“With all the pressure on these kids to not “act white”, they’ve truly accomplished something that their loved ones have a right to be proud of.”
Graduation from high school is important but in the scheme of things its not that major. Pretty much all kids have to do is show up and they graduate. Perhaps that accounts for a major life event in some places though.
In the local area some parents have ceremonies for kids completing 6th grade. They even hire stretch limo’s to cart their kid away from grade school. I’m sure the kids have healthy self esteem though.
True, the same can also be said for graduating from a community college. But it is an important event that says, "I stuck it out once," in a young person's life. That's important to remember, even if you just have a fast-food job. You might stick it out long enough to be shift leader, or something. Add in a couple of years of that community college, and maybe you'll be a shift supervisor or assistant manager.
Anyway, the punishment did not fit the crime.