Do Black Graduations At Predominately White Colleges Constitute Reverse Racism?

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by Tara Pringle Jefferson | on May 11th, 2011 | 26 comments

If you graduated from a predominantly white institution of higher learning, you might have participated in a smaller, more intimate graduation ceremony with other minority students. The goal of these graduations were the recognize the achievements of these students, who face different struggles in obtaining their college degree, than the rest of the student body.

Or is that the case?

Some are arguing that all these ceremonies amount to is “reverse racism.” From TheGrio.com:

R L’Heureux Lewis, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Black Studies at CUNY says these ceremonies are celebrations, they aren’t graduations.

“They are celebrations at different communities,” said Lewis. “Ethnic minorities in particular, have historically been underrepresented in these predominantly white institutions. Over time, we’ve had a growing body of students, but in comparison to other students, people of color are still a smaller number.”

Lewis explains how people can misread these ceremonies and not only think of them as black graduations, but mislabel them as strict separatism.

Columbia University has had a black graduation since the early seventies. Senior Maggie Johnson, 21, who is Caucasian, doesn’t have a problem with the black, Latino, Asian and LGBTgraduation ceremonies that take place on Columbia’s campus, but she doesn’t understand why they are necessary.

“If we are being progressive, and trying to stop discrimination, why would people pull away and see themselves as different,” said Johnson. (Full article here)

What do you think about these smaller, more intimate graduation celebrations for minority students? Great idea or no longer necessary?

About the author

Tara Pringle Jefferson is managing editor of BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com. She’s also the author of Make It Happen: The Young Mommy Guide To Creating The Career You Crave. Follow her on Twitter or check out her blog for her insights on what it means to be a mom, wife, student, writer, and about three other labels she’s too tired to remember.

http://eloquence-inc.blogspot.com Eloquence Inc

Never heard of these but why were they necessary in the first place? Forget “no longer” the fact that they exist at all makes no sense. Any black participating in those should have gone to an HBCU and stop allowing themselves to be seen by their colour first instead of by their achievement…the degree. Only separation i want at my graduation is who is graduating with what degree, in what major, and with what honours. All else is totally irrelevant.

Hoodie

EXACTLY!!! EDUCATION…THE UNIVERSAL EQUALIZER!!!
Hoodie

EXACTLY!!! EDUCATION…THE UNIVERSAL EQUALIZER!!!
Anonymous

By you saying that ”
Any black participating in those should have gone to an HBCU and stop allowing themselves to be seen by their colour first instead of by their achievement…the degree” , you are downplaying the prestige of a HBCU. You don’t go to an HBCU just to be recognized and be seen as your color, you go because you want to see that name on your degree. The purpose of these ceremonies is to recognize and congratulate our underrepresented students for making it to graduation because the point of the matter is, all the underrepresented students that enter college, do not leave college with a degree. These ceremonies are the universities way (or should be) of saying that “You made it. We care that you made it. We want you to continue on in your success. You shown that you CAN be successful and you didn’t let your race and the stereotypes and stigmas placed on you for being a particular race, hold you back.” There is no harm in having a back graduation. Who does it hurt? Do white students really care? It shouldn’t be a threat to anyone that a school want to honor their black/underrepresented students.

http://eloquence-inc.blogspot.com Eloquence Inc

There are minority ORGANIZATIONS for exploring the differences. When you graduate COLLEGE that degree should be the only defining factor, that is why people have to wear identical cap and gowns and not just show up in whatever they feel like crossing the stage in. It’s organized as a unifying experience. The point is Student X last name Z is a Columbia graduate the bachelors program in the college of Whatever.

Not…here are the black graduates…and then over here are the rest of them. Is there an Indian graduation and a Latino graduation or do they walk with the rest of the school?

Anonymous

At some schools, there ARE Native American and/or Latino graduations but let me be clear, its not a graduation as in commencement where everyone attends and be recognized at once, these are small ceremonies (usually only about 30-50 people show up depending on the school and/or group) where a small speech may or may not be given and the group at hand perform some kind of ritual or receive a certificate/gift. These students still graduate with everyone else. Its not a separate graduation where only blacks graduate or only Native American students graduate nor where only Hispanic students graduate. Its just a smaller gathering. I think hearing the word ‘graduation’ makes it seem like its an actual commencement when its not. Some schools like University of Michigan call this event a Black Celebratory (
http://www.umich.edu/~blkceleb/
)
. Another school, Central Michigan, call it a Multicultural
Celebratory. Both these schools acknowledge that this ceremony is NOT a graduation, just an event to promote diversity and celebrating the ”
commonalties and differences that characterize the experiences of African Americans and other students”

http://eloquence-inc.blogspot.com Eloquence Inc

Never heard of these but why were they necessary in the first place? Forget “no longer” the fact that they exist at all makes no sense. Any black participating in those should have gone to an HBCU and stop allowing themselves to be seen by their colour first instead of by their achievement…the degree. Only separation i want at my graduation is who is graduating with what degree, in what major, and with what honours. All else is totally irrelevant.
http://newmamaswagger.com Denise

“…why would people pull away and see themselves as different?” Because they ARE different. I don’t understand how equality is supposed to mean we are all the same. We aren’t all the same… we are all EQUAL. The two have completely different meanings. Student groups who represent various minorities not only affirm those groups of people, but provide the larger student body with an invaluable opportunity to learn what is unique about and meaningful to them.

I graduated from a predominantly white

university that was very well represented by almost every group you could imagine. We had an African-American student celebration the night before graduation. And of course it’s relevant, especially considering that our community is still hard-pressed for representation at institutions of higher learning. Too many of our Black men are in prison rather than college, so yes it is significant and worthy of recognition when our young people earn degrees.

http://eloquence-inc.blogspot.com Eloquence Inc

And our young people are quite visible earning their degrees crossing the same stage the same time as the rest of the young people earning degrees! Equal access to education should mean equal graduation if you passed the same classes as everyone else required to get that degree. Student organizations are where you show your difference and your interests, NOT GRADUATION.

People get the mental chains off just cause a minority of the young people join mainstream society and do something NOT menacing to society, like graduate college, does not mean we must act like they cured cancer and need a separate graduation from the entire rest of the school. End of year meetings/celebrations by minority student organizations is one thing…putting on the cap and gown and graduating at any other place and time other than where the entire rest of the school is graduating? I would PASS on that. The article mentioned Columbia, that is Ivy League. I’ll be DAMNED if I get into that school and get reduced to the colour of my skin on the greatest day of getting in there, which is making it out with the paper in hand. come on, bigger picture people.

And I was in no way dissing HBCUs for the first poster…I was saying people who need that association with blacks specifically on graduation day, should just go ahead and go to black school, where it will be mostly minorities all day crossing the stage, no need to have a little lesser graduation thing going on off to the side for the blacks.

http://eloquence-inc.blogspot.com Eloquence Inc

I understand they may even go on and walk in the regular graduation, but all I am saying is, the whole concept of a black graduation at any institution of higher learning is dumbing down the concept of rising above your skin colour and showing them what your brain’s made of. Period. Being black didn’t get you that degree, why should it be made part of graduation? Lord the mentality here is KILLING me. I’m just gonna stick to the other posts cause not even the event itself but the MENTALITY behind it is what is holding people back from further progress that could have already been made.

solomon Hughes

Rising above your skin color?

http://newmamaswagger.com Denise

I say to you that the Black “graduation” was an event put on by the African American student organization — as an extension of their programming. Furthermore, it wasn’t a separate graduation, as some people have been calling it. It was a recognition service for those members of the organization who were leaving. It was indeed inclusive and an extension of the organization’s cultural outreach. I suspect that those programs at other schools labeled as black graduations fall along the same lines.

Trust me, neither I nor anyone else who has ever participated in such a program has ever viewed it to take the place of or even rival the actual graduation ceremony where we received our parchment. But from my experience, it was indeed nice to be recognized by the very elders who had paved the way for me to be there and to receive a charge from them to continue to extend a hand those coming behind me. It was yet another opportunity to celebrate my history and my culture in an especially meaningful manner. It is unfair to suggest that anyone who has participated in a similar event sees themselves as a color first. That assessment severely misses the mark.

Jaenikol

I think the issue we are coming to is that as we progress forward how do you continue to justify black separateness. Its a slippery slope to say on one hand that we are equal to everyone else but still hold our own separate ceremonies. I can see how that could look … hypocritical to someone on the outside looking in.
I graduated from a predominantly white university and there was no ‘celebration’ like this. People might
like it but it’s not relevant like it would have been 40 to 50 yrs ago when educated blacks were a lot fewer and far between. They did need that extra something to encourage them to go to school but that’s not really the situation
now.
And while there is a shared history
among black people, we are more
likely to have common ground with
other races in our own socio-
economic background than other
blacks from a different background
. I mention this to say that we are different but we also are not. We need to as a people find a way to embrace our unique history / heritage /experience without creating perceived differentness. It is the continued press for ‘different’
that fuels prejudice

Anonymous

This is a great question. Currently at my predominately white university, I am on a committee to create a black graduation or something similar for our underrepresented student population. The rationale to implement a ceremony like this at our school and the reasons I have found by talking to other universities, is that there is such a low number of underrepresented student graduating from college (at my school only 7% out of almost 2000 students each year including the spring and winter graduations) and its important to celebrate, congratulate, and honor those students who do make it to the finish line. It is a way to honor those students that the university was able to retain throughout the years. Yes, one can argue that this is done with the main event, but recognizing these students on a smaller scale is important to keep the newly graduated students morale up. Its showing them that the school that they just poured their heart, soul, and money into for the past 4-5 years, actually cared that they defeated the odds. I just graduated two weeks ago and even though this ceremony will not happen until next year, I am working hard to assure that it happens for future students because it does make you feel appreciated. Its no different than having private ceremonies for different academic schools and clubs because at the end of the day, everyone will get their main graduation and be acknowledged in the same matter. I dont think it will harm anyone to have a smaller ceremony to acknowledge and recognize minorities for accomplishing a major feat.
Zion

I posed this question to my husband and am writing his response (we both graduated from a predominantly white university):

“why would people separate themselves for graduation. I don’t believe it is reverse racism, but it sounds like people are working backwards.
- did you take tests with all black people?
-did you eat in the lunchroom with all black people?
-did you live in a dorm with all black people?

What would Dr. King say about this. Could you imagine telling him that you are going to a “colored graduation”. I thought those days were done! People fought and died so that we could be together, and we have gone from “forced” segregation to “volunteered” segregation….and it stinks!!!”
http://www.izania.com Roger Madison

I graduated from a predominantly white institution, and I understand the unique challenge of Black students in this environment. I understand the question about separation, but I think it is ridiculous to consider these celebrations “reverse racism.” I agree with the comment above:
I don’t believe it is reverse racism, but it sounds like people are working backwards. – did you take tests with all black people?-did you eat in the lunchroom with all black people?-did you live in a dorm with all black people?

Yes, the celebrations are working backwards to pay tribute to the special nature of how far we have come to reach this achievement.

In many cases at predominantly white institutions, a very strong bond between Blacks develops to get them through the challenge. Every7one doesn’t go to a white instituion to assimilate. We bring a different legacy, and owe a lot to a unique network of supporters to achieve success in an environment that is often very different than that from which we came. Hopeully, these celebrations are “in addition to…” the gratitude we owe the institution for the value received — our degree, and a new network of supporters that will enable us to thrive in the new world we have prepared for.

I think the celebrations are okay, as long as they are not substitutes for the main event. These should remain as private celebrations that supplement our achievement on the main stage.

Roger Madison
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jennifer-Irene/100001351582800 Jennifer Irene

Nice Post – I m always looking for these types of post – http://bit.ly/grPKX6
Flydoc

I think it is difficult for some to understand the importance of the celebrations but let me try to explain the perspective I see at my university. Currently, African American students make up less than 10% of the student body. The university is so large they are having graduation ceremonies Thursday through Saturday with several on each day.

I remember being able to see my friends at my graduation and take pictures to celebrate the occasion. Our families got to meet our friends and their family. These smaller celebrations allow minority students to have that same opportunity that is missed. They still participate in the larger celebration but this smaller occasion allows them to celebrate with their friends. When you make up less than 10% of the student body, a ceremony with 300 hundred students means that there are less than 30 of your possible friends there.

While there is such a strong push to remove events, services, practices, groups that focus only on minority issues saying that we no longer need them. I would like to remind people that VERY recently our President of the United States had his qualifications to enter Harvard School of Law questioned and there is NO other reason other than he is a black man. So, the United States still has a ways to go.
Sassysistahs

This is ridiculous. I went to a “white university” and was proud to graduate with my class who struggled with the same tests, professors, time management issues etc. that I did. Let’s move forward. Separate proms, separate graduations makes us as human beings look as if we can’t function together in society.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Frank-Simmons/100001203137579 Frank Simmons

I graduated from a mostly white university 37 years ago and didn’t even make it to my formal ceremony and don’t miss it. Neither did I have a “black” ceremony afterwards with the other few black students and don’t miss that either. Yet I am very proud of my alma mater and that school was a first to admit black students west of the Mississippi River in this country beginning in the 1940′s. Today , I still try to give back even financially when I can. For me it’s what you do with your education in the long term and not in the short celebration at graduation time. I live on and carry the school’s legacy.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Frank-Simmons/100001203137579 Frank Simmons

There is a difference between reverse racism and bias and/or prejudice. Racism is using color to exert some power over another whether overly and/or institutionally. The question is framed wrongly. By attending another ceremony and/or a additional graduation ceremony does not use any power to deny anyone based on color any right or privilege, thus no one has been denied anything. It is a rush to judgment to assume the other color of majority was treated racially wrong simply due to blacks attending a celebration with their own color in private unless whites were denied to join with them and by that some loss of right/privilege occurred thereof. Some power has to be used to control another wrongfully to qualify as racism. So it can not be reversed (power controlled) racism. It could be bias to desire to be with and/or seek preferrably others like oneself to celebrate with or only with. Reverse racism is not allowing whites in small numbers to apply to HBCU’s .
Sassysistahs

Do HBCUs have separate graduations for their minority students? I don’t think so….because it is silly. And I don’t recall only being friends or only wanting my family to meet my black friends at graduation. I haven’t heard one valid point on this post on how separate ceremonies are beneficial. Your degree recognizes your obstacles and struggles which were most of the time not race related. Maybe someone can enlighten me on the struggles that black.students have at a white university that deal with their race because I didn’t experience them. But that was just my experience so Maybeyour story will help…
sunshyne84

I’m sure plenty organizations have some sort of celebration for their graduates, but to pinpoint the Black students seems weird. If you are apart of your school Af-Am organization and they throw a celebration for its members then I understand, but if it’s just a general ‘these are our black students’ thing then I don’t see the point and I would feel awkward. All of us don’t come from the same background anyway. Not everyone had to struggle. And who cares if there are only 10% Blacks at your school? You knew that when you chose to go there. When you go to work they won’t throw you a party for being black and getting a promotion.
http://twitter.com/OnlyLaila Laila

As an higher education administrator I am saddened by some of the comments. My first thought was to share a litany of stats about the degree completion rates of students of color at PWIs (and 4 year institutions in general) to emphasize the value of these celebrations. My second thought was to share the story of Black male students who are stopped on campus because campus security thinks they are running away from something bad instead of running TO class. The purpose of these celebrations is to provide a venue for students of color to share their success with their families and feel a part of a larger community that may have been (this is not always the case) hostile to them. It’s not separatist. If anyone feels that way I strongly encourage you to read Beverly Daniel Tatum’s “why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria”. Just because it wasn’t YOUR experience doesn’t mean it’s not a reality. As someone who works with college students, particularly students of color who are primarily first generation college students, these celebrations can mean more than we know.
Motherbear

Reverse Racism. You can’t have it both ways. If the same college wanted to hold an all-white or all European-American graduation then there would be a total riot! But, saying anything about a Black graduation ceremony makes me a racist!!!
Jay

I attend the University of Cincinnati and I have been the only black or one of few in most of my classses so I am looking forward to the Afican American graduation just as much if not more than I am the general graduation. Out of 80 students that went to a University stright from graduation that I know of from my high school I am one of the few that will actual graduate and continue on to Grad school.