Angry social media users flew into an uproar Monday evening following Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued a statement that some said ignored the context below which historically black universities were produced.
The statement referred to as historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) “real pioneers when it comes to college selection,” and came shortly immediately after President Donald Trump held a meeting with many HBCU leaders on Monday.
Some social media users stated DeVos ignored the history of how black Americans were denied access to larger education. Meanwhile, other folks stated the statement applauded the segregated Jim Crow education program for giving black students “more selections.”
The hashtag “HBCUs” trended on Monday evening and was briefly the most-mentioned hashtag on the social networking platform.
Some argued that the statement presents HBCUs as if they had been made as a superior solution to traditionally white universities. The Department of Education lays out on its web page that HBCUs had been established since “there was no structured greater education program for black students.”
“At a time when lots of schools barred their doors to black Americans, these colleges supplied the finest, and normally the only, opportunity for a higher education," the Department of Education notes on its web page.
President Trump has mentioned he will assistance HBCUs as a component of his so-called New Deal For Black America strategy.
Trump is anticipated to sign an executive order on historically black colleges and universities later on Tuesday.
Thank you to the wonderful presidents of our #HBCUs for their commitment to higher education. Study far more right here: https://t.co/m2Adyvvu6a pic.twitter.com/zjXWSX9cdE
A senior White House official says this move will reposition an current initiative on HBCUs and enable it to perform with all the diverse executive agencies and “serve as a strategic partner to the president’s urban agenda,” with the full force of the White Home behind it.
On the other hand, the official mentioned the order should be viewed as a lot more of a framework and “infrastructure” and not a policy roll-out, which will come at a later time.
DeVos is delivering the keynote address Tuesday at an HBCU occasion at the Library of Congress.
ABC News' Katherine Faulders contributed to this report.
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