The 2024 Clark Atlanta spring graduation turned out to be a real HBCU newsmaker despite President Joe Biden appearing across campus at Morehouse the same weekend. There was Dr. Daniel Black’s viral commencement speech, on top of a big shoutout from 16-time Grammy Award winner Adele.
In a video posted to TikTok, the singer is seated at a piano during a concert on Friday night at her Las Vegas residency. She takes a break during her set to acknowledge what she calls her stepdaughter, Reonna, and congratulates her on graduating from Clark Atlanta University.
“I love you, darling! Congratulations!,” Adele says to the crowd. “She’s the first family member that’s graduated college. How amazing is that?”
Reonna is the daughter of sports agent Rich Paul whom Adele has been in a relationship with since 2021. Paul’s clients include Lebron James, whom he grew up with. It’s unclear if the couple is officially married.
“They’re all in Atlanta and they’re celebrating her,” she said to tremendous applause. “I love you, baby!”
Adele tells all at Vegas
Throughout her career Adele has received twelve Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, 16 Grammy Awards, 18 Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards and two Ivor Novello Awards for songwriter of the year.
Adele was full of information for the Las Vegas crowd this weekend. She told the crowd she’d like to have a baby girl when her residency is completed. She also detailed the health struggle she went through when she had to delay her concert dates between March and April. Adele says she was on voice rest for over five weeks, having to remain totally silent to get her voice back.
The 35th Clark Atlanta University Commencement Convocation was held on Saturday, May 18, at 8:00 AM. Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College are three HBCU institutions that make up the Atlanta University Center.