Fresno schools hold ethnic graduation ceremonies despite attempted federal ban
Colleges and school districts in Fresno will proceed with their popular ethnic graduation ceremonies this spring after the Trump administration attempted to declare them “illegal.”
Fresno’s educational institutions have a long tradition of celebrating the achievements of graduates from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
At Fresno State, the Chicano/Latino commencement celebration is nearing its half-century mark and draws more than 1,000 graduates and 10,000 family members each year. Last year, the event — which is one of the largest Chicano/Latino graduations in the country — went viral after a San Diego-based Marine Corps band had the arena dancing to Mexican Cumbias.
The status of this year’s ethnic graduation ceremonies had been in doubt since February, when the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued a letter prohibiting all race-based programming and spending at colleges and K-12 schools. Race-based scholarships, admissions, cultural centers, and graduation ceremonies, like Fresno State’s Latino graduation, were declared illegal.
“Institutions that fail to comply may, consistent with applicable law, face investigation and loss of federal funding,” according to the letter.
Federal judges blocked Trump’s administration in late April from following through with its threats to withhold federal funds from schools that take part in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Still, the Trump administration’s hostility created a chilling effect on local colleges and school districts, many of which are quietly moving forward with their longstanding traditions of ethnic graduation ceremonies.
This year, Fresno State will hold six affinity group graduation ceremonies in on-campus and off-campus venues May 17. They include the American Indian Graduation Honoring and Celebration, International Convocation, African American Student Recognition Ceremony, Asian American and Pacific Islander Graduation Celebration, Rainbow Graduation Celebration and the Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration.
The events are open to all students, though priority will be given to this year’s graduating seniors, according to the university. Some ceremonies distribute heritage sashes to graduates.
”These celebrations are open to all, are consistent with the guidance from the Department of Education and honor the diversity of our campus community,” a university spokesperson said in a statement.
As of the end of April, the Chicano/Latino event reached capacity and has closed registration, the website said.
Fresno City College and Clovis Community College are each holding four graduation celebrations, for African American, Asian Pacific Islander, Latino, and LGBTQ+ graduates.
“During Commencement season, all celebratory events are open to all students,” said Cory Burkarth, a spokesperson for State Center Community College District, which operates community colleges in Fresno, Clovis, Madera and Reedley.
Each of the four colleges will host one official graduation ceremony, Burkarth said. There are also program-specific graduation celebrations, such as the nursing program’s pinning ceremonies.
“Apart from these specialized ceremonies, all other celebrations are inclusive and open to everyone who wishes to attend and celebrate their accomplishments,” Burkarth said.
All four colleges are fully compliant with the recently updated federal executive orders on diversity, equity and inclusion, Burkarth said.
Fresno Unified School District will host three ethnic recognition ceremonies in the coming weeks.
“It’s a recognition of a unique journey. It’s community and family inclusion,” said Trustee Keshia Thomas. “And representation matters. When you think about that, you’re talking about the empowerment and visibility. You’re empowering graduates, to celebrate their accomplishments publicly and physically, challenging the notion that success must conform to dominant cultural norms.”
The district’s enrollment of 68,000 students is 70% Latino, 7.4% African American, and 0.7% American Indian.
Fresno Unified estimates 600 high-school graduates will participate in the Latinx ceremony and 400 Black students in the African American ceremony on June 8, said AJ Kato, the district’s spokesperson.
For the second year, Fresno Unified will host a Native American graduation ceremony on May 21 at Bullard High School, Kato said.
In late February, Fresno Unified was sued by the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation for the African American Academic Acceleration program, which supports African American students and other demographic groups who experience disproportionately high suspension rates and low graduation rates compared to their peers.
The district says in 2023-24 school year, the program served 7,950 students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, including 1,212 single-race African American and Black students, while the “anti-woke” group argued that the program description on the website did not mention it is open to all students.
The group specializes in sweeping racial discrimination in public schools, said Wilson Freeman, an attorney who represents the group in the lawsuit. The organization believed that it was time to sue Fresno Unified due to the law changes over the past few years, he said.
This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 1:22 PM.
