Kaine Applauds Biden Administration’s Appointment of Dietra Trent to Lead HBCU Initiative

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement regarding President Biden’s appointment of Dietra Y. Trent, Ph.D. — a Halifax County native and Hampton University alumna who served as Deputy Secretary of Education while Kaine was Governor of Virginia, and as Secretary of Education for former Governor Terry McAuliffe — to lead the new White House initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs):

“I’m thrilled President Biden has appointed lifelong Virginian Dietra Trent to serve as Executive Director for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities. HBCUs play an invaluable role providing students with a high-quality education, and I know Dietra has the expertise and vision needed to help break down the barriers that these institutions have historically faced. I had the great fortune of having her serve as my Deputy Secretary of Education when I was Governor, and I know she will work just as hard for students across the nation as she has for students in Virginia.”

Trent has spent over two decades advancing educational equity for Virginians. Her appointment follows President Biden’s announcement in September of a new initiative to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to provide high-quality education, increase opportunities for HBCUs to participate in and benefit from federal programs, and ensure that HBCUs continue to be engines of opportunity.

Senator Kaine successfully pushed to pass legislation he cosponsored called the HBCU Propelling Agency Relationships Towards a New Era of Results for Students (PARTNERS) Act. The bill strengthens partnerships between federal agencies and the country’s more than 100 HBCUs, including the five HBCUs in Virginia.

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