U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued the following statement on the passing of former President Jimmy Carter:
“Today, I join my fellow Americans and countless people around the world in mourning the loss of President Jimmy Carter, a renowned humanitarian; champion for civil rights, social justice, and racial equality; and leader whose contributions to education opened doors to opportunity for generations of students across our country. I will always admire the determination and resolve shown by President Carter during his early political career in Georgia, where he worked to end segregation, including enforcing public school integration and other civil rights laws, invested in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and created scholarships for students of color. In the White House, President Carter organized vital federal education programs under one roof when he established the U.S. Department of Education, elevating equal access to education to the presidential cabinet level, where it belongs. Everything we do here at the Department to raise the bar for America’s students is part of President Jimmy Carter’s lasting legacy. President Carter will continue to be a role model who led a life of selfless service, not in pursuit of fame, fortune, or power, but out of faith in God and a fundamental belief in the potential of every individual and the dignity of all humankind.”
