Grand Valley State University hosting separate graduations based on race, sexuality

LINK

Grand Valley State University's Multicultural Affairs Office lists graduation ceremonies or celebrations for Black students, Asian students, "Latinx" students, Native American students, and "LGBTQIA+" students this April. The university will also have a general commencement ceremony for all students.

The college describes the graduation celebration for "Latino/a/x students" as "an opportunity to come together and acknowledge Laker accomplishments in the spirit and traditions of culture."

Similarly, the Black Graduation Celebration encourages students to celebrate all "that is representative of Black/African American and African tradition, heritage, culture, and legacy." The ceremony appears to go back to at least 2016.

An annual "Native American Graduation Feast" has also been held by the school's Native American Advisory Council (NAAC) for the past several years.

A celebration just for Asian graduates will also take place.

The only celebration hosted by the center not focused on race appears to be the "Lavender Graduation." The rainbow-decorated GVSU webpage will celebrate "the personal and academic achievements of LGBTQIA+ and allied students."

Conservative commentator Matt Walsh called out the separate graduation events at the Michigan university as "ridiculous," in a tweet.

"Ridiculous. Grand Valley State University (@GVSU) is holding five segregated graduation celebrations, singling out Asian, black, LGBT, Hispanic, and Native American graduates. There will be no special celebrations for straight white people, of course," he tweeted.

New York's Columbia University host graduation celebrations for affinity groups on campus, including "Lavender (LGBTQIA+), Asian, First-Generation and/or Low-Income, Black, Latinx, and Native communities," their website says.

Harvard University also hosts graduation celebrations for Black students, Asian students, Latino students and LGBTQ students.