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Before issuing an executive order to house the HBCU initiative under the Executive Office of the President, President Donald Trump met with over 60 presidents from historically Black colleges and universities on Monday to discuss the measure and the needs of Black institutions. According to the Huffington Post, Morehouse College President John Wilson Jr. issued a statement calling the meeting “troubling.”

From the Huffington Post:

Wilson said he initially had “high hopes,” mainly regarding funding, about meeting with the White House, especially since Trump vowed to do more for HBCUs than previous presidents during Monday’s meeting.

The executive order Trump signed on Tuesday moved the HBCU initiative from under the Department of Education to the White House, which HBCUs have advocated for in expectation of having a more direct line to the president. The executive order did not, however, ensure the funding that many HBCUs desperately need; several of them are in danger of closing.

Wilson, who says he was expecting at least $500 million to be allocated to the schools, said it’s impossible to know if and when the order will have an impact.

“In general, the meetings were a troubling beginning to what must be a productive relationship,” Wilson wrote in his statement, according to the outlet. “Trust that the HBCU community will continue to press for the kind of funding that educational excellence and national competitiveness require!”

In his statement, Wilson also addressed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ remarks about HBCUs being a “school choice.”

SOURCE: Huffington Post

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‘Go Back! Shame, Shame:’ Betsy DeVos Blocked From Entering D.C. Public School

Morehouse President Says HBCU Meeting With Trump Was ‘Troubling’  was originally published on newsone.com