Bakari Awards

Bakari is a Swahili word meaning “of a noble promise”; it was adapted by HL Ratliff ’78 and serves as a motto of the African American Alumni Association (A4), which provides mentorship to students of color at the Prep. 

The Bakari Awards is an annual awards ceremony recognizing the academic and leadership achievements of our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students of the Prep. Each year we recognize outstanding students and alumni who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership in their fields.

The ceremony is also a time to honor our BIPOC seniors with the ceremonial multicultural graduation stole which symbolizes their transition from Prep students to distinguished alumni of the Prep. It invites these alumni into the fold of the A4 to continue serving our students and fulfilling that noble promise.