Dad and Daughter Share Stage as He Gives Fall 2025 Commencement Speech

As a child, Cora Black made tea for her father Albert using a tiny kettle, cups and saucers. Dad played along, sipping the imaginary tea and bonding with his daughter. As Cora grew up, that bond grew even stronger. It was on magnificent display as Cora, 35, crossed the stage at the UNT Dallas Fall 2025 Commencement ceremony, where Albert C. Black Jr. gave the keynote speech to hundreds of graduates, including his own daughter.

“I don’t know who I would be without the influence of my Dad,” Cora said a few days before the ceremony. “She is the most kind and considerate daughter anyone can have,” said Mr. Black, who is the founder and CEO of On Target Supplies and Logistics in Dallas.

This was not the typical Commencement experience, nor was it the typical college journey for Cora Black. From 2009-2014, she attended a university in Missouri but dropped out in her senior year. Racial tensions were high, following the fatal shooting of a Black teenager by a White police officer in Ferguson, MO. Cora was the victim of racial incidents on campus, including hate speech written on her door and an assault. “The institution did nothing about it,” she said.

Cora returned home to Dallas, but her parents were not fully aware of everything that happened. She thought about finishing her degree somewhere else closer to home. “But I had to slay some dragons first,” Cora explained.

With the help of mental health professionals, Cora worked through the trauma she had suffered – and its lasting effects. “I did that internal work and said to myself ‘I’m ready to get after it’,” she recalled.

Cora established a successful career as an HR professional and now works for the City of Dallas. “I’ve been blessed to have mentors,” Cora said. She stayed competitive in the workforce and earned SHRM and PHR certifications. Then it was time to continue her growth trajectory. “I’m very grateful to UNT Dallas for being the vehicle,” she said. Earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology has been “very liberating. I won’t have to look for equivalencies anymore.”

VIDEO: At 1:14:10 Watch as Cora Black Embraces Her Father Albert on Commencement Stage

Cora graduated with honors and a 3.8 GPA. “I never thought about Commencement with a pack of 22-year-olds,” she said with a laugh. Having her father there to witness her achievement – not in the audience but on stage after his remarks – was thrilling. “He embodies every life lesson he taught us,” Cora said proudly.

She and her two older brothers learned a lot from their dad. “He has a tough, stoic exterior. He holds you accountable,” Cora said. “He’s also a teddy bear and has a sweet spot.”

Albert C. Black Jr. grew up with Texas State Senator Royce West (D-TX23). They shared a paper route – the beginnings of their entrepreneurial lives and dedication to public service. Cora learned about UNT Dallas because of Sen. West, who secured legislative funding for the university and has continually championed its expansion.

The educational thread that runs through the Black and West families demonstrated itself again when Cora and her brothers advocated that Dallas ISD name a school after their father. They lobbied the school board as part of a larger campaign to honor living legends, rather than putting peoples’ names on schools after they passed away.

The Albert C. Black, Jr. STEAM Academy in Oak Cliff is one of the first Dallas ISD schools named for someone who is still alive, currently serving 800 elementary school students. “It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” said Cora.

Years ago, when the idea of a public university in southern Dallas more of a dream than a reality, Sen. West urged Mr. Black and his wife to donate to the cause. They booked a ballroom and invited generous friends, neighbors and business associates. It was the first fundraiser ever held to benefit UNT Dallas. Now, Black is recommitting his support. “I’m going to see if there’s something else that I can do to help the university,” he said in his Commencement speech.

Black told UNT Dallas graduates “the world is a complex, full of opportunities… but also full of noise.” He called AI a “great learning partner” and that “the AI monster is not going to bite us.”

Black encouraged the young adults listening to live by five virtues:

• Choose kindness
• Live generously
• Practice hospitality
• Stay accessible
• Remain learned

Black credited the combination of his stubbornness and his wife’s patience with guiding Cora to this moment. “It has my baby girl in this audience today,” he said. “It is an incredible honor to share the stage with her.”

Looking back, Cora said her father was a perfect “girl dad,” despite some occasional friction. “I was his worst nightmare,” she said. “I have challenged my dad as a parent in every way. It brought us closer as I got older.”

Black advised graduates to go forward with purpose, integrity and hope. Cora has already followed that advice, and she benefited from it – from the obstacles she has faced, to the career she has built, and now, to the degree she has earned. Not only are her parents proud, but so is the UNT Dallas community. After all, she's a true Trailblazer!