"If this behaviour continues, your degrees will be mailed to you". Receiving the award, she said she is "honored to be a Wildcat"-leading to the loudest jeers of all".
DeVos has since acknowledged that such schools were originally the products of racism.
HBCUs "are living proof that when more options are provided to students, they are afforded greater access and greater quality", she said.
Within hours of the announcement at the start of this month, the school in Daytona Beach, Fla., began actively defended its decision to invite DeVos.
"With the recent comments of President Trump suggesting federal funding for HBCUs is unconstitutional, this validates our view of a terrible decision by the university inviting DeVos, who still has not pledged to drastically increase funding for all historically black colleges and universities", the NAACP said.
The weeks leading up to her speech were marked by vocal opposition from students, civil-rights organizations, and Florida education groups, who say she does not understand the history and significance of HBCUs.
In April, DeVos rolled back Obama-era protections for student loan borrowers, which didn't exactly make her popular among. students. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak with you and particularly with those who have disagreed with the invitation for me to be there", DeVos said today among the chorus of boos.
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As Sterling lies fatally wounded, the other officer removes something from Sterling's right pocket. "A man has died". He said he's very disappointed with the Justice Department's decision to not file charges against the officers.
"I think Betsy forgot her name was Betsy and not Mary McLeod Bethune", said Johnson, a 2008 grad. Students gathered petitions demanding she not be allowed to speak. Dozens of activists lined a sidewalk early Wednesday; their signs included "DeVos is not worthy". "Let's choose to hear one another out", she said over the chaotic din of students in the audience booing repeatedly, mixed with university officials' futile attempts to counteract their protests with adamant clapping.
Jackson had been accused of selling out the school by inviting DeVos.
Before she left, he gave her a hug, then took back the podium to comment on the spectacle.
"Some of you may not like it, but she's here, we're welcoming her and we're building new relationships", Jackson said.
On Tuesday, petitions were delivered to university leaders urging them to disinvite DeVos from the commencement ceremony.
"When we seek to shelter our students and campus communities from views that are diametrically opposed to their own", he continued, "we actually leave our students far less capable of combating those ideas". They are often not subject to the same state standards as public schools and are only available to a limited number of students.
Witnessing the whole scenario, School president Edison Jackson interrupted DeVos' remarks and warned the students.
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