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Whether it’s the Trump administration or Harvard’s leaders, there’s no use trying to order away students’ ideas.

Yesterday, Harvard informed student groups that the University will no longer officially provide funding, staffing, or spaces for Commencement affinity celebrations. This announcement follows the University’s decision to rename Harvard’s Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging to the Office of Community and Campus Life.

Harvard is wrong to yank support from affinity celebrations and DEI — which is all the more reason affinity groups should proceed with their ceremonies as usual.
Commencement affinity celebrations highlight all of the diverse communities and identities of Harvard’s student body — especially identities that were historically excluded from our halls.

Just last year, Harvard had 10 affinity celebrations for the Class of 2024, including celebrations for Arab, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, first-generation, low-income, and Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Desi graduates, in addition to LGBTQ+ graduates, Jewish graduates, veterans, and graduates with disabilities. Many students treasure these celebrations as a way to connect with their communities and celebrate their achievements in the context of their backgrounds. Given that these celebrations are so important for many students’ lives and Commencement experiences, why should Harvard break away from tradition now?

Still today, Harvard’s student body is not as diverse as it seems. Roughly a quarter of members of the Class of 2025 come from households earning more than $250,000 annually, per The Crimson’s freshman survey. While this graduating class has a high percentage of students who identify as Hispanic or Latinx and Black or African American, over half of the students in this year’s graduating class still identify as white, consistent with previous years.

Considering the persistent marginalization of first-generation, low income and minority students on Harvard’s campus, it is especially important for these students to have a way to commemorate their particularly notable achievement.

Opponents argue that these celebrations are unfair because they give some students special ceremonies while excluding others. But these celebrations aren’t official parts of Commencement or substitutes for University-wide ceremonies. Rather, as the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences emphasizes, these events merely “affirm the diversity of cultures, communities, and identities present at Harvard” before official celebrations take place.

It’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room: The reversal of University support for these celebrations comes in the context of a federal funding freeze precipitated by Harvard’s choice not to comply with demands from the White House. To his credit, University President Alan M. Garber ’76 has defended student diversity in the past, and, of course, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

But now, affinity groups are left in the dark. It seems that Harvard is willing to concede on diversity issues without regard to student opinion.

Nonetheless, affinity groups can and should still ensure that these celebrations take place during Commencement. Groups ought to coordinate with each other to figure out logistics of each celebration and publicize their events widely. If more funding is needed, Harvard alumni should support their efforts.

Affinity groups should also celebrate their achievements even more than in past years. With diversity under attack from all fronts — and Harvard’s perceived concessions to this assault — it is important now more than ever for students to celebrate with the communities that have shaped them into who they are.

At the core of this institution is its diverse student body. Let's make sure we still celebrate it this Commencement.

Dalevyon L.J. Knight ’27, an Associate Editorial editor, is a Chemistry concentrator in Adams House.