Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to virtually deliver address to Class of 2021 May 19, 2021 SHARE WHAT: Washington University’s 160th Commencement ceremonies. To allow for in-person ceremonies, the traditional universitywide ceremony will be broken up into eight ceremonies over two days. The university will bestow degrees on more 3,200 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. More than 2,500 graduating students will attend the ceremonies in person. WHO: National Basketball Association great and social justice advocate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will deliver the Commencement address and receive an honorary doctor of humanities degree. Abdul-Jabbar’s address to the Class of 2021, which will be video recorded in advance to accommodate the multiple ceremonies, will be shown on large screens on Francis Field for those who are attending in person and livestreamed to graduates who are studying remotely during the spring.