Columbia University Offers Optional Multicultural Graduation Ceremonies
The Claim
Columbia University promotes segregation with unconstitutional graduation ceremonies that separate students according to race, sexuality, and income level.
News posted on
Emerging story
On March 6, a senior researcher at Britain’s Center for Social Justice tweeted a link to a description of Columbia University’s multicultural graduation ceremonies: “Racially and sexually segregated graduation ceremonies,” she wrote. “One of the 'best' universities in the world. 2021. If you want to know what going backwards looks like, this is it.”
The student-run conservative news site, The College Fix picked up on the story, reporting that Columbia offers “segregated” ceremonies for LGBTQIA, Native American, Asian, Black, Latinx, and first generation or low income students. Users of several social media platforms noticed the headline and began calling the additional graduation ceremonies unconstitutional. Major news sources such as Fox News circulated the story to a wider audience.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation showed no instances of unconstitutional behavior by Columbia University. The word “segregated” is misleading, as it holds historical connotations of oppression. The original article from The College Fix led with misleading headlines, but acknowledged that these ceremonies, “do not replace ceremonies for the whole Ivy League University.”
Columbia University used their official Twitter to address the viral stories. “Reports today misrepresent our multicultural graduation celebrations, which exist in addition to, not instead of University-wide commencement,” they said. Ceremonies have been practiced this way for years, and they do not overlap, so students can attend more than one ceremony if they choose. No forced attendance occurs and no denial of a request to attend is issued.
Similar multicultural graduation ceremonies are regularly practiced at numerous universities across the country, and the practice is nothing new. The Columbia Spectator reported on the story, saying “For underrepresented Columbia students, these events are often hard-won commemorations of surviving what can be a hostile institutional and social environment.” For example, first-generation, low-income students spent years pushing for a unique ceremony before it was granted in 2017.
Media outlets sharing these reports indicate selectivity. The story does not contain any actual news.
