Mr. Vance will deliver a keynote address at the historically Black medical school’s Fourth Winter Commencement Exercises on December 13.
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) has selected award-winning actor, producer, author and philanthropist Courtney B. Vance to deliver the commencement address for the institution’s Fourth Winter Commencement Exercises, which will be held on Friday, December 13 in the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College.
“Morehouse School of Medicine is thrilled that Mr. Vance will serve as our Winter Commencement speaker,” said MSM President and CEO Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG. “He truly lives a life of purpose, abundantly sharing his time, talent and treasure with millions worldwide. As our graduates embark on their journeys, we are especially inspired by Mr. Vance’s work as an author and mental health advocate, including his book ‘The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power,’ co-authored with noted psychologist Dr. Robin L. Smith and writer Charisse Jones. We are honored to have him join the Morehouse School of Medicine community as we celebrate these scholars and wish them well.”
Mr. Vance started his illustrious acting career on stage before moving to film and television, earning accolades for his performances including a Tony Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Critics Choice Award and multiple NAACP Image Awards, as well as being nominated for numerous Grammy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Hollywood Critics Association awards. He was announced as a member of the 2025 class to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2019, Mr. Vance was elected President and Chairman of the Board for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers comprehensive professional development and educational resources, as well as emergency financial and health assistance programs to SAG- AFTRA artists nationwide. Under his leadership, the foundation has raised and distributed more than $21 million to tens of thousands of performers and their families during times of crisis and financial hardship to cover basic living expenses. An alumnus of the Boys & Girls Club near Detroit, Mr. Vance was inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame in 2005.
Mr. Vance graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the prestigious Yale School of Drama. He met his wife,
actress Angela Bassett, while studying at Yale. Earlier this year, Mr. Vance and Ms. Bassett were jointly named Artist of the Year by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations. In addition to their acting, overseeing Bassett Vance Productions company, and their philanthropic work, the couple co-authored the 2007 book “Friends: A Love Story,” with writer Hilary Beard.
First established as a two-year medical program at Morehouse College in 1975, Morehouse School of Medicine has been an independent institution since 1981. In addition to its world- renowned Doctor of Medicine program, MSM offers a wide range of health sciences doctorate and master’s degrees in public health, biomedical sciences, and physician assistant studies. Many programs are available online or in a hybrid format for distance learners.
To learn more about Morehouse School of Medicine, please visit MSM.edu.
Founded in 1975, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians, biomedical scientists and public health professionals. An independent and private historically Black medical school, MSM was recognized by the Annals of Internal Medicine as the nation’s number one medical school in fulfilling a social mission – leading the creation and advancement of health equity to achieve health justice. MSM faculty and alumni are noted for excellence in teaching, research and public policy, as well as exceptional patient care. MSM is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctoral and master’s degrees. To learn more about programs and donate today, please visit MSM.edu or call 404-752-1500.
