The photograph spread quickly because it seemed to capture something larger than a graduation.
In it, Wheeler School senior Philip Spradlin, wearing a black cap and gown wraps his arms around Deon Lucas, a dining services worker who has spent the past five years at the Providence, Rhode Island, school greeting students from behind the lunch counter. Lucas, 45, clutches him tightly. Tears fill her eyes. Behind them, other graduates mill about, but the pair seem momentarily unaware of the crowd.
For many who saw the image, which was captured by photographer Justin Holland and later shared widely on Facebook, it was Lucas’s expression that lingered. Her face is a study in pride, joy and heartbreak, the complicated emotions that accompany watching kids grow up and move on…