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In a letter to Talladega College President Billy C. Hawkins, Peter Rasmussen said he and his brothers, Steven and David, are returning their parents' degrees because the school's band will play at Donald Trump's inauguration.

(Facebook)

The sons of two Talladega College graduates say they are returning their deceased parents' doctoral degrees because the school's band will march at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

The school's decision to participate in the inauguration has drawn criticism from some alumni, while others have said it will be a positive experience for the band members.

In a letter to University President Billy C. Hawkins, Peter Rasmussen said he and his brothers, Steven and David, have no doubt their parents would be "angered and deeply disappointed" if they knew about the school's plans. Peter Rasmussen shared the letter's text on Facebook.

Sadly, my brothers and I have decided that Mom and Dad would not want to keep their Honorary Doctorates from Talladega... Posted by Peter Rasmussen on Thursday, January 5, 2017

"Our parents, Donald and Lore Rasmussen, taught at Talladega College from 1942 to 1955, and we, their three sons, spent our early years living in a small white house that used to sit between your home and Derricotte House," the Rasmussen sons wrote in the letter.

"During those years, our parents devoted themselves to their students and to the challenges of living in a segregated South, while we grew up attending Sessions School, the College's multi-racial elementary/middle school. It was a happy time for us during which we formed our core values."

Talladega College is Alabama's oldest private Historically Black College and University.

"Mr. Trump has demonstrated in innumerable ways, during the electoral campaign and his time as president-elect, that he is the antithesis of all (our parents) worked and stood for and of the values they nurtured in their students,"

In 2003, Donald and Lore Rasmussen received Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Humane Letters from Talladega College.

"In the presentation of their degrees, President Henry Ponder noted their 'untiring fight to ensure the human dignity of all persons' and that 'at great personal peril [they had] led the struggle for civil rights,'" according to the letter.

Lore Rasmussen, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, came to the United States "to escape the exact same policies as those espoused by Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions," the letter reads. "She studied at Columbia University for one semester, but she quit in disgust when she discovered that Columbia had distinguished itself by being one of the few American universities to curry favor with Hitler's government by taking part in the 1937 celebration of the 550th anniversary of Heidelberg University in Germany.

"Both of our parents have passed away since receiving this cherished recognition from the College," the letter continues. "But we have no doubt that they would be angered and deeply disappointed if they knew of the plans for Talladega College to pay tribute to Donald Trump by participating in his inaugural."

The Rasmussen brothers wrote in the letter they hope Hawkins will reconsider his decision to let the band participate.

"We are writing to advise you that to honor our parents' memory and their life work, we, their three sons, have chosen to return their honorary degrees to Talladega College," the letter reads. "We are certain our parents would not want them under the present circumstances."