DAYTONA BEACH — Many of the 374 Bethune-Cookman University graduates booed Wednesday as their speaker, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, received her honorary degree.

Then, as she began her commencement address, they stood and turned their backs.

Protests inside and outside the Ocean Center capped days of controversy, with students, alumni and political activists taking on DeVos and the Trump administration policies on historically black colleges and universities, and others expressing dismay that university President Edison Jackson chose DeVos to address graduates at a celebratory event.

As DeVos began to speak, and the boos continued, Jackson intervened.

"If this behavior continues, your degrees will be mailed to you,” he warned. “Choose which way you want to go."

Some remained standing in defiance while boos and catcalls continued. Jasmine Johnson, one of the students who turned her back toward DeVos, explained: "Betsy is not for my HBCU nor the students that attend. She does not represent the legacy of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, nor does she represent me. It felt good to take a stand against something I was not for."

But DeVos continued to speak, too, invoking Bethune's motto, "Enter to learn, depart to serve," and urging students to walk forward in service, courage and grace amid "a chorus of conflict."

In the end, to "Pomp and Circumstance," those graduates marched across the stage, received their diplomas and the well-wishes of more than 800 proud parents and families celebrating the university's 75th commencement ceremony, one that left many talking — exhibiting a diversity of viewpoints.

LA Von Baker, the aunt of a graduating student, supported the students' actions.

“I think they should stand up for what they believe in,” Baker said. “That’s what school is all about.”

But not all family members were as pleased.

“It was unfair to graduates,” said Denise Porter, the aunt of a graduate. “They couldn’t hear what (DeVos) was saying.”

Rutha White, 1958 B-CU graduate, said students should’ve given DeVos a fair shake.

“I believe President Jackson chose her because he believes in her,” White said. “We must show love, no matter who it is. Mrs. Bethune wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Fourth-generation B-CU graduate Tiffany Todd said she was happy to receive her diploma, but did not agree with DeVos' selection as speaker.

“It seems like students didn’t get a chance to voice their opinions,” Todd said.

Kaylisse Sellers said she was embarrassed by the actions of her peers.

“It’s important to have an open mind and hear people out,” Sellers said. “(DeVos) probably came to clear the air. Everyone deserves a fair chance.”

DeVos 'grateful'

DeVos — the Michigan billionaire who was confirmed as President Donald Trump's education secretary on Feb. 7, by a 51-50 Senate vote — generated controversy when she called historically black colleges and universities "pioneers of school choice." Her choice to speak at Bethune-Cookman, and the university's choice to invite her, sparked protests by the NAACP Florida State Conference and others.

Before the chilly reception for DeVos, another White House official was introduced. Omarosa Manigault, director of communications for the White House's Office of Public Liaison and perhaps better known from Trump's reality show, "The Apprentice," was also booed.

Despite the backlash, DeVos remained composed and spoke at length. She said she was grateful for the opportunity to speak.

“One of the hallmarks of higher education and democracy is the ability to converse and learn with who we disagree with,” she said.

DeVos didn't wade much into policy in her public remarks.

“We support you and will continue to support you,” DeVos said. “I and the entire administration are committed to your success and to the success of students across the country.”

(READ: Text of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ commencement speech to Bethune-Cookman University’s 2017 graduates)

After Jackson's admonishment, some of the booing dissipated. Most of the graduates, except for roughly a dozen, took their seats.

DeVos referred to Bethune — the founder whose legacy touches most everything on the campus — as a visionary and leader she respected.

“She believed it was her sacred duty to use education to uplift others,” DeVos said. “This inspired daughter of slaves refused to accept repulsive and systematic racism. She moved mountains.”

But DeVos was again booed when she said she had plans to visit the Bethune's house and gravesite on campus later. By day's end, she issued a prepared statement praising Bethune-Cookman's president and students:

"One of the hallmarks of higher education, and of democracy, is the ability to converse with and learn from those with whom we disagree. I have respect for all those who attended, including those who demonstrated their disagreement with me," she said. "While we may share differing points of view, my visit and dialogue with students leaves me encouraged and committed to supporting HBCUs."

Unanswered questions



For days, the university president dodged questions surrounding DeVos' visit, saying all inquiries would be answered at a news conference before the event. When that arrived, not all reporters' questions got answered.

Jackson arrived more than 20 minutes late and spoke only briefly, addressing four questions from about twice that number of reporters.

“We are are going to do our best to ensure that students and families enjoy this day because they worked so hard to be here,” Jackson said.

DeVos is in a position where she can be of great benefit to Bethune-Cookman, Jackson reasoned. He also preached a message he had earlier sent about the need for students to listen to different viewpoints, even those with which they do not necessarily agree.

“It is important to understand that people will disagree, but you should not roll over and play dead because you disagree,” Jackson said. “We are brought up as nation that it is healthy to disagree. We can disagree rather than be disagreeable.

“We always are about the business of making new friends, and if you don't have friends, it makes it difficult to raise money,” Jackson said a day after discounting protesters who haven't donated money to the university.

Board Trustees Chairman Joe Petrock said that 31 trustees confirmed DeVos invitation, and the school's primary concern is helping its students.

Asked if B-CU invited DeVos or if she requested to visit, Jackson revealed little, only saying the two had talks in Washington.

Historically significant?

During the press conference, Albert Mosley, the university's chief operating officer, spoke of how, in 1967, B-CU President Richard Moore invited William Page, Region 4 director of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, to campus.

“Moore's foresight of bringing William Page to campus at the height of racial and social unrest in this country was not the most popular decision,” Mosley said. “However, President Moore's decision was an important step in the process of initiating conversations regarding support of historically black institutions in this country.”

Inviting DeVos Wednesday is similar, Mosley said, in that it could help influence policy and decisions affecting schools like Bethune-Cookman.

“This presents for us an opportunity to engage in conversation and dialogue with the secretary and also to introduce her to historically black institutions,” Mosley said. “We are very aware of the misstatement that was made several months ago. This is for an opportunity to engage and to educate the secretary about historically black institutions”

Roughly 12 students and alumni had the opportunity to speak with DeVos today, Mosley said, adding that talks with DeVos have been ongoing.

“What people don't see is all of the conversation that has occurred prior to today,” Mosley said. “It's unfortunate because of the public's desire to rush to judgment and to reach conclusions rather quickly, no one stops to think about all else that occurred prior to this moment here. There is considerable dialogue and conversation that has taken place."

Jacari Williams-Harris, president of the pre-alumni council, spoke of recent developments in housing at B-CU and how DeVos could help further the institution.

“At Bethune-Cookman, we build bridges and that's what we'll continue to do,” Williams-Harris said. “We will just continue to stay focused and educate ourselves and educate her (DeVos) and her office to ensure that were going to have a collaborative effort of HBCUs, particularly Bethune-Cookman.”

Williams-Harris said he did not meet DeVos, but would later. He did not answer whether students were consulted prior to her invitation.

Clifford Porter, assistant vice president for institutional advancement, later said that Jackson asked her to visit and while talks have yielded nothing concrete, they have been productive.

He said B-CU could've done a better job in communicating DeVos' visit.

Lively protest outside

Outside the Ocean Center Wednesday, three dozen protesters gathered on a corner as graduating Bethune-Cookman University students streamed into the building.

The protesters held signs, such as "No to DeVos," and chanted "No justice, no peace." Among them was Jeff Branch, who graduated from B-CU in 2005. He said that commencement was the wrong forum to bring DeVos to the school because it did not promote dialogue with the students.

"This is a monologue," he said. "This is a platform for the White House to say he (Trump) and DeVos are committed to HBCUs when their actions have shown otherwise. It's a photo-op,"

Cynthia Slater, president of the NAACP in Volusia County, said that B-CU's administration had lost all credibility. "This is not a game," she said. "This is serious and someone needs to be held accountable."

Even the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights icon, spoke by phone late Wednesday to The News-Journal about DeVos’ visit, saying that she had been disrespectful.

“She turned her back on black colleges and our reason for being,” he said.

He said that he would like to see DeVos and the Department of Education address the needs of historically black colleges and universities.

“I wish now Dr. DeVos can have a serious dialogue,” he said, “about our real needs. More capital improvement. More research. More Pell Grants. And less discrimination.”

Jackson praised B-CU’s students, who he said deserved to be inspired at graduation.

“At least the students,” he said, “were nonviolent as they expressed their pain.”

Among protesters outside the Ocean Center, Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, a 2002 graduate from Miami, said he was not trying to overshadow the event's purpose.

"We support our graduates," he said. "This was a platform created for someone else's agenda. Their graduation was stolen from them because they didn't have a voice."

Fedrick Ingram, vice president of the Florida Education Center, said that he had returned to his alma mater from Tallahassee to congratulate the class of 2017 but also to show his displeasure with university leaders' “audacity” to invite DeVos, who "does not stand for public education.”

DeVos has spent two decades advocating for tuition voucher programs and charter schools as choices for families stuck with failing public schools, but critics say the movement has only drawn funding and focus away from improving those schools.

“Ninety-five percent of these kids come from public education,” Ingram said. “They will go back and help these same schools and these same communities that are impoverished and are challenged.”

Jasmine Smith, a junior at B-CU, said that she was proud of the graduating class.

“This shows,” she said, “that students need more of a say in who their commencement speaker will be.”

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