Daytona Beach, May 11 (RHC)-- U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was repeatedly booed and heckled Wednesday when she addressed graduating seniors at Bethune-Cookman University, an historically Black college in Florida.  Many students turned their backs on DeVos. 

As the booing of Betsy DeVos grew louder, school President Edison Jackson interrupted her commencement address to issue a warning to students, saying that if they continued the protest, their degrees would be mailed to them.  Despite the warning, many students kept booing with their backs turned to DeVos.  

More than 60,000 people had signed petitions opposing the selection of DeVos as commencement speaker at Bethune-Cookman University.  DeVos was widely criticized in February when she said historically Black colleges and universities are "real pioneers when it comes to school choice." 

HBCUs were established because Black students were prohibited from attending public colleges and universities throughout much of the United States’ history.