PHOENIX (AP) — As a first-generation college student, Austin Kissinger was looking forward to celebrating graduation with others of similar backgrounds who helped each other find their way at the University of Kentucky. Typically, Kentucky students who are the first in their family to graduate from college pick a faculty member to join them in a special ceremony.
Earlier this month, the university canceled the ceremony, along with other convocations that recognize Black and LGBTQ+ students, citing the Trump administration’s campaign to rein in diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Those student groups pooled resources for a celebration together off campus — without the school’s involvement — but Kissinger said the about-face left him and others feeling unsupported.
“It’s kind of like you’re taking away our celebration, like you’re not letting us embrace who we want to be,” said Kissinger, a graduating senior who leads the university’s First Generation Student Organization. “You’re not letting us represent what we do at the university.”
President Donald Trump’s calls to eliminate any program that treats students differently because of their race have brought new scrutiny of affinity graduation ceremonies. The events have long been a way to build community and recognize the achievements and unique experiences of underrepresented students.
Many affinity ceremonies are on track to proceed as usual around the country, with colleges saying the events comply with new guidance.
But some colleges are pulling back support. Those include Harvard University, which is battling the Trump administration over demands related to campus activism and diversity efforts on campus. Despite suing the administration over some of its attempts to force changes on campus, Harvard told students it would no longer provide funding, staffing or spaces for affinity celebrations, the Harvard Crimson student newspaper reported.
Some colleges act to comply with Trump administration guidance
At the University of Kentucky, spokesperson Jay Blanton said the main commencement celebrates all students. He said the university did away with others to comply with the law and “how we believe it is being interpreted by the administration.”
“The success and support of our students is a principle and purpose that is incredibly important to us. Everything we do on this campus, we do with that in mind as our goal,” Blanton said. “At the same time, we believe we must comply with the law and are doing so here.”
Around the country, universities have come under increasing pressure to get in line with the political agenda of Trump’s administration, which already has frozen billions of dollars in grants for Harvard, Columbia University and other colleges over allegations they have not done enough to counter antisemitism.
The Education Department directed colleges to distance themselves from DEI with a “Dear Colleague” letter in February. It said a 2023 Supreme Court decision outlawing the use of racial preferences in college admissions also applied to things like hiring, scholarships and graduation ceremonies. The administration contended American educational institutions have been discriminating against students, including white and Asian American students.
“In a shameful echo of a darker period in this country’s history, many American schools and universities even encourage segregation by race at graduation ceremonies and in dormitories and other facilities,” read the letter, which was signed by Craig Trainor, the Education Department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The practice has roots in the era of segregation at some schools, but organizers of Black convocations today say they are a way to celebrate the accomplishments of diverse student populations that were once overlooked. Many colleges also have “Lavender graduations,” which celebrate LGBTQ+ students and grew out of a time decades ago when many lacked support from their families.
For students who are the first in their families to attend college, it can be easy to feel out of place or unsure of where to turn for help, Kissinger said. At Kentucky, he said he often felt like he had to figure out everything on his own. The affinity ceremony, he said, was intended as a celebration of resilience and pride that they reached graduation.
With ceremonies canceled, some find other ways to keep up traditions
Arizona’s Maricopa County Community Colleges called off all its cultural and special interest convocations, citing in a statement “enforcement priorities” set by the U.S. Education Department. But the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community volunteered to hold a convocation ceremony for American Indian graduates.
“While we are deeply disappointed by the cancellation of convocation ceremonies for minority students, we believe it is important to come together as a community to honor our graduates and their families,” community President Martin Harvier said in a statement.
At Ohio University, Aaron Thomas arranged for his alma mater’s Black alumni weekend to go forward this spring after the university canceled it to comply with a state prohibition on DEI, which echoes the federal directive. Thomas, who runs a production company near the university’s campus in Athens, Ohio, planned to foot the bill for an alumni barbecue until the mayor’s office, nonprofits and restaurants pitched in to organize a weekend of events.
Among the schools with affinity events planned over the next few weeks is California State University, Long Beach, which says its celebrations for Pacific Islander and Cambodian students, among others, comply with the administration’s guidance because they are open to anybody.
“Our students are looking forward to these celebrations, which are open to all and are consistent with guidance from the Department of Education,” spokesperson Jim Milbury said.
On its website, a statement included with information about the cultural celebrations acknowledges the changing college landscape:
“Particularly as federal immigration policies evolve, there may be concerns that representatives and officers from U.S. immigration enforcement agencies may visit university campuses across the country,” it says. “While we have no knowledge of any planned visit to our campus, we offer this information.”
___ Thompson reported from Buffalo, N.Y. Associated Press writer Collin Binkley in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. ___
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