Culturally specific graduation ceremonies canceled at University of Texas after new law banning DEI

Several culturally specific graduation ceremonies scheduled to take place at the University of Texas at Austin this year have been canceled after the school's Multicultural Engagement Center was forced to cease official operations in compliance with anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion legislation passed in the state legislature.

The "Black Graduation, Latinx Graduation, and GraduAsian" events have been canceled, meaning all students, regardless of their race, will only be able to attend the regular ceremony.

"While our doors remain open (for now at least), our programs do not," Center for Leadership and Learning director Brandelyn Flunder wrote in an email to students obtained by the Daily Texan, referring to the Multicultural Engagement Center. "This includes our ability to plan and fund our welcome programs including the New Black Student Weekend, Adelante, CultivAsian, Bloq Party, and Four Directions, as well as our signature graduation ceremonies."

In a follow-up email, Flunder clarified that while the MEC is no longer hosting the events, the office is "working diligently to find an alternative home so that 2024 graduates can be celebrated in the ways that they deserve." She added that ensuring the ceremonies happened in some form or another was a "top priority."

The legislation in question, SB 17, was passed in June 2023 and went into effect on January 1 of this year.

It effectively blocks publicly funded institutes of higher learning from, among other things, "Conducting trainings, programs, or activities designed or implemented in reference to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation, other than trainings, programs, or activities developed by an attorney and approved in writing by the institution's general counsel and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for the sole purpose of ensuring compliance with any applicable court order or state or federal law."

University-endorsed graduation ceremonies for specific races fall into that category, thus rendering them illegal.