MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) President and CEO Margaret Huang strongly condemned the executive order from the Trump Administration calling on Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
“This executive order shows the administration’s disdain for the well-being and future success of our nation’s children and for all people who seek to improve their lives through education,” said Margaret Huang, president and CEO, SPLC. “The Department of Education is essential. Its primary functions include protecting the civil rights of all students, including children of color and students with disabilities and providing much needed funding to rural and low-income schools and student populations that struggle the most.
“With more than 49 million students relying on public education and over 40 million borrowers with student loans, we call on Congress to reject this executive order and return the Department to its full operational strength.
“The SPLC refuses to stand by while this administration destroys a key foundation of our democracy. We will fight this order — 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.