Trump administration downsizes HBCU conference
By BENJAMIN WERMUND 09/01/2017 07:49 PM EDT
The Trump administration is downsizing an annual conference of historically black colleges and universities after refusing to accede to the request of college leaders and some members of Congress to delay it after President Donald Trump's response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Education Department says the event will now be "more intimate" and "feature a series of strategic meetings for students and leaders to share their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing the HBCU community."
The response represents a shift by the administration. Last month, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said there was "a pretty lengthy waiting list" by HBCU officials to attend the annual conference and that the White House had no intention of canceling it.
The Trump administration did not say in its statement Friday how many participants had canceled.
"Responding to suggestions and feedback from many key stakeholders, the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will modify its planned conference to best meet the current needs of HBCUs, their students and the broader HBCU community," the new announcement said.
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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/01/trump-historically-black-colleges-universities-conference-242274
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