In a growing popularity trend, Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, will now be hosting separate graduation commencement ceremonies for certain special interest groups starting this year. The university is just another campus in America that is embracing a policy based on segregation and honoring students based on their skin color or sexual identity first and foremost. This is just another example of what is seemingly a regression of the progress made since the Civil Rights era began in earnest in the 60s and 70s. 

The university's website, which proudly and clearly states their "IDENTITY-BASED COMMENCEMENT CELEBRATIONS" across the webpage, describes the different commitment ceremonies. “Our Graduates of Color Ceremony is a time for graduating students of color to celebrate their achievements,” an event web page says. “Our Lavender Graduation Ceremony is a time for LGBTQ+ identified students and their allies to celebrate their achievements.” They also host two other ceremonies as well. 

Residential Life hosts the Umoja Scholars LLC Ceremony while First-Generation Support and Engagement hosts the First-Generation Graduation Ceremony. Our Umoja Scholars LLC Graduation Ceremony is a time to celebrate the graduating students in this diverse residential student group and their achievements. Our First-Generation Graduation Ceremony is a time to celebrate graduating first-generation students and their achievements.

Civil Rights giants like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others made it their mission in life during the civil rights movement to see a nation where all Americans, regardless of color, were viewed as one and the same. Part of the fight was to end segregation in all its forms, whether it was on buses, in bathrooms, water fountains, and especially in schools. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. America has come so very far since then, making countless more strides in the right direction to fight racism and end segregationist policies. 

It was Dr. King who stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 and proclaimed his longing to see the day when his children and all Americans would "live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Unfortunately, that dream, while admirable, will most likely be unobtainable. Not until we, as Americans and humans alike, empty our hearts and souls of hatred for people who look different. More to the point, we will never achieve a point where we are all viewed as the same when we regress back into identity politics and policies. With policies and agendas like "diversity, equity, and inclusion" that so many college campuses across the country are embracing, it is clear that we are moving backward and at a tremendous rate.

We see this play out in politics as well, where we see people elevated into positions of government and or power based simply and solely on skin color, sexual preference, or identity. Both sides of the political spectrum play this game, though we see it so much more blatantly and proudly done by the left. For example, one needs to look no further than the administration of President Joesph Biden. He proudly touts his administration as the most "diverse" in history, where he seemingly picks his people based on their race or sexual identity. Look no further than the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the worst press secretary in the history of White House press secretaries — not because she is Black or a lesbian, but because she is absolutely horrible at her job. 

Policies that designate commitment ceremonies that are solely based on racial, sexual, or immigration identity are the opposite of what the civil rights movement sought to do. Dr. King and others fought to end segregationist and identity policies, not embolden them. While the commitment ceremonies are not part of a policy that mandates the particular students to participate in separate ceremonies only, they seemingly openly encourage them to make them feel special and/or protect them from unknown things. College is supposed to be a place where students are exposed to ideas and beliefs that are contrary to their own — to get them ready to enter a world that will not and should not cater to their very needs. By instituting programs that segregate students based on the color of their skin or sexual preference or orientation, you aren't celebrating diversity; you're isolating them from others as well as telling students who aren't minorities that they are just mediocre. The only diversity at Hofstra University is the number of graduation commencement ceremonies.