‘Black kids can’t even dance because of this man’: Travis Kelce slammed for drinking beer on stage during unique graduation ceremony

Travis Kelce is caught within the crossfire as social media users call out double standards surrounding his actions during a special graduation ceremony. Travis and his brother Jason received their diplomas from the University of Cincinnati on April 11 during the “New Heights Live: We Need to Talk About This” event at the college’s Fifth Third Arena. The event, a live broadcast of the NFL Brothers podcast, combined their performance with Olympic-style games featuring Cincinnati alumni and other special events that included the commencement ceremony.

The show was met with criticism after the three-time Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl champion, wearing a cap and gown, got here on stage with a beer, drank it, then threw it on the bottom before being handed a certificate booklet. His ceremonial performance was cheered by an enthusiastic audience as he and his brother received sheep skins. (The Kelce brothers, each UC graduates, have never attended a live commencement ceremony.) But there was a special conversation going on online.

“Chile lol black kids can’t even dance on this mf,” wrote user X. Another commented, “Travis Kielce drinking beer during the graduation ceremony: hehehehe Travis will be Travis!!!! Black kids dancing at graduation: It just doesn’t feel dignified right now…” Both people addressed the incontrovertible fact that Travis was praised for making probably the most of the moment while Black students made headlines for being denied certificates at similar shows .

In 2018, there was public outrage when the University of Florida’s commencement ceremony was covered within the media after students were grabbed and pushed off the stage for a symbolic ceremonial dance. “It definitely depended on race… the other white students dancing weren’t seen as a threat,” said student Nafeesah Attah ABC news.

University president Kent Fuchs later admitted that the worker who reprimanded the graduates had behaved “inappropriately” and aggressively. He also sent individual apologies to the 21 students affected, and issued a general statement expressing regret on the mistreatment of young adults at one other ceremony.

Several Class of 2023 graduates from Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego faced harsh penalties, starting from suspension to bans from prom and commencement, after collaborating in a twerk video filmed on campus.

Similar widespread frustration was seen on social media last yr when many graduates of Philadelphia High School for Girls were denied diplomas after they performed a brief dance before addressing the principal. One young lady said she felt “humiliated” when administrator Lisa Mesi refused at hand over the certificates.

It later turned out that the scholars were discouraged from any celebrations on stage, as were their families, who were forbidden to clap and cheer for their family members. A month after the June ceremony, Mesi was replaced on the magnet school.

‘Black kids can’t even dance because of this man’: Travis Kelce slammed for drinking beer on stage during unique graduation ceremony