美国国家公共电台 NPR DeVos Commencement Speech Draws Protests

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Today, the secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, is giving the commencement address at Bethune-Cookman University. It's a small, private, Christian¹ historically black college in Daytona Beach. This invitation has sparked an outcry, and let's talk about why with Anya Kamenetz of the NPR Ed team. She's on the line. Anya, good morning.

ANYA KAMENETZ, BYLINE²: Good morning, David.

GREENE: So let's talk about how this came about, Betsy DeVos being invited to give this commencement address.

KAMENETZ: Well, we don't know exactly why the president of the university, Edison O. Jackson, extended this invite, but he's made various different statements online. And he talked about the need to acquaint his students with various diverse viewpoints and to defend academic freedom. He's also interestingly invoked³ the college's founder⁴, Mary McLeod Bethune, who back at the turn of the century cultivated many wealthy white donors⁵, including the robber barons⁶ of the time.

GREENE: I guess it's worth stepping back and asking why it would be odd for this college to invite Betsy DeVos. And it goes back to some things that she said about historically black colleges and universities, trying to tie them to the school choice movement. She said they're living proof that more options are provided to students, they're afforded greater access and greater quality, but some people had real problems with that.

KAMENETZ: Right. So if this were any other education secretary, her invitation to be completely unremarkable. But back in February, you know, school choice is Secretary DeVos's number one concern. And in seeking to sort of tie the school choice movement to HBCUs, she really skipped over a very major point in the history of HBCUs which is, of course, that they were founded during the time the college were legally segregated⁷.

So they weren't - they don't represent choice. They represent in some ways the absence of choice. And that's not the only comment around HBCUs that the secretary's had to walk back. So it kind of adds up to a situation where a lot of advocates feel like it's - she doesn't have a concern. She has such a poor touch with the African-American community that it feels like an insult almost.

GREENE: Because these schools, I mean, come from a legacy⁸ of racism⁹, and she was saying they came from a legacy of choice. And a lot of people thought that she just didn't get it.

KAMENETZ: Absolutely.

GREENE: Well, what is the reaction now that she has been invited to speak at an historically black college?

KAMENETZ: Well, they delayed the announcement until May 1. And in that brief time since it came out, more than 50,000 people have signed petitions against it. The NAACP in Florida has called on the president of the university to resign. One alumna¹⁰ told me that people are really outraged¹¹. They feel that it's an insult to the legacy of the founder of the college. People are worried.

You know, they talked about DeVos's record on, you know, possibly favoring school choice and private schools over public education, her - some of the statements and policies she's put out about student loans are meaningful to this group because that - many of them are borrowers. One current student told me, you know, how can she relate to us? She has no experience in common with us.

GREENE: I suppose, I mean, this is an opportunity for her to address a lot of this stuff that's swirling¹², but what do we expect will happen? What are we going to see when she actually - what kind of reception will she get?

KAMENETZ: Well, the organizers wouldn't tell me exactly what they're planning, but they are using the hashtag #backstoBetsy on Twitter. And so perhaps that's a signal of what they may be planning.

GREENE: Almost turning their backs to her while she's giving this speech potentially?

KAMENETZ: Well, we'll see. We'll see. They were notably¹³ silent on the line when I asked, what exactly are you planning today?

GREENE: Notably silent, I guess that that is silence that might tell you something. OK, will be an interesting speech to watch and follow. Anya Kamenetz of the NPR Ed team, thanks so much. We appreciate it.

KAMENETZ: Thank you.