Recap: Rep. Adams Hosts Secretary Cardona for Charlotte Visit
Secretary Cardona and Congresswoman Adams discussed the Build Back Better agenda, a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s future.
CHARLOTTE – On Monday, July 12, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona travelled to Charlotte to discuss the Biden Administration's plans to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and make long-term investments in our students and their futures. He was hosted at three different locations in Charlotte by Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12). Secretary Cardona and Congresswoman Adams discussed the Build Back Better agenda, a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation's future that includes $45 billion in investments for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), as well as the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, a landmark infrastructure bill to create jobs through repairing, restoring, and investing in HBCUs.
Exclusive pictures from the day's events are available here for use by media outlets.
"I was honored to host Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in Charlotte yesterday," said Congresswoman Adams. "What we heard over and over from students, parents, and educators alike is how vital in-person instruction is to learning. That's why I'm proud that House Democrats and the Biden Administration have worked to get shots in arms, reopen schools this fall, and build our schools back better than before. Finally, I appreciate Secretary Cardona's sincere commitment to our HBCU students and institutions. The Biden Administration knows how important it is to open pathways to higher learning and invest in our nation's HBCUs."
During Monday's visit, Secretary Cardona and Congresswoman Adams spoke with scores of students, educators, administrators, parents, and advocates from across the region. First, Adams and Cardona toured the Johnson C. Smith University campus. Then, the Secretary convened an HBCU roundtable with JCSU President Clarence Armbrister, J.D. to discuss the Biden Administration's Build Back Better agenda. After a press conference, Congresswoman Adams and Secretary Cardona concluded their visit to JCSU by joining Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, North Carolina State Board of Education Chair Eric Davis, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education Vice Chair Thelma Byers-Bailey, and many local and state officials for photos on Johnson C. Smith's Campus.
Next, Adams and Cardona travelled to Paw Creek Elementary School in Northwest Charlotte after school hours, where they toured a Camp CMS program and learned about types of instruction offered to students with exceptional needs. Camp CMS, led by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, is a free, full-day summer experience for K-12 students with in-person learning. After the tour, Secretary Cardona and Rep. Adams spoke with parents of students with exceptional needs and discuss how to best support children with disabilities. The roundtable included CMS Superintendent Earnest Winston, CMS Board of Education Chair Elyse Dashew, and Board of Education Members Jennifer De La Jara, Carol Sawyer, and Margaret Marshall.
Finally, Cardona and Adams enjoyed a private dinner at Freshwaters, a Black-owned and operated restaurant in Charlotte's Fourth Ward.
Congresswoman Alma Adams represents North Carolina's 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County). In 2015, she founded the first bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus in Congress. In 2019, her previous landmark legislation to invest in HBCUs, the FUTURE Act, was signed into law. She is a double graduate of North Carolina A&T, the largest HBCU by enrollment in the United States.