Dear Betsy DeVos, Google is your friend!

After reading the above paragraph from Betsy DeVos letter regarding the inception of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), I thought I had been punkd. No, seriously, I was looking for Ashton Kutcher to release a video of himself writing the letter as a big joke on us, the citizens of the United States. I waited and waited with bated breath and it never happened. Sigh. So, I have decided the best way to address this situation is to write my own letter to Betsy DeVos. After all, this is a teachable momentone that no one should have to teach the United States Secretary of Educationbut a teachable moment nonetheless.

So, here it goes.........

Dear Betsy DeVos, United States Secretary of Education,

First, let me just say, Google is your friend. Yes, the search engine, Google, is a great place to start researching the origin of historically black colleges and universities, especially if you are in a hurry. I would also implore you to read a book, Up From Slavery: The Autobiography of Booker T. Washington comes to mind, and visit a few museums, such as the Center for Civil and Human Rights here in Atlanta, or the African American Museum in Washington, D.C. Honestly, there are a number of things you could have done prior to releasing your statement on HBCUs, including watching an entire season of A Different World. However, since you obviously did not take the time to do any of those things, I will take time out of my busy schedule to provide you with a quick Black History lesson.

Websters Dictionary defines the word choice, as the act of choosing or the power of choosing. In order to choose something, one must first have options. See, thats where you went wrong in your letter. African American men and women did not have options for education due to racial inequality and segregation; therefore, the establishment of historically black colleges and universities was a necessity. HBCUs were the only institutions of higher education we could attend. Ergo, to liken the creation of HBCUs to school choice is not only offensive but it is plain ignorant. Per the U.S. Department of Educations website (how ironic), Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were established to serve the educational needs of black Americans. Prior to the time of their establishment, and for many years afterwards, blacks were generally denied admission to traditionally white institutions. As a result, HBCUs became the principle means for providing postsecondary education to black Americans. Secretary DeVos, I ask you, does it sound like we, African Americans, had a choice in which schools to attend years ago? We didntthe same way we did not have a choice in which door we entered in a building, in the water fountains from which we drank, in the restrooms we used, where we sat on the bus, the jobs we took at times, the food we ate at times, and the list goes on and on.

Now, dont get me wrong, I made the choice to attend Hampton University in 1997 and it was one of the best decisions of my life. After attending Hampton, I made the choice to attend Emory University for graduate school. I was afforded the opportunity to choose because of the sacrifices and hard work of those who came before me. Secretary DeVos, I made a choice when they could not. There is a huge difference.

So to recap........

Lastly, I am not sure if I am more disappointed in the fact that you did not know the history of HBCUs or that you didnt take the time to learn something about them before releasing your statement. And now that you are scheduled to speak at Bethune-Cookman University, I sincerely hope you do your research prior to giving your address. I do my research before speaking on topics that are unfamiliar to me. You are the Secretary of Education so I ask you, no, I beseech you to educate yourself before speaking and/or releasing statements. After all, it best practice.

Sincerely,

Tiffany Elle Burgess