Former Department of Education director speaks at Jarvis Christian University for Black History Month

HAWKINS, Texas (KLTV) - Jarvis Christian University in Hawkins is honoring Black History Month with a presentation by a former Department of Education director.

Dr. Leonard Hayes is the first African American US Assistant Secretary of Post-Secondary Education.

“It’s important to kind of lift up the importance of Black History Month, what it means, and I chose to focus on the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” Hayes said.

Hayes is also a former Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“These institutions have been very important to the development of our country. As a matter of fact, I said the black middle class if you will, most of the black middle class, was created by Historical Black Colleges and Universities,” Hawkins said.

Hayes also spoke with students about the importance of their education.

“They’re the next generation. We’re leaving the scene, the Baby Boomers, which I’m a part of. We don’t live forever. So the question is what do you want the legacy to be that they can pick up and go with?” he said.

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