When the University of Kentucky pulled the plug on identity-based graduation ceremonies this spring, nobody expected what happened next. In a twist that speaks volumes about community resilience, Black graduates didn’t just accept the decision — they created something entirely their own.
The story begins with a bureaucratic announcement. Citing vague “federal and state policy changes,” UK administrators canceled several graduation celebrations, including those honoring minority students. Their timing couldn’t have been worse.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
Rather than accept defeat, dozens of graduates — still wearing their hard-earned caps and gowns — gathered at Lexington’s historic Lyric Theatre. The venue choice wasn’t random; it’s been a cornerstone of local Black culture for generations. And on that Wednesday evening, it became something more: a symbol of defiance wrapped in celebration.
“If you want something to happen, then you can just go make it happen yourself,” said Kristopher Washington, whose words cut straight through the administrative double-speak. Washington, working with Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, helped transform what could’ve been a moment of defeat into something remarkable.
The whole thing feels like a metaphor for our times, doesn’t it? While politicians and pundits debate DEI initiatives (and Trump’s administration freezes billions in grants to places like Harvard), real people are getting on with the business of living — and celebrating.
The scene at the Lyric was electric. Specialty stoles and cords found their way to proud graduates. Families cheered. Friends hugged. Even Rabbi David Wirtschafter showed up to usher, proving that solidarity crosses all boundaries.
Meanwhile, back on campus…
University President Eli Capilouto released one of those carefully worded video statements administrators seem to specialize in these days. “We have made tough decisions,” he said, acknowledging that some choices “cause concern and in some cases, hurt.” Talk about an understatement.
“To take those moments away from them out of fear, it’s just really disappointing,” observed Brandy Robinson, watching her nephew Keiron Perez graduate. She called it a “coward move” — and honestly, who can blame her?
The political backdrop to all this reads like a greatest hits of conservative talking points. Kentucky’s Republican-controlled Legislature has been busy dismantling diversity programs at public universities. The federal Education Department’s been making noise about extending last year’s Supreme Court ruling against racial preferences into every corner of campus life.
But sometimes the best response to a setback is simply to prove it wrong.
Pierre PetitFrere, Alpha Phi Alpha’s president, put it perfectly: these graduates needed to “remember and know that, even given the circumstances of what’s going on around the world, they are still being recognized for their hard work.”
Perhaps the sharpest observation came from graduating senior Marshae Dorsey, who called the university’s retreat “kind of like a slap in the face because something like this is so harmless.” There’s something deeply ironic about institutions hurting the very communities they once swore to support — all in the name of compliance.
As the evening wound down, Christian Adair, executive director of the Lyric Theatre, left the graduates with a challenge that felt both timeless and timely: “You are charged with standing on our shoulders and doing bigger and better things.”
Looking ahead to 2025, with political battles over DEI likely to intensify, that charge feels more relevant than ever. Because while policies may shift with political winds, communities will always find ways to celebrate their achievements — and their identity. Sometimes, they just have to do it themselves.
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