Several prestigious colleges and universities are presenting options for graduation celebrations segregated by race, sexuality, and income for the spring commencement season following the Supreme Court’s overturning of affirmative action.
While conservative lawmakers continue to lobby for the closure of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices that host these ceremonies, supporters argue the ceremonies permit disadvantaged communities to express cultural norms freely.
“Students who do not represent White, Christian, cis-gendered, heterosexual males have not felt safe on college campuses,” Omekongo Dibinga, professor of intercultural communications at American University, said. “Every space in America where non-White people seek to gather or even advance themselves is being challenged in the wake of the Supreme Court’s actions to end affirmative action.”
“There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents people choosing to gather with members of their own community,” he said. “It is a travesty that there is a push to stop people from celebrating themselves.”
The Multicultural Affairs office at Columbia College and Columbia Engineering are scheduled to host “Multicultural Graduation Celebrations,” with a goal to provide “more intimate settings for students who self-identify in a variety of ways,” according to the school’s website. “Multicultural Affairs recognizes that identity, social responsibility, allyship, and equity must be addressed at multiple interconnected levels to best support students’ various developmental stages,” the website states.
The endpoint of critical race theory: segregation. https://t.co/KhmKwuXEK3— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) March 16, 2021
Source: Black Enterprise
