Sen. Kamala Harris, Janelle Monae and, yes, Betsy DeVos are among HBCU graduation speakers

Graduations at the country’s historically black universities and colleges (HBCUs) are underway, with most of them beginning this weekend.

The headliners include U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris at Howard University; actress and singer Janelle Monae at Dillard University; Donna Brazile, interim Democratic National Committee chairwoman, at Miles College; Van Jones at Morehouse College; former Vice President Joe Biden at Morgan State; Laila Ali at North Carolina A&T University; and Iyanla Vanzant at the University of the Virgin Islands.

The most controversial speaker is U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who will address Bethune-Cookman University graduates on May 10. University President Edison O. Jackson, who invited DeVos, defended the choice against criticism from the school community and others, although two online petitions are pushing the school to rescind the invitation.

Jackson, writing in the Orlando Sentinel, said, “I am especially sensitive to balancing the notion of academic freedom with quelling potentially hateful and harmful rhetoric. The political and racial chasms in our county have deepened, and college presidents have struggled with these issues over the past few months. Some have rescinded invitations to potentially controversial speakers.”

Here is a list of speakers. Some schools didn’t respond to questions or haven’t announced who their speakers will be.