DeVos Says She Should Have Decried Racism More
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is distancing herself from earlier comments about the nation's historically black colleges and universities being pioneers of school choice.
Betsy DeVos, U.S. secretary of education, speaks during a House subcommittee hearing in Washington on May 24, 2017.
Photographer: Zach Gibson/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Washington (AP) -- Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday distanced herself from her comment earlier this year about the nation's historically black colleges and universities being pioneers of school choice, saying that in the past "there were no choices" for African-Americans in higher education.
"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 said in an interview with The Associated Press in her office at the Education Department. "These HBCUs provided choices for black students that they didn't have."