President Barack Obama announced a landmark education initiative during a speech last night in New Orleans.
Obama announced the creation of an African American Education Office during his speech at the National Urban League’s Convention.
The office will help to bolster the education of African American students across the country. It is officially called the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.
The executive order, to be signed Thursday, will set a goal of producing “a more effective continuum” of programs for African-American students.
Here’s an excerpt from his speech where he mentions the creation of the office.
“And that’s why we’re pushing all colleges and universities to cut their costs. Because we can’t keep asking taxpayers to subsidize skyrocketing tuition. A higher education in the 21st century cannot be a luxury. It is a vital necessity that every American should be able to afford. I want all these young people to be getting a higher education, and I don’t want them loaded up with tens of thousands of dollars of debt just to get an education. That’s how we make America great.”