Betsy DeVos To Deliver Commencement Speech At Historically Black University
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By: Taryn Finley
Taryn Finley reports in a recent article published in Huff Post Black Voices that “U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is set to deliver the commencement speech at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, the school announced on Monday.”
Finley quotes Preident Edison O. Jackson’s statement in a press release:
“The legacy of Dr. Bethune is that she was not constrained by political ideology, but worked across all parties to support B-CU.”
Finley also shares BCU graduate Domininik Whitehead’s Change.org petition to prevent DeVos from speaking at the ceremony that is to be held May 10th:
“Having DeVos speak at the commencement ceremony is an insult to the BCU graduating class, students, alumni, family, friends, and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s legacy. We, the proud alumni of Bethune-Cookman University, do not want Betsy DeVos to have a seat at our table. Please rescind her invitation to speak at the graduation ceremony.”
According to Finley, the petition has more than 4,500 signatures as of Tuesday morning, more than five-hundred short of the goal.
Photo Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images
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