Betsy DeVos Now Says She Should Have ‘Decried’ Racism More Forcefully

No Apology

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is finally acknowledging – albeit not apologizing for – her painful remarks made nearly six months ago, and saying she should have “decried” racism more forcefully. In February the newly-minted head of the $68 billion federal agency apparently attempted to praise historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) but instead whitewashed history, racism, and the segregation that made them necessary.

“When I talked about it being a pioneer in choice it was because I acknowledge that racism was rampant and there were no choices,” DeVos told the Associated Press in an interview published Wednesday. “These HBCUs provided choices for black students that they didn’t have.”

The Education Secretary, responsible for administering and enforcing education laws, including civil rights laws, in February had not only ignored the racism, but attempted to frame HBCU’s as “pioneers” of the school choice movement that she has spent years championing.

“My intention was to say they were pioneering on behalf of students that didn’t have another choice, DeVos said in today’s interview. “This was their only choice,” DeVos said.

“At the same time I should have decried much more forcefully the ravages of racism in this country,” she added.

It’s not clear her explanation lines up with her prior remarks. In fact, it’s unclear she ever denounced the “ravages of racism.” She has acknowledged it as having existed, but NCRM could find no evidence of her specifically denouncing it.

Historically Black colleges and universities, DeVos said in February after meeting with leaders from those institutions, “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. Their success has shown that more options help students flourish.”

She also said they “started from the fact that there were too many students in America who did not have equal access to education. They saw that the system wasn’t working, that there was an absence of opportunity, so they took it upon themselves to provide the solution.”

In fact, those students had zero access to education, as many responded in February. 

In May DeVos delivered the commencement address to graduating students at an HBCU, Bethune-Cookman University. Graduating students turned their backs on her, shouting, “Go home!” Her address was expected to last about an hour, but DeVos left after only 20 minutes.

DeVos has made many missteps since joining Trump’s cabinet. One month after her comments calling HBCUs pioneers of school choice, she likened school choice to people choosing whether to ride in an Uber, a Lyft, or a taxi. Again, she was immediately denounced, especially since a great many of the children she is supposed to serve live in poverty and their families don’t have the choice to ride in a taxi, much less an Uber.

Last week it was revealed that DeVos is part of a large portion of Trump cabinet members who regularly attend a Bible study group led by a pastor whose own board denounced him as “not biblically qualified for spiritual leadership.”

In her short tenure as Education Secretary, DeVos has repeatedly refused to specifically support or defend the civil rights of LGBT students.

After revoking Obama-era guidance to support and protect the civil rights of America’s transgender students, DeVos cheerfully and emphatically told attendees at a conservative Republican conference that the guidance was an example of “huge overreach” by the Obama administration.

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Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license