It's graduation season at the University of Kentucky.

More than 4000 students are expected to participate in commencement ceremonies over the next couple of days.

But the university announced last month that it was canceling ceremonies focused on celebrating black first generation and LGBTQ plus graduates.

UK President Eli Capelouto addressed the cancellations and a campus wide message last week, where he outlined how the university is responding to recent policy changes on the state and federal levels.

Already.

In honoring these principles, we have made tough decisions, decisions that in and of themselves caused concern and in some cases hurt.

Canceling celebrations for people on our campus who haven't always seen themselves reflected in our broader community is one example.

We have taken that action because we believe that's what is required, and we believe complying with the law is the best way to protect our people and our continued capacity to support them.

That will always be our first priority.

We won't be perfect.

We will make mistakes, but we will always, in our hearts and actions, resolve to do what we can for you and all those we serve.

In lieu of the university run ceremonies, Alpha Phi Alpha, a historically black fraternity, partnered with the Lyric Theater in Lexington to host a Senior Salute for those graduating seniors whose celebrations had been canceled.

It time sing to learn to care.

The school is not able to support any any Dei related initiatives or events.

So we decided to put it on for everybody, ourselves, because there are so many great students at this school that are not usually what's typically highlighted, or they're often overlooked.

And we just wanted to highlight and just say some light, all these great minds that are pursuing these degrees because it's a tremendous achievement.

And we did not just limited to black people.

We opened the doors up to everybody.

We want everybody to have the ability to have this experience.

And we're here for the community, because at the end of the day, all the events that we run between last semester and this semester, we wouldn't have been able to have them without the support of our student body.

I'm a first generation college student, and I'm also proud of my sorority.

So being always around the alphas, it's always good vibes, good energy.

So I'm just excited that they took the opportunity to have us to have a celebration off campus, even though it was taken up for me on campus.

I'm happy to celebrate with them.

It was very upsetting for a lot of us.

Just because now we're stripped away from our opportunity to be celebrated in the ways that, previous students were able to, and a lot of us having accomplishments that we just, you know, we want to be able to celebrate each other.

So not being able to have events like that on campus for us, kind of just disappointed us, like most students we've seen come before.

So after four years, you watch each year it get better, it's different.

And so for your year to be taken was really heartbreaking.

So historically, Lyric Theater has been a place where, because of the unjust laws of America towards black people.

This place was a, started because of segregation.

And we were about, being love, you know, showing talent, being a platform where people from the community could come to, to be themselves, to enjoy each other.

And because a historical reference of a place that is always being about diversity has always been about closure, it's always been about inspiration and love that, we continue that when you depend on someone else to acknowledge you or to support you, you gave them the power to give to you, and you also gave them the power to take away.

And so it's very important that your own community or those who want to show, acknowledgment and support his creativity, give people the flowers while they're here and find ways to support each other.

It's a this event is about love.

It's about everyone wants to be heard.

Everyone wants to be, have a voice.

And that's all we're doing.

And we hope that people in the community continue to do the same thing.

We owe this event communicators, that if you want something done, don't wait for anybody else to do it.

Just get up and do it yourself.

So at the end of the day is either you decide to do it yourself or you wait for somebody else to do it.

And we weren't going to wait for somebody else to stand up for our people.

In February, the Department of Education sent out a letter encouraging schools to distance themselves from diversity, equity and inclusivity initiatives on the state level.

The Kentucky General Assembly passed House Bill four into law, which prohibits universities from funding programs or events promoting Dei values.