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Betsy DeVos Ridiculed for Calling Historically Black Colleges “Pioneers” of “School Choice”

HeadlineMar 01, 2017

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is facing backlash and ridicule after she claimed that historically black colleges and universities are an example of “school choice,” following a listening session at the White House Monday with the presidents and chancellors of these historically black colleges and universities, often known as HBCUs. In a statement, she wrote, “HBCUs are real pioneers when it comes to school choice. They are living proof that when more options are provided to students, they are afforded greater access and greater quality.” On Twitter, many ridiculed DeVos’s comments, saying they displayed a lack of historical context. HBCUs were established because black students were prohibited from attending public colleges and universities throughout much of the United States’s history. One Twitter user wrote, “Betsy DeVos said HBCUs were about school choice. As if white/colored water fountains were about beverage options.” Another user joked that it was as if DeVos had said, “Rosa Parks is a real pioneer when it comes to seat choice.”

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