Columbia to host segregated graduations again this May

Columbia College and Columbia Engineering will host a variety of special graduations based on students’ race and sexual orientation from May 1-15.

These “Multicultural Graduation Celebrations” aim to provide “more intimate settings for students who self-identify in a variety of ways,” according to Columbia’s website.

[RELATED: University of New Hampshire hosted special graduation celebration for ‘Students of Color’ and other ‘diverse’ identities]

The Ivy League institution will host segregated ceremonies for Asian, black, “Latinx,” and “Lavender” (for those who identify as “LGBTQIA+”) students, among other categories, with all of these ceremonies being sponsored or co-sponsored by Columbia’s Multicultural Affairs office, as seen on the website. 

Multicultural Affairs believes that “[d]iversity and inclusion are not only central to the student experience, they are key components to learning and development,” the office’s page states. 

“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 page reads. 

In 2021, Columbia University sparked controversy when it announced virtual graduations “segregated by race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status,” wrote Campus Reform. 

The decision to hold segregated graduation ceremonies in 2021 has attracted criticism, with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) commenting on X in reaction to the news: “The endpoint of critical race theory: segregation.”

[RELATED: Texas Woman’s University holds identity-based graduation ceremonies]

Despite the 2021 controversy, Columbia University hosted segregated graduations again in 2023, Campus Reform reported. 

Campus Reform has reached out to Columbia University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly. 

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