In a priceless gift to liberals on social media, Betsy DeVos‘s Department of Education misspelled W.E.B. Du Bois‘s name in a tweet quoting the writer, historian, and legendary civil rights activist.
The tweet spelled his last name “DeBois” — a spelling oddly similar to the new Education Secretary’s last name.
The misspelling was left up for hours before another tweet with a correction and apology was issued. But according to Yahoo! News, that tweet had a typo as well.
“Our deepest apologizes for the earlier typo,” the initial apology tweet read before it was deleted and a final one was issued.
Unsurprisingly in the wake of the initial misspelling, Twitter mockery ensued.
@usedgov Looks like @BetsyDeVos is in charge now! pic.twitter.com/paajsZsUSL
— Mike Flacy (@mikeflacy) February 12, 2017
@usedgov pic.twitter.com/bjpZnoiH6n
— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 12, 2017
.@usedgov *W.E.B. Du Bois
All good. Not like this is the official Twitter for the US Department of Education. 😒
— Ryan Wyatt (@Fwiz) February 12, 2017
@usedgov I am glad my public school teachers taught me how to properly spell the names of noted scholars!!
— Maris Kreizman (@mariskreizman) February 12, 2017
@usedgov OMG, it’s DuBois. Who is in charge over there?…oh, wait, I get it.
— Jennifer Morgan (@ProfJLMorgan) February 12, 2017
.@usedgov First y’all thought Frederick Douglass was alive, now you can’t spell Du Bois. This bodes well for an already faltering system.
— Mehreen Kasana (@mehreenkasana) February 12, 2017
.@usedgov pic.twitter.com/7jlWwKbYY6
— Marcus J. Moore (@MarcusJMoore) February 12, 2017
Even the NAACP, which Du Bois founded, jumped into the fray.
“‘In the Days of Loose & Careless Logic, We Must Teach Thinkers to THINK.’ – William Edward Burghardt DU Bois,” the NAACP tweeted in response.
"In the Days of Loose & Careless Logic, We Must Teach Thinkers to THINK." – William Edward Burghardt DU Bois 👏🏽 https://t.co/3m03Vnt5C1
— NAACP (@NAACP) February 12, 2017
This isn’t the first time DeVos caused a Twitter uproar in her newly-minted role as Education Secretary. On Wednesday, she posted a photo to her own official Twitter account of herself walking into her new office with the caption, “Day 1 on the job is done, but we’re only getting started,” she wrote. “Now where do I find the pencils?”
Day 1 on the job is done, but we’re only getting started. Now where do I find the pencils? 🙂 pic.twitter.com/0vRKF1opE9
— Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVos) February 9, 2017
Twitter pounced on the tweet, reminding DeVos that teachers usually have to purchase their own supplies.
@BetsyDeVos not in the thousands of public schools that can barely afford supplies. Looking forward to you cleaning that lil issue up.
— Erin Weaver (@ByErinWeaver) February 9, 2017
@BetsyDeVos You worked a whole day but didn’t have anything to write with? Maybe you could hold a bake sale to buy some pencils.
— (((David Lytle))) (@davitydave) February 9, 2017
@BetsyDeVos you realize how NOT funny this is since most teachers buy their own supplies. But I bet you’re gonna pink slip them anyway.
— MalyndaHale (@MalyndaHale) February 9, 2017
.@BetsyDeVos You’re worth 5.1 billion dollars and you just bought a government agency. Buy it a fucking pen. https://t.co/o0CuiOXAT5
— Shoq (@Shoq) February 9, 2017
@BetsyDeVos A true educator wouldn’t have to ask… we carry them with us at all times
— Laura Fischer (@Buckeyegal2008) February 9, 2017
@BetsyDeVos This isn’t funny. You couldn’t answer basic questions about education during your hearing.
— Bill Shapiro (@Bill_Shapiro) February 9, 2017
DeVos was confirmed by the Senate last week after Vice President Mike Pence casted a historic tie-breaking vote. Critics slammed DeVos for her support of vouchers for private schools and the fact that she hasn’t neither worked in, attended, or sent her children to public schools.
Featured image via YouTube/Twitter. To follow Sky Palma on Facebook, click here.
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