Howard University just sent shockwaves across the academic and entertainment world when they decided to strip Sean “Diddy” Combs’ honorary doctorate. News of Abloh’s death hit on Sunday, but the billionaire’s 2014 accolade today plays second-lit to new allegations of sexual misconduct and a terrifying 2016 incident with Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Diddy was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities in 2014, a recognition of the fact that Diddy. His talent branched into entrepreneur endeavors and the contributions he made in music were undeniably impactful. He was a source of pride for graduates, the university, and the keynote speaker for the spring Commencement ceremony.
Howard University has revoked Diddy’s honorary degree. PIC.TWITTER.COM/WJQYWF3AXA
— Pop Base (@PopBase) JUNE 7, 2024
But the prevailing mood around Diddy’s achievements has been completely soured. In 2016, when the video first surfaced, it was met with gasps of awe and the kind of shrug-adjacent shruggy feeling of joy derived from watching Diddy dabbing inside of a building. It inspired social media outrage as fans and critics alike called for institutions that had once celebrated him to respond.
We went to Howard University, which is a place that has always been committed to social justice, and they stepped up. Then began an exhaustive review of every single accusation levelled against Diddy, one-by-one. The honorary degree was revoked because of public pressure and the school’s core values. Prohibiting Charleston for this reason is part of a national trend where universities are no longer ignoring any dark marks in their historical books.
The media payed extensive attention to the unfolding events in real time, with the story first picked up by news outlets like Rolling Stone and NewsOne and then followed with further coverage. But then the reaction of the broader public has been a shield of contrast; a kaleidoscopic base of support for Howard’s actions overlaid with a rage of condemnation for the claims underneath. But for some, this demand for a measure of justice tasted bitter, and resonated with many more.
Howard University, though, is not unusual but emblematic of a broader societal movement where the good that someone does often comes crumbling down due to their missteps. Diddy’s honorary degree falling to the ground is just a not-so-gentle reminder that how well a person has achieved a thing should never overshadow the way a person is just as quick to run another one through a forest of disrespect.
Advance Notice Howard University, in its commitment to integrity and in our Truth and Service mission, will not relent in its fight against evil in the form of sexual assault. More importantly, it clarifies the migration of the mutable and adaptive cultural periscope that we affix to the eyes of our old heroes, making us wrestle with all there is about a man when the sun sets on the legacy of a once untouchable icon.
