kente Endowment. Funding from the endowment will support the event, including the purchase of Kente stoles that each student receives at the ceremony and wears at Elon’s Commencement.
The endowment honors the achievements of Palmer, a 1998 Elon alumna and member of the university’s Board of Trustees, who for nearly three decades has embodied alumni leadership and a lifelong connection with the university and its students.
“This endowment helps ensure all students who choose to experience this Afrocentric ceremony can participate in a collective celebration of mentorship, inclusive excellence and student success, all of which are institutional priorities at Elon,” said Randy Williams, vice president for inclusive excellence, who led the effort to bring Donning of the Kente to Elon in 2017 to enrich the Black student experience.
“Like the authentic handwoven Kente stoles, each student radiates unique beauty that is now supported by this investment,” Williams said. “It affirms Kelli’s belief in the necessity of uplifting Black cultural traditions and ensuring that Black students receive institutional backing in celebrating their heritage and achievements.”
Rites of passage, like Donning of the Kente, are common in many cultures, Palmer noted. They denote connection and accomplishment as well as responsibility.
“I was overjoyed when I found out that Elon students would be able to celebrate this important rite of passage with their families,” Palmer said. “So much of being part of the Elon community for me was experiencing as a student and perpetuating as an alumna opportunities centered in the values of the Black community and Elon.”
The ninth-annual Donning of the Kente ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 22, in Alumni Gym. Each student will select a mentor, friend or family member to present them with their stole, acknowledging their hard work and encouraging them in their future endeavors. Students will wear their stoles the following day at Elon’s 135th Commencement for inspiration and to honor, celebrate and reflect on their collective heritage and successes.
The Kente cloth symbolizes and celebrates prestige in many African societies, dating to 12th century Africa in Ghana. Worn during ceremonial events by royalty and important figures of state in Ghanaian society, the Kente cloth is a visual representation of African history, philosophy, ethics, oral literature, moral values, social code of conduct, religious beliefs, political thought and aesthetic principles.
The event has inspired the success of other campus celebrations that have incorporated elements of Donning of the Kente into their programs, Williams said.
“I am proud of Elon’s willingness to create relevant experiences, and the Donning of the Kente ceremony ensures that we celebrate Black students’ achievements in a culturally and historically meaningful way,” he said. “This success is not accidental—it results from sustained advocacy, community-building and a commitment to centering Black voices.”
For Palmer, the ceremony aligns directly with Elon’s commitment to building an inclusive community and supporting Black student excellence on campus and beyond.
“We are called into Elon in a communal way, so why wouldn’t we be called to our next phase of our life and relationship with Elon in a communal way?” Palmer said. “We go forward together as alumni, and we continue to celebrate and support each other and take care of the people we are trying to bring along. It feels deeply in line with the culture that I know and has helped me be successful.”
“It is fitting to have an alumna play a lead role in supporting Donning of the Kente. The ceremony represents the students’ transition into the alumni family,” said Kendra Haskins, senior director of alumni engagement. “EBAN, our acronym for the Elon Black Alumni Network, also happens to be the name of an Adinkra symbol from West Africa that means ‘fence.’ It represents a strong, united family that prioritizes protection and togetherness—a perfect definition of the mission that lies at the heart of our Black alumni network.”
Palmer, of Charlottesville, Virginia, graduated from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education with a degree in elementary education. She earned a master’s degree in Counselor Education from Wake Forest University and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Virginia and has also studied at Oxford University and earned graduate certificates from Boston College and Harvard. She currently serves as Chief Employee Experience Officer at WillowTree, a market-leading digital product consultancy, where she works to support and expand the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion and social impact commitments.
Palmer has served in many volunteer roles at her alma mater, including as a member of Elon’s Black Life Advisory Council since 2017 and previously as an Alumni 360 Volunteer, a member of the Elon Mentor Network and the Elon Alumni Board (2008-2012). In recognition of her service, Palmer was named Elon’s Young Alumna of the Year (2007), Distinguished Alumna of the Year (2016) and in 2010 delivered the Commencement address as Alumni Board President. She also received the Gail Fonville Parker ’70 Distinguished Alumna Award, recognizing her support of the Elon Black Alumni Network.
Palmer has also been a devoted donor to Elon and was a founding donor to the Black Alumni Scholarship. Giving back is an obligation she takes seriously.
“Universities are not built in solitude. They are a communal effort,” she said. “I had the benefit of being in a place where I knew the tuition stopped well before my academic year stopped, and I felt a sense of responsibility for contributing.”