{"id":68215,"date":"2023-05-18T01:02:01","date_gmt":"2023-05-18T05:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=68215"},"modified":"2023-05-18T01:02:01","modified_gmt":"2023-05-18T05:02:01","slug":"attacks-on-segregated-graduation-ceremonies-overlook-the-history-of-racism-on-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/attacks-on-segregated-graduation-ceremonies-overlook-the-history-of-racism-on-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"Attacks on \u2018segregated\u2019 graduation ceremonies overlook the history of racism on campus"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

For most college students, graduation is a one-time event. But for a growing number of students from various groups, such as students of color or LGTBQ students, there might be multiple graduation ceremonies to attend.<\/p>\n

These special graduation ceremonies for certain groups are known as \u201caffinity graduations.\u201d These ceremonies are\u00a0drawing the ire of conservatives<\/a>, who dismiss them as \u201csegregated<\/a>\u201d graduations.<\/p>\n

As scholars who focus on issues of\u00a0equity<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0student development<\/a>, we have a different take. We see such celebrations as not only relevant but critical to fostering a\u00a0sense of belonging<\/a>\u00a0for students of color. This sense of belonging is particularly important among students from what we refer to in\u00a0our 2021 book<\/a>\u00a0as \u201cminoritized\u201d groups \u2013 that is, groups that are not the dominant group and are seen as minorities even when numerically they are not.<\/p>\n

Special programs to support students of color \u2013 both academically and socially \u2013 can also bring about a\u00a0better sense of self, persistence and ultimately success<\/a>\u00a0in college.<\/p>\n

A history of exclusion<\/strong><\/h4>\n

As we state in our 2021 book, students of color formed their own fraternities and sororities\u00a0in response to larger societal oppression<\/a>\u00a0and other forms of discrimination. More specifically, they formed these groups in response to\u00a0discriminatory practices within historically white sororities and fraternities<\/a>. These culturally based sororities and fraternities,\u00a0some of which were founded in the early 1900s<\/a>\u00a0during the era of Jim Crow, emerged to serve and\u00a0lift up minoritized communities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Affinity graduations \u2013 in our view \u2013 are an extension of these\u00a0efforts by students of color<\/a>. Much like different student organizations, such as as LGBTQ+ groups,\u00a0Black Student Unions<\/a>\u00a0or Mexican American Student Associations, they are not meant to segregate students. Rather, they are meant to\u00a0create a supportive community on campus<\/a>\u00a0for students of color and other marginalized groups. The organizations also serve as\u00a0ways for students from different groups to organize<\/a>\u00a0and advocate for changes in the curriculum and higher education systems in general to better serve their interests.<\/p>\n

These kinds of efforts create spaces where\u00a0students can feel seen and wholly affirmed for who they are<\/a>. They also provide a\u00a0refuge from discrimination students may experience elsewhere on campus<\/a>. This discrimination can\u00a0adversely affect student mental health<\/a>. Further, these spaces serve as a venue for students to\u00a0discover themselves and develop their identities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Special graduations<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds graduate, many want to celebrate the joy they feel after having done what it takes to get through college. Affinity graduations are meant to\u00a0recognize and celebrate<\/a>\u00a0the accomplishments of particular communities that have overcome\u00a0barriers<\/a>\u00a0to graduate from college. These barriers may include\u00a0racial discrimination<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Affinity graduations are optional ceremonies. They take place at colleges and universities throughout the country. For instance, in addition to its main graduation ceremony,\u00a0Penn State<\/a>\u00a0offers a Lavender Graduation for queer and transgender students. It also offers celebrations for Latinx, Black, Indigenous and Asian Pacific Islander Desi American students.<\/p>\n

Harvard<\/a>\u00a0offers similar race- and ethnicity-based ceremonies. The school also offers a graduation ceremony for students with disabilities. So does\u00a0California State University, Monterey Bay<\/a>, which also has one for undocumented students.<\/p>\n

Criticism and attacks<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Affinity graduations\u00a0go back at least to the 1970s<\/a>. Their formation undoubtedly parallels broader social movements at the time led by minoritized groups in the United States.<\/p>\n

As of late, affinity graduations have drawn attacks from conservative thinkers and news outlets. Some have gone so far as to say that affinity graduations serve only as\u00a0a form of self-segregation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Based on our research, we think the critics miss the fact that affinity graduations are\u00a0not designed to segregate students<\/a>, but rather to bring them together in community with others who share similar identities and potentially similar experiences.<\/p>\n

Too often, we believe, affinity graduations are the targets of people who are trying to reduce the complex histories of U.S. higher education into overly simplistic narratives. We also see the attacks on affinity graduations as\u00a0part of a larger attack<\/a>\u00a0on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on college campuses.<\/p>\n

Many conservatives argue that American schools\u00a0should not teach about the history of racism in the United States<\/a>. The creation of affinity graduations is rooted in a response to racism. Given that there are those who don\u2019t even want students to learn about racism, it comes as little surprise that there are also those who would want these affinity graduations to go away.<\/p>\n

Author Bios:<\/strong> Crystal Garcia is Assistant Professor of Educational Administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Antonio Duran is Assistant Professor of Higher and Postsecondary Education at Arizona State University<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For most college students, graduation is a one-time event. But for a growing number of students from various groups, such as students of color or LGTBQ students, there might be multiple graduation ceremonies to attend. These special graduation ceremonies for certain groups are known as \u201caffinity graduations.\u201d These ceremonies are\u00a0drawing the ire of conservatives, who […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[434434],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-68215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-higher-education","tag-segregated-graduation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAttacks on \u2018segregated\u2019 graduation ceremonies overlook the history of racism on campus - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/attacks-on-segregated-graduation-ceremonies-overlook-the-history-of-racism-on-campus\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Attacks on \u2018segregated\u2019 graduation ceremonies overlook the history of racism on campus - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For most college students, graduation is a one-time event. 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