“The Breakfast Club” co-host Charlamagne Tha God recently made his mother proud (again) when he accepted an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, South Carolina State University on Friday, May 7. Not a bad accomplishment for the man who ended up going to night school to eventually earn his high school diploma. The New York Time’s bestselling author hit up Instagram and shared his crowning achievement.
“Thank you God for being the best knower and planner. Mother’s Day Weekend and My Mom just got to witness a man you can now call Dr. Lenard Larry Mckelvey give the commencement speech at her alma mater @scstate1896 you can call me Dr. Lenard, Dr. Charla, however you want to do it just know with this honorary doctorate you shall forever call me DOCTOR!!!!!!! Thank You South Carolina State for the honor!!! My mother is proud and my ancestors are pleased!!!! Congrats to all the 2020 and 2021 Graduates of SC STATE UNIVERSITY!!! 🙏🏿✊🏾🖤,” the outspoken commentator shared.
Charlamagne Tha God has been advocating mental health awareness for the Black community over the past few years and recently launched the Mental Wealth Alliance. The foundation was created to help remove the stigma about mental health issues and make the topic more relatable among African Americans. South Carolina State University conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters upon the Breakfast Club host.
“Charlamagne’s commitment to higher education and mental health issues is evident both in his philanthropic endeavors and his writing,” SC State President James E. Clark told The Time and Democratic Newspaper. “His relationship with SC State has resulted in great benefit to our students. SC State is privileged to bestow a Doctor of Humane Letters upon such a deserving and fervent advocate.”
Charlamagne’s mother, Julie Ford McKelvey, graduated from SC State in 1975. In 2019, the radio shock jock established The Ford Family Endowed Scholarship Fund by contributing $250,000 to S.C. State’s Alumni Association in honor of his mother and grandmother through his nonprofit organization, Third Eye Awareness. The fund supports scholarships for Black women in English, communications and mental health fields at the university.
