MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) President and CEO Margaret Huang strongly condemns the latest actions from the Trump Administration dismantling the U.S. Department of Education:
“The Trump Administration’s latest attempt to destroy the U.S. Department of Education by going around Congress and firing its workforce is an attack on every child in our public schools. It will take generations to repair the damage of this action and to help our schools recover from the harm.
“A key role of the Department of Education is to ensure civil rights protections for all students including children of color and students with disabilities, providing much needed funding to rural and low-income schools and student populations that struggle the most,” said Margaret Huang, president and CEO, SPLC. “And it’s worth noting that these actions will also deprive millions of students the opportunity for a higher education.
“Education is the great equalizer in this country. With more than 49 million students relying on public education, this move will cause schools across the country to shutter their doors, especially in the poorest regions of the Deep South. This is a reckless action and an unconscionable attack on already struggling communities.
“We refuse to stand by while the Trump Administration destroys a key foundation of our democracy. The SPLC will fight this order with every tool that we have—alongside educators, students and communities who understand that education is a fundamental right, not a privilege,” Huang concluded.
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About the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.