On Obeying in Advance
By 
The University of Kentucky has canceled celebrations for minority graduates due to state and federal pressure targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on college campuses. UK will no longer host programs that honor LGBTQ+, Black and first-generation graduates to be “in accordance with state and federal law,” spokesperson Jay Blanton told the Herald-Leader. That includes the Lavender Graduation ceremony hosted by the Office of LGBTQ+ Resources, Harambe Unity Graduation Celebration honoring Black students and the First-Generation Student Pinning ceremony. These ceremonies take place before university-wide graduation, and are usually where students receive specialty regalia, like stoles and cords, to wear at commencement.
Not covering ourselves with glory, here. And take note that the First Generation ceremony is in large part to honor students from Appalachia, a cohort which has historically suffered extremely high rates of attrition. Bringing those rates of attrition down has been one of the few real achievements that the bloated bureaucracy of UK can point to in order to justify itself.
I get it; I’m neither an idiot nor a radical. Institutions like UK are vulnerable and unpalatable choices have to be made. But if Trump wants to come after the Harambe Unity Graduation Celebration, let him. There’s no need to concede the point in advance.