Zahara Jolie-Pitt, daughter of Academy Award-winning stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, is a recent high school graduate. The 17-year-old is set to continue her studies, heading off to one of the most popular and esteemed historically Black colleges and Universities in the country — Spelman College.
The beauty celebrated not only with her famous mom, but a slew of Spelman alumni, other incoming freshman and current students. On Saturday (July 30), mother and daughter linked up with the Spelman and Morehouse alumni associations for the ‘Spelhouse’ Back to School Send Off event in North Hollywood, a fundraiser that brought everyone together.
Jolie celebrated her daughter, sharing a post of Zahara with new friends.
“Zahara with her Spelman sisters!” the proud mama wrote. “Congratulations to all new students starting this year. A very special place and an honor to have a family member as a new Spelman girl.”
Jolie was so excited, she even found herself trying to get in where she could fit in on the dance floor at the event. She was captured trying her hand at everyone’s favorite Black function line dance: the electric slide.
We’re excited for Zahara, who will actually join a fellow star kid, Erica and Warryn Campbell’s daughter Krista, as a member of the Class of 2026 at the beloved school in Atlanta. Talk of Zahara enrolling actually first started a few months ago when Angelina was spotted on campus. Now it’s been confirmed, and the Internet is cheesing about it. They’re also cheesing over the fact that Jolie is so supportive and involved, but that’s nothing new. As the mother of six told ESSENCE last year, there’s plenty concerning the cultures of the children she’s adopted (three, including Zahara, born in Ethiopia), that she’s worked to educate herself about.
“There’s been so much to learn, so much to absorb. I’m trying to listen,” she said when speaking on raising a Black child while watching racial injustice against Black people in this country. “I’m raising children of different races and I feel ever since they were little there’s been so much I have to learn from them about their cultures and their races.”
She added, “The love that you have for your own children is just so immense and then the flip side that comes along with that is any fear of loss or any fear of harm coming to them and I’ll be honest, it can be quite staggering at times. Finding the balance between the joy of parenting and having faith in your children’s safety and the reality of the risk that they can and will and might face, it’s an ongoing battle.”
But Zahara is in good hands at Spelman. We wish her well on her collegiate journey. She’ll be a part of a very special sisterhood that some of our faves have experienced. Check out a few famous Spelman alumni whom we’re sure are excited to hear that she’ll be joining their alma mater.
01
Keshia Knight Pulliam
The actress and entrepreneur is a proud member of the class of 2001.
02
Cassi Davis
Davis, who you may known from her work in Tyler Perry projects like ‘House of Payne’ and most of the Madea movies, is a member of the class of 1988.
03
A.J. Johnson
The actress, fitness guru and life coach is a member of the class of 1988, like Cassi Davis. Interesting enough, both ladies had small roles in Spike Lee’s HBCU-set 1988 film ‘School Daze.’ Some scenes were filmed on the campus of Spelman College. Both ladies played residents of the all-girls dormitory at Mission College.
04
Rolanda Watts
The actress, journalist. and former talk show host is a member of the class of 1980.
05
Tanika Ray
The actress and entertainment reporter is a member of the class of 1994.
06
LaTanya Richardson
The actress and wife of Samuel Jackson (a Morehouse grad), Richardson is a member of the class of 1971.
07
Dr. Bernice King
Lawyer, minister, and the youngest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta, Dr. Bernice King is a member of the class of 1986.
08
Stacey Abrams
Abrams, who is currently running again to be governor of the great state of Georgia, is a member of the class of 1995.
09
Shaun Robinson
The journalist and TV personality is a member of the class of 1984.
