Same Ceremony, Different Name: UVA Rebrands its segregated graduation
Despite federal guidance, the university continues identity-based graduation events under a new label—proof that the dismantling of DEI is more illusion than reality.
University of Virginia’s Office of Multicultural Student Services is holding two “Recognition Ceremonies,” an LGBTQ Lavender Ceremony and a Multicultural Recognition Ceremony, as de facto segregated graduation events. Though framed as inclusive—"any graduating student is welcome to participate, regardless of identity"—these events are explicitly marketed to specific identity groups: LGBTQIA+ students and students “served by our office,” i.e., racial or cultural affinity groups.
The Donning of the Kente Ceremony, sponsored by UVA’s Office of African-American Affairs, is yet another instance of a de facto segregated graduation ceremony, thinly veiled as a cultural celebration. Now in its 20th year, the event is marketed as a tribute to “academic excellence, resilience, and cultural heritage,” but in practice, it operates as a parallel commencement specifically centered on African identity. With its emphasis on Kente cloth—a symbol explicitly tied to African heritage—and its alignment with racial and cultural themes, the ceremony clearly targets Black students, even while maintaining the nominal fiction that “all students are welcome.”
Such practices raise serious legal and ethical questions, especially in light of the February 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter from the U.S. Department of Education, which emphasized that race-based separations in programming or recognition ceremonies, even if nominally optional, may violate federal civil rights laws under Title VI. Despite the language of inclusivity, the events are clearly identity-based and contribute to the fragmentation of campus life along racial and sexual orientation lines—directly at odds with the principle of equal treatment in public education. Last week, Harvard University announced it will be ending its segregated graduation ceremonies for "affinity groups."
This is yet another example of the University of Virginia refusing to dismantle DEI programming or end illegal practices. Despite growing legal scrutiny from the Department of Justice and the February 2025 Department of Education guidance, the university has simply rebranded its separate graduation events as “Recognition Ceremonies”—a superficial name change that does nothing to alter the underlying reality. These ceremonies remain effectively segregated and continue to violate the spirit, if not the letter, of federal civil rights law.
This continued practice underscores UVA’s refusal to dismantle DEI initiatives that are not only fragmenting student life, but also potentially illegal. Nothing has changed—except the names.
