Phi Beta Sigma’s Dr. Kendall Harris and His Mother, Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Dr. Diane Harris, Celebrate Their Doctorates Together

Two doctoral degrees. Two different paths. One family that made sure neither of them stopped before reaching the finish line.

In May 2026, Kendall Harris, a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., earned his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Sport Management. Just 17 months earlier, in December 2024, his mother, Diane Harris, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). To honor both milestones, the mother and son took his doctoral graduation photos side by side.

Dr. Kendall Harris is a Fall 2012 initiate and lifetime member of Phi Beta Sigma. Dr. Diane Harris is a Fall 2021 initiate of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

For Kendall, the degree represents years of sacrifice, long nights, and moments when he had to remind himself why he started. Driving him throughout was the memory of his father, who passed away on Christmas Day in 2014.

“Although he was not physically here to witness these moments, the values, work ethic, and confidence he instilled in our family continue to influence who we are and what we strive to accomplish,” Dr. Kendall Harris shared with Watch The Yard.

The two doctoral journeys overlapped, and the family leaned on each other through both. When Diane was in the final stretch of her DNP program, her son and the rest of the family reminded her how close she was and pushed her to keep going. When Kendall hit the difficult stretches of his own program, his mother returned that same encouragement.

That exchange is why the joint photos mattered so much to them.

“They are a celebration of two individual achievements, but also of a family that believed in one another enough to make sure neither of us stopped before reaching the finish line,” he said.

For Dr. Diane Harris, standing beside her son in regalia was a moment she describes as unforgettable.

“Standing beside my son, both of us having earned the title ‘Doctor,’ was a moment of immeasurable pride,” she said. “This moment made me feel like I had graduated all over again, and I would not trade this sense of pride and joy for the world. Some photos capture a moment, but I truly believe ours captured a legacy.”

As a brother of Phi Beta Sigma and a soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the pair see their degrees as another way to live out the principles of their organizations. Phi Beta Sigma was built on brotherhood, scholarship, and service under the motto “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity,” while Alpha Kappa Alpha has long carried the charge of “Service to All Mankind.” Both see education as a tool for uplifting their communities.

“For us, Black excellence is not simply about the titles ‘Dr.’ before our names. It is about what we do with the opportunities those titles provide,” Kendall said. “If our story can show someone else that their circumstances do not determine their ceiling and that they do not have to reach their goals alone, then these degrees become bigger than either one of us.”

He closed with a reminder for the next generation: “Never forget that we as a people are our ancestors’ wildest dreams.”

We at Watch The Yard congratulate Dr. Kendall Harris and Dr. Diane Harris on this family milestone.

Share this article with your network to celebrate this mother and son duo.