NYU Students Organize Storytelling Campaign After University Cancels All Affinity Graduation Ceremonies
Students at New York University are mobilizing in response to the abrupt cancellation of all affinity-based graduation celebrations for the Class of 2026.
According to student-created materials, NYU administration informed student representatives in late winter that ceremonies traditionally held for affinity groups (including Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, Jewish, Muslim, Native, First-Generation, Disability, APIDA/A, International, and MENA communities) would not take place this year “due to the political climate.”
Students launched a campaign titled Our Stories, Our Stage: A Charge for Visibility, inviting peers to share personal stories about how the cancellation impacts their NYU experience. The campaign’s online form asks respondents to describe their reactions, discuss how their identity has shaped their social and academic experiences, and indicate interest in independent celebrations.
In a separate call to action, students circulated a Call for Signatories form seeking support for a statement protesting the decision. The form states that the NYU Dean Student Advisory Group (DSAG) was not consulted during the deliberation and that the university’s action “has no legal precedence.” A source from DSAG explained that while it was “surprising and disappointing” to hear this sudden shift in plans, schools nationwide are experiencing similar circumstances, with some having already implemented this shift for the Class of 2025.
Organizers have not yet announced whether they plan to hold independent ceremonies in place of the canceled events, though the storytelling initiative appears positioned as both a protest and community-building effort.
The controversy arrives amid broader national debates at universities about how institutions should balance neutrality with recognition of student identity groups. While graduation-specific affinity events have been cancelled, broader “end of year” events aim to take their place.