President Barack Obama has announced that he will be launching an education initiative to help African American students. The president plans to sign an executive order to create a new office, the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. This new office will be in charge of coordinating efforts to provide African Americans “a complete and competitive education from the time they’re born all through the time they get a career,” said the President.
This cradle-to-career plan is the first ever executive order to help African Americans, but not an unprecedented step to help a minority group. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush issued an executive order on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans which was renewed by presidents Clinton and George W. Bush.
After the announcement about the education initiative for African American students, Obama’s demeanor got more serious. He stressed that students also need to fulfill their end of the bargain.