Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay has yet another accolade under her belt. Earlier this week, Yale University announced the producer-director would be among several other notable figures to receive an honorary doctorate, a tradition that began at the Ivy League school in 1702.
DuVernay was honored with a Doctor of Fine Arts degree, which is right up her alley as a creative. Yale University President Peter Salovey wrote a statement addressing her work in the industry and as an activist.
“Creator and critic, you portray the richness and variety of human experience from all angles. By elevating others, you bring new stories into focus and amplify voices we need to hear,” he said.
“Hollywood maverick, for challenging us to reckon with our past and our present, and for working to change both an industry and society, Yale is pleased to confer on you this Doctor of Fine Arts degree.”
Related Post: Howard University Names Phylicia Rashad Dean of College of Fine Arts
The When They See Us director was born in Compton, California, and attended college at UCLA. The ambitious DuVernay double majored in English and African American studies and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree.
Now, the recipient of an honorary doctorate, she can refer to herself as “Dr. DuVernay,” something her mother has already taken to.
My thanks to the special committee at @Yale for this honor. My mom is over the moon and has taken to calling me Dr. DuVernay. Hope that wears off. But the joy of your high regard will not. A thrill to share this with the formidable Class of 2021 and my esteemed fellow honorees. https://t.co/MqNJDUOhuf pic.twitter.com/Em1UTHohym
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 24, 2021
In a Monday tweet, DuVernay thanked Yale University for the honor.
“My thanks to the special committee at @Yale for this honor. My mom is over the moon and has taken to calling me Dr. DuVernay,” she wrote. “Hope that wears off. But the joy of your high regard will not. A thrill to share this with the formidable Class of 2021 and my esteemed fellow honorees.”
Also honored with a Yale University degree are talk show host Stephen Colbert, children’s author Judy Blume and Donald R. Hopkins, a physician known for eradicating Guinea worm disease.
