What a month February has been. We have managed to (barely) make it through the first full month of the Trump administration which has seen an abnormal amount of flubs, controversy and downright stupidity making this the most unpopular incoming administration ever. It is also the last day of Black History Month—the president’s first real test of reaching out to diverse audiences. This was a prime opportunity for bridge building and to show a genuine interest in the issues of concern for black people. But, as we might have suspected, Don the Con and his dangerously creepy friends blew it entirely.
Of course, we remember how the month kicked off with a bizarre meeting and press conference in which it seemed that both Trump and Sean Spicer might actually think that Frederick Douglass is still alive. Followed by Trump asking veteran black journalist, April Ryan, if she was friends with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and if she could set up a meeting with them for him. And how could we forget last week’s visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in which he gave a speech that came across more like a pep rally for himself (obviously) than it did a commemoration of the many contributions of black people to this country. As far as black history month goes, all this administration has done is prove that they are wildly out of touch with anything remotely having to do with black people, incredibly uneducated and have left us to wonder if they ever read anything or talk to anyone that doesn’t confirm their “alternative facts” worldview.
But of course, there’s more. Yesterday, the administration met with representatives of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at the White House for a listening session. And this is how Kellyanne Conway, senior counselor to the president, greeted this distinguished group of guests.
How tacky. Seriously. This pose looks more like she is using the toilet and checking her phone between meetings than greeting a group of educators, many of whom have more education than the entire administration combined.
The picture is just the icing on the cake. While it’s offensive, it’s not the worst part of the day. Right after this, a statement issued by Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, showed exactly how tone deaf this administration is. Here’s part of the statement:
HBCUs “started from the fact that there were too many students in America who did not have equal access to education,” the statement read. “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.”
“HBCUs,” it continued, “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.”
Pioneers of school choice? Greater access and quality? Do you see what’s wrong here? It’s not really “choice” when you aren’t given any other options. Which is exactly how HBCUs were founded in the first place.
HBCUs rose to prominence in the years after the Civil War and through Jim Crow, when public institutions still excluded black students — requiring the establishment of colleges where they could study. They were in many cases pioneers of school choice in the same sense that the emergence of the Negro Leagues in baseball was about choosing to diversify professional sports. It wasn’t about more options being available — it was about having an option, in many cases.
Instinctually, you may be tempted to ask right now: “Who exactly do they have working there? Was there anyone who could have suggested that this is an ahistorical and, frankly really stupid, thing to say?” Don’t bother. We already know exactly who they have working there so the answer is no, there was not anyone in their midst who knew better. And since Twitter users often offer astute analysis about these situations, here’s a few that sum it all up.
That’s the kind of stupid, deeply ignorant statement that happens when you have people in charge who don’t know what they are doing and who operate from a place of power and privilege.
Of course, it’s worth noting that the HBCU listening session at the White House didn’t involve a whole lot of actual listening. Apparently guests were given about one minute a piece to speak, with only about 7 out of 15 actually having an opportunity to do so. So this White House, which keeps touting its super secret plans to develop some kind of Executive Order on HBCUs (that we will likely never see), only gave educators 10 minutes to make their case. It’s no wonder they know absolutely nothing about education, HBCUs, black people or anything in general.
With constant f*ck-ups like this, it’s a good thing Black History Month is coming to an end. One can only imagine how they will handle Women’s History Month in March.