Ohio State’s Black graduation celebration persists despite cancellation threats from DEI cuts

By Sheridan Hendrix, Columbus Dispatch

For more than three decades, hundreds of Ohio State University students of color have gathered on the eve of spring commencement each year to be recognized for their academic achievements at the Afrikan American Farewell Celebration. But this year, it was at risk of not happening.

That’s because when Ohio State announced in February that it would sunset the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which had long been a sponsor of the event, gone with it was funding. The celebration itself was also under review as part of the university’s audit of programming, initiatives and projects that have traditionally been considered diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The news reverberated across Ohio State’s vast alumni network, many of whom participated in the event themselves as students and understood the weight this event holds for OSU’s Black community.

“When they said they were closing things, we needed to come up with creative solutions,” Chibundu Nnake, president of the Ohio State Black Alumni Society, told The Dispatch.

Keep reading to learn about those solutions.

Discover how race has historically impacted Black students.

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