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Harvard ends racially segregated grad ceremonies, renames DEI office amid battle with Trump

Ivy League school had special, separate ceremonies for ‘Arab, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, first-generation, low-income’ students, and more

Harvard University is ending its tradition of hosting special, racially segregated graduation ceremonies and is renaming its Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging amid a fierce battle with the Trump administration, with the moves seen by some as a something of a concession.

The university made the announcements this week as it faces continued pressure from the Trump administration to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and address antisemitism. The administration also informed all colleges and universities in February that federal law prohibits using race in decisions pertaining to student housing and graduation ceremonies.

Moving forward, Harvard will no longer provide “funding, staffing, or spaces for affinity celebrations,” according to a university email, The Harvard Crimson reports.

The change to the DEI office also was announced Monday in an email to the campus from the head of what had been the Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, CNN reported.

“We must sharpen our focus on fostering connections across difference, creating spaces for dialogue, and cultivating a culture of belonging – not as an abstract ideal, but as a lived experience for all,” Harvard’s Sherri Ann Charleston wrote. “To capture this emphasis and this mission, our office will become Community and Campus Life, effective immediately.”

As for the decision to end the segregated graduation ceremonies, it prompted a protest Tuesday and pledges from students to host them on their own.

“When Harvard says we want you to feel that you belong, but we’re going to get rid of a decades-long tradition that celebrates your achievements and those of your family all in the same breath, we know it’s nothing more than false promises and a willingness to capitulate to these un-American attacks by the Trump administration,” Latino student Victor Flores said during the protest.

Despite the cuts, Flores said students still plan to hold a “Latinx” graduation celebration, according to a Crimson report.

Meanwhile, Harvard Undergraduate Association leaders promised to advocate for restored support for the affinity group ceremonies.

“You have our word from our side that we’ll do our absolute best to create avenues for affinity group celebrations to still happen on campus,” co-president Abdullah Shahid Sial said at the protest.

According to the student newspaper:

Last year, Harvard hosted ten affinity celebrations for the Class of 2024, including for Arab, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, first-generation, low-income, and Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Desi graduates. The events — some of which drew more than 1,000 people from across Harvard’s schools last year — typically feature awards and speeches from students, faculty, and administrators.

The Education Department letter did not address affinity celebrations not based on race, including events for LGBTQ graduates, Jewish graduates, veterans, and graduates with disabilities. And the Harvard email on Monday did not specify which events would no longer be permitted on campus.

University spokesperson Jason A. Newton wrote in an emailed statement that Harvard “is reviewing the FAQs that were issued on February 28 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.”

“Harvard remains committed to building a community where individuals who bring a broad array backgrounds, experiences and perspectives come together to learn, grow and thrive, and equally committed to complying with the law,” he wrote.

Harvard’s leaders have refused to comply with the Trump administration’s demands to either enact changes or face funding cuts.

Last week, the university filed a lawsuit against the federal government, calling the funding freeze “unlawful and beyond the government’s authority,” The College Fix reported at the time.

However, some students and faculty at the protest Tuesday argued that the graduation ceremony cuts are a sign of administrators bowing to the federal pressure.

Cornell Brooks, a public leadership and social justice professor, joined the protest because he said he believes in diversity, equity, and inclusion, according to The Crimson.

A former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, he said the university should not have cut support for the ceremonies or changed the name of its DEI office.

“We have the administration that has persuaded wise minds to rebrand and rename offices dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Brooks said. “As though diversity is somehow wrong. As though inclusion was somehow wrong. As though equity were somehow wrong.”

About 80 people attended the protest, organized by a new student group called Harvard Students for Freedom, The Crimson reports. The group opposes the Trump administration’s interference in higher education and advocates against the deportation of international students.

Other universities also have canceled exclusive graduation ceremonies this spring due to political pressure.

The University of Louisville canceled its “Lavender Graduation” ceremony for LGBTQ students, The College Fix reported earlier this week. Earlier this month, the University of Kentucky also canceled its “Lavender Graduation” and two other ceremonies specifically for black and first-generation students.

Both universities pointed to a state ban on DEI programs, as well as similar actions by the Trump administration at the federal level.

MORE: Gettysburg College effort to enroll ‘20% students of color’ prompts federal complaint

IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: Students stand wearing their graduation caps. Mr. Nikon/Shutterstock

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About the Author
Micaiah Bilger is an assistant editor at The College Fix.