Faced with the University of Kentucky's cancellation of its annual celebration for Black graduates due to a new state law, the Epsilon Chi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha quickly organized a replacement event off-campus. Led by Pierre PetitFrere and Kristopher Washington, the fraternity successfully partnered with the Lyric Theatre and gathered support from the community. This initiative allowed about 50 attendees to celebrate their achievements, highlighting the importance of tailored graduation ceremonies for students who value recognition beyond the official commencement.
Graduation is something that you've always looked forward to since you set foot on college. That is a big accomplishment that a lot of people don't reach.
The [affinity] graduations-some people live for that time. Some people are ready for that specific graduation, rather than just commencement, because it's another thing to show and highlight you and what you represent.
The brothers of Epsilon Chi had ample experience hosting events and had a strong relationship with the nearby Lyric Theatre and Cultural Center, which offered to host the event for free.
The university adjusted to a new state ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programming.
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