HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — MSNBC President and Hampton University alumna Rashida Jones will serve as the university’s 150th commencement speaker.
The commencement will be held virtually at 10 a.m. on May 19, 2021.
Hampton University President William R. Harvey announced the news Wednesday afternoon in a release.
“Ms. Rashida Jones’ star is among the brightest in her field. She will inspire and enlighten our graduates as they prepare to make their own historical marks on the world,” said Harvey.
Jones graduated from Hampton University in Mass Media Arts back in 2002. She became the first Black executive to lead one of the major cable news organizations when she succeeded MSNBC President Phil Griffin in early February.
Her work in the news industry began as a morning show producer for a local news station before becoming a director of live programming and executive producer for The Weather Channel. Jones had been a news director for another station before serving as the senior vice president for MSNBC and NBC News.
In 2019, Jones was inducted into the Hampton University Scripps Howard School Hall of Fame.