Students organize new ceremony after University of Kentucky cancels Black, LGBTQ+ graduation events

Kendall Staton, Lexington Herald-Leader on Apr 21, 2025

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — A University of Kentucky fraternity will host its own inclusive graduation after the university confirmed last week it will cancel several programs that celebrate underrepresented graduates.

Once he realized the university would start cutting programs that celebrate minority students, Kristopher Washington told his fraternity brothers it was time to step up and fill the gap. The historically Black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, will host a “Senior Salute” after UK scrapped graduation ceremonies for Black, LGTBQ+ and first-generation college students.

“I knew (UK was) going to choose their financial well-being over the happiness of the students. As sad as that sounds, the school is a business at the end of the day,” said Washington, a member of the fraternity set to graduate next month.

UK canceled the Harambee Unity Graduation Celebration that honors Black students, the first-generation student pinning ceremony and the Office of LGBTQ+ Resources’ Lavender Graduation. The cancellations come as President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in government, education and business.

“Senior salute is not just for Black students,” Washington said. “It’s for anybody with any cultural background that has overcome any challenges that just wants to feel community and have their achievements recognized.”

Pierre Petitfrere, president of UK’s Alpha Phi Alpha chapter, said the fraternity is big on tradition and wants to spotlight students that don’t get enough celebration. He said Senior Salute will be a more intimate ceremony than UK’s commencement and will bring people closer together like “a family reunion.”

Christopher Adair, executive director of the Lyric Theatre, said the ceremony is a way to make sure everyone is celebrated intentionally and with cultural awareness. Larger commencement ceremonies, he said, aren’t always “culturally responsive to historically marginalized communities.”

“These students are going to contribute to society, they’re going to contribute to the world – they’re going to contribute and be givers. We need to make sure that they’re advocated and that they’re heard and that they’re seen,” Adair said.

Why did UK cancel Black, LGBTQ+ graduation events?

University spokesperson Jay Blanton said UK canceled the events to be “in accordance with state and federal law.”

Earlier this year, the Kentucky legislature passed House Bill 4, banning all DEI initiatives at higher education institutions in Kentucky. The law takes effect early this summer.

In February, the U.S. The Department of Education directed all public universities receiving federal funding to cancel DEI initiatives after an executive order from Trump to fight “wokeness.”

UK is one of more than 50 universities being investigated by the department for the use of “race-based preference” in educational programs.

In defense of DEI programs, Washington said celebrating everyone is what makes America a great county, and when minority voices are silenced instead of uplifted, everyone suffers.

“America has risen to such a state because we have so many ideas coming from so many different groups coming together in this one mess,” he said.

“That’s why America is great to me, because there’s so much diversity here, but when we’re not willing to embrace that diversity it kind of takes away from the power of our country.”

Petitfrere said everyone graduating this year has worked tirelessly through hardships, and his fraternity just wants to make a space where everyone can feel celebrated.

Adair said the graduation ceremonies were never exclusive and only worked to create a space where every graduate felt they belonged. He reiterated that everyone is welcome at the Senior Salute, no mater their cultural background.

The Lyric is a place that celebrates diversity, equity, including and love, Adair said, and the platform of all cultures is important.

“Right-handed people most of the time don’t think about the difficulties of the left-handed person, and that’s kind of what is going on now. When people are against other people being celebrated, they don’t understand that it matters when you are represented,” he said.

“It matters when you are recognized. Everyone wants to be heard, everyone wants to be recognized, everyone wants to be reflected into the culture of this American society.”

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