Rutgers to hold specific graduation ceremonies for LGBTQ+ and illegal immigrant students
Rutgers University–Newark is celebrating its class of 2024 with diversity graduations that will honor some students exclusively for holding certain identities or characteristics.
Among those graduations being offered by the Intercultural Resource Center are a 'Rainbow Graduation,' 'Undocu Graduation,' and a 'Rites of Passage' graduation ceremony.
Rutgers University–Newark in New Jersey is celebrating its class of 2024 with diversity graduations that will honor some students exclusively for holding certain identities or characteristics.
The university’s Intercultural Resource Center, which encourages students to “explore your multiple identities,” is holding a “Rainbow Graduation,” “Undocu Graduation,” and a “Rites of Passage” graduation ceremony.
According to the Rutgers website, the Affinity Celebrations are intended to “recognize and honor the achievements of graduates from diverse cultural backgrounds” while providing a “space where graduates can come together and celebrate their accomplishments.”
On May 8, the Office of LGBTQ+ Student Services will be hosting the Rainbow Graduation to celebrate LGBT-identifying students and their accomplishments alongside their “chosen family.” Those in attendance will also receive a “special Rainbow Stoll.”
A separate graduation for Rutgers-Newark illegal alien students will be held on May 9, and will be held by Undocumented Student Services. Earlier this month, Rutgers–Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor was officially recognized by multiple immigrant organizations for her “support of a more inclusive and welcoming world for undocumented students.”
The Rutgers-Newark Rites of Passage Ceremony on May 11 will celebrate black and “Latinx” students with “distinguished speakers, student awards, and cultural performances, culminating in a Kente Stole presentation.” According to the student affairs web page, however, the ceremony is still open to other graduating Rutgers-Newark students.
In recent years, Campus Reform has covered various instances of schools holding either segregated or identity-based graduation ceremonies.
This May, Columbia University will be offering “Multicultural Graduation Celebrations” in order to hold “more intimate settings for students who self-identify in a variety of ways.”
Similarly, Harvard University is providing graduates with “affinity celebrations,” such as “Black Celebration,” “Lavender Celebration, “Veterans Celebration,” “Asian American, Pacific Islander, Desi-American (APIDA) Celebration,” a “First Generation-Low Income Celebration,” a “Jewish Celebration,” and a “Latinx Celebration.”
Campus Reform has reached out to the Rutgers–Newark Intercultural Resource Center and the Division of Student Affairs for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
