By Kolawole Ojebisi
Prestigious Ivy League University, Harvard, has concluded plans to hold its annual graduation ceremony with customary pomp and circumstance despite heightened legal and political clash with United States President Donald Trump
The momentous event was kick-started on Wednesday with an address by the University’s Class Day speaker, former NBA player and human rights advocate, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Abdul-Jabbar delivered a forceful message to the graduating class while taking a swipe at the US helmsman concerning his stance on the University’s operations.
The illustrious retired basketballer, who is of Nigeria descent, praised Harvard President, Alan Garber’s resistance to what he described as “illegal and immoral pressures,” drawing historical parallels to Rosa Parks’ defiance during the Civil Rights Movement.
Meanwhile, some students signaled their dissent through quieter acts of protest during the graduation events.
Madeleine Riskin-Kutz, a Franco-American student of classics and linguistics, said many saw participating in the traditional ceremonies as an expression of resistance in itself.
The graduation festivities went ahead as scheduled, even as a federal judge in Boston prepared to hear arguments over controversial measures aimed at the institution by the Trump administration.
Recall that Trump has sought to penalise Harvard through a series of actions, including revoking its ability to host foreign students, terminating federal contracts, slashing billions in grants, and questioning its tax-exempt status.
“Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect, and all they’re doing is getting in deeper and deeper,” Trump said on Wednesday.
The university is contesting all of these actions in court, arguing they represent an attack on academic freedom and institutional independence.
In a statement to NPR earlier this week, Harvard President Alan Garber acknowledged challenges facing the university, including concerns over anti-Semitism and campus inclusivity.
However, he criticised the federal government’s actions as disproportionate and misdirected.
“What is perplexing is the measures they have taken to address these issues don’t even hit the same people that they believe are causing the problems,” Garber said.
Trump’s move suffered a setback following a ruling by the Federal Judge Allison Burroughs, who had previously paused a policy change that would have ended Harvard’s ability to admit international students.
Trump’s move against the prestigious university has been greeted with resistance and public outrage by eminent Americans.
Prominent among those against the US president’s proposed policy against Harvard is retired immigration judge, Patricia Sheppard, who joined a demonstration in support of the university outside institution’s Yard on Wednesday.
Preparations for Thursday’s ceremony proceeded despite the tensions.
Members of the Harvard band marched through the historic streets of Cambridge in their crimson blazers, and students in academic regalia gathered for the commencement.
