Graduates boo, turn in protest of DeVos during HBCU commencement

The secretary of education was drowned out by students and other commencement attendees who were simply not pleased with her being there.

TheGrio Staff

May 10, 2017

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos appeared at Bethune-Cookman University, a historically black university, to give the commencement speech, but from the start of the speech, DeVos was drowned out by students and other commencement attendees who were simply not pleased with her being there.

“Dr. Jackson, Board of Trustees, thank you so very, very much for this great honor and privilege,” DeVos said as boos and jeers started up almost immediately and grew louder and louder as she spoke. “I am honored to become a Wildcat,” she added, which prompted an even more outraged reaction.

“It’s a real honor and privilege to be with you as we celebrate the Bethune-Cookman class of 2017,” she continued, speaking to students who were not sitting in their seats and would not face her, even after the students were told that their degrees would be mailed to them if they continued to boo and jeer.

Check out video of the speech and the students’ reactions below.